No more free Disney World MagicBands on Jan. 1. Why How to get around it
If you’re planning on heading to Walt Disney World and staying at at Disney resort there will be one item you will no longer be getting for free – a MagicBand.
Starting Jan. 1, 2021, Disney is no longer offering MagicBands on a complimentary basis with new Disney Resort hotel reservations. So, if you were planning to add another grey band to your collection, you are out of luck.
Disney introduced the MagicBands in 2013 and has pretty much trained us all to use them (after the initial backlash on how ridiculous the idea was and no one would ever use them). We now all know what the phrase Mickey to Mickey means. But the next evolution in ticketing is coming and it involves your smartphone.
Why is Disney eliminating free MagicBands?
Disney is planning to unveil a new offering as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring features of a MagicBand to smart devices. It has not yet been announced and we are all still expecting something to come soon. We were hoping something would have been announced yet, but it might have been delayed due to the coronavirus.
Much of the new offerings for the app have already been put in place when it comes to the resorts. You can now use your smart device as a room key, check into your room remotely, check out remotely and even chat with someone at the resort for assistance.
As for dining, you can make reservations, check-in remotely and when it comes to quick-service you can pay remotely.
The biggest issue is your ticket. While your ticket can be seen on the app, there is no way to scan it for entrance, unlike at Disneyland where your ticket has a bar code for entrance. While you can enter a virtual queue on your phone and get a return time, there is no way to scan that info for entrance to a ride and there is no way to scan a FastPass, for when it returns.
There is also the question of how you can charge to the room without a MagicBand, or card key,
These items are expected to be resolved with the My Disney Experience app update.
Does this mean MagicBands are going away completely?
Don’t worry. I would think that MagicBands will be around for a while longer. The MagicBand is a merchandise powerhouse.
What do I do if I don’t have a free MagicBand?
You have a few options to replace the free MagicBand.
One, if you have a MagicBand from a recent previous trip the band will mostly likely still be useable.
Two, you can purchase a MagicBand. These are available at shopDisney, at Disney World theme parks and hotel retail locations, and select stores at Disney Springs.
Third, if you want to use a key card (otherwise known as a Key to the Kingdom) you can still request one at your Disney Resort hotel.
