Have you ever opened a package of something and it contains one of those silica gel packs that say “DO NOT EAT” on them? They write that on there because although eating one pack probably won’t hurt you, it’s still not meant to be ingested (and if you ate several of them, or if a pet ate it, it could cause problems). So to be on the safe side, they’ve resorted to printing warnings on the things, telling people not to do unsafe things with them. It’s sort of like the signs that have had to go up because sometimes tourists do crazy, stupid stuff.
But the title of this post is about Magic Bands, so let’s talk about those. I promise we’ll get back to the people who do crazy stuff in a second.
What are Magic Bands?
From Wikipedia: “MagicBands are plastic bracelets that contain RFID radios, used at Walt Disney World Resort. The MagicBands form the central part of the MyMagic+ experience, providing a way for the system to connect data to guests”
Not the greatest explanations. Maybe this one is better:
From Walt Disney World’s website:
MagicBands are colorful, waterproof wristbands—resembling a watch or bracelet—that you can quickly and easily touch to a sensor called a touch point. Cards work in a similar fashion, but physically resemble a plastic credit card or driver’s license. Both MagicBands and cards allow you to travel lighter throughout your vacation.
You can use your MagicBand or card to:
- Unlock the door of your Disney Resort hotel room.
- Enter theme and water parks (with valid admission).
- Check in at FastPass+ entrances (Note: FastPasses are currently suspended due to COVID).
- Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account.
- Charge food and merchandise purchases to your Disney Resort hotel room (only available during your hotel stay).
A MagicBand can also:
- Add a touch of magic to your vacation by unlocking special surprises, personalized just for you, throughout the Walt Disney World Resort!
- Automatically associate your Disney PhotoPass attraction photos to the Photo Gallery on your Disney account at MyDisneyExperience. Currently available on 13 Walt Disney World attractions.
They don’t mention it on Disney’s website but because they use RFID (as well as a two-way radio that operates on the 2.4-GHz band of the spectrum), Magic Bands also allow Disney to track what the wearer is doing whenever they’re on Disney property: which attractions you visit, what you buy, when you bought it, etc. So Magic Bands help Disney monitor their guests’ movements, spending and eating habits, how often they leave the property, how long they spend in the restrooms, when and where they start waiting for parades and fireworks (when they have them), etc.
Introduced in 2013, Magic Bands (MBs) have always been optional but, being Disney, they’ve made them “fun,” as a way to entice guests to want to wear them. They’ve also designed them in hundreds of different colors, patterns, and in limited editions. There’s also “jewelry” you can buy for your MBs, etc.
MBs used to be free for those who stayed at a Disney-owned hotel, but effective January 1, 2021, you have to pay for them (plain ones are cheap, but the limited edition MBs can go for upwards of $35 each). So not only do their guests want to wear these things that allow Disney to track lots of information about them, but also willing to pay for them.
Disney is genius.
Anyway, when you buy an MB, it comes in a cardboard package that includes typical warnings such as the “California has determined something in this product could give you cancer/cause congenital disabilities/harm humans in some way” that you see on lots of other items. But there’s one other warning for MBs that stands out:
Do you see that? Not for internal or subdermal use.
“Subdermal” means “under the skin.” So they’re telling us you not put your MB, or parts of your MB, under your skin.
Well DUH, who would do that?
And now we’ve come full circle, because yeah, we’re back to people who do crazy stuff.
Well, I don’t know if “crazy” is really the right word. But there are definitely some Disney guests who go above and beyond typical “fandom.” You know, like the ones who do something like this to the entryway of their kitchen:
PC: No idea. It’s been floating round the internet for years. I mean, it’s cute and all but it REALLY decreases your resale value
Or the guy who has like 2000 (not a typo) Disney tattoos (I’m totally serious. Google “Disney Tattoo Guy”).
And now there’s this woman, too. Why do I say that? Because in June 2020, she reported on Instagram that she had the RFID chip removed from her Magic Band and had it implanted into her hand.
She even gave an update on her healing:
A few months later, in October 2020, she went to Walt Disney World and “tried it out” for the first time, to see if her implanted MB chip would work. Apparently it did.
She even went to Epcot and became, “the first cyborg to ever enter the parks” (her words, not mine. I do love the look on the female cast member’s face when she’s told to “take a step back.”).
And this, my friends, is why Disney now has to have a warning that says Magic Bands are not intended for subdermal use.
Don’t get me wrong – tattoos and multiple piercings are one thing. But implanting a Disney MagicBand chip under your skin? Why? WHY?
Promise me you won’t try this at home, y’all. OK?
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and get emailed notifications of when we post. Or maybe you’d like to join our Facebook group – we have 19,000+ members and we talk and ask questions about travel (including Disney parks), creative ways to earn frequent flyer miles and hotel points, how to save money on or for your trips, get access to travel articles you may not see otherwise, etc. Whether you’ve read our posts before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
