News Disney will be ending complimentary MagicBand distribution to Disney Resort hotel guests and moving to smart devices

Walt d

Walt d

Well-Known Member
G00fyDad said:
I'd rather not keep hitting my phone against the Mickey every time I want to use a FP. And I know Apple watch or iPhone users don't want to tap that glass against anything. LOL Will this be like that? Holding your smart device to the Mickey ball?
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I want them to end them all together, at the parks there Dum. Thanks Bobby i
 
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aaronml

Well-Known Member
wdwmagic said:
But its a hint of where thing are going. In the not too distant future this type of system will be commonplace.
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Perhaps. Developers have been begging Apple to open up enhanced functionality like NFC HCE (Host Card Emulation) (the feature that would allow Disney and others to do this sort of thing over NFC) for years without luck. Apple just doesn’t seem interested in it outside of a very narrow set of use cases (currently limited to Apple VAS And University ID cards)
 
MrPromey

MrPromey

Well-Known Member
heapster411 said:
It's not like we don't have at least 5 magic bands at our house. Disney is not giving out FREE ones. Just reuse one of the many that we ALL have at home. I was already planning to reuse the one I used last year for this trip in December.
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Except the battery in them doesn't last forever. True, they seem to do better than the one year life expectancy they're rated at but beyond that, it's a crap shoot.

I don't know enough about the tech - maybe someone can say if they are strictly passive or if they use more battery when in range of devices to boost signal (i.e. does battery drain faster with more usage or does it not really matter?)
 
FullSailDan

FullSailDan

Well-Known Member
MrPromey said:
Except the battery in them doesn't last forever. True, they seem to do better than the one year life expectancy they're rated at but beyond that, it's a crap shoot.

I don't know enough about the tech - maybe someone can say if they are strictly passive or if they use more battery when in range of devices to boost signal (i.e. does battery drain faster with more usage or does it not really matter?)
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My magic bands from 5 years ago still work perfectly with almost weekly heavy use in the parks. That said, batteries are a crapshoot, even getting the "same" one from a manufacturer could have wild differences as they often use multiple different sources or factories to get their product.
 
redsfan4life

redsfan4life

Active Member
Don't like it . Its unfair to people like myself who at 47 does not even own a flip phone . Do not like being able to be gotten ahold of instantly . Should not have to buy a magic band I guess I will go back to the KTTW Card . but probally wont be able to get FP or Dining Reservations anymore without a phone . What happen to all guests having the same oppurtunities
 
Pirate Magic

Pirate Magic

Well-Known Member
I don’t believe that guest are getting complimentary magic bands for their upcoming trips. I do believe that cost is included in your reservation. As we all know Disney never does anything for free there is always a catch.
 
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Lilofan

Well-Known Member
Ending complimentary magic bands. What's next, ending complimentary soap, shampoo and lotion in the resorts? Charging to use the public restrooms like they do in London and Paris?
 
peter11435

peter11435

Well-Known Member
redsfan4life said:
Don't like it . Its unfair to people like myself who at 47 does not even own a flip phone . Do not like being able to be gotten ahold of instantly . Should not have to buy a magic band I guess I will go back to the KTTW Card . but probally wont be able to get FP or Dining Reservations anymore without a phone . What happen to all guests having the same oppurtunities
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You will still be able to use one of your existing magic bands or a KTTW card.

How do you make FP or Dining reservations currently without a phone?
 
jt04

jt04

Well-Known Member
redsfan4life said:
Don't like it . Its unfair to people like myself who at 47 does not even own a flip phone . Do not like being able to be gotten ahold of instantly . Should not have to buy a magic band I guess I will go back to the KTTW Card . but probally wont be able to get FP or Dining Reservations anymore without a phone . What happen to all guests having the same oppurtunities
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Pretty sure they will have to provide alternate options for non-technical guests.
 
Andrew_Animatronic

Andrew_Animatronic

Active Member
412 said:
That is disappointing. MagicBands > cell phones at WDW for several reasons:
  • Children without cell phones can use MagicBands.
  • MagicBands don't need to be charged.
  • MagicBands are all waterproof.
  • MagicBands are a tangible reminder of the Disney difference. They remind you that WDW isn't a normal place where you pay with your cell phone or a credit card; rather, there is something fun and "magical" about using a MagicBand to enter rides, pay for meals, or open your room. It might sound silly, but this is part of the reason why people are so sad to take them off at the end of their trip.
  • They reduce the need for cell phones. The best times at WDW are when you're free of distraction from the outside world and you can be wholly immersed in the environment. Cell phones—with social media, work emails, etc.—work against that immersion. I think any new plan that encourages guests to use their phones more is a step in the wrong direction.
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I agree, particularly with the ide of the "Disney difference." There is something that is lost when a young child can no longer tap his "magical bracelet" and get into his room, enter the parks, or check in for a fastpass, and instead has to rely on mom or dad's cell phone. This will be seen as what it is, blatant cost cutting and upcharging.
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
Good. What an absolute waste of resources. I can’t even imagine the amount of these that have ended up in the trash further polluting our planet.

Don’t have a smart phone? Buy a discounted magic band Or
get one of the cards.

Or finally step into the 21st century.

(FYI, if it’s like disneyland, you only need one phone with all your tickets tied into that account).
 
Jon81uk

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
aaronml said:
Oh, also people getting locked out of their rooms at the end of the day due to a dead battery. This definitely complicates the whole DTR (Direct to Room) process since it means that some folks will only have a mobile key and not a KTTW card unless they go to the front desk and ask for one
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This shouldn't be an issue.

Apple rolled out support for student ID within Wallet two years ago and part of this is that it continues to work for five hours even after the phone shuts down due to low battery.

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208965

I expect the Disney use to be almost identical to these campus ID uses.
 
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aaronml

Well-Known Member
Jon81uk said:
This shouldn't be an issue.

Apple rolled out support for student ID within Wallet two years ago and part of this is that it continues to work for five hours even after the phone shuts down due to low battery.

See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208965

I expect the Disney use to be almost identical to these campus ID uses.
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Except that it isn’t. Apple has explicitly not opened up that functionality outside of the Campus ID use case. I am 100% sure that this is going to be BLE-based at least initially. This is precisely the reason why the second generation Touch Points have BLE support. This has been planned for years.
 
G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
tissandtully said:
You won't have to actually touch it. Not sure if you're using your ApplePay right if you're doing this lol
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LOL You wouldn't catch me dead with an Apple product. (I am NOT trying to start a Samsung vs Apple war. LOL) I was just referring to the way we have always had to bump our MB against the Mickey ball to get it to read it correctly. Infuriating. Especially since I have watched others just pass it close and it works.
 
Jon81uk

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
Pirate Magic said:
I don’t believe that guest are getting complimentary magic bands for their upcoming trips. I do believe that cost is included in your reservation. As we all know Disney never does anything for free there is always a catch.
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I don't see them reducing the room rate by $12 per person though. Same as when parking started to be charged for which used to be "included".
 

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