Magic Bands!
My
family and I stayed at Pop Century August 4-10. We were asked if we would
like to participate in testing the new Magic Bands. Please note that my
experiences were during a testing phase. Somethings may change when they
are made available to the general public.
A quick Summary:
Magic
Band Pros
preselecting
FP+ saves you from running across the park to obtain FPs
you
have more control over the timing of your FP+
you
can’t accidentally leave it in the traditional fast pass machine
so
easy to open hotel room door
easy
to pay for items without fumbling for a card
Magic
Band Cons--
Currently
limited to 3 FP+ per day
really,
that's all!
AT HOME:
I
signed up on line and was able to pick the colors of the bands for each person
in my group. The color choices are blue, red, green, orange, pink,
yellow, and gray. Each person’s name is also printed on the underside of the
band. You have until 10 days prior to your arrival to customize your
bands, so they can be shipped to your home. If you wait until 9 to 5 days
prior to arrival your bands will be sent to your resort. When our bands
arrived they were boxed up according to our room reservation. For example,
my daughter and my mother were sharing a room together so their bands were
shipped together in the same box.
You
will want to install the My Disney Experience Mobile App on your smart phone
and become familiar with it before your trip. This app allows you to
manage your FastPass+ schedule, keep track of your dining reservations, and a
ton of other magical things. (see photo of my phone’s screen shot)
I
was able to go online and connect our bands with our annual passes. My
mother had a 5 day ticket and it was just as easy to connect her ticket to her
band. I set up our FastPass+ while we are still at home. This was
easier to do on the computer, but can be done on your smart phone with the My
Disney Experience Mobile App. It was easy to select them, and modify
them. I was able to select a roller coaster FP+ for the big kids, and at
the same time, select a kiddie ride for Grandma and Logan, my timid 7 year
old. That made everyone happy! I was only allowed to reserve three
FP+ a day. This did not make me happy. If we visited more than one park
per day we did not get any more FP+ for the second park. This did not
make me happy. I was given a “Bonus FP+” for Pirates of the Caribbean for both
of my Magic Kingdom days. I was able to change it to an attraction of my
choice. So, I had 4 FP+ selections for Magic Kingdom and 3 for the other
parks.
AT THE RESORT:
Don’t
pack your bands in your luggage. You need them at check in. At the front
desk, our bands were scanned to make sure they were working properly. We
also picked a four digit PIN--personal identification number--just like
an ATM PIN. When ever we made charges to our account on the band, we had
to tap it on the sensor, and then enter the four digit PIN. We never had
a problem charging. We encountered “bugs”, but not when it came to taking my
money...that process was firmly in place. I gave everyone but Logan
(my 7 year old) charging privileges.
We
were able to use our bands to unlock our hotel room door! This is was SO
HELPFUL! It was quick and easy to unlock the door. Worked every
time without fail. The bands are waterproof so you can swim in the
bands. All we had to take to the pool was a towel.
The
band was light weight and didn’t bother me at all in the heat. It is
adjustable. We had to remove the outer edges to make the band smaller for
Logan. (see photo of red band) The outer edge can not be put back on. The
band was fairly secure. However, my oldest son lost his. I’m pretty
sure he was putting on our back pack and knocked it off with the tight straps
which are adjusted to my size and not his big “Gaston” type broad
shoulders.
IN THE PARKS:
Upon
entering the parks we taped our bands and then placed a finger on a separate
scanner. The sensors light up blue as an indication they are working, and
then turns green when your admission is verified. Quick and easy.
Twice
(out of a week long trip) my mother and daughter (remember they are in the same
room) had trouble entering the parks. The cast member signaled to another
cast member who had an iPad with a sensor on the back of it. The bands
were scanned on the iPad, and the issue was resolved in 2 minutes or less,
right there, where we were. No need to go to guest relations and wait in
a line.
I
mostly chose attractions that have just recently added a FastPass+ option (and
do not have traditional FPs available). Some were very helpful and some
were a total waste. I didn’t not find them helpful at all for The
Festival of the Lion King show. We arrived at the time indicated, waited
in a separate area, which was not shaded and had no fans, like the regular
que. We were allowed to enter the theater at the same time as everyone
else, and there was no space reserved for us. We also used FP+ for the
Finding Nemo show. We showed up at the time listed for our FP+ and were
sent right inside. The theater was 90% full and there was no reserved
place for us to sit. We had to spilt up in sit a few rows apart. It
worked against us. We also used FP+ for Expedition Everest. It
worked great, just like a traditional FP only we didn’t have to run across the
park when it opened to obtain it!
For
our first day in the Magic Kingdom, I chose FP+ for Big Thunder, the meet
and greet with Ariel, and Enchanted Tales with Belle. The FP+ worked as
expected for Big Thunder. The FP+ to meet Ariel was wonderful as the
regular line was very long. The sensor was surrounded by a shell. (see
photo) I was impressed that they incorporated into the theming of the
area. We waited for 2-3 minutes before meeting her. The FP+
option is new for Enchanted Tales with Belle. We had not experienced this
attraction before because the line was always too long, and my 7 year old son
wouldn’t wait that long just to see a princess! This FP+ was great.
There was a separate que with a tiny bit of shade. We only waited 5-10
minutes for the next “show” before we were sent inside. We did get quite
a few stares from the guests waiting in that long line. Several people asked
where they could get a FP and were disappointed when we, or the CM (cast
member), explained it wasn’t available to everyone yet.
For
our second day at the Magic Kingdom we chose FP+ for Buzz Lightyear, Space
Mountain for the big kids and Tommorowland Speedway for Grandma and
Logan. The speedway is another ride we don’t do often because the line
is too long and hot. Logan and Grandma decided they didn't want to drive
on the speedway. If they had told me before I went to Space Mountain, I could
have used my iPhone app and changed it to another ride. Grandma has an iPhone,
but isn’t very tech savvy. When it was time to ride Buzz, we were on the
opposite side of the park, we were hot and tired and no one wanted to walk that
far. I got on my phone and changed our FP+ to Pirates of the Caribbean,
because we were near it. I was able to select a time frame that started
in a matter of minutes. It was a nice short line. We walked right
on.
The
best FP+ reservations were the reserved seating area for the Electrical
Parade and then another area reserved for Wishes (fireworks). When I reserved
the FP+ for the parade it said viewing area near the castle. That day
when I checked my iPhone App, it listed the parade viewing area in Frontierland!
(see photo) I asked a CM in Frontierland if there was a viewing area
nearby. He said no, it was in front of the castle and didn’t know why my
phone would show any other location. It was a crowded day in the park, so
people were sitting along the sidewalks for the parade very early. I
didn’t want to have a repeat of the Lion King or Nemo show, so we arrived
earlier than the time indicated. To my surprise, a large area facing the
castle was roped off for us. There was a sign to indicate where we should
enter. The CMs were stationed all around it, but not admitting us until
the indicated time. It was getting dark by the time we were allowed to
enter. The CMs did have a little trouble scanning our bands with their
portable devices. It took longer than expected but we were seated (on the
ground no chairs or benched provided) well before the parade started. Once the
announcement was made and the lights were dimmed, the rope in front of us
was removed. Several people (WITHOUT bands) tried to come into the
reserved area. The CMs were very quick to ask them to leave. The
area reserved was very large and could have accommodated at least another 25
people. I felt selfish to have all that prime space around me EMPTY when
people were packed like sardine just a few feet away. The CM said that in
the future they would allow more FP+ people in that area and it would be
full. As soon as the parade had passed, the street lights came on and the
ropes were removed. The crow RUSHED in. I expected this and had my
family up and ready to move. People wanted to sit there to see
fireworks. (By the way, its not a good view area...its just too
close. I know, I’ve tried it.) The road and sidewalks were PACKED,
shoulder to shoulder and stroller wheel to ankle. It was very hard to get
to the Rose Garden Lawn, our reserved area for viewing the fireworks.
By
the time we squirmed through the crowd and arrived at the garden, the street
lights were dimming. The CMs were having trouble seeing and scanning our
bands with their portable devices. A CM (wish I could remember his name)
told us they were working hard to get us in quickly and asked us please
be patient. The CM talked with us and was very entertaining and
pleasant. He really kept us from getting cranky. Our fellow “band
members” were very kind to one another. We were seated on the perfectly
manicured grass a mere second before the fireworks started. This area was full,
but not packed. There was enough room for me to stretch out and lay down flat
directly under TinkerBelle’s flight path. How often do you get to lay on
the grass in the Magic Kingdom? (Never unless you want to be escorted
out!!) I loved it! The location was great for viewing the fireworks.
There had been a light rain that evening but thankfully ground wasn’t
wet. I would recommend bringing something to sit on just in case.
It rains a lot in Florida. Overall, I loved the reserved areas, but
traveling between the 2 areas was very difficult due to the crowds. I’m not
sure what could be done about that.
We
did visit Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and had no trouble using our
bands with the FP+ system in either park. We used them for Space Ship
Earth, Test Track and Soarin. In Hollywood Studios we used them for Toy
Story Mania (See photo--the sensor was shaped like a tinker toy), Star Tours,
and Rockin Rollercoaster for the big kids and Disney Junior Show for Grandma
and Logan.
Overall
it was a wonderful experience. I recommend using the Magic Bands
(when they become available to the general public), if you are comfortable with
computers and smart phones.
Trena@traveltimetravel.com
1-855-468-8896 ext 109
