If you are new to Disney World then you may of heard of MagicBands but wonder what they actually do? Apart from looking Great on your wrist, they are also very intelligent devices designed to enhance your Disney World Experience.
What is a MagicBand?
MagicBands are adjustable, waterproof wristbands that have a small radio frequency (RF) chip inside. RF is a common technology found in everything from video game controllers to keyless car entry.
By linking a MagicBand to your My Disney Experience account you will be able to complete a whole number of cool actions that will make your vacation even more enjoyable and effortless.
What Can MagicBands Do?
MagicBands add a little bit more excitement to your Disney World vacation. As mentioned above, they sit over your My Disney experience account. Within your account you will have booked fast passes, restaurants reservations and will have your resort hotel reservation linked(if staying on site). Below is a list of cool things that MagicBands do to enhance your experience:
1) You Can open your Disney Hotel room door with your MagicBand. All hotel rooms have a MagicBand reader. You magicBand will be your Hotel room key.
2) MagicBands wIll be your ticket to enter the parks. Touch your MagicBand on the fancy machines whilst scanning your index finger on the reader and wait for the green light and your in the parks! The friendly cast member will show you how to do this if you are unsure first time round.
3) Use your MagicBand to access your fast pass+ reservation. Scan your MagicBand to enter the FastPass+ plus queue at you prebooked time slot.
4) If you have a Disney dining plan then you can use your MagicBand to check in at your dining reservation
5) Your Disney dining credits will be linked to your MagicBand. Scan your MagicBand at Quick Service or registers to pay for your food. For table service, your server will scan your magicband when you are seated and once you have finished your meal they will bring you a receipt showing your remaining dining credit entitlements.
6) If you have Disney PhotoPass included on your booking you can get all your photos uploaded straight to your My Disney Experience account by scanning your MagicBand with a Disney photographer or at the MagicBand stations after you exit the rides (subject to participating rides).
7) For airport transfers, scan your MagicBand when arriving at Disney’s Magical Express check-in point at Orlando international airport.
8) Link your credit card to your MagicBand and use it to charge items to your hotel room from around the parks.
to do all of this, simply tap the Mickey symbol (Puck) on your MagicBand on the special MagicBand readers and machines at your resort room door, at the turnstiles and the checkout registers in restaurants and stores. It’s that simple.
How Can I Get A MagicBand?
If you are staying on Disney Property as part of your booking, MagicBands will be included in the price. If you live outside the US your MagicBand will be waiting for you at the Hotel reception.
Each member of your party will receive a MagicBand. Even under 3s who don't require a park ticket will receive a MagicBand. At no extra cost you will receive the standard colour Magic Bands with no design.
Colours to choose from are; RED PINK PURPLE GREEN BLUE GREY YELLOW and ORANGE
You can choose your favorite colour by logging onto your My Disney Experience account and selecting the choose your MagicBands option.
New to last year Disney now give you the option to Upgrade your standard colour MagicBand for a premium one at a reduced price to buying them in the gift shops at Disney. If you forget to do this then you can pay full price and link your MagicBand on your My Disney Experience app at the time of purchase.
The Image below explains how to do this. Be aware that upgrading to a premium band is subject to availability. This can be a very temperamental service currently as Disney can put a selection on there and within 5 minutes the design you want is out of stock. As i write this there is a technical issue with this service which i hope they fix soon.
Choose from hundreds of MagicBands from all your favourite characters designs, park designs and many more. Here are a few of my favourites below that you can either purchase online (US residents only) or at the parks for everyone else. UK Guests cannot purchase from the online store as Disney do not ship internationally. If you want to buy a magic band before your arrival there is a great selection at the Disney store in the arrivals hall at Orlando international. Alternatively you can buy them off ebay at your own risk.
MagicBand Tips and Tricks
1) MagicBands are waterproof. So don't panic if you jump in the pool and suddenly realise you are still wearing it. This is also necessary due to the extremely unpredictable florida weather.
2) If you loose your MagicBand in the park don't worry. Head to guest services and they may be able to locate it using the RF signal built in. If this is unsuccessful then you can deactivate the MagicBand on your My Disney Experience account to stop other people from using it. My daughter lost her MagicBand in Hollywood Studios last year and guest services were kind enough to replace it for free although i can't say if this common policy or i just picked the right cast member at the time. They will usually give you a plastic card anyway as you will need it access your reservations.
3) MagicBands are fully adjustable to fit pretty much all wrist sizes. if you have small wrists and think, "this is way too big for me!" Don't worry. You can turn the band into a smaller size by opening up and removing the outer dark grey section from the underside of the strap. Just simply remove this section and it will change the strap into a small size. You will need to do this for children.
4) Don't like wearing things around your wrist? Remove the Puck from the middle of the band and buy a pendant from any gift store. Insert the Puck into the pendant and clip it onto your t-shirt, trousers or bag. Job done! Pendants also come in a host of cool designs for you to choose from.
So there you have it. I hope this helps you understand how MagicBands work. They really are genius addition that will make your Disney experience even more fun and effortless.
Remember MagicBands are completely optional. If you are not staying onsite you will need to purchase one separately however if this is the case i cannot recommend them highly enough. They will be a great keepsake from your holiday and if/when you go back to Disney World in the future, you can re link them to your new reservation to use again.
If you enjoyed this article it would be great if you could like and share.
Comments