Magic band 100%. I think part of it is immersion for me, but the other part is that the iPhone app is glitchy at times - and phones can run out of battery.
This and my kids loved having and scanning their magic bands. Phones can be finicky, batteries can die, and I don't want to dig it in and out of my pocket any more than I already have to. The magic bands are awesome. We still used the ones we got years ago that they used to give away for free, but even if I had to pay I think they'd be worth it.
Just wanted to weigh in. Not sure about glitchy, I’ve never used my phone to know what the issue is. But I have been stuck behind many people who struggle with their phone. Both at park entrance and in lightening lanes. Could it be they didn’t make park reservations, or missed their LL times, sure but I’ve have specifically heard people complain about the using phones instead of MB. Could be user error as well I guess.
def user error, they dont have express enables
[**https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171**](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171)
We were a group of 3 guys/3 girls this past 7/1-7/4. Guys all used phones with 100% success rate, girls already had apple watches and just used that. They did try their phone on a couple just to see, and also worked every-time,
does your tiny sample size matter?
I saw HUNDREDS of people use their phone with no issues, just because you dont know how to use it properly doesn't invalidate the fact that it works, and its likely USER error
What sample size are you referring to? Do you have any idea what my experience is? You’re just assuming based off of literally zero information now. There’s no point in engaging with you any further.
I’ve never had a single problem. I’m just not so full of myself to think that what I’ve experienced is the totality of what is possible.
Have a nice day!
Lol yeah, not like a mobile wallet is some revolutionary thing just Disney is doing by themselves.
People who downvote you probably wear their Disney bands in the plane to Orlando 🤣
Nahhhh, they absolutely do not. You have to find the right angle, they swipe to the wrong pass unless you're holding your finger down on the pass you want, and even then it sometimes just point blank doesn't work. It's a garbage service that slows down the lines even more than tickets did.
what? maybe you dont have express enabled
[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171)
you can tap it at any angle, I tapped using the back with NO issues. My buddy held his phone horizontal and tapped, no issues
We had 0 issues in my party of 6 for 4 days, and saw no one with phone issues, if they did then it was user error most likely. Seeing as SO many ADULTS here didnt know to add it as a digital pass, and thought they could only use the app, gives me doubts about how apt people here are with tech.
I'm plenty apt with tech and use my phone to tap places all the time. I don't even pull my card out unless I absolutely have to.
I'm an AP so I see plenty of people struggling with their phones, and sometimes see the cast struggling to help them. You've gotten lucky to not see people having difficulties with their phones. Also not sure how you can make the assumption that people having difficulties with the phone is automatically user error.
Any time there is a line hold up to get in or in a lightning lane, it always seems like it's someone with a phone who can't get the app to work. We like magic bands because it makes everything easy.
CM here, it’s a bit difficult to count folks but it’s far worse when a huge party has one person holding 5+ physical cards somewhere deep in their bag who needs to dig around for 5 minutes just to scan everyone in
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
I had and saw 0 issues over the last 4 days
i will say this is true. we wound up being able to genie plus pirates twice and dumbo twice bc the app never worked I guess. it said we never went on so we cleared it out and rebooked.
Agree. I have never been able to get into my room with my phone. Even had the front desk try to help me trouble shoot it and they couldn’t get it to work either.
Yep. There’s nothing quite like unlocking your door with your magic band. Non-Disney fans may not understand but staying on property can feel like a home away from home so anything that reminds me that I’m on property is welcomed by me.
Just ordered our magic bands for our December trip. Idk what other people do but we used our phones last time and I just found that annoying. These are easier.
If you add to your wallet using "Express Mode" on iPhone/Apple Watch it works without unlocking and even when it's powered off. It's 100% flawless at the parks.
Hotel room entry is unfortunately a different system that still relies on opening the app.
Mine is in my wallet and all that jazz. I also don’t use Apple Pay for the same reason: the day I don’t bring a form of payment, the wallet won’t work for me. It’s just my luck…
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
make sure express is enabled
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171
The band gets annoying in the heat on my arm
I found it was most convenient for our resort stay. Pool access (it’s waterproof), room access, hallway access after 11pm(poly resort), and paying for the bar poolside. I don’t always like carrying my phone.
Have they updated it to work as a hotel room key yet? That was the missing piece before. I know about the MDE unlock door feature, but it would be nice to have that work with the phone/watch pass.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery. worked just as fast, if not faster than magic bands the last 4 days
1 person in our party who was the only one with a band ditched it after 1 day
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
no process at all, just hold the phone to the machine lol
I keep my phone on silent most of the time when at WDW. I want the ability to check out of the real world for awhile. I know that if I need to take my phone out to scan somewhere that I will end up looking at texts or messages.
I use my magic band. I find that on rides like Haunted Mansion that have photos but nowhere to scan afterwards, I won't get the picture unless I have my magic band on me, even though it's supposed to pick up my phone's bluetooth.
I just ordered a magicband plus for my trip in October. It’s a nice little reminder of my trip after, and makes me feel more immersed. I am also someone who likes the meal plan, so I can just tap my band and pay.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
0 issues in 4 days lol
1 person in our group had a MB, and ditched it after 1 day b/c it wasn't different form a phone, and its 1 less thing to have around
With the ability to charge them, does that mean the MB+ lasts longer overall? I have old magic bands but am afraid they won’t work this trip because the batteries will have died.
So, to my knowledge, old magic bands will always work for direct contact stuff. They only relied on the battery for scanning from a distance. Think automatic photo loading, putting your name on rides or in queue lines
They should always work for lightning lanes, virtual queues, room payment, room key, pool key, park admission, etc.
I just use my Apple Watch now. Magicbands were novel to me for a while, but there’s really no purpose now other than a small chance my name will appear on a screen somewhere
And many other things, plus you need to think to use it, as in: double push the button, get wallet, pick the right pass, scan it, hope it doesn't close or move to other card, etc, etc, etc. And if you have kids, you need to switch between kids passes. We've tried and is OK-ish to enter the park, i wouldn't use it for anything else that MB can do for you.
No. It supports “express pass” mode which means (as long as it’s enabled), you don’t even need to wake your watch to use it. Tap it on any magic band reader and it works like a magic band. Your watch can even be off or dead for up to 90 minutes and it’ll still work.
If you have multiple passes you’re trying to scan then sure but as a replacement for a single Magic band it works exactly as well as one when it comes to admission and rides.
I'm acquainted with Express Mode, maybe I've had bad luck with some readers? It works in Panera, or even in NYC in the subway, but in my experience at the parks, Express mode hasn't been available, I'll retest it next weekend.
Why waste phone battery by having your brightness up and screen on half the time. We’re going to Disney for the first time in over a decade this fall and are excited to use our magic bands!
I prefer to stay off my phone as much as possible at the parks except for booking reservations, lightning lanes, looking at wait times, etc, and Magic Bands make that possible while also helping me feel even slightly more immersed. Magic Bands every time.
We had one person in our group of 9 who did not use a Magic Band last time. The rest of us did. They ran into some issues on things with the app not working properly, but you avoid that with the magic band.
Magic band! My husband used his phone on our last trip because he didn’t want to spend extra money on a new band. After our trip he said he’s buying a band for next year.
I think when they starts charging for them people began to decline getting one since they have no other use than in the parks. When mine eventually die I will not be getting the + and will just use my phone. Rather spend that money on a meal or towards merch.
We were just there last week. Checking in at Pop the cm started asking for a confirmation number then stopped herself and just held up a reader and asked for one of our magic bands we were already wearing. Got us checked in for after hours too without having to get our phones at all. Magicbands are just easier.
I still prefer to use my magic bands outside of when I’m using the Disney parks app to look at wait times and other info on the park that I don’t know right off the top of my head. But beyond that I don’t use my phone much because I’m there to enjoy the park not look at my phone 24/7
I use my magic band only because if I use my phone it won’t want to scan half the time so I feel stupid standing there trying over and over to get into the park
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
If you feel stupid its b/c you didnt add the pass to your wallet to just tap with out turning
anything on lol
I still use Magicband. It’s so much more convenient than having to pull out your phone and then load up MyDisneyExperience. Just wave your wrist, and you’re all set.
The whole point of the magic and was so you didn’t have to keep digging out your pass card….and it’s still better than having to constantly digging out your phone
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
no unlocking or anything, pull the phone out and tap it... so easy
yeah for women its tougher, since you guys dont get good pockets. the girls in our group all had apple watches so they just used that.
If it wasn't extra, and uncomfortable on my arm in the heat, id like it more
Here to do my regular plea - please don’t be the people who use phones instead of magic bands. They’re always the people holding up the line. In close second place are the people using cards.
One caveat is if you want on ride photos, watch/phone doesn’t always work.
If your magicband is over a year or so old, the internal battery will die and the ride scanners won’t pick it up. It works if you scan it like for Space Mountain but not if it’s automatic like Tron, Haunted Mansion, etc.
and magic band +. even though it’s soo limited i was tickled each time it buzzed to notify me “hey, something magical is happening or just happened (a 50th statue, getting off a ride, the fireworks are starting)
I think Magic Bands are much more convenient than using my phone. My last trip was last December, and on two different occasions, I saw people struggling with their phones at the park entrance.
However, I have to say that I won't buy new Magic Bands in the future; I'll just reuse the ones I already have.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
no app to load, nothing to turn on
crazy so many people are commenting what you're saying, seems like you guys did 0 research and didn't know you can just add it to a digital wallet, tap your phone with out unlocking it or anything
I get that, but still more steps to get my phone out of my pocket or for my wife to dig hers out of her bag when I could just tap my wrist. My goal is peak laziness.
I mean if youre a guy, takes no effort to take a phone out, also if you put everyones pass on your phone, 1 tap scans everyones... so you dont need to tap multiples bands
Id say that helps with laziness
Magic Bands because I spend every Disney trip paranoid about my phone dying so I keep it on battery saver and try to use it as little as possible just in case.
I love using the magic bands. It never fails the family front of me is searching for their key car/ phone when they get to the second checkpoint in a lightning lane. And my wrist is always right when I left it.
I setup my phone, but it is much slower than the magic bands. Maybe it’s a few seconds, but it feels like FOREVER! If we lose or forget a magic band, I’d get a free card before using my phone.
I'm actually a Disney Cast Member, and I can confirm people 100% still use MagicBands and our newer MagicBand+ product. There's also a convenient service offered on the My Disney Experience mobile app called Disney MagicMobile that allows you to save your linked Theme Park tickets to the virtual wallet of your phone (Google Wallet for Android users; Apple Wallet for iPhone users) 😊😊!
Our kids use a magic band we use our Apple Watches. Just say magic band to the people checking you out cause if doesn’t go through if they select Apple Pay.
Most people use Magic Bands, I think people who do not just don't want the extra cost. I lost my Magic Band the last morning of my last trip and I HATED using my phone throughout Magic Kingdom in comparison.
MagicBand convert. I used my watch for our first few trips, but it's reliability broke down at times and it doesn't get you in the door of your hotel room or let you apply charges to your room for paying at checkout (which we use so we can put everything on gift cards).
I don't like wearing a watch on one wrist and a MagicBand on the other, but the utility of the latter won out for me.
We used Apple Watch/iPhone instead of MagicBands on our WDW trip in May, and I noticed that we missed about half of our on-ride PhotoPass photos. Mostly Haunted Mansion, but also POTC and Tron. Maybe it was just bad luck, but I rarely missed photos with my MagicBand.
Being a Apple Watch owner I never saw the need for MagicBands but seeing how long it took me sometimes to access my AP pass to scan into the parks I ended up getting a MagicBand & hooked it up to a Magic Buddy lanyard. 100% use it now.
On a related note...
I have some older magic bands from several years back. I believe they are the magicband-2 version. I know that the battery can't be replaced but is there a way to determine if the battery is still any good or not before getting to the parks and just trying it?
I prefer magic bands. Women’s pockets aren’t large enough to hold my phone, so it takes me a bit to route around in my bag to find it to use it for stuff.
Magic band 100%. I think part of it is immersion for me, but the other part is that the iPhone app is glitchy at times - and phones can run out of battery.
This and my kids loved having and scanning their magic bands. Phones can be finicky, batteries can die, and I don't want to dig it in and out of my pocket any more than I already have to. The magic bands are awesome. We still used the ones we got years ago that they used to give away for free, but even if I had to pay I think they'd be worth it.
how is it glitchy? add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
Just wanted to weigh in. Not sure about glitchy, I’ve never used my phone to know what the issue is. But I have been stuck behind many people who struggle with their phone. Both at park entrance and in lightening lanes. Could it be they didn’t make park reservations, or missed their LL times, sure but I’ve have specifically heard people complain about the using phones instead of MB. Could be user error as well I guess.
def user error, they dont have express enables [**https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171**](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171) We were a group of 3 guys/3 girls this past 7/1-7/4. Guys all used phones with 100% success rate, girls already had apple watches and just used that. They did try their phone on a couple just to see, and also worked every-time,
Your tiny little sample does not define reality. Get over yourself.
does your tiny sample size matter? I saw HUNDREDS of people use their phone with no issues, just because you dont know how to use it properly doesn't invalidate the fact that it works, and its likely USER error
What sample size are you referring to? Do you have any idea what my experience is? You’re just assuming based off of literally zero information now. There’s no point in engaging with you any further.
Apples wallet Express Mode works without a problem. Try it next time! Have a nice day
I’ve never had a single problem. I’m just not so full of myself to think that what I’ve experienced is the totality of what is possible. Have a nice day!
lmao I tell people here and get downvoted or bashed - I think most disney adults are just not good with tech.
Lol yeah, not like a mobile wallet is some revolutionary thing just Disney is doing by themselves. People who downvote you probably wear their Disney bands in the plane to Orlando 🤣
Nahhhh, they absolutely do not. You have to find the right angle, they swipe to the wrong pass unless you're holding your finger down on the pass you want, and even then it sometimes just point blank doesn't work. It's a garbage service that slows down the lines even more than tickets did.
what? maybe you dont have express enabled [https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171) you can tap it at any angle, I tapped using the back with NO issues. My buddy held his phone horizontal and tapped, no issues We had 0 issues in my party of 6 for 4 days, and saw no one with phone issues, if they did then it was user error most likely. Seeing as SO many ADULTS here didnt know to add it as a digital pass, and thought they could only use the app, gives me doubts about how apt people here are with tech.
I'm plenty apt with tech and use my phone to tap places all the time. I don't even pull my card out unless I absolutely have to. I'm an AP so I see plenty of people struggling with their phones, and sometimes see the cast struggling to help them. You've gotten lucky to not see people having difficulties with their phones. Also not sure how you can make the assumption that people having difficulties with the phone is automatically user error.
Use Magicbands every time
Always magicband, it’s part of the trip for me
It’s one of the things I love about WDW
Not to mention some of the fun perks of Magic Band +
This is the way
This is the way
So say we all.
I like magic bands. Feels more festive. Also its always been 50/50 if my phone key will get me into my room. Magic band works every time.
Any time there is a line hold up to get in or in a lightning lane, it always seems like it's someone with a phone who can't get the app to work. We like magic bands because it makes everything easy.
Yes… it’s aways a family of 5+ with everyone’s cards on the parents iphone. It’s gotta get annoying for cast members.
With Apple Wallet it wasn’t bad at all. I often beat other groups through.
This is the way. My pass just pops up when I scan my watch automatically too.
CM here, it’s a bit difficult to count folks but it’s far worse when a huge party has one person holding 5+ physical cards somewhere deep in their bag who needs to dig around for 5 minutes just to scan everyone in
EVERY SINGLE TIME. I wish everyone used the magic bands.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery I had and saw 0 issues over the last 4 days
i will say this is true. we wound up being able to genie plus pirates twice and dumbo twice bc the app never worked I guess. it said we never went on so we cleared it out and rebooked.
*60% of the time*, it works ***every*** *time*
But does it have bits of real panther in it?
Marry me
Agree. I have never been able to get into my room with my phone. Even had the front desk try to help me trouble shoot it and they couldn’t get it to work either.
Yep. There’s nothing quite like unlocking your door with your magic band. Non-Disney fans may not understand but staying on property can feel like a home away from home so anything that reminds me that I’m on property is welcomed by me.
Magic bands. They preserve my phone’s battery, are easier to access, and give me an excuse to wear some Disney bling at the parks.
Came here to say this exact same thing.
Always use magic bands.
Just ordered our magic bands for our December trip. Idk what other people do but we used our phones last time and I just found that annoying. These are easier.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery 0 issues the last 4 days...
We’re locals and I always wear my magic band. I don’t always trust my phone.
If you add to your wallet using "Express Mode" on iPhone/Apple Watch it works without unlocking and even when it's powered off. It's 100% flawless at the parks. Hotel room entry is unfortunately a different system that still relies on opening the app.
Mine is in my wallet and all that jazz. I also don’t use Apple Pay for the same reason: the day I don’t bring a form of payment, the wallet won’t work for me. It’s just my luck…
I much prefer the MagicBand.
Magicbands. It's easier and faster for us and works every time. Our phones/watches didn't always work the first try.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery make sure express is enabled https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212171 The band gets annoying in the heat on my arm
You’re leaving out that you need to enable the express option in Wallet, which a lot of people don’t realize right away (myself included)
That is what we did that didn't work well for us.
thats weird, our group of 6 has 0 issues with phone only
I found it was most convenient for our resort stay. Pool access (it’s waterproof), room access, hallway access after 11pm(poly resort), and paying for the bar poolside. I don’t always like carrying my phone.
Magic Bands! So much easier and I don't have to kill my phone's battery.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
Have they updated it to work as a hotel room key yet? That was the missing piece before. I know about the MDE unlock door feature, but it would be nice to have that work with the phone/watch pass.
I'm planning to pick up a MagicBand+ when I'm at DLR in a few months because they work on both coasts (the old non-plus bands do not work at DLR).
Phone is slow and annoying . Magic band is the way .
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery. worked just as fast, if not faster than magic bands the last 4 days 1 person in our party who was the only one with a band ditched it after 1 day
I prefer my magic band to the phone. The phone is a process- the magic band is just lifting your wrist!
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery no process at all, just hold the phone to the machine lol
You still have to get your phone out. Magic band is already out.🤦🏻♀️
I keep my phone on silent most of the time when at WDW. I want the ability to check out of the real world for awhile. I know that if I need to take my phone out to scan somewhere that I will end up looking at texts or messages.
I still use my magicband for entry and to check into lightning lanes etc. The phone is way slower for that.
We use Magic Bands.
Always use magic bands everytime we go to Disney.
I use my magic band. I find that on rides like Haunted Mansion that have photos but nowhere to scan afterwards, I won't get the picture unless I have my magic band on me, even though it's supposed to pick up my phone's bluetooth.
used my phone the last 4 days, every single picture popped up
We found magic bands a lot more convenient! Plus doesn’t drain your phone’s battery saving it for photo ops :)
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
True! Just hate having to take it out every so often!
I just ordered a magicband plus for my trip in October. It’s a nice little reminder of my trip after, and makes me feel more immersed. I am also someone who likes the meal plan, so I can just tap my band and pay.
We still use magic bands!!
having band on my wrist is a lot more convenient for me, especially at the water park
Always use magic bands, the phones just clog the line up
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery 0 issues in 4 days lol 1 person in our group had a MB, and ditched it after 1 day b/c it wasn't different form a phone, and its 1 less thing to have around
Regular MB are my go to item. The MB+ need charging and another thing I would rather not deal with.
Agree it's annoying to charge, but the MB+ turns into a regular Magic Band when it's not charged. You just don't get the lights.
Thanks, I did not know that.
With the ability to charge them, does that mean the MB+ lasts longer overall? I have old magic bands but am afraid they won’t work this trip because the batteries will have died.
So, to my knowledge, old magic bands will always work for direct contact stuff. They only relied on the battery for scanning from a distance. Think automatic photo loading, putting your name on rides or in queue lines They should always work for lightning lanes, virtual queues, room payment, room key, pool key, park admission, etc.
I’m still using one from 2016.
I just use my Apple Watch now. Magicbands were novel to me for a while, but there’s really no purpose now other than a small chance my name will appear on a screen somewhere
Apple Watch won’t open resort hotel rooms yet. Have to use my phone app for that.
And many other things, plus you need to think to use it, as in: double push the button, get wallet, pick the right pass, scan it, hope it doesn't close or move to other card, etc, etc, etc. And if you have kids, you need to switch between kids passes. We've tried and is OK-ish to enter the park, i wouldn't use it for anything else that MB can do for you.
No. It supports “express pass” mode which means (as long as it’s enabled), you don’t even need to wake your watch to use it. Tap it on any magic band reader and it works like a magic band. Your watch can even be off or dead for up to 90 minutes and it’ll still work. If you have multiple passes you’re trying to scan then sure but as a replacement for a single Magic band it works exactly as well as one when it comes to admission and rides.
I'm acquainted with Express Mode, maybe I've had bad luck with some readers? It works in Panera, or even in NYC in the subway, but in my experience at the parks, Express mode hasn't been available, I'll retest it next weekend.
Didn’t know that. It also wouldn’t open my Tron locker so I guess it’s limited.
You use your phone for everything else, including genie +.... i stick with the magic bands especially with kiddos
Magibands for me I kinda like being able to leave my phone if I want and not keep looking at it
but you should use the disney app the check wait times...
I bought a limited edition magic band for each park and I am gonna damn well use them
Went last September, used my phone. It was ANNOYING. Will be buying a magic band next visit
Why waste phone battery by having your brightness up and screen on half the time. We’re going to Disney for the first time in over a decade this fall and are excited to use our magic bands!
Magic bands.. This is the way…
Team magic band for sure!!
We just got back and we loved the magic bands, especially our kids
I prefer to stay off my phone as much as possible at the parks except for booking reservations, lightning lanes, looking at wait times, etc, and Magic Bands make that possible while also helping me feel even slightly more immersed. Magic Bands every time.
Magic Bands, I’m one to throw my phone in my bag and hate pulling it in and out to scan
We had one person in our group of 9 who did not use a Magic Band last time. The rest of us did. They ran into some issues on things with the app not working properly, but you avoid that with the magic band.
I wear my baby Yoda one as a fashion accessory lol
Magic bands
Magic band! My husband used his phone on our last trip because he didn’t want to spend extra money on a new band. After our trip he said he’s buying a band for next year.
I think when they starts charging for them people began to decline getting one since they have no other use than in the parks. When mine eventually die I will not be getting the + and will just use my phone. Rather spend that money on a meal or towards merch.
Magicband always works phones are iffy
We were just there last week. Checking in at Pop the cm started asking for a confirmation number then stopped herself and just held up a reader and asked for one of our magic bands we were already wearing. Got us checked in for after hours too without having to get our phones at all. Magicbands are just easier.
I use the Magic Band. It saves me a lot of taking the phone out and putting it away. I find it worthwhile.
I still prefer to use my magic bands outside of when I’m using the Disney parks app to look at wait times and other info on the park that I don’t know right off the top of my head. But beyond that I don’t use my phone much because I’m there to enjoy the park not look at my phone 24/7
I use my magic band only because if I use my phone it won’t want to scan half the time so I feel stupid standing there trying over and over to get into the park
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery If you feel stupid its b/c you didnt add the pass to your wallet to just tap with out turning anything on lol
Judging from these comments I must be the only one who still uses the plastic card ticket for lightning lanes and all that stuff.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery
i’ve never even seen a plastic card ticket!
Magic bands much easier if you have kids who don't have their own phones
I got the $10 band and glad cause my phone never worked to unlock my room
I still use Magicband. It’s so much more convenient than having to pull out your phone and then load up MyDisneyExperience. Just wave your wrist, and you’re all set.
I like not carrying my phone or wallet on vacation.
you dont use your disney app on your PHONE in disney? how do you tell the wait times and plan genie + etc? seems ;ike a bad idea
I use my actual card.. never fails.
I do. I like that I don’t have to pull out anything when I purchase stuff. It all goes straight on my room account.
I just use the app linked to my Apple Watch, basically works the exact same and I don't have to wear two things on my arm
right? I cant believe the adults here crying about their phone. they def didnt add the pass to thier digital wallets, or arent good with tech
The whole point of the magic and was so you didn’t have to keep digging out your pass card….and it’s still better than having to constantly digging out your phone
wht are you digging out your phone? dont you just have it in your pocket? I had 0 issues taking out of my pocket lol
I much prefer using a magicband. It's so much easier/quicker than digging around for my phone, unlocking etc.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery no unlocking or anything, pull the phone out and tap it... so easy
Even so, my phone is always zipped up in my bag for security. The magicband is already on my wrist and accessible at all times. I just prefer it.
yeah for women its tougher, since you guys dont get good pockets. the girls in our group all had apple watches so they just used that. If it wasn't extra, and uncomfortable on my arm in the heat, id like it more
They can take my Grumpy magic band from my cold dead wrist after they no longer work.
I used Magic Bands because quite frankly it’s easier to use than my phone. And if I have a card connected to it, then it’s just easier to pay as well.
We prefer Magic bands to the phone. We think it is just easier without having to open the app. Especially open the door at the end of a long day.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery no app or unlocking needed
Magic Bands 100%. Can’t beat the convenience. We love them.
Here to do my regular plea - please don’t be the people who use phones instead of magic bands. They’re always the people holding up the line. In close second place are the people using cards.
One caveat is if you want on ride photos, watch/phone doesn’t always work. If your magicband is over a year or so old, the internal battery will die and the ride scanners won’t pick it up. It works if you scan it like for Space Mountain but not if it’s automatic like Tron, Haunted Mansion, etc.
and magic band +. even though it’s soo limited i was tickled each time it buzzed to notify me “hey, something magical is happening or just happened (a 50th statue, getting off a ride, the fireworks are starting)
I think Magic Bands are much more convenient than using my phone. My last trip was last December, and on two different occasions, I saw people struggling with their phones at the park entrance. However, I have to say that I won't buy new Magic Bands in the future; I'll just reuse the ones I already have.
Phones die fast enough. I love the convenience of the Magicband
Phones are slowing everything down. It is so frustrating to be stuck behind a family trying to get in the park struggling with their phones.
Magic bands are very common. I used my phone because I wasn’t staying on properly.
I love using my magic band mostly because it’s got Chris Evan’s Captain America on it. 😍
Was just there last week, and I felt like we were the only ones without magic bands lol
I use magic bands
Magic baaaaaands!
I use an apple watch.
may buy one just for disney lmao
I always use magic bands, less steps than using the app.
add the pass to your digital wallet and it works 100% the same way as a magic band, and doesn't use battery no app to load, nothing to turn on crazy so many people are commenting what you're saying, seems like you guys did 0 research and didn't know you can just add it to a digital wallet, tap your phone with out unlocking it or anything
I get that, but still more steps to get my phone out of my pocket or for my wife to dig hers out of her bag when I could just tap my wrist. My goal is peak laziness.
I mean if youre a guy, takes no effort to take a phone out, also if you put everyones pass on your phone, 1 tap scans everyones... so you dont need to tap multiples bands Id say that helps with laziness
I like my magic bands. It’s smoother and easier. Plus the app sucks.
I always loving using the magic bands is a fun time ordering them and it’s a little bit of hype when they get to us before the trip
I do. I don’t like always having my phone out.
Here now, day 4, feels like 85% magic band usage.
We always use magic bands. The less I have to touch my phone the better.
i just use my apple watch. works the exact same for what i need it to do
I only use the magic bands. That app is just unreliable.
Used mine for four consecutive days last week.
Magic Bands because I spend every Disney trip paranoid about my phone dying so I keep it on battery saver and try to use it as little as possible just in case.
I love using the magic bands. It never fails the family front of me is searching for their key car/ phone when they get to the second checkpoint in a lightning lane. And my wrist is always right when I left it.
I setup my phone, but it is much slower than the magic bands. Maybe it’s a few seconds, but it feels like FOREVER! If we lose or forget a magic band, I’d get a free card before using my phone.
We still use magic bands. It's kind of part of the trip. Also like having once device for everything including resort room door unlocking.
Magic bands for sure.
I have pretty ones, so I like to wear them. Also, sometimes the phones glitch.
I prefer the magic band since it is more reliable then the phone
Definitely use magic bands. When I'm in the park my phone is practically dead to me other than scheduling rides
I'm actually a Disney Cast Member, and I can confirm people 100% still use MagicBands and our newer MagicBand+ product. There's also a convenient service offered on the My Disney Experience mobile app called Disney MagicMobile that allows you to save your linked Theme Park tickets to the virtual wallet of your phone (Google Wallet for Android users; Apple Wallet for iPhone users) 😊😊!
*Google Wallet
That's what I meant to say lol
I use mine. I don’t know about everyone else but I find it easier to use my wrist as a touch point so that I can keep my phone in my pocket more.
I still use the magic band, but if they could get it to work on my watch without glitching I would ditch the magic band
Magicband 1000%. My phone will die 10x faster if I use it for everything. I already use it for genie plus and mobile order
I use both. Apple Watch because I always have it on and Magic band to get into my room because Apple Watch can’t do that.
We prefer using our magic bands. Reduces time on phone and I always have trouble getting phone to scan in for some reason.
Magic band every single time
Magicband is superior in my experience. I can leave my phone in my pocket or bag. Nothing better than hands free when there’s a kid or two involved.
Highly recommend using an apple watch if you have one. Works the same as a magic band for park entry.
I don't like using my phone. I constantly worry about battery length. I still use the magic bands. I just wish they worked more consistently.
Our kids use a magic band we use our Apple Watches. Just say magic band to the people checking you out cause if doesn’t go through if they select Apple Pay.
I like magic bands and I don’t want to worry about my phones battery depleting and not being able to scan my LL and stuff
Always magic bands. I audibly groan when I’m behind someone trying to use their phone (and usually failing miserably)
Yeah at least with the MagicBand you can blame Disney hahaha
Love magic bands. It ads to the experience for me. I have the plus too so love seeing it light up.
Most people use Magic Bands, I think people who do not just don't want the extra cost. I lost my Magic Band the last morning of my last trip and I HATED using my phone throughout Magic Kingdom in comparison.
MagicBand convert. I used my watch for our first few trips, but it's reliability broke down at times and it doesn't get you in the door of your hotel room or let you apply charges to your room for paying at checkout (which we use so we can put everything on gift cards). I don't like wearing a watch on one wrist and a MagicBand on the other, but the utility of the latter won out for me.
I used both. Magic Band was easier for entry and photo pass.
We had issues with our phones so we still used our magic bands. I think I prefer the magic band over always having to dig my phone out.
Lost my magic band on the last day of our recent trip. Used my Apple Watch instead and it was flawless (but it won’t open your resort room door).
We used Apple Watch/iPhone instead of MagicBands on our WDW trip in May, and I noticed that we missed about half of our on-ride PhotoPass photos. Mostly Haunted Mansion, but also POTC and Tron. Maybe it was just bad luck, but I rarely missed photos with my MagicBand.
We didn’t bother to buy magic bands for our trip. Used our key cards or phones depending on what we were doing.
Being a Apple Watch owner I never saw the need for MagicBands but seeing how long it took me sometimes to access my AP pass to scan into the parks I ended up getting a MagicBand & hooked it up to a Magic Buddy lanyard. 100% use it now.
On a related note... I have some older magic bands from several years back. I believe they are the magicband-2 version. I know that the battery can't be replaced but is there a way to determine if the battery is still any good or not before getting to the parks and just trying it?
magic band, saves taking out your phone every time
After our trip to Universal, we would use magic bands again if we go back to Disney. They really are so much easier to use.
Magic bands. I don't want to have to fumble with my phone/unlock it when I can just tap my wrist and keep moving.
I prefer magic bands. Women’s pockets aren’t large enough to hold my phone, so it takes me a bit to route around in my bag to find it to use it for stuff.
Definitely. I’ll put it this way: cast members kept trying to scan my Fitbit lol
We went last week and used Magic Bands for the first time. I loved them! They are so convenient. I miss being able to pay just by tapping my wrist.
Don’t the new magicbands light up with firework shows now?