Some table service restaurants at Walt Disney World are testing the ability to scan a guest’s MagicBand to apply Annual Pass discounts.
If a guest is paying via MagicBand, they won’t have to do anything extra to get the discount as it should automatically be applied during the payment process.
Sadly, this new feature requires MagicBand payment to work, so otherwise guests will have to show their pass for the discount.
Right now, the discount application is only working for annual pass. There is no word if Disney Vacation Club or other discounts will eventually work the same way as well.
This is very good. It’s a pain to have to take the pass out all the time. Should also be able to use Magic Bands for buying things even if you are not staying at a resort, i.e you are on a day trip.
Now if WDW could read a bar code off a phone as ticket media, and cashiers could accept Apple Pay and Android Pay, most of us might never need a MagicBand, unless as a room key staying on property. They’re still trying to re-invent the Wheel with these bands, we had all guest functionality decades ago with id, tickets, Key to the World, and credit cards. The bands are a minor improvement over those things, but you still need cards and id to drive, park or buy some things, and adults must carry a photo id at all times. So effectively the bands are one more additional thing the guest must carry, mostly redundant to the guest, except as a room key for some, or a fashion accessory. Especially redundant for a local AP holder with a payment app on smartphone!
For WDW there’s a value in that the MagicBand can track us better. It is up for debate how well they mine this data, or whether this provides a guest with any value.
Samsung pay works at all Disney points of sale.
I’ve used Apple Pay at quite a few locations across WDW. Table Service restaurants are about the only places I have tried to use it.
Payment using most phones is available at any touch to pay device on property.
About time…I would anticipate they will add a photo to the Annual Pass Holder that appears on their screen for verification. Never could understand why I needed to carry my AP and ID since I had a Fastpass. About time!
As an annual Passholder, we visit the parks frequently throughout the year. It would be really nice if Disney would allow us to assign a credit card or debit card to our magic bands all of the time and not just have the advantage of being able to pay with our bands during the few times a year when we are hotel guests.
Disney spent more on magic bands that to build a 5th theme park. They have no interest in a good guest experience. IF they add and expand this, it’s only in the interest to make more money, maybe cut some cast members as less will be needed for the longer lines of ‘auto scanners’ for discounts/payment.
Why does the headline say they’re testing “annual pass & other discounts” but the actual text of your article contradicts that by ending with “Right now, the discount application is only working for annual pass. There is no word if Disney Vacation Club or other discounts will eventually work the same way as well.” ??
We are on the last day of our vacation and used these! We loved the convenience of the bans! Great with meals and snacks!