Guests Blast Disney’s New “Dollar Store” MagicBands, “Not Impressed at All”

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Credit: Disney

Disney’s MagicBands have become synonymous with visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. A MagicBand is the key to the Walt Disney World Resort and allows Guests to take more control of their vacation. For many, the start of a Disney vacation begins with deciding what color MagicBand you’re going to choose.

Disney magicband plus
Credit: Disney

Related: Former Cast Member Reminds Guests, “We’re Not Here to Be Your Friends”

Disney recently introduced the next iteration of this system with its MagicBand+. MagicBand+ is an all-new MagicBand experience that many have been excited about for a long time. With new features and options, Disney’s MagicBand+ is set to become an even more interactive part of the Disney experience than the original MagicBands.

MagicBand+ is all about your Disney vacation and acts as a room key, your source for Disney Genie+, and Disney PhotoPass, among many other features. MagicBand+ also includes 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.

We got our first look at how MagicBand+ interacts with the Parks, specifically with EPCOT’s nighttime show Harmonious, as shared by reporter Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin):

MagicBand+ and Harmonious.

For those who may not know, Harmonious is the exciting nighttime spectacular that takes place at EPCOT.

Harmonious soft-opened to Guests on September 29, 2021, and debuted officially on October 1, 2021 for Disney World’s 50th anniversary and EPCOT’s birthday. The show truly is nothing like anyone has ever seen before, as it includes pyrotechnics, lighting, fountains, and music, all working together to create harmony within the theme park.

While Harmonious replaced Illuminations, it also replaced EPCOT Forever, a show that played in between Illuminations and harmonious. Harmonious utilizes five barges which all have lighting effects, LED screens, and can shoot fireworks.

The exterior of Connections Eatery under Spaceship Earth.
Credit: Disney

While exciting, the implementation left many confused and disappointed. The reactions to this new MagicBand were mixed, to say the least, and in the comment section, several fans voiced their concerns and first thoughts on the new product. In general, a lot of Guests and fans thought the first presentation of MagicBand+ was lackluster and not very exciting.

In response to Scott Gustin’s original tweet showing how MagicBand+ paired with EPCOT’s Harmonious, several users responded. Twitter user @CreedDotGov said:

Hmmmm. It’s less Glow with the Show feeling and more random assortment of 4 leds.

Twitter user @obb1213 said:

Lolol I thought it would sync with the music or something

User @abrandenburg10 asked:

Who is going to buy these? I mean seriously what do these things offer????

Twitter user @IanGrimm99 put it bluntly:

Device is a Borderline parody, respectfully

User @yoopernet said:

oh my…not impressed at all.

Disney MagicBand plus
Credit: Disney

Related: New Images Show Massive Progress at New Disney Park Expansion

On Reddit, reactions were similar. One user said, “I don’t even get why people would want that, are you watching the show or your wrist?” Another said, “This is about as awesome as the special passholder entry animations that are barely audible and slow down getting the green light.”

Another user compared it to a “dollar store” item. Another said, ” That looks so sad. They would have been better off creating an Apple Watch app.”
ShopDisney MagicBandplus banner
Credit: shopDisney

Of course, this is a brand-new product, so there are always kinks to work out. We still are excited to see how it pairs with other offerings at the Walt Disney World Resort in the future. For more on Disney’s MagicBand+, check out our story here.

Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on a personal Disney Parks Guest experience. No two Guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Parks operations. For more on MgicBand+, click here.

Will you be using a MagicBand+?

Visit the official Disney World website to plan your next magical vacation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks — Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the Disney Springs shopping and dining district OR the official Disneyland website to plan your trip to Disneyland Resort’s two theme parks — Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park — and the Downtown Disney District!

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