Understanding MagicBands
Disney World now uses Magic Bands across all parks and hotels. They are an integral part of the park system and you’ll need them to access many of the systems at Disney World.
What are they?
They are adjustable plastic bracelets with a unique RFID chip/radio inside them. The bands are adjustable for even small children by removing the dark grey border around them. They are battery operated. No one is quite sure how long the batteries last.
Why do I need one?
MagicBands link you and your party to pretty much everything around the parks. It’s the key to your Disney resort hotel room, your credit card (you can opt to use it for purchases), your means of utilizing the dining plan (if you have one), your ticket into the parks, how you use your FastPass+ selections, and even your PhotoPass packages. This is all tied together through your “My Disney Experience” profile which you use in the Disney World app.
If you are staying off-property and order your tickets, you will receive paper tickets in the mail which can be swaped for a plastic RFID chipped card which will act like a MagicBand.
How do I get one?
When you purchase a Disney vacation package, you will receive MagicBands for everyone in your reservation for free. You have the option of customizing the MagicBands for your party until about 11 days prior to vacation. You have to log into the web version of My Disney Experience on DisneyWorld.Disney.Go.com to create a profile. Within that profile you will have the option to modify your magic bands. See the screen capture and circled link to see where to find it.
If you are staying off not staying on Disney Property, you can purchase a MagicBand through shopDisney. The MagicBand will not be activated until you link it to your My Disney Experience Account and park tickets.
You can also turn your paper tickets into MagicBands inside the Disney parks at select stores. Stores inside the parks will only sell you the MagicBands if you have a ticket/existing MagicBand with active ticket to link to.
How Do They Work?
You hold up your wrist to any MagicBand scanner. In the case of entering the parks, you’ll also need a fingerprint. Make sure it is the same fingerprint each time, and that you don’t press down to hard to distort the fingerprint scanner. Green lights mean you are good to go. White or blue mean you need help. The RFID tech in the band talks to Disney’s systems.
For FastPass+ redemption, you’ll hold up your wrist at the beginning and somewhere in the middle of the FastPass+ queue to ensure you have a valid FastPass+ selection. (See my post on Understanding FastPass+ at Disney World for more information).
Other places you can use your MagicBand:
PhotoPass photographers will scan your band for photos you may take with characters or in picture spots. Your ride photos should automatically be added to your photo account because of the RFID technology. (Always check to make sure photos come through, because the longer you wait, the harder it is to retrieve them. Ride photos have a shelf-life of 24 retrievable hours). You can also hold up your MagicBand to your Disney hotel room as a key and at pay terminals. It’s really easy to lose track of how much you are spending when things are automatically added to your account, so be careful with how much you spend at the pay terminals.
Disney also occasionally has extra perks with MagicBands. Mickey Mouse at Town Hall used to “talk” to guests using the coding and names you gave on your MagicBand. Be sure to be on the lookout for extra magic and let me know about it in the comments below!
Good luck and see you in the Parks!
Other Posts You May Be Interested In:
Understanding FastPass+ at Disney World
Priorities to Consider in Choosing When to Visit Disney World
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