Hi Robin and welcome to planDisney!
MagicBands are such a fun way to add a little magic to your Walt Disney World vacation and I see that yours is coming up in just a few weeks! MagicBands are so easy and convenient to use for entering a theme park, making purchases for dining or merchandise, entering the
Lightning Lane queues and opening your Disney Resort hotel door. There is no need to dig through your bag for various cards when you have access to all of these things right on your wrist.
Disney says MagicBand batteries last about two years, so it would depend on how old your previous MagicBands are. I have MagicBands from five years ago that still work, so that two years is definitely estimated. The only way to test them is by visiting Guest Services at the theme parks or
Disney Springs or visit the front desk at your Disney Resort hotel. If they are still working, fantastic! If not, you can purchase new ones at most Walt Disney World gift shops.
If you are a Guest staying at a
Disney Resort hotel, you have the option to pre-purchase new MagicBands at a discount. To do this, head to the Walt Disney World website and
access your plans through My Disney Experience. You will see a box at the top right that says "Unlock the Magic with MagicBands" with a link. Click the link and it will take you through the steps to pick out and customize new MagicBands for your trip. There are tons of designs to choose from, including the new MagicBand+.
MagicBand+ is the newest version of MagicBands. They interact by lighting up and vibrating right on your wrist when you pass by the
Disney Fab 50 Character Collection throughout all of the theme parks and dance to select
nighttime spectacular fireworks shows. My kids love to customize the color combinations for the lights each day to change it up a bit.
Please stop back by if you have any additional vacation planning questions.
Have a magical day!
Leslie