The Final Verdict: Is It Worth It to Purchase MagicBand+
From my experience, I would not purchase a MagicBand+ again. Disney vacations are already expensive, and this is one place you can save some money. While my MagicBand+ did light up and vibrate in some of the ride exits or when I passed a Fab 50 statue, I did not experience any interaction with any of the nighttime experiences during my visit either due to technical difficulties or that the band didn’t interact with those experiences.
I found that a day at one of the Disney parks was already filled with enough activities that I didn’t have time to spend on bounty hunting or searching for all the Fab 50 statues. Finally, having to charge the band was just one more task I had to remember each night.
If you find that you are needing to fill your Disney day with more activities or want one of the MagicBand+ exclusive designs, then you may want to consider purchasing one. However, for the most part, I would save the money and if you want to use a band, just go with the cheaper MagicBand. You can take the money you save on MagicBand+ and purchase Genie+ or a souvenir as those purchases are more worth it.
When it comes to Disneyland Resort, without all the Fab 50 statue interactions, MagicBand+ doesn’t have as many “bonus” functionalities. However, Disneyland Resort doesn’t have another MagicBand option. If you attend Disneyland Resort regularly, it may be worth it to purchase a MagicBand+ simply for the convenience of its basic functions. It does seem that a MagicBand+ can be used at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort so if you attend both resorts, it may also be worth purchasing one as you would get more use out of it.
Have you used MagicBand+? Do you feel it was worth it? Let us know in a comment below or on our Facebook page.
Comments
We bought MagicBand+ only because our previous MagicBands, from four years ago, including my adored EPCOT anniversary band, were presumed dead and unusable. The extra features were generally worthless. Yes, after each major ride the band would light up in that ride's color scheme. And, yes, it would vibrate as we passed one of the scattered gold statues. But my wife tried in vain multiple times at different statues in various parks to get the Play Disney app to register her presence, and, despite lots of arm waving and band tapping and reinstalling of the app and re-pairing and rebooting her phone, only once did it work.
Is it worth having a rechargable band we can use for future trips? Yes. Is it worth any other features? Not as I can tell.