Disney World Resort has begun utilizing its new MagicBands wristband service on select guests this week. The new wristbands are meant to be an all-in-one service for guests, who can store credit card information on the bands to use at Disney parks, restaurants, gift shops and resorts.
The new MagicBands replace paper ticketing and allow guests with wristbands to enter the parks by scanning their bands. The scanning systems also work on the FastPass+ areas to store up to four “reservations” on rides in advance and scan when arriving at the ride. The wristbands also serve as hotel room keys for Disney resorts, and link users to their Disney PhotoPass accounts. When shopping or dining at a Walt Disney property, the bands can be swiped for payments.
Pre-selected guests, mainly those currently registered at Disney hotels and resorts, can select a color and add their name to the wristband, which they can use again on return trips to Walt Disney World.
The new MagicBands are part of the MyMagic+ service, which includes new FastPass+ reservation systems and mobile planning apps. Some critics fear the wristbands may create security problems with the stored credit card information, and make it a little too easy to spend at Disney. Disney offers a deactivate option when logged into their web site, or through Guest Relations.
For more on the wristbands, see Disney Parks Unveil Encoded Wristbands in our blog.
–Lissa Poirot
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