Hello, Dear Liners!
We are heading to WDW for the first time since 2020 in May. We have MagicBands from 2018 and 2020 which, according to MDE, appear to still be active. I am wondering if anyone has experience using bands that old and if there are any drawbacks we should be aware of? Would prefer not to spend $25 x 5 for new ones.
They still work for taps (tickets, charging to your room, etc), but they don’t work for long distance things like automatically recognizing you for pictures on rides. A lot of rides still have the tap afterwards to let you link your pictures to you. I don’t actually know which rides.
We used our old 2019 MB’s last fall, and will again in May for our next visit. We just make sure the PIN code is still active at the front desk when checking in, and we’ve always been good to go. So far they continue to work A-Okay … unlocking the resort room doors, charges at the cash registers, meal charges with that portable reader thingamajig waiters use, as well as the handheld MB readers some parking lot guards have used. And I still get emails after our trip asking if we want to purchase a few ride photos that were taken, but definitely not from all rides we’ve been on. SirGreggLadyV is probably right on that. Good luck
Thanks yall!
As mentioned, the bands work for tapping. If you want on-ride photos without tapping, you will need to use your phone instead (or get a new MB). Our phone didn’t work on GotG, but I actually got it to work on Tron. Just make sure your Bluetooth is turned on, and that the LAST app you had running on your phone before you got on the ride was MDE. That seems to be important.
We could never get our phones to open our room door…used our old MagicBands for that.