Hiya, Frances! Welcome to planDisney!
It looks like your visit to
Walt Disney World Resort is just a few short weeks away, Frances. It also sounds like you’re getting things organized so that you can hit the ground running when you arrive, and I can definitely relate to that!
While it’s possible for a
MagicBand+ to stop working after one year, I would say it’s not common. My wife and I use the MagicBands we purchased in 2022 and they still work great. There are some troubleshooting steps that you can take that may resolve the problem you’re having with your MagicBands. First up is making sure that you are running the most recent version of the
My Disney Experience app. Next, check if you can still see the MagicBands in your My Disney Experience app. When you open the app, hit the icon with the three horizontal lines on the bottom right portion of your screen. Scroll all the way down to “MagicBands & Cards” and tap into that menu. You should see all of your linked MagicBands here.
If you still see your MagicBands here, it’s a good sign. Next is to power the band on and off to reset it. Press and hold the button on the back of the band for about 6 seconds, until it buzzes twice, to power the device off. If the power-off is successful, the LED light will turn red and rotate once in reverse. Press and hold the button for one second to power it back on. If successful, you will see a solid green light. You may or may not be able to do this depending on the charge level, if any.
If your MagicBands still aren't working, you can then try a factory reset. You do this with a single press of the button, quickly followed by a second press that you hold for 15 seconds. After 3 haptic buzzes, your MagicBand+ will glow with rainbow colors. This indicates that your band is restarting. The lights will turn off and then flash green once the factory reset is complete.
These steps are also outlined on the Walt Disney World website as a quick reference guide.
Failing that, all is not lost. I was once unable to link my existing MagicBands to the My Disney Experience app between trips. I called a Cast Member, and they were able to walk me through additional steps which rectified the problem. If none of the above steps work, I suggest
contacting a Cast Member who may be able to give you some extra steps to try.
I hope this answers your question, Frances. And may the Force be with you as you troubleshoot your MagicBands! If you have any other questions as you continue to plan your visit, please don’t hesitate to come back and see us here at
planDisney!
See you real soon!
Olivier