It is hard to believe, but MagicBands have been a staple of a Disney World vacation for over a decade!

These handy helpers are available to help make your vacation even easier! Sadly, Disney World no longer sends you free MagicBands ahead of your Disney World vacation, and now the latest version of MagicBands, MagicBand+, can run upwards of $60 depending on which style you choose. Here are four things you should know before splurging on one!

As we mentioned before, the newest MagicBand model is called MagicBand+. MagicBand+ works the same as old MagicBands, as it can act as your hotel room key, your park ticket, your credit card, and so much more! So why the price jump? Well, MagicBand+ lights up, vibrates, and interacts with different elements around Disney World.

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MagicBand+ is priced at $34.99, $44.99, $49.99, and up to $60. Certain bands are more expensive depending on their design and limited edition.

Here are four things you should keep in mind before splurging on one!

You Can Get a Discount on MagicBand+

If you have a Disney World hotel reservation, you can order your MagicBand+ ahead of time online. Hotel guests get MagicBands at a discounted price, but they must be ordered ahead of your trip to use the discount!

Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can apply their merchandise discount to MagicBands in person at Disney World gift shops.

You can often find cheaper MagicBands online as well.

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You Don’t Need a New Band for Every Trip

Reduce, reuse, recycle is the theme of this portion of the post! Your old MagicBands may still work at Disney World. As long as they are still linked to your My Disney Experience account, it is worth a shot to see if the battery still works in them. Plus, if you recently purchased a MagicBand+, you should be in really good shape to reuse your band!

Your Phone Can Act as a MagicBand

You will want to make sure you have the My Disney Experience app downloaded before your trip. This app can also act as your park ticket, room key, map, and so much more! You can also use your phone to add your ticket and credit card to your wallet to be able to tap to pay.

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Only guests of a Disney World hotel can use their MagicBand to pay, so keep that in mind when deciding if a MagicBand is worth it for you, as your phone can do pretty much everything that a MagicBand can.

They Need to be Charged

The new MagicBand+ comes with a charger to power the lighting and vibrating function. If your MagicBand+ “dies,” it will still be able to scan you into the park and do other basic functions; it just won’t interact.

Sadly, MagicBands sometimes have to go to MagicBand+ Heaven as they can eventually stop performing their unique functions. We purchased a MagicBand+, and a year and a half later, it no longer lights up or vibrates, but we can still use it to access the parks. It is just something to keep in mind as you are investing in something that could potentially stop working.

This is the MagicBand charger we prefer to use. It can also charge your phone. 

As MagicBands continue to be updated and new designs are released, we will make sure to keep you in the loop. For all the latest Disney news, stay tuned with us here at the Disney Food Blog!

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Are you on Team MagicBand when you visit Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

The post 4 Things I Wish I Knew Before Paying for a MagicBand in Magic Kingdom first appeared on the disney food blog.