For decades, a good pair of mouse ears was the main accessory for any day at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Starting Oct. 26, however, a new piece of gear can both smooth your visit and enrich the experience.
The new MagicBand+—the watch-style device that’s similar to those used at Walt Disney World—offers a lot of fun, hands-free ways to navigate a day at Disneyland.
Benefits of Using MagicBand+
When linked to a Disney account and the Disneyland app, your band can store park tickets and reservations, link pictures from Disney PhotoPass photographers, and help you skip lines using Lightning Lane passes (here’s some other ways to skip many lines at the parks). More features will be added to the bands as time goes on.
Using the band also enhances certain experiences. In the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area within Disneyland Park, you can play the interactive game Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters, using both the band and the Play Disney Parks app. Lights and vibrations from the MagicBand+ help reveal “virtual bounties” in the Black Spire Outpost so that you can find hiding characters and earn galactic credits on the app.
The band also reacts to other attractions, like flashing coordinating colors during evening shows such as World of Color in Disney California Adventure Park and Fantasmic! in Disneyland Park, or flashing and buzzing when you enter certain areas within the Avengers Campus in California Adventure.
How to Use MagicBand+
Choose from the selection of colors and designs (starting at $34.99) on ShopDisney, or at various shops at the resort, including World of Disney in the Downtown Disney District. Options include solid colors or lots of Disney-related themes, from the Cheshire Cat to Star Wars. Pair it to your smart phone using the Disneyland app, and then, if you are using it to play games, link it to the Play Disney Parks app. Personalize it further by customizing the lights, colors, and vibrations. The bands are durable, too: the waterproof band can be recharged with an included cable and reused on future visits.
Remaining 2022 Events and Festivities at Disneyland
This is a great time of year to try a MagicBand+ at the parks. Halloween Time lasts through Nov. 2, including the Dia de Los Muertos celebration in California Adventure, followed by the Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, which begins Nov. 11. This year’s festivities include the diverse Festival of Holidays, the Festive Foods Marketplace, and seasonally decked-out rides and entertainment, such as the Christmas Fantasy Parade.
Nov. 11 brings another debut to California Adventure: Characters and experiences related to the new movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will begin appearing in the Avengers Campus. Keep an eye out for M’Baku—the Jabari Tribe leader who figures prominently in the new movie—as well as special African cuisine at the Flavors of Wakanda Marketplace and Black Panther costumes and merch in the Super Store Featuring Avengers Campus. Outside the park gates, the Downtown Disney District will display a new Black Panther mural, too.
The Holidays at Disney and the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever festivities both run through Jan. 8. Save another date, too: On Jan. 27, 2023, the Disney100 Celebration begins, commemorating Disney’s century-mark birthday through special decor, new shows, and the debut of the ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.