Not purchasing magic bands

[LoLo5]

How does it work if you decide not to purchase the magic bands

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

For rides: can use room key card if staying on property. Whether or not you’re staying at a Disney hotel, you can also use app on your phone. If you’re not staying at Disney hotel, I’m not sure if you can get a card from guest services to use on rides in the same way you could a room card.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Very simple. When you check in, they'll give you the "old fashioned" plastic cards. Last trip, my Magic Band wouldn't open my door one day, so I went to the front desk. Turns out my MB had gotten deactivated somehow (it was an old MB, so who knows). Although she reactivated it, she also gave me a plastic card to use if I had any more problems. Just for comparison, I tried using the card (don't know how this got bolded). The card never let me down-I used to have trouble at the tap styles with the MB about half the time. This may not be popular, but at the end of the day, I went back to my room and threw my MB in my suitcase, never to be used again. Since it seems I always carry ID and gift cards, it's easy enough to add my room card to that pile.

 

[Karalee402]

You can use the plastic cards or you can use your phone/the MDE app. If you have an iphone, you can download your tickets into your apple wallet. You don't even have to open your phone up, you can just tap your phone at the kiosks, and it'll register. You can also enter your room that way, if you're staying on property and have the app.

 

[gottalovepluto]

1. Magic Mobile- This is put on your phone/watch via MDE and works like apple pay, just hold it up to a tapstyle or whatever and Disney's system will read it like it was a MB.

2. Card- You can get a plastic card from guest services at the park for access to your ticket, just tap that anywhere you'd use a MB

3. Room Key- if staying at a Disney resort this is like the card above but you request it from the hotel front desk. It's a plastic card you can tap and do everything MB could do.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I haven't bought one in years.
I just use one of my old ones.
If you have an old one use it.
If you don't have an old one you can just ask at the front desk for a "key to the world" card which will act as your room key, ticket media etc just like prior to magic bands.
You can also use your phone but I never do.

 

[beccasmom]

We’ve been requesting the plastic cards on our last few trips. The MBs have been problematic for us (using both older MBs and the newer MB+) and the cards always work well. Our phones are a good backup.

 

[CarolynFH]

The one thing the MBs can do that cards can’t is link ride photos to your MDE account when there’s no tap point at the end of the ride. If you allow MDE to use Bluetooth, those photos will link that way, so you still don’t need a MB.

 

[Suze10860]

A bunch of people have already answered, but I'll add my 2¢ anyway.

We were just at WDW in early February and used both my iPhone and the old-fashioned plastic key card that our resort provided. If I had to choose just one of these to use, I'd go with the plastic card. Super simple and worry-free.

 

[Simba's Mom]

If I had to choose just one of these to use, I'd go with the plastic card. Super simple and worry-free.

Glad I'm not the only one who felt this way.
I asked CMs at the turnstiles one day which seemed more reliable to them, and they agreed that the chips in the plastic cards don't move around, but in MB they do, and even a little movement affects their reliability.

 

[dcfromva]

Another vote for "key to the world" card. DH and I also have less trouble with the key card. That is what we used for the last several visits.

 

[Cfabar1]

With the app the magic bands are becoming harder to justify the price/use case... Especially on day trips to WDW we often don't bother with our magic bands at all...

Funnily enough, we are more apt to use them on the cruise, where our desire is to use our cell phones as little as possible...

 

[Mel42]

I haven't bought one in years.
I just use one of my old ones.
If you have an old one use it.
If you don't have an old one you can just ask at the front desk for a "key to the world" card which will act as your room key, ticket media etc just like prior to magic bands.
You can also use your phone but I never do.

How old are your “old” magic bands? We have ones from probably 2018 that still say “active” in our account. Will they still work?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

How old are your “old” magic bands? We have ones from probably 2018 that still say “active” in our account. Will they still work?

I have and use mine dating back to 2013.
They all work for tap points.
And I have my bluetooth on on my phone so that the app can capture ride photos that don't have a tap point.

 

[Mel42]

That’s great to hear! Thanks!

 

[kylenne]

How old are your “old” magic bands? We have ones from probably 2018 that still say “active” in our account. Will they still work?

Everything short range will still work (opening your resort room, charging purchases, tapping into the parks and LLs) but long range features like ride photos are dependent on that dead battery and won't work. I still have ones from 2018 that are active and I still use.

One caveat, everyone keeps saying Bluetooth on your phone will take care of the ride photos but I have found that to be extremely hit or miss compared to MBs.

 

[comicguy]

How old are your “old” magic bands? We have ones from probably 2018 that still say “active” in our account. Will they still work?

I am still using MB's ffrom 2017/18, the designs are old enough now people think they are "new" as they have never seen them before!

 

[comicguy]

Also the biggest issue I see with people using phones for mannaging tickets/ LL's/etc... is it seems that one person is the keeper of the "tickets" on their phone and as such has to scroll through tap, and then the right family memeber has to biometric into the park. Normally I would not complain about but it is usually right at park opening or when I am trying to use my LL before expiration, the group tends to hover around the kiosk and refuses to step aside for others to use the other scanner even with CM suggestion! just a pet peeve of mine!