Old magic band ???

[RoseGold]

Old bands don't give you the ride photos, learned that the hard way. Maybe consider buying one, or a rechargeable new one, to make sure you get your photos.

 

[CarolynFH]

With all the mounting costs of a Disney trip and so few pre-arrival magicband options for the $10 ones I don’t want want to spend $35 each on 5 bands. I’m wondering realistically how long my old ones would last. I have some from 2018 that worked February of last year, do we think they’ll still work at the end of this month? How’s the availability of the basic ones at Disney hotels and parks? Thanks in advance!

I agree with above, maybe just buy one new one so that you get your ride photos. However, if you turn on Bluetooth on your phone and set MDE to connect to Bluetooth, ride photos are supposed to link that way as well, which would eliminate the need for a newer MB.

Otherwise, any old MB will work for anything that involves touching Mickey to Mickey, such as park entry, VQ, LL, Disney resort room entry and charging food/merchandise to the room.

 

[wongck]

Your old one will work for anything where you tap the band to a touchpoint. That never stops working. Even Gen 1 bands will still work for that.
Long range stuff may or may not work but that is all voluntary type stuff anyway. Nothing necessary for day to day operations/visits. Your phone can possibility fill in for that feature too. If you turn it on on the app

Good to know. I got those from my previous trip 9 yrs ago. LOL.

Anyway to test if they are working before I go?
Unfortunately due to cost, we have to stay off-site this time, so I would like to know if the Bands are still OK before we are at the parks gate.

 

[CarolynFH]

Good to know. I got those from my previous trip 9 yrs ago. LOL.

Anyway to test if they are working before I go?
Unfortunately due to cost, we have to stay off-site this time, so I would like to know if the Bands are still OK before we are at the parks gate.

No way to test them. But as above, they’ll work for everything except linking ride photos, no matter how old they are.

 

[DL1WDW2]

Very helpful.
I have had check in castperson mention I should deactivate magicbands I no longer plan to use. Otherwise the system is searching and trying to figure out which MagicBand I am using. Supposedly this helps when I am frustrated and door will not unlock , etc…
So we should activate/inactivate / report lost in our profile …?
I think it is best to update profile information .
We automatically want to blame “Disney/Terrible/Tech “
but maybe it is user problem sometimes .

 

[Gentry2004]

Good to know. I got those from my previous trip 9 yrs ago. LOL.

Anyway to test if they are working before I go?
Unfortunately due to cost, we have to stay off-site this time, so I would like to know if the Bands are still OK before we are at the parks gate.

I haven't heard any reports of them not working at the tapstyles, but you could always set it up so that your phone works too, just as a backup. I'm in the same boat and we are planning to use 4 year old bands. If you go to the MDE app on your phone, you can set up Disney MagicMobile and then your phone will also function like a magic band. But again, I think your bands will work.

 

[wongck]

Thanks. Great tip setting up the phone, I will explore that.

 

[Frozen2014]

We went in August and used our bands from 2014. We didn't have the photo pass package so it's possible that some photos were missing (as we weren't looking for specific photos), but we certainly had a lot of photos automatically on our account and even video (Seven Dwarf Mine Train) that linked. We even got photos from haunted Mansion and Buzz Light. Some rides such as Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, and many others let you link them when you get off, and some were automatic.
One thing to note...although we did have photos automatically, we also had our app on our phones and we got a card from the front desk (as a back up to our magic band). So it's possible that the photos were linked from the MDE or card...So just have those on you as well and you should be good.

 

[subtchr]

...although we did have photos automatically, we also had our app on our phones and we got a card from the front desk (as a back up to our magic band). So it's possible that the photos were linked from the MDE or card...So just have those on you as well and you should be good.

A ticket card will not link photos automatically; the imbedded RFID in the card has no long range capability.

And just the MDE app will not do that, either. But if you set up MagicMobile in the app, it will.

 

[Frozen2014]

A ticket card will not link photos automatically; the imbedded RFID in the card has no long range capability.

And just the MDE app will not do that, either. But if you set up MagicMobile in the app, it will.

Thanks for clarifying. Either way, this method seemed to work for us where we were able to use our old 2014 magic bands. Only issue we had was at one place at Disney Springs where they couldn't read it, but I believe they also couldn't read other bands too.

 

[wongck]

We went in August and used our bands from 2014. We didn't have the photo pass package so it's possible that some photos were missing (as we weren't looking for specific photos), but we certainly had a lot of photos automatically on our account and even video (Seven Dwarf Mine Train) that linked. We even got photos from haunted Mansion and Buzz Light. Some rides such as Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, and many others let you link them when you get off, and some were automatic.
One thing to note...although we did have photos automatically, we also had our app on our phones and we got a card from the front desk (as a back up to our magic band). So it's possible that the photos were linked from the MDE or card...So just have those on you as well and you should be good.

Thanks for verifying this !!

MagicMobile may be the way to go. It does mention that it links with photopass.
Guess I need to bring extra power banks.

 

[wongck]

So I finally went to look for the old Magicbands.... and the plastic/rubber on all of them are hard & brittle, so they broke off
So I need to get new ones or if the budget don't allow, use the plastic cards tickets. I will need to get them before going to the parks.

 

[CarolynFH]

So I finally went to look for the old Magicbands.... and the plastic/rubber on all of them are hard & brittle, so they broke off
So I need to get new ones or if the budget don't allow, use the plastic cards tickets. I will need to get them before going to the parks.

I’m sorry your old MBs fell apart!

You can get the ticket cards at Disney Springs Official Ticket Center, if you happen to be going to DS before the parks, or at the ticket booth or Guest Relations office outside whatever park you visit first.