The Internet of Everything…A Small World After All?

It’s summertime. For most people, the warmer temps and holiday weekends are the perfect excuse for a vacation. But have you ever traveled to an amusement park or exotic destination only to wait in line for hours for the hottest ride or trendiest restaurant? Or perhaps your coolness factor would skyrocket if you didn’t have to keep track of ticket stubs, receipts and maps? Well, the ups and downs of amusement park experiences may be able to be saved for the roller coasters. Could the Internet of Everything be changing how we experience…experiences?

Just recently, I stumbled across an article on All Things D by Bonnie Cha titled, Tomorrowland Today: Disney MagicBand Unlocks New Guest Experience for Park Goers. The article highlights new technology that Disney World Resort in Orlando has been using in trial phases and hopes to have broad implementation soon. The technology, called MagicBand, is a connected band (bracelet) designed to be an all-in-one device connecting park goers to everything through Radio Frequency technology. Visitors will be able to access the theme park and hotel rooms, purchase food and souvenirs and add extra options via My Disney Experience website.

This is just the beginning. The Internet of Everything will provide more possibilities for Disney World and similar amusement parks in the future. Imagine going to an amusement park and being able to link your MagicBand (or similar technology) to your social media channels. During a ride or attraction, you might do something as simple as tapping the band to upload photos taken at an attraction to your Facebook page or Twitter account. This technology, coupled with the Internet of Everything, will connect friends and families and enable them to share experiences.

A truly personalized visit to a destination that sees tens of millions of visitors every year? The Internet of Everything really might be making it a “small world” with infinite possibilities.