Visiting a theme park involves using your smartphone for a variety of things. You may want to look up wait times for rides, post pictures on social media, and keep in touch with other members of your group.
Disney World has made smartphones fairly essential to its in-park experience.
The Walt Disney (DIS) theme park has added all sorts of phone-based experiences to its four theme parks and many eateries actually require ordering and payment on a phone. You can't, for example, try the famous "Blue Milk," at Disney's Hollywood Studios' "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" if you don't place the order and pay for it via your phone.
Your phone can serve as your ticket, locate where you parked, and manage your added-fee faster ride access to Genie+ and Lightning Lanes. And when you return to your hotel room, assuming you're staying on the property, your phone can literally unlock the door.
The problem -- and it's a big one -- is that phones run on batteries and Disney World has very few options to charge your phone.
That puts visitors in a tough situation: They need to either bring phone-charging batteries with them or be very careful with how they use their devices.
Disney has just created a new option for park visitors to limit their phone use -- the new MagicBand+ -- but the theme-park company has ignored a problem with those devices that's very similar to the phone-charging problem it has created for its visitors.
Image source: Disney/TS
Disney's New MagicBands Have a Problem
Disney just started selling its new MagicBand+. These are watch-like bracelets that can perform many of the functions that you previously had to use your phone for. The new MagicBand+ can serve as your ticket, let you access, Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and unlock your hotel-room door.
The problem is that the MagicBand+, much like a phone, needs to be charged, and that has led to some problems, BlogMickey.com reported.
"The MagicBand+ is finally being sold at Disney World, but the rollout today is not without issues," the website reported.
"The most notable issue that guests are experiencing is little to no charge on the MagicBand+ when they purchase it. Managers that we spoke with said that they aim to deliver the MagicBand+ with at least 50% charge, but even then that isn’t enough charge for guests to begin using the MagicBand+ as intended,"
When you buy a MagicBand+, it immediately needs to have its software updated. Doing that, however, requires at least a 60% charge, meaning that when you buy the device, you can't actually use it without charging it -- something you can do only if you brought a battery and cables.
"This likely won’t be limited to a 'day one' issue depending on how long MagicBand+ stock sits on the shelves and how long the idle battery is good for," BlogMickey added.
"Disney said that guests can expect 1 to 3 days of use on a single charge, but only Disney knows how long a MagicBand+ can sit on a shelf without being charged."
It is worth noting, however, that MagicBand+ still functions as your admission ticket and works to access Lightning Lane and Genie+ even without a charge.
MagicBand+ Has Another Issue
Annual-pass holders and people staying on site at Disney-owned hotels used to get free MagicBands along with their tickets/reservations. Disney has dropped that policy and now everyone must pay for the devices, which start at $34.99.
Disney stopped offering free MagicBands in January, 2021.
Pass holders and Disney hotel guests do get a $10 discount on that price, but this is Disney charging for something that used to be included. That's in line with the company's recent pricing changes with the former free FastPass+ turning into the paid Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
The MagicBand+ is not essential to a Disney World visit, but it's meant to enhance it.
"After a guest enters a theme park, MagicBand+ will come alive at various times with color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition, enhancing the environment’s storytelling," Disney said in a news release.
"The wearable will allow guests to engage with favorite Disney moments in new ways and discover new interactive experiences."
