Hi, Lori. Welcome back to planDisney!
As a seasoned
Walt Disney World Resort vacation veteran, you know how convenient and fun using a
MagicBand or MagicBand+ is during your visit. The bands can unlock your
Disney Resorts Collection hotel room door, tap in at the theme parks, purchase food or merchandise, and access the Virtual Queue and Lightning Lane entrances, making visiting the parks a breeze.
The older versions of MagicBands have an internal battery that cannot be replaced, recharged, or checked through your
My Disney Experience app. Disney estimates the battery will last about two years and states that the battery is primarily used to connect guests to
Disney PhotoPass. So, even if the battery is no longer functioning, using the Mickey touchpoints to do what I mentioned above should still work. Unfortunately, you won’t know until you try it. I have MagicBands well beyond the estimated two-year mark, and I have continued to use it without issue.
Given the uncertainty of your current MagicBands functionality, I think you deserve an upgrade! If you want to purchase one before your vacation, the
Disney Store will be your best option. If you want to give your current MagicBand one last chance and it has stopped working, I recommend
Pin Traders – Camera Center inside EPCOT or the
Pin-Traders location at Disney Springs.
I hope this helps, Lori! You know where to find us if you have any additional or follow-up questions!
See you real soon!
Brent