Magic Band + Review
Magic Bands are great. Not required, but highly recommended.
I like to use them because they make life more convenient in the parks.
In 2022, Magic Band + was released and I finally tried it for myself on my most recent trip.
To put it simply: Magic Band + is a magic band that lights up and needs to be charged.
This did not sound worth the additional charge to me. But trying them out changed my attitude, a little.
They are super functional, like regular Magic Bands.
You can use them to:
Unlock your Disney Resort room door
Scan your band for theme park access
Scan your band for Lightning Lanes
Automatically capture attraction photos & videos for your Memory Maker
Scan with PhotoPass photographers
Attach a credit card when you complete online check-in and use your band to purchase food & beverage and shop throughout the resorts, parks, and Disney Springs
So what does the Magic Band + do that regular Magic Bands don’t?
They have interactive features throughout the parks.
Pros:
They light up.
I did not see how this could possibly benefit me before I tried it, but after trying it, I have to admit - it’s pretty fun. They do light up with firework shows, but they also light up in unexpected places.
I was surprised to see it light up to match different parts of certain attractions.
It turned red when walking through the Haunted Mansion.
It turned white and purple when entering Elsa’s snow castle on Frozen.
The unexpected times did add a little bit of magic.
Cons:
You have to charge them.
I am already charging phones and battery packs at the end of each day, so the idea of one more thing to charge sounded exhausting. Luckily, Disney Resort hotel rooms have plenty of outlets and USB plugs, so finding space wasn’t a problem.
And they are more expensive.
If you are a Star Wars fan, you may want to upgrade your Magic Band.
Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters allows you to become a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away with your MagicBand+1. Go to the job board in Galaxy's Edge to be assigned a bounty.
2. Search for this bounty using your MagicBand+ to help guide you using vibrations and lights - Green means you are on the right track, while red means you are headed in the wrong direction!
3. When your MagicBand+ lights up purple, the door panel your bounty is "hiding behind" should respond too. Once your Band is purple, you can open the Play Disney Parks app - NOT the MDE app - to see the augmented reality thermal viewer to reveal who's hiding in the shadows. Use the thermal scanner to reveal the bounty behind the door.
Note: This is a fun augmented reality effect, but not necessary to complete the quest. Once it turns purple, you've collected that bounty and may head back toward the starting board.
4. To collect your credits, go back to where you started and place your MagicBand+ hand in the scanner on the door next to the starting panel. Here guild master Raga Bua greets you and rewards you with galactic credits.
Note: credits do not actually count toward anything.
There are 20 possible bounties, but we were done after finding one. While the idea is super fun, the technology on the MagicBand+ may be hard to keep connected. When Kelsey & Sam attempted this activity, one MagicBand+ worked while to other got stuck on red and the activity couldn't be completed. Connectivity is an ongoing issue with the new MagicBand+ software, not just the Bounty Hunter activity.
It took about 5 minutes to get used to the directional lightning and get on the right path, and another 8-10 to find a bounty. While it was an enjoyable way to spend 20 minutes, I think the novelty of the game would wear off as there is no real point to collecting credits besides knowing they are in your app 🤷🏼♀️
Overall, I would say you can skip the Magic Band +
But if it’s in the budget, consider spending a little extra for a little bit of extra magic.
