Magic Bands

[cricket50]

We are a party of four two children, both under ten, and two adults. Do all four of us require magic bands or do we just need one for the group leader. Your advice and tips would be appreciated.

[Sneeks85]

Depends what you want to use them for, if it's just for paying for things (only if staying onsite as charges to room) then one band may work. But if you want them for scanning into parks/rides etc then you will all need your own. Of course you can get by without bands altogether, you can use your physical tickets or your phone instead.

[gismo1554]

So the bands work for:
1. access to the parks
2. paying for things in the park if staying on site
3. scanning in for genie+/lightening lane/DAS selections
4. photopass photos
5. autopickup ride photos

These however all have other ways of doing them:
1. You can get a ticket from guest services at the park or use your room key if staying on site or use your phone via MDE
2. You pay cash or charge to any card or if staying on site you can use your room key to charge
3. You can use whatever option you go with for number 1.
4. You can get a card off the photopass people and link this to your account. Only one card is needed and you can then use the same card going forward
5. This is the only one where a magic band really does make it easier. To get ride photos where there isn't a scanner at the end of the ride (like Haunted Mansion for example) you will need to ask the photopass team to find the photo for you. 9 times out of 10 they will be able to if you provide the date, time and a photo of what you are wearing. Photos will also automatically be picked up if you have bluetooth on your phone. This however is where having one band per party could be a benefit or an issue. The photo will include anyone in the ride vehicle with the person with the band so in multiple person vehicles this means its likely your entire party will be included. However if like Haunted Mansion they are smaller vehicles only your vehicle will link. The second vehicle wouldn't get a photo and you would need to contact the photopass people.

[Claudette]

Originally Posted by cricket50

We are a party of four two children, both under ten, and two adults. Do all four of us require magic bands or do we just need one for the group leader. Your advice and tips would be appreciated.

See more...

Magic bands are linked to a person, so one between you isn’t going to work. Of course there are other methods and you don’t need a magic band at all, but having one will only work for that person (in terms of tickets, lightning lanes etc).

[ELLENUT]

Originally Posted by gismo1554

So the bands work for:
1. access to the parks
2. paying for things in the park if staying on site
3. scanning in for genie+/lightening lane/DAS selections
4. photopass photos
5. autopickup ride photos

These however all have other ways of doing them:
1. You can get a ticket from guest services at the park or use your room key if staying on site or use your phone via MDE
2. You pay cash or charge to any card or if staying on site you can use your room key to charge
3. You can use whatever option you go with for number 1.
4. You can get a card off the photopass people and link this to your account. Only one card is needed and you can then use the same card going forward
5. This is the only one where a magic band really does make it easier. To get ride photos where there isn't a scanner at the end of the ride (like Haunted Mansion for example) you will need to ask the photopass team to find the photo for you. 9 times out of 10 they will be able to if you provide the date, time and a photo of what you are wearing. Photos will also automatically be picked up if you have bluetooth on your phone. This however is where having one band per party could be a benefit or an issue. The photo will include anyone in the ride vehicle with the person with the band so in multiple person vehicles this means its likely your entire party will be included. However if like Haunted Mansion they are smaller vehicles only your vehicle will link. The second vehicle wouldn't get a photo and you would need to contact the photopass people.

See more...

Hi, we have magic bands from 2015 lol! Is it correct that these will still work? Will they still be linked to our previous MDE account? I think I have heard that they will still work for everything but our ride photos. We will probably just get room cards and use those if not and maybe just get 1 new magic band

[gismo1554]

Originally Posted by ELLENUT

Hi, we have magic bands from 2015 lol! Is it correct that these will still work? Will they still be linked to our previous MDE account? I think I have heard that they will still work for everything but our ride photos. We will probably just get room cards and use those if not and maybe just get 1 new magic band

See more...

Yes they will still work - I have used my 2015 one in 2019 for example because I liked the colour. As long as you haven't deactivated them they will still be working. If you have deactivated its easy to reactivate. If you go on the website and go to Magicbands and cards it will show the bands and if they are active. It will also allow you to reactivate if needed.

The ride photos will 100% not link automatically. Room cards also don't work for the ride photos that link automatically. You can request these photos back from the photo pass people (I emailed but there is a kiosk in all the parks you can visit) afterwards and they can search to find them. If you have your phone on and bluetooth enabled then they should also link through. If the ride has a scanner at the end of the ride (Buzz Lightyear for example) then your magicband will work to tap the scanner and link that way. Its only if they automatically link (Frozen and Haunted Mansion are the two I know that do this but I don't do the thrill rides so others might too). Does that make sense?

[ELLENUT]

Originally Posted by gismo1554

Yes they will still work - I have used my 2015 one in 2019 for example because I liked the colour. As long as you haven't deactivated them they will still be working. If you have deactivated its easy to reactivate. If you go on the website and go to Magicbands and cards it will show the bands and if they are active. It will also allow you to reactivate if needed.

The ride photos will 100% not link automatically. Room cards also don't work for the ride photos that link automatically. You can request these photos back from the photo pass people (I emailed but there is a kiosk in all the parks you can visit) afterwards and they can search to find them. If you have your phone on and bluetooth enabled then they should also link through. If the ride has a scanner at the end of the ride (Buzz Lightyear for example) then your magicband will work to tap the scanner and link that way. Its only if they automatically link (Frozen and Haunted Mansion are the two I know that do this but I don't do the thrill rides so others might too). Does that make sense?

See more...

Thanks, I sort of get it. A bit confused about the photo bit but can look into that nearer the time. If you link your tkt to the band does it still work ok when not staying onsite? I think I remember it does but it was so long ago . We will be 10 days onsite and then a week in a villa. Don’t really want to be paying out for 4 new bands

[Claudette]

Originally Posted by ELLENUT

Thanks, I sort of get it. A bit confused about the photo bit but can look into that nearer the time. If you link your tkt to the band does it still work ok when not staying onsite? I think I remember it does but it was so long ago . We will be 10 days onsite and then a week in a villa. Don’t really want to be paying out for 4 new bands

See more...

You don’t link tickets to magic bands per se, everything is linked to your MDE account. So as your Magicbands are linked to MDE already any tickets that you link to the same MDE account can be read by those bands. Bring onsite makes no difference, lots of offsite people have Magicbands.

[ELLENUT]

Originally Posted by Claudette

You don’t link tickets to magic bands per se, everything is linked to your MDE account. So as your Magicbands are linked to MDE already any tickets that you link to the same MDE account can be read by those bands. Bring onsite makes no difference, lots of offsite people have Magicbands.

See more...

That’s very useful info and makes perfect sense. I’m so long out of the loop I can’t remember lol! Thank you

[KingBoo]

How do you set up magic bands for kids? Does MDE allow you to link their ticket to their band? (I assume they don’t get payment privileges?!?!? )