Disney’s Biometrics

One of the interesting changes since the last time we were in DisneyWorld was the addition of finger geometry scanning when you present your ticket for park entry. The intent is to associate a ticket with you specifically so that you will be unable to share your ticket with another, to enforce, through technical means, the non-transference clause in the ticket contract. For example, if you wanted to take a friend to the Adventurer’s Club for drinks with your wife’s ticket while she watches the kids, the finger geometry scan would determine that these were the hands of a large male rather than a small female. This allows Disney to substitute, to some extent, machine judgment for human.

The majority of the time the finger geometry scan failed to work, and the gate attendant would over-ride the turnstile in order to pass guests in to the park in the most efficient manner possible.