We always have our Disney World MagicBands ready to go on trips. What’s not to love? These adjustable, versatile, waterproof bracelets act as your ticket. You can enter the theme parks and water parks, link photos, access your Lightning Lane selections and more with just a tap of your band. And if staying at a Walt Disney World hotel it can even act as your room key and allow you to pay for food and merchandise. All that in one easy-to-wear wristband!
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MagicBands have evolved a lot over the years with tons of designs and customization options. Sometimes there are even limited-edition bands for special occasions! While MagicBands aren't required, they certainly enhance a Disney trip.
The MagicBand+ is here! The newest iteration includes all of the current features plus some interactive additions! Bring the Fab 50 golden character statues to life, embark on an exciting bounty hunter experience at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and see your band light up alongside nighttime spectaculars. And yes, you can even use your MagicBand+ at Disneyland and aboard a Disney Cruise! Keep in mind that the original MagicBand or MagicBand 2, is not supported at Disneyland or on a Disney Cruise.
Read on for more details about MagicBand and the all-new MagicBand+!
Overview of MagicBands
Back in the day (you know … ALL THE WAY back in 2013), MagicBands were issued to Disney World resort guests and, eventually, annual passholders. They were only offered in gray. They served as wearable room keys and park tickets. Hotel guests could also link a credit card to them to pay for meals, snacks and merchandise at the parks and resorts.
Hundreds of designs have been released over the years, including solid colors and character designs. Anyone can now purchase a MagicBand. Hotel guests used to receive free basic MagicBands, but now can purchase basic and premium bands at a discounted price.
What Can You Do with a MagicBand?
Now, with an active MagicBand linked to a valid park ticket or annual pass in My Disney Experience, you can use it to:
- Enter the theme parks and water parks
- Check in to the Lightning Lane during your reservation time
- Take advantage of cool surprise extras, such as seeing your name “magically” pop up with a personal “good-bye” on the wall of farewells at “it’s a small world”
- Save your images with the photographer at every Disney PhotoPass/MemoryMaker location in the parks
- Access your post-ride photos on most of the iconic thrill rides and other locations within the parks
If you're staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you get additional MagicBand benefits. You can use your MagicBand to:
- Unlock your room
- Pay for meals and merchandise in the parks and resorts (you must enable this feature and set up a PIN)
- Gain entry at the parking lots at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios
To link a MagicBand to your account, open up the My Disney Experience app and click the three-bar menu on the bottom right. Scroll down to Account and select "MagicBands & Cards." Here, you can link a band by putting in the code located on the back of the band. Once inputted, you'll select who you want to link it to (you will be selected by default). If linking bands for the whole family, be sure you select the right person, as once a band is linked, it cannot be unlinked. Note that you can have multiple bands attached to your account and use them interchangeably.
Disney MagicBand Customization Options
Today, there are hundreds of customization options for MagicBands. If you have a Disney favorite — a character, a movie, a ride, an iconic park feature, almost anything you can think of — you can express your love with a customized MagicBand. And they come out with new options all the time. Leap loves the one themed to R2-D2 while Lily gets excited to show Ariel her MagicBand themed to the "Little Mermaid!"
There are several levels of MagicBand customization. It starts with the different colors — pink, red, purple, orange, yellow, green, blue and gray. Colorful bands are typically $19.99 while premium bands with designs on them start at $29.99. Limited-release MagicBands may be $34.99 and up. There are often exclusive MagicBands for annual passholders.
If staying on-site, you can order either the colorful or premium bands at a discounted price. MagicBands are mailed to you when ordered at least 11 days before arrival. Or, you can pick them up at the resort when you check in (if ordered at least six days before arrival).
You can buy MagicBands at many merchandise locations within the parks and at Disney Springs. Some of our favorite MagicBand locations are the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom or World of Disney and Disney Pin Traders at Disney Springs. The Disney Store website also has a great selection you can order online. You can also create your own customized MagicBand with D-tech on Demand, located at the Marketplace Co-op at Disney Springs.
Unlimited Possibilities With MagicBand+
MagicBand+ is the newest iteration of MagicBands and they are slowly becoming the only option for current and future park guests. The previous iteration - the MagicBand2 (which was the primary MagicBand for guests visiting between 2016 and 2022) is no longer available for purchase online. Currently, it's still available in the parks. However, time will tell how long this continues.
This new generation of MagicBands includes all of the current features plus some exciting extras (including being fully rechargeable!):
- Embark on the Disney Fab 50 Quest and bring the golden character statues to life. Along with the Play Disney Parks app, unlock digital achievements and an augmented reality feature. (Disney first introduced these golden character statues for the park's 50th Anniversary Celebration. We're glad to still see them here!)
- At Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studios, experience "Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters." Use your band to locate virtual bounties hidden throughout Batuu. Using the Play Disney Parks app, you can use augmented reality to see what's behind locked doors. Once your mission is complete, the local guild master will reward you with galactic credits. Sounds like quite the galactic adventure!
- Experience nighttime spectaculars (Happily Ever After and Luminous The Symphony of Us) like never before as your bands light up in sync with the music. We recently found that MagicBand+ even interacts with the new Disney Springs drone show!
Resort guests and annual passholders will be able to purchase at a discounted, pre-arrival price. Guests can use either a MagicBand2, MagicBand+ or Disney MagicMobile to enter the park and use basic features. MagicBand+ is also available at the Disneyland Resort! Don't forget to use your MagicBand+ interchangeably when visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland or going on a Disney Cruise.
What's your favorite MagicBand design? Are you excited for MagicBand+? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Our Guide to MagicBand+ at Disney World
Hoppy planning!
