Stacey,
Thanks for asking your questions to planDisney!
While I have enjoyed some of the great new features of my
MagicBand+ band, you are still welcome to use bands you have from a past visit. As you can imagine, there are a few things you cannot do with a previous version band, like the
Batuu Bounty Hunters quest in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. But all of the features you experienced with your bands before should still work just fine, like using it as a key to your Disney Resort hotel room.
A few notes, however.
First of all, while the new MagicBand+ bands are rechargeable, older band versions are not. Depending on how old they are, they might not work any longer, and there is no way to confirm that from home, unfortunately. There is no official time frame on how long a band will continue to work, but my friends and I find that they typically have a life of about 2 years.
Next, know that Disney no longer provides bands to guests as a complimentary part of a resort package. However, if you are staying at a Disney resort hotel, you can pre-order some of the new MagicBand+ bands at a significant discount. To order a band via your
My Disney Experience account, if your stay qualifies you to do so, simply start by hovering over
"My Disney Experience" on the main page of the Walt Disney World website, in the upper right of the page. From the pop-up menu that appears, select
"My Magic Bands and Cards". From there you should see a series of prompts, beginning with
"Get Started" that will walk you through all the necessary steps.
BONUS MEAL TIPYes! Dinner at
Hollywood and Vine is a buffet experience. Roasted pork with mustard sauce - yummy!
BONUS BAND TIPIf you purchase 11 or more days ahead of time, and your shipping address is in the US, you can get the bands shipped to your home. Purchases from 6 to 10 days ahead of time will be waiting for you at your resort.
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!Doug