Are Magic Bands worth it anymore?

[TiggerBouncy]

Given that they are introducing (eventually) MB+ and have gone against prior expectations and announced they will be utilizing MB's at DLR in the future, I would guess that the MB option isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

And why would it? It's just an NFC chip. Putting MB+ aside for the moment, they are embedding a $0.40 chip into a piece of plastic and charging $15 for it. The readers are the same for Phones, Watches, and NFC chips. So supporting the MB's costs nothing over what they already have to do to support watches and phones. The infrastructure is essentially free.

All of this is of course ignoring the LR chip; which we are not sure if there will be continued support for and MB+ which I am not sure how the timing works with things like the fireworks. So they will have to jamb a few extra pieces of tech in there. But either way, there is no business case for eliminating Magic Bands,. It's pure revenue. Not until people stop buying them at least.

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, like erionm said. We put them in the magic keeper to it’s easy to pull out

View attachment 642097

I have it clipped right to my Longefly backpack as backup!

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Hated using magic bands. Would never pay more than $5 for something so cheap and uncomfortable. Using my AP card was so much easier then fooling around with those bands. Good riddance

 

[DonMacGregor]

And why would it?

Because when Disney announced MDE could be used to open hotel room doors, etc., everyone grasped their pearls and said the MB's were likely going to be phased out. When they stopped issuing free MB's to hotel guests and started actively promoting the use of MDE and rolled out the ability to use Apple Watches in lieu of a MB, the online forums and Facebook mavens said this was surely the true sign MB's were being phased out. Heck, when there's even the appearance of fewer MB options on ShopDisney, rumors start flying about the imminent demise of MB's.

I don't think they're going anywhere, and I'm one of those who were gob smacked when they announced MB's were coming to the West Coast, but someone starting a thread entitled "Are Magic Bands Worth It Anymore?" suggests that some feel their utility is diminishing.

 

[justadreamaway77]

the phones are a pain in the butt and do not work well. People can barely scan a band on their wrist properly....add in a phone app and it spells disaster!

 

[TiggerBouncy]

Because when Disney announced MDE could be used to open hotel room doors, etc., everyone grasped their pearls and said the MB's were likely going to be phased out. When they stopped issuing free MB's to hotel guests and started actively promoting the use of MDE and rolled out the ability to use Apple Watches in lieu of a MB, the online forums and Facebook mavens said this was surely the true sign MB's were being phased out. Heck, when there's even the appearance of fewer MB options on ShopDisney, rumors start flying about the imminent demise of MB's.

I don't think they're going anywhere, and I'm one of those who were gob smacked when they announced MB's were coming to the West Coast, but someone starting a thread entitled "Are Magic Bands Worth It Anymore?" suggests that some feel their utility is diminishing.

Well, by the same token, every time someone sneezes, that's a sign that Disney is going to be sold. Every time my dog barks, it's the end of the parks.

Really, you need to just ignore all the online panic.

MB's are not going anywhere. They are a cash cow.

 

[Simba's Mom]

My last Disney trip included basic plain colored Magic Bands. With Genie+ taking over the parks, and room access available on my phone, will Magicbands become obsolete? Or at least unecessary?

Our next trip is in June and I'm waiting to see if MagicBand+will be out and what the cost is but I'm also wondering if it's worth it to even pay $10/person for the basic ones?
We're traveling with extended family on this trip who won't be back to disney for 3-5 years. Should they buy them?

My family of four will likely get some becuase our trips will be annually at least.

I guess it boils down to are Magic Bands worth even $10 as a one-tri[ use proposition?

I'm guessing a lot of people think they're not worth it. I just returned and for the first time in a long time, I saw very few people wearing MBs. I still wear mine all the time because I have a horrible memory involving locking myself out of my room on a solo trip, wearing only a nightgown, and lots of embarrassment.

 

[DonMacGregor]

Well, by the same token, every time someone sneezes, that's a sign that Disney is going to be sold. Every time my dog barks, it's the end of the parks.

Really, you need to just ignore all the online panic.

MB's are not going anywhere. They are a cash cow.

You're preaching to the choir. I spent 12 years working for The Mouse, and my whole family has worked for Disney in one capacity or another, so I know exactly what the deal is. Those things make them Figment Popcorn Buckets full of cash and that won't be ending any time soon. Some people on here, however, seem to rise and fall with every tide. That, plus an innate need on the boards to connect every event with some form of the sky is falling...LOL

 

[Wiltony]

Hated using magic bands. Would never pay more than $5 for something so cheap and uncomfortable. Using my AP card was so much easier then fooling around with those bands. Good riddance

Like, I get it I guess, but geez. Good riddance? They're not going anywhere for those who like them, and they were never necessary in the first place for those who don't. The phone app is just another option.

 

[Anjelica]

I honestly consider them a collector's item to comemorate trips more than for convenience. We do use them rides and hotel room. We also splurge and get the decorative ones.

i have enough to wrap around the Christmas tree a few times like garland (we’ve gone so many times when they were giving them away for free in the beginning)

 

[Artemis Fowl]

i have enough to wrap around the Christmas tree a few times like garland (we’ve gone so many times when they were giving them away for free in the beginning)

Want to send me a dozen? We never kept them when they were free, now I'm wondering if it's worth paying for them.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Like, I get it I guess, but geez. Good riddance? They're not going anywhere for those who like them, and they were never necessary in the first place for those who don't. The phone app is just another option.

Why does it bother you that I really disliked the magic bands? You don't see me telling others who love them how to feel. I'm just giving my feedback. I'm saying good riddance to magic bands. Won't ever use one again and I'm glad that they don't give out so many of them for free anymore, which was incredibly wasteful. If you disagree with what I said then you're welcome to say so and tell me why. I'd encourage you, even.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I was pretty excited when they announced the phone & Apple Watch being able to be used as our ticket media. I truly thought I would stop using magicbands altogether. I was pumped- but cautious (this is Disney IT, after all). So, the first trip I took, I still had my magicband puck in a keeper, clipped to my bag… and my Apple wallet was all ready to go. It didn’t take long for me to be very glad that I had brought an MB backup, and by the end of the trip, I was back to using MBs most of the time.

As many others have pointed out, even though I was only one person at times (& knew I didn’t need my phone/watch to be unlocked to go as quickly as possible)- it still took me slightly longer for the “wallet-based” taps to be recognized over the fast MB taps… add that to the one person who insists on swiping & tapping for sooo many people, and it quickly adds up to way more wasted time than I’ve ever experienced at tapstiles. And that’s what I continued to see on every trip this year. Really not good.

Experience is what counts & Disney time is precious. It converted me… back. Team magicband for the taps! (With a significant caveat that I’ll happily keep my AP in my Apple wallet so that I don’t have to buy new MB pucks for capturing on-ride photos (& as a good backup option)! That’s a major win for the wallet idea!! But since tap-based MB doesn’t require a battery, it never needs to be replaced to work & is much quicker …at least for now).

 

[mustinjourney]

I use them still even though I have my watch. I like it on my other wrist and match my outfits!!

they seem to work better than Apple watch. Especially on the room locks.

i also accidentally scanned the wrong person in at park entrance once since I have myself and kids stored on my watch.

 

[Sandisw]

they seem to work better than Apple watch. Especially on the room locks.

i also accidentally scanned the wrong person in at park entrance once since I have myself and kids stored on my watch.

I do use it for the door, but my watch is just me so maybe that is why is so easy!

 

[Nappy1380]

Magic bands or bust for us. I'm not going to the parks or resorts to spend time on my phone or constantly whip my phone out unless absolutely necessary (mobile order). Also much easier with younger kids who don't have phones and juggling cards.

 

[KAngela]

I hate the transition to using phones for things everywhere, especially on vacation, and most doubly especially in Disneyworld. Let me explain why:

I'm a workaholic, and my phone serves as a window to the workplace. It's provided by my company, which means that in my normal life I'm always checking work e-mails, getting work texts, taking calls from work, and so on. Basically it allows me to be plugged in 24/7/365, and I work at a manufacturing facility that is 24/7/365, so...yeah, I'm always at work. This is not a complaint: it's the life I chose, my wife is very tolerant of this, and I make a good living. It's been this way for me for over a decade.

Except when I go to Disney. One thing I have always done is have at least one "phone-free day" where I leave it in the room safe, go for a day in the park, and I don't obsessively check it every time I feel the vibration of a new call/text/email/whatever. It's glorious, and almost always one of my favorite days. When my children got old enough that they had phones, and one of them became obsessive like their father, I forced them to take phone-free days as well. It's a great mental health break and I always cherished it. Some of my best Disney memories are phone-free days, and without the phone I can be free to be in the moment.

Now I can't do that. The transition to an app-based park experience (not just key cards but also for food, rides, entertainment, purchasing, etc) means I have to put my electronic chain back on and lug it around the park, and it sits there in my pocket trying to break into my time enjoying Splash Mountain with an email from corporate or a text about some issue or whatever.

I hate it. Desperately.

I know there's workarounds to this, but my issue is the symbol of the phone itself sitting in my pocket. Similar to how you have a Mickey key chain to remind you of how much you love the park, my phone is a reminder of how much I work. I do not begrudge my company that time nor do I hate my job; it's just that when I vacation, I want to be on vacation. I do not want to have one foot still at work, and one foot in the park. No matter how much I want to be fully there, I can't be so long as I'm looking at my "window to work" no matter how tightly I draw the shades closed.

This is very much a personal problem, and I am not suggesting that the rest of the world go away from phones because I have issues mentally separating from my job. Not everybody's like me. But I personally love having a non-phone answer like Magic Bands, and so long as they exist I will use them almost exclusively.

That's my $0.02.

 

[Matty B13]

I'm a workaholic, and my phone serves as a window to the workplace. It's provided by my company, which means that in my normal life I'm always checking work e-mails, getting work texts, taking calls from work, and so on. Basically it allows me to be plugged in 24/7/365, and I work at a manufacturing facility that is 24/7/365, so...yeah, I'm always at work. This is not a complaint: it's the life I chose, my wife is very tolerant of this, and I make a good living. It's been this way for me for over a decade.

I have a job like this as well, where I'm on call 24/7/365, and have had to respond to emergencies at work while on vacation. I've learned to turn off my notifications for work, but almost always end up checking emails on vacation, just to make sure I'm not walking back in the office with a huge problem waiting for me. I really much prefer the magic bands over the phone app for paying for stuff and entering the parks.

 

[sethschroeder]

I thought it was handy as hell having them and not having to drag my phone out everywhere. And I'm on my phone all the time. I think the larger the group, the more beneficial they are. You don't have to make sure everyone has a phone that's charged, has the app, is linked, knows how to use it, etc. Give everyone a band and done. And $10 a person is nothing on a Disney trip.

Not everyone needs a phone? You only need a single phone and you can put everyones access on it.

We used magic bands but I had everyone's access on everyone's phone.

 

[heynowirv]

We still have 3 or 4 MB's each from when they are with every reservation. I just can't (won't) imagine paying for them.