Previously Complimentary MagicBands Now $5 on My Disney Experience

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Via wdwnt.com

As was announced last year, MagicBands are no longer provided complimentary to Disney Resort hotel guests with arrivals beginning January 1, 2021.

For Disney Resort hotel room entry, Theme Park entry, and charging purchases to the hotel room with a valid credit card, guests may use a Key To The World card (provided at the Front Desk). Or, you can also use a MagicBand from a past visit (view potential limitations) or purchase a MagicBand pre-arrival.

On the “My MagicBands and Cards” section of My Disney Experience, MagicBand pre-arrival purchases are still available under the same former “Build-A-Band Upgrade” platform.

To reflect the changes, you can no longer filter between “Premium” and “Complimentary” bands. You can, however, filter by color or theme. The plain colored MagicBands that were previously complimentary are now available at a “special pre-order price” of $5, with a comparable value of $14.99.

Disney has stated plans to unveil an innovative new offering in 2021 as part of the My Disney Experience app that will bring the features of a MagicBand to smart devices, building on the app’s existing digital key feature.

Free souvenir luggage tags, which usually came in the same box as complimentary MagicBands, will no longer be mailed ahead of a guest’s trip, but are available for pick-up at Disney Resort hotel front desks for now.

New Dining “Now” Walk-Up List for Table-Service Restaurants Added to My Disney Experience App

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

A new dining “Now” option is available on the My Disney Experience app with a “Walk-up List” service at select table service restaurants.

So, let’s say you’re walking through EPCOT and decide you’re getting hungry but prefer instead of Mobile Ordering, you’d like to sit down at a table-service restaurant. No reservations? No worries! Visit the My Disney Experience App and you’ll be able to see what table-service restaurants have availability around you right now. You’ll then be able to simply add yourself to the “walk-up list” and get ready for indulge your appetite!

Let’s walk through it. First, from the My Disney Experience App home screen click the “+” at the bottom to see these options below:

Click “Check Dining Availability”. Select your party size and date. Obviously, since this is a right now option, you’d select today’s date. You’ll see the new “Now” option as circled in the image below:

You’ll then be prompted to select an available Walk-Up List. Since we are putting this article together in the morning, you’ll see there is nothing currently available for breakfast. Restaurants are noted with “Walk-up list is currently unavailable to join due to high demand”.

When clicking into Kona Cafe, this message comes up noting “Walk-up List is at capacity”:

Hopefully, this new feature will be especially helpful for lunch and dinner in the parks as sometimes it’s nice to take a breather from Mobile Ordering and quick-service venues.

Overall, we’d still recommend making dining reservations for table-service restaurants 60-days in advance. We feel this “Walk-up List” is really for spontaneous meals. Don’t count on it to ensure there will be availability at your favorite restaurant.

Disney Springs Dining Reservations Cancelled For June On My Disney Experience

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining

We’ve been tracking all of the third-party Disney Springs restaurant reopenings as they are announced for May 20, and while we were initially excited at the prospect of making reservations for June 1 and later, My Disney Experience has pulled all availability online and on the app, and informed guests with reservations that they have been cancelled.

Currently, restaurant reservations for the May 20 phased reopening are only available on OpenTable. Earlier this week, guests could book dining reservations directly via My Disney Experience for June 1 and later:

Now those same reservations have been pulled from the system:

Yesterday, it was announced that Disney-owned shops and eateries would reopen on May 27, however it seems they may still need to tweak the system to allow for limited capacity reservations. Other third-party restaurants, like Jaleo, have yet to announce a reopening date at all.

Starting July 1, dining reservations are open for nearly all restaurants on property. Walt Disney World Resort is currently only taking bookings for July 1st onward, with June reservations to be potentially cancelled on a week-by-week basis––in fact, the first week of June has already seen a wave of cancellations.

Restaurants reopening at Disney Springs on May 20 include Chicken Guy!, The Polite Pig, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill,  STK Orlando and Wine Bar George, which recently released a set of health and safety guidelines the restaurant would be adhering to during the phased reopening. This includes the use of digital menus and hand washing/sanitizing stations for employees and guests. You can read all of the guidelines here.

My Disney Experience App Has New Features

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

If you haven’t already, now is as good of a time as ever to download the My Disney Experience and Disneyland Mobile Apps. First of all, they are FREE! And now, Disney has added some special features that benefit us right from the comfort of our home. Anytime we can get a dose of Disney during the park closures due to COVID-19 is exciting to us! Check out the details below from DisneyParksBlog:

You may have noticed some new notifications and featurettes in the Disneyland or My Disney Experience mobile apps recently – like Disney Parks Artist Studio or Magic Moments in History, where you can learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, discover fun facts about Disney Parks, or play games and trivia through the Play Disney Parks mobile app. Today, we’re excited to share that there’s even more to come from these series and others within the Disneyland or My Disney Experience app – and they can all be enjoyed from home!

From fun recipes inspired by Disney Parks foods and animated stories, to highlights from your favorite shows and parades, PhotoPass wallpapers and more, there are videos, games and fun facts on the way, bringing some Disney Parks magic to you. In the coming weeks, you’ll even be able to enjoy the Jungle Cruise joke-of-the-day or experience Wilderness Explorers at home through a series of short-form videos, too. 

To discover new features like these, users simply need to be logged into either (or both) of the apps and have push notifications turned on. 

Whether you’re learning to make frozen pineapple treats or how to draw the famed feathered friends from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, there will be something for everyone to enjoy! 

If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps from the App Store or Google Play to check out new videos and episodes in these series and more. What are you most looking forward to? Use #DisneyMagicMoments on Instagram and Twitter to let us know and share what you’re drawing, cooking and learning! 

Available for iPhone® and AndroidTM smartphones.

Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Some app features require separate theme park admission.

Disney Parks Artist Studio Added To My Disney Experience App

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

If you’re stuck at home checking My Disney Experience out of sheer habit or looking back at your PhotoPass memories for a daily dose of happiness, you’ll find that there have been a few fun additions to the app while the parks are closed. Recent notifications have been sent out advertising games on the Play! Disney Parks app for “Mickey & Minnie’s Trivia Time”, which first debuted with the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, but can also be played at home!

Now, a new section of the My Disney Experience app has added called the “Disney Parks Artist Studio”, where you can learn how to draw a number of your favorite characters. Currently, the first (and only) character available is of course, Mickey Mouse.

Upon opening the My Disney Experience app, just scroll down until you see the Disney Parks Artist Studio logo and hit “Watch Video”. The video will then boot up and begin playing, with each step outlined in a short series of videos, much like an Instagram story.