If you haven't visited the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in the past 2 years, you may not be familiar with what Magic Bands are. These handy bracelets may look simple, but they are your new ticket to everything in the world, combining many different cards into one convenient band around your wrist.
What Do Magic Bands Replace?
If you've been to Walt Disney World before, but not in the past couple of years, you remember one plastic key card to get into your room, one paper ticket to get into the parks, you got one plastic card(or sometimes multiple plastic cards) for your Photopass pictures that were taken by Disney photographers in the parks, you had your credit/debit cards for purchases and food. If you wanted a Fastpass for a ride, you had to walk to a machine, put in your park ticket, and carry around the piece of paper it spit out. In other words, you had a lot to keep track of! Magic Bands replace all of that, combining everything you had to keep track of, and putting it right at you fingertips. Well, at your wrist, but that's close enough to your fingertips isn't it?
How Do You Get Magic Bands?
All guests staying at WDW resorts will receive Magic Bands. If you are not staying at a Disney hotel and you are just going to the parks, you won't get a Magic Band. You do have the option to purchase them, but they won't be included with your trip. Once your trip is booked and you have set up your My Disney Experience account(your portal to your Disney vacation), you will have the ability to customize your Magic Bands, up to 1 month before your arrival. You can pick the color, from red, blue, green, pink, yellow or orange, as well as add a name to each band. After the deadline, your customized Magic Bands will be created and sent to your door a few weeks before your trip. Magical mail!! If you don't customize your bands, you will receive standard gray bands upon check in.
It's Your Ticket to Magical Express!
Flying to Disney and taking advantage of their FREE bus service to and from the airport? Your Magical Express reservation is stored on your Magic Band, and they will have you tap your band when you check in after your arrival.
It's Your Room Key!
Replacing the Key to the World cards, it's now your room key. Equipped with RFID technology, a simply tap of your band on the outside of your door, and your room unlocks.
It's Your Method Of Payment!
When you check in, you have the option of putting a credit card on file for charging privileges. Each band is set up with a pin number that you choose, so it's not as simple as just tapping your band and purchasing. This helps keep your card secure and prevents younger members of your group from using your card if you don't want them to. Every store and restaurant has a pad you tap, which prompts you for your pin number, saving you from having to bring any credit or debit cards if it's not something you want to carry around.
It's Your Park Tickets!
Your park tickets are linked to your Magic Bands, so just tap at the gates, and head right in.
It's Your Fastpasses!
At WDW, gone are the days of paper fastpasses. Before Magic Bands, My Disney Experience and Fastpass+, you had to feed your park ticket into a machine at the parks, and you would get a paper ticket with your return window. You couldn't get another Fastpass until that one was used, limiting you to one at a time. If your return window was several hours away, you didn't have the option for another. Certain popular rides saw Fastpasses disappear very soon after park opening. Now you can book 3 Fastpasses up to 60 days in advance. If you're a Type A planner like me, this is your dream!
It's Your Dining Plan!
If you've added one of the dining plans to your vacation, you'll tap your band at the restaurant, deducting the meal credits from your plan. Have fun with them! Decorate your bands when they get to you. The possibilities are endless, from buttons and slip ons that Disney sells to vinyl decals to paint to even temporary tattoos.
It's EVERYTHING!
In short, Magic Bands are pretty much everything you need at Walt Disney World. Of course it won't pack your bags for you or handle all of your vacation laundry, but it will keep what you are gathering for the parks each day to a minimum. I have 4 children and managing room keys and tickets and photopasses for everyone can be a hassle. Now I just have to make sure everyone has their bands and go. Magic Bands are unique to Disney, and they've been a welcome addition to my Disney vacations!
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