Not purchasing magic bands

[LoLo5]

How does it work if you decide not to purchase the magic bands

 

[Djm_in_buffalo]

For rides: can use room key card if staying on property. Whether or not you’re staying at a Disney hotel, you can also use app on your phone. If you’re not staying at Disney hotel, I’m not sure if you can get a card from guest services to use on rides in the same way you could a room card.

 

[Simba's Mom]

Very simple. When you check in, they'll give you the "old fashioned" plastic cards. Last trip, my Magic Band wouldn't open my door one day, so I went to the front desk. Turns out my MB had gotten deactivated somehow (it was an old MB, so who knows). Although she reactivated it, she also gave me a plastic card to use if I had any more problems. Just for comparison, I tried using the card (don't know how this got bolded). The card never let me down-I used to have trouble at the tap styles with the MB about half the time. This may not be popular, but at the end of the day, I went back to my room and threw my MB in my suitcase, never to be used again. Since it seems I always carry ID and gift cards, it's easy enough to add my room card to that pile.

 

[Karalee402]

You can use the plastic cards or you can use your phone/the MDE app. If you have an iphone, you can download your tickets into your apple wallet. You don't even have to open your phone up, you can just tap your phone at the kiosks, and it'll register. You can also enter your room that way, if you're staying on property and have the app.

 

[gottalovepluto]

1. Magic Mobile- This is put on your phone/watch via MDE and works like apple pay, just hold it up to a tapstyle or whatever and Disney's system will read it like it was a MB.

2. Card- You can get a plastic card from guest services at the park for access to your ticket, just tap that anywhere you'd use a MB

3. Room Key- if staying at a Disney resort this is like the card above but you request it from the hotel front desk. It's a plastic card you can tap and do everything MB could do.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

I haven't bought one in years.
I just use one of my old ones.
If you have an old one use it.
If you don't have an old one you can just ask at the front desk for a "key to the world" card which will act as your room key, ticket media etc just like prior to magic bands.
You can also use your phone but I never do.

 

[beccasmom]

We’ve been requesting the plastic cards on our last few trips. The MBs have been problematic for us (using both older MBs and the newer MB+) and the cards always work well. Our phones are a good backup.

 

[CarolynFH]

The one thing the MBs can do that cards can’t is link ride photos to your MDE account when there’s no tap point at the end of the ride. If you allow MDE to use Bluetooth, those photos will link that way, so you still don’t need a MB.

 

[Suze10860]

A bunch of people have already answered, but I'll add my 2¢ anyway.

We were just at WDW in early February and used both my iPhone and the old-fashioned plastic key card that our resort provided. If I had to choose just one of these to use, I'd go with the plastic card. Super simple and worry-free.