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

[lazyboy97o]

I’m torn. I love the idea of the MB and I like that the kids aren’t on their phones all day. I see the desire to have customers supply their own device to eliminate a cost. I guess we’ll just have to buy those phone cases with the extra battery incorporated into it and hope for the best.

Or keep using MagicBands or the cards...

 

[Magic Feather]

This conversion has been rough.
Effectively, this is reverting to the KTTW card era with MB’s as an optional upcharge.
A lot of the phone components aren’t online yet, and even once they are, it will likely be plagued with reliability issues (keyless entry is already super unreliable).
Some cast are even unfamiliar with KTTW cards, leading to some GR and Ops confusion.

 

[JoeCamel]

This conversion has been rough.
Effectively, this is reverting to the KTTW card era with MB’s as an optional upcharge.
A lot of the phone components aren’t online yet, and even once they are, it will likely be plagued with reliability issues (keyless entry is already super unreliable).
Some cast are even unfamiliar with KTTW cards, leading to some GR and Ops confusion.

I would expect nothing less from WDW

 

[reptar77]

Easter Eggs at FP and entrance taps?

They are special effects depending on what kind of magic band it is. Here is a link to a site that has some videos https://www.magicbandcollectors.com/extras/fp-videos/

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Some cast are even unfamiliar with KTTW cards, leading to some GR and Ops confusion.

Surely the decades long industry standard of plastic room key card you can charge to, shouldn't be too hard to understand?

And AFAIK the KTTW cards never went away, the MB were just the default option to guests.

 

[NelsonRD]

They are special effects depending on what kind of magic band it is. Here is a link to a site that has some videos https://www.magicbandcollectors.com/extras/fp-videos/

Thank you, but special effects are not electronic/software easter eggs.
Easter eggs are secret responses that occur as a result of an undocumented set of commands.

If you were to suggest scanning the magic bands in a special order, or sequence, would prompt a different response, or scanning something other than a Mickey Head, or as such, would be an easter egg. Sorry, it is just a terminology difference.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Surely the decades long industry standard of plastic room key card you can charge to, shouldn't be too hard to understand?

And AFAIK the KTTW cards never went away, the MB were just the default option to guests.

I had cm’s ask me “what is this” when showing my kttw card for extra magic hours. I never cared much for the bands and would always ask for a kttw card.

 

[tirian]

@wdwmagic But since the bands weren’t really free and were built into the cost of the hotel stay, are the rooms discounted a tiny bit to account for the saved money?

I make myself laugh.

 

[Armerius]

@wdwmagic But since the bands weren’t really free and were built into the cost of the hotel stay, are the rooms discounted a tiny bit to account for the saved money?

I make myself laugh.

I still think its absolute BS there os no more complementary MB. Hope mine still works when i return.

 

[GinaD613]

Tried one time to take a MB apart to get to the battery ---got to the battery and would be able to replace it but you can't put the MB back together. If they just made an access panel it would be so simple

All the kings horses and all the kings men
Couldnt put Humpty Dumpty’s magic band back together again!

 

[Gringrinngghost]

A simple way to look at this. MagicBands cost less than 5 bucks to make, and that was before the shipping costs aod BOM (Bill of Materials) that have gone up from the tariffs
.

 

[ppete1975]

i just find it funny they use the words "complimentary and free"
you were always paying for it.. im sure if it was itemized there was a spot for magic band in the companys books.
now you pay the same and dont get something you were paying for all along
a better option and would have made disney look better is
"in an effort to be green and reduce electronic waste, if you decide you dont want a magic band we will reduce your hotel stay by 10 dollars" Or like the "free parking" going away. As part of our green initiative if you are cutting down on emissions by arriving by magic bus we will reduce your hotel stay by 20 dollars a day (whatever the parking cost), they could have added all these fees to the next price increase and nobody would have though anything about it. Instead it sounds greedy when they remove things or start charging you for things that used to be free. They could have used the environment and going green to do the same thing.

 

[_caleb]

Instead of MagicBands, they’re giving out complimentary smartphone cases. These cases are themed, waterproof, and you can still interact with your phone while it’s inside!

 

[castlecake2.0]

This conversion has been rough.
Effectively, this is reverting to the KTTW card era with MB’s as an optional upcharge.
A lot of the phone components aren’t online yet, and even once they are, it will likely be plagued with reliability issues (keyless entry is already super unreliable).
Some cast are even unfamiliar with KTTW cards, leading to some GR and Ops confusion.

We’re the phone components delayed? I just wish it would have been a more seamless transition. I have to admit though, today when I was at Art’s front desk and they asked to see my KTTW card I was flooded with nostalgia lol

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I really like the MB also. It is great when you go to the pool, especially. I travel solo and would always worry about leaving my room key unattended while in the water because we know that woman's swimsuits don't have pockets. I also try to travel as light as possible and it's great to have park ticket right on your wrist instead of digging into pockets. So many people would stop right after they got through the turnstiles to put their tickets away causing a bottleneck because their brain stops working on vacation to go up and move out of the way. MB helped with that and kept people moving. Also, I travelled with my kids when they were little and my hands where always pretty full. It is amazing to not have to dig through your bags or pockets to get the room key. It might sound like it's no big deal, but it really was a hassle, especially if you are holding a little one. I really don't understand the hatred for them some people have. It was always optional and it really is a convenience for so many.

I generally used - or tried to use my MB - so I'm not a MB hater by any means. In fact, long before WDW had them, Great Wolf Lodge had wristbands, and many times I suggested them whenever I filled out a WDW survey.

That said, many times over my Magic bands didn't work properly. I don't think the problem was the bands themselves, but an error in how WDW had listed my identity in their system. In short, sometimes the bands worked for me, but often they don't, starting with my first MB. I made 3 trips to the front desk to get it fixed, which was time consuming. Our trip ended before it was resolved. My bands would work for park entry and FP, but nothing else.

Having to go to the front desk multiple times to get a problem resolved is rather time consuming, and sometimes = an outsize hassle. It might = missing an ADR or FP, or visiting the front desk while everyone else naps. So they nap, and wake up refreshed.

Sometimes CM's are pretty nice, and they'll even offer some small compensation for the lost time.

Other times though, explaining the problem is a huge hassle. Some CM's think it is impossible for WDW to ever have a glitch. Those CM's make reporting a technical problem a miserable experience: accusing me of theft or something nefarious. And those CM's refuse to try to fix the problem. Another fun experience is a CM hinting I'm too dumb to use a MB. It didn't matter how many times I said my companions' bands worked just fine whenever we traded.
So then what? Wait in line again the next day in the hopes of getting a different CM? Be THAT person, and ask to speak to a manager? Suffice it to say, reporting MB problems have sometimes been a less-than-magical experience.

Mostly, I just gave up and put up with it, because that is less aggravating.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I generally used - or tried to use my MB - so I'm not a MB hater by any means. In fact, long before WDW had them, Great Wolf Lodge had wristbands, and many times I suggested them whenever I filled out a WDW survey.

That said, many times over my Magic bands didn't work properly. I don't think the problem was the bands themselves, but an error in how WDW had listed my identity in their system. In short, sometimes the bands worked for me, but often they don't, starting with my first MB. I made 3 trips to the front desk to get it fixed, which was time consuming. Our trip ended before it was resolved. My bands would work for park entry and FP, but nothing else.

Having to go to the front desk multiple times to get a problem resolved is rather time consuming, and sometimes = an outsize hassle. It might = missing an ADR or FP, or visiting the front desk while everyone else naps. So they nap, and wake up refreshed.

Sometimes CM's are pretty nice, and they'll even offer some small compensation for the lost time.

Other times though, explaining the problem is a huge hassle. Some CM's think it is impossible for WDW to ever have a glitch. Those CM's make reporting a technical problem a miserable experience: accusing me of theft or something nefarious. And those CM's refuse to try to fix the problem. Another fun experience is a CM hinting I'm too dumb to use a MB. It didn't matter how many times I said my companions' bands worked just fine whenever we traded.
So then what? Wait in line again the next day in the hopes of getting a different CM? Be THAT person, and ask to speak to a manager? Suffice it to say, reporting MB problems have sometimes been a less-than-magical experience.

Mostly, I just gave up and put up with it, because that is less aggravating.

I had a similar problem in California with my Premier Pass. It would scan at the gate but wouldn’t work for fastpass or discounts and it was good for discounts at all counter service restaurants including Starbucks.

Since it wouldn’t scan, the cm would have to call a manager to enter the discount manually. Guest relations sent me to ticketing, ticketing sent me back to guest relations, the problem was never fixed.

Ticketing did give me a paper ticket that would work for fastpass at least, but the discount issue was never resolved on that trip.

 

[JFP]

I have a trip booked for the 24th-30th of January. Received an email on the 29th with tracking information for my Magic Bands. I have checked the tracking information every day and it shows that they are awaiting pickup, but no updates. Is this a glitch? Should I still expect to receive them? If they are unavailable now, will I be issued a card at check-in? My apologies, I haven't had a trip without a Band since I was a kid.

 

[gorebunch]

I have a trip booked for the 24th-30th of January. Received an email on the 29th with tracking information for my Magic Bands. I have checked the tracking information every day and it shows that they are awaiting pickup, but no updates. Is this a glitch? Should I still expect to receive them? If they are unavailable now, will I be issued a card at check-in? My apologies, I haven't had a trip without a Band since I was a kid.

Same happened to ours. It took a few weeks from when they showed as awaiting pickup but we received them. We check in on the 15th of January.

 

[JFP]

Same happened to ours. It took a few weeks from when they showed as awaiting pickup but we received them. We check in on the 15th of January.

Thanks!

 

[MickeyLuv'r]

I have a trip booked for the 24th-30th of January. Received an email on the 29th with tracking information for my Magic Bands. I have checked the tracking information every day and it shows that they are awaiting pickup, but no updates. Is this a glitch? Should I still expect to receive them? If they are unavailable now, will I be issued a card at check-in? My apologies, I haven't had a trip without a Band since I was a kid.

I'm not sure how they are being shipped, but USA shipping is a hot mess right now. (Though I really could have used an even more colorful expression there.) I placed an order on December 6 that didn't arrive until December 30. Sigh. Too late.

The holiday shipping challenges didn't appear to get much media coverage, but ALL the USA shipping companies experienced major problems this holiday season.