Technology

 Behind the Magic: Technology at Disney Parks


On October 1, 2021, the World's Most Magical Celebration On Earth began, celebrating 50 years at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. This fantastic celebration brought exciting new experiences and developments inside the four Disney theme parks in Florida. One of the biggest developments in the parks was the technological advancements to enhance the guest experience, with MagicBand+

History of MagicBands 



When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, physical paper tickets were required for entrance to the Magic Kingdom. Over the past 50 years, tickets and passes into the parks have changed drastically. 

In 2013, the first MagicBand was introduced at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. MagicBands were created to make a convenient and simple way for guests to access the tools for their Disney vacation.

If you have ever been to Walt Disney World or any Disney property, you know that the planning and spending to create a magical trip can be stressful and time-consuming. With guest experience being a huge focus in the parks, Disney wanted to create a system to make Disney vacations much simpler and less stressful. The MagicBand made this possible. 

The first version of the MagicBand was a simple design. A sleek, adjustable band was available in multiple colors. The original MagicBand was the first major technological advancement toward guest convenience by providing hands-free park entry and resort entry, dining, Disney Photopass, and much more.


In 2017, the second version of the MagicBand was released with a new design with updated features to accommodate updates within the parks, like the My Disney Experience App and Fast Pass lanes. With this technology, MagicBands can be adapted to phones and smartwatches, to make the experience even more accessible. MagicBands use RFID chip technology to store data and connect it to guests. 

The new design also featured new designs featuring guests' favorite characters, as well as personalized options. And up until 2021, guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort or hotel received complimentary MagicBands. MagicBands have withstood the constant changes in Disney parks and are essential for a Disney vacation.

MagicBand+


For the 50th celebration, new and exciting additions were added across the Walt Disney World Resort to enhance guests' experience inside the parks.

MagicBand+ is the newest addition to the Disney theme parks to provide interactive and hands-free experiences on Disney property. The MagicBand+ still has all of the same practical features as the original models, but with some new entertaining qualities.

New features of MagicBand+:


These new interactive features were installed to create more experiences inside the parks to provide guests with as many opportunities for fun with the whole family, as possible. 


One of the most popular features of the MagicBand+ is the interactive connection with the Disney Fab 50 Character Collection. Throughout each park, there are golden statues featuring some of Disney's most popular characters. While they may be used for "photo ops" by thousands of guests every day, the golden statues are designed to interact with MagicBand+. A simple wave with your hand will trigger a reaction with the statue (talking or singing). 


The MagicBand+ will also light up and interact with the firework shows, Enchantment, in Magic Kingdom and Harmonious in EPCOT.

As the sky lights up in brilliant color, so does the MagicBand+, creating an interactive and beautiful experience. 

The MagicBand+ is available for purchase at the Walt Disney World Resort and on ShopDisney.


Conclusion

Disney is always trying to incorporate new technology inside their parks to enhance the guest experience. MagicBands have changed the way ticketing, resort access, and payments work inside the Walt Disney World Resort. Such a practical idea that was expanded into a creative product, to meet Disney's innovative standards.  

In my personal experience, MagicBands are essential to a vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort. They are a convenient product that allows guests to engage in the parks in new ways while keeping important information in one place for a hands-free experience on vacation. 



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