If all there was to Disney’s experiment with wearable tech was a wristband, it might have been just OK. But, as Wired beautifully reported in a post that went live this weekend, the MagicBand isn’t just a piece of technology; it’s a gateway into rethinking the theme park experience from long before arrival to long after departure.
No one at Disney thought, “Hey! Let’s build a piece of wearable tech and see how many ways we can think of using it!” Instead, the band is a focal point for an information infrastructure that’s largely unseen but which guides and enhances your trip. The focus isn’t on the thing, it’s on how the thing manages the cloud of data that describes you to the park.
Not a lot of companies have Disney’s resources to pull off a project of this magnitude. But every company can take a lesson from this. The gadget is important, but is just the start. What really counts is how the gadget can transform an experience. It’s not about counting steps; it’s about how the step count can transform the wearer’s fitness experience. The use case, when all accounts are settled, is the most important thing.