Hi Jonathan,
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by with your question about MagicBands as you get ready for your summer vacation at Walt Disney World.
The newest
MagicBand+ technology gives you lots of additional features that the previous versions did not: access to exclusive experiences, such as StarWars: Batuu Bounty Hunters; a rechargeable battery; haptic vibrations and light patterns and more.
However, if you have an older MagicBand, even one from several years ago, you can still use it to perform the basic functions, such as tapping into a theme park, opening your resort room door, charging purchases to your resort room, and checking into virtual queue and Lightning Lane entrances.
I have a large collection of the older MagicBands, some that I'm sentimentally attached to, and I still like to use them frequently. Just last week, I wore one from 2019 to Animal Kingdom, and it worked great.
Before you leave for your vacation, Jonathan, you will want to sign into your
My Disney Experience account to doublecheck that your older MagicBands are still active. Look under the "My MagicBands & Cards" section and scroll down to the "Managed Disney Bands or Cards" area. You should see the serial number and a picture of each band tied to your account. It will show you whether it is active or inactive. (If it is inactive, you may be able to reactivate it there.)
As long as your bands are active, you should be good to go.
If you arrive at Walt Disney World and find that you really do want the interactive features of the MagicBand+, no worries. They are available for purchase in many theme park and resort gift shops and at locations at Disney Springs.
Happy planning, Jonathan! Please let us know if you have other questions as your magical vacation nears.
Enjoy,
Wilma