It’s true! In a move that many are seeing as the start of Walt Disney World gradually phasing out MagicBands, Disney recently unveiled a new feature to the My Disney Experience App allowing guests to open their rooms using your smartphone!
The system works on Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones creating a digital key that unlocks your hotel room door. This handy new feature originally debuted at Wilderness Lodge earlier this year and Walt Disney World is currently in the process of unveiling digital keys at its other resorts including Disney Vacation Club properties. Here’s a list of all of the resorts offering the option of digital smartphone keys!
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s Yacht Club
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Digital keys can be used to unlock hotel entrance gates, common areas, fitness centers, club level lounges and more! Guests familiar with the My Disney Experience app can also use the digital key feature in conjunction with Online Check-in to completely bypass the front desk check-in process when you arrive at your resort.
The digital key is currently being offered in conjunction with Disney’s MagicBands providing onsite guests with the freedom and flexibility to access your rooms using both methods. Disney is hoping that this will give guests a backup option meaning less guests getting locked out of rooms or trying to access locked areas like swimming pools without having your bands with you.
Each guest staying in the room with a My Disney Experience account may opt-in and activate the feature on their check-in day by following the set-up instruction in the app. To enter the room guess simply tap the “Unlock Door” button and hold your phone against the door lock. Here’s a quick tutorial released by Disney that gives you a sneak peek of the process.
Disney also announced that a bit of pixie dust has been added to the unlock door feature. If tiny travlers listen closely you’ll hear some magical touches as your resort room door opens.
This is the latest bit of handy tech functionality that Disney has introduced over the past year. Other enhancements to the My Disney Experience App include being able to order food and quick service locations throughout the theme park through the Mobile Ordering function as well as the introduction of helpful tools giving you access to everything from GPS directions in the theme parks to real-time information on bus wait times. For a closer look at what the My Disney Experience App can do check out this article.
So does this mean you can leave your MagicBand at home? Not quite yet. The bands are still being used for park entry, FastPass+ redemption, PhotoPass images and more! However, it will be interesting to see how relevant MagicBands will be as My Disney Experience continues to increase in functionality
If you’re heading to the parks in the weeks or months ahead, be sure to download the latest version of the My Disney Experience for iOS or Android to unlock all these helpful tools that will help ensure a seamless Disney getaway!
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