Magicbands and Fastpass+

Magicbands and Fastpass+ go hand in hand and are now both a big part of at least most Disney World vacations now. There are a lot of concerns out there in regards to both and we'll try to address them here.

Magicbands have been around for our last two trips, but we have only used them on this last trip in January. In September 2013 Magicbands were finishing up their testing phase and were not yet included for those at All-Star Resorts. When we first learned about Magicbands and Fastpass+ we had some concerns and didn't really know what to think about them. Having experience with them both now we like them.

What are Magicbands?
Magicbands are RFID bracelets that are customizable and adjustable that are used for park entrance, hotel room access, charging for purchases, Fastpasses, and Photopass.

Who can get a Magicband?
In the past all Disney World Resort guests were given a Key to the World card. Magicbands have replaced these cards. If you ate staying at a Disney World resort each member of your party, including babies, will receive a band as part of your package. Guests staying off property can purchase bands for $12.95 each and link them to their reservation.

How do they work?
As mentioned above, the bands contain a RF chip that contains your reservation information to include Photopass, Fastpass, park tickets, and room entry.

You say they're customizable, how so?
Using the MyDisneyExperience website you can change the color of each band. You can also have each person's name printed on the back of the band - this makes it easier to keep track of what band belongs to whom. You can also purchase extras online and at the parks to further customize your band.

How do you get your bands?
Your Magicbands will be shipped to you in a plain box - good for surprising kids. (It does say Disney on the label though.) The bands will ship at the 30 day mark (30 days before your trip) and can take up to 10 days to arrive. If for some reason you do not have Magicbands on your reservation and are staying at a Disney resort you will be given plain (gray) bands at your arrival.

How do you use the Magicbands?
To open your hotel room you will simply place the chip part of the band in front of the sensor on the lock and wait for the click. For park entry you will place the band in front of the Mickey sensor and the second sensor will scan your finger print. For charging - whether to use dining or snack credits or to charge a purchase to the credit card attached to your reservation - you will place the band over a Mickey sensor either on a pin pad or a scanner and then enter a pin number that you will set up when you check in. For Fastpass you will scan your band at the Fastpass entrance for the attraction and wait for the green. Lastly, for Photopass the photographer will tap their scanner on your band and it will transfer your pictures.

I have heard that you can lose a band.
Before our last trip we read that people were losing their bands and that they were just falling off. The only time that either of our bands fell off is when Christian pulled them off or they got snagged on something. They clip together like the back of a baseball cap and will not easily fall off. If you worry about this, however, there are bitbelts out there that should alleviate your worries.

What if I go to the water parks?
Magicbands are waterproof and therefore should be fine at the water parks.

Fastpass+ is different from the old Fastass system at Disney World, which is still in use at Disneyland, in that you can make your Fastpass reservations up to 60 days in advance. (30 days in advance if you are staying offsite.)

When Disney first switched to Fastpass+ we didn’t know what to think about it. “What if I don’t want to plan my entire vacation in advance?!” These were our exact thoughts, but we used them on our last trip and they are helpful. On past trips we may have used two Fastpasses during the entire trip. We don’t mind waiting in line for an attraction if the wait time is 30 minutes for less, but there are quite a few attractions now that unless you race to them at rope drop or wait until the end of the night you will be waiting well upwards of 30 minutes. So we used Fastpass+ on our last trip and had a good experience with it.

Tips for Fastpass:

* You may want to only book one Fastpass, but you will be forced to have 3. You are not required to show up for your Fastpass time, so if you have to book two Fastpasses that you do not want to use, just let the time slot pass and they will go away as if they had been used.

* You do not have to plan out your entire trip ahead of time. You can make Fastpass selections from your wifi connected device or a kiosk once you are inside the parks based on what attractions have Fastpasses still available.

 * To start you have 3 Fastpasses per day, but that does not mean that you are limited to only 3. Once you have used your first 3 you can make additional Fastpass selections, one at a time, using a wifi connected device or a kiosk inside of the parks.

* Fastpasses are available for most attractions, to include rides, select character meets, and shows, as well fireworks and parades.

* For attractions that children may be too small for, Ex. Rock n Roller Coaster, Splash Mountain, Test Track, that both parents want to ride use a combination of Fastpass and Rider Swap. Set up a Fastpass for one parent to ride, once that parent gets in the Fastpass line ask for a Rider Swap card. This way both parents will be able to go through the Fastpass line.

* Not every attraction absolutely requires one, and we personally think that using a Fastpass for a parade or fireworks is a waste.

* If there is something that you know you will want to ride more than once in a day book your Fastpass for the afternoon and ride it using the standby or even the single rider line if it is available first thing in the morning.

Our Recommendations for Fastpass...

Magic Kingdom

* Seven Dwarves Mine Train

* Splash Mountain

* Meet Anna and Elsa

* Meet Cinderella and Rapunzel

* Peter Pan’s Flight

* Enchanted Tale’s With Belle

* Space Mountain

Epcot

* Soarin’

* Test Track

Hollywood Studios

* Rock n Roller Coaster

* Tower of Terror

* For the First Time in Forever (Frozen Sing-along)

* Disney Junior Live on Stage

* Star Tours

Animal Kingdom

* Expedition Everest