6. MagicBands

PRICE: $14.99 - $29.99+ (plus accessories)

BACKSTORY: When Walt Disney World launched the MyMagic+ project to the public in 2013, it was with an ambitious goal (and a staggering billion dollar price tag). The infrastructural initiative was designed to infuse technology throughout the resort, connecting reservations, bus systems, room keys, photos, park tickets, FastPass, transportation, and more into one place: the My Disney Experience app. While MyMagic+ definitely enhances the complexity of planning a Disney World vacation, it also makes elements of a stay more carefree and – dare we say? – magical, thanks in part to the MagicBand.

EXPERIENCE: Only Disney could manage to make information gathering and location tracking fun. After all, MagicBands are nothing more than simple silicone bracelets that contain RFID (radio frequency identification) chips that can work both short-range when tapped against Mickey-shaped touch-points (on hotel room doors, park turnstiles, or FastPass entrances) or long-range (tracking guests’ location, or assigning on-ride photos to any guest in a passing ride vehicle). MagicBands can also act as conduits to charging meals and souvenirs to resort rooms, personalizing ride experiences (think Test Track) and – theoretically at least – could let meet-and-greet characters know your name and birthday with a hug!

VALUE: Almost unbelievably, part of Disney’s push for pre-planning means that guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel receive MagicBands in the mail a month prior to their trip... at no additional cost! Guests staying offsite (or those who prefer to avoid the MagicBand’s long-range RFID antenna for security reasons) use RFID short-range cards instead. Orrrr… 

Cha-ching! Yep, Disney took the somewhat dirty, dystopian, controversial business of wearable identification tech and turned it into a fashionable product guests are willing to pay for! From simple solid colors ($14.99) to seasonal, specialized, or character bands ($29.99+), customizable, print-on-demand bands, and Dooney & Bourke limited editions ($60.00), guests can purchase, upgrade, or swap MagicBands at any time. A single account can even be mapped to multiple, allowing you to choose the Band that fits your outfit and head to the parks!

From there, a number of official and fan-made “charms” can also be popped into the watch-like holes around the band’s exterior. And Disney’s newest generation of bands – MagicBand 2 – make the RFID-containing Mickey “icon” removable… and able to be popped into a key chain or lanyard-ready “MagicKeeper” accessory... on sale at ShopDisney. (Wink.)

7. Savi's Handbuilt Lightsabers

PRICE: $199.99 (plus accessories)

BACKSTORY: From the moment Disney announced their intentions to build Star Wars-themed lands at both Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there was simply no way to imagine such a land without Lightsabers as the signature souvenir. Perhaps the only “must-have” movie prop that can match the Wizarding World’s wands, fans eagerly imagined the ways that these ancient Jedi weapons would be bought and used in the land. What few expected was the enormity of the price tag. You could equip your whole family with wands for the price of a single Lightsaber. But of course, there’s a reason... 

EXPERIENCE: Moreso than any other experience on this list, gaining a Lightsaber is an attraction. Hidden in the streets of Black Spire Outpost, Savi’s Workshop is a secret, unmarked place where “Gatherers” collect the scrap metal pieces needed to forge these ancient weapons. Guests choose one of four styles from the start – essentially, Jedi, Sith, ancient, or natural – and, in a show-like, ceremonial setting of just fourteen builders, are given the choice of “kyber crystal,” the ancient stone whose power gives each saber its color and energy source. Then, they're given time to select and assemble their sword’s hilt however they like, selecting sleeves, activators, pommels, and emitters from their chosen suite of scrap metal.

In a mini-show known to bring grown men to tears, the weapon’s blade is magically fused onto the guest-created hilt and – in a glowing, stirring ceremony – the new generation of Lightsaber wielders raises their swords together in a moving and spectacular moment of triumph and emotion. It must be especially emotional for Disney executives, given that just two shows an hour net the company $5,600 – over $67,000 in a typical operating day, or $24.5 million in a year.

The price paid covers one builder (and their observing guests; limited to one at Disney World and two at Disneyland). A credit card is required to hold the reservation, and a no-show or last-minute drop-out incurs a cancellation fee of... $200. Disney requires at least one member of the party to be over the age of 14, but says the experience is appropriate for children as young as 5. We assume they mean as observers… Children younger than 10 would likely struggle with the building process (or even seeing over the counter). And as the $200 price tag implies, the resulting saber is not a toy.

VALUE: Is the Lightsaber a good value? This is the toughest question yet. $200 is… a lot of money. For the same price, you could purchase a banshee, a wand, and a Droid, or just buy two friends tickets to Galaxy's Edge for the day!

But to be fair, if you visit Dok Ondar's shop next door, you can purchase a pre-made character-model "legacy" lightsaber hilt (which starts at $129) that can't change colors or swap pieces. It also wouldn't come with a blade; that'd set you back another $50. So for "just" $20 more, you get a customized lightsaber with a Kyber crystal, a very substantial carrying bag to sling over your shoulder, and (yet again) an ultra-interactive, very-individualized show that stars you. 

Naturally, the resulting Lightsaber can then be personalized and upgraded in various ways. The most popular is by purchasing one-off Kyber crystals for $12.99 each, which can be easily swapped into your Lightsaber’s hilt to "magically" change the blade’s color and sounds (another RFID shout-out!). Disney also sells "scrap metal" (one-off hilt pieces to mix and match) for $19.99, but with ever-changing caveats to weed out eBay resellers. Another popular upgrade? Having the awkwardly-shaped weapon shipped home for around $20 (though, after a few weeks of case-by-case treatment, the TSA did officially approve lightsabers for airplane carry-on... we recommend a bag that accounts for the 31-inch blade).

Unlike the wands, there’s no benefit to having a Lightsaber in the land aside from photo-ops, spontaneous character interactions, adding to the land's nighttime glow, and becoming a part of the original mythology that surrounds and permeates Galaxy's Edge. 

Disney will quickly quell any attempt at a battle, even among family. Though supposedly they can be battled with at home (and in fact, they produce a white impact flash when crossed), the price should imply what differentiates this from a Droid: it’s really not meant to be a toy, but an impressive, interactive collector’s item. In fact, many Star Wars enthusiasts call the Galaxy’s Edge versions among the best collectable lightsabers in the industry for the price, with comparable glow and craftsmanship to $600 replicas. So is it a value? Depends if it sounds like one to you!

Gotta-have-it?

Looking to take home one of each of the souvenirs we’ve surveyed? It’ll set you back more than $500 – an admittedly hefty price tag on top of admission, food, and a hotel stay. But in the increasing age of social media and “gotta-have-it” virality, Disney and Universal have figured out the formula: Snapchat-ready, Facebook-shareable, interactive, personalized, reservation-required, ultra-take-homes with "add-on" and "upgrade" options that test your wallet and exponentially increase per-cap spending.

At least for fans and families who want it all, admission is no longer all-inclusive. Rather, Disney and Universal have found new ways to extend the “must-have” merchandise of yesteryear into interactive, Instagrammable, memory-making experiences that enhance visits and act as attractions unto themselves. That’s our theory at least… Do you buy it?