Welcome to planDisney, Ashley. Thank you for swinging by!
As you may know, a
Walt Disney World Resort visit comes with many decisions. Choosing the right
Disney Resorts Collection hotel that fits your family’s needs, the length of your visit, how many days in the parks you want to enjoy, whether or not you want to be able to enjoy multiple parks within the same day, etc. With all of these decisions that will make your vacation incredibly magical and memorable, anything that makes your vacation more convenient will only enhance your experience and enjoyment.
That, to me, is where
Disney’s MagicBand+ comes into play. A MagicBand or MagicBand+ can unlock your Disney Resort hotel room door, access the theme parks at the tap-in points, purchase food or merchandise, and access any Virtual Queue, Lightning Lane, or Individual Lightning Lanes entrances. If you buy the latest and greatest MagicBand+, you can interact with select attractions and experiences. When booking your Disney World vacation, you will have the opportunity to purchase a MagicBand+ at a discount, but you can also visit the
Disney Store or wait until you are there to find one that matches your outfit or personality. My favorite spot is actually inside EPCOT at
Pin Traders – Camera Center. Disney Springs also has some great options too!
While you don’t need to purchase a MagicBand+ to enjoy your vacation, I think the more you can disconnect from your mobile device on vacation, the better. But, if the benefits of the band don’t entice you, Hakuna Matata, you can utilize the
My Disney Experience app to do almost all of the same things. Within the app, you will find
Disney MagicMobile, which will allow you to enter the parks, link Disney PhotoPass photos to your MyDisney account, access the Virtual Queues, Lightning Lanes, and Individual Lightning Lane entrances, and charge food and drinks to your Disney Resorts Collection hotel folio. Simply open your My Disney Experience app, click on the menu icon in the bottom-right corner, scroll to the Disney Account section, and select “Set up MagicMobile Entry.” Click the plus icon (+) and follow the prompts to add your MagicMobile passes to your Apple or Google Wallet. For Apple users, Express Mode is enabled when you add the pass to your wallet, allowing you to hold your device to the touchpoint without opening your wallet or unlocking your device. Android users must unlock their devices before using their MagicMobile pass, but it’s just as easy.
I hope this answers your question, Ashley.
Let me know if you want more detailed information or have additional questions! I would happily share more of my MagicBand+, MagicMobile,
Disney Springs, and Disney World knowledge with you!
Brent