Are magic bands really necessary?

[SeeDisney]

hello,

going on our trip in october. We will be staying at the Shades of Green which does not offer free magic bands. We would have to buy them but i really don't want too......

Do we really need them?

last time we were at the WDW was 2009 and i remember paper fast passes.

 

[Robo]

No.
You can enter the parks, and make and use FP+ with just a regular plastic ticket.

W/O a MB, you won't get a couple of on-ride photos/videos, and you won't get a chance to see your name displayed on a TV screen at the end of "it's a small world." (That's a big "maybe" anyway.)

 

[MamaLema]

No. We are staying off site and not planning to buy them.

 

[Bluegrrl]

Nope. My DH hates them and uses the cards. You can always buy a cool one in the parks if you feel like it, and there are some places that sell custom ones with your names on them (launch bay). May I recommend the bb8 or haunted mansion bands?

 

[Mikie]

They are convenient to wear, but the only thing I can think of that you can't duplicate with a plastic ticket is the ride photo and video on 7 dwarfs. It is only captured for people wearing a magic band. All other rides with photos, you can stop at the viewing area after the ride to scan your card and photo and link it to your MDE if desired.

MBs are also used to charge purchases to your room at other resorts, not sure whether Shades of Green has that privilege or not, and if so, whether the card will do the trick.

 

[Micca]

Being a total Disney geek, I love the magicband. Paying for stuff and getting into the resort room by touching "Mickey to Mickey" is fun. Not as cool as the jetpacks we were promised, but pretty cool.

 

[Babsy]

I hate them too. So uncomfortable! I like the old fashioned card!

 

[Sevey13]

hello,

going on our trip in october. We will be staying at the Shades of Green which does not offer free magic bands. We would have to buy them but i really don't want too......

Do we really need them?

last time we were at the WDW was 2009 and i remember paper fast passes.

Stayed at SOG. No problems without a MB, but they are neat if you have them.

 

[Robo]

Stayed at SOG. No problems without a Fastpass, but they are neat if you have them.

Hmmmmmmm.

 

[bumbershoot]

You do not need them.

I'm "over" photopass stuff, and don't care even a little bit about ride pictures, so that doesn't bother me at all.

I'm curious about the flexibility of people who say that it's convenient to use the MB to charge, because I either have to position the band weirdly OR bend my wrist all around to get charging to be any sort of easy. I don't even deal with the hotel door; if DS hasn't run ahead to open it, I take my band off (if I even have it on to begin with).

Give me a card ANY day, and my lanyard to go with it. (Ravenclaw lanyard, of course)

 

[SirMickey]

We also used a card for entry into the parks and for FPs. I actually wanted a MB though but never got around to converting my card to one during my trip last week.

 

[CAS239]

Like others have said, you don't need them but they are super convenient. So much easier than constantly getting out your card and so much better for photos. Their also fairly comfortable and most of the time you forget you're wearing it.

But by no means do you have to have a MB

 

[Joe White]

We stay at SOG also. Although there isn't a need for them, I bought them for my family last trip. I found they saved lots of time getting in and out of my backpack. Every little minute counts at DW.

 

[Naterfan]

You don't need them, but they are part of the fun. And to make it clear, you can NOT use them to purchase food/items in the parks.

 

[CAS239]

You don't need them, but they are part of the fun. And to make it clear, you can NOT use them to purchase food/items in the parks.

You can only purchase items with them if staying on site

 

[Sevey13]

Hmmmmmmm.

Hahaha. Good catch. I will say, however that we did not make a single FP reservation until we arrived on-site and had no problem, even getting rope-trip TSMM. So I guess I have a harder time believing people who say spontaneity is dead.

 

[BudgieMama]

I like the Magic Bands, but I wouldn't pay for one.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

Definitely don't need them. When I was a CM, I went without one for about a month before I decided to buy one. I had a plastic card that allowed me entrance in the parks and I just used that for FP.

 

[Xennia]

hello,

going on our trip in october. We will be staying at the Shades of Green which does not offer free magic bands. We would have to buy them but i really don't want too......

Do we really need them?

last time we were at the WDW was 2009 and i remember paper fast passes.

You will have paper or plastic card. It's the same thing.

 

[SaintsManiac]

You do not need them.

I'm "over" photopass stuff, and don't care even a little bit about ride pictures, so that doesn't bother me at all.

I'm curious about the flexibility of people who say that it's convenient to use the MB to charge, because I either have to position the band weirdly OR bend my wrist all around to get charging to be any sort of easy. I don't even deal with the hotel door; if DS hasn't run ahead to open it, I take my band off (if I even have it on to begin with).

Give me a card ANY day, and my lanyard to go with it. (Ravenclaw lanyard, of course)

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure"