Magic Bands? Are these useful?

[Mich Mouse]

You will get a lot of varied answers on the usefulness of MagicBands and it is ultimately subjective. Many people don't find them worthwhile at Disneyland.

Personally, I find them to be amazing at Disneyland. As the person who manages everything for everyone and plans the entire trip, it makes it much easier for me. I book park reservations and associate a MagicBand to a ticket, and I book all Lightning Lanes. Instead of having to pull my phone out constantly, each person can scan their band for entry into the parks and to get onto Lightning Lane attractions. Part of our group can ride something with Lightning Lane and I don't need to go with them.

MagicBands are not necessary, and they are pretty expensive, but they can also be re-used on each trip and used at Disney World. I find it to be worthwhile and it makes my experience at Disneyland better, easier, and less stressful. You also don't need to charge them for just scanning into the parks and lightning lane.

Is there an alternative to using a phone? I do not want to pull my phone out all day (prefer disconnect during family time) or purchase the bands online as they are sold out of the ones we want. What are our options?

 

[LKing]

Is there an alternative to using a phone? I do not want to pull my phone out all day (prefer disconnect during family time) or purchase the bands online as they are sold out of the ones we want. What are our options?

You can buy MagicBands at World of Disney in Downtown Disney or in the Disney owned hotels.

Warning, if you are doing Genie +, someone in your group is going to be on their phone throughout the day.

 

[CastAStone]

Is there an alternative to using a phone? I do not want to pull my phone out all day (prefer disconnect during family time) or purchase the bands online as they are sold out of the ones we want. What are our options?

Not really. They used to have paper tickets but they discontinued them.

 

[Mich Mouse]

You can buy MagicBands at World of Disney in Downtown Disney or in the Disney owned hotels.

Warning, if you are doing Genie +, someone in your group is going to be on their phone throughout the day.

Thank you for your response. If we purchase bands can we link them ourselves or will we need guest relations?

 

[LKing]

Thank you for your response. If we purchase bands can we link them ourselves or will we need guest relations?

Do you have the Disneyland app downloaded yet? If so, tap on the hamburger menu on the bottom right. You will see a tile for MagicBand+. Open that and it has instructions how to connect a MagicBand. After you purchase your band, make sure to charge it. It will let you in the parks and on the rides, but other special features require that it be charged.

You can also find instructions here: MagicBand+ Set Up

 

[PirateBrigade]

I was skeptical at first but have grown to enjoy them, but they are definitely not that useful yet. I can't wait for them to turn on a) charging items to your room and b) using them to open an on-site hotel room.

Getting through the turnstiles is a piece of cake with them, and it'll get more convenient once the new Paris-style gates are installed. G+/LL is a breeze with them. It's one less "phone thing" i have to deal with so that's the big seller for me.

My kids love the effects during the fireworks show, such that they were staring at their band and not the fireworks!

Sadly, lost my black magic band on the last trip. The strap kind of sucks, but I am going to extract the puck on my next band and put it into a little pod that will attach to my Apple Watch band. Also, because I look silly with two wrist devices.

 

[bookgirl]

So can you not charge to your “room” using a magic bandit DL.

That is the best perk of the bands at least in my opinion. Without that perk I might just stick to my phone. Or pull the hack of getting a physical ticket and putting it in my clear phone case.

 

[CastAStone]

Or pull the hack of getting a physical ticket

Unless something has changed, they stopped giving out physical tickets last summer.

 

[BobaFettFan]

Bought a family set for a disney trip. Had an impromptu second trip 11 months later. Now grandpa says he wants to take us to Disney. Repeated uses make it feels like the initial price doesn't hit as hard.


I didn't plan on any future trips when I got the bands though but even then they made for fun times for my 5 year old to scan himself in around the park.


Buy strap clips!

 

[DizMe]

Buy strap clips!

I second this. I almost lost my MB+ the first day I bought it. Luckily, it fell somewhere that was easy to retrieve. You can find all kinds of the rubbery sleeve things on Amazon and etsy, and they come in a pack with lots of color options for a fairly cheap price. Only downside IMO is that, as another Dis'er aptly remarked, getting the strap through the sleeve on your band (when it's on your wrist) is akin to putting on spanks

Of course, there's a really cheap method called a rubber band.

And I've said it before but I'll say it again, WHY couldn't they just include a cheap watch face on the front? It would be so nice to be able to actually use it as a watch as well.

 

[Kit Jackson]

So can you not charge to your “room” using a magic bandit DL.

That is the best perk of the bands at least in my opinion. Without that perk I might just stick to my phone. Or pull the hack of getting a physical ticket and putting it in my clear phone case.

I would not count on being able to get a physical ticket. It seems very hit or miss and completely unpredictable.

I agree with you about MagicBands at DL. If they had more of the WDW functions, l would be more willing to buy them at the price they are charging, but I am also not a frequent visitor. For people who go to the parks on a regular basis on either coast, getting a MagicBand+ makes sense.

 

[bookgirl]

I would not count on being able to get a physical ticket. It seems very hit or miss and completely unpredictable.

I agree with you about MagicBands at DL. If they had more of the WDW functions, l would be more willing to buy them at the price they are charging, but I am also not a frequent visitor. For people who go to the parks on a regular basis on either coast, getting a MagicBand+ makes sense.

If I can’t get a physical ticket I’ll either just use my phone or switch one of the dozen MB or my one MB+ from WDW to DL.

Although I think I’m going to be Club Level so I would have a physical room key.

I’ve only stayed onsite at DLR once before. Does your room key act as a ticket there?

 

[bookgirl]

Unless something has changed, they stopped giving out physical tickets last summer.

Darn.

 

[Kit Jackson]

If I can’t get a physical ticket I’ll either just use my phone or switch one of the dozen MB or my one MB+ from WDW to DL.

For Disneyland, it has to be MB+. The older magic bands will not work at Disneyland. Hopefully someone else can answer your other questions.

 

[LKing]

I’ve only stayed onsite at DLR once before. Does your room key act as a ticket there?

Disneyland does not have "Key to the World" cards.

https://plandisney.disney.go.com/qu...ld-key-world-cards-disneyland-service-521256/

 

[Pluto468]

I loved using magic bands on our last trip. It was great for scanning into rides and I liked not having to get my phone out for that.

 

[CWTC]

I loved using magic bands on our last trip. It was great for scanning into rides and I liked not having to get my phone out for that.

Agreed. Using the bands to get into the park and tap into rides was so much faster than using the phones. I really really really would like them to expand the bands to open the hotel rooms: the app was super glitchy and we ended up getting physical cards.

 

[ThreeMountains]

They're more useful in WDW but I'm still happy I purchased a MagicBand+ for my recent DL trip. It's minor, but that vibration and light when you tap it or it reacts to something in the parks somehow sprinkles a little extra magic on the trip. It's also slightly more convenient than using your phone or a physical park ticket, although if they added a payment feature like in WDW it would be significantly more worth it.

We have previous version MagicBands, but I can say for sure that I'll be buying MagicBand+ versions for my two kids (and wife, if she wants one). As a 3 1/2 and 6 year old for our April trip to WDW, I strongly believe they'll get a huge kick out of them vibrating and lighting up every time we use them. I have no doubt it will add extra Disney magic to the trip for kids that age because it did for me as a grown adult male and I didn't even expect it to lol.

 

[Peachy0118]

If you're trying to save costs, they aren't worth it. If you like souvenirs, they are. They are more useful than my ears or nuimos technically. Haha! (Though I love them all!)

We got them just when they were introduced, and I like them for ease of scanning in and some of the features (exiting the Haunted Mansion is my favourite, or during Fantasmic). A few more special features would be extra nice of course.

Necessary is a strong word, but it totally depends on your interests. I like mine and will use it.

 

[bookgirl]

I have a MB+ from my last WDW trip. I’ll probably just register it to DL. I don’t think I’ll buy one.

Then again I always say I’m not buying a new MB and yet somehow I end up with one