Hi Sheryl! Welcome to planDisney!
I'm excited to hear that you'll be arriving at
Walt Disney World in just a few short weeks! I'm sure you are ready to put the planning stages behind you and begin a magical trip.
MagicBands are an essential item that I do not leave home without when arriving for a Disney vacation. They offer amazing benefits that help make for an easy park day. These include using them for park entry, Lightning Lane access, as your room key at your Disney Resort hotel, and in some cases, even for making payments. With the arrival of
MagicBand+ a few years ago, they now have additional features that make them even more fun to use.
Since the
MagicBand+ was released, it has become increasingly difficult to find an original MagicBand. I did purchase one from a small kiosk inside the World Showcase, but this was early last year when I did so. On my latest trip a couple of months ago, I didn't come across any merchandise locations selling MagicBands. All of the inventory at any shop I stopped in was strictly stocked with MagicBand+.
If you
visit shopDisney.com, you'll find a wide variety of MagicBand+. They are themed after your favorite Disney characters, movies, shows, and so much more. The light-up feature inside the parks is a great addition and makes them even more fun to wear at night. My biggest hesitation with purchasing one was that it needs to be charged. While some of these new features will not work if you forget to throw it on the charger after a long park day, it will still work for many of the essential features the next day.
Sheryl, I hope this information helps you plan for your stay! Have a magical trip!
See ya real soon!
Greg