As per the posts above, the tap functions like park entry, Genie+LL, and unlocking resort room door don’t need the battery in the MB. Those functions use power from the tapstyle or door lock. Only the long range functions like linking ride photos need the internal battery.
They use RFID technology for areas where you touch your band to a reader—hotel doors, park entrances or LLs, for example. The battery is used for the (relatively) long distance of the photo readers. So if photos don’t matter to you, don’t worry about upgrading. Also, only one member of your party needs to have access to the photos for all friends and family linked in MDE. So only buy one new one, or one for each person you anticipate getting a photo taken separately on a ride, if photos matter to you.
The tap function of the magic band doesn’t require a battery.
Not always for everything. Room doors are hit and miss. Once you hit a certain number of bands for 1 person things get wonky. I have prob 40 or so. A few trips ago they removed a bunch cause random ones weren’t working. I’m down to like 10 now and even this trip as I stand here one of my linked plus bands work for charging and park entrance but it won’t open my room door like my other plus. It gets wonky. My kids each have 10 plus and some of theirs don’t open the room door. Seems like it’s usually room door issues vs park entrance.
No switching users unless you get some wicked pixie dust from what I know. I did get the Olaf one switched from me to my daughter bitcthet was back when it came out in like 2015/16 ish. No idea how I pulled it off.
Yes and no. For on ride photos, the batteries die and won't be picked up by the sensors (usually about 2-3 years). The RFID doesn't die, so they will continue to work for room keys, park tap in, ride tap ins and paying.
Tickets are linked to the person in MDE.
) but that would really only impact ride photos, but I think if you have bluetooth turned on for your phone you should be ok for those anyway.If you look at MagicBands associated to your My Disney Experience account, it will tell you when the band was initially linked to your account. That will give you an idea when they were from. If you’re not sure which is which, the blacked out bar beneath the band is the serial number. You can match the serial number on My Disney Experience to the back of the band.
My understanding is that they don’t keep fingerprints indefinitely, pretty much only for the current ticket/trip plus a little while. DH and I accidentally switched bands on the last trip. CM caught it because I don’t look like a male-named person and he doesn’t look like a female-named person—this was with an AP so ticket was good for a year. I believe the fingerprint was still tied to the ticket as it did pull up a name. We switched bands, showed our IDs, reset our fingerprints and were good to go.
Thanks, that is helpful, except in my MDE, there are no dates or additional info. I can see the numbers, the family member which goes with each, and active or not, but no indication of time period. I was trying to take the newest, but between the “active“ status and the ones we have actually kept, there is only a couple options anyway.
The MDE website doesn't show the date added, you need to look in the MDE mobile app. In the app, touch the menu icon (3 bars) and then select "MagicBands and More". To the right of each persons name will be 3 dots, touch that and then select manage for the type of band (MB+ or regular MB).
Tickets that are linked to an individual in MDE can be access using any active MagicBand that is linked to the same individual.
Very helpful!
