If you’ve visited Walt Disney World Resort in the last five years, you’ve seen the majority of guests wearing colorful, plastic bands resembling smart watches on their wrists. That’s because in 2013 Walt Disney World technologically revolutionized the visitor experience with the introduction of MagicBands. MagicBands are your all-in-one digital theme park admission ticket, charging mechanism, hotel key and much more! In today’s blog post, we’re talking all about MagicBands - how to get them, when you get them and how to use them.
How do I get a MagicBand?
Guests who stay at a Walt Disney World Resort receive standard MagicBands at no additional cost - even those who are not visiting the theme parks. After linking a hotel reservation or hotel/ticket package onto your My Disney Experience account, you can get started on the customization of your Magic Bands.
From the drop-down menu on My Disney Experience, you can get started on customizing your MagicBands before your trip.
Available as of May 20, guests can upgrade from standard, solid color MagicBands and pick from more than 40 MagicBands featuring Disney charcters and designs. The standard collection of pink, green, red, purple, orange, yellow, blue and gray are available at no cost. The new premium options are currently available for $10 per MagicBand and adorned with Avengers characters, the classic Disney Fab Five and even iconic Disney snacks.
How adorable is the Disney snack MagicBand?
Regardless of which type of MagicBand you select, you’ll further personalize your order by typing what you’d like inscribed on the back of MagicBands, limited to nine characters per band. If your family or group of friends wants the same color or themed MagicBand, the name or nickname selected for the back of MagicBands will ensure that you are wearing the correct band. This is important, not for hotel room entry, but for entry into the theme parks and FastPass+ lines. More on that later. Furthermore, once a MagicBand is assigned to an individual, it cannot be reassigned to another person.
You can customize your MagicBands up to 11 days prior to the start of your trip. After processing, your MagicBands will be shipped to your home or address you’ve chosen for receipt. MagicBand delivery is one of the most magical pieces of mail you’ll receive; it means your vacation to the most magical place on Earth is about to start!! And if you arrange a last-minute trip, no worries. Your MagicBands will be waiting for you upon check-in at your resort.
For guests staying off-property who want the convenience of using MagicBands in the parks, you can purchase them on the shopDisney website or at your local Disney Store. The standard colors are available for $14.99 + tax/shipping, while limited edition, Disney character and attraction-themed MagicBands start at $24.99 + tax/shipping. After you receive the MagicBands, you’ll link them onto your My Disney Experience account using the unique code found on the back of the bands.
How do I use my MagicBand?
MagicBands unlock a myriad of magical benefits for on-property and off-property guests alike. For people staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you’ll first use your MagicBand to board Disney’s Magical Express as transport from the Orlando International Airport to your Disney resort. So please do not pack your MagicBand in your checked luggage. Be sure that you have easy access to your bands in your carry-on baggage; or better yet, wear your MagicBands on the plane. It’s quite the travel accessory!
Next, MagicBands serve as your hotel room key. After a long day at the parks, you won’t find yourself and your family standing outside of your room, searching for a lost key amidst the other essentials in your bag or purse. Just hold the Mickey face on your MagicBand to the door lock, and voila, it’s time to relax in your room. Disney World hotel guests also have the opportunity to link a credit card onto their MagicBand to make food and merchandise purchases to their room - no need to remember to pack a credit card in your park bag! MagicBands are also used to redeem credits when guests are enrolled in one of the Disney Dining Plans.
Now let’s talk about what MagicBands offer for everyone. They replace plastic card tickets as admission into the parks. When you clear security and enter the front gates of one of the parks, you will hold the Mickey face on your MagicBand to the touch point of the entry turnstile and place your index finger on the finger reader; if you leave and re-enter the park, you’ll have to use the same finger as identification.
Because MagicBands are linked to your My Disney Experience, they also store your FastPass+ reservations. As such, you’ll scan your MagicBands to access FastPass+ lines. When you successfully scan your MagicBand at the park and FastPass+ entrance, the Mickey face on the turnstiles will turn green. Success!
You can also use your MagicBand to link images taken by Disney PhotoPass photographers or captured on select attractions and at special dining to your My Disney Experience - whether or not you added Memory Maker (paid unlimited photo downloads) to your reservation.
Do I need to take special care of my MagicBand?
MagicBands are made of sturdy plastic to withstand continuous wear during a Walt Disney World Resort vacation. The bands are waterproof so you don’t have to worry about misplacing them by taking them off and on. Dive into the pool without taking off your MagicBand!
They are so well constructed that they make a great keepsake of the memories made on your trip. In fact, your kids won’t want to take them off even when you’re back home. MagicBands remain active until the battery expires; we have MagicBands still kicking from a 2015 trip. You’ll receive a MagicBand with each new resort stay, but the MagicBands are interchangeable as long as they are listed as “active” on My Disney Experience.
We hope that this helps explain the various features of using a MagicBand. What’s your favorite?