Walt Disney World's MagicMobile rolls out to more guests and first impressions of using it in the parks

Mar 30, 2021 in "MyMagic+"

Gallery / 2 Photos
Disney MagicMobile in use

Posted: Tuesday March 30, 2021 7:26am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

After initial testing with a limited number of guests earlier this month, MagicMobile is now available for all visitors to Walt Disney World's theme parks.

Park entry is now more convenient for guests with Apple Watch or iPhone

Disney MagicMobile service is billed as a convenient and contactless way to access MagicBand features like theme park entry through the power of your iPhone, Apple Watch and coming later - Android devices. Most features are available by just holding up your smart device near an access point, just like you do with a MagicBand. You can choose to use Disney MagicMobile service or a MagicBand, and can alternate between the two for added flexibility.

Apple Watch being used at the entrance to Magic Kingdom

In our testing over the past week, the MagicMobile works exactly as expected. It is as fast to use as a MagicBand or card, and it appears to have 100% reliability in our tests. Perhaps the best compliment that we can give MagicMobile is that it works EXACTLY like a MagicBand, but all from the convenience of not having to carry out anything in addition to your own devices.

Annual Pass setup on Apple Watch Wallet

Especially convenient is that on both iPhone and Apple Watch, the device does not need to be unlocked. You simply hold the device up to the touch point and it authenticates.

MagicMobile is not currently available at the parking lot booths, but Cast Members there have told us that it is going in the near future.

Current functionality includes:

Enter theme parks (with a valid theme park reservation and valid admission)
Connect Disney PhotoPass images to your account
Gain access to the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Coming soon – charge to your Disney Resort hotel folio during your stay

MagicMobile on Apple iPhone

You can read more about setting up MagicMobile in our earlier guide. Disney MagicMobile service requires iOS 14.4 or later and watchOS 7.3 or later.

Discuss on the Forums

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BrianLo20 days ago

I know I’m bumping an older thread. I completely slept on this - but at some point express pass has been added to iPhone as well for the pass. So it also works with a dead iphone. Discount affiliations are also nested in the Apple wallet pass (DVC Y, annual pass, etc). Honestly this is a pretty slick and advanced usage that I’ve only experienced in Japan so far with their transit passes

JeffHNov 18, 2021

You can now use a reloadable card (like a 5% discounted Target Disney gift card or your Disney Visa rewards card) to pay off your resort bill and now get that 5% (or more with the Sam's black Friday gift card deal) ALL your purchases in addition to your resort bill.

jaklgreenNov 18, 2021

I use the same card so this does nothing for me.

nickysNov 17, 2021

Finally!

dreday3Nov 17, 2021

We were trying everything at food/wine - finally the CM just told me to remove it for fear of the angry mob forming behind me in line! 🤣

donsullivanNov 17, 2021

It charges back to your room folio account if you are a Disney hotel guest with that set up.

nickysNov 17, 2021

So does this charge direct to the card on file, or is it charging back to the room like when buying merchandise?

donsullivanNov 17, 2021

I have a friend who described the same issue ( I use iPhone). It seems the issue is you need to manually trigger Google Pay first and then tap the payment point. If you don’t do that MagicMobile intercepts the RFID read so Google Pay never sees it. I have to do exactly the same thing on iPhone or Watch I just double tap the watch button to trigger ApplePay and it works fine.

dreday3Nov 17, 2021

Since this was bumped... I never was able to add Google Pay when paying with mobile order, but just used one of my credit cards and it charged card directly. I was able to use Google Pay directly at stores/kiosks, but ONLY after I removed the magic mobile cards from my G-pay! Whenever I tried to pay, it kept automatically defaulting to the magic mobile card and not the card I wanted to use attached to G-pay. A lot of people were having that issue and cast members told me just to remove magic mobile card if not using (which I wasn't).

Disstevefan1Nov 17, 2021

I wish the card on file could be a rewards card of a gift card or some sort of reloadable card, not tied to any account.

DCBakerNov 17, 2021

Addition to MagicMobile - "NEW: Charge food and merchandise purchases to the payment card on file at your Disney Resort hotel room during your stay" https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2021/11/disney-magicmobile-service-enjoy-new-features-and-fun-designs-celebrating-walt-disney-world-resort-50th-anniversary/

CaptainAmericaOct 06, 2021

I read the post I was responding to as if she wanted to use Google Pay to pay with a credit card, not MM.

ItsBillyOct 06, 2021

You never need to open the Google Pay app. To ensure that the MagicMobile pass is transmitted, don't unlock your phone. Just have the screen on and phone locked. Payment cards need the phone to be unlocked, but again, you still don't need to open the app unless you're paying with a card other than your default.