Most guests to Walt Disney World believe that MyMagic+ and the MagicBand program is in full swing, but it actually isn’t. Beginning on June 3, 2014, the first use of long-range RFID capabilities with the MyMagic+ system and your MagicBand will begin at all four major theme parks.
Touch-to-use has been the main way of using the MagicBands and all of the applications that come along with MyMagic+ such as room keys, FASTPass+, paying bills, and more.
Disney’s main goal has been for guests to have as much ease as possible with their MagicBand and being able to use it from long-range too. Now, this is just the beginning of guests being able to do things with their Disney experience that won’t require them to even be present in one spot.
Starting tomorrow, a number of select attractions will instantly and automatically link the on-ride guests photos to their My Disney Experience accounts. Guests will be able to do this process on:
- Splash Mountain
- Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
- Space Mountain
- Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster
- Test Track
- DINOSAUR
- Expedition Everest
Testing of this MagicBand and photo link process has been in a testing phase for months now, but a larger roll-out is finally happening. It is expected that all attractions with on-ride photos will get the same treatment in the future.
Now, here is the thing to remember when trying to use your MagicBand in this fashion.
For now, this new long-range MagicBand capability will only be available to guests that have purchased a Memory Maker package with their Walt Disney World vacation. Also, guests must have a MagicBand in order for this process to work.
It cannot…I repeat, cannot work with an RFID ticket/card.
With that being said, MagicBands are necessary for this new long-range photo process to work. Up until this point, a MagicBand was seen as a convenience option instead of a necessity.
There has been no word on whether or not this new long-range RFID capability will end up being attributed to cards in the future or if it will be MagicBand exclusive. There has also been no word if the RFID cards are being phased out completely or not.
