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Are Magic Bands Worth it?

By: Author Wandermust Daddy

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Are Magic Bands Worth it?

Are you heading to Disney and wondering “Are Magic Bands Worth it?” In this guide we will tell you exactly what Magic Bands do, and assess whether magic bands are worth the money thinking about things like value for money, staying off site and more. Keep reading to find out what we really think

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What are Magic Bands?

Are Magic Bands Worth it?

Are Magic Bands Worth it?

Before we get into whether or not magic bands will be worth it for you, we first need to discuss what exactly magic bands are. 

Magic bands are not a new item at Disney World and have actually been around for years. Before the pandemic Magic Bands were actually a perk of staying on site and were free for all onsite guests. 

However this is not the case anymore. Magic Bands are now an additional charge whether you are a guest on site or staying off site. 

But what are they? Basically they are bracelets that hold everything you will need for a whole day in the park.

Your Magic Band can hold your:

  • park tickets,
  • room key (for those staying on site),
  • photo pass,
  • Memory Maker,
  • Lightening Lanes,
  • Genie plus reservations and
  • dining reservations. 

You can also load your credit card or Disney fist card information onto your Magic Band so you can pay for everything on site with a swipe of your wrist. 

Basically magic bands mean that you don’t have to take anything like cash, credit cards, room keys etc into the park with you unless you really want to. 

Also with the advent of the new Magic Band Plus (Disney loves adding a Plus to everything right?!) there are additional features which include:

  • they light up and vibrate during certain interactions such as Lightening Lane Entry, Genie Plus Entry, Room Door opening and evening spectaculars and during setup
  • Immersive interactive park experiences i.e. the Fab 50 Quest (a scavenger hunt where you find 50 golden statues in the parks which then interact when magic bands are nearby) and the Batuu Bounty Hunters Game in Galaxy’s Edge.

Additionally while we were in Epcot we found that there are no photo booths for you to see your ride pictures like the Cosmic Rewind ones. This is because the photos should automatically be sent to your my disney app if you are wearing a magic band. 

If you do not have a magic band however be sure to enable bluetooth on your phone my disney app to ensure you get your photographs. 

Read Next: if you are getting some great snaps at Disney you will definitely want to share them on social media. If you do be sure to check out our favorite captions for Disney Instagram posts:

Please note: Your Magic Band does not currently store your parking information so you will need to use your my Disney app to store your parking location if you decide you need a car at Disney World. 

Are Magic Bands Free? 

As I mentioned above Magic Bands used to be free for those who were staying at an on-site resort. However this is no longer the case anymore and magic bands are NOT free.

So 

How much are Magic Bands?

So now you know what a Magic Band does you will want to know how much they really are.

The cost of a Magic Band is dependent on the type of band you want to buy and where you decide to purchase a Magic Band from. 

Note: Magic Bands are now becoming obsolete in terms of sale (the block color ones were priced previously at 20USD) while still enabled in the park therefore you will be paying for Magic Band Plus prices.

As a general rule of thumb a Magic Band Plus will cost you:

  • 34.99 USD for a solid color Magic Band
  • 44.99 USD for a character or themed magic band
  • 54.99 USD for limited edition or seasonal bands 

The Magic bands tend to be the same price in the parks as outside. 

Where can you buy Magic Band Plus?

 

You can buy your Magic Band Plus at the following locations:

  • on site at Disney resorts or in park shops however styles may be limited
  • Shop Disney
  • Amazon.com

What is the difference between a Magic Band and Magic Band Plus?

The difference between the Magic Band and the Magic Band Plus is that the Magic Band Plus has added features that make your park feature more interactive with games and vibrations and light up effects.  

Yes you can absolutely get a Magic Band without staying at a resort on the Disney site. Pre pandemic the magic bands were a perk of staying on site but as these are no longer a free perk that are available to buy for everyone.

However it is worth noting that limited edition Magic Bands become available to Annual Pass holders. 

So now you know all of that:

In my opinion Magic Bands are not necessary. For the most part what a Magic Band does is simply replace the need for you to carry cards and room keys. Which may be a convenience but isn’t a necessity. We have carried these things at previous park visits so it is no great hardship to carry these things now. 

However if you want to play the interactive games such as the Fab 50 or the Batuu Bounty Hunter you will need a Magic Band.