Disney’s MagicBands have undergone some changes in 2021.
MagicBand
Previously, all Disney resort guests and new Passholders received a complimentary MagicBand. This was phased out in January for resort guests in favor of expanded smart device capabilities. Meanwhile, Passholders’ free options were narrowed down to just one. And while resort guests can now buy a $5 MagicBand or use a Keys to the World card, there’s an alternative.
My Disney Experience is now showing an option to reuse your MagicBand — for both resort guests and Passholders!
Reuse a MagicBand
Guests always had the option to “unofficially” reuse a MagicBand, but now My Disney Experience is asking them to confirm this choice. Just make sure your band is linked to your profile! Then all of your ticket, resort, and dining information will sync up.
Reuse a MagicBand
Guests who decide to reuse their MagicBand will not have the option to choose a new one. If resort guests opt out of this offer and choose not to use a MagicBand at all, they will be issued a Key to the World card at the front desk upon check-in. As always, we’ll keep you posted here at DFB with more Disney news and updates, so stay tuned!
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This article was very confusing.
My wife and I have been reusing magic bands for years. We usually bring about 10 with us while on our trips just so we have some to choose from and not wear the same ones.
Are you saying they are requiring us to state whether we will be reusing or we won’t be allowed to reuse?
I’m so confused.
Can you please clarify a little?
Brandon, thanks for reaching out. I just logged into my own account to see what this is like on the website, and basically, under my name, there’s a clickable “Reuse a MagicBand” link that, when clicked, opens a box with information about being sure you confirm (for yourself — not for Disney) that the MagicBand(s) you want to use is in your account and activated. You are not confirming for Disney, really, even if you click “Decline Pre-Arrival Offer”, which just defaults your profile’s setting to “Reusing a MagicBand.” However, even then you can still click “Select a New MagicBand” and be taken right back to the same screen you normally see for purchasing a MagicBand. In your situation, I think you’ll be fine to have the MagicBands you want to bring with you in your account/profile and activated for your trip. I don’t see any changes to that aspect of it. I can confirm that when I click My MagicBands and Cards in My Disney Experience, all of my old MagicBands still show there with options to activate. I hope this helps!
I am wondering if there is a time requirement on reusing the magic bands. It has almost been 10 yrs since our last visit in 2012. Shortly after that visit they introduced the magic bands. So my real question is will you have to use your bands within a few years or will the info be purged?
Hi, i thought Magic bands only had a 3yr life, an then the signal would be to weak to work, please clarify, love DFB
Linda, I think the official word is 1-2 years on battery life, however we have experienced and been told by many readers that batteries can last a lot longer. Bringing an old MagicBand is a bit of a gamble because, to my knowledge, there’s no way to test the battery at home.
Greg, the ‘official’ word on MagicBand battery life is that they’ll be good for 1-2 years, but we have heard of them (and experienced them) lasting much longer. However, to my knowledge there’s no way to check the battery without trying to use it on site. All that said, though, if you can still see the serial number on the back of your MB, you can add it to your My Disney Experience and activate it — even the original ones.
We personally have right around 59 Magic Bands between me and my wife.
We’ve been reusing many of them since 2013.
So. Yes. They work much longer than 2 years.
I know we have used our magic bands since they first came out. We just add a new one every year and take them all with us .. .I love to color coordinate.. lol. My Disney Experience shows them all as being active. We go once or twice a year so have a nice collection.
I don’t really understand why “reuse” is even an option. We “reuse” MBs all the time without having to do anything. What gives?
Hello all!!! I have a related question. Our trip is set for July 10-17 and we bought tickets through AAA. We already have our park reservations but AAA does not give the physical cards any longer. I don’t like the idea of picking up the cards at guests services. With all that said, can we purchase magic bands now and link them? Thank you!!!!
Eric, if you have a trip in My Disney Experience, you should be able to link your MagicBands to it when you get them.
If staying offsite, are magic bands even necessary any more without fast passes? Thanks!!
I really don’t understand the magic band. There were six of us in a suite at the Saratoga springs this week and we all had are credit cards linked to our individual bands. Well my daughter got notice that there were charges on her account that weren’t hers. We found out a day later that all the band charges from everyone in the group were going coming from her bank card. Why did we bother to load ours individually then? What a nightmare.
Robert, not really. Though MagicBands can be nice to have on rides with RFID-enabled technology, they’re not necessary for a trip to the Parks.
Our family loves Magic Bands and will not be without them. We will purchase new bands on our next visit just for the fun of it. We found the phone app and reception to be unreliable on our last visit, so relying on that is not a comfortable option for us.