MagicBand+ is the recent new factor at Walt Disney World, however it’s not the one choice for getting into the parks and different options. MagicMobile is a service that makes use of your cellphone or different sensible gadgets, and could be a handy different to Magic Bands. This submit compares and contrasts the choices, gives fundamental background, and gives commentary about which we choose.
Let’s begin with a easy rundown of the choices: Key to the World Card, MagicBand, MagicBand Plus, and MagicMobile service. All of those are a part of the built-in MyMagic+ system. You will not be acquainted with that time period, which wouldn’t be shocking since Walt Disney World has primarily deserted it in the previous few years. Even the official MyMagic+ web page not mentions it (besides within the nice print).
Anyway, MyMagic+ is a collection of applied sciences that combine numerous features of their Walt Disney World expertise into one system. Half of that happens within the My Disney Experience app, the place you make Advance Dining Reservations and Genie+ reservations, whereas the opposite half happens within the bodily world, largely by interacting with touchpoints.
There have been numerous different huge ambitions for MyMagic+ that by no means got here to fruition, however the underlying system stays. (See “The Messy Business of Reinventing Happiness” and “Behind the Scenes at Disney As it Purged a Favorite Son” should you’re enthusiastic about extra on the trials and tribulations of MyMagic+ and NextGen.)
With that out of the best way, let’s run via the assorted ‘real world’ choices for interfacing with the My Disney Experience app and Walt Disney World’s infrastructure:
Key to the World Card – This is Walt Disney World’s time period on your lodge room key. This predates MagicBands and MagicMobile, however remains to be going robust. While the corporate has tried to totally change and eradicate Key to the World playing cards within the final a number of years, they are nonetheless obtainable should you go to the entrance desk of your resort and request one.
Key to the World Cards can do the next:
- Unlock your Disney Resort lodge room door
- Enter theme parks (with linked legitimate theme park admission and park reservation)
- Connect Disney PhotoPass pictures to your account
- Gain entry to digital queues (at present in use for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind)
- Redeem Lightning Lane experience reservations booked by way of Genie+ or the a la carte buy choice
- Charge to your Disney Resort lodge folio throughout your keep
MagicBand – Walt Disney World’s unique wearable gadget, now in its second era. MagicBands are waterproof and adjustable wristbands that enable friends to hyperlink their My Disney Experience accounts to a bracelet, permitting them to be hands-free within the parks and resorts. MagicBand has the entire similar options because the Key to the World Card.
Additionally, MagicBands function with long-range RFID for computerized linking of on-ride photographs. A battery is critical for that, and people are likely to die after about 2 years. All different MagicBand options use short-range RFID, which doesn’t require a battery. This means you should utilize the identical MagicBand for scanning into the parks, opening lodge doorways, or some other faucet level…just about endlessly! Only the on-ride photograph function will cease working after a pair years.
MagicBand+ – We discover it finest to consider MagicBand+ as two gadgets in a single. One of those is the MagicBand, which features in precisely the identical methods as a legacy MagicBand. It has the entire similar options, performance, strengths and weaknesses as these recognized above. Think of this because the “dumb” side of the gadget, which (once more) works with out battery energy and does basic items like getting into the park or Lightning Lanes.
Then there’s the opposite half–the “Plus Part.” This is part not supplied by the OG MagicBand, and encompasses the entire interactivity, lighting, vibrations, minigames, and experiential parts. This is the (sorta) sensible gadget that’s powered by a battery and requires recharging. When the battery is useless, the minigames and particular results received’t work, however the entire common MagicBand options will. (For extra on this popular-but-polarizing new gadget, see our MagicBand+ Review: The Good, Bad & Ugly. Sadly, there’s a bit an excessive amount of of the latter two classes for our liking with the MagicBand Plus.)
MagicMobile – This service is now obtainable for Walt Disney World friends within the My Disney Experience app, and will be added to your Android, iPhone, or Apple Watch digital pockets. Once enabled, the MagicMobile service works by holding your sensible gadget close to entry factors round Walt Disney World.
Disney MagicMobile passes can do the next:
- Enter theme parks (with linked legitimate theme park admission and park reservation)
- Connect Disney PhotoPass pictures to your account
- Gain entry to digital queues
- Redeem Lightning Lane experience reservations booked by way of Genie+ or the a la carte buy choice
- Charge to your Disney Resort lodge folio throughout your keep
In evaluating these lists, you would possibly discover the one factor lacking from MagicMobile is opening lodge room doorways. At current, this isn’t supported (but?). In case all of that’s complicated, right here’s a comparability chart that breaks down the variations:
Before we get began with the commentary, one robust suggestion we now have on the subject of MagicMobile is enabling Express Mode. (See How to Set-Up MagicMobile.) With this, MagicMobile works routinely with out FaceID or your passcode. Just maintain your iPhone or Apple Watch close to a reader. Your cross may additionally be obtainable when your iPhone must be recharged.
This signifies that utilizing MagicMobile doesn’t require any display time. I’ve bolded this as a result of there’s the misperception amongst some Walt Disney World followers that MagicMobile requires extra time together with your face in your cellphone, which is fake.
That is a sound criticism with the entire of the Walt Disney World visitor expertise within the period of Mobile Order, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and all the things else that’s reliant upon My Disney Experience–however it’s inapplicable with regard to MagicMobile, particularly. After the preliminary setup (which will be executed each time), you don’t want to “interact” together with your cellphone or watch to make use of MagicMobile. The gadget will be in sleep mode or inactive and MagicMobile nonetheless works!
When MagicMobile first debuted, I had points with it. While setup went easily, the touchpoints at Walt Disney World didn’t all the time acknowledge my iPhone. In essence, nothing occurred after I put the gadget close to the reader–nothing got here up on the cellphone and the touchpoint didn’t illuminate.
In equity, it’s additionally doable that this was a problem with my Apple Wallet. I’ve actually by no means had any issues with it anyplace else, so that might be a primary. By distinction, I’ve been having points with Walt Disney World know-how for over a decade; about the one consistency with Disney IT is issues. While I’ll by no means know conclusively the reason for my points with MagicMobile, I’m going to use Occam’s razor.
As a outcome, I finished utilizing MagicMobile for some time and reverted to MagicBands. I didn’t give MagicMobile a second thought till in the future I left my MagicBand within the automobile and didn’t notice this whereas inside ft of the park entrance. Rather than strolling all the best way again to the parking zone, I figured I’d give MagicMobile one other shot.
It labored flawlessly, even in Express Mode.
Suffice to say, I started utilizing MagicMobile increasingly and was received over by the service. I haven’t had a single challenge with it within the final a number of months, and to my recollection, I haven’t had any points with it on this total calendar yr. My troubles have been at launch, which isn’t to say it’s error-free, however should you tried MagicMobile when it first debuted and had issues, it is perhaps value revisiting.
There’s nothing notably novel or noteworthy about MagicMobile. It works precisely like different Apple Wallet merchandise and cost choices, and even just like the Key to the World card or MagicBands. For me, the benefit actually comes all the way down to the truth that I’m all the time carrying my cellphone, anyway, so why not simply use that?
I used to not thoughts and even get pleasure from carrying a MagicBand, however that hasn’t been the case for some time. To every their very own, however I already put on an Apple Watch on one hand. I don’t want or need something on the opposite–appears a bit Bohemian to have a bracelet on every wrist.
Speaking of which, MagicMobile will be enabled on the Apple Watch as a substitute of the cellphone. This actually simplifies issues, and makes the transition from MagicBand to MagicMobile particularly simple. (Former Disney CEO Bob Iger speculated that Disney and Apple would’ve merged had Steve Jobs not died. I wonder if the MagicBand would even exist if Disney and Apple collaborated just a little extra carefully–or if Disney had simply waited for wearable know-how to advance a bit earlier than growing the MagicBand.)
For no matter it’s value, Sarah prefers to make use of MagicMobile by way of her Apple Watch. However, she additionally favors utilizing MagicBands and continues to take action. From her perspective, the MagicBand is related to trip and is a enjoyable accent. (I additionally don’t suppose the aforementioned Bohemian bracelet ‘rules’ apply to girls.)
Sarah additionally finds the MagicMobile service to be inferior to the MagicBand, as there are nonetheless some issues it could possibly’t do. She’s proper.
While usable by anybody, I’ve realized lately that MagicMobile is unquestionably extra of a function for locals, whereas MagicBands would possibly make extra sense for vacationers.
Generally talking, locals don’t put on MagicBands to work or of their day-to-day lives. Those residing in Central Florida would possibly retailer a MagicBand of their cupholder, however it’s simple to overlook. By distinction, evidently everybody lately feels “naked” with out their cellphone. It’s so much much less more likely to be left at residence or within the automobile when making that after-work journey to EPCOT.
For a vacationer, there’s positively one thing to be mentioned for placing in your MagicBand as soon as touchdown in Florida, getting into ‘vacation mode,’ and pulling out your cellphone or different screen-based gadgets as little as doable.
Another related consideration for vacationers is one conspicuous omission from MagicMobile: unlocking your lodge room door. For that, it is advisable to open the Resort Hotel tile in My Disney Experience, and use the “unlock door” function. While that sounds easy sufficient, it’s typically simpler mentioned than executed. I’d say my success price for that is about 75-85%.
That could not sound dangerous…till a kind of failures happens once you’re staying in Ranchos 7A at Coronado Springs and get again to your room after midnight. Sadly, that’s not a hypothetical. It additionally wasn’t the primary time I’ve been burned by the unlock door function in My Disney Experience, which all the time appears to fail on the most inopportune instances.
Ever since that fateful night, I cease on the entrance desk to get a room key someday early-on throughout our stays when it’s handy. Much quicker to try this than to stroll to the room, strike out with know-how, stroll to the entrance desk, after which again to the room.
Ultimately, there’s no one-size matches all reply as to whether a Key to the World Card, MagicMobile, MagicBand, or MagicBand+ is finest. All 4 are very related to one another, with the function set having appreciable overlap. What it actually comes all the way down to is your trip price range, view in the direction of equipment or wearable collectibles, and private preferences.
While we’ll readily admit that MagicBand+ upset us, we nonetheless suppose shopping for a MagicBand is sensible for many vacationers staying on-site at Walt Disney World. However, that comes with the appreciable caveats mentioned above, and is hardly “necessary.” It’s positively the simplest and most streamlined choice, however it’s doable the ‘value add’ over MagicMobile or Key to the World Cards doesn’t outweigh the fee. If you’re on a decent price range, follow the free alternate options. As far as Walt Disney World splurges go, MagicBands aren’t excessive on the checklist for us. As all the time, your mileage could fluctuate.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about lodges on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips submit takes a singular take a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the things it is advisable to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you used MagicMobile in your cellphone or watch? What about MagicBand+ or MagicBand? Or, are you continue to sticking with the Key to the World Card, circa 2008 type?! If you’ve used all (or a number of) of the above, which of them do you want or dislike? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Hearing your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!