Why the heck is Disney moving away from Magic Bands?

[nkereina]

Depending on how much they cost, I can still see lots of people buying them.

There will certainly be people who opt to purchase them, but I'd say there will still be a large number of people who won't. If you save for years to bring your family of 6 to Disney World, I would imagine dropping $60+ on MBs, something you'll only use during the trip, would be low on your list of priorities with your spending money.

With them losing about 4 billion during the shutdown, I think I can forgive them for not wanting to give them away for free anymore. Almost everyone has a phone now that can act like a magic band and Apple Watches along with other wearables are becoming increasingly common.

The loss of revenue is the exact reason this is being done, IMO. I agree that many people have phones that can accommodate this, but phones will never be as easy and efficient as an MB. So I agree with OP that its counter-intuitive because it will result in less efficiency. Slower lines and the people who will say screw it and not buy the Mickey bar or bottle of soda because their phone is in the backpack that someone else is holding. Things like that.

It is really easy to market these as a safety measure for less contact of public surfaces (but not really, sanitize it!)

I would question how sanitary it is. Even though the scanning of the phone *should* be touchless, people will inevitably touch their dirty phones up to the scanners.

So the card can be used for tapping into rides? My DH woudl rather use that than a MB. He always seems to have issues with tapping in.

Yes, once FP+ returns.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

I am fine paying for them as long as they don't eliminate them from a system that cost 1B.

 

[poetz]

The lack of magic bands works pretty well at DL in CA for park entry and max pass. Use either the paper park ticket or app. Our family could actually get into the parks FASTER and onto rides FASTER with max pass than using magic bands. One adult holds the phone and swipes and scans through tickets or MP for the whole family. Much easier than trying to get young kids to individually match their magic bands to tapstiles of use finger biometric scanner.

Magic bands do have the edge for purchases and swimming though.

Disneyland uses barcode scanners for tickets and phones though. Unless DW changes all the current tap points to that, then it will probably work like their feature to open the resort rooms - which I believe is a bluetooth connection. So if your phone's BT isn't up to par, it may not work as quickly.

I definitely agree that nothing beats a MB for hitting the pool. It's nice not to have to worry about my phone or hiding a key when I'm there myself. Everything I need is on my wrist.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

And for those who don't have phones?

And kids that dont have/use phones

 

[HashberryOTG]

And kids that dont have/use phones

I believe the cards will be free. Bands will still be able to be purchased (at a discount for resort stays if I recall correctly) as well.

 

[a1tinkfans]

The reason is Money! Why give them when people Buy then all the time now, customizing and personalizing. Not having it is an Inconvenience. I couldn’t do Disney without it any more. Too much extra work, time, discomfort not having it.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

I

I believe the cards will be free. Bands will still be able to be purchased (at a discount for resort stays if I recall correctly) as well.

I saw that.. it should be just like now just there will be a charge for bands

 

[gatorlisa]

So the card can be used for tapping into rides as well as entrance ? My DH would rather use that than a MB. He always seems to have issues with tapping in.

Yes. This is actually nothing new. Even after the addition of MagicBands, there has always been an option to request a plastic key card and/or a plastic ticket for park tickets. The plastic card for tickets can be used to enter the parks and tap in for Fastpass (when that becomes a thing again). I think they can also be used for photos (from Photopass photographers and rides that still have the touchpoints to claim photos). Although this part I'm not 100% sure of. The last time I went to the parks pre-MagicBand, there was a separate card that you could get from a Photpass photographer for claiming photos.

 

[kay1864]

I think they can also be used for photos (from Photopass photographers and rides that still have the touchpoints to claim photos).

With a MB, these rides, which rely on the active RFID chip in the MBs, automatically attach the photos in your ride vehicle to your account. No claiming (or queueing) needed. Plastic tickets do not have these, nor do KTTW cards.

Again, one of the features originally used to sell the idea of MBs.

 

[kay1864]

And kids that dont have/use phones

Indeed! Wait until parents staying at a resort (and don't want to shell out additional $$ for MBs, as mentioned above), realize that they (or their child) will have to keep up with a KTTW card for each child! Thanks Disney!

 

[ClapYourHands]

Keeping up with a plastic ticket card is not that onerous. Put it in a lanyard holder, and it doubles as a pin collection point, too. No other theme park has MBs, and guests manage just fine. I’m sad to see the free ones go, but I don’t anticipate the move having much impact on park operations.

 

[jo-jo]

I wonder if MB could have stayed free, if for years disney wasn't sending out MB every time you blinked.

I have no idea how many we got over the years, but we started getting the year on them -jojo 19- so we would keep the last few years and tossing the rest.


How do you get the plastic card? Ask at GS or front desk? My DH would be so much happier with that. I can't believe I didn't know about the card.

 

[ClapYourHands]

I wonder if MB could have stayed free, if for years disney wasn't sending out MB every time you blinked.

I have no idea how many we got over the years, but we started getting the year on them -jojo 19- so we would keep the last few years and tossing the rest.

I agree. Got a split stay? We’ll send two or three for each member of your party. Want to decline MB? No option to do that, you’re getting new ones anyway.

While I’m sure the cost of MBs added up, given the number of guests per year, I don’t think they’re saving THAT much because I’d be shocked if they cost Disney more than $1 to make. I think getting rid of the free ones is to encourage additional revenue as guests purchase them. I think we might even see more variety of paid (but possibly “discounted” with a room reservation) options to encourage more sales.

Just ask for the card at GS. We bought tickets through UT a few years ago, and they came in the mail as the plastic cards. Each of us had a different character - one of the fab five - so we could tell them apart.

 

[nkereina]

While I’m sure the cost of MBs added up, given the number of guests per year, I don’t think they’re saving THAT much because I’d be shocked if they cost Disney more than $1 to make. I think getting rid of the free ones is to encourage additional revenue as guests purchase them. I think we might even see more variety of paid (but possibly “discounted” with a room reservation) options to encourage more sales.

I agree, since they are mass produced, they are likely very cheap to make. Its likely the shipping that gets them. When MBs first came out, they were shipped in a decent size box with graphics, nicely displayed, and made you excited for your trip. Now they come in a box smaller than my iPhone, with little to no graphics. So the first cut-back to save on MBs was definitely on packaging and shipping costs.

I'm guessing the analytics folks at Disney have model predictions that show what people with MBs spend in a trip versus what people without MBs spend in a trip. When comparing what people spend with MBs to the cost of producing/shipping free MBs, there must not have been a noticeable up-tick in spending habits with MBs to justify continuing to hand them out for free. Additionally, no longer packaging and mailing MBs creates some employee efficiency gains too. So I definitely get why they're doing it, but I'm super curious what the numbers actually look like.

 

[Heather07438]

No MB, No FP. Campsites throwaways will be a thing of the past.

I love having everything linked to our MB, room/tixx/purchases. When the batteries run out on the pile we've accumulated we'd buy new ones.

 

[bakenatj]

You know you can re-use your MB. I am supersized they waited this to charge for them. I find it funny complain about an extra $15 when we are spending thousands of dollars already....

 

[ClapYourHands]

You know you can re-use your MB. I am supersized they waited this to charge for them. I find it funny complain about an extra $15 when we are spending thousands of dollars already....

But it’s because of things like MB that make spending thousands of dollars more palatable. It’s an extra that makes you feel like you’re getting more. A family of 4 can perceive the MBs as a $60 value when Disney probably paid less than $1 each.

The value resorts are basically garishly themed motels, yet people book there when they can stay off site at a 4-star hotel for less.

 

[10CJ]

Maybe they should have started with letting resort guests decline MBs. I know we have way more than we want/need. So for now, I am not going to be overly upset about this.

 

[JM23457]

Exactly. You'll just have to buy them now (start at £10 online if you're staying onsite). I realise it's not what some people want and they still want it free but the option is still there to buy them if you don't want to use your phone

They have never been free. They have been part of what resort guests paid for, when staying at Disney's overpriced hotel rooms. Now Disney is taking that perk away & adding a fee for it. Like an airline charging for a checked bag.

That's a different situation than something having been "free" in the past. No one was getting free Magic Bands. Resort guests have always paid through the nose for them. Now Disney is adding another fee on top. Nothing wrong with being annoyed at that.

 

[tinkerbell1991]

They have never been free. They have been part of what resort guests paid for, when staying at Disney's overpriced hotel rooms. Now Disney is taking that perk away & adding a fee for it. Like an airline charging for a checked bag.

That's a different situation than something having been "free" in the past. No one was getting free Magic Bands. Resort guests have always paid through the nose for them. Now Disney is adding another fee on top. Nothing wrong with being annoyed at that.

Right ok