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NEW Discount Pre-Arrival MagicBand+ Designs & Troubleshooting Tips

Discount MagicBand+ designs are now available for pre-arrival Walt Disney World hotel guests and Annual Passholders. This buying guide covers the upgrade purchase process, troubleshooting order issues, and the two-dozen different interactive Magic Band Plus styles. ( Updated July 27, 2022 at 3:30 pm EST.)

For those who are unfamiliar with it, the MagicBand+ is the enhanced and interactive upgrade to the iconic MagicBand 2.0 style, and can do everything the first two generations that the wearable can do and more at Walt Disney World. For one, you can scan it to enter the parks or Lightning Lanes. Unlike those, when it’s activated, the MagicBand+ will light up in rainbow colors. Additionally, you can connecting your PhotoPass memories, unlock your Walt Disney World Resort hotel room door, and more.

The newest wearable also has great new features, including color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition. It also pairs to your smartphone using the My Disney Experience app. There are also MagicBand+ minigames revolving around Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary statues and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Suffice to say, there’s a lot you can do with MagicBand+ at WDW. For everything you need to know about the interactive bands, see our  FAQ for MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World!

To take advantage of the MagicBand+ pre-arrival discount offer, use the My Disney Experience app or DisneyWorld.com, which allows you to choose from a variety of colors and designs inspired by characters, resorts, attractions, nighttime spectaculars, and more. The styles rotate with regularity, and there are dozens of MagicBand choices at discounted prices.

Anyway, below is how the process works.

MagicBand+ Pre-Arrival Purchase Process

After clicking the “My MagicBands and Cards” link below the My Disney Experience drop-down on DisneyWorld.com or the “Choose MagicBands” button on your resort reservation, you’ll see the above screen if you’re an Annual Passholder. For resort guests, it looks slightly different, with a ‘skyline’ view of the hotel you’ve booked replacing the AP banner.

Currently, there’s a message on the screen indicating that the new upgrade options can be purchased (U.S. and Canada addresses only) 10 or more days ahead of arrival. They can be personalized if done so at least 6 or more days ahead of arrival.

Once you click the “Edit Order” button, you’re given an option to “Select” for each guest.

Pick one, and the above screen appears, revealing the various options. As of 6 am EST on the morning of MagicBand+ launch, there are 48 different designs, which is the most we’ve seen for the MagicBand upgrade program in all of 2022 thus far. Expect this number to decrease in the coming hours, days, and weeks. Our expectation is that this is the high-water mark for 2022, but here’s hoping we’re wrong and inventory continues to grow.

Above is closer look at a single page, along with what you see when you hover over one of the MagicBand+ styles you might want to select. This will show you both sides of the MagicBand+ or regular MagicBand.

Sadly, there’s no Country Bear Jamboree MagicBand+, but ya can’t win ’em all. There  is  Orange Bird, which is incredibly tempting.

Once you click a style, you’re sent to a personalization drop-down where you enter a name.

Although we started this process selecting a MagicBand for a “Tom” character, this is actually for someone they call “Sarah.”

Once done, the system then takes you back to the start of the process, where you’ll select for other members of your party.

Here you can also see what prior selections have already been made, and edit those if you’ve changed your mind. We always recommend doing this relatively quickly; it’s not like you need to race through the process and set a new speed record, but don’t take hours. Designs do sell out from time to time.

I wasn’t opting for a design with this resort stay, so here’s what shows up when choosing “Decline a New MagicBand” (under my name at the very top of the screen) looks like.

After clicking that once, the above pop-up appears to confirm you want to decline.

From that screen, an “Almost there!” message appears indicating that your MagicBand is being held for 30 minutes while you complete checkout.

Gee, it sure would be nice if some other Walt Disney World system held selections for some period of time, rather than letting them disappear out from under your nose or changing them on you arbitrarily. 

From there, you’ll enter payment info, a shipping address, and finish the checkout.

That is, assuming the system works!

…and the order confirmation screen.

This reiterates what you ordered and where it’s being shipped. It also includes a bunch of disclaimers about not being able to cancel or return personalized orders. Pretty standard stuff.

Note that you have until 10 days before your arrival at Walt Disney World to customize and order your MagicBand+ or OG MB if you want to have the ‘Band shipped to your home.

Due to postal service delays, we recommend placing your order at least 14 days in advance to play it safe. Anecdotally, we’re also hearing of more guests having their orders delayed or cancelled completely, so even ordering far in advance doesn’t guarantee that your MagicBands will arrive on time–or at all.

With that said, here are our troubleshooting tips and the step-by-step process for ordering…

MagicBand+ Pre-Arrival Purchase Troubleshooting

The MagicBand+ pre-arrival purchase process works exactly the same as the regular MagicBand upgrade option that went live a few years ago. That means the system is also frustratingly glitchy, with problems requiring private or antiquated browsers, plus errors throughout the process–even after submitting payment.

Unfortunately, beyond this troubleshooting advice below coupled with persistence, there’s no good resolution. We cannot stress enough that this system is still having a tremendous amount of problems. If reader reports are any indication, contacting Disney is unlikely to yield favorable results. (We’d love to hear your experiences in the comments!)

As of Summer 2022, a new issue I’m commonly having is an error message that says “We are unable to display certain MagicBand order details at this time. If some or all of your orders are not present, please refresh the page or try again later.” This appears before even starting the upgrade process–right after clicking “My MagicBands and Cards” from the main menu.

About 80% of the time, refreshing this page once brings up order options and lets me proceed with the above flow. Another 10% of the time, it takes 2 refreshes. The remaining 10% of the time, I have to follow some variety of the following.

An issue I had this morning with one order was an error message under the payment method that said: “We’re having trouble retrieving your payment method. Please try again.” Refreshing produced an endless loading loop (see above). I finally solved this with incognito mode (see below).

Another issue readers have reported is a message on the final payment and shipping screen after hitting the purchase button. This says: “Unable to process payment. Please try another one.” This is not a sign that your credit card company has deemed your Disney addiction unhealthy and is trying to cut you off. It’s an error on Disney’s end, and likewise can be resolved via the following…  

First, we’d recommend using the desktop site instead of the My Disney Experience app or mobile site. Additionally, if the desktop version of DisneyWorld.com won’t work for you, try private browsing, incognito mode, or a different browser entirely.

Usually, we first try private browsing on Chrome, and that resolves the issue. However, a couple of times we’ve received a message that we do not have access to a certain page, or that our payment couldn’t be processed–both of those issues can be resolved by time-traveling back to Y2K and using Internet Explorer. (Don’t worry, you won’t have to use AOL or dial-up, too.)

We’ve found that this process gets hung up on several different pages, including on the selection and checkout process. Having a ‘clean’ browser will often resolve these issues. It’s not foolproof, but if you’re finding that things become unavailable right after you select them, that’s one explanation as to why.

If you’re having issues with inventory…there’s no great solution to that. We’d recommend watching the site, checking each morning at around 7 am for the day’s restocks, and ordering your MagicBand+ designs when you see a ‘good enough’ selection that appeal to you. Additionally, people are reporting issues with their orders actually shipping, but this seems to be a sporadic problem.

If your Walt Disney World vacation is not in the near future, we’d recommend being patient and waiting for a design you actually want . Now that Disney has a more accurate understanding of demand, they are (hopefully) more likely to increase the inventory to an adequate level to satisfy the incredible demand.

Now, let’s turn to MagicBand+ designs as of launch day (July 27, 2022)…

Current MagicBand+ Pre-Arrival Styles

Above is a look at all 48 MagicBand+ and regular ole MagicBand designs as of  launch day. This is a total of 48 styles–33 MagicBand+ options and 15 MagicBands. Even after the initial surge of morning purchases has died down, all 33 MagicBand+ designs remain available.

Currently, there are only two price points for the MagicBand+ styles: $25 for solid colors and $35 for premium designs, both of which offer a savings of $10 off what you’d pay in stores at Walt Disney World or on shopDisney.com. There’s tax on MagicBand+ upgrade orders, so the total price comes out to $26.92 for the standard colors and $37.70 for the premium patterns.

Again, we expect this number to decrease rather than increase in the coming hours, days, weeks, etc. Hopefully that’s wrong, as we understand there are still a lot of new MagicBand+ styles in the pipeline. Regardless, we’d love to see this number back above 50–with a lot more standard MagicBand designs–by early 2023.

Here are back and front views of some of my favorite MagicBand+ designs (or the ones I think will interest you the most):

If you don’t like any of these designs–or there isn’t something for everyone in your party–there’s no harm in waiting until you arrive at Walt Disney World to purchase your MagicBand+ or regular MB.

Whether you should pay to purchase a MagicBand+ pre-arrival is a personal decision, but there’s one big upside in that it makes the vacation experience seamless and streamlined. You can bypass your hotel’s front desk, don’t have to hassle with separate payments, keys, etc. So there’s definitely an element of convenience for on-site guests.

The main downside is that you won’t be able to immediately use your MagicBand+ to open your hotel room door (assuming it works, you can still use the in-app feature to unlock your door), enter the parks, etc–but the actual process of buying a MagicBand+ and linking it to your My Disney Experience account is simple and easy. Other downsides are that you won’t save ~$10 on each MagicBand+ and that you’ll likely have to charge whichever MagicBand+ you buy at Walt Disney World before using it.

Finally, neither MagicBand nor MagicBand+ is   required at Walt Disney World. For room entry, park admission, Lightning Lanes, and charging privileges to the hotel room, Walt Disney World offers plastic Key To The World cards. This can be provided at the hotel front desk, and is how things worked prior to the debut of MagicBands several years ago. Alternatively, guests can receive standard ticket media and use that for park entry or using Lightning Lanes.

Additionally, MagicMobile service is now available at Walt Disney World via the My Disney Experience app, and can be added to your Android, iPhone, or Apple Watch digital wallet once enabled. This works just like a MagicBand with most features working by simply holding up your smart device near an access point. It can be used to enter theme parks, connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account, and more. We’ve been using MagicMobile a lot as of Summer 2022 and really like the service. It’s now incredibly smooth and requires zero screen time or battery, and works great in Express Mode!

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews . To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

YOUR THOUGHTS

What do you think of the new MagicBand+ upgrade options? Will you be paying the $25 to $35 premium for one of these colors or themed designs? Any specific design catch your eye? Did you have any problems ordering your MagicBand+ designs? If so, what were they and how did you resolve the issues? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

Ummmmm anyone get theirs and try the QR code?? Both my oldest and I that have iPhone 12 and 13 scanned QR and we’re taken to a bunch of radiator hoses. Lol! Pls help. Or maybe Disney needs help more than I do. Insanity when you pay $151 for 4 magic bands after shipping. At least have a working QR code

I ordered new magic bands on 7/27 they still have not shipped almost two weeks later. I’m concerned I won’t have them for my trip in a couple weeks. Is there an issue with shipping?? Order stays is still “in progress “

I was wondering the same thing. I know the order said it could take 10 business days, but it hasn’t even shipped yet so there is no chance of that happening. If they aren’t going to be here before we leave in a few weeks than I don’t need/want them.

I called Disney today and I got the run around again. They are non refundable but I will debate that when it specifically says to order within a specific timeframe. Which I’m well in it. Good luck to us and hoping for the best. I’ll still have a blast without them if it falls through just be disappointing. 🙁

Glad to know ahead the shipping is delayed . We are not going till December so we have plenty of time , but wondering what the inventory/selection will be like in the parks for magic bands plus if we wait till we go to WDW to purchase them since we have certain styles we like and they are not available online yet . Went online this morning and a couple of new styles were available to purchase , but then they sold out in like 10 minutes. I had one in my cart and by the time I was ready to check out , it was no longer available. Too much stress for a trip to WDW !!!

Danielle, I interpreted the 10 business days shipping as meaning they would ship them in 10 business days (so hopefully tomorrow for those of us who placed orders on the 27th) but I could be wrong. At least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway to keep from getting anxious about them not having shipped with a trip in a month XD

I’m hoping you are right!!! The other magic bands I ordered I had in a week .

I assumed 10 days from order because they have always said to make sure you order at least 10 days before check in. I did a chat with a CM today asking and they said there is high demand and they are getting them out as soon as they can, but if it’s too close to my check in date they would mail to the hotel. When I asked what would happen if they weren’t there yet when I check in since I don’t want them if I can’t use it for the trip he said the CMs there would work to get us replacements or we could call for a credit. We’ll see. I’m certainly not paying for something that doesn’t arrive in time for my trip when I ordered it more than 1 month in advance.

Update!!! Ordered a few magicbands+ on 7/27 and another on 7/30. Our resort arrival is 8/28. We just got confirmation /tracking that the bands shipped to us!!! So we are set to go! Hope all the orders you guys put in are doing the same!!!

Glad to hear you are getting your bands before vacation! The selections now online are awful for MagicBands plus. This morning the red/white Minnie Mouse MagicBand plus became available again , and when I placed it into my cart , it said SOLD OUT. Very frustrating. We are hoping we don’t end up with the boring solid color ones. Have a magical time .

Thanks for the update, good to know. Our trip is end of September and we were not really concerned. I (hopefully) had thought they were using logic to ship by as needed dates especially for those that had much earlier dates. Engraving takes time so that could have caused some delays considering the volume. Someone in logistics must have had clues and a loud voice to make sure that happened.

What happens if I dont cancel my WDW park reservation (and do not attend)?

Going to Disneyland in October and WDW in December and have high hopes of finding a designer MagicBand + somewhere in between but the online selections are very limited and boring . Staying at the WDW Swan but apparently this isn’t a Disney hotel so cannot pre order MagicBands. Wondering if the selection of MagicBands at the parks will improve by December ? Online really isn’t offering anything interesting as far as MagicBands plus so far .

I ordered on 7/27, got an order confirmation page (but no email), and saw the pending credit card charge. I checked my Disney account today and it says order status is cancelled. Did this happen to anyone else?

Our pending charge dropped off. Have you had any updates?

We typically go once every 1-2 years and LOVE (old style) magic bands. From that perspective it doesn’t make sense to keep buying old magic bands with a limited battery life when we can just buy one rechargeable one to use for the foreseeable future. Quite apart from the extra features, that alone makes it worth it for us.

Hey Tom! Any idea when Magic Bands will be available in Disneyland in Anaheim? I’ve founds lots of online postings stating 2022. Here it is almost August and “Crickets”! Did I miss something?

I had a constant payment error message but once I went to my account separately in MDE and re-entered my saved credit card it worked fine. Also, no tax if you ship to NH!

Going to MNSSHP for the first time this year! Has WDW put out Halloween Magic Bands in the past? Just wondering if I should order now or wait and see if they release a Halloween Magic Band.

I just ordered 5 Magic Band+ at 7:10pm Eastern on July 27 through MyDisneyExperience on Chrome browser. My Chrome is Version 103.0.5060.53 (Official Build) (x86_64) on a Mac, you can click on “Chrome” then “About Google Chrome” to see your version.

I kept getting an error about the payment method on my phone & laptop when using Safari, and it worked the first time I tried on Chrome. Not sure if it was a coincidence or not.

My 7-year old son will be excited about this surprise after he learned about the Harry Potter wand features at Universal Studios and asked if Disney had anything similar.

I ordered 2 this morning at 0730 without problems – and then went back this afternoon after finding out what my son wanted, thru MDE, to order another one ( different reservation) at 4:00pm. At that time- there were 48 styles available on MDE – more than on the Shop Disney site. It seemed like everyting that was available this morning was available at 4pm.

It did take me about 9 “refreshes” to open up the Magic Band page without the error message that Tom refers to in this article- and that was in private mode.

I am in the same boat as you. We leave in eight days and still says in progress. Going to call tomorrow morning and see if someone can help me.

The MDE site to pre order MagicBands + are only for WDW Resort hotel guests. We are staying at the WDW Swan and apparently that’s not a WDW Resort hotel, oddly.

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MagicBand+ Guide and FAQ - Price, Pairing, and What They Do

Everything you need to know about magicband plus at disney world and disneyland..

Last year, Disney Parks announced that MagicBands are getting a big upgrade . MagicBand+ is coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, and Guide2WDW has all the details you need about Disney’s newest wearable.

Update 10-19-22: New details have arrived about MagicBand+ at Disneyland Resort . MagicBand+ has already been released at Disney World. This guide has been updated with new price information, as well as info on how to pair and customize your MagicBand+ with your phone.

Table of Contents

What is MagicBand+?

MagicBand+ is the newest version of Disney World’s MagicBand. MagicBands are wearable wristbands that include RFID technology that enable you to open your hotel room door, get into the parks, pay for food, and redeem Lightning Lane reservations, all with your wrist. A MagicBand can act as your hotel key, park ticket, and wallet while you’re inside the park and Disney World hotels.

MagicBand+ features new designs and extra features, such as color-changing lights and haptic vibrations. MagicBand+ enables new experiences, such as glowing along with nighttime spectaculars or a new Bounty Hunter game at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. We have full details about these new experiences below.

When will MagicBand+ be available?

MagicBand+ is available at Walt Disney World as of  July 27. You can buy MagicBand+ online at shopDisney.com as well as the following locations:

• Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
• EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Trading Company
• Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders
• Select merchandise locations at Disney Resort hotels

MagicBand+ will also be available at Disneyland starting October 26, 2022.  Magic Key holders and Disney Vacation Club members can start purchasing MagicBand+ at select merchandise locations at Disneyland on October 19. Magic Key holders will also receive $10 off a Magic Key exclusive MagicBand+.

MagicBand+ will be sold at Disneyland at the following locations:

• Downtown Disney: World of Disney, Disney’s Pin Traders
• Disneyland Park: Emporium, Pioneer Mercantile, Tomorrow Landing
• California Adventure: Elias & Co, Trolley Treats, Oswald’s, Seaside Souvenirs
• Disneyland Resorts: Disney’s Fantasia Shop, Mickey in Paradise, Acorns Gifts & Goods

How much does MagicBand+ cost?

MagicBand+ retails starting at $34.99 for solid colors.

MagicBand+ with more intricate designs featuring characters and text cost $44.99.

However, certain Disney World guests can purchase MagicBand+ at a discount. If you are staying at a Disney World resort, you can purchase MagicBand+ online prior to your arrival for $10 off the regular price through the My Disney Experience app or Disney World website. Annual Passholders can also receive a discount on MagicBand+.

Will the same MagicBand+ work at both Disney World and Disneyland?

Yes. If you purchase a MagicBand+ at Disney World, it will work at Disneyland, and vice versa. You will need to pair the MagicBand+ to both the Disney World app and the Disneyland app.

How to pair MagicBand+ with your phone and link to your Disney account.

• Turn your MagicBand+ with the button on the bottom right of the band’s back.
• Open the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app on your phone and log in.
• Click the Menu (≡) button on the bottom right corner.

• Under the Link to Account page, make sure you are on the “Tap” tab. This will let you pair your MagicBand+ by tapping it to your phone.

• Assign your MagicBand+ the person you want it to be associated with. You cannot reassign a MagicBand+, so make sure you have the correct guest selected.
• Next, you will be prompted to pair your device via Bluetooth to enable more features. Hold the button on the back of the band down for three seconds and release.

Your MagicBand+ should now be fully paired to your Disney account and your phone.

How to customize MagicBand+ settings

If you want to customize the lights, vibration, and motion sensitivity for MagicBand+, you can do that on the phone that you’ve paired your band to.

• Scroll down and tap “MagicBands and More”
• Select “View MagicBands” on the desired guest profile
• Swipe to select the band you want to customize.

From here you can change a variety of options.

How to Customize MagicBand+ Light Up Theme

• Next to “Light Up Theme,” click the “Change Color” button.
• Tap the color theme you want, and then tap “Save Selection.”

How to Adjust MagicBand+ Vibration, Motion, and Other Settings

• Next to “Settings,” tap “Change”
• Band Light (Enables the MagicBand+ light)
• Reduce Brightness
• Vibration (turns on and off vibration)
• Increase Motion Recognition
• Connected Park Experiences

Do I need to charge MagicBand+?

Yes. MagicBand+ comes with a charging cable. One end is a puck that connects to your MagicBand+ (similar to a Apple Watch or Fitbit), and the other end is USB-A. You will need to recharge MagicBand+ using this charging cable.

You can check the battery life in the MyDisneyExperience app by doing the following:

• Swipe to select the band you want to check.
• You can see the battery status icon below and to the right of the MagicBand+ artwork.

How to update MagicBand+

MagicBand+ has software updates. In fact, on the first day of availability, guests were told that they needed a Day One update for their newly purchased MagicBand+ to be able to reliably experience everything MagicBand+ has to offer.

Here’s how you can make sure your MagicBand+ is up to date. Your MagicBand+ will need at least 60% battery in order to be updated.

• Swipe to select the band you want to update.
• If your MagicBand+ is up to date, a green check mark will appear next to MagicBand+ Updates.
• If your MagicBand+ needs an update, tap the  Update button next to MagicBand+ Updates.
• On the next screen, tap  Download and Install.  If you do not have enough battery life, the app will not let you update your MagicBand+.
• Keep your MagicBand+ close to your phone while the update installs.

How is MagicBand+ different than a regular MagicBand?

MagicBand and MagicBand+ can both act as a park ticket, room key, and payment method. Everything you can do with MagicBand, you can also do with MagicBand+.

MagicBand+ also sports some new features not found in a regular MagicBand:

• Over 25 new designs
• Color-changing lights
• Haptic vibrations
• Gesture recognition
• The ability to pair with your smartphone

These features enable new experiences, detailed below.

What are the special activities that MagicBand+ enables?

MagicBand+ also enables special scavenger-hunt style activities, as well as “Glow with the Show” style interactions with nighttime spectaculars.

Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters – Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Join the Batuu Bounty Hunters’ Guild, search for space scoundrels, and collect bounties at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Guests will follow light patterns and vibrations on their MagicBand+ to find virtual bounties, complete missions, and earn credits. This game also uses the Play Disney Parks app as a augmented reality thermal viewer.

Disney Fab 50 Quest – All Four Parks

Guests can go on a scavenger hunt across Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Use your MagicBand+ to interact with the 50 golden character sculptures Disney installed for the 50th Anniversary. MagicBand+ uses gesture recognition technology so guests can “spread pixie dust with a wave.”

Nighttime Spectaculars – All Four Parks

MagicBand+ will light up in sync with Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom and Harmonious in EPCOT. The new bands will also glow along with the Beacons of Magic in all four parks.

Can I still buy a regular MagicBand?

Yes. Disney will continue to sell the regular version of the MagicBand, which is available at a lower price.

Do I need to have a MagicBand+ for my Disney World vacation?

No. MagicBand and MagicBand+ are optional add-ons that enhance your trip. MagicBands provide convenience, allowing you to not worry about pulling out your wallet multiple times a day. MagicBand+ provides that same convenience, but adds neat new features detailed above.

You can do almost everything MagicBand+ can do with your park ticket, your wallet, and your phone. However, Batuu Bounty Hunters, Disney Fab 50 Quest, and the Nighttime Spectacular interactions are exclusive experiences unlocked by MagicBand+.

Is MagicBand+ coming to Disneyland?

Yes, Disneyland is finally getting MagicBands! MagicBand+ is coming to Disneyland Resort  on October 26, 2022. It will feature much of the same functionality, although there will be some differences. For example, don’t expect the Fab50 quest to show up at Disneyland, as the golden statues are a special part of the Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.

What will MagicBand+ do at Disneyland?

Here’s a complete list of MagicBand+ functionality at Disneyland when it debuts this fall.

• Enter Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks.
• Check in at Lightning Lane entrances
• Link PhotoPass photos to your Disneyland account
• Lighting up at Avengers Campus in sync with the entertainment
• Syncing with Nighttime Spectaculars: World of Color, Fantasmic, fireworks, and select nighttime shows.
• Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters game in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Disney promises more functionality will come in the future. Most notably, Disneyland does not include using MagicBand+ to open your hotel room at a Disneyland resort, but we would expect this feature to be added in time.

Also, Disney does not mention being able to use MagicBand+ to purchase items or meals at Disneyland.

Is MagicBand+ waterproof?

Yes, don’t worry about wearing MagicBand+ on Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run, Kali River Rapids, or other Disney water rides.

We want to hear from you!

Disney’s MagicBand Plus is a cool accessory that enables new experiences at Disney World and Disneyland. Let me know in the comments below: Will you be purchasing MagicBand Plus on your next Disney vacation?

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James Grosch

James is a lifelong Disney Parks fan. While at the parks, he loves finding new details, learning more about Disney World history, and taking pictures. His favorite WDW attractions include Rise of the Resistance, Spaceship Earth, and Tower of Terror. James is a filmmaker and writer based in Atlanta, GA.

In the Disney World chat the cast member just told me that the same magic band plus does not work on both coasts. That I would need to purchase a separate band. Your article states that it will. Has this been verified?

Hi Stacey, thanks for asking a great question. It’s curious that the cast member on Disney World’s chat would say that the MagicBand+ would not work on both coasts. The information in this article is based on this Disney Parks Blog post: “You can use MagicBand+ at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, with varying features and experiences between the two destinations.” – It’s in the middle of the article, just above the “Stylish assortment of collectible designs.”

While I have not been able to personally test this out at the parks on both coasts, I was able to pair the Orange Bird MagicBand+ that I bought at Disney World to the Disneyland app with no problem. If you already have a MagicBand+ from Disneyland or Disney World, try pairing it with the app from the other park.

Since I was able to successfully pair my MagicBand+ with both Disney World and Disneyland apps, I would *imagine* that they are all cross-compatible, but I can’t say that with 100% certainty.

I hope this helps!

I forgot to post the link to the Disney article: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/10/magicbandplus-debuts-at-disneyland-resort-on-oct-26-2022/

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New MagicBand+ Unlocks Interactive Experiences at Walt Disney World Resort

• by John Frost
• May 4, 2022 May 4, 2022

A new interactive layer to the Disney theme park guest experience is about to be unlocked. The newest generation of the MagicBand wearable device, MagicBand+, is launching this summer. Guests wearing the MagicBand+ will be able to access a new integration of the physical, digital, and virtual worlds on the Walt Disney World vacation for the resort’s 50th anniversary celebration and into the future.

Update : We were able to meet with the team at the Play Disney Parks app and MagicBand+ to get an early preview of the MagicBand+ in operation and a few of the styles that will be available to purchase. Watch here:

Later this year, the Hey Disney! digital voice assistant device for your home (or resort stay) will join in the fun allowing you to bring Disney’s storytelling magic with you wherever you go.

MagicBand+ Unlocks New Interactive Experiences at Walt Disney World Resort

The current MagicBand was introduced in 2013 at the Walt Disney World resort. In addition to allowing you access to the parks, connecting to a virtual wallet, and partnering with the Disney Photopass service, there was a promise to open a lot more interactivity in the parks.

That promise never fully materialized. But there were a few fun interactions within the attractions where your name would pop up in the queue or ride and eventually guests were able to use their magicband to open their resort rooms as well.

The MagicBand+ will retain all these features and add new features that focus on upgrading the guest experience with additional magic discoveries throughout the parks and resorts.

For instance, once a guest enters a theme park, their MagicBand+ will activate with haptic feedback vibrations, color-changing lights, and interact at certain points in the parks via gesture recognition. Sometimes it will work in conjunction with your Play Disney Parks app.

Some of the new interactive experiences Disney is highlighting include:

• The “Disney Fab 50 Quest,” where guests embark on a scavenger hunt throughout the four Walt Disney World theme parks using MagicBand+ to help spread pixie dust and interact with the golden character sculptures. With the Play Disney Parks app, guests can dive deeper into the experience to find hints and keep track of sculptures which will unlock digital achievements, including an augmented reality feature.
• In the “Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters” experience, guests join the Batuu Bounty Hunters’ Guild in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Using their MagicBand+ to find numerous virtual bounties hidden throughout Black Spire Outpost, guests will follow the band’s light patterns and haptics to complete their mission. Then they will return to the local guild master, who will reward them with galactic credits. Guests can also use the Play Disney Parks mobile app to help them reveal their virtual bounty using the app’s built-in augmented reality thermal viewer.
• Disney’s popular nighttime spectaculars will synchronize with the MagicBand+ as they light up and complement the magic in the skies, including the new “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom Park.

MagicBand+ will be available at Disneyland Resort later this year. Some of the features will vary between Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. More details will be shared soon.

Although a few of these bands accidentally were put out on shelves at Walt Disney World last week, we’re still waiting on a more firm release date than ‘this summer.’ We will update this post as soon as we get something more concrete on the calendar.

As expected, Disney says hotel guests and annual passholders will be offered a discounted, pre-arrival price.

The existing Magicbands and Disney MagicMobile will continue to work as they do today for features such as park entry and photopass. If you just want the original Magicband, it will continue to be available for purchase.

The promise of Technology

When I first learned of what came to be known as the MyMagic+ technology , my mind went crazy with all the possibilities. For reasons I won’t go into here, but have been talked about endlessly on various Disney podcasts, that promise was never realized.

MagicBand+ is another bite at the apple for Disney’s theme parks and resorts. If you’ve been awake on the planet in the last 12 months, you’ve no doubt heard of the coming Multiverse. Disney certainly has.

The MagicBand+ isn’t full Virtual Reality, but it will get Disney closer to Augmented Reality than ever before. If the MagicBand+ delivers as promised, consider the door to the Multiverse opened at Disney.

The MagicBand+ reminds me of some of the promise of in-park games like Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and the magic wand experience at the Universal parks. I have faith that Disney’s team will continue to innovate and find new ways to enhance the guest experience with the MagicBand+.

Let us know your feelings about the promise of MagicBand+ in the comments below.

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The Secrets of Disney's MagicBand+ That Fans Need to Know About

We're answering what it can do, whether it's worth it and how much it costs — plus tips from our behind-the-scenes preview.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

In an exclusive Good Housekeeping interview with JC Diaz, Product Management Director at Disney, we got to try out the MagicBand+ at Magic Kingdom Park weeks before its release date. Here, we break down everything you need to know about Disney's newest connected product and whether it's worth buying before your next trip.

What is MagicBand+?

MagicBand+ is a new evolution of Disney's MagicBand, a hands-free device that has been around for nearly a decade and lets Walt Disney World Resort guests enter the parks (with valid admission), open their hotel rooms and more. The upgrades for MagicBand+ combine these convenient features with new immersive experiences, like LED lights, vibrations and gesture recognition that let you become a part of the magic in the parks.

It also comes with a charging cable so you won't have to worry about it running out of battery (which can potentially happen over time with the original MagicBand). And while the MagicBand face has traditionally only had the Mickey design, MagicBand+ has unique designs on the face to better complement the style of the band.

Disney Walt Disney World Four Parks MagicBand+

What can MagicBand+ do?

MagicBand+ combines the ease of having everything you need on a wristband with the enhancements that let you engage in a variety of new experiences. Once you get the MagicBand+, you can link it to your account and pair to your smartphone to customize its settings and match your preferences, like which colors you want it to glow and whether the vibration is on or off. Once it's ready to go, here's how you can use it at the parks:

Interactive Quests

One of the most exciting elements of MagicBand+ is the ability to participate in adventures by completing virtual quests. There are currently two options available:

Disney Fab 50 Quest: As part of its 50th Anniversary celebration, Walt Disney World has 50 golden character statues situated around all four theme parks — also known as the Fab 50 Character Collection . Wave your hand in front of each statue to help Tinker Bell spread pixie dust; the statues will then greet with you a reaction like a catchphrase or a short musical tune. You can keep track of which characters you collect on the Play Disney Parks app, which has an augmented reality feature that lets you place the characters on any wall — even once you return home.

We tried out this quest during our preview and loved the element of hearing each character come to life. Here are some tips that we learned during our experience:

• Keep the vibration settings on: Haptic technology lets you know when you're close to a statue — i.e., you'll feel the wristband vibrate when it's time to spread the pixie dust.
• Wave your hand quickly: The reaction is based on gesture recognition, so if your hand moves too slowly then it may not pick up on the movement.
• Know where to search: The statues are spread out between all four theme parks, but most are located within Magic Kingdom Park. Beyond that, the majority of the statues are in the main areas of the parks with high traffic. Others are located near their corresponding attractions, such as the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat statues near the Mad Tea Cup ride inspired by Alice in Wonderland.

Star Wars : Batuu Bounty Hunters : Your job is to locate and collect targets hidden behind doors throughout Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. A job board assigns you bounties, then the MagicBand+ will pulse green as you get closer to them and red if you move further away. When you've located your bounty, it'll glow purple. Once you've located the bounty, you can use the Play Disney Parks app as a thermal scanner and return to the Guild master, a physical show prop of an alien, who will give you your bounty — i.e., galactic credits.

Enhanced Theme Park Experiences

Adding another layer of magic to your visit, MagicBand+ syncs with entertainment and iconic sights to make you a part of the show.

Nighttime Spectaculars

Walt Disney World is known for its stunning fireworks and projections, and MagicBand+ now helps elevate these events. During shows like Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom Park and Harmonious at EPCOT, the wristband will light up in pulses and vibrate during key moments of these performances.

With shimmering decorations to celebrate the 50th Anniversary, each of the four icons (Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, The Hollywood Tower Hotel and Tree of Life) have their own EARidescent glow. As you get close to them, your MagicBand+ will light up in these signature colors and use subtle vibrations to bring the experiences to life.

Access and Conveniences

MagicBand+ includes the technology from the original MagicBand, like tapping your band to enter your Walt Disney World Resort room or Theme Park, charging food or merchandise to your folio, checking in at Lightning Lane entrances and linking pictures to your PhotoPass account.

Disney MagicBand+ Capabilities

Wave your hands to spread pixie dust and bring 50 golden character statues to life.

Enhanced Spectaculars

Become a part of the show as your wristband lights up and vibrates during special moments.

Convenient Access

The wristband can serve as your park pass and room key so you don't need to carry extra cards.

Seamless Payments

Save time by quickly paying for food and merchandise on your MagicBand+.

When Will MagicBand+ be Available?

MagicBand+ is officially available for purchase as of July 27th and will come in over 25 different designs. You can purchase it at ShopDisney.com , or guests with upcoming reservations can purchase it through their My Disney Experience account . You can also find it at one of the following stores within Walt Disney World Resort:

• Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
• EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Discovery Trading Company
• Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders

MagicBand+ is also expected to launch later this year at Disneyland Resort.

How Much Does MagicBand+ Cost?

The MagicBand+ price starts at $34.99, with more elaborate designs retailing at $44.99. According to Disney , you may be able to receive a special discount if you already have a Walt Disney World Resort reservation or are an Annual Passholder.

Will Old MagicBands Still Work?

Yes. If you have a MagicBand from an existing trip or want to purchase one without the new connected enhancements, you can still use these to access the convenience features. When you arrive at Walt Disney World, make sure to have a cast member check whether your past MagicBand still has battery and works properly.

Is MagicBand+ Worth It?

We certainly think so! Though the price adds up if you are buying one for each member of an entire family, it's an innovative product that upgrades your experience by adding that "wow" factor. Plus, it's likely to be a favorite souvenir that you can keep after your trip.

Shop More MagicBand+ Styles

Disney MagicBand+ Navy

Disney Minnie Mouse Bow MagicBand+

Disney Disney Princess MagicBand+

Disney Grogu MagicBand+ Star Wars: The Mandalorian

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MagicBand+ Setup

Your magic, your way, get started with your magicband+.

Power your band on by pressing the button on the back once, and tap the band to your phone.

You will be directed to open or download the My Disney Experience app.

Follow the instructions in the app to link the MagicBand+ to your Disney account, assign it to a Guest and pair it to your mobile device. Then, use the app to make sure your band is charged and the software is up to date.

Be sure to link your park tickets, reservations and more.

Managing Multiple MagicBands

Navigate to MagicBands and More.

View your managed Guests.

If a Guest’s MagicBand+ is not set up yet, you can do so here!

Adjust your managed Guests’ MagicBand+ settings, check battery status and more!

Customize Your MagicBand+

Navigate to MagicBands and More, select “Customize Your MagicBand+” and swipe to the band you want to customize.

Confirm that your MagicBand+ is charged and up to date.

Choose a custom light up theme.

Adjust the vibration and motion recognition settings.

MagicBand+ Exclusive Experiences

Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters

Dazzling Interactions

Frequently asked questions.

Home » Disney MagicBand Plus: Everything You Need to Know

Disney MagicBand Plus: Everything You Need to Know

By Author Meg Frost

Posted on Published: July 28, 2022

The Disney MagicBand Plus is the newest generation of Disney’s wearable tech that is packed with features to make your experience extra easy and fun at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts.

Let’s jump right into what the MagicBand+ is so you can decide if it’s right for you.

What is a Disney MagicBand Plus?

Like its predecessor, MagicBand 2, the Disney MagicBand+ is a wrist strap or bracelet that can be used in a variety of ways at the park.

So what does MagicBand+ do?

Both the MagicBand 2 and Disney MagicBand+ can be used to:

• Open your Disney hotel room door
• Enter one of the Disney parks (with valid admission linked)
• Tap to pay for purchases throughout the parks and resorts*
• Check into Lightning Lanes and virtual queues
• Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your Disney account

*As of September 2023, this is only available at Walt Disney World Resort.

On top of all of these great features, there are a few new ones specific to the MagicBand+.

First, the Disney MagicBand+ is rechargeable, so no more paying for a band that will die when the battery runs out. 

Disney states that it lasts approximately 3 days, but reports are already rolling in from fans on social media that some of the activities easily drain the battery. 

The MagicBand+ bands also have color changing lights that interact with lightning lanes, park entry, and so on.

For example, when I checked into TRON Lightcycle Power Run, I noticed my band would glow and pulse at certain points along the way in.

Plus, you can change the color that lights up on your band via the My Disney Experience app or website.

Yet another new feature, and perhaps my favorite thing about MagicBand+, is that you can turn on interactive experiences around the parks! More on that in the next section.

Disney MagicBand Plus interactive experiences

So far there are two interactive experiences that can be “turned on” with the MagicBand Plus, with more likely to be added.

First up are the interactive statues. As part of Disney World’s 50th anniversary, 50 golden statues were placed throughout the 4 theme parks, each of which interact with MagicBand+.

For example, if you wave your band by some statues, they will say a catchphrase or play a quick tune.

Although the 50th celebration is over, the Walt Disney company officially stated that the statues will stay in place.

The bands will also light up along with some of the parks’ nighttime shows and fireworks, as well as each of the 4 “Beacons of Magic”:

• Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
• Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Spaceship Earth at Epcot
• Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

At Disney California Adventure and Disneyland, the band interacts with the nighttime shows and at Avengers Campus.

The second experience is the add-on to the popular Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters game on the Play Disney Parks app.

While you play the bounty hunter game, the band adds vibrations and light patterns to help guide throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 

Are regular MagicBands or MagicMobile going away?

No! The regular MagicBands aren’t going away and will be available online and in select shops throughout Disney World. 

In addition, you can still use MagicMobile on your smartphone.

The Disney MagicBand+ is simply another option to help make your visit extra easy and fun!

Are Magic Bands waterproof?

Yes, Magic Bands are waterproof. Therefore, they can be worn on water rides, in a pool, or even the shower! This applies to all models of the MagicBand, including the MagicBand+.

Are there any accessories?

You bet! Charms and decals for the regular MagicBand will work with Disney MagicBand Plus. The same goes for MagicBand keepers to ensure it doesn’t snap off your wrist, such as BitBelt .

BitBelt is a tiny silicone ring that slides over the band while on your wrist to prevent it from popping off. It’s kind of like the loop on a belt that holds the long end of the belt down.

This genius MagicBand accessories is available on Amazon and Etsy.

And yes – they definitely are worth it. The one time I forgot to bring some with me, my niece lost her MagicBand when it popped off her wrist in a crowd! Plus, they are only about $10 for a pack of 12!

Another great accessory for MagicBand+ is an Apple Watch adapter so that you can attach the puck from the MagicBand to your watch.

When will it be available?

Although the band has been on sale for a bit, the Disney MagicBand Plus capabilities were officially launched on July 27, 2022.

Where can I get Disney MagicBand Plus?

The Disney MagicBand Plus is available on shopDisney.com, as well as at select shops at Disney World resort shops, theme parks, and Disney Springs .

The price starts at $34.99, but you can sometimes get them for less (I’ve seen ‘em for $19.99!).

Annual passholders can order a MagicBand+ at a discount, but not while at the park.

Walt Disney World guests can get a discount up to 6 days before a scheduled stay through their resort reservation.

How to link a MagicBand+ to a theme park ticket

To link a MagicBand+ to park tickets, follow the steps below:

• Turn on your MagicBand+ and tap it to the back of your smartphone.
• If you don’t have the Disneyland or Disney World app yet, you’ll be prompted to download the Disney World or Disneyland app, depending on which park you’re scheduled to visit next.
• Follow the on screen instructions for linking your MagicBand+ to your account.

Will you be getting a Disney MagicBand plus for your next trip?

For more Disney vacation planning tips, check out these posts:

• The Ultimate Packing List for Disney World
• The Best Disney Apps to Ensure a Perfect Vacay

About the author

Meg Frost is the creator of  The Park Pixie , where she covers Disney World, Disney+, and Disney fandom.

She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and B.S. in Communication & American Studies from University of Miami in Florida.

Read more →

This post was originally published on July 28, 2022. It was last updated September 26, 2023.

UPDATE July 28 - The MagicBand+ has now officially launched at Walt Disney World. Cast Members got to preview the MagicBand+ and were impressed with the immersive experience it gave them during Harmonius at EPCOT.

Disney has released a video on Instagram showing how you can play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Once guests complete their mission they are rewarded with galactic credits. Let us know your experience of MagicBand+ by leaving us a comment below? Do you think it is worth the price tag?

        View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks)

We now know that the discount for resort guests will be $10 and there are two tiers of MagicBand+; solid color MagicBand+ are priced at $34.99 ($24.99 with discount) and the range of designer MagicBand+ are priced at $44.99 ($34.99 with discount). You can see a number of these designs in the tweet from reporter, Scott Gustin below.  Let us know your experience of MagicBand+ by leaving us a comment below? Do you think it is worth the price tag?

The MagicBand+ pre-arrival choices in MyDisneyExperience are now live. The pre-arrival discount is $10 for resort guests. Solid color MB+: $34.99 ($24.99 w/ discount) Design bands: $44.99 ($34.99 w/ discount) pic.twitter.com/JQhFKWhFhl — Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 27, 2022

UPDATE July 26 - It was announced last week that the new MagicBand+ will launch on July 27 and we now know that MagicBand+ will be available at shopDisney from 7:00AM PT (Pacific Time) which is 10:00AM ET (Eastern Time). Prices are currently set at $34.99 with a discount available for Annual Passholders and resort guests.

Ready to experience more magic? MagicBand+ arrives tomorrow at 7 a.m. PT. https://t.co/akChk7FeNB pic.twitter.com/0fqUf4IH8I — shopDisney (@shopDisney) July 26, 2022

UPDATE July 21 - Disney has officially announced today that MagicBand+ will launch at Walt Disney World on July 27. Just to remind you, MagicBand+ will have all the same features as the current MagicBand as well as this list of extra interactive elements which guests will be able to experience with MagicBand+:

• Play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 
• Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks. MagicBand+ will bring the sculptures to life and guests can interact with them on the “Disney Fab 50 Quest.” 
• Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom.

MagicBand+ will go on sale for $34.99 in select shops at Walt Disney World and online at shopDisney from July 27. There will be 25 different designs to choose from. These stores will stock MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World:

• Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium  
• EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center  
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders 
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Discovery Trading Company  
• Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders  
• Select merchandise locations at Disney Resort hotels 

Interestingly and perhaps unsurprisingly, Disney has chosen to price the MagicBand+ at $5 more than when they were accidentally put on sale at World of Disney at Disney Springs at the beginning of May, when they were sold for $29.99 before being pulled from sale.

Disney has confirmed that Annual Passholders and resort guests will be eligible for pre-arrival discounts on these new devices. No official price has been released but going by history annual passholders will likely receive a 10% discount, with resort guests seeing similar savings. 

Are you excited for the release of MagicBand+? Will you buy one? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page and by voting in our poll.

UPDATE (May 11) -  Since Disney made a big mistake and accidentally released MagicBand+ and then pulled it from sale on May 1, there have been many more details announced regarding this new interactive wearable which is set to be officially released this summer. We have now learnt from reporter Scott Gustin in a recent tweet which is embedded below that the MagicBand+ will sync with Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. 

MagicBand+ syncing up with Spaceship Earth sounds pretty darn cool. pic.twitter.com/U6XEiF2uer — Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 10, 2022

It appears that the MagicBand+ will light up and have sounds when it successfully syncs with Spaceship Earth. We are not exactly sure how close guests need to be for the sync to take place but we are confident that we will have further details soon.  

May 5 -  MagicBand+, the interactive wearable, was announced back in September 2021. This new wristband will unlock new interactive experiences that react in real-time in the parks by lighting up, vibrating, and more. Disney has just officially announced that MagicBand+ will launch this summer.

The new MagicBand+ will light up and will interact with the Fab 50 statues around the park with each statue said to have multiple responses. The MagicBand+ will buzz and light up when you get close to a statue and when you wave the character will give you a response. A first look at the new MagicBand+ from reporter Ashley Carter can be seen in the tweet which is embedded below.

And here’s a look at how MagicBand+ will interact with the Fab 50 character statues across the Disney World theme parks. Each statue will have multiple responses to guests. #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/B4TAR6WRtC — Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) May 4, 2022

Last week, Disney made a big mistake   when a number of new MagicBand+ were put out on the shelves at the World of Disney at Disney Springs before they were supposed to be. They then were pulled from sale, offering those who had purchased the bands for $29.99 a full refund as the functionality is not yet live. 

MagicBand+ will also have all the same functions of the existing MagicBand so guests can use it to gain admission to the theme parks, unlock their hotel door, link PhotoPass photos to My Disney Experience account, and can pay for food and merchandise. The current MagicBands can still be used at Walt Disney World but the new interactive features will only work if you purchase a MagicBand+.

Many thought that it was the end for MagicBands when the complimentary MagicBand program for Walt Disney World resort guests finished at the beginning of 2021. With the seemingly natural move to focus on smarphone features tied to the My Disney Experience app many thought it was only a matter of time before the MagicBand would cease to exist. With many complaining of battery drain when having to continually use the My Disney Experience App, Disney seems to have responded and MagicBand+ seems to be their answer.

We still don't have an official release date for MagicBand+ or a confirmed price point, but we do know now that it will be launched this summer. We will keep you posted when an announcement is made on our news and Facebook page.

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The Ultimate Guide to MagicBands at Walt Disney World

So… you’ve got (or will soon be getting) a MagicBand or MagicBand+ for your Walt Disney World vacation ! But how, exactly, does this unique piece of technology-on-your-wrist work, and what can you DO with it ?

Or maybe we should ask what can IT do for YOU? That’s what we’re discussing in our Ultimate Guide to MagicBands!

And if you’d like to learn more about the NEW MagicBand+ available NOW in Disney World AND Disneyland Resort , click HERE to jump to the MagicBand+ section on this page !

MagicBands and My Disney Experience

MagicBands made their debut in 2013 as one component of MyMagic+ , a system allowing guests to plan and experience their Disney World vacation in a whole new way. The suite introduced and incorporated MagicBands along with My Disney Experience .

My Disney Experience app

Guests with valid theme park tickets , Annual Passes , or a vacation booked at Walt Disney World Resort can begin planning their visit within My Disney Experience (which is available to anyone by registering for an account via the free My Disney Experience smartphone app or online at disneyworld.com ).

New MagicBand Designs

MagicBands are the wearable technology (a band worn on the wrist containing a Radio-Frequency Identification or RFID chip ) that connects — or “unlocks” — all the experiences booked through My Disney Experience once guests arrive at Walt Disney World.

What Can MagicBands Do?

MagicBands can be “put to work” the very moment you arrive for your vacation!

Resort Room Access

Your MagicBand serves as the “key” to your Resort room !

Room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

And if you have utilized the online check-in service before your arrival, your MagicBand allows you to bypass the front desk entirely and proceed to your Resort room from the very start of your trip.

TIP: MagicBands are waterproof , so there’s no more worrying about keeping track of your room key while in the pool, because you can wear your room “key” while you swim since it’s actually your MagicBand!

Park Admission

Your MagicBand also serves as your “park ticket” (when linked to pre-purchased valid admission ). Park entrances are equipped with readers to tap with your MagicBand (or Key to the World Card , if you opt out of the MagicBand).

You’ll scan your MagicBand here.

Just press “Mickey to Mickey!”

MagicBand Park Scanner ©Disney

Lightning Lane Access

If you choose to utilize Disney Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane Attraction Selection (which allows guests to bypass Standby lines and enter the Lightning Lane to access select attractions), you can also use your MagicBand to tap into the Lightning Lane for the attraction you’ve chosen when it’s time to ride!

Tap Point for Lightning Lane entrance

Oh, that’s a whole other topic, isn’t it? 😉 Check out everything you need to know about Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes here !

Disney’s PhotoPass and Memory Maker

Disney’s PhotoPass service is offered at over 100 locations around Walt Disney World. PhotoPass Photographers are stationed at character greeting spots and at iconic locations (such as Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Castle). And select attractions (including the Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Frozen Ever After, Expedition Everest, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind , and more) even offer on-ride photographs.

Holiday PhotoPass Opportunity @DisneyPhotoPass on Twitter

Upon having your photo taken, your photographer will scan your MagicBand and the image will then be ready to view in your My Disney Experience gallery afterward ! Then, PhotoPass downloads are available through individual purchase or you can download all your photos for one price with Memory Maker .

Charge Purchases

Guests who opt to link their MagicBand to a credit card during their Resort check-in may charge purchases to their room. 

Touch to Pay at a Counter Service Location

It is not required for Resort hotel guests to link their credit card; however, those who choose to do so will assign a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to their MagicBand for additional security. Note that this option is only available for guests during their Disney Resort hotel stay , and is not available for Annual Passholders or guests who are not staying at a Disney Resort hotel.

Disney Dining Plan Payment and Credit Tracking

Are you participating in the Disney Dining Plan during your vacation? If so, simply touch your MagicBand to a touch point to “pay” (using your allotted meal or snack credits) . For snack or Quick Service meal purchases, the touch point will be available at the ordering register, and at Table Service restaurants your server will bring the touch point to you!

Terralina Crafted Italian

(Bonus Tip: if you’re ever wondering how many snack or meal credits you have left, you can find out by viewing your receipt after purchase OR by checking your My Disney Experience app !)

Okay! So, that’s the basics… but there is also a NEW type of MagicBand, which is available in both Walt Disney World AND Disneyland Resort:   MagicBand+ !

MagicBand+ has all the same capabilities as the current MagicBands listed above — PLUS MORE . It includes various INTERACTIVE features meant to enhance your park experience .

The MagicBand+ comes alive with color-changing lights, haptic vibrations and gesture recognition!

Interactive features include, but are not limited to:

• The ability to become a bounty hunter  in  Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge , where guests can find virtual bounties .
• The MagicBand+ lights up in sync with the evening fireworks spectaculars in the parks, including  Happily Ever After  at  Magic Kingdom ,  Fantasmic!  at  Hollywood Studios , and  EPCOT Forever  and the nighttime  Spaceship Earth lightings  at  EPCOT ; World of Color — One in Disney California Adventure ; and Fantasmic! at Disneyland and Disney World’s Hollywood Studios!

Happily Ever After

And, as is the case with the original MagicBands, choices are available for a large variety of designs.  You can a TON of designs HERE .

Note that guests are still able to purchase the regular (non-interactive) version of MagicBands in Disney World, as well as use the Disney MagicMobile service on My Disney Experience . (The original MagicBands are not available in Disneyland Resort.)

Find out EVERYTHING PLUS about MagicBand+ HERE!

How do i get a magicband or magicband+, purchase as a pre-order with a walt disney world resort reservation.

Disney World Annual Passholders and guests who have booked a Disney World vacation or Resort hotel stay can purchase select MagicBands or a MagicBand+ at a Special Pre-Order Price. (The solid color original MagicBands normally retail for $19.99. MagicBand+ options begin at $34.99 for solid-colored designs,  while  specialty designs are $44.99 .

If you prefer a MagicBand with a design for your upcoming vacation, some are also available for purchase as a  “Pre-Arrival Exclusive,”  also at a  special pre-order price. (These pre-order prices will also be available when MagicBand+ makes its debut .) For example, we spotted this  Genie Pre-arrival Exclusive MagicBand  available for  $20, normally retailing for $34.99. (Prices may vary depending on design.)

Disney shares that eligible guests can “order MagicBands at pre-arrival prices by completing the following steps:

• Create or sign in to your Disney account
• Link your reservation to your Disney account
• Select My MagicBands and Cards to complete your order.”

After you customize your MagicBands, they will be mailed to you at home if you order them up to 10 days prior to your arrival! Guests arriving 10 to 6 days or guests visiting from outside of the U.S. can pick up their MagicBands at the front desk of their resort upon check-in. (Note that if you do not select a MagicBand, a complimentary Key to the World card is the default .)

Again, your customized MagicBand is automatically linked to your My Disney Experience account , so it is ready to go to work for you the minute you arrive for your vacation!

Purchase Individual MagicBands

MagicBands are available for individual purchase at retail locations throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. (MagicBand+ options are available at retail locations in both Disney World and Disneyland.)

Of course, since MagicBands come in MANY unique designs and themes , lots of guests buy them as collectibles !

It’s Orange Bird!

You can find MagicBands themed to park attractions, Disney characters, special events or seasons , and MUCH more .

Star Wars MagicBands

Limited Edition MagicBands (which sometimes activate unique sounds at the MagicBand touch points around the park) often sell out quickly.

Dooney & Bourke 50th Anniversary MagicBand

Outside of the Resort, you may purchase MagicBands on shopDisney.com . (You may also find MagicBands for online purchase on Amazon or resale sites such as ebay .)

Valentine’s Day 2022 MagicBand ©shopDisney

No matter how you purchase it, all MagicBands comes with instructions — and we will provide them below — so you can manually link it to your My Disney Experience account . ( You can link several MagicBands to your account and wear them interchangeably .)

Personalize Your MagicBand

Beyond selecting your favorite, there are many ways you can further personalize your MagicBand . For smaller wrists , for instance, the inner gray wrap can be removed for comfort . You can purchase accessories such as Magic Bandits or Sliders to decorate your MagicBand. You may even spy unique varieties like Slap Bracelet MagicBands !

Slap MagicBands

Magic Band On Demand can be found at D-Tech merchandise locations around Walt Disney World, which allow you to design and personalize your very own MagicBand with your choice of color and theme!

New tech design area

For some extra customizing fun, you can search etsy.com , where shop owners sell adhesive decals in a variety of themes for an inexpensive way to customize your MagicBand. You can even find MagicBand display cases with a quick search on etsy to enjoy your MagicBands after you return home!

How To Link a MagicBand to My Disney Experience

MagicBands are automatically linked to your My Disney Experience account when purchased as a pre-order as part of a Resort reservation. Guests who purchase an individual MagicBand must manually link their new MagicBand to their My Disney Experience account . (If you have not registered for an account already, you may do so at disneyworld.com .)

From the available options once you’re logged in, select MagicBands and Cards . You’ll then see a reminder to link your MagicBand with a blue box to click to lead to the next steps.

My Disney Experience screenshot

Confirm that it is a MagicBand that you wish to link from among the options.

From here, simply enter the ID Number for your MagicBand to link ! A diagram reminds you where you can find the ID number on your new MagicBand’s interior strap.

And now, your MagicBand is activated , meaning you’re ready to roll!

How To Deactivate a MagicBand

If you have a wide variety of MagicBands, or simply prefer that your MagicBand not be considered active after your vacation, you may deactivate your MagicBand as well.

Upon logging in to your account, you’ll once again visit My MagicBands and Cards . In addition to linking MagicBands as seen above, this is where you can manage the status of any MagicBands by simply selecting “Deactivate” for any MagicBand you choose. You can’t reassign a MagicBand to another person, but you can reactivate them at any time for an upcoming trip!

How Long Do MagicBands Work?

MagicBands come equipped with a small battery that is not replaceable. Generally speaking, they tend to last about two years or maybe a bit longer. And certain features may work better than others with extended use.

MagicBand reader in Walt Disney World

For instance, you may find that the MagicBand works longer term for touch points at a park entrance or a Lightning Lane queue. But it may not work as well for “longer range” things like on-ride attraction PhotoPass pictures. It’s advisable to replace your MagicBand about every two years.

Note, however, that the MagicBand+ line features RECHARGABLE bands !

Charging device

They come with a USB cord for recharging. (Disney has said that MagicBand+ bands will have a battery life of 1 to 3 days, depending on how often you use the band.)

Find a Step-By-Step Guide on setting up and recharging a MagicBand+ HERE.

What if i don’t want to purchase a new magicband for my next resort reservation.

You may be perfectly happy to reuse your MagicBand from a previous vacation for your next Resort reservation. And that is certainly allowed (as long as your MagicBand is activated).

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Or perhaps you don’t particularly want to keep your MagicBand, but you don’t want to simply throw it away. You can turn in a deactivated MagicBand to the front desk at your Resort, and they can recycle it for you .

See MagicBands in Action

MagicBands have truly revolutionized the Walt Disney World vacation experience . And to see them in action — and learn MORE tips! — you can view our DFB YouTube video below.

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Disney MagicBands & New MagicBand+: Top 17 Questions Answered

By: Author Leslie Harvey

Posted on Published: November 20, 2023

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About a decade ago, Disney introduced its MagicBands to theme park visitors in Orlando, Florida. These bands, similar in size to a FitBit, were introduced as part of a major technology overhaul to the guest experience at Walt Disney World. They’ve been updated several times since their 2013 debut and are now available at other Disney destinations as well. In late 2022, the third generation MagicBand+ debuted at Disneyland in California and a similar product, DisneyBand+, is now available aboard several Disney Cruise Line ships.

So just what do MagicBands do? Depending on your Disney destination, MagicBands are tools to unlock many features of a high-tech vacation experience while on-site. For example, some guests can use them as a room key for on-property resort hotel rooms, to charge purchases, to scan into theme park entrances and Lightning Lanes, and much more. MagicBands are made of flexible plastic and fit around guest wrists so they go everywhere a guest goes.

The technology is impressive (yes, one might even say “magic!”). But new technological innovations have a learning curve. As a result, many Disney visitors can be confused about how MagicBands work, who can get them, and all of their features and conveniences. And so much has changed since they were first released that even guests who have used them before may find that the details are different on a vacation today.

Never fear! This post is intended to help clear up any confusion you might have, gleaned from my numerous experiences using MagicBands over the years (including MagicBand+ which I have personally used at both Disney World and Disneyland). By the time you are done reading, I promise you will know all the important things there are to know about using MagicBands no matter what Disney destination you plan to visit. That way, you will be able to use them to the fullest on your next Disney vacation.

(Trips With Tykes uses affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through links in this post. See our full disclosure policy linked in the menu at the bottom of this site.)

Disney MagicBand History and Latest News

Before diving into all the questions you may have about MagicBands today, it’s important to know a little history to get oriented.

Disney’s original MagicBands debuted at Walt Disney World only in 2013. Disney made further upgrades to the bands in early 2017 with the release of MagicBand 2.0 , which had a slight design modification to allow for more ways to wear it.

On July 27, 2022, a third generation MagicBand debuted at Walt Disney World – MagicBand+ . The new band has interactive features within the parks, light up, require charging, and – of course – cost more.

MagicBand+ is not limited to just Walt Disney World any more. Disneyland finally has bands of its own, with MagicBand+ debuting there as of October 26, 2022. The bands don’t have quite as much functionality in California as they do in Florida initially, so it’s important to understand the differences if you visit both Disney coasts.

Related: Guide to Visiting Disneyland in 2023

In 2023, Disney also began offering MagicBands under a different name – DisneyBand+ – aboard select Disney Cruise Line ships.

Let’s dive into the MagicBand product as it exists today at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond.

Top Questions about Disney’s MagicBands Answered!

1. how do magicbands work.

The original magic of MagicBands was enabled by a tiny RFID chip embedded in the center puck of the band. The bands transmitted at both short range and long range distances to communicate to the Disney computers and allow you to access all the features of your Disney vacation. Newer bands also now have more advanced technology and pair with Bluetooth to smartphones.

As for what MagicBands do, the answer is a LOT! The bands can be used in the following ways:

• to scan/tap into the theme parks, acting as your park tickets (Disney World and Disneyland)
• as room keys to access your Disney on-property hotel room (Disney World only)
• for redeeming Lightning Lane reservations you booked either with the Disney Genie+ service or paid individual Lightning Lane (Disney World and Disneyland)
• to enter rides reserved with virtual queues (when offered) when a guest’s boarding group is called (Disney World and Disneyland)
• for charging purchases to your Disney hotel room at stores and restaurants, acting like your credit card (Disney World only)
• to load Photopass photos into your My Disney Experience account or Disneyland app (Disney World and Disneyland)
• to unlock interactive features in the parks, including the Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters game in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge as well as lighting up during nighttime spectaculars – MagicBand+ only (Disney World and Disneyland)

As you might guess, the goal of MagicBands is to make all aspects of a Disney vacation as seamless as possible. There is no need to fumble with a hotel room key, risk losing a separate park ticket, or pull out a credit card every time you make a purchase. As a mom who is usually in Disney parks juggling young kids, I really have appreciated the hands-free aspect of it all.

2. Which Disney Parks Have MagicBands?

One important thing to know about MagicBands is in which Disney destination you will find them. As of early 2023, MagicBands are now used at both Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. There have been no plans announced to introduce them in any of the international parks. 

Disney World

At Disney World, MagicBands work all over the resort. This includes the four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), the water parks (Blizzard Beach & Typhoon Lagoon), and Disney Springs. They also work in all Disney hotels, shops, and restaurants there. Both MagicBand 2.0 and the new MagicBand+ will work at Disney World for most essential functions.

At Disneyland, MagicBand usage is more limited to a handful of features in the theme parks only. And only MagicBand+ works at Disneyland. Guests who have MagicBand 2.0 cannot use the older bands in California. Guests can, however, use the same MagicBand+ for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland vacations. (See more even details about MagicBand+ at Disneyland specifically.)

Other Disney Destinations

What about Disney Cruise Line and Aulani? Well, it’s complicated. While there aren’t MagicBands on either DCL ships or at the Aulani Resort in the same way as they are used at the parks, you’ve probably spotted a band or two at both for many years. And a lot more are currently coming onboard DCL.

Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii introduced MagicBands a few years ago in a more limited way – exclusively for opening hotel room doors. Their use has had some glitches and bands also haven’t always been consistently sold on site, so a limited number of guests use them there. MagicBands are also used at the kids club at Aulani, Aunty’s Beach House . The scanning technology on the band is used to track kids as they check in and out in a secure way.

Aboard Disney Cruise Line , bands were used for many years at the kids clubs, the Oceaneer Club and Lab, for those same security features. But as of 2023, Disney Cruise Line introduced DisneyBand+ on several of its ships. These bands are the exact same device as a MagicBand+ under a new name. They have many of the same features – unlocking cruise cabin doors, charging purchases to your room, scanning to enter the ship. Guests who already have MagicBand+ from the parks can use the same band aboard DCL as a DisneyBand+.

3. Are MagicBands Free? If Not, How Much Do MagicBands Cost & Where Can I Buy Them?

For many years, solid colored MagicBands were free to Walt Disney World on-property hotel guests for every trip. But things changed effective January 1, 2021. All guests who wish to use a MagicBand must now purchase a new one or reuse one from a prior trip.

How much do they cost? The new MagicBand+ at Disney World starts at a retail price of $34.99 for solid color, with more unique character designs and limited edition bands costing $44.99 and above. Products are available on DisneyStore.com or at most stores on Disney property.

On-property Disney World hotel guests can also pre-purchase MagicBand+ at a discount, either to be shipped to their home or picked up at their Disney on-property hotel. There is no similar pre-purchase option, however, for Disneyland on-property hotel guests. Disney Cruise Line also offers pre-purchase discounts for DisneyBand+ on sailings where it is currently being used.

Ordering discounted MagicBand+ has been a very popular option at Walt Disney World. That means many of the premium choices have fluctuating availability. I recommend checking early and often, as bands come in and out of stock.

MagicBand 2.0 is also still available for purchase for Walt Disney World guests in some locations as well (remember, MagicBand 2.0 isn’t supported at Disneyland). The retail price on these bands is $19.99 and up. Both solid colors as well as special designs are available.

4. When Will My MagicBands Be Shipped and Arrive?

If you are an on-property Walt Disney World guest who has decided to purchase MagicBands, you’ll be shipped a set before your trip. Note that you must customize and request them through your My Disney Experience online account in advance.

The key date to watch is to order them at least 11 days before your vacation so they have time to ship and arrive. Make sure your address on file is correct (although you’ll have a chance to double-check that as you select your MagicBand design).

What if you forget or are too late? You can still select a band 6-10 days in advance of your vacation to wait for your arrival at the front desk of your Disney hotel. If you are at the 5 day mark or less, then pre-ordering is not available and you’ll need to pay full retail price if you purchase a MagicBand on-site.

Now that Disney’s Magical Express airport transportation from Orlando has been discontinued entirely, getting MagicBands early shipped to your home is not as essential. That said, setting up MagicBands (linking them to your app, charging them, updating the software, etc.) does take some time so I recommend doing it at home before a trip if possible. But if you have your heart set on a design that you can’t pre-order in advance at a discount, it may make more sense to wait.

5. How do MagicBands Work as Park Tickets?

For guests who use MagicBands, perhaps the most convenient feature is that they store your park tickets at both Disney World and Disneyland. No more worrying about forgetting or losing your park tickets. A simple tap of the band on a reader at park gates (plus a fingerprint match scan at Walt Disney World) are all you need to enter the theme parks every day of your vacation. 

Remember also that you can get legitimate, discounted park tickets for your Disney vacation from Trips With Tykes partner and authorized ticket broker Get Away Today . Their tickets work seamlessly with MagicBands and give you all the same privileges as the ones you purchase from Disney directly. Don’t purchase direct from Disney and pay more! Book your Disney World park tickets from Get Away Today here .

6. How Do Disney MagicBands Work with Genie+ and Lightning Lane?

Walt Disney World and Disneyland now have two paid services that replace Fastpass for guests wanting to bypass long lines for popular attractions – Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane. Guests holding these reservations return to rides in a special line can ride the attraction with a shorter wait.

When you book Lightning Lane return times in the Disney World or Disneyland mobile app, those times are then linked to your account and redeemable via MagicBand. When your reservation time arrives, scan your MagicBand at the Lightning Lane entrance to the attraction (look for the poles with the Mickey heads) and breeze on through.

Related : Tips for Maximizing Genie+ at Walt Disney World

Related : Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane and Disneyland: 17 Questions Answered

7. How Do MagicBands Work as Your Hotel Room Key?

In addition to letting you into the Disney parks, MagicBands also let you into your on-property hotel room. All Walt Disney World resort hotels ( value, moderate, deluxe , and deluxe villas) have readers on guest room doors. A simple tap of the band opens your room. No keys to lose!

This feature is not yet available for on-property hotel guests at Disneyland with MagicBand+.

8. Can I Customize My MagicBand?

Since Disney visitors wear MagicBands for the entirety of a Disney vacation, many guests want to add a bit of originality and flair. Luckily, Disney has a number of options available for personalizing your wristband.

The most basic form of customization is color and theme selection. Disney has plenty of solid color choices as well as a number of premium special edition MagicBands: everything from Star Wars to the Incredibles. Most of these special bands can be purchased from DisneyStore.com in advance of your trip or in theme park stores on-site. A limited selection of premium bands are also available for discounted upgrades for on-property guests. (See section 3 above for more details).

When MagicBand 2.0 debuted, customization often went beyond just colors and character designs. MagicBand 2.0 had a center disc/puck called the “icon” that can be removed with a small screwdriver. Creative Disney types mixed and matched the icon with different color bands, and also decorated them with paint, nail polish, vinyl cutout designs, temporary tattoos, rhinestones, and so much more.

MagicBand+ has less of this physical customization potential because the center icon isn’t removable, Plus the designs that Disney sells are now much more extensive and varied. So a lot of the customization comes at the point of purchase when guests pick their favorite character or design. I expect fewer people will be making DIY modifications to MagicBand+, but you do you if you enjoy this aspect of the product!

Another new way MagicBand+ can be customized is in its lighted color scheme. Guests can select the color combination they want to see displayed when the band lights up when interacting with features within the parks or being scanned. You can change this color scheme in the Disneyland or Disney World app at any time (go to the MagicBand menu, select the particular band, and then view and change the “Light Up Theme” options).

9. Do MagicBands Integrate with Photopass and MemoryMaker?

Yes! One of my favorite services at Disney parks is Photopass (also called MemoryMaker at Walt Disney World) . Cast members who are professional photographers are located throughout the parks to take shots of your family’s vacation.

Disney Photopass photographers can scan your MagicBand to add photos to your online account. Later, you you can download some or all of these photos depending on what options you purchase. Photopass is available at both Walt Disney World and at Disneyland. It’s much more convenient to scan a band than it is to find a Photopass code buried in an app on your phone, so this MagicBand feature saves time and hassle.

Disney parks also have cameras that take snapshots of guests automatically on certain rides. At Walt Disney World, your band helps add those photos into your online account too. In some cases, you’ll need to scan your band at the end of the ride at the photo screens to add them. But a few rides at Walt Disney World, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, do this for you automatically. The long-range capabilities of MagicBands can actually identify you on the coaster and deliver photos and video straight to your My Disney Experience account! (Note that Disneyland doesn’t have MagicBand+ scanners or these automatic capabilities for on-ride photos yet.)

10. Can I Charge Purchases Using My MagicBand?

For even further convenience, some Disney World guests can link a credit card and use their bands to charge for purchases in the parks.

Just be aware that this privilege only works for guests staying in on-property hotels, as the charges are routed back to the card on file for your hotel bill. There is no way to use MagicBands for charging privileges when you are staying off-site. (The charging privilege option is also not available with MagicBand+ at Disneyland, even for on-property hotel guests.)

If you don’t want your kids to have unfettered access to charging privileges, there are plenty of controls in place too. You can specify that only the adults in your party have MagicBand charging privileges if you so choose. Plus, you can add a PIN that you can keep to yourself.

11. Will MagicBands Fit Me or My Child?

How can one size really fit all when it comes to a little soft plastic wristband? Disney has wisely created all MagicBands to have a tear away layer to make the band much smaller for the smallest of guests. MagicBand+ has this size customization as well.

We have been able to fit one on my son’s wrist when he was as young as 2 as well as all the adults in our extended traveling family. Of course, getting a toddler to keep a band on is a different matter entirely.

12. Can MagicBands Get Wet?

Yes! All MagicBand generations, including MagicBand+, are fully waterproof. You can take a shower with them or swim with them in your hotel’s pool with no worries. They are perhaps the most convenient at Disney’s water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, because guest staying on-property now no longer have to carry money or credit cards.

If you do choose to take them off to shower, swim, or sleep just remember to put them back on. I find it’s sometimes easier to keep them on for the entirety of a vacation so you don’t risk leaving them on the nightstand or bathroom vanity. When I do take them off in my hotel room I often will fasten them immediately around the strap of my purse so I absolutely do not forget to take them with me into the parks!

13. Can I do Disney World (or Disneyland) without MagicBands? Are MagicBands Really Worth the Money?

By now you are probably pretty tempted by the convenience factor of MagicBands. But are they a must-have for a Disney vacation? No.

If they aren’t in your budget to purchase them (or just aren’t your thing), it’s entirely possible to do a Disney vacation without MagicBands. With the increased prices of MagicBand+ over earlier band models, a lot more guests are considering this purchase more carefully and rightfully so!

I think MagicBands are even less essential at Disneyland because their functionality is more limited there. Because I go to both Disney coasts regularly, I do personally use a MagicBand+ at Disneyland. On a recent Disneyland trip with my whole family, however, my kids decided they would rather spend their souvenir budget on something else. So we did without bands pretty easily for several days in the parks.

What do you use instead (besides the obvious like cash or credit cards)? Disney now has several alternatives, depending on the function you are trying to complete. All of these options are free and can be used in lieu of MagicBands or as an alternative or backup to them.

RFID Cards/Tickets : For park tickets and Lightning Lane redemptions, Disney World has offered a special RFID card for many years. This card is small enough to slide in a wallet or in a pocket of a purse. Just scan it at the same tapstyles and touch points where you would scan a MagicBand. (At Disneyland, a regular paper ticket with barcode continues to offer the same functionality.)

Hotel Keycard : For entering on-property hotels, guests have other room key options as well. The old “Key to the World” hotel card keys are still available if desired at Walt Disney World. And at Disneyland, hotel keycards are still the default as always.

Digital Key : Both the My Disney Experience App (for Walt Disney World) and official Disneyland App now have a feature that turns your mobile phone into a room key card for on-property hotels using Bluetooth technology ( here’s how ). Just be aware that this can be glitchy in my experience so you may want to have a backup or alternative.

Disney’s MagicMobile Service : In 2021 Disney World unveiled a brand new offering – Disney’s MagicMobile service – to offer a further option. MagicMobile allows guests to create a pass in the My Disney Experience app to add to their smartphone’s digital wallet. Instead of holding a MagicBand or RFID card up to a reader for functions like park entry or Lightning Lanes, guests hold up their phone. It offers an Express Mode so that opening the app or unlocking the screen isn’t even necessary. One device can also be used to manage access for multiple family members with a swipe feature.

Disneyland App : While Disneyland doesn’t have MagicMobile, the park mobile app still continues to work for a lot of the features MagicBand+ offers. Guests can link park ticket to their Disneyland account in the app and use them to enter parks or to scan into Lightning Lanes as always.

As you can see, there are a lot of free alternatives in Disney parks. I personally really enjoy the convenience of MagicBands myself. But I go to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World often, so they are “worth it” to me.

For the very occasional visitor, especially those with big families or on a very tight budget, don’t feel like you must have them. And if the choice is a MagicBand or another valuable extra like a character meal or an extra day of Genie+, I’d probably put the money toward a different splurge first!

14. Do MagicBands Need Charging?

While the original MagicBand and MagicBand 2.0 never needed a charge, that has all changed with the advent of MagicBand+. In order to use all the features, you need to charge your MagicBand+. And often! At the very least, it probably needs to be charged daily – more than a FitBit or Apple Watch.

There have been some complaints about the battery life of MagicBand+, especially when playing Batuu Bounty Hunters, which is particularly draining on the battery. On a recent Disneyland trip, I found that I couldn’t even connect at all with the game when my band was in a low charge state.

MagicBands have a unique charger cable that docks with the back of the band’s center. The other end of the cable plugs into a standard USB port. The unique design is not ideal, as that’s one more cord to remember to pack (and sometimes bring with you in your Disney day bag ) on a vacation. In fact, it’s probably more than one more cord because you really need a charger for each band your family is using. I highly recommend also bringing a portable charger (my fave is the Anker Powercore Slim 10K ) because between your phones and your MagicBands, something will run out of power before the day is through!

All bands that Disney sells come with a charger included in the box. Replacement chargers are available for sale in stores in the parks and beyond for $7.99 each.

Even if your MagicBand battery goes dead, all hope is not lost. The RFID functionality and chip in the band still works, like it did with the no-charge MagicBand 2.0. So you can still scan into theme parks, redeem Lightning Lanes, and charge purchases. You just can’t do some of the extras like see your band light up for nighttime spectaculars or play Batuu Bounty Hunters.

15. Can I Reuse MagicBands on a Future Vacation?

If you’ve created a MagicBand original that you can’t part with, want to be environmentally responsible and generate less plastic, or simply want to save money, you don’t have to use a new MagicBand on your next vacation. MagicBands can be used again and again for your next Disney trips if you choose. As long as a band is listed as active in your My Disney Experience account, it can be re-used.

And now that MagicBand+ is here, the product works at both Disneyland and Disney World (and also Disney Cruise Line as DisneyBand+). So you absolutely should reuse it to save money if you visit both Disney coasts or cruise with Disney.

16. Can My MagicBand Be Used By or Transferred to Someone Else?

A MagicBand can most definitely be used again by the original guest. But at Walt Disney World, once a MagicBand has been linked to a guest profile in the My Disney Experience app, it is forever tethered to that guest. That means you cannot give your MagicBand+ to friends or family going later on a Disney World vacation. You also can’t swap styles among your family group. (Learn about other things not to do with MagicBands here .)

But here is where Disneyland has one key difference – and for the better! At Disneyland, there are no guest profiles in the app. Instead, you use the app to link a MagicBand+ to a particular ticket or Magic Key. The app also has functionality allowing guests to unlink a ticket from any MagicBand+ and link a different ticket number. This allows for band transferability that isn’t possible at Disney World. So feel free to switch styles or loan an extra to a friend who doesn’t have one if you only go to the California parks.

17. What Happens if I Lose my MagicBand?

With all these features, I bet you are worried about losing your MagicBand. Any guest services counter can deactivate the lost one to protect your security. With MagicBand+, you can even now do it yourself in the My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World (look for the “report as lost” feature). At Disneyland, it’s as simple as unlinking the band from any assigned ticket or Magic Key.

But I bet you are also worried about losing a MagicBand because of how much they cost, especially now with MagicBand+ on the scene. Disney previously provided replacement gray bands to guests who lost them for free. Now that MagicBands are no longer free, don’t expect replacements.

So consider carefully whether to buy expensive bands for younger kids who might easily lose one. Our family found that our son would lose his frequently when we were on a trips when he was 2-3 years old. But if you have younger kids who can’t be trusted to keep track, consider using alternatives until they are at a more responsible and trustworthy age. Purchasing a less expensive MagicBand 2.0 may be a more budget-friendly alternative as well at Walt Disney World while they are still available.

For extra band security for everyone in the family, consider also a product like Bitbelts . These are small plastic sleeves that you can use to secure the band near its connection point in case it becomes unhooked.

Have you used MagicBands on a Disney vacation yet? Share your experiences in the comments.

How to Save on a Walt Disney World or Disneyland Vacation!

No matter what Disney coast you are visiting, saving money is always a welcome bonus! Trusted Trips with Tykes partner Get Away Today sells park tickets at a discount, helps you find great deals at both on-property and off-property hotels, and provides expert customer service from representatives who visit Disneyland and Disney World all the time.

To snag discount park tickets that easily link immediately with your Disney app and Disney’s reservations systems, click here:

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For even bigger package discounts with on or off-property hotel deals, use these links:

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Current 2024 Best Deals & Discounts:

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• Disneyland – Kids Special Ticket Offer! : For visits from January 8-March 10, 2024, kids ages 3-9 can visit for as low as  $50 per day ! Deal valid on 1, 2, or 3 day tickets (note: Get Away Today sells multi-day tickets only). Genie+ and/or park hopper option is available as well. No blockout dates but use is subject to theme park reservation availability.
• Disneyland – Southern California Resident Offer : SoCal residents can get three day tickets for as low as $75 per day for visits on weekdays from January 2 -June 2, 2024. Can be used on non-consecutive days.

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Wednesday 26th of October 2022

This vlog is very good thank you for sharing.

Understanding the Different Expressions of Fintech – Rich & Writing

Wednesday 27th of July 2022

[…] Disney World for example, their MagicBands allows visitors to fulfil financial transactions with the plastic wrist […]

Understanding the Different Expressions of Fintech – Rich and Writing

Sunday 19th of June 2022

[…] Disney World for example, their MagicBands allows visitors to fulfil financial transactions with the plastic wrist […]

Monday 10th of January 2022

I already have magic bands one for me and one for my sister both bands are linked to account how do i put her name on the band number and select a pin to charge

Thursday 28th of October 2021

do I need to buy kid tracker device or kid tracker watch to track my kid in disney world if so which one is the best kind. I am so overwhelmed with different kinds in the market. Thanks for your advice

Guide to DisneyBand+ (Magicband+ on the Disney Cruise Line)

Posted on Published: 01/23/2024

If you’ve been to the Disney parks in the United States, you may already be familiar with the concept of the MagicBand. Now, the convenience of the MagicBand has come to the Disney Cruise Line. With the optional DisneyBand+, you can access your room, make purchases, and get magical surprises on this hands-free, wearable device.

Continue reading to learn more about the DisneyBand+, and determine whether you need a new DisneyBand.

While MagicBands have been around for a while, the DisneyBand+ (the Disney Cruise Line version of the Magicband) is relatively new. It’s currently available on sailings on the Disney Magic, the Disney Wish, the Disney Dream, and the Disney Fantasy.

If you aren’t familiar, the DisneyBand+ is a waterproof wristband that is adjustable to fit almost all guests. It can be easily removed, but you can also swim and shower with it if you’d like.

Do you need a DisneyBand+?

You may be wondering if you need a DisneyBand+. For some cruise lines, like Virgin Voyages, a wearable device is needed and is provided at no cost. The DisneyBand, however, is different. It’s offered at an additional cost and is not needed. You can still use your Key to the World card to make purchases and access your room.

If you’ve been on a Disney Cruise before with kids, you are probably familiar with the Disney Oceaneer bands that are provided to kids entering the kids’ clubs. These bands are similar to the MagicBand+ but don’t have all of the features. The Disney Oceaneer band is given to guests at no cost but must be returned at the end of your sailing or you’ll be charged a fee for them.

Is a DisneyBand+ Worth it?

The number one question is whether or not a DisneyBand+ is worth it. We’ll explain more of the features below, but in our experience, it really wasn’t worth it. The functionality is a little limited, and the Key to the World card serves the same purpose. The magical touches – when the band lights up during parts of your voyage – were fun to experience in the beginning but were eventually not as exciting.

What does a DisneyBand+ do?

So, what exactly does a DisneyBand+ do? Here are some of the features:

• You can use it to board the ship upon arrival on embarkation day
• The DisneyBand+ will act as your room key and give you stateroom access in an easy, hands-free manner
• The DisneyBand+ can be used to make purchases to your Disney Cruise Line account. In some cases, we were asked to remove the band to make the purchase. You need to have a credit card or other payment method set up on your account.
• The DisneyBand+ can be used in place of the Oceaneer band at Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Labs, so your child won’t need to wear two bands
• The DisneyBand+ lights up during certain times on the ship, including in restaurants, during the fireworks, etc.
• Your band will be scanned by the onboard photographers when taking photos and will connect to your account.

Even if you have a DisneyBand+, you will still receive a Key to the World card. It will be located outside of your stateroom door when you first arrive. If you are a Castaway Club member , you’ll also get a complimentary lanyard so you can wear your key card around your neck.

What does a Disneyband + not do?

Wondering if there’s anything the Disneyband+ doesn’t do? While it does offer almost all of the features of the original Key to the World card, it cannot be used to leave or return to the ship at foreign cruise ports of call. You will still need to scan your Key to the World card when leaving and returning to the ship.

On some of the ships, you’ll also need your Key to the World card inserted in the slot to operate the lights in your stateroom.

How to get a DisneyBand+

Are you ready to get a DisneyBand+? You can purchase them 45 days in advance of your sailing if your sailing is eligible. They will be shipped directly to your home and should be connected to your account. You can get the Disney Cruise Line limited bands by purchasing this way.

These DisneyBands will also be personalized with your first name on the inside of the band, on the back of the face. Note that you will need to purchase bands for your whole party when buying them online in advance.

A limited selection of DisneyBand+ is available for purchase onboard the Disney Cruise Line ships. During my sailing, there were only a couple of styles, and the ones we had ordered in advance were not available. So, if you have a specific style you want, you should order them in advance.

Already have MagicBand+ bands from a theme park vacation? These can be used on the Disney Cruise Line. Make sure they are connected to your account if you want to use them right away.

How to set up and use the DisneyBand+?

If you order the DisneyBand+ from Disney Cruise Line, the only thing you should need to do in advance is to charge them. They should be connected to your account.

On our sailing, the cast member who checked us in got an error message when trying to activate our bands. Therefore, we had to go to guest services once onboard to fix the issue. It only took a few minutes but it was annoying to have to go through this extra step after purchasing the bands.

Using Your Band Past Your Disney Cruise

Once your cruise is over, you can still use your DisneyBand+ on visits to the theme parks. At Walt Disney World, you can use it at the theme parks and the Disney resort hotels. In addition, MagicBands are also being used at Disneyland Resort in California.

Battery on the DisneyBand+

Unlike the original MagicBand that launched at the Walt Disney World Resort, the DisneyBand+ (like the MagicBand+) has a rechargeable battery. The bands do come with a USB charger, but you’ll want to make sure you pack them if you’ve purchased them in advance.

We charged our bands each night of our Disney cruise vacation. While some of the functionality will work when the battery is depleted, the band won’t light up or interact with the ship. You can connect the band to your Disney Cruise Line Navigator app through Bluetooth, and it will show you the battery level.

So, why do we feel the band isn’t necessarily worth it as a separate purchase?

• We were sometimes asked to take the band off for purchases, making it easier to use the card
• Our bands weren’t able to connect right away
• You can’t use the bands for exiting or entering the ship at foreign ports
• The bands are expensive and aren’t entirely necessary

But, if there’s a style you love, or will use the bands for an upcoming Disneyland or Walt Disney World vacation, then you may find the DisneyBand+ to be a worthwhile purchase for your upcoming sailing.

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Magic band plus

I bought magic bands for our trip next week, in part for the pre-trip fun of opening them. I was just poking around MDE, a week out from my trip, and realized I bought a MB+ for my son. There was something on there about it being charged and I finally dug through the whole box and found a charger.

It’s charging and will be updated, but does anyone know how long these hold a charge? Am I going to need to bring the charger for the trip? It looks pretty cool and is a fun surprise for both of us, guess it’s good I’ve been nervously checking and rechecking plans.

Bring the charger for sure! Plan on charging every night or every other night. They recommend synching with your phone through bluetooth.

Ditto. You are unlikely to get more than a day on a single charge. But that’s just to use the interactive stuff. It doesn’t need to be charged in order for the Tapstyles to work, or to use it to open your room door. So don’t worry too much if you forget to charge it.

We charge each MB+ every night. I remember reading somewhere this was recommended.

With new MagicBand+ bands, always charge and bluetooth pair and with your phone, and use the My Disney app to update the band’s firmware. Once updated, and you’ve adjusted any band settings, you won’t need to bluetooth connect to a phone unless you want to check the band’s battery level, or are doing Fab50 and Batuu Bounty hunter. Even my oldest MB+ bands have not needed a firmware update other than that first time.

We charge ours every night of a trip. We also carry one charging cable, with the portable power bank for our phones in the parks, just in case. IF the band is bluetooth connected to your phone, in the Disney app, you can see the band’s battery level.

Disney says the battery should last about 1-3 days. That being said, you can adjust the LED brightness and vibration intensity from their defaults which can impact battery life.

Also, if you plan on doing the Fab50 Quest Activity, it will drain a little bit more than normal use, but 1 day on a single charge is still definitely achievable.

The Batuu Bounty Hunter activity in DHS will drain the band’s battery FAST and you will struggle making it through the day without needing to charge it in the parks.

To get credit and properly play Fab50 and Batuu Bounty Hunter, you do need the MB+ band bluetooth paired and connected with your phone, the phone must have Disney World app installed and logged in, and the Play Parks app installed, logged in, open, and the Fab50 or Batuu game selected/running.

Related, has anyone replaced their charger? I’m afraid I either left mine in a hotel or threw it away thinking it was my old fitbit charger. I see many results on Amazon but am not sure what’s legit.

Adding that you will likely need to charge every night to get all the MB+ effects (i.e. lights and vibrations), BUT you don’t need to keep it charged for basic functionality (i.e. scanning in at gates and LL, room key).

Yes, they sell them in the gift shops. I’ve read about someone doing this in a trip report.

Here is the legit Disney source if you want to be confident in your purchase and don’t want to wait till you’re onsite.

Edit: it says it’s sold out, but you can compare this to what you see on Amazon or eBay.

Thank you @Jeff_AZ !

Can anyone weigh in on using Apple Watch vs. Magic Band? I’m concerned about battery life for the watch, but reluctant to purchase new Magic Band + as I just threw 10 old ones away

If my MB+ is paired with my phone and I am managing the phones for the rest of my party does it only pair with my phone?. Tried pairing the other MB+'s to my phone and they will not.

Not sure what you mean by “I am managing the phones for the rest of my party” but…

You can usually bluetooth pair as many bands as you wish to a phone, but you can only Bluetooth Connect to one at a to your phone. In Disney App, you’ll only be able to see/pair/connect bands associated to your account and any account you manage.

IF you manage the MDE account for other family members, you should be able to bluetooth pair and connect their bands to your phone for the initial setup and firmware update.

Reminder, managing someone’s account isn’t the same as being linked as Family & Friends. You won’t be able to bluetooth pair and connect a Family/Friend List member’s band to your phone.

My understanding (from what I’ve read, I don’t own an apple watch) is:

Tapping with Apple Watch can sometimes be unreliable (to open room door, park entry, etc).

Auto-link of on ride photos/videos (like 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Tron, Guardians, etc. where there are no banks of monitors to claim your ride photo/video) doesn’t work, and you must use Magic Mobile feature on your phone, which is also sometime unreliable.

I’ve also read that tap to charge to room doesn’t work with Apple Watch, and there are mixed results with Apple Pay.

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I am currently trying to update my magic band plus for our trip starting this Sunday. I found the post that shows it's an paperwork but that was from a year ago. I just want to confirm that it's still and app error. ”

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