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

M

MrMichaelJames

Active 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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Think bigger. NFC or bluetooth. Just walk up to the reader and if you have your phone on you it detects how many are allowed automatically and the CM lets you in. I would prefer to not have to have magic bands on the whole family. On our most recent trip in Feb/March it is just one more thing to remember to put on the kids on the way out of the room for the day. Also checking their bands throughout the day to make sure they were still there. We found many bands on the ground that fell off of people.
 
G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
Coming January 2021 to Disney park guests everywhere ....

OIP.jpg


😁 😁
 
412

412

Well-Known Member
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.
 
G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known 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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You can still use the MagicBand. You just have to pay for one now. I will.
 
G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
MrMichaelJames said:
Think bigger. NFC or bluetooth. Just walk up to the reader and if you have your phone on you it detects how many are allowed automatically and the CM lets you in. I would prefer to not have to have magic bands on the whole family. On our most recent trip in Feb/March it is just one more thing to remember to put on the kids on the way out of the room for the day. Also checking their bands throughout the day to make sure they were still there. We found many bands on the ground that fell off of people.
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Good points but I'll still buy the bands. A) It is still a nice thing to have from our trips and B) I don't have to worry about getting my MB wet in the pools. I can see the appeal though.
 
A

aaronml

Well-Known Member
This is super frustrating, albeit not surprising. I had a feeling this would happen at some point after they introduced the mobile key feature.

Problems I can see with this approach:
- People’s phones dying and not being able to enter the park / use an FP+
- People missing out on PhotoPass ride photos that use the long range RFID chip
- People taking longer to enter/scan in the FP+ line due to having to get their KTTW card out of their wallet, etc. (think about how a cashless line at a grocery store usually moves fastest)
 
G00fyDad

G00fyDad

Well-Known Member
peter11435 said:
You don’t have to smash the watch again the touchpoints to get it to work. In fact even with the current card/magicbands you don’t have to physically make contact with the touch point for it to read.
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We always had issues with the MB being read unless it was touching.
 
dmw

dmw

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Not a fan of this change - one less benefit for on property guests. Plus, Disney apps are already notorious battery drains. Having to keep the app running for photopass on rides to work is not going to be good for the battery. Nope, not happy about this.
 

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