Necessity or Nuisance: MagicBand+ Lights Up at Walt Disney World

The highly anticipated MagicBand+ was recently released at Walt Disney World (and will be coming to Disneyland this fall!) as part of the resort’s 50th anniversary. While Dusty Sage was able to experiment with it earlier this summer, my son Johnny and I were able to see how it works around the parks. Join us on our journey as we explore the games, interactivity, lights, and taps that MagicBand+offers. 

Purchasing and Setting up MagicBand+ 

MagicBand+ is found at a few locations throughout Walt Disney World and there is quite a variety of both solid-colored and themed bands. The prices start at $34.99 for the solid and $44.99 for the themed bands; both versions include the charging cable. And if you lose your charging cable, replacements can be purchased.

We bought our MagicBand+ the day before we intended to use it in the parks. This ended up being a smart move as they were not fully charged and needed an update. Luckily, if you buy and use it on the same day the bands charge very quickly. The update only took a few minutes. What took the most time was linking the bands to the My Disney Experience account. With only a QR code to get instructions, it was difficult to navigate on my phone between the directions and linking the MagicBand+ on the same device. Some paper instructions would have been helpful. And it took multiple attempts to link both MagicBand+ devices.

Johnny and I headed to Magic Kingdom with my oldest son, who bought his MagicBand+ while at Magic Kingdom. He was having problems linking his band and went for help. The Guest Experience team told us they were having more problems linking bands to Android vs. iPhone. He continued to attempt to link the MagicBand+ to his Android throughout the day and was eventually successful.

You will need to be prepared to charge your MagicBand+ prior to each day of use as the charge does not last long. 

Fab 50 Character Statue Encounters with MagicBand+ 

One of the heavily promoted interactions with the new bands is the Fab 50 statues which now interact with a wave of the MagicBand+. Johnny excitedly approached our first statue to see what the character would say to him. As you get in the vicinity of a statue your MagicBand+ vibrates to let you know a MagicBand+ interaction is near. A simple wave and the Fab 50 statues speak or play music. With multiple interactions, you can try a second or third time for a different response.

Alas, the MagicBand+ interaction is not always as easy as a simple wave. First, try a soft wave. Then a little bigger. Maybe a little faster? Closer? Further away? A quick double tap on the band? It is indeed comical to watch children and adults frantically waving looking for a response from a statue. Although Johnny’s method is to run up to the statue and wave vigorously, we have found that the best method is to wave and then double-tap your band. If neither of those work, it’s best to walk away, come back, and try again.

You know when your band is successful because it lights up and vibrates. But with multiple people waving, your band doesn’t always interact. As we continued to move through the statues, it became a challenge for us to get our MagicBand+ to work.

The Disney Play app has a Fab 50 Quest so you can follow along and collect all 35 statues and 50 characters in all 4 theme parks. You even collect avatars of select characters, although where that leads to has yet to be seen. If you are playing the game, you want to make sure you get the character interaction by having your MagicBand+ vibrate and light up.

Bounty Hunting with MagicBand+

Star Wars fans have been waiting on the release of the MagicBand+ since the tease of the Bounty Hunter Quest in Galaxy’s Edge a few months back.  My little Jedi was ready to become a Bounty Hunter in Batuu. Once Johnny’s Disney Play account was set up we were on our way (more on that later).

It wasn’t too difficult to find the bounty board to accept a job near Black Spire Station. Johnny scanned his MagicBand+, went through the instructions, and accepted his first bounty. Note the instructions will display on the screen, but only the first time, after that you will only receive the information on your target and bounty information.

This is where the Disney Play App becomes important. The Disney Play app allows you to see your target, their name, crime, and the bounty credits the catch is worth.

Now that Johnny has his target, we are ready to search Batuu. The MagicBand+ lights up green and circles slowly so you know you are on the hunt. We headed towards the Marketplace. Johnny’s MagicBand+ continued to light green and began to circle faster. A sure sign we were headed in the right direction.

Suddenly the MagicBand+ lit up red, we went too far. Time to backtrack until the band turns green again. As we walked into Marketplace and the band lights started circling very quickly green with a fast vibration. We are back on track and getting closer.

Johnny approaches a door, and scans the entry point. The MagicBand+ flashes. Wrong door. Johnny heads to the next door, success, the band lights up purple. He’s located our target!

We open the Disney Play app and the scanner indicates the target has been located.

We point the device at the location of the target and the thermal scanner confirms the identity of his target.

Johnny and I head back to the Guildmaster’s Hideout to collect his credits (bounty). There was quite the line at times, so pack your patience.

Johnny really enjoyed Bounty Hunting. I can see this being a regular occurrence with our park visits, at least until he collects all the targets. There are only 20 targets currently, he’s already collected 7. Once Johnny has them all will it still be worth hunting? I”m not so sure, but only time will tell.

On a side note, the MagicBand+ will direct you to go up and down stairs to get into the Marketplace to locate your target. Walking past the stairs to go around to street-level access will cause your band to light red, and you would need to pick up the trail again once inside the Marketplace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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MagicBand+ Nighttime Show Interactions 

Unfortunately, our evening at Magic Kingdom got rained out and we were not able to experience Enchantment with the MagicBand+.

Over at EPCOT the MagicBand+ interacts with Harmonious and with Beacons of Light on Spaceship Earth. We were only able to catch one show, so we chose Harmonious. The MagicBand+ did not light up the entire show, only in portions of each segment. When the MagicBand+ did light up, it did coordinate well with the show and music overall with different light patterns and color combinations. The band even occasionally vibrated.

I will say I found myself forgetting to look at my MagicBand+ throughout the show, even though I was really trying to pay more specific attention to it. I noticed the same was true with Johnny, he noticed me raising my MagicBand+ to look at it and then looked at his.

MagicBand+ and Disney Play 

MagicBand+ works with Disney Play to complete quests. That said it is not necessary to experience any of the current interactions. Johnny enjoys using the Disney Play app, be it the trivia or games only available while waiting in line. It’s a must-do for him while we wait in line for Rise of the Resistance.

However, Disney Play is associated with the My Disney Experience account holder. Therefore, Johnny has always played in my Disney Play. But with the MagicBand+ interacting with Disney Play, it would make sense for Johnny to have his own. There is a workaround where parents can authorize a child to have access to Disney Play. This took me about 20 minutes with a Guest Experience Cast Member to figure out how to get Johnny set up and signed into his own account with the proper permissions.

The problem is that each family member would need to have a device with the app to be able to play and interact with MagicBand+. Johnny doesn’t have his own device, which left me changing my Disney Play to his account. That means I cannot complete quests within Disney Play and if Johnny wants to continue his quest in the Resistance Encampment he either needs to start over or continue on my account. 

I can live without my Disney Play and let Johnny use my device. Unfortunately, the Disney Play switch was not easy and I am unsure how to change the app back from Johnny to me as it uses the same account information. That’s a Guest Experience visit for another day in the distant future. 

MagicBand+ Hit or Miss? 

Johnny and I have slightly different opinions when it comes to MagicBand+. I think that it is an expense that isn’t really necessary for an entire family. If one person has a MagicBand+ everyone can experience and see the band interact, with the exception of the vibration. I see my band quickly becoming a dust catcher with my numerous previous version of MagicBands.

Contrary to my experience, Johnny loves the MagicBand+. Even though he got a little frustrated when the Fab 50 statues didn’t immediately react, he would just move on to the next one. For him, Bounty Hunting was a big hit and probably the highlight of wearing the MagicBand+. At the moment he is committed to wearing the band, where previously he wasn’t.

Overall, the MagicBand+ is a nice gimmick, but I would like to see what else they can do with it to make it a more attractive buy. After all, its bells and whistles are pretty but currently limited. More activities in more parks are needed. And maybe (we’re hoping) the MagicBand+ will allow some of the promises of Galaxy’s Edge to come to fruition.

Let’s Hear From You

Have you purchased a MagicBand+? What do you think of its features? Do you think that the various MagicBand+ interactions around the parks are worth the $35+ purchase? Are you curious to see what the differences between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland MagicBand+ integrations will be? Please share your thoughts in the comments below. 

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