Magic Bands and Pace Maker

[drp4video]

After Over 30 visits to WDW and WDL combined, I have not been in three years and so many changes with respect to magic bands, ride reservations etc. The magic bands came today and there is a card about magic bands and pace makers, as well as hearing aids. I am taking my 82 year old mother who has a pace maker and I wear digital hearing aids. I am more nervous for her using the band than myself as I can't imagine it will affect the hearing aids but it says it can interfere with a pace maker due to radio frequency technology. I am not making advance dining reservations and the jury is out on the ride reservations just because I assume we will go to MK the first day, but i don't know how tired she will be (getting a motorized wheel chair), and not sure if we will go to a park the second day as she may be tired out from day one. We are going for three nights. Because I don't know if we will be one or two days, I won't buy tickets till we get there (no real advantage anyhow with just two days...I would have gotten a 10 day no expiration for me, but that option is out)

After all that:

Do I have to use a magic band or can you still get a plastic card? And if you can still get a room card I assume if I buy a daily ticket each day it will have nothing to do with the card (or the band for that matter), can I put a dining reservation on the card or ride reservation if I make them when I get there? (I realize I may be out of luck with those if I wait)

Or, if I make the ride or dining reservation before I go and put them on the band, can they be transfered to a card when we get there if mom can't use the band?

 

[Tom]

You can absolutely use the plastic cards for everything, INCLUDING Fastpass+ and Dining Reservations, if you were to book any. I would definitely not take the chance by using a Magic Band. There's a .00001% chance it would cause any harm, but since that chance exists, Disney has to write a disclaimer about it.

The cards have an RFID chip in them, but it's not an active transmitter like the one in the Magic Bands. They're 100% safe to use, and again, will not prohibit you from using most features of WDW.

The only thing you won't be able to do is have ride photos automatically linked to your Photopass/Memory Maker account, if you were to use/buy that. The rides that have that feature use the transmitter in your Magic Band to "find" you on the ride and link the picture to your account "magically". But that's certainly not something to risk your mother's health over.

 

[drp4video]

Thank you for the quick response. That is my thought as well. Probably ok, but won't chance it. Assume I can trade in the bands when we get to the AK lodge. (or at least hers). Not getting photopass or memory maker as I have so many pics from rides I could fill a book. This is the fourth time I have taken mom so we don't need them. Just going to pretty much wing this trip do what we can and if we can't do some things because we don't have a FP+ reservation it's fine. Been there and done them so many times. Just excited to be going to WDW and be there. Real purpose of the trip is her sister's 90th birthday, and she lives near Orlando. Can't go near Orlando without a stop at WDW. Usually go with my daughter and have never done much planning, never even know which park we will go to till the day of, but I assume next time we go that will change and we will get with the program lol

 

[Rob562]

Just one note about terminology to help get you thinking of the system properly.

There is absolutely nothing stored on or assigned "on the Band". The Band (and RFID cards) are all simply "pointers" to you in the MDE system. Your tickets, hotel, FP+, dining plan, etc are all aspects of your MDE profile. So when you scan a Band or card the system simply uses it to look up "you" in the MDE system.

When you check in, the front desk can give you (and anyone else who wants one) an RFID card. Either they or you can link the card to your MDE profile. That will then work for anything you need it to. There's no need to turn in the Band unless you don't want to have it at all.

When you buy your park ticket, the physical ticket can also be linked to your MDE profile. That card then also becomes an active card on your MDE profile and can be used for park entry, FP+, dining plan, room charging and room key.

Lastly, you might consider consulting with your Mom's doctor and/or the pacemaker's manufacturer. They may be able to give you a better idea of what issue the Band might be and whether there's a risk associated with it.

-Rob

 

[drp4video]

Thanks. I will have her check with her doctor.

 

[bethymouse]

My mom has a pacemaker too. I hope it doesn't cause any problems.