MagicBand+ will debut at the Disneyland Resort this fall, the company announced this morning. Disney previously had revealed that it would bring its wearable tech system to the west coast, but had not provided any date more specific than "later this year."
A fall debut means that we should be seeing MagicBands available for Disneyland visitors in time for fans to buy and use them as Christmas presents this year. MagicBand+ will work at Disneyland pretty much as the system works at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in the parks - guests will be able to use the devices as their theme park admission media, including purchased Lightning Lane access, and as a token for Disney PhotoPass photos and videos. The "plus" part of MagicBand+ is its haptic and interactive effects, which act as a "glow with the show"-type device during nighttime spectaculars such as World of Color.
Disneyland also is confirming today that the Batuu Bounty Hunter interactive game experience - which uses MagicBand+ - will be coming to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland, after its debut earlier this year at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. [See MagicBand+ Coming to Walt Disney World Next Week for more on that, including a reader survey on what tech they would prefer to use when visiting Disney.]
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I just don't see the appeal of these "upgraded" devices. The only advantages are for the WDW 50th Anniversary statues, whose interactive elements are "underwhelming", the nighttime shows that are like the old color-changing Mickey ears, and the Bounty Hunters game - only because Disney made using MagicBand+ mandatory instead of allowing guests to use their smart phones like everything else at WDW.
All the effort Disney put into MB+ should have been put into developing smart-watch apps that allow guests to use their wearables for simple interactions instead of having to constantly pull out their phones.
For what it’s worth, the previous-generation MagicBands will not work at Disneyland. And MB+ will not work as hotel keys at DLR for now, either.
But Robert, can we use the same magicband+ from WDW at DLR? that would be nice...
@Cecilia - I guess that is the $1 billion dollar question (considering how much Disney has invested in Magic Band and associated technologies), but my guess is that they will not work across resorts, or at a minimum you would have to work with Disney to assign ticket media to the Magic Band+ as you shift between resorts. The phone apps for the 2 different resorts are not the same, though they look similar, so I would expect Magic Band+ would not be compatible with both resorts.
I could be wrong, but while I think there are more people than Disney realizes that visit resorts on both coasts frequently (often in the same year), they don't seem to be interested in creating systems to allow guests to treat a visit to WDW the same as they do a visit to Disneyland.
Will they offer the current generation of MagicBand at DLR - or only MagicBand+?
Disneyland spokesperson just confirmed that MagicBand+ devices bought at Walt Disney World will work at Disneyland. Again, only MagicBand+ will work at Disneyland. Previous generations of MB will not.
I did like the bands for the room key and a wallet at a pool/water park. I always feel uncomfortable leaving my wallet with my things at the pool.
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Can't wait for Disney to track even more of what I do in the parks!