Buy Magic bands to use instead of RFID tickets?

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We like our bands. But I cannot justify buying them. Yes, they are nice and I do find them a bit more convenient than RFID cards since they are always out and ready...

But they aren't $13 per band more convenient (IMHO) if that makes any sense.

 

[NancyIL]

I didn't want a Magic Band, but had to get one for use as a room key when I stayed at All Star Music in January. I found it very convenient for Fastpass, as I didn't have to dig out my ticket each time.

New question: I will be in the parks for 1 day during a 4-week vacation in May. Since my ticket is linked to my Magic Band - do you think I'm safe leaving the actual ticket at home? I just don't want to carry it around on a long trip if I don't have to.

 

[Cormoran]

I didn't want a Magic Band, but had to get one for use as a room key when I stayed at All Star Music in January. I found it very convenient for Fastpass, as I didn't have to dig out my ticket each time.

New question: I will be in the parks for 1 day during a 4-week vacation in May. Since my ticket is linked to my Magic Band - do you think I'm safe leaving the actual ticket at home? I just don't want to carry it around on a long trip if I don't have to.

IMO heck no! Unless you have a picture of it on your phone. Then, if something happened, at least you'd have the proof. I could be totally nuts, but I always want to have a back up plan, and that's not just for Disney. Today, the credit card auth was down at the gas station. So stuff can happen anywhere.

 

[bigherosix]

We are staying offsite and I don't plan on buying the bands. My kids are 4 & 5 and I would rather go through the trouble of pulling out the cards for entry and fastpass than worrying about one of them pulling off the magicband and chucking it off space mountain...

 

[jeepinit]

We did, will be using them in May, can't wait. Hope you have a good time either way. Curious to see how the new FP+ has changed the experience, hoping it is for the good

 

[irene_dsc]

Since you already have lanyards, you can certainly use them. I'm not sure you get many more benefits with the magic band, esp since you are off-site and don't have the opportunity to tie a credit card to them. The lanyard would be just as fast as the band for FP+. (I'm assuming the card rfid works with the ride photos the same - if not, that would be an added benefit). We got bands because we didn't have lanyards, and wanted to try them out. And of course, they are cool. But I kept the cards in my wallet for safekeeping, just in case anything happened to a band.

I have to say, I didn't see very many lanyards on our Spring Break trip, and not nearly as many pins.

 

[Monykalyn]

We got magic bands last year (offsite trip) as we had Memory maker and didn't want to bother with going and linking ride photos. My kids are a little older too, so keeping the band on isn't a big deal + it was REALLY nice not having to distribute tickets (and keep them straight-the tickets require fingerprints, although just marking names on back solves that). My 8 year old got such a kick of lining up Mickey heads too. I wish they had a way for offsite to link Credit card in your MDE account. I am looking forward to being able to use MB to charge to room this year

 

[gunderda]

If you don't want to buy them for everyone you could maybe just buy one ONLY for the use of it picking up ride photos. But then you'd just have to make sure that whomever is on the rides the most is wearing it.

that was my original plan with a group of 7 of us. I was going to get one and then have either my brother or nephew get one figuring they would probably go on more rides than me. But in the end my dad told me to buy one for each of us. And there are 7 colors so it worked out perfectly

 

[Mrs. Max Goof]

We stay off-site and are planning on purchasing Magic Bands online before our trip. I initially was uninterested, as $13 a person seemed a bit much for two days in the park, but once I discovered they can be used on future trips as well, I was on board! We are also going to decorate ours!