It was announced back in September 2021 that Disney will be releasing the MagicBand+. The MagicBand+ will be an advanced wearable which will unlock new interactive experiences that react in real-time in the parks by lighting up, vibrating, and more. It seems yesterday that a number of the new MagicBand+ were put on the shelf at The World of Disney at Disney Springs which was not supposed to happen.
Word quickly got out and these new MagicBand+ were snapped up by eager Disney fans. It was then posted by Scott Gustin through his twitter account later in the day that the remaining MagicBand+ were pulled from the shelves and a full refund has been offered to those guests who purchased one. The tweet is embedded below.
Disney says a limited number of MagicBand+ bands were sold earlier today. They removed the bands from the store and are offering refunds.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 1, 2022
MB+ features/in-park experiences are not live and are planned to launch later this year. Details (and a launch date) will be revealed later. pic.twitter.com/KlzdU7ASyK
It appears that these MagicBand+ were released too early as the MagicBand+ features are not currently live so can not yet be used. It has now been confirmed that the functionality will become available this summer when MagicBand+ will then go on sale.
This mistake seems very unusual for Disney, with some speculating it may be a media stunt. This week Disney has showcased a new Star Wars MagicBand+ design on social media, teasing that the new device is coming "later this year."
Disney has currently released the following official list of some of the interactive elements guests will be able to experience with MagicBand+. These include:
- Play like a bounty hunter in a galaxy far, far away and find virtual bounties throughout Black Spire Outpost in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Interact with the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection,” the golden sculptures spread throughout the Walt Disney World theme parks.
- Experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you see your band light up and complement the magic in the skies, including “Harmonious” at EPCOT and “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom.
We will keep you up to date with further details regarding MagicBand+ on our news and Facebook page. Let us know your thoughts on this new offering and whether you plan to purchase one by leaving us a comment below.
Comments
It's not publicity stunt for them to just say they sold them... There's a few dozen of them up on eBay that have already sold as "in hand." But yeah, putting them in the store before they work send stupid on Disney's part unless they were trying to get people anticipating it.
So you're at least partly right that they flew off the shelves, but it seems that most of them went to scalpers that wanted to sell them for a quick buck. ;)