Is there really no way to re-use an old magic band?

[hakepb]

The rep doesn't know what she's talking about.

Phone rep? Doesn't work at the parks, isn't likely in FL, maybe has never been to th parks and doesn't know how it works there.

And if she is at WDW? Well that's just sad.

Since it seems their systems don't like dozens of bands per guest, I do wonder if they are trained to say that overly simple "best practice" instead of a technically correct answer.

 

[bumbershoot]

Since it seems their systems don't like dozens of bands per guest, I do wonder if they are trained to say that overly simple "best practice" instead of a technically correct answer.

There are plenty of people with bunches of bands (after all, their own systems send them out, and it's only been in the last coule of months that a button to decline MBs has shown up) who have zero issues (like me).

But being told that an AP band "expires" isn't part of that. It's just wrong.

 

[supersnoop]

I told the rep the same thing, she said they do expire in their system, but that could be only for AP bands?

There is no difference between "AP" bands and any other band. There all just bands. They are linked to your MDE profile and nothing else.

 

[Sydnerella]

I am hoping that my October 2013 bands still work.... but fearing now after reading this thread that it is unlikely.....

 

[CarmineF]

Also remember if you have a Disney Infinity game system, put the Magic Band on the reader and activate special characters and what not!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I am hoping that my October 2013 bands still work.... but fearing now after reading this thread that it is unlikely.....

Again, work for what? The battery is only needed for the long range stuff like photo pass sending your presence.

The stuff where you are putting the band up to things should be just fine. No long range transmitter battery needed.

 

[zaccaglin]

My first band is coming up on tHe three year mark and the active chip(battery) still worked on 7 dwarfs last month.

 

[jerseygal]

Before purchasing new magic bands in advance, why don't you postpone purchasing them and bring the old ones presuming that they will still work. If they don't, purchase them in the parks. Hope that you can save some $$!

 

[okilydokily]

OP, bring them. Get the new bands, yes, but bring the old. No one actually knows how the older ones will work. When they came out the estimate was 2-3 years. But no one said if that's 2-3 years of just time going by, or that time's worth of active use, etc.

I'm bringing mine next month. Of course, I'm not doing anything but where the active chip will be needed lol.

i got some that are near 3 years old right now and working fine.

 

[DizzKneeGeek]

Before purchasing new magic bands in advance, why don't you postpone purchasing them and bring the old ones presuming that they will still work. If they don't, purchase them in the parks. Hope that you can save some $$!

This is exactly what we're doing for our trip next week.

 

[Robo]

My first band is coming up on tHe three year mark and the active chip(battery) still worked on 7 dwarfs last month.

i got some that are near 3 years old right now and working fine.

I remember when they originally introduced the MB, they were said to be specified to last over 3 years.
Then, they conservatively started saying "2 years."

It's not surprising that some real-world MBs are lasting into 3 years.
We'll all just have to pay attention to future posts on these boards to see how many older MBs do that, and just how long beyond that the batteries in at least some will actually continue to work.

 

[Corey127]

How will I know if the battery works once I'm there? We have ones from August 2014 that I decorated and I want to use them on our trip in August 2016. We I'll have memory maker so I want the ride pics!

 

[han22735]

How will I know if the battery works once I'm there? We have ones from August 2014 that I decorated and I want to use them on our trip in August 2016. We I'll have memory maker so I want the ride pics!

If your ride photos do not show up then you'll know. However if others you're linked to have newer bands then the Photo's may still show up on MDE and you'll have no idea which bands work or not. So I guess riding solo is the only way to know for sure.

 

[d1gitman]

this might be covered here or elsewhere already, but is there a way to reassign a MB to a different MDE account?

 

[Robo]

this might be covered here or elsewhere already, but is there a way to reassign a MB to a different MDE account?

The "official" answer is that it can't be done.