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

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
For the folks spending the big bucks to stay at a WDW resort magic bands should be included!

This is just more penny wise and dollar foolish decisions by Disney. That said, no matter what TWDC does, the stock price stays high, it’s at $181 at this moment...

Well at least things are starting to get back to normal 😀
 

wdwmagic

Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
Original Poster
Somewhere in Burbank California, Bob Cheap-ek is rubbing his bald head in glee at the expiration of something free.
Would be interesting to know the numbers. By January 2015, Disney had distributed more than 10 million MagicBands to guests. How many in the following 5 years.
 

ThatMouse

Well-Known Member
We have like 30 magic bands each, but it may be a good idea to stop using them. I actually prefer a card I can put away. And using a regular credit card is better for disputing charges.
 

Skywise

Well-Known Member
So what happens to the make your magic photos on the rides which would scan your bands and make automatic photos/videos to your account?
Your smart devices won't allow that nor will the cards...
 

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
It would make PR sense if Disney kept magic bands and for all those people with magic bands sitting in a draw have a program to recycle and you get a magic band as a free replacement. Promote recycling and saving the environment, I would think they could replace the battery and reprogram and use again. Remember the big PR deal with plastic straws replaced with paper. I have several MB in my closet.
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
So what happens to the make your magic photos on the rides which would scan your bands and make automatic photos/videos to your account?
Your smart devices won't allow that nor will the cards...
Why wouldn't the cards work the same? Not a problem putting a RFID antenna in a card
 

M:SpilotISTC12

Well-Known Member
Would be interesting to know the numbers. By January 2015, Disney had distributed more than 10 million MagicBands to guests. How many in the following 5 years.
Oh I'm sure its an obscene amount but I think they could have found a happy medium. Give them to first time park goers which seems to be Disney main target audience anyway. Or give them to people to haven't gone since Magicband 1.0. They didn't need to give them to everyone for every trip if they already had one. They track everything we do any way so why not track how many magic bands you have and cut you off like a bartender. It doesn't have to be all or none.
 

castlecake2.0

Well-Known Member
While it’s definitely a cost reduction, it’s also part of commitment to trying to reduce the amount of waste the property creates. It would have been better if it was a seamless transition to smart device capability because now there is this weird gap in service.
 

brettf22

Premium Member
Why wouldn't the cards work the same? Not a problem putting a RFID antenna in a card
I believe the cards only hold a passive RFID that requires very close proximity to the reader (like tapping upon park entry or at a Fastpass reader). The distance involved in the automatic on-ride photopass capability requires a powered RFID solution, i.e. a battery, which the magicbands contain. This is why folks have reported that even the oldest gen 1 magicbands will still work to get you into the park and function with the FastPass readers, but may not work for on-ride Photopass, since their batteries may have died.

Putting a battery in a card, while not impossible, would make them much thicker than a simple card.
 

giantgolfer

Well-Known Member
We have an enormous Mickey head frame on our wall in the family room that has all the magic bands we’ve used in our trips over the years. There’s no way we’re going to stop using magic bands. We need to fill up that frame! It’s just unfortunate that we’ll have to pay for them from no on.
 

Disstevefan1

Well-Known Member
We have like 30 magic bands each, but it may be a good idea to stop using them. I actually prefer a card I can put away. And using a regular credit card is better for disputing charges.
See, I have a different thought on this, the Magic band is so convenient; it’s right there on your wrist, its waterproof, etc. I was hoping in the future it could be loaded with money like a gift card. Any time I don’t have to reach into my pocket to get something out of my wallet is a plus. This also goes for my phone.

Picture this. You have just finished your fun day at WDW, your hands are full with all the cool stuff you got at the park plus some treats to bring back to your room.

Using the magic band with your arms full, you can still get the door open. If you are using your phone or a card now you must fish it out of your pocket. In the case of the phone I wonder how may cracked screens will happen as a result of dropping your phone trying to get your phone out with your arms full to open the door.

That said, it looks like you will still be able to BUY magic bands, they just won’t be free any more. Disney wins again.
 

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
I would love it if we could replace the battery to get full use of it for years. How hard would that have been?
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
 

JoeCamel

Well-Known Member
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
If they made an access panel they couldn't give them to kids. Choking/battery hazzard
 

CAV

Well-Known Member
Pretty sure they will have to provide alternate options for non-technical guests.
Probably, not. On a recent trip, after having reservations at Kona Cafe for breakfast for months, I wasn't able to check in unless I did it on the mobile app. My phone was requiring me to change a bunch of settings for it to work and i wasn't going to do it. I was INFURIATED at the CM with the huge smile her face basically telling me to bite it.
 

CAV

Well-Known Member
True, though it is certainly less convenient than having something wearable. Not only is there the extra step of having to take out such a card from whatever holder but also with going to the pool/waterpark (especially for women who don't generally have pockets in a bathing suit). It's also less ideal for children to be able to carry their own. The card also doesn't allow for the distance function to automatically work with ride photos, etc.

I'm curious as to what the price will be for the MBs staying at a resort. If it's cheap enough, I suspect my family will just bite the bullet any buy them because they are so convenient. Or maybe we'll go with the KTTW cards and wear lanyards like we do at Uni.
I dont use a MB. I use my card. There is no new to take it out of my wallet. I just tap my wallet to the ball.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom