The Boy Will Get To Wear Two MagicBands For Our Summer Disney Vacation

The boy is going to get to wear two MagicBands during our summer 2014 Disney vacation.  Two?  Why two?

Well, Disney Cruise Line is rolling out MagicBands on the ships for children registered to use the kids clubs instead of the chunky white bracelets--see photo above.  This was news to us and it sure caught my eye when completing the on-line registration process for our cruise on the Disney Fantasy.  When enrolling or registering the boy for the kids clubs I had to agree that the Magic Band would be returned the last night of the cruise or we would be charged $50.

The bracelets that kids wear do a few things, but primarily they are for electronically checking kids in and out of the kids clubs.  The children swipe their wrists on a sensor and a computer notes that they are in the club and does the same when they leave.  It helps monitor the number of kids in the club at any given time, matches kid to name, etc.  The other functions of the bracelet include identification and location of assembly station.  Info on the bracelet, both in writing and electronically, allows for Cast Members to know the boy's name, his stateroom number, and therefore, his assembly station, in case of an emergency.  (Guests are assigned specific assembly stations based on the location of their stateroom on the ship.)

Will the MagicBands on the ship be able to do the same?  I suspect they will.  All of that same info, and possibly more, can electronically be stored in the Magic Band.

When completing the on-line check in for the cruise, we weren't able to select a color, so I am curious about whether or not all the bands will be the same color, or if there will be some sort of coding system used--various colors for ages of children or Castaway Club Level as examples.  I will be asking!

And, while he won't get to keep the MagicBand from the ship as we won't be paying the $50, it will allow him to warm up to wearing a MagicBand for our visit to the parks just after our cruise.

The bigger question though, is when will ALL guests be issued MagicBands when sailing with Disney?  Previously, guests who had a land/sea package were issued one Key To The World Card that was their room key for their resort and stateroom.  When we know more, we will keep you posted!