Anyone who has been to Disney World in the last couple of decades knows how integral MagicBands have become to the resort experience.
MagicBand+
The latest iteration, MagicBand+, serves multiple functions, including functioning as a Walt Disney World or Disneyland entry ticket, checking in for Lightning Lanes and connecting with Photopass, and reacting to select Disney theme park attractions with “lighting effects and gesture recognition.”
More Special Effects in Attractions and Shows
Undoubtedly, one of the coolest features of MagicBand+ is its ability to interact with the parks in new and immersive ways. When it first launched, it would light up and vibrate during nighttime spectaculars, but Disney has been expanding those interactions across the parks. In 2025, you can be sure to expect even more attractions and entertainment offerings to get the MagicBand+ treatment.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
We’ve already seen it happen with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where bounty hunting missions in Batuu are integrated with MagicBand+, and with Happily Ever After, where MagicBand+ syncs up with the fireworks. But Disney isn’t stopping there.
Playing Batuu Bounty Hunters in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
As new attractions open, we can basically expect them to have MagicBand+ integration right from the start. Take, for example, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, the new nighttime parade at the Magic Kingdom. MagicBands will glow in unison with portions of the new parade, which celebrates Disney’s catalogue of animated films.
Disney Starlight
Whether it’s subtle vibrations to match the action in a ride or lighting effects that change with the story, your MagicBand+ could soon be making your experience even more immersive.
Disney Fans in Their 50s Refuse to Ride These 9 Magic Kingdom Rides
Longer Lines Mean More MagicBand+ Scanning
With major park areas like DinoLand U.S.A. in Disney’s Animal Kingdom closing for big overhauls and other attractions going down for extended refurbishments, wait times across the parks are expected to grow. That means more guests will be looking for ways to skip the standby lines, and that’s where MagicBand+ comes in.
Disney World Lightning Lane
Lightning Lane Multi-Pass (LLMP) is becoming a key tool for tackling Disney’s increasingly long lines, and MagicBand+ makes using it even easier. Instead of digging through the app or fumbling with your phone, you can just tap your MagicBand+ at the Lightning Lane entrance and go. Plus, with automatic PhotoPass moments built into some rides, your MagicBand+ ensures those photos get linked to your account without any extra hassle. If you’re planning a trip in 2025, getting comfortable with using MagicBand+ for ride access and photo collection is going to be more important than ever.
I Learned a HARD Lesson in Disney World; Pirates of the Caribbean Nearly Cost Me a Virtual Queue Reservation
Lockers Are Becoming More Common
If you’ve ridden TRON Lightcycle / Run, you know Disney has introduced a locker system with that attraction that requires guests to store their belongings before riding. And while TRON is currently the only ride using this system, that may not be the case for long. As Disney continues to add new attractions with high-speed thrills and unique ride vehicles, we wouldn’t be surprised to see more locker systems appearing in the parks.
Lockers at TRON: Lightcycle / Run
The good news? Your MagicBand+ makes accessing these lockers a breeze. At TRON, all you have to do is tap your MagicBand+ to open your assigned locker. No need to remember a code or carry a key card. If this system expands to other thrill rides, having a MagicBand+ will make your day much smoother. No one wants to waste time dealing with locker confusion when they could be riding, and MagicBand+ helps streamline the process.
Lockers at TRON
In 2025, MagicBand+ is shaping up to be a must-have accessory in Disney World. If you weren’t convinced before, now might be the time to give it another look because Disney is only making it more essential as time goes on. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to DFB for more.
I’ve Tried Every Transportation Hack in Disney World and I’m Sharing 8 of My Favorites
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Will you be using MagicBand+ on your next trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
The Magic Band+ is super helpful for checking into rides, automatic photo links, and room access. It’s nice to have a break from my phone.
I just got a Magic Band Plus after years of using the Regular Magic bands. I enjoy how it lights up with entertainment like fantasmic, when you tap in for a lightening lane, and even on certain rides. But your article is misleading. You don’t need a Magic Band Plus to access lockers or get photos on rides. The older versions work for that as well. Frankly the Magic Band plus did not work as well for photo pass. On the Haunted Mansion it gave me someone else’s photo. I’ve never had that problem before with my older series Magic Band. In fact there are many benefits you listed like line skipping, that a non-magic band plus will work fine for. I’m a little disappointed at the positioning of this article, it seems like you’re trying to drive sales for the Magic Band Plus. It’s important to add the caveats that those who have an older series Magic Band will still be able to do 90% of what you include here. The only thing that won’t happen is lighting up with attractions and entertainment.
MagicBand+ is pointless. Just give us back the regular MagicBands!
The only way I would purchase a magic band+ would be if Disney discontinued the functionality of the original magic band. All the other aforementioned functionality of the + band I get on my phone. I won’t be buying a + band because Disney gets enough of my money.
I saw on someone’s video that a MagicBand+ triggers a fun Easter egg in the mirror outside of the Haunted Mansion Parlor on the Disney Treasure cruise ship.
The bands are fabulous and work with out failing.
My magic band+ never worked. Neither did it work for 3 other members of my family. The older ones always worked!
My Apple Watch does everything you have described except 1) lighting up for entertainment/parades and 2) locker entry.
It handles all lightening lane and photo pass, including rides that have photo pass perfectly.
I sure wish we had the option to purchase the older version of the Magic Band. I dont need or want to pay for all of these bells and whistles. Plus I dont want to have to remember to charge one more thing. Luckily, so far our old Magic Bands keep on ticking, but I dread the day they finally die. 😩
All true and great features… EXCEPT for the fact Disney lacks basic retail integrity and transparency when it comes to the limitations of MagicBands, as I recently discovered the hard way. Given the nature of the product is such that it is only useful when vacationing at Disney parks, the inherent problems with rechargeable lithium batteries means you can spend a fortune on these devices and then find its battery-operated features (ie. Bluetooth and vibration/light effects) are dead. I bought an amazing, limited edition Oswald MagicBand+ in 2023, used it for the last 5 days of a 10 day trip, and then started charging it for this year’s trip… but it wouldn’t charge. It was basically a glorified early version of the MagicBand. Disney’s customer service was sadly lacking when I reached out, essentially saying “too bad” and that the return policy is limited to just 30 days. Like we would discover a prematurely dead battery in that time. When I arrived from Australia for this year’s trip, I’d decided to cut my losses and replace the unique Oswald “puck” section with a new one in a complementary colour… but none were available anywhere. I even had a Cast Member insist the puck cannot be removed and switched with another, which is patently untrue as the box literally shows how to do this. Finally, I ended up speaking with a lovely new Cast Member “earning her ears” at Pin Traders and she was the first to empathise with my predicament. She suggested I don’t give up hope yet and go see Guest Relations, who may well have a solution. Well, with lifted spirits, I did that… only to feel somewhat scolded by the Cast Member who very reluctantly offered to take my beloved Oswald band and give me a “one time only” voucher to go buy a new band. “But we won’t do this again,” she insisted. As if I was taking advantage and should’ve known their expensive technology would only last me that one vacation unless I visited frequently. Thankfully, I did find a great new Donald band and I’ll know now not to expect much of it… but I can’t help but keep thinking about the way Universal takes accountability for their Wizarding World wands and offers free and easy replacements. I expected more from Disney, especially when many of the Cast Members acknowledged the unfortunate limitations of MagicBands and said they’re working on improvements.