How is it without Magic Bands?

[BridgetR3]

Can someone here explain (or is there a thread somewhere) on how to use your Apple Watch? I don't wear one but DH does and he may rather that! THANKS!

 

[champagne&disney]

Can someone here explain (or is there a thread somewhere) on how to use your Apple Watch? I don't wear one but DH does and he may rather that! THANKS!

There are tons of blogs about it. Here is a good one: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/guide-magicmobile-iphone-apple-watch-disney-world/

If you use Apple Pay on your Apple Watch, it's the same concept. It's very seamless and easy. I don't miss using a MagicBand at all and prefer just to wear my Apple Watch. Your iPhone also works with the Wallet app for those without an Apple Watch.

I pay using Apple Pay now instead of charging to my room (I stay at the Swan & Dolphin often so this has fixed my #1 frustration) and get points on my favorite AMEX with an easy tap to pay!

It's great that Disney is finally on board with wearable tech.

 

[Griffin11]

Can anyone clarify what the magic band does that a key card doesn't?

I know the magic band can connect from a distance for ride photos, but is that it? Can you charge to your room with a key card?

 

[erionm]

Can anyone clarify what the magic band does that a key card doesn't?

I know the magic band can connect from a distance for ride photos, but is that it? Can you charge to your room with a key card?

Yes, you can room charge using a key card. Automatic linking of ride photos/videos and interactive queue elements are the only things that require a fairly recent (no more than 2 years old) MagicBand.

 

[legler2250]

Growing up poor and having a grandma who went through the great depression share stories of how bad things were always comes to mind when Disney takes another perk away and attaches a cost / tax to it. While the band is super convenient, we will keep using our own generic bands until the batteries run out. At that point I'll have the front desk issue us cards =) I look at our Disney trips in terms of small victories so that I don't mind spending a huge upcharge for enjoying being over charged for the amazing Disney Dining experience.

 

[erionm]

While the band is super convenient, we will keep using our own generic bands until the batteries run out. At that point I'll have the front desk issue us cards.

A MagicBand with a dead battery is functionally equivalent to a card issued by the front desk.

 

[CarolynFH]

Does anyone have experience wearing a magic band and a watch? Is it too much on the wrist? Or does it work?

Before MobileMagic came around and I began using my Apple Watch as my MB, I had a MB watch slider that I purchased from Etsy. Take the Mickey icon out of the MB, pop it into the slider, slide that onto the watchband, and voilà! Only one band on the wrist! https://www.etsy.com/listing/532668498/mb2watchslider-magic-band-2-puck-keeper

 

[erionm]

Does anyone have experience wearing a magic band and a watch? Is it too much on the wrist? Or does it work?

I wear my Apple Watch on my left wrist and a MagicBand on my right wrist. I primarily use the Apple Watch while in the parks, although I do sometimes still use the MagicBand.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

We just returned from WDW. We had magic bands. Friends with us did not have bands. We saw no real difference.

 

[xipotec]

Magic bands for out family were the best invention the parks ever did.

I am dreading having to pull out my phone all the time to use it for 4 people, all day.

Now with G+, Inwill basically have to have it out all day. My phone is a reminder of work and responsibility, not really something I wanted to have to juggle all day, and worry about battery life …etc etc.

I would love if MB were a thing at DL before our trip. Its really great for kids who are not old enough for a cell phome , but old enough for the responsibility of tapping in rides.

 

[artinlife]

So as most of us on the thread know, Magic Bands are no longer complementary. I'm potentially booking an onsite hotel and am wondering if it's worth buying even a basic band. If I was only using it a few times a day to unlock the door or get into the park I wouldn't bother, but we will potentially use Genie+/LL which means using it a lot more. Plus I might take advantage of the room charging perk. I know the basic ones are only $5 (I think?), but obviously everything is starting to add up with the bands, LL, parking fees, etc. What have people's experiences been now that Genie+ is here? I think I have a really old Magic Band from ~2015 but I believe a new edition of them have come out since so I'm not betting on that one still working, assuming I didn't already throw it away.

And as a side question, if you don't use a Magic Band you can either request a key card or use your phone, right? And how easy have they both been in the parks recently?

Why spend any money on a Magic Band when you can get a key card for free? We did that on our recent trip and it was just fine.

 

[reddog21]

Why spend any money on a Magic Band when you can get a key card for free? We did that on our recent trip and it was just fine.

Magic bands are so much easier especially if your getting Lightning lane. Why would I want to dig out a card every time I touch a turnstile when I could just tap my wrist?

 

[Smugpugmug]

Magic bands are so much easier especially if your getting Lightning lane. Why would I want to dig out a card every time I touch a turnstile when I could just tap my wrist?

Agreed 100%. Having to pull my phone out for every Fastpass during my last Disneyland trip made me wish they had Magicbands. I totally get if you don't want to buy Magicbands but personally I love them and think they make going to WDW way easier.

 

[ChanaC]

Since I started this thread, I thought I might as well share what my experience was like. I ended up bringing along that really old Magic Band, and to my surprise it worked! At least as a room key, credit card, ticket, and LL ticket. Not sure if it linked my ride photos because I was traveling with someone with a new magic band, and since our accounts are linked all the photos could have came from his band. In the end though, if the magic band didn't work I think I would have been fine with just a room key. I'm not sure if the few seconds I would have spent looking for it would have been worth the cost of one of them. I usually carry around a little backpack (think Loungefly size) that has a little pocket in the back that is the perfect size for a card, so it would have been easy to get it in an out. I'm sure just keeping it in a pant pocket would have been fine too. Since I wasn't sure how reliable my old magic band was I asked the front desk at the resort for a room key as well but I never used it.

 

[manakin]

I think the question is easy:

if you have Memory Maker, MB do a difference, since you can have many photos from rides (sometimes videos) that you can't get without.

if you don't have memory maker, then no, you won't notice the difference.

 

[titojackson84]

I’m a fan of magic bands, especially if you’re staying at a disney hotel. It’s your room key, form of payment, park ticket and it’s waterproof so you can wear it in the pool and not need to worry about a card or phone. When I stayed on site at universal, they give you a card for the room key and a paper ticket that you need to use for the duration of the stay, so we always had to make sure it stayed dry. I imagine being a parent with kids and having to keep track of all the tickets could be a pain. Plus my magic band has darth vader on it.

 

[algae]

I tried to use the room key for as much as I could. Got really cumbersome digging it out of a backpack since my pockets were loose enough where things could fall out on rides. After just one day, I had enough and broke down to get a Magic Band. Very convenient and always in the right place when needed--especially if you are juggling a camera and a backpack at the same time. And, you can get some nice band patterns/prints as a souvenir. Just take your time looking at all the shops for a band theme you like.
Using an iPhone or Apple Watch was a no-go. We tried, but it wouldn't work on anything despite us working with the front desk and cast members. They all told me to get a Magic Band -sigh-