MagicBand +

[disny_luvr]

We are headed to Disneyland next year and I see you can use the MagicBand+ there. How important is it to have a MagicBand + in Disneyland? Can we get away with just using our park tickets for everything including ride photos?

 

[sophy1996]

Yes. I don’t even have a MB+. DH does enjoy using his for the bounty hunter game in SWGE though.

 

[LKing]

In my opinion, they are not important at all. We use them to get into the park and for photo pass. You can also use them to enter Genie + lines.

The vast majority of guests use their phone.

 

[DesertScorpion]

Can definitely get by without them but from my recent experience, it was so much faster with the Magic Band+ than using the phone and tickets. The kids, my wife, and I all had the bands and we were easily able to breeze through the gates and the lightening lanes versus others I saw very often struggle to get the phone scanned or having to wait for them to pull the phone out, pull up the app, and scan in 3/4/5, etc. tickets. It was also nice to just have the photographers scan the band after taking your photos then having to whip out the phone again.

Just my experience and others may have had a different experience than we did but I personally wouldn’t not get the bands when we go again. Only thing I wish they would do differently is add the ability to open your hotel room door with the bands as that would really make them worthwhile.

 

[Carolwoodpr]

I am trying to decide if I want to do this. I have plenty of time since our trip isn’t until November but I keep going back and forth on whether I want one or not.

 

[LKing]

I am trying to decide if I want to do this. I have plenty of time since our trip isn’t until November but I keep going back and forth on whether I want one or not.

If you want one, it will be fun and make some things a little easier. When I say it isn't necessary, it is if one were trying to cut costs. For example, I would splurge for Genie + over buying a Magic Band. If you can afford both, then go for it.

 

[StormyCA]

I've LOVED MagicBands since my first trip to WDW. They really streamline the WDW experience and have a lot of functionality. For DL at this point? Not so much.

I wouldn't buy MB+ just for DL, too much money for too little functionality. But I'll gladly use the one I get this Fall for my WDW trip for future DL trips. Especially since I'll buy it with the WDW 'onsite discount'.

I was there in Feb and did just fine with my phone and the paper ticket.

 

[disny_luvr]

I've LOVED MagicBands since my first trip to WDW. They really streamline the WDW experience and have a lot of functionality. For DL at this point? Not so much.

I wouldn't buy MB+ just for DL, too much money for too little functionality. But I'll gladly use the one I get this Fall for my WDW trip for future DL trips. Especially since I'll buy it with the WDW 'onsite discount'.

I was there in Feb and did just fine with my phone and the paper ticket.

OP here. We have a trip to Disney in two weeks and DH and I were planning on using our magic bands from 2021, but then someone in another thread mentioned that my old one might not pick up ride photos and that maybe I should buy a new one. For $10, sure, why not? But then I saw something somewhere that you can use MagicBand + at Disneyland and we have a trip planned there for next year, so now I’m wondering if I should just get one now. I already have over 10 magic bands and I really don’t need or want another one, but if I can get more use out of it, I might just buy me one.

 

[disny_luvr]

If you don’t have a MB+ how do you get ride photos?

 

[Lisa24jks]

If you don’t have a MB+ how do you get ride photos?

In the Disneyland app. Just type in the code under Photos and it will show up.

As for me, I always tell people that MB+ at Disneyland is worth it if you are a frequent visitor. (I'm a frequent visitor and a lot of my trips are solo trips, so it's really easy for me to just tap in to everything.) But if I only went once a year, or once every X number of years, I probably wouldn't spend the money. (Especially since it's not functional at retail or restaurant locations.)

Now, if you're a frequent WDWer, or going on a WDW trip soon, I would look into that. I think there are new features that are MB+ specific there (but someone here probably knows better than me), so it might be worth it to have it for both trips.

 

[LKing]

someone in another thread mentioned that my old one might not pick up ride photos and that maybe I should buy a new one.

I don't go to WDW so I'm not sure how MB work there. At Disneyland, MB+ do not pick up ride photos. When you get off of the ride, you take a picture of the photo that is displayed. Enter the code from your photo into the photo section on your Disneyland app.

When you take a photo with a PhotoPass photographer, they need to either scan the QR code in the photo section of your app (not your ticket), or scan your MB+. It is much easier if they scan your MB+ but not $40 easier.

If you decide against purchasing a MB+, I suggest taking a screenshot of the photo QR code in your app so it is easily accessible. Open the Disneyland app >go to menu > choose photos >tap link photos > scroll along the top to find "Show PhotoPass Code." A QR code will appear on the screen. Screenshot that and show it to your Photo Pass photographer.

 

[disny_luvr]

I don't go to WDW so I'm not sure how MB work there. At Disneyland, MB+ do not pick up ride photos. When you get off of the ride, you take a picture of the photo that is displayed. Enter the code from your photo into the photo section on your Disneyland app.

When you take a photo with a PhotoPass photographer, they need to either scan the QR code in the photo section of your app (not your ticket), or scan your MB+. It is much easier if they scan your MB+ but not $40 easier.

If you decide against purchasing a MB+, I suggest taking a screenshot of the photo QR code in your app so it is easily accessible. Open the Disneyland app >go to menu > choose photos >tap link photos > scroll along the top to find "Show PhotoPass Code." A QR code will appear on the screen. Screenshot that and show it to your Photo Pass photographer.

Thank you so much! This is super helpful!

 

[LKing]

Screenshot that and show it to your Photo Pass photographer.

Also, you can send the QR code that you screen shot to other members of your family. That way, it doesn't matter where or when they take photos, all of the photos end up in one album.

 

[StormyCA]

OP here. We have a trip to Disney in two weeks and DH and I were planning on using our magic bands from 2021, but then someone in another thread mentioned that my old one might not pick up ride photos and that maybe I should buy a new one. For $10, sure, why not? But then I saw something somewhere that you can use MagicBand + at Disneyland and we have a trip planned there for next year, so now I’m wondering if I should just get one now. I already have over 10 magic bands and I really don’t need or want another one, but if I can get more use out of it, I might just buy me one.

The only MB that works at DLR is MB+. Older versions don't work at all. I was disappointed because I have MB2s (among others) that I was hoping would work. But it is what it is.

We're going to WDW this Fall and staying onsite so I'm waiting for the latest designs before I use my onsite discount. If you aren't staying onsite or if you don't care about WDW specific designs then there's no reason to wait, I guess.

Yeah, I get the thing about having old MBs lying around. Most of ours are the 'plain' generic bands so they aren't really 'souvenirs'. I really wish Disney would come up with some sort of recycling program. I have to admit I'm not super tech savvy, but I assume if one deleted an MB from MDE there wouldn't be any personal data on the MB. Or one could 'pop the puck' and discard the old plastic band.

 

[KPeterso]

I use my MB+ that I got for my WDW trip last fall at Disneyland. It honestly makes it easier to scan into the park and into Lightening Lanes. And is just easier for the Photopass too. We are big fans of using magic bands. Before they came to Disneyland, I did use my phone for all these things and it was fine. But since I push my Mom in a wheelchair, it is easier than trying to fumble to open my phone and scan while also trying to push her. MBs are so much easier in our situation.

 

[StarlitNight05]

We used MB+ on our last trip and loved it. It was soooo much easier to scan into LLs. I know it sounds like a huge splurge for that ease, but for me, seeing other people fiddling with their phones while we just strolled up and tapped our bands was worth it. I'm usually the phone wrangler, so maybe that's why it was so nice for me! It seemed like most people at the turnstiles were also using their phones for entry (are paper tickets officially gone?), so that was nice too.

 

[roctavia]

We used MB+ on our last trip and loved it. It was soooo much easier to scan into LLs. I know it sounds like a huge splurge for that ease, but for me, seeing other people fiddling with their phones while we just strolled up and tapped our bands was worth it. I'm usually the phone wrangler, so maybe that's why it was so nice for me! It seemed like most people at the turnstiles were also using their phones for entry (are paper tickets officially gone?), so that was nice too.

The MB are definitely faster, but we found the paper tickets in a lanyard old school were also a lot faster than the people fumbling with their phones for us last week.

Unfortunately they are really pushing toward digital, so it took some effort to get paper tickets- we had to go to City Hall after we entered the parks and ask for paper tickets. I guess the full sheet of paper we had printed our tickets on would have also worked, but talk about a pain to carry around/pull out to scan into stuff!!
if the MB+ were included with hotel stays or something, that would help get people to use them, but they are just so expensive for what you get at DL, especially for a once in a lifetime trip like ours was.

 

[StarlitNight05]

The MB are definitely faster, but we found the paper tickets in a lanyard old school were also a lot faster than the people fumbling with their phones for us last week.

Unfortunately they are really pushing toward digital, so it took some effort to get paper tickets- we had to go to City Hall after we entered the parks and ask for paper tickets. I guess the full sheet of paper we had printed our tickets on would have also worked, but talk about a pain to carry around/pull out to scan into stuff!!
if the MB+ were included with hotel stays or something, that would help get people to use them, but they are just so expensive for what you get at DL, especially for a once in a lifetime trip like ours was.

I definitely agree if you're not a frequent visitor, or at least semi-frequent, it doesn't make sense for the MB purchase. That's annoying they make you jump through hoops to get a paper ticket! At least it's still an option in some form, I suppose.

 

[Music City Mama]

If you decide against purchasing a MB+, I suggest taking a screenshot of the photo QR code in your app so it is easily accessible. Open the Disneyland app >go to menu > choose photos >tap link photos > scroll along the top to find "Show PhotoPass Code." A QR code will appear on the screen. Screenshot that and show it to your Photo Pass photographer.

This is an excellent tip -- thank you!

 

[pineapplepalms]

Not necessary but so convenient. I’m usually holding my toddler when scanning in for a ride, and it’s just easier to use the band then to pull out my phone. Also, my older kids get so much joy from scanning in with their own bands and watching them light up in lines and shows.