Hey there, Betty-Lynn. Welcome to
planDisney!
Are you getting so excited about your most magical vacation at the start of the new year? I can't think of a better way to kick 2023 off. That's going to be so much fun!
Betty-Lynn the life expectancy of a
MagicBand is around 2 years or so. Now, I personally have MagicBands that I still use from much longer ago than that and they work perfectly. I think you'll have good luck with yours as well. When you check in to the Walt Disney World Resort Hotel that you are staying at, a Cast Member at the front desk will be able to check and make sure they are working. If they are, then you are good to go. If not, you have several other options of things to use during your stay.
If your MagicBand is no longer working, you can always purchase a new one once you are there. MagicBands and the new MagicBand+ are sold at almost every merchandise store at Walt Disney World. There are different colors and designs to choose from. Linking directions are on the back of the packaging and it can be done super quickly after your purchase. Another idea would be to use a complimentary key to the world card. This is more of a traditional hotel key card with a fun design of Mickey or his friends on it. As I mentioned, this is free to you! A key to the world card can act just like a MagicBand opening your hotel room door, scanning you into the Walt Disney World Theme Parks and collecting your PhotoPass photos. I personally use the
Disney MagicMobile feature via the
MyDisneyExperience app. What I've done is added my tickets to the mobile wallet so I can enter the Walt Disney World Theme Parks with a click of a button. It's so handy!
I hope this helps, Betty-Lynn. If you have any other questions, please feel free to stop back by and
ask me.
Have a great trip!
Jackie H.