UPDATE July 28 – The MagicBand+ has now officially launched at Walt Disney World. Cast Members got to preview the MagicBand+ and were impressed with the immersive experience it gave them during Harmonius at EPCOT.
Disney has released a video on Instagram showing how you can play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Once guests complete their mission they are rewarded with galactic credits. Let us know your experience of MagicBand+ by leaving us a comment below? Do you think it is worth the price tag?
We now know that the discount for resort guests will be $10 and there are two tiers of MagicBand+; solid color MagicBand+ are priced at $34.99 ($24.99 with discount) and the range of designer MagicBand+ are priced at $44.99 ($34.99 with discount). You can see a number of these designs in the tweet from reporter, Scott Gustin below. Let us know your experience of MagicBand+ by leaving us a comment below? Do you think it is worth the price tag?
The MagicBand+ pre-arrival choices in MyDisneyExperience are now live. The pre-arrival discount is $10 for resort guests.
Solid color MB+: $34.99 ($24.99 w/ discount)
Design bands: $44.99 ($34.99 w/ discount) pic.twitter.com/JQhFKWhFhl— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) July 27, 2022
UPDATE July 26 – It was announced last week that the new MagicBand+ will launch on July 27 and we now know that MagicBand+ will be available at shopDisney from 7:00AM PT (Pacific Time) which is 10:00AM ET (Eastern Time). Prices are currently set at $34.99 with a discount available for Annual Passholders and resort guests.
Ready to experience more magic?
MagicBand+ arrives tomorrow at 7 a.m. PT. https://t.co/akChk7FeNB pic.twitter.com/0fqUf4IH8I
— shopDisney (@shopDisney) July 26, 2022
UPDATE July 21 – Disney has officially announced today that MagicBand+ will launch at Walt Disney World on July 27. Just to remind you, MagicBand+ will have all the same features as the current MagicBand as well as this list of extra interactive elements which guests will be able to experience with MagicBand+:
- Play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks. MagicBand+ will bring the sculptures to life and guests can interact with them on the “Disney Fab 50 Quest.”
- Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom.
MagicBand+ will go on sale for $34.99 in select shops at Walt Disney World and online at shopDisney from July 27. There will be 25 different designs to choose from. These stores will stock MagicBand+ at Walt Disney World:
- Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
- EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park: Discovery Trading Company
- Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders
- Select merchandise locations at Disney Resort hotels
Interestingly and perhaps unsurprisingly, Disney has chosen to price the MagicBand+ at $5 more than when they were accidentally put on sale at World of Disney at Disney Springs at the beginning of May, when they were sold for $29.99 before being pulled from sale.
Disney has confirmed that Annual Passholders and resort guests will be eligible for pre-arrival discounts on these new devices. No official price has been released but going by history annual passholders will likely receive a 10% discount, with resort guests seeing similar savings.
Are you excited for the release of MagicBand+? Will you buy one? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page and by voting in our poll.
UPDATE (May 11) – Since Disney made a big mistake and accidentally released MagicBand+ and then pulled it from sale on May 1, there have been many more details announced regarding this new interactive wearable which is set to be officially released this summer. We have now learnt from reporter Scott Gustin in a recent tweet which is embedded below that the MagicBand+ will sync with Spaceship Earth at EPCOT.
MagicBand+ syncing up with Spaceship Earth sounds pretty darn cool. pic.twitter.com/U6XEiF2uer
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 10, 2022
It appears that the MagicBand+ will light up and have sounds when it successfully syncs with Spaceship Earth. We are not exactly sure how close guests need to be for the sync to take place but we are confident that we will have further details soon.
May 5 – MagicBand+, the interactive wearable, was announced back in September 2021. This new wristband will unlock new interactive experiences that react in real-time in the parks by lighting up, vibrating, and more. Disney has just officially announced that MagicBand+ will launch this summer.
The new MagicBand+ will light up and will interact with the Fab 50 statues around the park with each statue said to have multiple responses. The MagicBand+ will buzz and light up when you get close to a statue and when you wave the character will give you a response. A first look at the new MagicBand+ from reporter Ashley Carter can be seen in the tweet which is embedded below.
And here’s a look at how MagicBand+ will interact with the Fab 50 character statues across the Disney World theme parks. Each statue will have multiple responses to guests. #DisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/B4TAR6WRtC
— Ashley Carter (@AshleyLCarter1) May 4, 2022
Last week, Disney made a big mistake when a number of new MagicBand+ were put out on the shelves at the World of Disney at Disney Springs before they were supposed to be. They then were pulled from sale, offering those who had purchased the bands for $29.99 a full refund as the functionality is not yet live.
MagicBand+ will also have all the same functions of the existing MagicBand so guests can use it to gain admission to the theme parks, unlock their hotel door, link PhotoPass photos to My Disney Experience account, and can pay for food and merchandise. The current MagicBands can still be used at Walt Disney World but the new interactive features will only work if you purchase a MagicBand+.
Many thought that it was the end for MagicBands when the complimentary MagicBand program for Walt Disney World resort guests finished at the beginning of 2021. With the seemingly natural move to focus on smarphone features tied to the My Disney Experience app many thought it was only a matter of time before the MagicBand would cease to exist. With many complaining of battery drain when having to continually use the My Disney Experience App, Disney seems to have responded and MagicBand+ seems to be their answer.
We still don’t have an official release date for MagicBand+ or a confirmed price point, but we do know now that it will be launched this summer. We will keep you posted when an announcement is made on our news and Facebook page.
