Walt Disney World Resort is discontinuing complimentary MagicBands for Disney Resort hotel Guests in 2021. Note that they are still available for 2020 vacations.

According to the announcement released today on Disney Parks Blog, Disney plans to discontinue complimentary MagicBand distribution for Disney Resort hotel Guests. If you are unfamiliar, all Disney Resort hotel Guests would typically receive a complimentary MagicBand which served as their “key to the world”: the hotel room key, park tickets, dining plan credits, payment information, PhotoPass, and more. It links to a Disney World Guest’s My Disney Experience account.

But now, Disney has said that next year they plan to roll out an “innovative new offering” that will be part of the My Disney Experience app which will bring the same features of a MagicBand to a Guest’s smartphone. Because of this complimentary MagicBands will be discontinued, although Guests will still be able to purchase them.

Below is the official statement from Disney:

As you begin planning your upcoming visits, we’re also exploring engaging ways for guests to use their mobile tech to experience the magic – particularly now as the use of phones and apps continues to evolve. In 2021, we plan to unveil an innovative new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to your smart devices, building on the app’s existing digital key feature. With this new offering on the horizon, we will be retiring our complimentary MagicBand distribution to Disney Resort hotel guests for new reservations with arrivals beginning Jan. 1, 2021. Disney Resort hotel guests will continue to have the option to purchase new MagicBands at a discount, and we’ll be introducing even more colors and designs featuring favorite Disney characters in the future. Guests who prefer not to purchase a discounted MagicBand will be able to use the My Disney Experience app or a Key to the World card during their visit. We will still offer MagicBands in retail locations and on shopDisney.com, and guests will be able to continue using the wearables throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

It hasn’t yet been confirmed, but many suspect that this “innovative new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app” could be the Disney Genie, the new vacation planning tool that was announced at D23 Expo last year. You can read all of the details we know so far here.

Today was a huge day for Disney news — read everything you should know about 2021 vacations here, or click here to learn about the Disney World reservation system.

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