Walt Disney World is about to get a bit more magical.
Later this summer, Disney will roll out MagicBand+, a wearable device designed to enhance the guest experience and integrate “next generation storytelling” into your next trip.
What Is MagicBand+?
So what does that mean? Basically, it’s a tricked-out wristband designed to make your trip more convenient. Back in 2013, Walt Disney World Resort introduced the original MagicBand. With a flick of the wrist, guests could gain entry into theme parks and their hotel rooms and pay for souvenirs or meals.
The new MagicBand+ builds on that technology, but also adds new features that unlock what Disney calls “magical moments.”
How It Works
The new MagicBand+ will glow with special colors and vibrate when you enter one of Walt Disney World’s parks. It will also feature “gesture recognition,” giving guests new ways to engage with Disney moments, which include:
- Disney Fab 50 Quest: a scavenger hunt throughout Disney World’s four parks (the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom) that includes interaction with golden character sculptures and an augmented reality feature. For example, in the Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters experience, you can join a Bounty Hunters’ guild to find virtual bounties hidden throughout the Black Spire outpost. Guests can follow their bands’ light patterns and haptics to complete the mission and earn a reward.
- MagicBand+ also enhances nighttime spectaculars and fireworks shows like EPCOT’s Harmonious and the Magic Kingdom’s Disney Enchantment. MagicBand+ will light up and interact with the fireworks shows.
MagicBand+ goes on sale later this summer. Disney Resort hotel guests and Walt Disney World annual passholders will have the opportunity to purchase MagicBand+ at a discounted, pre-arrival price. Guests will also have the option to use existing MagicBand devices, which are also available for purchase.
Disney bound? Don’t miss this writer’s picks for My 9 Favorite Epcot Restaurants I Enjoy Every Time I Visit.
