MagicBand+ to debut next year at Disney World
The MagicBand has been our key to Walt Disney World since 2013 — acting as a hands-free room key, park ticket, charge card, PhotoPass ID and more.
Next year, the ubiquitous wristband will be joined by a next-generation MagicBand+, which will take the “and more” part of its functionality to a whole new level.
The MagicBand+ has a face that looks more like a watch, which Disney says will “come alive at various times with color-changing lights, haptic vibrations and gesture recognition.”
In its announcement, Disney offered three examples of how the MagicBand+ will allow guests to engage with the parks in new ways:
- Find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.
- Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including the new “Harmonious” at Epcot and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom.
- Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks.
(This is helpful for those of us who saw Disney’s announcement about the Fab 50 statues and wondered what they meant by guests “interacting with” the statues. Did they mean pose for pictures? Take selfies? Nope, they had something else up their sleeve.)
MagicBand+ will be available for purchase beginning next year in a variety of styles. The price was not disclosed, but Disney confirmed that resort guests and Disney World annual passholders will be eligible for a discount.
Current MagicBands will continue to be available, too. And for those who prefer to use their own mobile devices, the MagicMobile service that includes MagicBand features, such as park entry, will continue to be available.
