It’s the top of an period for MagicBands at Walt Disney World. This discusses the decline of Disney’s MagicBands, what led to this, the absence of the OG MagicBands within the pre-arrival low cost buy program, why we don’t advocate first-timers buy the wearable, and different ideas.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t begin in the identical spot as a number of latest articles, retreading floor beforehand coated in Walt Disney World is Anxious About Its Excessive Costs and that progeny of posts. The corporate has inner considerations about Disney alienating the center class, with rising fears about how worth will increase and unpopular selections are angering followers and shedding visitor goodwill.
As we’ve identified, it’s not simply worth will increase. It’s these coupled with corresponding cuts, nickel and diming, and different methods the visitor expertise has been diminished. Worth isn’t the one, or even perhaps main, concern. It’s the worth proposition, which has taken hits in each instructions.
There have been just a few nails within the proverbial coffin of MagicBands at Walt Disney World. The gadgets have been as soon as ubiquitous within the parks as a result of they got away free to all Walt Disney World resort resort visitors. This on-site perk was eradicated in January 2021, and was considered one of a number of ‘delicate resets’ to the visitor expertise that was introduced in mid-2020 earlier than the parks even reopened.
Walt Disney World retiring the complimentary MagicBand distribution program, and switching to a pre-arrival low cost was introduced in the very same press launch because the Disney Park Move reservation system. This bombshell got here solely a few weeks after the retirement of FastPass+ and Additional Magic Hours, in addition to the suspension of the Disney Eating Plan.
Suffice to say, it was an enormous information month between all of that and the phased reopening, and the top of free MagicBands was most likely the least consequential information. There have been loads of followers who have been–and nonetheless are–upset, however Disney flooded the zone with adverse information, and it was tough to be equally upset about all of it. (Though some followers tried!)
Walt Disney World sunsetting the complimentary MagicBand distribution program garnered the least backlash, by far. That’s partially as a result of MagicBands would nonetheless exist, and for as low-cost as $5 every when discounted for pre-arrivals.
The following huge blow to MagicBands was the introduction of the MagicMobile service at Walt Disney World by way of the My Disney Expertise app. This roughly coincided with the sunsetting of free MagicBands in early 2021.
MagicMobile might be added to your Android, iPhone, or Apple Watch digital pockets as soon as enabled. It’s considerably just like a MagicBand, with most options working by merely holding up your sensible system close to an entry level. It may be used to enter theme parks, join PhotoPass photos to your account, enter Lightning Lanes, and extra.
MagicMobile didn’t have a seamless rollout, however has labored flawlessly for us in the previous few years. As somebody who already wears an Apple Watch, I sometimes don’t put on a MagicBand now as a result of I don’t like two wearables on my wrist, and the MagicBand is usually redundant to what’s provided by MagicMobile with no need a standalone system.
Presumably in response to this actuality and wanting to tell apart MagicBands from MagicMobile, Disney launched MagicBand+ a pair years in the past.
From the time it was introduced, our concern with MagicBand+ was that it was going to repeat the errors of the Made with Magic/Glow with the Present boondoggle. In a nutshell, that’s to say that Disney would make investments a ton of cash creating new wearable tech and push it as arduous as doable to recoup these prices, solely to see it flop with followers.
Judging by the hundreds of MagicBand+ that got away to Disneyland followers and the way few of the gadgets we see within the WDW parks as in comparison with OG MagicBands solely ~5 years in the past, it’s secure to say that MagicBand+ has not been the success that Disney envisioned.
The latest era of the system was most likely the knockout punch for each the common ole MagicBands (formally generally known as MagicBand 2.0).
If you take time passing by the expertise, MagicMobile providing an appropriate various to many visitors totally free, and MagicBand+ being met with an icy response from most followers, it’s not shocking to see fewer visitors sporting MagicBands within the parks.
After all, one huge issue that can’t be missed is the fee. What was as soon as free for everybody staying on-site now comes with a cost. The minimal is $25 and there are improve choices costing as a lot as $45. If you’d like something aside from a plain coloration, the value is no less than $35. You’re arguably higher off simply ready for a sale on the Disney Retailer, which additionally has higher choice.
That brings us to the principle level of this publish. Right here’s the present number of pre-arrival MagicBand low cost improve choices for on-site visitors as of mid-February 2025:
As of mid-February 2025, there are 17 pre-arrival choices, which is traditionally low. Final yr, we noticed 25-40 selections, on common. That was far fewer than the all-time peak of 82 MagicBands.
That is notable partially as a result of there’s been little or no turnover in new MagicBand+ choices. About two-thirds of the designs above have been additionally out there once we final up to date the record 6 months in the past! And plenty of of these have been there 6 months earlier than that. We’re seeing little or no turnover, which might be as a result of MagicBand+ has flopped. Or as a result of the pre-arrival low cost has low uptake. Or a mix of each.
Extra notably, for the primary time ever, there may be not a single common ole MagicBand 2.0 out there by way of Walt Disney World’s pre-arrival low cost program.
Whereas the writing has been on the wall for some time as a consequence of a dearth of recent designs, this kind of confirms what we’ve lengthy suspected: the OG “dumb” MagicBand is useless.
A fast search of the Disney Retailer would appear to verify the identical. There are many MagicBand+ designs for $35 to $65, however zero common ole MagicBands. It’s been even longer since I’ve seen the common MagicBands being offered in one of many reward retailers at Walt Disney World.
That is unlucky. Not solely does the MagicBand 2.0 look like useless, however these worth factors are solely going to speed up the demise of MagicBands, interval, at Walt Disney World. Whereas I’m certain there are some collectors who nonetheless buy them, the identical may’ve been stated for Vinylmations or any variety of now-extinct product traces that when had loyal fan followings.
The excessive price make the MagicBand+ price prohibitive for a lot of visitors, particularly on high of each different expense.
You probably have a finances when visiting Walt Disney World, powerful selections have to be made when spending on splurges. If it’s important to select between MagicBand+ designs for everybody in your social gathering, or utilizing MagicMobile (and common ole Key to the World Playing cards for youths or older visitors with out smartphones/watches) and shopping for Lightning Lane Multi-Move at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the choice ought to be a no brainer.
MagicBand+ is a minimal value-add, whereas LLMP is massively advantageous. The story is similar with nearly any upcharge–and even different random souvenirs. I can put on a sweatshirt, t-shirt, or hat in the true world. Ditto espresso mugs and Tervis cups. MagicBand+ is useless weight at residence.
Not solely that, however MagicBand+ is minimally helpful within the parks. The mini-games are considerably satisfying (though maybe extra so from a people-watching perspective because of all of the arm-flailing), however they’re arguably a poor use of restricted trip time. And the decreased utilization charge of MagicBands all however ensures that Disney gained’t throw good cash after dangerous by investing extra assets into creating new ones (hopefully).
I’m actually shocked that Disney even bothered to roll out MagicBand+ at Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line. Or that they proceed so as to add results into reveals and elsewhere. Possibly this can be a matter of the corporate realizing greater than me, and MagicBand+ being a quiet success story?
I doubt it. Extra seemingly is that they wish to recoup/unfold out a few of the growth prices, dedicated to the enlargement years in the past after they anticipated it to be an enormous hit, or are nonetheless in some way holding out hope it’ll achieve traction. I don’t know why–expertise doesn’t precisely get higher with time.
Once more, this has shades of Glow with the Present. Regardless of that flopping internationally and discovering restricted success when it was unveiled stateside, Disney saved making an attempt to make it a “factor” for years. In so doing, they devoted/wasted precious retail house to advertise a product that was DOA.
The excellent news is that, in mild of all the above, MagicBand+ will most likely proceed to be offered for no less than the subsequent few years. And as with the OG MagicBand, the gadgets will seemingly proceed to be supported lengthy after that. Simply as you may nonetheless use a MagicBand 2.0 from ages in the past, you’ll most likely nonetheless be capable to use a MB+ from launch in 2030.
That’s nice for followers who already personal MagicBands, however we however advocate that almost all new visitors don’t purchase MagicBand+ gadgets.
That is particularly aimed toward first-timers who don’t have any sentimentality for the wearables, and would possibly in any other case be swayed by followers who’ve outsized nostalgia for the gadgets. That’s based mostly largely on perceptions of MagicBands from over 5 years in the past, not a clear-eyed cost-benefit evaluation of the wearables in the present day.
As of 2025, MagicBands merely usually are not definitely worth the excessive costs. The free options operate almost as properly, and the chance price of allocating a portion of your trip finances to MagicBand+ versus one thing else will seldom make sense. It’s because of this that MagicBands made our record of the Worst Wastes of Cash at Walt Disney World. That’s why I’ve purchased my final MagicBand, regardless of how a lot I would like that Figment design above.
All of that is certain to be controversial or unpopular with longtime diehard followers, and I get that. It breaks my coronary heart just a bit bit to jot down this. We began used MagicBands for the reason that unique pilot program over a decade in the past, and have a variety of nostalgia for the wearables and the easier occasions they signify.
I used to be even excited for MagicBand+ and hoped it might reinvigorate the gadgets. As an alternative, it did the other. MagicBand+ simply isn’t an excellent system, and it was the loss of life knell for the OG MagicBands.
To be clear, we’re not suggesting that nobody ought to use MagicBands. In the event you already personal one, extra energy to you! I’ve an OG MagicBand from a decade in the past that’s nonetheless going sturdy. What we’re saying is that only a few folks ought to buy new ones given the $25 to $65 price and restricted performance over the free MagicMobile. Even should you’re tech-averse, there’s additionally the free Key to the World card, which is actually only a piece of plastic.
Truthfully, I can’t even fault Walt Disney World for this one. We’ve been staunch critics of the finish of Disney’s Magical Specific, and just lately reaffirmed our take that eliminating it was a colossal mistake. That was an unforced error, and an occasion of Walt Disney World making a short-sighted choice versus taking part in the lengthy recreation.
Sunsetting MagicBands is nearly the reverse of that. Time handed them by years in the past.
MagicBands have been arguably out of date inside a yr or two of first being launched, and if not by then, as soon as smartphones gained better market share amongst People and, particularly, Walt Disney World’s core demographics. The largest factor that saved MagicBands related till 2021 was Walt Disney World distributing them to so many visitors for “free” (or constructing them into the price of rooms).
It’s comprehensible that many visitors, particularly technology-averse ones, would disagree with this. It likewise is sensible that followers push again on all cost-cutting, nickel & diming, and so forth., as a matter of precept–if we give Disney an inch, they’ll take a mile. I actually don’t like shedding perks.
On the identical time, we’re now a number of years faraway from the choice to finish free MagicBands, so I ought to be capable to “safely” admit that I feel it was the correct name. There’s no such factor as a free lunch, and offering a MagicBand with each on-site resort keep was extremely wasteful on stability.
If something, I feel the actually mistaken name right here was throwing good cash after dangerous and making the MagicBand+, as I’m extremely skeptical that’s even managed to recoup its growth prices and it was a worse product than its predecessor. If Walt Disney World is simply going to supply one fashion of MagicBands, it ought to be the cheaper and dumber ones. Principally, they’ve retired the mistaken model of the product!
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Your Ideas
Do you continue to buy or use OG MagicBands or MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World? What do you concentrate on decline of wearables at WDW? Do you assume the MB+ is definitely worth the cash, or are there higher methods to allocate restricted trip budgets? Assume Disney made a mistake by sunsetting the free MagicBands for on-site stays, or was it the correct name? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we will help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
