Disney Magic Bands 101: Everything You Need to Know

Looking around Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or Disney Cruises, one can’t help but notice the sheer number of colorful bands on other guests’ wrists. These are Disney Magic Bands, Disney’s fashionable way of making your time at the park more convenient. Since their debut in 2013, Magic Bands have become an essential part of a Disney trip for many. So, whether you’re getting ready for your first experience with Magic Bands or you just want to know all there is to know, here’s everything you’ll need to know about Disney Magic Bands.

The year 2013 saw both the announcement and release of what was called one of the “26 Coolest Gadgets of 2014” by Fortune Magazine. These are Disney Magic Bands, a fashionable way of making your time in the parks and on a cruise more convenient. Since their debut in 2013, Magic Bands have become an essential part of a Disney trip for many. So, whether you’re getting ready for your first experience with Magic Bands or you just want to know all there is to know, here’s everything you’ll need to know about Disney Magic Bands.

First, What Are Disney Magic Bands?

First and foremost, we need to answer the question of what exactly is a Magic Band? To put it simply, Magic Bands are an all-in-one tool for your day in the park. It can take your card, ticket, and even room key and replace it with a colorful band on your wrist.

What You Can Do With a Magic Band?

As I previously mentioned, Magic Bands can do a number of things for guests at Walt Disney World, Disney Cruises, or Disneyland. By linking your new band to your account on My Disney Experience, anything attached to that account is now linked to your band. Have a ticket or annual pass attached to your account? Guess what! You can use your band at the park entrance to get in.

Staying on property? Don’t worry about losing your key; so long as you’ve got your band, you can get in your room. Don’t want to carry your card around? Link a credit card to your account, simply touch your band at check out, and be on your way.

That all sounds pretty cool, right? Well, to quote early 2000s infomercial salespeople, “Wait, there’s more!” If you have Disney PhotoPass on your trip, the photographers can tap your band to send your photos to your account. Lightening Lane, virtual queue access, and even a Disability Access Service can all be accessed by your band.

As long as you have any of these three on your account, and it’s the proper time, you can touch your band, Mickey-to-Mickey, at the Lightening Lane entrance and skip the line of your favorite ride!

Types of Magic Bands

Currently, there are two types of bands. The first is the standard Magic Band, which doesn’t have many bells and whistles. It consists of a puck that is enclosed within an adjustable band. The puck can be removed by undoing a small screw used on its own. Shops inside the parks and Disney Springs even sell keychains designed to hold the small puck if you don’t want to wear the band! You’ve also got the option to mix and match bands and pucks if you like.

The second, newer, of the two types, is the Magic Band+. This little beauty has all the tricks of your standard Magic Band, including being able to remove the puck and swap bands, but with a little extra pixie dust. Each Magic Band+ comes with a charging cord, meaning it has a battery. Why does it need a batter? Well, that’s the pixie dust! A Magic Band+ can interact with different things, mainly around Disney World.

Lights around the puck will glow, and colors will dance in sync with fireworks and attractions. Golden statues of beloved Disney characters that are scattered around the four Disney World parks can be waved to while you’re wearing the band, and they will come to life with sounds, voices, and even music!

For the Star Wars lovers in the crowd, get a load of this next feature! Those who have always wanted to know what it’s like being a bounty hunter in the galaxy far, far away, check out the Play Disney app. This app connects to My Disney Experience and is filled with little games to play while waiting in lines or while you walk around.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Magic Bands

With this app comes a game that can be played in both Disney World and Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge called Batuu Bounty Hunters. This game turns your Magic Band+ into a tracking fob.

You’ll work to track down bounties for the local guild and earn credits for jobs completed. Simply follow the direction of the light on your band to hunt down your target, use your phone as a thermal viewer to find where they’re hiding, and then return to the guild’s entrance to earn your reward. Do enough jobs for them, and the guild may just welcome you as a new member!

Magic Band Prices

Starting to want a Magic Band of your own? Well then, let’s talk prices! Depending on a number of factors, a band can cost between $35 and $65. Plain-colored, standard bands are usually the cheapest. The upgraded versions are a bit more expensive, even when plain colored, due to the extra features. A Magic Band can increase in price depending on if there is a character design or if it is a limited or special edition.

As a little secret from me to you, there’s a way to get Magic Bands, sometimes even the special ones, for cheaper than in the parks. Off-property are stores nearby in Orlando, Florida called Disney’s Character Warehouse. These are outlet shops owned by Disney to sell merchandise that has been discontinued in the parks for a discount. Both types of bands can be found here fairly often. Staying at a Disney hotel will also give you a discount on a band.

Where to Get Your Band

Now that prices are out of the way, where do you get your dream Magic band? Of course, I’ve already mentioned how you are able to find bands at the Character Warehouse, but where are they on property? Magic Bands and the Magic Band+ variety can be found in stores throughout all four Disney World parks, Disney Springs in Florida, Disneyland, California Adventure, and Downtown Disney in California, and even on your Disney Cruise! The gift shops inside Disney hotels, both in Florida and California, are also safe bets.

If you want to have Magic Bands ready to go before you leave for a Disney Trip, check out the Disney Store website. You’ll be able to order the style you like and have them shipped straight to your home! If you find a band that you like from a third-party seller, here’s a very important tip you need to remember: Do. Not. Buy. Used Magic Bands! If someone tries to sell you a band that they used for their own trip, it will not work for you.

Magic Bands can only be connected to one person. They cannot be transferred. In other words, if you buy a used Magic band, you’ll just be buying it as an accessory and not something you can use. Another word of warning: Only the same Magic Band+ can be used in both Disney World and Disney Land. The older bands cannot do this.

How to Link Your Magic Band to My Disney Experience

So, you’ve got your Magic Band or Magic Band+. Great! Now, how do you link the band so that you can actually use it? Well, lucky you, that’s what’s next up for the chopping block. Okay, first things first, you’ll need the My Disney Experience and an account to go with it. If you don’t want to use the app, bands can also be linked online, but we’ll get to that second. Once you’ve got the app up and ready to grab your new band.

If you’re the proud owner of a new Magic Band+, you’ll also need to make sure it’s on to link it by pressing the little grey button. Tap the rightmost symbol on the very bottom of the screen. It looks like three lines stacked on top of each other, kind of like a burger. Once there, you’ll see a page that has six squares with options for things like tickets and passes, reservations, merchandise checkout, and mobile ordering, but you want to ignore those. Instead, scroll down to the header that says “Account” and tap the option “Link to Account.” For those heading to Disneyland, use the specific Disneyland app, it’ll follow the same steps.

This area will give you three different methods to link your band, tickets, and passes to your account. Option one is to use your phone’s camera to scan the code on the back of your band. Option two is a scanner that allows bands to be linked by touching your band to the back of your phone. The third and final option is to type the ID number for your band directly. This option can be a little tedious because Magic Band IDs can be long. However, it’s a good method to have, especially if the previous two are being finicky.

The method of linking a band with the computer is roughly the same as the third option. First, go to the official Disney World website you require and log in or make an account. Next, you’ll see an option in the upper right corner that says “My Disney Experience.” Hover over this for the dropdown menu to appear, and select “My Magic Band and Cards.” Once the page loads scroll down to “Link a Magic Band” and click the link button. After that, type in your band’s ID, and you should be ready to go!

Once linked, your band will appear under the “Magic Bands and Cards” in the app. A linked Magic Band+ will also show information on its battery level, connection status, and give you the option to customize the lights in your band!

Special Magic Bands

Now that all the important stuff is out of the way, let’s talk special bands! First things first, what am I referring to when I say “special bands?” Well, simply, they’re the special edition Magic Bands released by Disney. These can be for almost anything. For example, there have been releases for bands designed to celebrate movie anniversaries, movie releases, holidays, and even collaborations with artists or designers. Most of the time, these bands can be found in the same stores as any other Magic Band.

But, if you’re having trouble finding a particular style, I’d recommend heading to the pin shop in any park and Disney Springs. As the names imply, these stores focus on stocking all the pins currently available for sale, but they also usually have Magic Bands and the current special edition ones, too.

If the band you’re after is for a special party or event taking place in the parks, your best bet would be to go to the park the event is taking place. There is always a shop or section of the main store, dedicated to the merchandise for the event. An important note for bands made special for a hard ticket event, such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, will only be available during the event.

You will not be able to buy it outside the event’s hours. And don’t get too worried if you don’t see it straight away, either. Many times, you’ll need to ask a cashier to get the band for you from behind the counter or from inside a locked cabinet.