Hi Joan, and thanks for bringing your question to planDisney. I love the convenience of my
MagicBands, and as soon as I put one on my wrist, I know that my Disney vacation is just getting started! So let’s talk about your options for purchasing a MagicBand for your trip.
When I was at Disney World earlier this year, a Cast Member told me that the Magic Band 2 was being phased out. I didn’t see any of these older MagicBands sold in the gift shops, and currently, only MagicBand+ is available to order on the Disney World website for
Disney Resort hotel guests and
Passholders.
If you’d still like to order a MagicBand+, you can do that on the
MagicBands and Cards page on the Disney World website. Under your upcoming resort hotel reservation, click the Get Started button to place your order. The availability changes, so if you’re looking for a different design, keep checking back. Just remember that purchases need to be made at least six days before your check-in date. If you order 11 or more days in advance, the bands will be shipped to your home. Purchases made 6-10 days ahead will be shipped to your Disney Resort hotel, and you can pick them up at the front desk.
MagicBand+ does add a bit of extra pixie dust to your Disney days by lighting up and buzzing when you walk by the
Disney Fab 50 statues, ride certain attractions, and watch the nighttime spectaculars. But you don’t need to worry about keeping it charged. I’m usually super tired after a long day in the parks and forget to charge my MagicBand+ all the time. Even with a dead battery, all of the core functionality still works, like scanning into theme park and
Lightning Lane entrances, linking
PhotoPass pictures, and opening your resort hotel room door. When MagicBand+ isn’t charged, it just won’t light up or vibrate.
There’s also a game in
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that you can play with your MagicBand+ and the
Play Disney Parks app.
Batuu Bounty Hunters is a fun way to complete missions and explore Back Spire Outpost. Just make sure you dodge those stormtroopers!
I hope you have a magical visit to Disney World this November. And if you have any other questions, you’re always welcome at planDisney.
JoAnna