MagicBand+ Guide and FAQ - Price, Pairing, and What They Do

Last year, Disney Parks announced that MagicBands are getting a big upgrade. MagicBand+ is coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort, and Guide2WDW has all the details you need about Disney’s newest wearable.

Update 10-19-22: New details have arrived about MagicBand+ at Disneyland Resort. MagicBand+ has already been released at Disney World. This guide has been updated with new price information, as well as info on how to pair and customize your MagicBand+ with your phone.

What is MagicBand+?

MagicBand+ is the newest version of Disney World’s MagicBand. MagicBands are wearable wristbands that include RFID technology that enable you to open your hotel room door, get into the parks, pay for food, and redeem Lightning Lane reservations, all with your wrist. A MagicBand can act as your hotel key, park ticket, and wallet while you’re inside the park and Disney World hotels.

MagicBand+ features new designs and extra features, such as color-changing lights and haptic vibrations. MagicBand+ enables new experiences, such as glowing along with nighttime spectaculars or a new Bounty Hunter game at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. We have full details about these new experiences below.

When will MagicBand+ be available?

MagicBand+ is available at Walt Disney World as of July 27. You can buy MagicBand+ online at shopDisney.com as well as the following locations:

• Magic Kingdom Park: Emporium
• EPCOT: Pin Traders – Camera Center
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Celebrity 5 & 10 and Tatooine Traders
• Animal Kingdom: Discovery Trading Company
• Disney Springs: Disney’s Pin Traders
• Select merchandise locations at Disney Resort hotels

MagicBand+ will also be available at Disneyland starting October 26, 2022. Magic Key holders and Disney Vacation Club members can start purchasing MagicBand+ at select merchandise locations at Disneyland on October 19. Magic Key holders will also receive $10 off a Magic Key exclusive MagicBand+.

MagicBand+ will be sold at Disneyland at the following locations:

• Downtown Disney: World of Disney, Disney’s Pin Traders
• Disneyland Park: Emporium, Pioneer Mercantile, Tomorrow Landing
• California Adventure: Elias & Co, Trolley Treats, Oswald’s, Seaside Souvenirs
• Disneyland Resorts: Disney’s Fantasia Shop, Mickey in Paradise, Acorns Gifts & Goods

How much does MagicBand+ cost?

MagicBand+ retails starting at $34.99 for solid colors.

MagicBand+ with more intricate designs featuring characters and text cost $44.99.

However, certain Disney World guests can purchase MagicBand+ at a discount. If you are staying at a Disney World resort, you can purchase MagicBand+ online prior to your arrival for $10 off the regular price through the My Disney Experience app or Disney World website. Annual Passholders can also receive a discount on MagicBand+.

Will the same MagicBand+ work at both Disney World and Disneyland?

Yes. If you purchase a MagicBand+ at Disney World, it will work at Disneyland, and vice versa. You will need to pair the MagicBand+ to both the Disney World app and the Disneyland app.

How to pair MagicBand+ with your phone and link to your Disney account.

1. Turn your MagicBand+ with the button on the bottom right of the band’s back.
2. Open the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app on your phone and log in.
3. Click the Menu (≡) button on the bottom right corner.
4. Scroll down and tap “MagicBands and More”
5. Tap “Link Your MagicBand or Card”
6. Under the Link to Account page, make sure you are on the “Tap” tab. This will let you pair your MagicBand+ by tapping it to your phone.
7. Press “Open Scanner.”
8. Hold your MagicBand+ close to your phone while the scanner is open.
9. Assign your MagicBand+ the person you want it to be associated with. You cannot reassign a MagicBand+, so make sure you have the correct guest selected.
10. Next, you will be prompted to pair your device via Bluetooth to enable more features. Hold the button on the back of the band down for three seconds and release.

Your MagicBand+ should now be fully paired to your Disney account and your phone.

How to customize MagicBand+ settings

If you want to customize the lights, vibration, and motion sensitivity for MagicBand+, you can do that on the phone that you’ve paired your band to.

1. Open the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app on your phone and log in.
2. Click the Menu (≡) button on the bottom right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap “MagicBands and More”
4. Select “View MagicBands” on the desired guest profile
5. Swipe to select the band you want to customize.

From here you can change a variety of options.

How to Customize MagicBand+ Light Up Theme

• Next to “Light Up Theme,” click the “Change Color” button.
• Tap the color theme you want, and then tap “Save Selection.”

How to Adjust MagicBand+ Vibration, Motion, and Other Settings

• Next to “Settings,” tap “Change”
• From here, you can toggle the following settings
  • Band Light (Enables the MagicBand+ light)
  • Reduce Brightness
  • Vibration (turns on and off vibration)
  • Increase Motion Recognition
  • Connected Park Experiences

Do I need to charge MagicBand+?

Yes. MagicBand+ comes with a charging cable. One end is a puck that connects to your MagicBand+ (similar to a Apple Watch or Fitbit), and the other end is USB-A. You will need to recharge MagicBand+ using this charging cable.

You can check the battery life in the MyDisneyExperience app by doing the following:

1. Open the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app on your phone and log in.
2. Click the Menu (≡) button on the bottom right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap “MagicBands and More”
4. Select “View MagicBands” on the desired guest profile
5. Swipe to select the band you want to check.
6. You can see the battery status icon below and to the right of the MagicBand+ artwork.

How to update MagicBand+

MagicBand+ has software updates. In fact, on the first day of availability, guests were told that they needed a Day One update for their newly purchased MagicBand+ to be able to reliably experience everything MagicBand+ has to offer.

Here’s how you can make sure your MagicBand+ is up to date. Your MagicBand+ will need at least 60% battery in order to be updated.

1. Open the MyDisneyExperience or Disneyland app on your phone and log in.
2. Click the Menu (≡) button on the bottom right corner.
3. Scroll down and tap “MagicBands and More”
4. Select “View MagicBands” on the desired guest profile
5. Swipe to select the band you want to update.
6. If your MagicBand+ is up to date, a green check mark will appear next to MagicBand+ Updates.
7. If your MagicBand+ needs an update, tap the Update button next to MagicBand+ Updates.
8. On the next screen, tap Download and Install. If you do not have enough battery life, the app will not let you update your MagicBand+.
9. Keep your MagicBand+ close to your phone while the update installs.

How is MagicBand+ different than a regular MagicBand?

MagicBand and MagicBand+ can both act as a park ticket, room key, and payment method. Everything you can do with MagicBand, you can also do with MagicBand+.

MagicBand+ also sports some new features not found in a regular MagicBand:

• Over 25 new designs
• Color-changing lights
• Haptic vibrations
• Gesture recognition
• The ability to pair with your smartphone

These features enable new experiences, detailed below.

What are the special activities that MagicBand+ enables?

MagicBand+ also enables special scavenger-hunt style activities, as well as “Glow with the Show” style interactions with nighttime spectaculars.

Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters – Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Join the Batuu Bounty Hunters’ Guild, search for space scoundrels, and collect bounties at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Guests will follow light patterns and vibrations on their MagicBand+ to find virtual bounties, complete missions, and earn credits. This game also uses the Play Disney Parks app as a augmented reality thermal viewer.

Disney Fab 50 Quest – All Four Parks

Guests can go on a scavenger hunt across Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Use your MagicBand+ to interact with the 50 golden character sculptures Disney installed for the 50th Anniversary. MagicBand+ uses gesture recognition technology so guests can “spread pixie dust with a wave.”

Nighttime Spectaculars – All Four Parks

MagicBand+ will light up in sync with Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom and Harmonious in EPCOT. The new bands will also glow along with the Beacons of Magic in all four parks.

Can I still buy a regular MagicBand?

Yes. Disney will continue to sell the regular version of the MagicBand, which is available at a lower price.

Do I need to have a MagicBand+ for my Disney World vacation?

No. MagicBand and MagicBand+ are optional add-ons that enhance your trip. MagicBands provide convenience, allowing you to not worry about pulling out your wallet multiple times a day. MagicBand+ provides that same convenience, but adds neat new features detailed above.

You can do almost everything MagicBand+ can do with your park ticket, your wallet, and your phone. However, Batuu Bounty Hunters, Disney Fab 50 Quest, and the Nighttime Spectacular interactions are exclusive experiences unlocked by MagicBand+.

Is MagicBand+ coming to Disneyland?

Yes, Disneyland is finally getting MagicBands! MagicBand+ is coming to Disneyland Resort on October 26, 2022. It will feature much of the same functionality, although there will be some differences. For example, don’t expect the Fab50 quest to show up at Disneyland, as the golden statues are a special part of the Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.

What will MagicBand+ do at Disneyland?

Here’s a complete list of MagicBand+ functionality at Disneyland when it debuts this fall.

• Enter Disneyland and California Adventure theme parks.
• Check in at Lightning Lane entrances
• Link PhotoPass photos to your Disneyland account
• Lighting up at Avengers Campus in sync with the entertainment
• Syncing with Nighttime Spectaculars: World of Color, Fantasmic, fireworks, and select nighttime shows.
• Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters game in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Disney promises more functionality will come in the future. Most notably, Disneyland does not include using MagicBand+ to open your hotel room at a Disneyland resort, but we would expect this feature to be added in time.

Also, Disney does not mention being able to use MagicBand+ to purchase items or meals at Disneyland.

Is MagicBand+ waterproof?

Yes, don’t worry about wearing MagicBand+ on Splash Mountain, Grizzly River Run, Kali River Rapids, or other Disney water rides.

We want to hear from you!

Disney’s MagicBand Plus is a cool accessory that enables new experiences at Disney World and Disneyland. Let me know in the comments below: Will you be purchasing MagicBand Plus on your next Disney vacation?