The MagicBand conundrum

Walt Disney World Accommodations
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https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/unlock-doors/

Unlock Your Room Door with the My Disney Experience App

Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels can now quickly and conveniently unlock their room door and common area doors using the My Disney Experience app on many popular mobile devices.

How to Unlock Your Door

Follow these simple steps to unlock the door at your Disney Resort hotel:

  1. If Bluetooth on your mobile device is turned off, turn it on.
  2. Download and open the My Disney Experience app.
  3. If the app asks for permission to use Bluetooth, please allow it to do so.
  4. Link your Disney Resort hotel reservation to your Disney account.
  5. View your Disney Resort hotel reservation.
  6. Select “Unlock Door”.
  7. Agree to use your device to unlock your door.
  8. Hold your mobile device against the door lock.

If you have previously declined to allow the My Disney Experience app to use Bluetooth, please give it access. If you are using an iOS device, open the Settings app, tap “Disney World” and enable “Bluetooth”.

If you wish to no longer use your phone to unlock your door, please visit the Front Desk of your Disney Resort hotel.

Where It Works

This feature is available at all Disney Resort hotels. When staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can use your digital key to unlock the door to your room and other common area doors or gates—including pools, arcades, fitness centers, elevators and Club Level lounges.

Security Information

The unlock door feature is designed with security in mind, and we have put measures in place to protect the security of your room. The first time that you use each mobile device, you will be required to sign in to your Disney account to activate the unlock door feature.

What to Do If You Lose Your Mobile Device

If you lose your mobile device, please speak with a Cast Member at the Front Desk of your Disney Resort hotel as soon as possible.

Skip the Front Desk

When you use Online Check-In service and the unlock door feature, you may be able to skip the Front Desk at your Disney Resort hotel and proceed straight to your room. If you don’t know your room number, just view your reservation in the app and tap “Show Room Number”.

MagicBands and Key to the World Cards

You may still use active MagicBands and Key to the World Cards to unlock doors at your Disney Resort hotel. You will need to use a MagicBand or card for the following, if applicable:

If you used the My Disney Experience app to enter your room and you do not yet have a MagicBand or Key to the World Card, please pick up your complimentary MagicBands or cards at the Front Desk of your Disney Resort hotel.

Who to Contact for Help Unlocking a Door

If you experience difficulties unlocking a door, please visit the Front Desk of your Disney Resort hotel for help.

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22

Thanks.

So, they are just counting on everyone having a smart phone that supports BT LE well. Which might be true for the general Disney guest.

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I don’t think that was the initial intent for the reason you mention. Longer term It may be their intent. I think it was just a extra benefit like forgetting band when running to food court or pool. I have used it a few times, works well. Unlocking doors with a smartphone has been around two years and worked with older phones back then.

In 2014 I used an ipod so we could have TP and MDE on wifi.

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24

Weird. Maybe we were in range enough for it to work? We definitely were down the hall from the kids

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BT LE can work up to 500 ft away.

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26

There you go. Phew.

I was like - I’m definitely remembering right so WTH??

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I haven’t turned my BT LE on. I forget the reason.
I think it is because I want to limit my BT connections to the already established connections.

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My guess is they are using the Bluetooth with beacons so that the app can identify that you are in the hotel (and probably on the floor). You are not necessarily communicating with the door lock.

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@ryan1, don’t worry about this!

They will want as many people as possible to do online check-in and go straight to their room. But there will always be some who can’t, and you’ll be able to get a card or magic band from the front desk if needed.

For a start, as soon as any international guests start coming back, they almost always need to go the front desk to collect magic band &/or get a room # (they don’t, or rarely, text to international numbers).

I think they’ll start the magic band process up again when they announce an opening date.

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30

So I was just able to order regular MagicBands for my trip in June (22-29). It was the first time it offered it to me, but under “My Plans” it had a breakdown at the top of the screen of the resort I’m staying at and it said “Choose MagicBands” so I did. I had not seen it there before, so I’m hoping this is a good sign!

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Thanks. That does sound promising.

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32

Wondering…where are you coming from? Out of state? Or are you a Floridian?

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I’m in Indiana, USA.

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