By Elizabeth Schaaf
On a recent trip to Walt Disney World, I realized I could not find my super cute Orange Bird MagicBand+. Instead of buying a replacement, I decided I’d try to use the free alternative – MagicMobile!
MagicMobile is a service run completely from your smartphone. To set is up, you go to your My Disney Experience account, and click the three lines in the bottom right corner. From there, scroll down to Account, then click on ‘Set Up MagicMobile Entry.’ Just follow the instructions from there! The end result on my iPhone was a virtual card in my Wallet. It’s fun to personalize, so I went with the Tower of Terror theme.
It was very easy to use! Anytime I would have otherwise used my MagicBand+, such as at gate entry, using the Lightning Lane, or charging a purchase to my room, I just pulled the card up in my Wallet, and I pointed my phone at the Mickey scanner. Success! I actually found it slightly easier than even using the MagicBand. The phone and the Mickey scanner just seemed to talk to each other easier. Not sure why, but I didn’t have to have my phone lined up with the scanner as exactly as I do with the MagicBand+.
Getting into my room was a bit different. For security reasons, I couldn’t use the card from my iPhone wallet. Instead, I had to access my My Disney Experience app, find my resort reservation, and then click the link that read ‘Unlock Door.’ Then, I just followed the instructions. My door opened every time! I’d rather have to go through a few extra steps to get my door open to ensure my room stays secure!
MagicMobile can also be set up to work from your Apple Watch. While I was able to see the card on my watch, I did have issues with the Mickey scanner reading the card. I found that using my phone was just as easy, so I did not end up using my watch for access. If you are successful with using MagicMobile on your smartwatch, you will still need to go through the app to open your resort door.
The biggest pitfall with MagicMobile is phone battery life. I always make sure to have a battery pack with me, and it was even more important this time since I needed my phone for one more extra job. I knew I had to have at least some juice left over at the end of the day to get in my room without having to go get a physical key at the front desk.
If you’re not wanting to purchase a MagicBand+, don’t want to wear one, or just find yourself in a lurch like I was, MagicMobile is a very useful alternative!
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