Earlier today, Disney made MagicMobile available to all guests with iOS devices after about a week of Cast Member testing. The idea of MagicMobile is to be everything a MagicBand is – but on a phone or Apple Watch. While there is certainly promise, Disney debuted a product that doesn’t exactly live up to that promise…yet.

MagicMobile Set Up

Set up couldn’t be more simple. We put out a set up guide, but the prompts really are quite self-explanatory once you find the MagicMobile button in the context menu.

While there’s no doubt that Disney’s client base is diverse, it was probably a good idea for them to lean on existing technologies that are standard like the Apple Wallet. While contactless payment and the like still probably isn’t as mainstream as it could be, there should be some familiarity with functionality.

At this point, Disney MagicMobile is completely optional and works in addition to a MagicBand. We think that the guests who are utilizing MagicMobile at this point are at least familiar, if not comfortable, with the concept of contactless transactions.

Park Entry

We tested park entry at three of the four Walt Disney World theme parks today, and it was just as seamless as you could hope. Park entry can be a bit of a hectic experience, and even a rushed experience if you’re rope dropping. With a MagicBand, the technology is sitting on your wrist, waiting to be utilized in what is usually a seamless experience. With Disney MagicMobile, there are two ways to tap into the theme park entry point.

Express Mode

Express Mode is the mode that is most like a MagicBand. In fact, if you’re using an Apple Watch it is the exact same as a MagicBand. Express Mode works in the background on both the Apple Watch and smart phone that allows you to simply place the device next to the reader without the need to unlock or navigate to a particular app and the reader will automatically read the relevant information.

Apple Wallet

Another way that you can enter the park is via the Apple Wallet. With this method, simply open up the Apple Wallet app and navigate to the digital card among the other digital cards you might have in the Apple Wallet.

If you manage any other digital passes, you’ll need to use the digital wallet mode to be able to swipe through the different passes that you have to allow different guests to enter the park.

Overall, park entry was dead simple for us and we couldn’t be happier with this portion of the Disney MagicMobile offering. The park entry feature, and specifically the Express Mode, feels like it is the most feature-complete portion of the experience.

PhotoPass, Parking Lots, and Disability Pass

Unfortunately, Disney MagicMobile breaks down a bit once you try to use it for anything other than park entry.

According to PhotoPass and Disability Access Service Cast Members we spoke with, Disney has not rolled out the necessary hardware to read a phone or Apple Watch in Express Mode. As a matter of fact, the current handheld hardware that Cast Members have isn’t even able to tap your phone or Apple Watch to communicate. Instead, guests are asked to pull up the Apple Wallet app on either their phone or Apple Watch to access the QR code needed for the current handheld hardware to optically scan.

After a few uses, we were able to get to this screen in seconds, but it can be quite clunky to get to this screen when you compare the quick, seamless experience of using a MagicBand with PhotoPass or at the parking plazas.

Launching in Phases

While we’re just at the end of day one, we’re ultimately hopeful and believe that Disney MagicMobile is the future at the Disney theme parks. Disney has been pushing guests more towards their own devices, whether it be the Play Disney Parks app or the ending of the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card game.

Disney has said that MagicMobile will be launching in phases, which will ultimately lead to an upgrade in handheld hardware to allow for the simple, seamless tap and go experience that guests currently have with a MagicBand.

First Thoughts

While we were quite impressed with how easy the park entry process is, there are certainly some kinks to work out. We probably would have preferred that Disney wait until their handheld hardware was upgraded, but Disney stopped giving out free MagicBands on January 1, 2021 and Disney MagicMobile is a free option that will grow into the true MagicBand alternative that it is intended to be.

As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!