Magic Band Questions

[daughtersrus]

I found my old magic band from 2018. Will I be able to use it for our trip to Disney World this summer? I’m sure that the battery is probably dead.
I can’t find my husband’s but my daughter has one she used in 2020. Is there a way that the info can be changed so that he can use it?

 

[_19disnA]

Magic bands serve 2 different purposes, 1 requires the battery to work, the other does not. Functions not related to the battery will continue to work no matter how old it is. Many older threads on that topic. I don't believe you can reassign a used Magic Band.

 

[nighttowll]

Sign into your Disney account, and you can check if your bands are still active and linked. From what I've read, they will still work if linked, but just won't have all the abilities the new bands have. I think all my old bands from past trips are still showing active, and I have some of the very first bands released back when they were still in the testing phase, but you'll need to check as some people have reported theirs no longer being active.

Yeah, not sure about reassigning either. I was actually wondering about that as well, but then I just decided to buy new ones because when I saw the new orange bird band, I had to have it.

 

[focusondisney]

I found my old magic band from 2018. Will I be able to use it for our trip to Disney World this summer? I’m sure that the battery is probably dead.
I can’t find my husband’s but my daughter has one she used in 2020. Is there a way that the info can be changed so that he can use it?

Magic Bands can not be reassigned. If you have a regular MB, not MB +, it can be used for park admissions, unlocking resort room door & tapping in for Lightning Lane & Genie+. It won’t work for long range functions, like linking ride pictures.

You can check if the battery in a MB+ needs to be recharged on MDE. Regular MBs do not show the battery status anywhere. But the battery for long range functions only lasts about 2 years, so for sure ones from 2018 & 2020 won’t work for those functions.

 

[jec6613]

It won’t work for long range functions, like linking ride pictures.
...
But the battery for long range functions only lasts about 2 years, so for sure ones from 2018 & 2020 won’t work for those functions.

All three generations (MB, MB2, MB+) work just fine for long range functions. The Bluetooth enabled 2-way functionality of the MB+ is unique, but ride photos and other Long Range work even on the first Magicbands I got in 2015. The 2 year figure seems to be based on very heavy usage and is a conservative minimum figure. When not in WDW, they go into deep sleep, waking up only when tapped, so they can last for a very long time (10 years so far).

 

[focusondisney]

All three generations (MB, MB2, MB+) work just fine for long range functions. The Bluetooth enabled 2-way functionality of the MB+ is unique, but ride photos and other Long Range work even on the first Magicbands I got in 2015. The 2 year figure seems to be based on very heavy usage and is a conservative minimum figure. When not in WDW, they go into deep sleep, waking up only when tapped, so they can last for a very long time (10 years so far).

Well that’s interesting. There have been plenty of reports of them not working, this is the first I’ve read from someone whose band worked for everything that long. I guess it must by YMMV.

 

[jec6613]

Well that’s interesting. There have been plenty of reports of them not working, this is the first I’ve read from someone whose band worked for everything that long. I guess it must by YMMV.

What's even crazier is that I have about five of them, and they all still work, and I have family member's bands that still work. I think of the 15 or so originals across my family, one has kicked the bucket.

 

[_19disnA]

Some batteries may last longer than others, just never know. Batteries can't be replaced since they are built into the band. Certain functions require the battery and won't work if the battery has died.

 

[focusondisney]

What's even crazier is that I have about five of them, and they all still work, and I have family member's bands that still work. I think of the 15 or so originals across my family, one has kicked the bucket.

It’s too bad more people don’t report them still working. I bet a lot of people read about them stopping & just automatically buy new ones without even trying them. Like me.

 

[jec6613]

It’s too bad more people don’t report them still working. I bet a lot of people read about them stopping & just automatically buy new ones without even trying them. Like me.

Ha, I switched to MB+ for the 2-way features, and I have a bunch of cool ones, even though I know I don't need one. Several from the Halcyon.

 

[Best Aunt]

I've never read of someone actually saying that their old Magic Band didn't work. Plenty of posts saying what is supposed to happen (long distance versus short distance, etc.) but never that the old one stopped working for long distance.