Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, is poised to begin accepting Apple Pay and other contactless payment services from tomorrow (24 December), as the theme park giant continues to harness the power of contactless technology.

According to reports, the radio-frequency identification (RFID) infrastructure used by Disney for its MagicBands – part of the MyMagic+ programme – will be leveraged to enable guests to pay for tickets, merchandise, plus quick service food and beverages throughout the resort. In addition to Apple Pay, the rollout covers Google Wallet, Softcard and other RFID-enabled credit-cards.

The concept makes it easier than ever for guests to spend money. To make a purchase, users simply hold their mobile device or card near a touch-to-pay reader. Disney plans to eventually extend the payment system to its table-service restaurants and other areas using portable payment terminals, while the technology is also expected to be introduced at the Disneyland Resort in California during 2015.

Contactless payments are fast growing in prominence and Apple Pay is quickly making headway. Despite arriving relatively late in the game – Apple only announced it in September – the platform reportedly achieved a 1.7 per cent market share within six weeks of its launch. McDonalds meanwhile, has said that Apple Pay now accounts for 50 per cent of its contactless transactions.