Over the years, Disney has made it their mission to make your Disney World visit as easy and magical as possible. One way they’ve done this is by implementing the Magic Bands at Disney World Parks and Resorts.
MagicBands grant you access to pretty much everything you may need on your Disney World stay. They’ve also made it so if you want to travel really light, the only things you really need to have with you when you leave for the park each day is your Magic Band and your smartphone.
Today we’re going to breakdown what Magic Bands are, what you can use them for, how to get them, and what you need to know about them.
What are Magic Bands?
Disney MagicBands are RFID wristbands that store pretty much every essential admission or information for your Disney World trip.
It operates similar to a keyfob, hotel room key card, or security ID.
Each MagicBand is unique to the user and is linked to their Disney World Reservation. By tapping your MagicBand to various touchpoints around the park, you’ll gain access to your room, park ticket, and more!
What can you use them for?
Magical Express
If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort and flying into the Orlando Airport, you can use the Magical Express to get to your hotel. This will be your first chance to use your MagicBand.
When you reserve your spot on the Magical Express, your reservation will be linked to your MagicBand. When you get to Magical Express, you’ll have to tap your Magic Band to the touchpoint to board.
For more on the Magical Express, check out this post.
Room Reservation
And if you are staying on Disney property, your room reservation will also be linked to your MagicBand.
Your MagicBand will act as your room key, so all you have to do is tap them to the touchpoint on your door, and you’ll be able to get in.
This means if you make use of online check-in, you can bypass the front desk all together when you arrive and go right to your room.
Park Ticket
All of your park tickets will also be stored on your Magic Band.
For extra security when it comes to park admission, you’ll also have to link a fingerprint with your ticket. You’ll do this the first time you get to the parks.
Once you do, you’ll have to pair the same finger with your Magic Band every time you go to a park.
Dining Plan
If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you’ll also be able to use your Magic Band to redeem your Dining Plan credits.
If you’re at a quick service location, you’ll tap your Magic Band to the touchpoints at the register. And if you’re at a table service location, your server will bring a portable touchpoint to you.
If you’re interested in the Pros and Cons of the Disney Dining Plan, check out this post!
Payment
You can also link a credit card to your MagicBand and use it to pay for food and other purchases throughout Disney World.
Every Disney World restaurant and merchandise location has touchpoints at the register. This makes it incredibly easy to pay for anything you may buy in the parks and resorts.
It also means you can go to the parks without bringing any money, a wallet, or anything more than your wristband and phone.
FastPasses
You’ll also use your MagicBand to redeem your Fastpasses.
You’ll make your FastPass reservations on the My Disney Experience app, but when it comes time to put that FastPass to use, it’s going to happen with your MagicBand.
When you go to the FastPass line, you’ll have to use your MagicBand twice before you ride. Once when you get in the Fastpass Line and once right before you get on the ride.
You’ll simply tap the touchpoints and you’re good to go!
For more on using the FastPass system, check out this post!
PhotoPass
Anytime you have your picture taken by Disney World a Disney Photographer, they’ll ask to tap your MagicBand to a portable touchpoint so your pictures are linked to your account.
This makes them easily accessible to you if you want to purchase them individually, or if you’ve purchased the Memory Maker, which gives you access to all of the pictures taken on your vacation.
My Disney Experience
Your MagicBand and all of the information that’s tied to it is linked to your My Disney Experience Account.
This way you can easily view your park tickets, room reservation, dining plan credits, and everything else listed above. And any changes you make on the app will be synced automatically with your MagicBand.
For more on the basics of My Disney Experience, check out this post.
How to get them
For Free
If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort, you can get your Magic Bands for free.
The free bands are all solid colors, but you do get to select your color in the My Disney Experience App. Your selections need to be made about a month or so before your trip so they can be shipped to you in time for your vacation.
If you’d prefer, you can also wait and get your bands when you get to your hotel.
Update: As of 2021, you won’t be able to get Complementary Magic Bands, but you will be able to purchase them at a discount.
Purchase
If you’re not staying at a Disney World Resort, you can purchase a Magic Band to link to your account. You can do this through the My Disney Experience App.
And if you are staying on property, you can also upgrade for a more Disney-themed Magic Band for a discounted price in the App.
Other Info
If you lose your MagicBand
If you lose your MagicBand, you can deactivate it in the My Disney Experience App and reactivate another band if you have or purchase one.
And if you lose your magic band on property, visit Guest Relations.
For more on this, check out Disney’s FAQ.
Disney is totally tracking you
Disney’s Magic Band technology is tracking where you are when you’re on Disney property. They’re ultimately using this power for good to add ease and magic to your trip.
This includes sending pictures of you on rides straight to your My Disney Experience account and popping your name up on It’s a Small World for a more personalized experience.
And of course, they’re also tracking your habits so they can learn more about what’s popular and what’s not for people in your demographics.
You can read more about this in this Gizmodo article.
If you don’t want to be tracked, you can opt-out of MagicBands all together and use a keycard instead.
For more Disney World tips and tricks, check out the other Disney World Posts!
Sound off: What do you love about Disney’s Magic Bands? What tips can you share? Tell us about it in the comments!