Will older Magic Bands from 2015 work for this trip 2025?

[Krischaser]

We have a couple of magic bands from 2015 and wondered if we could use those and we will need to buy one or two news ones? Is this possible and how would we go about getting the older ones working and connecting?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Yes they will work for anything you have to tap your magic band for so things like entering the parks, lightning lanes, paying, opening your room, and attraction photos that have a tap point.
It is unlikely that it will work for long range features like showing your name at the end of It's a Small World or capturing ride photos that don't have a tap point like Frozen Ever After.

For the ride photos you can have your phone bluetooth on and most of the time the app will capture them for you.

If you go onto My Disney Experience you should be able to see if they are active and if they say they are currently deactivated you just switch it to be active.

 

[CarolynFH]

If the old ones are listed in your M.D.E. account, just make sure they’re Active (click in Inactive to activate them). They’ll work for everything that involves tapping Mickey to Mickey - entering parks & LLs, opening Disney resort room doors, charging to Disney resort account, linking ride photos that have tap points at ride exit.

They will not link ride photos that don’t have tap points at the end, like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. For those photos you need to allow M.D.E. to use Bluetooth on your phone and have M.D.E. open on your phone, although your phone can be locked and in your pocket or bag. No matter what, some photos might not link, so keep an idea of dates and times you rode different ones, in case you need to submit a Lost Photo report.

 

[CarolynFH]

@Kooks and Bay Bay, jinx!

 

[Maxnesta]

Yep, you can totally try using your 2015 Magic Bands! As long as they’re still linked to your My Disney Experience account, they should work for park entry and Genie+, but the battery for long-range features (like ride photos) might be dead.

To check, log into My Disney Experience → MagicBands & Cards section. If they’re still active, you’re good to go! If not, you’ll need to grab a couple of new ones and link them to your account.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Actually, when I was at WDW last month, I locked myself out of my room and went to the front desk only to find out that the MB I'd used was deactivated (I don't know how) so she "reactivated" it and it worked! The reason I didn't know before is that I hadn't used that one. I'd brought 2 MBs this trip in different colors and hadn't used the color of the deactivated one until I left my room to get something in the gift shop. But what you need to know is that a deactivated MB can be reactivated at the front desk and used again-at least it could last month.

 

[CarolynFH]

Actually, when I was at WDW last month, I locked myself out of my room and went to the front desk only to find out that the MB I'd used was deactivated (I don't know how) so she "reactivated" it and it worked! The reason I didn't know before is that I hadn't used that one. I'd brought 2 MBs this trip in different colors and hadn't used the color of the deactivated one until I left my room to get something in the gift shop. But what you need to know is that a deactivated MB can be reactivated at the front desk and used again-at least it could last month.

Yes, as long as it’s still listed in M.D.E. as Inactive it can be reactivated by tapping Activate Band.

 

[Krischaser]

Yes, as long as it’s still listed in M.D.E. as Inactive it can be reactivated by tapping Activate Band.

Do the old ones take batteries or anything? They are 10 years old. Also can you buy new ones anywhere else besides the Disney Store?

 

[CarolynFH]

Do the old ones take batteries or anything? They are 10 years old. Also can you buy new ones anywhere else besides the Disney Store?

No, the MB and MB2 don’t have replaceable batteries, so once they’re over about 3 years old only the tap functions work.

Some people report success buying MBs other than Disney Store or through the link on a Disney resort reservation or at WDW, but I haven’t done that.

 

[Krischaser]

No, the MB and MB2 don’t have replaceable batteries, so once they’re over about 3 years old only the tap functions work.

Some people report success buying MBs other than Disney Store or through the link on a Disney resort reservation or at WDW, but I haven’t done that.

So just the tap to get into the parks work?

 

[CarolynFH]

So just the tap to get into the parks work?

Any function where you tap Mickey to Mickey will work. Entry to park and LLs, opening room door and charging food and purchases to room if staying at a Disney resort, having photos taken by a PhotoPass photographer, linking ride photos that have tap points at the exit.