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Credit: DisneyLove them, or hate them, there’s a new kid in town in the form of the upcoming MagicBand+. Here is everything you need to know about the new Disney MagicBand!
History of the MagicBand
What is a MagicBand?
A MagicBand is the key to the Walt Disney World Resort. Harboring MyMagic+ technology that allows the wristwear to be a Disney Hotel room key, a credit card, a home for Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane reservations, a way to collect a Guest’s Disney PhotoPass images, as well as the all-important valid Walt Disney World ticket and Park Pass reservation.
Utilizing Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, the Disney MagicBand and Disney MagicBand 2 make a Guest’s trip to The Most Magical Place On Earth an all-in-one experience. Since their inception in 2013, Disney Parks released the MagicBand 2 — the current model — in 2016, which featured a new look, along with the removable Mickey Mouse icon AKA the RFID part of the MagicBand 2. Usually found in block colors such as yellow, green, blue, red, purple, orange, and pink, other MagicBand designs featuring Disney characters and patterns can be found across the theme parks.
Are MagicBands free for Passholders and Disney Resort Hotel Guests?
Since 2021, MagicBands are no longer complimentary for Annual Passholders and Disney Resort Hotel Guests.
MagicBand+
What is the MagicBand+?
The MagicBand+ is an all-new MagicBand experience. Featuring all the same technology as the previous models, the MagicBand+ will become an even more interactive part of the Disney experience.
Inclusive of all things room key, Disney Genie+, and Disney PhotoPass, among the many other features, MagicBand+ will also include color-changing lights, gesture recognition, and haptic vibrations, as well as a new look. As before, the MagicBand+ will sync with a Guest’s My Disney Experience app, where Disney Park tickets, Park Pass reservations, and more can be connected with the device.
After the Guest has chosen their MagicBand+ from 25 designs, they can begin partaking in the various interactive activities around the Disney Resort. From Magic Kingdom to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, MagicBand+ can be used at every Disney World location in one way or another.
Related: Free MagicBands Discontinued?! Your Options for 2021 Vacations
Here’s what Guests can enjoy with the new MagicBand+:
Disney Fab 50 Quest
Guests will remember that one part of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary was the implementation of 50 gold statues across the Resort, each one representing a different character from The Walt Disney Company’s extensive portfolio. Disney Parks Blog describes the Disney Fab 50 Quest as:
As part of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration, you can interact with the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection throughout all four theme parks with the “Disney Fab 50 Quest.” Help Tinker Bell bring the sculptures to life across all four Walt Disney World theme parks using virtual pixie dust from Tink.
You can wave your hand to sprinkle virtual pixie dust at each Disney Fab 50 Character sculpture for different reactions! To unlock even more during your quest, use the Play Disney Parks app to collect the sculptures and enter the worlds of your favorite characters through an augmented reality feature.
Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters
Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park at the Resort’s most recent land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Guests can become the next Boba Fett or Din Djarin as they hunt for bounties across the Black Spire Outpost on Batuu. Disney describes the experience as:
On Batuu, the bounty hunting business is booming. MagicBand+ is your guide to seeking numerous virtual bounties hidden across Black Spire Outpost with the Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters experience. Vibrations and lights on MagicBand+ guide you down the right path. When you find your Bounty, you can use the Play Disney Parks app’s augmented reality thermal viewer to reveal who’s hiding in the shadows.** Local guild master Raga Bua will reward you with galactic credits. Do you have what it takes to join the guild?
Nighttime Spectaculars
Disney World is renowned for its special nighttime spectaculars in the skies above the Parks. Now, with MagicBand+, Guests can become a part of the celebrations. Disney says:
MagicBand+ brings the magic of Disney nighttime spectaculars closer than ever before during “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom Park and “Harmonious” at EPCOT! MagicBand+ complements the magic in the skies, lighting up and vibrating in sync with fireworks, visual effects, and music. Your MagicBand+ will also engage as all four theme park icons transform into Beacons of Magic!
Disney advises that a Guest’s MagicBand+ be fully charged — a new feature of the model — and synced to a Guest’s device, as well as being up to date.
Where can I buy the MagicBand+?
Prior to a Guest’s arrival at the Disney World Resort, those staying at a Disney Resort hotel can purchase the MagicBand+ online for a discounted price, with Annual Passholders able to purchase the device with a discount, too.
All Guests can purchase a MagicBand+ online or at select locations around Walt Disney World Resort. The locations are:
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Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
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EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center
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Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
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Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Discovery Trading Company
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Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders
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Select merchandise locations at Disney Resort hotels
Credit: Disney
How much does a MagicBand+ cost?
Disney states that MagicBand+ will have a starting price of $34.99.
When is the MagicBand+ released?
The MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World Resort will be released on July 27. A release date for the new device at Disneyland Resort has not yet been announced.
MagicBand+ at Disney Parks
Does Disney sell MagicBands at the Park?
Yes, Disney sells MagicBands across the theme parks as well as online.
What do you do with the MagicBands after Disney?
Unlike the more recent TapuTapu at Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal Volcano Bay Water Theme Park, a MagicBand is for life (kind of). Disney’s MagicBands are reusable with older Bands able to be synced with a Guest’s My Disney Experience app at any time, meaning that Guests are not restricted or tied to any particular Band.
All that to say, once purchased, MagicBands can be brought back to the Park and reused time after time.
How do you link your stuff to the MagicBand if I buy a character one in the Park?
The best way to connect everything to a Guest’s MagicBand is to log into their My Disney Experience account on the Walt Disney World website, where they will be able to sync their selected MagicBand to their vacation and chosen credit card etc. via the Link Your Reservations and Purchases section.
How are MagicBands different from MagicMobile?
MagicMobile bypasses the need for a MagicBand at Disney Parks and allows Guests to utilize their mobile device as their Park ticket and everything else a MagicBand can do. However, MagicMobile does not allow Guests to utilize the new features that come with the MagicBand+ such as interactive experiences like Disney Fab 50 Quest and Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters.
Disney describes MagicMobile as:
Using Disney MagicMobile features, Guests can create a digital pass to link and access vacation entitlements, and it works like magic! Most features are available by holding up your eligible smart device near an access point, just as you do with a MagicBand. If you use Express Mode, you don’t need to unlock your iPhone or Apple Watch in order to use a Disney MagicMobile pass––just tap and go!
Guests must have a valid park admission or Disney Resort hotel reservation linked to their Disney account to create a Disney MagicMobile pass.
As July 27 speeds towards us, the next, shiny, new thing at Walt Disney World Resort is right around the corner.
Will you be picking up the MagicBand+ this summer? Let us know in the comments down below!
Walt Disney World Resort boasts four theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT Park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park. It also features two Disney water parks, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park, and the retail and recreation area, Disney Springs. A valid ticket is needed to enter each Park and Park Hopper hours begin at 2 p.m. daily.