Hi there, Lynne - welcome to
planDisney!
Thanks for stopping by with a question for our team of panelists. We love to help Guests just like you plan your very own, very magical,
Walt Disney World Resort vacations!
I'm excited to hEAR that you have a trip planned for February next year - how fun! This is definitely one of my favorite times to visit each year as the Florida weather cools off a bit. During your visit, be sure to check out my favorite new attraction -
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at
EPCOT - it's a blast!
While there are
tons of magical benefits to staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection property, there are also many other great options in the Orlando area. Even though I typically use my Apple Watch with a
MagicMobile pass to access the Theme Parks and Lightning Lane entrances, I still wear a MagicBand to more easily unlock my door at my Disney Resort, and in line with your question, I also like to have it on as a backup for attraction photos.
While there are many attractions that are able to
link your photos through the My Disney Experience Mobile App on your bluetooth-enabled smartphone, in my experience, this system doesn't always work perfectly. At the end of the day, having my MagicBand on is an extra backup in case the system doesn't sense my smartphone for some reason. PhotoPass doesn't indicate how it links each photo, so I don't really know if my MagicBand or smartphone make the link on any given attraction, but I still like to have the backup just in case.
I suggest everyone who has the app and their own My Disney Experience account turns on bluetooth and gives the app permission to use it. Then, I would also encourage anyone who has a MagicBand linked to their account to wear it, just as a back-up. If you don't already own MagicBands, you might want to check out the
MagicBand+ which recently launched. It has some amazing new features, is rechargeable, and magically interactive. Check them out!
I know this isn't the simple answer you were seeking, but I hope it is helpful.
Please let us know if any more questions pop up as you continue planning!
Ryan J.