Unboxing An Annual Passholder MagicBand

Earlier this month, Disney announced that they would no longer be issuing complementary MagicBands to guests who purchase or renew Annual Passes. This change, which will be effective for purchases and renewals on or after August 16th, doesn’t come as much of a surprise. In fact, it comes after Disney has already announced that they will no longer provide complimentary MagicBands for guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels, making it a rather predictable move on Disney’s part.

With these complimentary MagicBands for Annual Passholders becoming a thing of the past, I thought that it might be fun to take a look at what exactly it was that Annual Passholders who purchased or renewed an Annual Pass would be getting. Fortunately, having just renewed my own pass, I had a MagicBand on the way. Now that it’s arrived, let’s take a look!

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First and foremost, let’s talk about the packaging. MagicBands are sent to guests in a nondescript white box. There is nothing to see on the outside if the box and the label is a standard “print and ship” style with nothing magical or unique about it. That’s because all the magic is tucked inside! When you open the box, you’re greeted with a splash of color. In this case, the inside of the box is yellow with Mickey Mouse watermarks and an Annual Passholder logo on the top.

Inside the box, you’ll find that there are 3 compartments. In the center, you’ll find your MagicBand. On either side of the MagicBand you’ll find two compartments labeled Passholder Information and Magicslider.

In the first compartment, labeled Passholder Information, you’ll find a pamphlet. This pamphlet has information about your MagicBand including some basics on how to use it as well as some information about what it can be used for. There is also a limited amount of information about your Annual Pass, including a reminder that you will need your Annual Pass card and a valid form of ID to receive discounts.

The back of the pamphlet also includes some “fine print” about the MagicBand. This part of the pamphlet includes information about the radio frequency technology that is used in MagicBands. It also has important information for guests who have pacemakers and other similar implanted devices.

In the other compartment, labeled Magicslider, you’ll find a rectangular “slider”. This slider is orange and has Mickey Mouse’s face alongside the word passholder. This Magicslider is designed to fit perfectly on the strap of your MagicBand. It is designed to decorate your MagicBand and show others that you are an Annual Passholder, but it does not function as proof that you have an Annual Pass and can be not be used as a form of proof.

Finally, we have the MagicBand itself. The complimentary MagicBands given to Annual Passholders are not, in and of themselves, special in any particular way. They are the same MagicBands that you could purchase or that would be given to guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Annual Passholders have the opportunity to choose which color and/or design they’d like and can have the MagicBand customized with their name engraved on the back of the icon or puck. Again, this is the same thing that you would receive if you were getting a complimentary MagicBand because you were staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. [Note: MagicBands purchased online and in shops are not engraved with your name.]

The MagicBand is wrapped around a cardboard tube that has information about your MagicBand printed on the back. This includes information about how the MagicBand’s band can be separated into 2 pieces so that it can better fit guests with smaller wrists. It also includes information about how to remove the icon or puck of the MagicBand so that it can be put into another MagicBand or another MagicBand accessory.

Though we are disappointed that Disney will no longer be issuing complimentary MagicBands to guests, we understand the reasons that may have fueled this change. Not only had The Walt Disney Company experienced a record breaking year of loss, but with the launch of My Magic Mobile [a smartphone app that functions very much in the same way as a MagicBand without the need for an additional device] it makes sense.

Currently, there are no plans to discontinue the use of MagicBands at Walt Disney World. The only change that we have seen as of yet has been to how they are given to guests; more specifically, how much guests will be paying to get one of their own. This is not only because Disney has stopped issuing them free of charge, but also because Disney has raised the price of MagicBands in the parks and online.

Personally, we really like our MagicBands and don’t foresee us moving away from them in the future. Convenient as it might be to use a smartphone app, it’s nice to have an easy to access and relatively affordable [especially compared to a smartphone] way to pay, get into the parks and use PhotoPass. They’re also a fun way to accessorize. . . . and who could argue with that!?

Thanks for joining me here today. I hope that you enjoyed taking a look at this unboxing! See you in the next one!