Hey Howdy Hey Vanessa and welcome to planDisney!
Technology and access to the parks are one of the many ways for Guests to become more immersed in the experience of visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. One of the biggest ways to do so is with MagicBand+. While this experience does give you more interactive ways to become part of the story, it is not necessary to enjoy your Magical vacation. Thank you for your question on the details of MagicBands during your vacation. I will be happy to review the positives and negatives of considering them for your vacation.
MagicBand+ is the product that is currently available when you book a vacation package to the Walt Disney World Resort or available at the
DisneyStore and many locations throughout the parks and resorts. So much of your vacation will be booked and accessible online through your
My Disney Experience account and app which MagicBand+ is one of the many ways to access your information. This also includes your selections for
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass during your vacation. Having them does not give you any special access to attractions in the parks. They are ways you can easily access your information without needing your smartphone handy.
Personally, my family did decide to purchase and use MagicBand+ for our vacations. I feel that it is so much easier to have access to the attractions, payment methods and theme park tickets right from my wrist. While I do have my phone with me at all times, I do not feel as comfortable yet accessing all my information with my phone as some do. I prefer to have access with my MagicBand+. I do feel that it is quicker to get into attractions with my 3 girls just able to walk up and scan their bands rather than me or my wife doing this with all 3. As noted, this is just one of
many ways to access your information.
Disney MagicMobile Service is another way you can access your information on your My Disney Experience account from your My Disney Experience app on your smart device. This is free to do and you can set this up for all accounts that you manage. Once you log in, go to the three horizontal lines on the bottom right of your screen and look for the "Account" section. There, you should find a link to "Set up MagicMobile Pass", which you will click on and follow the prompts to set up. As long as your smart device is with you and the NFC option is turned on, this will be your way to access your park tickets, Lightning Lane Multi Pass selections and so much more.
The big thing with MagicBand+ is that you have more access to different options in the parks. You can interact with the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection Statues in each park, you can become a Bounty Hunter in Galaxies Edge when you visit Disney's Hollywood Studios and you will become part of the show experience in things such as nighttime firework shows. While they are fun to have, they are not necessary and so many nowadays feel just as comfortable using their smartphones rather than MagicBands. The experience is entirely up to you!
I hope this information helped to give you an idea of the benefits of MagicBand+ as well as options without. If you have any further questions, please let us know, we are always happy to help!
To Infinity and Beyond,
Nick