Easy Guide to MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World
What does MagicBand+ do and is it worth it?
MagicBand+ has officially arrived at Walt Disney World and comes with a number of interactive features.
As of right now it’s not replacing the standard MagicBand, those are still widely available.
Once you get MagicBand+ you’ll need to link it to your My Disney Experience account and pair it to your phone.
This is easy, it happens almost automatically.
You can then use the My Disney Experience app to set up the colors you want MagicBand+ to display and to turn on/off the haptic vibrations - though I recommend that you leave them on to get the best experience.
You’ll also need to download the Play Disney Parks app, a free app that allows you to play games and answer trivia questions while in the parks and even at home.
MagicBand+ Interactive features
The point of MagicBand+ is that it has interactive elements that come alive while you're visiting the theme parks.
I have a feeling that this technology is only in its infancy.
Disney will likely add a number of new features in the future, but here are a few you can have fun with right now.
Disney Fab 50 Quest
As part of the Walt Disney’s World 50th Anniversary celebration there are 50 golden character statues found throughout each of the four theme parks.
Wave your MagicBand+ in front of each statue and you'll activate a short phrase or a tune.
You’ll use the Play Disney Parks app to keep track of the characters you need to unlock.
Younger children and maybe even some adults will enjoy interacting with the characters.
If you can’t find the characters, that’s ok! MagicBand+ senses when it’s near a statue and will begin to vibrate and light up.
Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters
In Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios your mission is to locate and collect hidden characters.
This is by far the most interesting of all the current MagicBand+ features.
Actually, it’s pretty much the main reason why you would want to buy one.
You start at the job board in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge where you’re assigned a bounty mission.
The job board at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is where you’re assigned your mission.
While you're on the hunt, MagicBand+ will pulse green as you get closer and red if you move further away as you explore Galaxy's Edge.
Search for doors around StarWars Galaxy’s Edge. MagicBand+ leads you in the right direction.
To see if your bounty is located behind the door, tap MagicBand+ on these readers.
My son, age 12, would have stayed all day playing this game. There were a lot of adults playing the game too.
Using MagicBand+ and the Play Disney Parks app, we do a thermo scan to see if our bounty is hiding behind the door. Looks like he’s in there!
When you've located your bounty, you can use your phone via the Play Disney Parks app as a thermal scanner to capture your bounty.
Then you’ll return the bounty to an alien who will give you galactic credits.
Once you have located your bounty and your MagicBand+ lights up purple, look for the alien who will give you credits for completing your mission.
Nighttime Spectaculars
MagicBand+ interacts with Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom and Harmonious at Epcot by lighting up and occasionally vibrating during key moments of these performances.
No word yet on whether it will work with Fantasmic but if enough guests have them, it would certainly create a cool effect across the audience.
It also lights up and interacts with Spaceship Earth’s light show at Epcot.
Regular MagicBand Functions
Of course MagicBand+ also functions as a traditional MagicBand so you can use it to access your theme park tickets, open your hotel room door, charge items to your Disney hotel room, link PhotoPass, and tap in for Lightning Lane.
These features work even if MagicBand+ runs out of battery.
Yes, MagicBand+ has a rechargeable battery.
A USB charger is included and it’s important to note that the battery is only 50% charged out of the box.
Battery life is decent, and should last all day on a full charge. Watch your phone battery though, if you’re using the Play Disney Parks app along with Disney Genie and Disney Genie+, you may drain the battery faster than expected.
Is MagicBand+ Worth it?
I say yes! Children will love how their band lights up during the nighttime shows and playing Batuu Bounty Hunters.
One opportunity for improvement is that it’s difficult to see MagicBand+ light up during the day. The Florida sun is bright!
You definitely need to charge it, presumably overnight. If your family has cell phones and watches that also need to charge, you may run out of USB ports in your hotel room.
If you have a USB charging hub at home, you should pack it in your luggage so you can charge all your devices at night.
MagicBand+ starts at $35 for a solid color design, but some special designs cost $45.
Regular, 2nd Generation MagicBands range in price from $12 to $35.
If you’re primarily looking for access to the parks and Lightning Lane I would skip MagicBands altogether and and use Mobile Magic.
Mobile Magic turns your phone into a MagicBand and is available for free in the My Disney Experience app. You can manage your entire family with Mobile Magic
Where to Get MagicBand+
Bands are currently available in your My Disney Experience account.
You can also purchase them through shopdisney.com or from these locations at Walt Disney World:
Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
Epcot: Pin Traders – Camera Center
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Discovery Trading Company
Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders
I do not recommend you buy them from sites like eBay. According to Disney, MagicBand+ is non-transferrable. Once it’s assigned to an individual, it cannot be reassigned to someone else.
Even if the seller claims that it hasn't been used, there’s no way to verify that until you try to link it to your account.
Will my old MagicBand still work at Walt Disney World?
Yes. MagicBand+ is not replacing the regular MagicBand, at least not yet.
Have questions about planning your Orlando vacation? I have answers! Contact me now to get more out of your vacation.
Darren is a Disney-focused travel agent with Magical Vacations Travel and has over 13 years of experience. Readers of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World rate him as a Best of the Best Disney Travel Agent. Darren is also an Orlando-based travel writer with topics ranging from theme parks to cruise lines.
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