One of the many perks about staying at a Walt Disney World resort is the ease of accessing all of your vacation needs in one spot. Two ways to accomplish this are through Magic Bands and Key to the World Cards.
Both of these options allow you to:
- Enter Theme Parks and Water Parks
- Redeem virtual queue boarding groups
- Link photos from roaming Disney PhotoPass® photographers
- Link attraction photos automatically
- Board Disney’s Magical Express® service (2021 arrivals)
- Access Disney Resort hotel rooms and amenities
- Charge to a Disney Resort hotel room folio
The Key to the World card is given to you at the front desk upon arrival. These look like a hotel room key card and are complimentary for every Disney resort guest.
MagicBands are worn on your wrist and can be ordered ahead of time or purchased while there. Guests staying at a Disney resort receive discounted MagicBands when they purchase through their Disney Experience account. Designs and colors are always changing, so if you don’t see one you love at first, keep checking back. We always recommend ordering at least 3 weeks prior to arrival to allow plenty of time to ship to your home.
This brings us to the question we are asked weekly, “Do we need MagicBands?” Our answer: Need? No. Key to the World card offers the same features if you don’t want to purchase. However, MagicBands are by the most convenient way to travel Disney. Everything is right there on your wrist. No digging for your wallet when buying a Mickey ice cream bar or when trying to enter the whole crew into the park. No searching through the park bag for your room key while holding your sleeping child. Having a MagicBand is easy and we love easy!
Does someone in your travel party have a MagicBand from a vacation that was in the last few years? They can be reused! When you order through your Disney Experience account, you do have the option to decline a MagicBand. If a member of your travel party already has one or you don’t want to purchase for everyone, you can choose to decline for that guest.
PPV Tip: If you already wear a watch and don’t want something extra on your wrist, you can still order a MagicBand but take the puck out and put it in a MagicBand puck holder on your watch.
Check these out on Amazon by searching MagicBand Puck Holder
Recently a new feature, Magic Mobile Pass, was added to the Disney Experience app. (Available on iOS) When you activate MagicMobile, you are essentially dropping your park tickets into your Apple wallet.
We want to stress that, at this time, this option ONLY accesses your park tickets and PhotoPass. You will not be able to unlock your room, charge to your resort portfolio, etc.
If you decide that MagicBands are your way to travel Disney and you’re an on-site guest, be sure to order through your Disney Experience account to receive the discount. If you have questions, contact your PPV agent as we are always happy to “help you travel in the most delightful way”.
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