MagicBand+ at Disneyland: Everything You Need to Know
MagicBand+ is now available at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. This guide covers everything you need to know: pricing, how it works in the parks, how to get a FREE MagicBand Plus, and our thoughts about the wearable after having used it extensively. (Updated September 1, 2023.)
For those who are unfamiliar with it, MagicBand+ (MB+) is the interactive upgrade to the iconic MagicBand, offering all of the features of the first two generations of that the wearable. At Disneyland, the MagicBand+ connects to park tickets or Magic Key Annual Passes to enter parks or Lightning Lanes. Additionally, you can connect your PhotoPass memories and more. However, it will not unlock your hotel room or have resort charging privileges.
When it’s activated, the MagicBand+ has color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition. For more basic background encompassing everything you need to know about the interactive bands–plus answers to questions you might have–see our FAQ for MagicBand Plus! (That focuses on Florida, but the device is the same on both coasts.)
September 1, 2023 Update: While supplies last, Magic Key Annual Passholders are eligible to receive a FREE Magic Key-themed MagicBand+ with any purchase at select Disneyland Resort gift shops. Here’s where you can get the free MagicBand+ at Disneyland Resort:
Disneyland
- TomorrowLanding (Tomorrowland)
- Emporium (Main Street USA)
- Westward Ho Trading Company (Frontierland)
Disney California Adventure
- Elias & Co. (Buena Vista Street)
- Trolley Treats (Buena Vista Street)
- Radiator Springs Curios (Cars Land)
- Seaside Souvenirs (Paradise Pier)
Downtown Disney
- Disney’s Pin Traders
- World of Disney
Hotels of Disneyland Resort
- Acorns Gifts & Goods (Grand Californian)
- Disney’s Fantasia Shop (Disneyland Hotel)
- Hotel Gift Shop (Pixar Place Hotel)
Again, this is a free MagicBand+ with any purchase, not just with a purchase over a certain amount. So you could buy a bag of candy, magnet, or whatever the cheapest item is at any of these locations and get a free MagicBand Plus.
This “deal” might sound too good to be true, but it’s really not. MagicBand+ has been a massive flop at Disneyland Resort. We rarely see anyone wearing the devices, but the shelves in shops are still full of the wearables. Probably safe to say that there’s a lot more unsold inventory in storage rooms, and this is only the first of many deals to clear out that stockpile.
Between its limited uses at Disneyland and the reality that most guests are locals, it’s not a huge surprise that MagicBand+ hasn’t really caught on in the California parks. We expected it wouldn’t be a huge hit, but even we are surprised by just how quickly it was forgotten and how few fans wear them out west.
MagicBand+ really is like the Glow with the Show 2.0. Pretty amazing that Disney learned exactly zero lessons with that flop–but more on that in the commentary…
In other somewhat recent updates, guests are now able to use their MagicBand+ to interact with select Disney100 medallions around Disneyland Resort, as well as the platinum Mickey Mouse statue in Downtown Disney. To activate these effects, make a circular gesture in front of the medallion with the arm that’s wearing your MagicBand Plus.
Additionally, the MagicBand+ interacts with new nighttime spectaculars as part of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder anniversary celebration: “World of Color – One” at Disney California Adventure and “Wondrous Journeys” at Disneyland.
Beyond those new-for-2023 additions, the MagicBand+ adds immersive elements and surprises to park experiences at Disneyland Resort. You’re also able to explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland with the Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters interactive quest. Vibrations and lights from your MagicBand+ will help guide you to find virtual bounties across Black Spire Outpost.
When you find your bounty, you can use the augmented reality thermal viewer in the Play Disney Parks app to reveal who’s hiding in the shadows. Once your mission is successfully completed, local guild master Raga Bua will reward you with galactic credits.
According to Disneyland, there are more MagicBand+ features and experiences still to come. Disney does note that some product offerings will vary between Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. This means no room charging at Disneyland and obviously no 50th Anniversary statue mini-game at Disneyland, since those don’t exist in the California parks.
Disney additionally notes that MagicBand and MagicBand 2 will not be supported at Disneyland Resort at this time. This means that the “dumb” bands that are not rechargeable won’t be sold in California, and old ones from Walt Disney World won’t work at Disneyland.
My guess is that MagicBand+ is coming to Disneyland in large part to help recoup development costs of both the device itself, and the Batuu Bounty Hunters minigame. It’s likely Disneyland Resort will start by selling the more expensive device first, and introduce the ‘dumb’ option if there’s guest demand (or complaints about poor battery life of the MagicBand Plus).
The good news is that the poor battery life doesn’t really matter if all you want are the ‘dumb’ device features. When dead, the MagicBand+ functions in exactly the same ways as a legacy MagicBand. It has all of the same features, functionality, strengths and weaknesses. This means you can enter the park or Lightning Lanes and link PhotoPass images without battery power.
As covered in our comprehensive and brutally honest MagicBand+ Review: Good, Bad & Ugly, the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge minigame is essentially the selling point of the MagicBand+ right now. Almost everything else about the “Plus” underwhelms or is inconvenient.
If you’re on the fence about MagicBand Plus, that review should help you determine whether it’s for you. Conversely, if you’re incredibly excited about the MagicBand+ coming to California and plan on ordering multiple for everyone in your family, you might not want to read that. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss. 😉
Pricing varies for the MagicBand+ at Disneyland Resort. For the most part, this means solid core colors of MagicBand+ will be priced at $34.99 and the premium or limited release designs will cost $44.99 plus tax.
Another important detail is that unlike the current generation of MagicBand 2.0 products, the MagicBand+ must be charged for use. It comes with a charger and USB cord, which attaches to the underside of the Mickey head.
In our experience, the MagicBand+ has incredibly poor battery life. Nightly charging is necessary for full days in the park, and a few hours playing Batuu Bounty Hunters can drain the device completely. (If not playing that minigame, the battery can last over a day–but not a full trip. It also doesn’t help that bands do not come fully charged.)
This is the first update on the MagicBand+ wearable technology at Disneyland Resort in a long time. Last year, the company announced that the MagicBand+ and “Hey, Disney!” voice assistant would also be coming to Disneyland Resort at some point.
This will mark the first time MagicBand+ will be available at Disneyland Resort to enhance the guest experience with hands-free convenience. The “Hey, Disney!” voice assistant will work alongside Alexa on Amazon Echo devices and also will begin rolling out to guest rooms across the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.
In terms of commentary, the first thing that might jump to mind with MagicBand+ for a lot of Disneyland fans is Glow with the Show. You might recall those color-changing and “magical” Mickey Ear Hats that interacted with World of Color and Fantasmic!
Glow with the Show was a huge push for a few years (~2012 to ~2014) at Disneyland, with the ears being given prime real estate in just about every major gift shop at Disneyland Resort, despite sluggish (at best) sales.
In the end, Glow with the Show was a colossal flop. Even with those prominent in-store displays, multiple giveaways to “seed” some truly cool PR photos, very few guests purchased Glow with the Show ears.
The problem was that they were bulky, cumbersome, and–critically–the person spending the money on Glow with the Show ears could not benefit from how they interacted with shows and changed colors, since you cannot see the top of your own head.
MagicBand+ solves for that problem, as you can see your own wrist.
However, it introduces a number of new issues, including the aforementioned poor battery life. Its “interactivity” (I hesitate to even call it that) with the nighttime spectaculars is also much worse than the technology released a decade ago.
The other thing this reminds us of is the interactive statues that Tokyo Disney Resort has done for pretty much every anniversary in the last decade. With those, you’ve purchased a wand or lanyard, and those unlock a light and musical feature on the statue itself.
MagicBand+ definitely isn’t as good as those on an interactivity level, either. However, it does have a lot of (mostly unrealized) potential with minigames, haptic feedback, and more. It’ll just be a matter of unlocking that in the future and, hopefully, releasing a second generation of devices with better battery life.
I know there are ardent MagicBand fans out there and it’s likely that many Disneyland fans will be excited by the prospect of something new and collectible. Nevertheless, I cannot be alone in the sentiment of wanting more from the MagicBand Plus. When the device was released back in 2013, wearable technology wasn’t really a thing. In the years since, all sorts of smart watches and other devices have been released, raising the technical bar every single year.
By contrast, MagicBands have only seen one major redesign, and have felt–at least from a tech perspective–a bit archaic. I realize that for many people, that’s the appeal of MagicBands–having technology that doesn’t require looking at a screen but still makes life more convenient. Sadly, all of that remains true with the MagicBand Plus–but probably not in the ways many people expected when this product was first announced.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the MagicBand Plus? Will you be purchasing these new interactive wearables at Disneyland? Will you hold off on purchasing current gen MagicBands now that an overhaul/upgrade is on the horizon, or do you not really care about the interactivity? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
How do magicband+ work for California adventure or is it Disneyland it self
What a stupid question.
Anyone seen anything regarding pre-arrival ordering options and prices for Disneyland resorts? Want to get going on these bands now if that’s not going to happen for my November DL trip.
We received MB+ for our upcoming WDW trip and connected them to our WDW apps. We also have a trip to Disneyland prior to the WDW trip. So I just connected my MB+ to my Disneyland app. The difference is that with Disneyland, you also connect it your park tickets. I can even reassign it to my wife’s park tickets. It is still connected to my WDW app so it appears that my band will work for both (I can manage all of the settings from either app, but if both apps are open at same time it will only connect to the first one that was opened). The true test will be when we actually visit the parks.
Any word yet if the magic bands+ will be interchangeable between World and Land? Already have about 8 dumb bands and a new + band for Disney world,
Just waiting for definitive release and pricing so that can check out pre-arrival options. Arriving 11/22 for our 1st ever DL visit.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how often my MB+ would glow or light up at different attractions. For instance, it starts pulsing a heartbeat when approaching the doom buggies on Haunted mansion. Really though, I am just excited to have my park ticket on my wrist at DL…
So excited to finally see magicband fashion on the west coast! My smart money says near October 1st roll out. Start of Disney fiscal year. No room key or pay features for Disneyland?!? Please fix that one stat, Bob! Life Hack #23; ordered MB+ puck holder on Etsy ($8) for Apple Watch. Now I have pay and room key feature with MB on one wrist! HA! Take that Bob!!!
Go to Disneyworld.com and click on park hours. Go to your desired dates and it will give you hours for all four theme parks, water park, and Disney Springs.
Not a good idea to publish your phone number on the internet.
Ordered our magic bands for our upcoming trip in the winter. Got two conflicting statements from Disney World. One said they would be ready for pick up at the front desk of our resort. The other said they would be shipped to our home address. Which one is it? Anyone know? BTW – just ordered last week. For reference September 18th.
Do to supply chain issues Disney has been covering all bases. Good news for you…it will work out either way! If the bands make it in time, they will be sent to home address. If backordered, the bands get sent to hotel OR you get refunded AND Disney gives you credit to purchase new bands at parks AND the original bands might be waiting for you at home when you return from your trip. Win, win, win. So don’t panic, let the process happen and Disney will make it right either way.
Can you tell me if my magic band plus that I bought in disneyworld will also work in Disneyland?
YES! only magicband+ will be compatible at both Disneyland and Disney World. MB2 will not work at Disneyland.
We went to WDW in March hoping the MagicBand+ would be released for that trip. Happy that they will be out (fingers crossed) for our first DL trip in late November. The ability to access rooms, buy goodies, and enter lightning lanes all from your wrist has been the norm. Glad to have that option at DL. Now as to the bounty hunter game, it’s totally worth it to me. We’re doing a party of 8, all Star Wars fanatics. Looking forward to playing it together. In fact, 4 of the 8 have not been to Galaxy’s Edge at either park so this will be something new for all. When WDW released MagicBand+ in July I bought a couple for future trips there, the big question will be if they’ll be useable at both parks. I don’t expect it but a girl can always wish!
YES!!! Magicband+ purchased at DW will work at DL parks once released for Disneyland. Unfortunately DL won’t offer payment or room key features with MB+…which is a huge ball drop.
I just want a simple magic band that will get me into the park, scan for LL, and purchases. I appreciated those simple tasks immensely in Florida.
I don’t really care that much about the + options (at least from what I’ve read so far). But I am excited about having a magic band option at DLR. It is more convenient for me when traveling with my son. And it will be nice not to have to pull up a bar code for photos. I think my son will enjoy the bounty hunter game. It’s pretty annoying that you have to use a phone and a magic band to play though. I guess it’s still easier than carrying around a book full of cards for Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom :).
Thank you for the commentary!
Re: Glow with the show “The problem was that they were bulky, cumbersome, and–critically–the person spending the money on Glow with the Show ears could not benefit from how they interacted with shows and changed colors, since you cannot see the top of your own head.” You left out the fact that they were terribly annoying for the person behind you. Sure, they look cool in mass aerial shots that Disney used, but they add 6″ of night-vision destroying height to you. I want to see the fireworks, not the back of someone’s glowing ears. 🙂
I will likely still just use my phone since I’m already carrying that, but after using it in WDW last year for so many things, Disneyland was noticeably less convenient without it during our trip last month.
Do you know if the new MB’s will work at both parks? I have one I ordered for my August WDW trip that didn’t arrive until September – but it’s linked to my WDW MDE account. I’ll be in DL later this fall, wondering if it will work!
I sure hope so,
I’d also like to know the answer to this question!
This is also the most important question for me. I have a trip to Disneyland in December followed by 2 trips to WDW next year, I’d love to get the new one if it will work in both places, if not, I’ll pass.
YES!!! Disney officials have confirmed that magicband+ will work at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks. If you purchase a MB+ either at DL, WDW, or online at shopdisney.com it will work interchangeably on both coasts. Sadly, you won’t be able to use it for room key or in park payment features at Disneyland. SMH
I was hoping we’d be able to just get basic Magicband here. I like using them for opening hotel doors, scanning for admission, Genie+, and DAS. I don’t care about interactivity at nighttime shows or statues and could care less about mini games. And at $34.99-$50 each I won’t buy one at those prices. I suppose at some point Disney will make a park visit near impossible without one though.
When the upgrade is complete, will previous generation Magic Bands function at Disneyland like they do in Florida to unlock hotel rooms, enter the parks, pay for items and check in for rides? It’s so convenient not needing to worry about charging the device.
I hope so. I have a bunch from WDW and that would be great if they work here too.
Only MB+ will work at Disneyland parks. Sadly, you will not be able to unlock you hotel room or pay in park with the magicband. Which is beyond my level of clearance to know why those features were omitted. Bummer.
Tom, Love your comment. “Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.” how true that is with many things at Disney!
I don’t suppose you have seen that there will be reasonable priced “older” magic bands offered (for $10-$20) that will open my door at my Disney hotel, hold ticketing info for park entry and allow a “tap” for fast passes in the park?
My guess is that eventually Disneyland will roll out regular MagicBands if there’s enough positive feedback about the core product and enough complaints about battery life, etc.
I suspect the reason MB+ is launching on both coasts is to recoup product development costs for the band itself, and Batuu Bounty Hunters.