Hi Caroline and welcome to planDisney.
I absolutely love using a
MagicBand whilst at Walt Disney World - it makes life so much easier! No more rooting through a rucksack full of park day essentials to find my purse, at the entrance turnstiles and then having to remember whose Key To The World card belongs to who. Genius!
I am happy to share that I am at Walt Disney World right now and my family are using some MagicBands from 2018 and 2019. They still work absolutely fine in terms of entering the Disney Parks, unlocking your
Disney Resort hotel room, charging food and merchandise purchases to the payment card on file at your Disney Resort hotel, redeeming Lightning Lanes and collecting PhotoPass photos included as part of Memory Maker.
What they don't have, are the extra magical touches which are now available with the newer generation of MagicBand+ bands which light up, vibrate and interact with the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection sculptures which you can find throughout Walt Disney World.
We bought my daughter one of the MagicBand+ bands when we visited last year and she absolutely loves all of its special features. There are some really nice designs available to purchase too in comparison to the plain coloured MagicBands which were available back in 2018 and 2019.
I hope that this information has been of use, Caroline. For all the latest news and information from Walt Disney World, be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog, in the run up to your trip. Who knows what exciting updates there'll be between now and your arrival!
If we can be of any other help with the planning of your 2026 trip to
Walt Disney World, please feel free te re-visit us, here at planDisney, where we will be only too happy to help.
Wishing you a magical holiday filled with memories which will last a lifetime!
Emma