Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate's Life for Me!!: Technology Tuesday

To me, Magicbands are one of the best things to happen to Disney in recent years. You will find many blogs and forums full of people who disagree, but when DD and I were at Walt Disney World in May 2014, we found the MagicBands very easy to use and they did not fail us.

What is a MagicBand?

A MagicBand is simply a bracelet that contains RFID technology (similar to that used with the CHIP on your bank card). These bands are comfortable and waterproof and are worn like a bracelet.

What can I use my MagicBand for?

You can use the MagicBands to (below taken directly from Disneyworld.disney.go.com):

Unlock your Disney Resort Hotel Door
Enter theme parks and water parks (with valid admission)
Check in at Fastpass+ entrances
Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account
Charge food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room (only available during your hotel stay)

How do I get a MagicBand and how much do they cost?

If you are staying at a Disney World Resort, you will get a MagicBand at no cost. For US guests MagicBands are mailed to you about two weeks before your arrival. For international guests (yes, that includes Canada) Magicbands are picked up at check in.
For guests staying offsite, MagicBands can be purchased and linked to your theme park tickets for $12.95. These can be purchased at Disney Parks or Downtown Disney.

Is it safe?

MagicBands are linked to your Disney account which can be linked to your Credit Card for food and merchandise charges, so safety is a concern. This technology is very similar to the Pin and Chip technology of your Interac or Credit card. Whenever you scan the MagicBand for purchases or dining credits you are asked to enter a four digit PIN code. This ensures that only you (or others you allow) can use your MagicBand for purchases.
When you sign up for your MagicBand on the Disney.com website you can choose to link a credit card to the MagicBand (if you do not link a Credit Card you will not be able to charge merchandise to your room). You can also choose who will have charging privileges. On our recent trip I allowed DD9 to have charging privileges as well as she was spending and keeping track of her own money. Since she was under the age of 10 we had to do this at check in, but it was easy to do and worked perfectly.

How do I customize the bands?

Once you have booked your vacation on the Disney.com website, you will have the option to customize the bands by naming them and choosing colors. You have until 30 days before your trip to make changes. If you do not customize your bands you will be sent generic grey bands.

How does it work?

It is easy and simple - as you enter a park or enter your hotel room you will touch the Mickey Head of the band to the Mickey Head of the scanner. It is referred to as "Mickey-to-Mickey"

Really, Disney wants you to have an easy vacation. By introducing the MagicBand they allow you to not have to carry anything - no wallet, no camera, no tickets, it is all on your wrist. This is especially handy at the Disney Water Parks.

Here are our MagicBands from our May 2014 Vacation.

The Adult and Kids MagicBands are actually the same. The kids is just popped out of the black extension that is attached to the Adults. Once they are popped out they cannot go back, so it is important to measure to ensure the Kids size is what you want.

MagicBands are available in seven colors: pink, blue, red, green, orange, grey and yellow. When you customize your bands you will have the opportunity to select your color. We chose blue to match our costumes for the 24 Hour Rock Your Disney Side party.

To tell them apart, each band is given a Name and a Band Number. You select the name at the time of customization.

The bands are comfortable and stay very secure. During our 8 days we did not lose them once. DD found them a little irritating in the heat, but I found it to be the same as a watch or bracelet and it did not bother me at all. When DD took hers off, we just looped it to her lanyard.