Disney Magic Band Questions Help

What do you do with a Disney magic band after your family has come home?

The active RFID chip in the MagicBand should last up to 2 years.  A MagicBand could be used for another trip to Walt Disney World within that time and allow for full functionality.  The passive chip that is used for touchpoints in the park and for entry into your room doesn't require a battery, so it should function longer than the 2 years.  The battery is required for long-range readers to identify your band, such as linking your ride photos to your account.Away from Walt Disney World, I've only seen the MagicBands integrated with the Disney Infinity video game system.  Placing the MagicBand on the Infinity base can unlock things within the game.Other than that it just becomes a souvenir.

How do you get a magic band at Disney?

There are four ways that come to mind for getting a magic band:Book a stay at a Walt Disney World resort. They will be included for all members of your party.Get an annual or seasonal pass (they have a number of tiers and options for non-residents as well as people who live in Florida). You’ll get one included with that.Buy one. They sell them in the parks and at Disney Springs. I haven’t checked but you could probably order one online. If you want to use it while in the parks, you’ll need to link it to your ticket.And of course, the smart-@ss answer: Steal one from someone else.Realisitcslly, the only two options that make a lot of sense are #1 and #2.If you’re staying on property, your Magic Band acts as your room key, how you can bill stuff to your room, admission into the parks and the method by which you redeem faspasses. You get the most functionality by by staying on property and they don’t cost you any thing extra if you wanted to stay on property to begin with. (I wouldn’t suggest staying just to get these, though.)If you’re a pass holder with one, you get a few little perks like some of the stuff that’ll show your name like in line for Toy Story Midway Mania or at the end of It’s a Small World but from a practical sense, they are just a little bit more convenient to use and hold onto. You’ll still need a card to get AP discounts though because their register system doesn’t work with the Magic Bands in that capacity.If you are planning to buy one in the park for a day ticket, there isn’t going to be a whole lot of value that justifies the purchase unless you or your child is in love with one of the novelty designs. There may be a slight convenience factor for your child wearing their ticket but otherwise, it’s not Going to do much for you. Personally, I think there are better things you can get for the price of them to take home with you.And of course, stealing one gets you a rubbery plastic wristband that’ll do nothing for you besides look like a rubbery plastic wrist band with a set of Mickey ears on it. They use fingerprint scanners to tie you pass to you and will ask for ID if the scanner doesn’t see the right fingerprint.Still, I guess it might be fun to loop it around your rear view mirror or something. :/

What do you do if you lose your magic band at Disney World?

You go to the nearest Guest Services and ask for help. Your Magic Band is tied to your fingerprint and they will be able to issue you a new one (there may or may not be a fee the first time this happens, which is I think the $12.99 cost of the new band.).If you already downloaded the MyDisney app, that can also help as your Magic Band’s serial number is connected to your account. That PLUS your fingerprint will expedite the whole replacement process.If you were not already in one of the parks when you noticed the Magic Band missing AND you are not staying on-site, go to the Ticket and Transportation center. They should be able to help you there.If you ARE staying on-site at a Disney owned and operated resort, go to your hotel’s front desk and they should be able to help you just as efficiently as the Guest Services in the park would.

What's the best way to utilize Disney's Magic Band system to get the most out of a Walt Disney World vacation?

The Magic Band is at its best when used in conjunction with the "My Disney Experience" cellphone app, which will let you make reservations, keep track of fast pass times, schedule and optimize time (for those who like that kind of thing), and so on.A few bits of advice:- If you're flying in to orlando, keep your magicbands with you in your carry-on, not in your checked luggage. Already the Disney airport shuttles use them, and likely there will be more uses for magicbands in the airport as the system evolves.- Some people find the magicbands a bit hot to wear or uncomfortable worn on the wrist. If so, consider an extending lanyard and wear it on your belt, or on a lanyard around your neck. While nobody has begun stealing magicbands just yet, it's no fun to lose them out of your pocket.- You will find that for the most part entering the parks, getting fast passes, and paying for items is much faster. Look at fastpass+ ahead of time and learn how it works if you are big into optimization.- There are a number of interesting features the magicBand makes possible such as interactive games and theme items which react to magicbands. Keep an eye out for the ones in place and expect more and more over time - eventually you should be able to personalize rides, arrange birthday surprises and the like. Keep an eye out for kiosks which use magicBand to order customizations like this, and expect to spend some time using your bands to make fountains dance, tiki birds say hello and the like. Also expect a lot of Disney employees to call you by name.- Be aware that your activities are now building a profile of you as a customer. This is a good thing, you know how Vegas casinos and resorts use "comps?" I think visitors can expect to see something similar evolve over time, where your repeat business, your preferences and your particular enjoyments are rewarded. When one day, probably years from now, your hotel room temperature is set just the way you like it, rides welcome you back and your favorite restaraunt invites you to the Chef's table, you will know the system has reached full maturity.

Who supplies the NFC chips for the disney magic band?

According to some of the searching I did (Dissecting Disney's MagicBand | EE Times), it would appear that Nordic Semiconductor manufacturers the chips for Disney.