A Day in Disney World: The Biggest Mistakes I Made

I should have gotten a physical ticket card or a MagicBand instead of using my phone all day.

There are three ticket options at Disney parks.

Option no. 1 – the one I took – was to use my phone as a ticket through the Disney app. It was easy, but I didn’t anticipate how much I would use my phone for other tasks at Disney too.

I was constantly checking the app to see what the ride wait times were. I also used my phone to take pictures, check the weather, and check the length of the security line at the Orlando airport.

Luckily, I took a portable charger because if my phone battery had completely died, I wouldn’t have been able to enter other parks or use my Lightning Lanes.

Your ticket should also be the key to a locker when you go on thrill rides. When I left with TRON, I had to ask a cast member instead who gave me a temporary key book.

In the future, I would probably choose option no. 2, which is to head to a Will Call ticket booth and get a free physical card. It’s one less thing to rely on your phone for and you get a physical memento of your trip.

Option no. 3 is to purchase a MagicBand, which is like a smartwatch, but for Disney parks.

They’re cool and can be a nice fashion statement, but they’re not free. A basic one starts at $35, but limited edition bands can go as high as $65. If I went to the parks often I would invest in one, but since I’m an infrequent visitor it seems pointless.