PHOTOS - Retail MagicBands take prominent position in Walt Disney World shops

[wdwmagic]

A few notes

Once used on a day ticket, can it be relinked for a future ticket? Or do you have to buy another Bagic Band for your next visit?

Are AP replacement bands still $50? Because if they are, that's funny.

The band links to your My Disney Experience account, so each time you buy a new ticket, you will link that new ticket to My Disney Experience, and in turn it will be linked to your MagicBand. So the quick answer is you will not need to buy another band. It is good for repeat visits and new tickets.

 

[JimmyHACK]

I think most people underestimate the 1-day people that would love to have this as a extra souvenir let alone the many magicband owners I have already seen say they want different colors just for different outfits I for one plan to get an extra for the toddler just for something she will like to wear until she can get her own pass next year.

 

[dstrawn9889]

the camera shop is where my parents bought my children's Magic bands. the store had been turning the stock constantly since opening on the 31st, barely keeping hte things on the shelves. they took the money and linked them at the registers, easy-peasy.

 

[disney4life2008]

They even have CMs outside stores advertising them!

I am sorry but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Again: Why on earth would an offsite guest want this? It is a waste of money.

 

[HDS]

Something to think about if you have more then one Magic band. Back in Jan 13 a trip with friends. One friend had two bands, one from a prier trip and a new one for that trip (yes we questioned why did they need to give another band but the CM's were also cornfuzeled). We had one friend not "with the band" but wanted to wear the other friends old band so she could "fit in". in line to enter Epcot, the "not with the band" friend entered the park before the rest using her paper ticket. When it came for the 2 band owning friend to enter, he was pulled aside and sent to CR. When we check with CM at the CR, they ask the 2 band friend "Did you enter the park and leave and come back?" Nooooo. "Well our system shows you entered two times." Well our quick thinking came into play "to ourselves...oh crap! Non-band friend is wearing the old band!"

Well, the CM just said we needed to deactivate the old band via the My Magic app and all would be fine. So lesson is, deactivate your bands if you let your friends wear them AND Disney knows where you are when you have them on!

 

[wdwmagic]

I am sorry but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Again: Why on earth would an offsite guest want this? It is a waste of money.

The advantage for an offsite guest would be that they no longer need to be concerned about pulling a card out to enter the park, PhotoPass or to use FastPass+. The MagicBand will also give them access to some of the attraction NextGen features when they come online - the cards cannot do this.

 

[dreamfinder]

Again: Why on earth would an offsite guest want this? It is a waste of money.

Why do guests buy lanyards and plastic sleeves to hang their cards around their necks? Even before RFID tickets. Why would someone want to do this? Is it that hard to pull the ticket out of your wallet/purse/pocket? Well people did for years.

Outside of the reasons Steve mentioned, using MBs means Mom & Dad (or whomever is bringing the kids along) don't have to worry about recollecting tickets and passing them back out all the time. Kids put the band on in the AM, and voila! Kids like to do things themselves.

 

[asianway]

I am sorry but this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. Again: Why on earth would an offsite guest want this? It is a waste of money.

Good call sending the comely lass out there to hawk them.

 

[tribbleorlfl]

Just got ours in the mail. While we liked the old emh bands, these things are clunkers and will take some getting used to & breaking in as they do not form a natural oval shape on the wrist.

This was my biggest concern about the MB's before we got them, as I have wide wrists and usually am in the last whole or two on my watches.

However, I've actually found them to be fairly unobtrusive to wear even after a full day sweating at the parks. They do fit naturally around my wrist if I wear Mickey on the side of my wrist as opposed to on top like a wrist watch (and how Disney recommends them being worn). Personally, I think that's the way they were designed to be worn, anyway, as the "notch" created by the Mickey section is more condusive for the profile of a wrist.

Also, the majority of the readers appear to be mounted facing inward as the guest passes by as opposed to outward facing the guest as they approach. All I have to do is raise my arm 90* to make contact with the reader, as opposed to awkwardly twisting my wrist if Mickey was on top (or if the reader was mounted facing outward). Wearing my MB as I do, I've had no trouble getting it quickly read at the turnstiles or FP entrances on the first tap.

 

[Ignohippo]

I for one plan to get an extra for the toddler just for something she will like to wear until she can get her own pass next year.

This would be a great idea (and I would do it too) but, since they have to be linked to a ticket, I don't think you'll be allowed to by one.

That's really silly, if so.

Only other option would be to buy another one for yourself and then deactivate one of them (if they allow passholders to buy them).

 

[RAXIP]

I for one plan to get an extra for the toddler just for something she will like to wear until she can get her own pass next year.

This would be a great idea (and I would do it too) but, since they have to be linked to a ticket, I don't think you'll be allowed to buy one.

You can buy a MagicBand for a guest under three without having to link a ticket to it. It is currently the only way to by an unlinked MagicBand.

 

[ScoutN]

No it is done at point of sale

That's wonderful. Half of the cashiers are slow with the computers as is, so let's make it more complicated on them. Touche, WDW!

 

[HM Spectre]

Maybe their hope is that if they replace all merchandise with Magic Bands, people who want a souvenir will have no choice but to buy them and eventually they'll be able to say they recouped the money sunk into MM+?

Ok... maybe not but I can't really think of another way to justify the Emporium looking like an Apple store.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

So people that buy the bands get the same benefits ? As in FP on them etc or just as a fashion lol

 

[Rob562]

That's wonderful. Half of the cashiers are slow with the computers as is, so let's make it more complicated on them. Touche, WDW!

Haven't seen it in-person yet, but I'd presume it's as quick as a Photopass photographer scanning a Band or RFID card. Push button, scan ticket, scan Band to associate with that ticket. If the ticket is linked to a MDE profile, the system would automatically do the necessary linking. CM doesn't have to do more than that.

Someone posted in another thread that the CM can also sell a Band and set it as "hold for later linking" which allows the Guest to link it to a MDE profile themselves. (Which if you think about it makes sense. Otherwise why would there by an option on the MDE site and app to link a Magic Band by serial number if there wasn't a way to obtain an unlinked Band?)

-Rob

 

[Rob562]

So people that buy the bands get the same benefits ? As in FP on them etc or just as a fashion lol

A Band is simply an alternative to the RFID ticket. No matter how you get into the park now, you have access to FP+.

-Rob

 

[ScoutN]

Haven't seen it in-person yet, but I'd presume it's as quick as a Photopass photographer scanning a Band or RFID card. Push button, scan ticket, scan Band to associate with that ticket. If the ticket is linked to a MDE profile, the system would automatically do the necessary linking. CM doesn't have to do more than that.

Someone posted in another thread that the CM can also sell a Band and set it as "hold for later linking" which allows the Guest to link it to a MDE profile themselves. (Which if you think about it makes sense. Otherwise why would there by an option on the MDE site and app to link a Magic Band by serial number if there wasn't a way to obtain an unlinked Band?)

-Rob

Exactly! An additional step for cashiers that already sit there and fumble over "what button to mash on this confounded screen" to select cash.

 

[Mickey_777]

um...yeah that's way too much wall/floor space dedicated to just the magic bands.

 

[BigTxEars]

Any real world feedback from issue (i.e. taking more time than it should) at the resisters when buying and linking MBs?

 

[JimmyHACK]

This would be a great idea (and I would do it too) but, since they have to be linked to a ticket, I don't think you'll be allowed to by one.

That's really silly, if so.

Only other option would be to buy another one for yourself and then deactivate one of them (if they allow passholders to buy them).

Ya I was just planning on getting an extra to my pass and unlinking it. Someone said under 3 they will sell you unlinked one. So either way, win win.