Disney’s MyMagic+ FAQ
MyMagic+ is a planning program at Walt Disney World that utilizes the My Disney Experience app, MagicBands, and other technology to assist guests on their vacations. This post offers tips and provides answers to frequently asked questions and advice for how to get the most out of the My Disney Experience app, MyMagic+, MagicBands, and more.
The MyMagic+ system completed its rollout a couple of years ago, with FastPass+ and MagicBands now being available to all guests, and the My Disney Experience app now fully functional, even for guests staying at off-site hotels when visiting Walt Disney World. Tweaks to My Disney Experience and other components of the system have continued throughout Late 2016 (this post was last updated October 21, 2016). This FAQ has been updated several times since then to cover all of the updates to MyMagic+.
With that said, we anticipate further tweaks to MyMagic+ even though it is now fully rolled out, as adjustments are made based on full scale use of the system. As information changes, we’ll revise and supplement this page. Please note that this post has been revised heavily since MyMagic+ initially began testing.
Note that this post on MyMagic+ covers the entire system Walt Disney World uses, from MagicBands to unlock their hotel room doors to the My Disney Experience app to make dining reservations. The most important part of this, for most guests is FastPass+. We also now have a huge Guide to FastPass+ at Walt Disney World complete with screenshots from My Disney Experience and tips for best taking advantage of FastPass+. That post is a much more “essential” read than this one…
With that said, let’s cover the basics of the MyMagic+ system…
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is MyMagic+?
Beyond the general description above, to the forward-facing public, MyMagic+ is a planning and enhancement tool consisting of the My Disney Experience smartphone app, FastPass+, and the MagicBand bracelet, all of which are proprietary Disney technology.
To guests, MyMagic+ is a way to seamlessly integrate various aspects of their Walt Disney World experience into one system, making dining and FastPass+ reservations via the My Disney Experience app, and redeeming FastPass+, charging expenses, and opening their hotel room doors (among other future functionality) with their MagicBands.
To Disney, MyMagic+ is a way to track guest behavior to maximize spending, manage labor more effectively, and assist with strategic planning. In theory, the system should also allow Disney to be more responsive to in-park traffic patterns as they shift, and deploy additional entertainment or increase (artificially underutilized) capacity at certain attractions with demand. In theory at least.
In a perfect world, the system will be beneficial to both guests and Disney.
What is My Disney Experience?
My Disney Experience is the smartphone app for the iPhone, iPad, and Android that is now available for download, which is also a web-based client on DisneyWorld.com. Guests can view wait times, make or change FastPass+ reservations, make dining reservations, and utilize other functionality. It is expected that advanced functionality for the app will be added over time.
What is FastPass+?
FastPass+ is a digital ride reservation system that has replaced paper FastPass tickets. FastPass+ can be obtained via the My Disney Experience app/website in advance of visits or via in-park kiosks for guests who don’t have smart phones, and will be stored on the MagicBand or park tickets. Guests can “redeem” their FastPass+ by swiping the MagicBand against an RFID reader outside applicable attractions. Guests are able to book 3 FastPass+ tickets in advance of their vacation (so, from home) at scheduled times. FastPass+ effectively spells the end of the morning Toy Story Mania FastPass dash!
Not all FastPass+ attractions are created equally–many were added in order to have sufficient capacity in the system so that each guest can book 3 per day. Do research before booking these, as some attractions with FASTPASS+ normally have no wait. You are wasting a FastPass by using it at one of these attractions. Our Disney Ride Guides for Walt Disney World each contain recommendations concerning the best uses of FastPass+.
How does FastPass+ work?
Much like Advance Dining Reservations, guests can select three “preferred experiences” (attractions and reserved seating for shows/parades) guests then can choose from available time slots. Some parks have FastPass+ “tiers,” and you may only select 1 attraction from the top tier (meaning no FastPass+ for both Soarin’ and Test Track at Epcot!) All advance selections must be in the same park, so guests who Park Hop will essentially be limited to day-of kiosk availability, if any.
Guests staying at Disney resort hotels at Walt Disney World can book their FastPass+ experiences up to 60 days in advance of their stay. Annual Passholders and off-site guests may book their FastPass+ experiences up to 30 days in advance of their visit.
Are you limited to 3 FastPass+ per day?
NO! Not anymore, at least. You can now book additional FastPass+ on the day-of once you’ve used the 3 FastPass+ that you booked in advance. This works similarly to the old FastPass system in that these day-of FastPasses can be booked one at a time, once you’ve used your previous FastPass.
You are still limited to book 3 per day in advance of your trip, but this change effectively means no limit on FastPass+ once you start using the FastPass+ that you booked in advance. This opens the door to using FastPass+ when Park Hopping, too. Same day FastPass+ availability isn’t as good as advance booking availability, so we still strongly recommend booking in advance.
Expect continuing adjustments to the FastPass+ process as Disney responds to guest patterns now that MyMagic+ has been rolled out to the general public. If you notice more changes during your visit, please report them to us in the comments below!
What is a MagicBand?
The MagicBand is the little bracelet that guests wear around their wrists. It stores guest information, including park tickets, FastPass+ reservations, Memory Maker photo package details, and can also be used to charge purchases to the guest’s room and as a room key. It will also contain a code that identifies the guest’s profile in Disney’s system, which the guest (at their election) can complete with a variety of encrypted personal information to make elements of their visit more interactive (for example, in the future, characters might say, “happy birthday” to a guest on his or her birthday).
For many guests, a MagicBand will replace all of the papers and cards you carry with you on a given day in the park. You could potentially just carry a MagicBand and an ID, and leave behind the rest of your wallet.
Optimistically, in the future it is likely that the MagicBand will offer a more tailored experience throughout the parks. Pessimistically, Disney will use MagicBand as an “ankle tracking bracelet” of sorts that monitors just about everything guests do in parks for the purpose of maximizing guest spending.
MagicBands are available in seven colors (red, blue, green, pink, yellow, orange, and iconic gray). For guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels, they will be shipped to a guest’s home prior to arrival. If the trip is booked within 9 days of arrival, the MagicBand will be provided upon check-in. Annual Passholders may order a MagicBand and have it shipped to their home, free of charge. Iconic gray will be the default color for replacements and late arrivals. The MagicBand is waterproof, but doesn’t float. Each band will have a 3-year battery.
For guests staying off-site, MagicBands may be purchased in the theme parks, Downtown Disney, and various other locations for $12.95 each. MagicBands are not required for park admission or FastPass+ redemption, so they aren’t technically necessary at this time. Because of that, we do not recommend off-site guests purchase them.
Tables in Wonderland and other “membership” cards cannot be added to the MagicBand as of right now.
Is MyMagic+ available to the general public?
Yes, the only restrictions on MyMagic+ to the general public (as in those guests not staying in Disney-owned hotels) at this point is that their MagicBands are not free, and they have a 30-day advance window for booking FastPass+ once they have their park tickets. For this reason, we recommend purchasing park tickets in advance.
As a practical reality, we have noticed no actual disadvantages for off-site guests. Sure, there is convenience in being able to use the MagicBand for a variety of purposes including room charges and a hotel key, but even without the MagicBand, these weren’t things off-site guests could do.
As for the 30 v. 60 day window, we haven’t seen that make much of a difference. That could change as more people continue to use MyMagic+, but as of right now, there is usually very good FastPass+ availability at 30 days.
We do anticipate some future features that will require a MagicBand, but that is not presently the case. If/when that happens, off-site guests will be able to take full advantage by purchasing a MagicBand.
How much does MyMagic+ cost?
MyMagic+ will be available for all on-site guests, Annual Passholders, and Cast Members at no additional visible charge. However, since this entire NextGen project that includes MyMagic+ has cost Disney an estimated $1.5 to $2 billion dollars, you can bet that Disney will be rolling the costs into existing charges. Sort of the same way Disney’s Magical Express and transportation are ostensibly free, but Disney builds these “freebies” into the cost of vacation packages. Disney is a for-profit business, so you can bet you’ll be paying for this one way or another.
Off-site guests will have to pay $12.95 if they want a MagicBand. Again, at this point we really view that as an unnecessary purchase for off-site guests unless you really think the bands look stylish!
Add-on accessories and other trinkets for customizing the MagicBands are also available, called “MagicBandits” at an additional cost. Disney will have to sell a lot of Little Mermaid MagicBand dinglehoppers to pay for the system completely! 😉
How will MyMagic+ enhance my park experience?
MyMagic+ allows for greater advance planning and less racing around collecting FastPasses when in the park. It reduces a bunch on interconnected, but separate, aspects of a Walt Disney World vacation into a single, seamless system.
Going forward, it could also lead to increased interactively in the parks. Examples include characters at meet & greets saying hello to you by name and knowing a few of your personal details to humanize the experience. Similarly, advanced Audio-Animatronics in queues may interact with you. It’s also possible that queue games and experiences may be able to store your “achievements.” None of these things are “live” right now, but Disney has such projects in the works.
These are just a few examples of what is possible with MyMagic+. Much remains unknown, and is dependent upon how Disney is able to utilize the system going forward.
How will MyMagic+ detract from my park experience?
While the advance planning might be a plus for some, it’s likely to be a negative for many others. A portion of all FastPass+ will be allocated towards day-guests who don’t make reservations in advance, but there’s no question that there will be fewer FastPass+ for day-guests, who could find themselves waiting in long lines at FastPass+ kiosks when they arrive to the park. However, since you’re reading this article, it’s unlikely that this will detract from your experience–you now know that it’s important to make FastPass+ reservations in advance.
The main people who will be disadvantaged are those who do not do any advance planning before their trips. In fairness, these people are pretty much always disadvantaged, and are disadvantaged for failing to do their own due diligence.
Serious planners may also be disadvantaged, especially those who typically were able to utilize more than 3 FastPasses under the old, paper FastPass system. Efficient guests could regularly use 5+ FastPasses in a single day, and those people will likely find themselves waiting more time in line by being limited to 3 FastPass+ per day.
Elements of spontaneity will also be gone, as the new system requires more advance planning, some of which may not be practical for many guests 60 days before their visit. Beyond these concerns, there are great concerns by many over privacy information that Disney will collect as part of this initiative. Disney’s goal with MyMagic+ is a more enjoyable and intimate theme park experience, but its other main goal is to increase guest spending and efficiency. Many guests probably already feel as if they are spending too much at Walt Disney World.
Will you be able to opt out of MyMagic+?
If these privacy concerns don’t sit well with you, fear not, as MyMagic+ is an opt-in program that will not require participation. However, the number of perks afforded only to those who use MyMagic+ will be such that most guests will feel compelled to participate. If not, you’ll be stuck with waiting in the same-day FastPass+ lines and will have a difficult (if not impossible) time scoring FastPass+ for the most popular attractions, like Toy Story Mania.
What about Annual Passholders?
Annual Passholders can now register to receive their own MyMagic+ accounts and MagicBands free of charge. FastPass+ rules are slightly different for Annual Passholders, who have the 30 day advance booking window but also are limited to only 7 days worth of FastPass+ reservations for any 30 day period. For Annual Passholders who visit more than 7 days per month, this means some days with 0 FastPass+.
Replacement MagicBands for Annual Passholders will cost $50 (given the $12.95 cost for a MagicBand for day guests, we’re not sure whether this replacement cost will change, but it’s the current cost). Annual Passholders will be able to tie a credit card to their MagicBands for purchases at Walt Disney World.
What about guests without smartphones?
While a smartphone is necessary to use the My Disney Experience app, it is not necessary to use MyMagic+. Guests can pre-book their FastPass+ experiences from home or on kiosks set-up within the parks. Kiosks are located throughout the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. One thing we noticed in Epcot is that the first FastPass+ kiosk in the park always had the longest lines–try going to one further in the park for shorter lines if you need to use the in-park kiosks. However, we highly recommend advance booking of FastPass+.
The user experience likely won’t be quite the same for those who can’t make adjustments on the fly with the My Disney Experience app, but a smartphone is still not required to partake.
What if I miss a FastPass+ window?
Disney is pretty efficient given its size, but it has a number of inefficiencies and variables beyond guest’s control. If transportation, dining, etc., outside of the guest’s control causes a guest to miss their FastPass+ window, Cast Members have limited discretionary authority over accommodating the guests. We don’t recommend “testing” the amount of discretion they have unless you have real circumstances beyond your control preventing you from making the window. It’s more of a hassle than it’s worth.
What if I book through a travel agent?
If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, you will have the same advantages. You can even have your travel agent book your FastPass+ and other reservations via My Disney Experience (if you want, and if that’s one of the services they offer).
What is Memory Maker?
Memory Maker is the photography service component of MyMagic+ that effectively replaces PhotoPass+. Although there are some differences between Memory Maker and PhotoPass+, they aren’t expected to be significant. Essentially, this is just a renaming as Disney integrates the photo service into the Magic Bands and My Disney Experience. If you liked PhotoPass+, you’ll probably like Memory Maker. If you didn’t like PhotoPass+, same goes. If you are unfamiliar with PhotoPass+, read our post explaining its pros and cons.
Our Thoughts
While I do have some concerns about the privacy aspect and the money Disney has spent on the infrastructure for this new system, I already heavily use Google products, so the privacy concerns aren’t a big thing. I’m not exactly wild about the direction society is going with privacy, and I think corporations are diminishing our expectations of privacy, but this is far from the most (or even close to it) egregious example of that.
My greater concern lies with how much Disney has spent on this whole NextGen initiative, and how that money could have been used on actual substance or necessary maintenance in the parks. To me, the gains from a streamlined system aren’t a big deal. As for other aspects of NextGen and what MyMagic+ might be able to do in the future, I enjoy video games, but I don’t go to Walt Disney World to experience them, and it seems the whole direction of the Disney enterprise has been to cater more to the video game and iPhone-addicted generation.
I hope quality dark rides and themed environments continue to be a huge focus for Disney (and if Cars Land is any indication, they are), because this billion dollar investment represents nothing that I personally couldn’t do without. Now, if Disney quickly sees a huge return on investment, great. But I’d still rather see capital expenditures made on attractions and transportation infrastructure, rather than Disney Vacation Club resorts and NextGen. Not to say DVC and NextGen don’t have their place, but right now they seem like the primary focus of Disney in the theme parks realm (at least at Walt Disney World).
As for the actual functionality of MyMagic+? While it was initially somewhat problematic during early testing, our visits in 2016, MyMagic+ has worked flawlessly. This isn’t to say there aren’t still some kinks with the system, but it’s now (mostly) operating as intended.
For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
For updates on Walt Disney World, the latest news, discount information, and tips, sign up for our free monthly newsletter!
Your Reaction?
Now that we have a good amount of concrete information about MyMagic+ and the NextGen project, what are your thoughts? Do you see this as the evolution of the theme park experience, a profiteering and data-mining folly that is bound to fail, or is your opinion somewhere in between? If you’ve had a chance to use FastPass+, we really want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments!
Okay, so nothing against the blog writer but this article is extremely outdated in comparison to the actual speed that the FastPass+ and My Disney Experience programs are changing and progressing. To stay truly informed, this blog would need to be updated almost every 2 weeks. I’ve read through most of the posts here and saw trends along the lines of many other blogs. First off, the reasoning for this “NexGen” as it has been dubbed, has nothing to do with the app or trending fads of ipads or other technology devices. Disney has always been on the forefront of technology and this is just the next step in streamlining their fastpass system and becoming more efficient. The app is a tool that can be used but it is not the sole access point for setting up fastpass+ nor is it required at all, you don’t even need an internet connection to use FastPass+. The REAL reason for this change is to better the experience for ALL guests. Here is what I just posted on another blog with similar concerns…
So, I’ve heard a lot of negative responses to this and have seen it here as well. The fact is that it is going to happen. All fastpass legacy machines are going to go away. The fuss seems silly to me because no one is looking at how the system truly works. First off, it is in a testing phase which means it is constantly being changed and get better but even as it stands, this new FastPass+ is WAY better than it used to be. I’m a Florida local and have been testing this program for the last 3 months, both using My Disney Experience as well as solely using the kiosks inside the parks for my “day of” experiences. I have only ONCE come across an attraction I wanted a fastpass for that was not available and that was Toy Story Midway Mania which was also on New Year’s Eve and I don’t bother booking in advance because I never know what park I’m going to when my family and I decide to randomly visit for an evening. So let’s look at the old system vs the new…
LEGACY FastPass
*No limit on how many you could get (but how many could you really get anyway? (Chances are that if you got more than 3 or 4 in a day for popular attractions, the park wasn’t probably busy enough to need all of them)
*You were stuck with whatever time slot was available on the sign
*If you missed your time, you lost your fastpass all together and wasted the time you waited to get a new one.
*You couldn’t get another fastpass until your time had passed on your last fastpass (How many times did you get to the fast pass machine for a popular attraction like Toy Story Midway Mania at 10AM only to find that the earliest fastpass available was at 7pm? It happened a lot to me…this is actually because fastpasses were printed from the earliest time to the latest time moving later as each time slot before it was used up which is no longer an issue with fastpass+)
*You couldn’t change your mind about what you wanted your fastpass for
*You felt like you wasted your fastpass when you went to redeem it at the attraction and it had less than a 15 minute wait time when you got there (you could have just walked on and used it for something else…oh well.)
FastPass+
****INCLUDED IN ALL PARK ADMISSION once it is rolled out officially to all parks. Currently available to all guests with park admission at Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom (No FastPass Legacy Machines are available at these parks anymore). EPCOT and Hollywood Studios have yet to go fully FastPass+ so FastPass+ is still only available to Disney Resort Guests at these two parks (Legacy FastPass machines are available at EPCOT and HS).
*You only get 3 fastpasses for one park each day (Keep in mind it is still in the testing phase, and this may change)
*The FastPass+ fast passes are flexible…You don’t lose it if you don’t use it. In other words, as long as you haven’t redeemed your fastpass, you can change what attraction you want to go to in the park, or change the time slot you want, or both as long as it’s still available (which I have rarely had to adjust my schedule around my fastpasses and have also rarely come across unavailable fastpasses even during the busiest days of the year … Christmas week through New Years) Meaning that it doesn’t matter if you missed your time, or decide before your time slot you want to change your attraction choice.
*While advance booking (if you choose to do so but it is not required, nor is it a necessity by any means in my opinion) through My Disney Experience is currently only testing with Disney Resort Guests, it is intended to become available to all guests regardless of where they are staying or whether or not they are local day guests. The Kiosks are only intended as an alternative for those who don’t have smartphones and/or computers with internet connection in the long term.
*FastPass+ offers new options for fastpass including priority seating and/or viewing at experiences like Fantasmic!, Wishes!, and even parades.
*FastPass+ let’s you pick what times work for you and the system is smart enough to offer alternate options if a specific time requested isn’t available that is usually very comparable to your request (sometimes within a matter of just a five minutes of the time you requested)
*No more running all over the park in a mad dash to get to the machines first. Kiosks located all over the park have access to set up fastpasses for the whole park as well as access through My Disney Experience
Basically, FastPass+ is the future of FastPass and is still a work in progress which everyone seems to forget. Try it out, take the time to learn what you can do with it, use it to your advantage, and share your feedback with Guest Relations…good and bad. The program and infrastructure for FastPass+ and the My Disney Experience was designed with flexibility in mind so changes could be made to accommodate guest feedback. Ultimately, the way I explain FastPass+ to my family and friends that visit is that it is only as good as you make it. Disney has given us the power of choice versus making us run all over the park and forcing times on us that we had to change reservations or plans to accommodate if we wanted to use a fastpass.
Will guests who are not staying in Disney resorts/hotels, still be eligible for Fast Pass +?
NEW FASTPASS PLUS IS A MONSTER – This has made attending the theme parks a HORRIBLE experience for those not staying at Disney hotels. I visit the Orlando Disney parks every year during the last week of Dec. This is the last time I go to Disney. On one day at Epcot, we were only able to go on three rides in the ENTIRE day!!! The lines for Soarin and Test Trac were 3.5 hours because now Disney gives every one of their hotel guests a choice of 3 Fastpass rides per day. Imagine the thousands of hotel guests booking the rides up to 60 days early. This equals ridiculously long “Stand-by lines”!!! The regular lines are now truly standby lines as the priority is for the Fastpass holders. Prior to this horrific Fastpass Plus, everyone had an equal chance to get Fastpass tickets, and yet not everyone searched for them. Now, every single Disney hotel guest will get the passes, thus leaving the day-trippers and non-Disney hotel guests in the cold!!! There is no point in going to Disney if you are not planing on staying at their resorts—it is a waste of time and money!!! FASTPASS PLUS WILL RESULT IN DISNEY LOSING A KEY SECTOR OF PARK VISITORS — THEY WILL NOT RETURN AFTER SEEING THE SECOND-CLASS TREATMENT OF THE PUNISHINGLY LONG “STAND-BY LINES”. THIS IS A LOSER FOR DISNEY.
We are experienced Disney vacation club members, and I can honestly say that we have used virtually every product or service that Disney has offered over the last 25 years. Of all the innovations which Disney has introduced, we would rate magic bands as the worst. As a businessman, I can see the logic of it: one wristband serves as room key, payment authorization, admission to the park, and, when properly linked to your account, a way to authorize fast passes. The problem is, it just hasn’t worked. We’ve had difficulty about half the time getting into the parks as the wristband and fingerprint ID did not match. We also went through a burdensome process on checking in, where the concierge attempted to match us up with fast passes for the next two days. It was a noble effort on his part, but it completely takes away the spontaneity of the vacation. We now must carefully plan and compete with others for the rides we most want to take. As one of Disney’s best customers, it’s a ridiculous way to be treated. Couple this with completely jammed Parks ( I do admit that it is Christmas time) and we find ourselves actively considering other choices for next year. Considering the Disneyland is 20 minutes from our home in California, we will be watching for the dreaded magic bands to show up there, and then we will avoid that place too.
Hello. We just got back from WDW and it was FANTASTIC, mainly because of the My Magic+ system. We are form Spain so it’s quite a long journey and we wanted to make the most of it. Once you book a Disney Vacation Package (by the way, WDW Disney Dining Plan worths every dollar to us), My Magic+ is optional, that is, we had no invitation, we just signed up online and customized our Magic Bands (color and name printed on it)and picked them up directly in our Disney Hotel; so no worrying about the tickets before and during our stay! The band was nice and comfortable (you almost didn’t noticed it) and as you explain it worked as room key, park ticket, Fastpass+ ticket, Photopass, redeeming your dining tickets and credit card.
I don’t agree that Fastpass+ gets spontaneity down. On the contrary, I’m a planning person (althoug in this case I did my reservation only 3weeks ahead) but waiting times is something that you can’t control in advance so we used our FastPass+ choices (3 per day and per person) for the attractions that are supposed to be busier and have no regular FastPass (Fantasmic or Enchanted Tales with Belle, for example) and regular FastPass for the others. Every time we finished a ride we checked waiting lines and return Fastpasses time for each attraction with My Disney Experience app to choose our next Fastpass or stand by line attraction between Fastpasses.
And if waiting times were high all day (Toy Story didn’t get under 60-90 minutes) we used the app to change our Fasstpass+ initial selection. This way we didn’t have to wait more than 15-20 minutes (except from Be Our Guest Restaurant which has no FP+, but the 60minutes waiting was totally worth it)
To me the key is that 1) Fastpass and Fastpass+ can be used simultaneosly (if not, I’d prefer Fastpass) and 2)you can change your Fasstpass+ selections online (or using the Park machines, but you need to find one first) as long as you do it before your first choice time expires. If system stays the same I’d definetely pay (well, depending on how much) for using MyMagic+. I suppose I’m one of those CASUAL guests you talk about…
We often travel to Disneyland Paris and I was surprised that all the rides that exist in both parks (Space Mountain or Aerosmith Rollercoaster) were softer in Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios; which doesn´t mean worse, in fact, they were longer and visually more entertaining. Anyway, I think your site is AWESOME and I’m geting information for my Disneyland Resort visit (maybe 2015)!
How were you able to use Fastpass+ and the regular fastpass? Did you buy your park tickets separately when booking the vacation?
At WDW right now, as a day guest. FastPass+ appears to be negatively impacting FP availability for the rest of us. I am an experienced WDW visitor, and am almost shocked by how hard it is to get on rides now. I am hearing from guests and from CM’s how often the system breaks down, whether trying to use while still at home or once in park. One food cart CM told me that for her whole shift one day, MagicBands could not be read. We always use Disney gift cards while in parks (how I budget)and are often finding they cannot be read at carts and the Food & Wine festival booths this year. I am not of the techie generation, don’t need to be connected at all when I am trying to enjoy WDW. As an educator and a mom, it is making me very sad to see how many kids at WDW this week are focused on devices, whether sitting in strollers, on the monorail or walking in a theme park. There are appropriate times to use a “distractor” with a child, but that is not what I am noticing. Not at all the experience Walt hoped to provide families.
Just got back from Disney and Epcot and was very disappointed. We are annual passholders that do not stay at their resorts because we live close enough, so we didn’t have Magic Bands. We can usually enjoy all the rides at the park in one day, not hopping just one park per day. When we arrived at Epcot at 9:30am the FastPasses for Test Track and Soarin where already at 7:30pm. Never before have they ever been this bad. The standby wait times ranged from 70-90 minutes all day. It is hard to stand in line with a five year old for that long. I understand that the Magic Bands are still in the testing phases but it appeared that a very large percentage of the people at the parks were wearing them. It is unfair to those who don’t have the option to book FastPasses in advance. We talked to a couple of people that said they didn’t even end up going on the ride that they had booked. Disney is taking away the spontaneous day trips and wanting people to spend more money. Very disappointed with the whole thing and will probably not be buying passes again.
Couldn’t agree with you more. We had the same negative experience.
I wouldn’t be surprised if these bracelets have a GPS in them so Disney can track the flow of traffic at each park. If everyone at MK are heading right when they enter the park maybe drop a character on the left side to even the flow.
As somebody who has inside information, I can confirm to you that they do. They will know when you are in a restaurant, using the bathroom, on a bus, in your room, etc. They also store your name, address, credit card information, what you purchase, etc.
This is grossly false. These magicbands have an RFID chip that is all. There is no GPS tracking device, there is no credit card information stored, there is no personal information that you couldn’t go into My Disney Experience and change or delete, for example your name. If I want my name to be Daisy Duck, it will show up as Daisy Duck in their system. Simply put, the RFID chip that is read links to a profile number which is linked to a My Disney Experience profile stored in a secure internal network which is programmed by you as the guest. Here’s how it works:
There are two parts to this system…
1)MagicBand RFID Chip (ie. Chip #1234)
2)Your Profile through My Disney Experience(MDE)(which has a number that can only be accessed through secure Disney network channels ie Profile #5678)
Until you choose to do so, your MagicBand (Chip #1234) and MDE Profile (Profile #5678) are two completely separate entities.
What is on your MDE Profile?
*Your Park Admission Ticket Number and Fingerprint Profile
*Your name, as entered by you (the guest)
*Your Room Key (which has an RFID chip)
*Your Itinerary (optional)
How does it work with my magicband?
*Accessing your room: Tapping your magicband to the mickey logo on your door activates the RFID reader which tells the computer linked to a secure internal network to search for your profile linked to that magicband (chip #1234), in nanoseconds it responds with a yes/no. If yes, it will then check for a MDE profile number attached to your MagicBand. In this example we will use profile #5678. Once a MDE profile is located, it will use a secure Disney network to access the mainframe database that your MDE profile information is stored, in this case it is looking for your roomkey access code (the RFID chip number of your RoomKey) and grants your access.
*Making Purchases: Your credit card is NEVER attached to your magicband. By tapping your magicband to the mickey logo on an enabled credit/debit pad it will search for your profile as explained above but this time it is looking for your roomkey. Attached to your roomkey profile will be a yes/no response for the purchasing option. If it is returned as a yes response, it will then require you to enter the pin that only the owner of the profile will know. This DOES NOT Charge a credit card on file! Your resort profile is SEPARATE from your MDE profile. Instead it sends a dollar amount to your profile that will be listed in your incidentals of your room (which populates from your roomkey information) upon checking out, at which time you can even opt to change how you will pay for your incidentals (you are not REQUIRED to use the card on file, that is just in case you leave without paying for something owed)By the way, you have been able to use this same technology with your Disney Resort RoomKey for several years now, way before MagicBands were even conceived. The tool has changed, the technology hasn’t. Also, you can opt out of this option as you have always been able to do. NOTE: Receipts of transactions maybe kept on file for purchases made with MagicBands since it may be requested at checkout when paying for incidentals charged to the room. The receipt number is kept, all items purchased have always been tracked using a separate logistics system and while they can pull up your transactions by the magic band used, it is no different than tracking your purchases based on the roomkey or credit card used.
*For park access: Just like everything else, once you touch your magic band to the mickey logo on the pedestal, it pulls the park ticket and fingerprint profile from MDE through the secure internal network.
*For FastPass+: Once again, once you touch your magic band to the mickey logo on the pedestal, it pulls the fastpass+ ticket from MDE through the secure internal network.
So to answer the question, “what is stored on your MagicBand?” Your MDE Profile Number. If anyone tried to access your information, they would only find your profile number. Not the information LINKED to your profile. Just simply your profile number.
And yes, you can make an itinerary as well as reservations on MDE which that information can be viewed and used as demographic/logistics information only to help Disney understand it’s habits and needs of it’s guests (no different than any rewards card used by department and grocery stores…heck even Starbucks!) however this is information that you have to WILLINGLY choose to input into MDE, you are not tracked by GPS. You can choose to make your reservations by phone without releasing room information to the guest attendant. You can write your itinerary on paper and not use the app.
I hope that this help clear some air about how the MagicBand works.
Just got back from Disney World, and we used the new magic bands. Overall, I would say it was a positive experience. The fact that they are your room key, your park entry key, your Fastpasses, and your dining plan payment really streamlines everything – less to keep up with and carry with you – easier with kids – they can open the room when your arms are full of towels from the trip to the pool! And kids loved being able to scan their own wristband to get into park and onto Fastpass rides. Since we went at a low crowd time of year, we didn’t use all of our Fastpass+ reservations each day, an had a couple of mixups, when I was trying to change our choices at the last minute. And the app is very slow! So trying to pull up the info for our Fastpasses of change our selections was very time consuming and sometimes frustrating. I can tell they still need to work some of the bugs out of the system. But overall, I would say it worked well, but just be prepared to have a very scheduled trip!
For those of us that have end of year vacations booked, do you think Disney will give us time to do advanced on line Magic+ Theme Park choices? Or will they just institute the new system and require smart phone arrangements? Any thoughts on when Magic+ will hit the ground running? Thanks!
Will end of year (2013) check in at the Disney resorts be much more time consuming because of Magic+ set up and interactions?
If they don’t work the kinks out between now and then, it could be.
So…we will be first time visitors to Disney World in February 2014. While I feel generally well prepared (on resort hotel location, ADRs all planned, etc.), I’m still a bit baffled about Fastpass+ and Annual passes. Since my kids are young, I anticipate DW being a big hit and going back regularly. I’d like to by an AP and activate it…when I arrive in Feb. But how would I plan any FastPass+ activities? Right now it seems I can’t, and Disney is pushing me to just buy a 6 day ticket instead. Doesn’t seem very smart to me! Is there a fix for this coming? Do they realize this is a problem for the first year anyone signs up for an Annual Pass?
It simply hasn’t been rolled out for AP holders yet. If you book a Disney hotel, there’s a good chance you’ll be offered it through that reservation, though. Remember, this is all still in the testing phase.
We had this same concern. Even if you are staying on WDW property you have to have an active pass. If you only have a voucher for an AP or if you intend to purchase your AP at the time of arrival then you can’t make any fastpass+ selections until after you get to the park and activate the pass. That means you can’t take advantage of early window for booking fastpass selections. While this is in beta testing it shouldn’t be a problem as there are so few users & fastpass selections should be abundant. That won’t be the case once this rolls out to everyone and may change how people choose their park passes if they don’t find a fix for it. The restriction of needing active passes to make fastpass selections only makes sense or people would bog down the system on a whim that they might go to WDW and then never go & never cancel their fastpass selections.
We are headed to Disney World next week with my inlaws (Sept 6-12), and we are testing the magic bands. It has been a lot of work getting our reservations linked with my inlaws, and making fast pass selections. I did it all once, and the then went back a week later and realized that they had added more Fastpass + options to choose from. So I rearranged everything all over again. It takes time to make selections, pick time slots, and then adjust it to you own schedule (like scheduling around ADR’s, kid afternoon pool time, etc). And since we are doing park hoppers, and spending most mornings in one park, and evenings in another, I had to decide which park to use our Fastpass + selections for. I like planning, and details, but it has been a bit much even for me! I like the flexibility of the paper Fastpasses, where I can use them if and when I want to. And because this is still in the testing phase, not all of attractions are available for Fastpass + that will probably be available later (spots for fireworks, shows, etc). I do like the idea of not having to carry around KTTWvcards, paper fast passes, etc, and being able to use band as room key, and to pay for meals, etc. I am hoping that we can still use the paper Fastpasses on this trip, even though I know that won’t be available probably on future trips.
Hey Tom!
So we are going to WDW in October with 4 families! That is 17 people! We have been invited to try the BANDS. I went into the website to add the fast passes for our group. It was not an easy task. First of all, I was having a hard time linking the families together. If I got connection with one, then I wouldn’t be able to add their children and so on….I ended up calling Disney and they said for one family to pick all the fast passes and then have each family call Disney and have them copy that one families itinerary. Ugh..anyway, that was the easy part. Having to pick your fast passes in advance sort of means you need to know exactly what your schedule is going to be for that day. Making sure you don’t overlap a fastpass with a scheduled dinner or scheduled show is sort of hard too. I did use the LINES app and that helped a whole bunch! I don’t think I could have done it with out it! I have never been to Disney but I feel I am somewhat of an expert after all this! I know the parks so well now:)
I also want to know…once you use your fastpass can you get another one? I don’t see how they can get away with only 3? My friends who have gone say that they have used 5/6 a day???
I’m not Tom, but I’m hoping that by answering some of your questions that I can help other families that may stumble across your post.
First off, the My Disney Experience (MDE) App is still in it’s testing phase and has some things that can be bettered, in fact there should be an update coming out in the next few weeks to help correct some of the issues guests have been having and also simplifying/making it more user friendly.
Also, you really don’t have to schedule your fastpasses out in advance. If a cast member encouraged you to do so, well, that was that cast member and to be honest, most resort cast members really don’t understand how the program works. I’ve been testing it for the past three months and have real experience with it. Advance scheduling is recommended to guarantee you get the times and fastpasses you want if you know what your plan is (this is a benefit for those guests that schedule their whole vacation out minute by minute days, weeks, or even months in advance)…I am not a planner though. I go with the flow and have RARELY had a problem getting a fastpass I wanted for when I wanted it even though it was the day of, obviously (just like the old paper tickets) it’s first come, first served so once you know where you’re going that day, go ahead and schedule you some fastpasses.
Okay, so your friends used 5 or 6 fastpasses in a day, the question is, were they really necessary? Most people would grab a fastpass for a ride and then get there to find it is only a 15 minute wait (which fastpass isn’t going to be much faster than that). A guest who took the time to get a paper fastpass would go ahead and use it only to find out it would have been the same wait had they gone standby. I can say this because I’ve been doing that exact thing for years. What it boils down to is that if you are able to get 5 or 6 passes in a day (remember you can only get 1 per ticket per hour and only after the last pass has expired it’s time slot) which means there had to have been fastpasses available all day for all hours…either they got REALLY lucky or the park attendance wasn’t really validating a need for ALL of those fast passes.
After using the FastPass+ system, I’ve learned that I don’t really ever use more than a couple fastpasses in a day when I’m trying to conserve my limit of 3 for when I really need them. My rule is if the standby line is less than 20 mins, go standby and save my fastpass+ for a different attraction. I often find I don’t even end up using my third fastpass+ for the day because it isn’t needed (unless it is peak season)
I hope this helps!
In a few days, Sept 1, my party of 6 leaves for WDW. We are spending 7 days at Boardwalk Villas, then going on a 4 day cruise on the Dream, then returning to Jambo House on the 12th, where we will be a part of the magic+ beta testing. Thus we will be able to compare both systems when we get back on the 15th.
For now, we have customized our magic bands, linked all of our dining reservations, park tickets, annual passes, dining plan, and even Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. We have also booked fast passes already for the 3 days we’ll be in the magic+ system.
There was a bit of a snafu when we feared they would ship our magic bands to our home in Canada while we were already in WDW, but that seems resolved and magic bands, perhaps a whole new set, are en route to Jambo House.
One downer for us, or at least me, is the reduction to 3 fast passes a day, while I usually go through 8-12 a day of the paper versions.
Hot tip: You can customize your fast passes to nearly any time of day you want. Just agree to one of the options you are given, even if you don’t like the times, and then you can modify them to any time you like, I assume provided those times are still available.
Which leads to downer #2. Planning your fast passes in advance of your trip, which necessitates what parks you’ll be in when, kinda of takes that spark of spontaneity out of Disney Parks.
Cheers, and more on the 15th,
Larry
Downer number 1: you would have to be in the parks for 8-12 hours a day to use that many fastpasses and to get that many in the first place means park attendance was low and so you have to ask yourself, how many fastpasses did you use for rides that had less than a 20 minute wait time?
Downer number 2: Planning in advance is not a necessity. It’s no different than going up to a machine, sticking your ticket in and it spitting out a time that you didn’t choose. For example, it spits out “Space Mountain Fast Pass: Return to redeem between 7:35pm and 8:35pm” but I have reservations at Crystal Palace at 7:00pm I either have to sacrifice my reservation or my fastpass. NOW I can say, hold up, I have reservations, I want a fastpass that won’t overlap my dinner…maybe something around 5:30pm would be good. Voila, 5:30pm to 6:30pm it is. Yes it is subject to availability but unlike the old system where everyone got the same time until it ran out, now people are picking their times which logically dictates that you have a MUCH better chance at getting a time frame that works with what you want to do that day…and worst case scenario, you can always change that fastpass attraction and/or time later.
I think FastPass+ makes spontaneity easier because you may have a fastpass for big thunder mountain and walk by Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin with 75 minute wait time and say I want to do that! Go into your app or stop by the kiosks by Stitch’s Great Escape and change your fastpass to Buzz Lightyear and see what the next available time is, most likely you’ll find that you can get a time slot that just started or will be starting in just a few minutes!
I got my Magic Bands in the mail a couple days ago for my trip coming up in a week and a half. I logged onto the My Disney Experience site to look into selecting fast pass+ selections and I was disappointed (already) at how un-flexible the time slot combinations are. For example- I selected 3 attractions in magic kingdom, went to the next page of the site and if auto populated me with 3 different options of combinations of times to ride those rides… Unfortunately all the times they gave me for the rides were all in the PM… I had no option to say I’d rather have am… Probably because AM slots are no longer available… This worries me, if it isnt even rolled out to the public yet and you cant get a fast pass befor 2pm for a ride, is it going to be like ADRs? I like to plan, but give us a LITTLE spontinaety! this is not conducive to park hopping either.
Have you tried accepting the PM slots it offers and then going back to adjust them? I did that for my trip next week, and it worked pretty well.
As the post I just left indicates, we were able to change all of our time slots into ones better suited for us. Disney is just trying to group your selections into what it supposes are popular choices for organization of your
rides.
Larry
I agree Tom, it would be. Oh, and it was on our trip a week ago. I’m just fearful that the paper machines are going away and the Fastpass+ system will roll out as is…..that scares me. We are considering becoming DVC members, but only if we can enjoy the hopper option with fast pass capability. If they roll it out as is and eliminate the machines, my shopping expenses will go WAAAYYYY down because we will be locked into 60-80 minute waits on Stand-by. I know Disney wont like that part, that’s why they rolled out fast passes. Seems counter productive doesn’t it?!
I agree Tom, it would be. Oh, and it was on our trip a week ago. I’m just fearful that the paper machines are going away and the Fastpass+ system will roll out as is…..that scares me. We are considering becoming DVC members, but only if we can enjoy the hopper option with fast pass capability. O
My party is in WDW from Sept 1-15. When we change hotels to Animal Kingdom Lodge on Sept 12, we will be part of Magic Band Beta testing. We have already linked to our iPhones, chosen wrist band colours, linked our annual passes and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets, linked in our dining plan and meal reservations, and booked our fast passes. Very convenient.
Issue #1: We are all wondering what the Disney execs were smoking when they decided that 3 fast passes a day would be enough.
Issue #2: During the time when we are Magic Band beta testers we will all be limited to 3 fast passes a day while non-magic band guests, who are using paper fast passes will still have access to unlimited fast passes, which is very unfair.
Issue #3: Disney tends to ship magic bands out to guests at home. This is very silly, since it gives guests one more thing to pack, and it would make more sense just to get them at the resort at check in. Thankfully we are Canadian (eh?), and Disney does not ship magic bands outside of the US. Still, they sent us a confusing e-mail stating that they had sent them to our home address. Since we actually leave Sept 1, had they shipped to our home they’d have arrive after we left.
Issue #4: It took us about 2 hours and some trial and error before we accidentally realized that we can alter the times for any fast pass, but in order to do so, we first had to accept the fast pass times as offered, and then we could go back and change them. on the plus side, the system knew our reservations and alerted us to any conflicts.
We will add more comments after we get back.
Larry
Larry,
You will still be able to get paper fast passes while the testing is going on. Be sure to get room key cards. You can book your Fastpass+ online and when you get to the park, go to the machines with your room key cards and load up! Again, just be sure when you check in, they give you room key cards. Also, if you have hard cards for entry into the park, they work in the fast pass ticket machine as well. 🙂
Yes, you are correct, three at one park only per day on your magic band. This is what keeps me from booking our next trip. There is no evidence or information that says the magic bands are NOT the future and the paper machines may be going away.
This trip for you should be awesome!
For park hopping (and even when you are not), utilize those Extra Magic Hours (especially in the morning!) and take advantage of short (or non-existent) wait times during those hours. Let’s say they have EMH at Magic Kingdom in the morning, but you want to go to Epcot and see Illuminations in the evening. Fastpass+ your Epcot selections for the late afternoon/evening, and even book preferential standing room for the fireworks, if you want. Head to Magic Kingdom in the morning and ride everything you want before the crowds. You can even grab a paper Fastpass or two to get on the Mountain rides without waiting mid-morning. Head back to your hotel around noon and relax, heading into Epcot in the afternoon. Grab some more paper Fastpasses when you get there, so they are staggered around your Fastpass+ selections. The result is maximum ride time with minimum waiting! It takes some planning, but strategizing around those EMH works wonders. Also, be sure to check crowd calendars to see what the projected park outlooks are for your trip dates.
Keep in mind that paper Fastpasses are not unlimited to other guests- once you get one, you cannot get another one until you are within that pass’ ride time, or 2 hours after you got it. So, non-magic+ folks are not racking up benefits that you yourself won’t be entitled to, and you get all of those PLUS your Fastpass+ selections!
Good Luck!
That’s what I was thinking. I think it would be advantageous for people who park hop, especially those who like popular attractions like Soarin’ and Toy Story Mania that run out of FastPasses.
Actually, my party will be in a good position to test that theory. For Sept 1-7 we will be on paper fast passes, then after a 4 day cruise on the Dream, we’re coming back Sept 12-14 for 3 days beta testing magic+. I’ll have some direct comparisons when I get back.
Cheers
Larry
Hi-
We are back from our vacation and I have to say that I am HOOKED on the Fastpass+ system. We used 5 day park hopper passes, and had no issues in the parks with them whatsoever. We were at 9 and 10 capacity days and rode every ride in the park that we wanted to multiple times over the course of our stay and never waited in a line more than 5 minutes. Suffice to say that our kids are entirely spoiled at this point! The original paper Fastpass system was still operational for us (which, of course it won’t be in the future), so doubling up played a huge role in the experience. I scheduled all of our Fastpass+ selections for the afternoons, and then spent the mornings riding standby in very short lines. When the crowds hit we returned to the room and rested until the Fastpass+ selection times came around. In between the Fastpass+ selections, I walked around and got paper Fastpasses, as well. Add in to those walking on the shorter standby rides and you have one jam packed ride itinerary! When the paper system shuts down, that will be cut, of course, but for the present it was incredible. We were given 3 Fastpass+ selections plus a bonus 4th that they choose for you in the Magic Kingdom, and 3 in the other parks as a guest of a Deluxe level resort. I’ve read that the numbers of selections you can make in the future will depend on your level of accommodation. I could go on and on about the experience, but I won’t bore everyone to tears…If you have questions I will be glad to answer them!
It was fun getting all those extra fast passes. Did you have room keys AND park cards? The cards would work in the Fastpass machines as well, so with our online selections and 4 room keys…AND our park cards, we could rack up the passes!
I hope they keep it this way!
We used the bands as our room keys and for the fastpass+ selections, and then used the Key to the World cards for the paper fastpasses. It would be lovely if they did keep it that way, but doubtful! It was my most fulfilling organizational success ever. LOL!
I bought our Hopper passes separately from our room reservation, that’s why we had all those extra passes! I agree, it was a well organized trip because you could adjust AND pre-plan with the bands. My fingers are crossed because the whole family is looking forward to The Yacht Club next year.
We just returned from a week long trip using the Magic Bands. As a general comment, it made it easy to get in your room and pay for quick items. We had a couple of problems with our fast passes disappearing, but guest services quickly remedied the situation. If your a park hopper like us, then the bands are not a good idea. We are hoping Disney changes the system to allow multiple park fast passes. After a lengthy conversation with a Disney rep today, he mentioned that a great number of people buy hopper tickets and that a change to the current system should happen so as to accommodate “hoppers”. He said he can’t say for sure on that because the testing is still in progress. I let him know that we would not return if the system stays “as is”. We love Disney but traveling from Texas is expensive and we want to do Disney our way!! So, we sit and wait for the results. Normally I would have already started the booking process, but not until they “fix” it.
Kevin, I believe that you can opt out of the FastPass+ system. You’d still use the Magic Bands instead of getting a paper ticket, but you’ll have to physically go to the kiosks in front of the rides just like you do now. However, you won’t be limited to only three FastPasses.
When you tested the system last week, it sounds like you were only allowed the three FastPass+’s a day. Is this correct? I thought I had read that during the test phase, the testers would still be allowed to get the paper tickets as they would still need to be available for the non-testing guests.
Nate – I believe you’re correct on all accounts. There is a lot of speculation that paper FastPasses will be gradually phased out over time. I don’t believe this has been confirmed, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all.
Nate, we could use our physical room key along with selecting our passes online. it made it great for this trip! My understanding is that was only a temporary thing until testing is complete and the Fastpass+ is rolled out. I heard multiple times from guests that the ticket system would be phased out, but who knows for sure at this point.
Very interesting, Kevin. There have been a lot of reports like yours that testing has been very buggy and constraining. It will be interesting to see how, if at all, this system goes over. Thanks for posting your experience!
You’re welcome! I hope the future still allows for us to enjoy the hopper pass and the Fastpass+.