This is our first trip with a ticketed kid who will therefore need to scan a finger at entrance. I’ve heard that can sometimes be tricky and I’ve seen the suggestion to use a parent’s finger instead but that won’t work for us because we are hoping to each take DS to HS for an afternoon while his sisters are napping so he can do some of the height restricted rides.
Anything else we can do to make it less likely to have issues at the entrance?
You are likely to have problems, unfortunately. I would try to get the child to scan their own finger so they can enter regardless of which parent. I believe they say don’t press your finger too hard?
That said, I think I have been able to switch which parent scans in when it doesn’t work. They have to take an extra step and call another CM over, but at least you can get in.
According to most experts, the middle finger is generally considered the best finger to use for a fingerprint scanner, followed by the index finger, as they tend to have the most distinct fingerprint patterns and are easier to read by the sensor; it’s best to avoid using the thumb or little finger as they may not provide as clear a scan.
Looking into the sources of this AI overview, there is actually some dispute about that. And it seems like the reason not to use the thumb or pinky is actually because they are hard to position consistently on the scanner.
It’s quite possible the CMs told me to QUIT using my thumb!
I think it was the pointer finger the CMs told me then. But I can see the logic behind the middle finger. I can also see why CMs would recommend the pointer over telling people to use the middle finger
I agree with Jeff. We had issues every visit. The good news is it usually only takes under 5 minutes to resolve each time so it is only a real meaningful problem when it happens at RD.
How old is you son? DD stopped having these issues with the finger scan after she turned 9.
I still have issues every visit But it’s me forgetting my finger used. The CMs with the pads are good about resetting the finger scan. Quick process. Get in the line with the most interactive CM for faster service, lol.
For what it is worth, we NEVER scan our fingers. I know, I know, I know… Disney says they don’t collect bio-metric data…etc, etc. But we still don’t do it. We register on the first day of our visit at the guest window and then all we have to do is show our reservation and ID. For our kids, they just look at them and confirm who they are. So I assume that’s an option as well?
They do…and they don’t. It is true, they do NOT collect your fingerprint. So, for example, if they wanted to look you up and view your fingerprint, they couldn’t. They don’t have that data.
Instead, what happens is when they scan your fingerprint, they take a few key data points only. You could call it a VERY tiny sampling of your fingerprint. But enough to confirm it is you.
When you then tap in, and place your fingerprint on the scanner, all it is doing is making sure those key data points align.
In a VERY simplistic analogy, it would be like if they wanted to identify you by your address, but rather than store your full address, they only store every 4th digit/character. They don’t have your full address, and if they wanted to look it up, they wouldn’t have it. But if you later entered your address, all they could do is make sure every 4th letter matches your previous entered address.
That example over-simplifies it…because they also encrypt the data one direction, in a sense. So, they take the data, encrypt it, and only store the encrypted value. Once encrypted, they can’t “decrypt” the data. All they can do is, next time you tap in, take the key data points, re-encrypt them, and make sure the encrypted values match.
So, yeah. Your biometric data is safe. There is nothing anyone can do to extract your biometric data from the system. At all.
I totally appreciate this response and information. I hear you and completely agree. However, a member of my travel party (who works in data security software) is uncomfortable with it, so we bypass it. Thankfully, Disney is great about it. It’s no biggie for me.
Although, one time our “pass” for bypassing the finger scan “expired” on our last day and they tried to force us into using it. But then another guest service cast member said they cannot do that, and ended up giving us a bunch of free fast-passes for the day. If I was someone who got way into conspiracies, I would say it was slightly “sus” (as the kids say) that our bypass suddenly “expired” on our final day and they HAD to have our finger scan.
Anyway, if they really wanted a piece of me, they could just grab my DNA from the trail of Mickey bar popsicle sticks I’ll leave in the trash around the park. LOL.
I’m a software engineer myself, and my oldest son is a data security software engineer (Masters degree in it), and has zero issues with it. I’m really surprised this person is concerned. I would think if anyone ISN’T concerned, it would be someone who is “in the know”.
No matter. Just trying to alleviate concerns. Most people who are concerned usually don’t understand how it all works.
Sometimes it’s more about placing trust in a company to do what they say they are doing. Because the opportunity is there and technology exists, right? I trust Disney to do the right thing. But also, I’m NOT in the know on all things IT. So I have to just take their word for it, lol.
We’ve never had issues with the kids. Our youngest had just turned 4 the first time he visited. Just make sure you remember which finger and hand they use as they might not remember.
I’m in the same position, with someone in the cybersecurity field. It takes a little longer the first day to go to guest services (~5 min), but then it’s quick to get in by showing ID. The kids didn’t need ID, just the adults.
I guess I haven’t known anyone else either, but I just figured that if Disney offers the option it must mean that there’s a calling for it. Glad to make you feel better!