Any way to know if your Magic Band battery is dead?

[tlmadden73]

I know that Magic Bands will work for the touch points if the battery is dead, but the battery is used for the ride photos that detect you "from a distance".

I have Magic Bands from an on-site trip in August 2015 and plan on returning in March 2017 (and probably staying off-site). Thus, I won't be needing to buy new Magic Bands since I already have that set (and a previous set bought in Oct. 2014 from an off-site trip).

Is there a way to tell if that battery is dead before getting to the park and finding out (too late) that ride photos aren't showing up in your account?

I'd rather not purchase new bands if I don't have to, and I do enjoy getting those ride photos without having to do anything.

 

[EagleG17]

 

[DAKL101]

Go to the desk. The stop working all together when they die (sometimes they self deactivate). You should still be fine though. It is a rare case of a fully dead MB

 

[EagleG17]

Go to the desk. The stop working all together when they die (sometimes they self deactivate). You should still be fine though. It is a rare case of a fully dead MB

I heard (sometimes they self destruct) too...

 

[DAKL101]

I heard (sometimes they self destruct) too...

In a poof of mickey shaped smoke lol .

 

[Accident]

I'd rather not purchase new bands if I don't have to, and I do enjoy getting those ride photos without having to do anything.

it'll be 50/50 if they work. If your next trip is staying on site, then you'd get more for free and not need to buy them (if you really want them). There is no way except to ride something and see if a photo shows up in photopass.

 

[Kellie_G3]

Would going onto the disney site work too? When I go on and go to magicbands and tickets it shows my band from last Oct is still active but then again i dont know if it would say inactive if dead

 

[Skywise]

Would going onto the disney site work too? When I go on and go to magicbands and tickets it shows my band from last Oct is still active but then again i dont know if it would say inactive if dead

No - the inactive status on the disney site merely tells their computer system whether or not to even attempt to ID your band. Your battery in the band could be dead for eons and the website would still say it's "active" if you don't change it.

 

[supersnoop]

Would going onto the disney site work too? When I go on and go to magicbands and tickets it shows my band from last Oct is still active but then again i dont know if it would say inactive if dead

Bands don't die. They'll always work for contact-based reading. The battery only affects long-range scans; ride photos, names on space mountain, haunted mansion, and small world. They'll always work for room charges, tickets, room keys, and photos where you scan your band.

 

[SureAsLiz]

Bands don't die. They'll always work for contact-based reading. The battery only affects long-range scans; ride photos, names on space mountain, haunted mansion, and small world. They'll always work for room charges, tickets, room keys, and photos where you scan your band.

And to make things more complicated, a band may work for ride photos, but not the little bonuses on the rides.

My older ones (the oldest being from January 2015) all collect photos from Frozen and Mine Train, but they don't always put my name up on the screens.