At the start of 2021, Disney announced that MagicBands are to be replaced with Smartphone App feature sometime this year. In the last ten years MagicBands have become for many the iconic symbol of their Disney vacation. They represent the magic of Disney and importantly allow escapism from the stresses and pressures of our daily lives by alleviating us from the continual need to be attached to our cell phones.
Back in June we heard that starting at the beginning of 2021 Disney would end the free MagicBand program, meaning that anyone now arriving at a Disney resort for their vacation wanting to use a MagicBand for their stay, will have to purchase one for $5. Old MagicBands with battery life left can still be used.
When this was first announced we thought it was likely that news would come that they would be phased out completely and this appears to be what will happen. Disney will launch a new part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring MagicBand features to smart devices, making MagicBands obsolete.
In our most recent Big Debate we asked you, Should MagicBands Be Replaced With Smartphone App?
RESULTS
Unsurprisingly this debate has had a lot of response and here are the results:
- Yes – 3%
- No – 97%
As you can see the overwhelming response is sadness and frustration at this decision having been made to get rid of MagicBands all together. There are numerous reasons why guests think this is a bad idea.
Your Thoughts and Comments
As always we try to include in our RESULTS articles a number of your comments, aiming to show both sides of the debate. We will sum up the main points of these comments below:
“I don’t think this is a great idea. I know many, many people who live with their phone on them all the time, but these people often run out of battery before the day is over. So what happens then?”
“I’ve never done it with Magic Bands, always with a phone. Works just fine for me. So long as Disney keeps those reusable phone charger kiosks throughout the park!”
“Nope. I dont want to be tied to my phone, the wifi isn’t great everywhere and keeping it charged can be a pain, especially for those of us who like to travel light.”
“I’m a fan of the bands. They are fun and different. Great for kids and I don’t like having to have my phone out anymore than is already needed on vacation. Hopefully they support both.”
“No. Not everyone has a smartphone. Then you have to make sure your battery stays charged. Sometimes we take our grandkids to a different park than where their parents go.”
“I love my smartphone but the last thing I want to do is constantly pulling it out at a park to have the functionality now on the magic band. And I can only imagine how many phones will be dropped, broken or lost if they are constantly coming out of bags, purses and pockets at the park.”
“I love using magic bands at the water parks. We walk in with a towel and magic band. Put our clothes in a chair and we are off. With phones we would have to get a locker.”
“I have still never used the bands despite multiple trips to the parks. Smartphone works great and I simply carry a battery pack and recharge when stopping for food.”
“It’s a terrible idea. If you don’t want to wear a Magic Band, then go back to the old “Key to the World” plastic card and out all your info (tickets, dining plan, etc) on the card. Phones break, phones lose their charge, If phone get wet during a ride, what then? Will they issue bags of rice to store your phone in?”
“NO. Call reception and battery life aren’t sufficient for that. The magic bands made life so easy for our family.”
“Keep the bands! The lines will be longer because everyone will have to get their phone out to get in the park and use fastpass! What a night mare i see happening! People that have problems with the phone or who are just not prepared.”
“No, bad idea. Not everyone has a smart phone. Very inconvenient to have to pull it out constantly. The band is just on your wrist, scan and go.”
“Nope. I want my band as a memento. And phone batteries can die. Bands don’t.”
“Kids have to rely on parents’ phones, so teens can’t go on their own?”
“Yes, but remain an option. The Magic Bands have been a costly and environmentally poor choice.”
“No. People need to get off devices and spend time together as a family, especially while on vacation.”
“Do away with it all. The band artificially raises the cost of the admission ticket.”
“I love the freedom of magic bands. With photo pass I literally take nothing into the park with me.”
“No! Whole point was so we didn’t have to carry cards, phones and wallets with us!”
In summary there are many concerns regarding battery life along with wifi and App reliability. Believe it or not, some people don’t have a smart phone and there are questions over what kids will use instead of the MagicBand. Will it be linked to a parent’s phone or will they have a card or will there be another option for them?
An important point which comes up a lot is the fact that swapping functionality of the MagicBand to a smartphone app makes it impossible to escape the stresses and strains of life in that you won’t now have the option to leave your phone in the locker to focus on quality time with your family. The distraction will always be there.
It is surely likely to result in a higher percentage of lost or damaged phones due to having to get them out of your pocket or bag so many times during the day. Also for many, MagicBands are a really important memento of the vacation.
The cancelling of the MagicBand program completely will surely make visits to the water parks slightly problematic. Who wants to have to carry their phone around at a waterpark? It is clear there are a lot of questions and frustrations for many. However, some guests can’t see the problem and are happily using their smartphones currently and are managing very well.
We have confidence that Disney will have any potential issues ironed out before we see the end of MagicBands for good later this year. We will keep you up to date with the latest announcements from Disney when they happen on our News and Facebook page. Don’t forget to vote in our new Big Debate, With No Disney’s Magical Express in 2022, Are You More Likely To Stay Off Property?
