Magic Band batteries...

[WDWFantasmicFan]

Got our Magic Bands on our trip back in 2014, heading back "home" to WDW this Summer, and wondered whether our bands will still work (especially the long range RFID for photos/interactivity). I understand the batteries are only meant to last two years, and wanted to know from anyone who has had their band over two years if their band still works.

Hoping they might still work, or i'll have to buy a new set for the family...

 

[Robo]

Got our Magic Bands on our trip back in 2014, heading back "home" to WDW this Summer, and wondered whether our bands will still work (especially the long range RFID for photos/interactivity). I understand the batteries are only meant to last two years, and wanted to know from anyone who has had their band over two years if their band still works.

Hoping they might still work, or i'll have to buy a new set for the family...

Yes, there have been folks who've used their 2-yr.-old MBs in the parks.
Many times with the long-range features in operation.
But, nobody knows how old/weak your MB batteries were when you got them, so...

 

[OKW Lover]

Are you staying at another WDW resort this summer? If so, just go ahead an order a new set of bands. Pick a different color if you like.

So far I haven't heard of anybody having a problem with "old" bands. Keep in mind that the life-span estimate wasn't based on actual experience and I'm sure they under-estimated the life.

Also keep in mind that the MB's will continue to work just fine for all the places where you need to just touch the MB to a sensor. That applies to park entrance, FP and (if on a resort stay) cashiers. It will also work just fine for the door to your resort room.

 

[Goofygirl17]

Probably a dumb question but will they not work at all if the batteries die or just some functions? Ours are a few years old- we used them two years in a row and then skipped last year.

Thanks!

 

[Polydweller]

Probably a dumb question but will they not work at all if the batteries die or just some functions? Ours are a few years old- we used them two years in a row and then skipped last year.

Thanks!

There are two chipsets in a magic band. The one is a a passive RFID that is read by any of the scanners you have to touch like room doors, ticket scanners, FP scanners, and purchasing scanners. That is not battery powered and will last indefinitely.

The other chipset is for long range things like pictures on rides and showing your name on rides. That's the battery powered one which is rated at two years life time but who knows.

 

[Goofygirl17]

There are two chipsets in a magic band. The one is a a passive RFID that is read by any of the scanners you have to touch like room doors, ticket scanners, FP scanners, and purchasing scanners. That is not battery powered and will last indefinitely.

The other chipset is for long range things like pictures on rides and showing your name on rides. That's the battery powered one which is rated at two years life time but who knows.

Thank you! So we can use ours and have no problem.

 

[WDWFantasmicFan]

Yes, there have been folks who've used their 2-yr.-old MBs in the parks.
Many times with the long-range features in operation.
But, nobody knows how old/weak your MB batteries were when you got them, so...

Ok, thank you Ours will only just be over 2 years old by the time we go. We bought them in July 2014, and are going back August this year. Think it's just going to be a try it and see thing!

 

[kiford]

We got our first set in December 2013 and used them in December 2015 with no problem. We'll see if they still work this December although we'll still get new ones and have the ones from last year. So two years at least with no problem.

 

[WDWFantasmicFan]

Are you staying at another WDW resort this summer? If so, just go ahead an order a new set of bands. Pick a different color if you like.

So far I haven't heard of anybody having a problem with "old" bands. Keep in mind that the life-span estimate wasn't based on actual experience and I'm sure they under-estimated the life.

Also keep in mind that the MB's will continue to work just fine for all the places where you need to just touch the MB to a sensor. That applies to park entrance, FP and (if on a resort stay) cashiers. It will also work just fine for the door to your resort room.

Thank you Unfortunately we are not staying on property this time. Ok, thats good to hear. Hopefully they'll work just fine this trip!

 

[WDWFantasmicFan]

We got our first set in December 2013 and used them in December 2015 with no problem. We'll see if they still work this December although we'll still get new ones and have the ones from last year. So two years at least with no problem.

Awesome - thanks! I'd be interested to know whether they do work this year for you - please do let us know here on the boards!

 

[Robo]

We got our first set in December 2013 and used them in December 2015 with no problem. We'll see if they still work this December although we'll still get new ones and have the ones from last year. So two years at least with no problem.

There is no question that they will still work for most (nearly all) of the important functions,
but it may be a bit difficult to determine if the very few (really only a couple)
of the functions that will only work if the internal batteries are still good are or are not happening consistently.

 

[mckennarose]

We were in the same boat for our trip last month. We had our MBs from 2014 and I really wanted to make sure that the long range function still worked for the ride photos. The bands were still listed as active on MDE, but when I spoke to the CM on the phone about it she told me there was no guarantee the long range part still worked and if it would pick up the ride photos, so I chose to get new ones.

 

[gatormom2tots]

We just got done using ours from September 2014- names and pics never showed up. But we were using them for SDFP and used our new bands for pics and current fps. Worked like a charm!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We have ones that are at least 2 years old. Never had an issue with them.

 

[jaleaton]

We were just there in May, and were wearing an older set of bands (probably right about 2 years old). If your battery is dead, it will work opening your door, scanning into the parks, but you may miss some of the new magic. We later inadvertently found out my husbands battery was dead, which explained why ride photo / video on Seven Dwarves Mine Train didn't pick up, or why his name didn't display with the rest of the families names on It's a Small World. We were at Be Our Guest waiting to meet Beast, and my husband scanned his band just to see if the reader would do anything, and a message popped up on the screen that his battery was dead. Seems something easy enough you could always ask a cast member upon check in or entering a park.