What is a Magic Band and Why do I Need One?

What is it?

Magic Bands are Disney’s way to simplify your experience at their parks. When they first cam out, they were complimentary and nearly obligatory. I say nearly because there was an option for a ticket card, but you had to deliberately elect that option or the Magic Bands would arrive at your house announcing your next vacation!

They are a band that you wear on your wrist, similar to wearing a watch or step counter. Inside they have a chip and a battery. The original Magic Bands didn’t require charging and would last over a year, which meant that you could reuse them.

What can they do?

In a word, everything! You can open your resort door with them; use your ticket to get into a park with them; pay for purchases in the parks, Disney Springs and your resort with them; charge your meals on them; have a Photopass Photographer scan them to load your Photopass pictures onto your account with them; and more!

In the beginning I wasn’t sure that I liked them, but it didn’t take long for me to begin to feel that they are essential to a Disney Vacation! Gone were the days of digging in my backpack for my wallet at the ticket gate, shops, food carts, restaurants, and most of all my resort room at the end of a glorious yet exhausting day!

What happens if I lose my band?

The first thing you should do is go to your My Disney Experience app and disable the lost band. If and when you find it, return to the app and turn it back on! Easy! After you turn it off, retrace where you feel you lost it and return to that location. You will need to talk to a Cast Member and allow them to give you safety directives as well as help if you believe you lost it on a ride. If you are unable to locate the lost band you can file a lost and found claim. If it is located or someone turns it in they will notify you.

What about the new bands?

The latest bands come with a charging cord and you pair them with your phone’s Bluetooth. No worries! Should your band need charging before you get back to your resort room, they will still not only open your resort door, but also allow you to use your ticket media. So why do they need Bluetooth and charging? They have extra magical features to enhance your visit. Basically, they are made to react with the statues of the characters from the 50th celebration as well as the fireworks shows! Your band will light up and vibrate to let you know when this takes place. These bands do not automatically come to your house. They must be ordered intentionally. You may either order them by clicking on your reservation where it says “Magic Bands” or purchase them at WDW in person. The preordered bands often have exclusive bands available and also are discounted! If you’re thinking bands would be good for your vacation, I recommend preorder through your Disney account, either using the website or your MDE app. ShopDisney does not offer the same discount, though you can purchase bands from that website.

So, do I have to use them?

Nope! If you prefer using a card to open your resort door and get into the parks only, you can do that! Just know that you cannot charge your purchases on that card. Upon arrival to your Disney Resort, just go to Guest Services at the front desk and let them know that you would like a card for those purposes!

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