MagicBand+
Updated July 2023
On our most recent trip to Walt Disney World we decided to purchase a MagicBand+ each.
The MagicBand+ was released to coincide with the 50th Anniversary celebrations and although the functionality is the same as the original MagicBands (payment option, door key, park ticket etc), its main selling point is it will light up and vibrate when it interacts with rides, fireworks and the 50th Anniversary statues.
Once we linked our hotel reservation to the ‘My Disney Experience’ app we were given the option to purchase Magic Band+ and have them delivered to our resort. At present the bands are only delivered to your Walt Disney World hotel, however the selection is not as varied as that available in the parks. You don’t have to purchase a band in advance but you do get a small discount.
Once we arrived at 'Old Key West’ our MagicBand+ were waiting for us at reception. It is recommended to fully charge the bands before first use, and once we were settled in our room we went through the process of linking them to our ‘My Disney Experience’ app.
Adding a MagicBand+ to our account was very easy. As you will be setting these up in your hotel room, make sure your phone is connected to the Disney wifi and that your bluetooth is switched on.
I decided on a Kakamora inspired band from Moana. All the bands are suitable for children and adults. You can remove part of the band to make it smaller for children, but bear in mind you can’t add it back on!
In the main menu select ‘MagicBands and More’
You should see your name at the top and then you can press
‘Pair Your MagicBand+’
As we preordered our MagicBand+ the app already knew which band I had purchased. I then clicked the ‘Link’ button
You can then hit the ‘Pair’ button next to Bluetooth. This just takes a moment.
Once your band is linked you will get this page
Its a good idea to check if your band needs an update once you have set it up.
You can customise your MagicBand+ by changing its colour theme and strength of vibration.
We found we had to select the ‘Increase Motion Recognition’ to interact with the 50th anniversary statues
If at any point you are having issues with setting up your MagicBand+, Disney have some brilliant short videos with step by step instructions.
We found this video on how to pair the band very useful. The button on the back is also the on/off button.
One of the main differences between the MagicBand and MagicBand+ is that the new MagicBand+ will interact with the 50th Anniversary statues. Disney have turned this into a game on the Disney ‘Play’ app (which is worth downloading). And as another popular franchise says “You gotta catch them all”. We managed to capture all the statues, and it was a great way to explore all the corners of the parks.
We wore our MagicBand+ everyday we were in the theme parks, and as we had linked our payment card to it we could leave the hotel room with just our phones and MagicBands+.
The only time this became an issue was when we wanted to rent a locker to store our bags you needed either cash or a bank card. Thankfully Disney are prepared for this and you can purchase a locker at guest services.
The bands are also waterproof so you can jump in the pool without worrying.
We would recommend getting a MagicBand or MagicBand+ if you are staying at Walt Disney World. It was great to be able to grab your band and phone and be set for the day. These bands will also work in Disneyland and soon on all Disney Cruise line ships. The only problem is you will want a different band for all your outfits!