Thanks for the tip from my reader Matt and extra info from Robert.
And a special thanks to Mousecation and Mouse World Travel for some extra info… you can book this package directly through them.
Today Disney announced a new Disney resort package called “Awaken Summer” (as in Star Wars: The Force Awakens). The package, which can be booked for a stay select Disney resorts, offers discounts on rooms all summer. As a bonus, when you create a package by adding a minimum 2-Day Magic Your Way theme park ticket, you’ll receive a special “Awaken Summer” MagicBand. Click here for more details.
When guests create a package by adding a minimum 2-Day Magic Your Way ticket, each member of the group will receive a special Limited Edition “Awaken Summer” MagicBand for use during their stay. Disney specifically states, for the first time officially beyond some vague Disney Parks Blog posts, that “for a limited time, this one-of-a-kind MagicBand will activate a surprise sound and lighting feature at select touch points throughout the Walt Disney World Resort.” My guess is that this means entry points only if it’s going to make sounds at all four parks. It’s unknown how limited these will be.
Let me repeat, the only way to get this MagicBand will be to book a Disney resort stay for this summer and buy a 2-Day Magic Your Way ticket with the package. Annual Passholders, drop-in day guests, or guests at other resorts will not be able to buy this band, at least not initially. Collectors may need to wait until the bands start to crop up on reseller sites unfortunately.
As of right now, it looks like you create and personalize this MagicBand when booking your stay online. A reader Robert has stated that a Cast Member informed him that you pick this band up in person at check-in at the resort and that it’s not personalized. We’ll see when May 30th rolls around whether this ends up being true or not. It’s unknown at this time if it comes in any type of special box, but it’s more likely that it does if you need to pick up in person rather than having it shipped. Here’s what the selection process looks like:
This doesn’t seem right for those who are annual passholders. I hope that they change the criteria.
They’ve done this before with the 2014 Food & Wine Festival Limited Release MagicBand. I agree that it is a bummer for AP holders, but they do need to do something special for different groups of people. DVC is another example.
As much as I am bummed out that this won’t be available for AP holders I agree what you said about LE bands for special events. But we should (fingers crossed lol) get another LE Star Wars band in the winter for the new movie.
Hopefully there will be a LE band open for everyone else this coming summer though.
The 2014 LR F&W Magic Bands just required you to be a hotel guest – you didn’t have to buy any particular package or tickets. I’m an annual passholder but don’t live in Florida and bought the package when staying at a WDW hotel.
Edit – you didn’t have to “book” any particular magic your way package. You just had to “buy” the F&W package separately.
ARGH!!! I have one day left to customise my family’s magic bands before our holiday in April, and something amazing like this is announced! Looking at our booking however, the BB-8 bands are not available! 🙁 That would be the biggest WOW for my 4 year old son!
Unfortunately your trip needs to be in June or later to get this deal I think, sorry! There are specific requirements on the Disney page about it.
Yes, I managed to find that, since posting. But thank you for confirming it. May 30th onwards, I believe. Shame really… Still, looking forward to the big family vacation.
My family is booked for July, and this magicband is not available in customize. 🙁
Did you chose the “Awaken Summer” package when booking? It’s on specific dates, at specific hotels, and each person must also be purchasing a 2-day or greater ticket.
Hello I am curious what are all of the current bands selling that make a sound or light
All bands that make sounds: https://www.magicbandcollectors.com/extras/fp-videos/
Selling today in WDW: Alice Through the Looking Glass, Finding Dory.
Selling in the local Disney outlet stores: 2015 Very Merry Christmas Party, 2016 Easter, 2016 Flower & Garden
I really want to get my hands on one of these. My in-laws are going to book this package. Do you think they will make them link their tickets to the bands? I’m looking to tell them to have it link it later so I could use 🙂
I’m a AP and I see no other way I could get one of these other than paying premium on ebay.
Just to provide more information. We were able to book the a water view at Caribbean Beach for the same price as the standard view we had originally booked in January with this special. Also good to note that we added a 4 day MYW tickets to everyone, we didn’t need one for my 2.5 year old but she is still able to get the special band. 🙂 Yay!
We are going in the time allocated for the band; however, since I made the reservation so long ago with an early booking or food plan discount, we can’t get the option for this band without loosing my existing discount…..bummer!
I booked it today. CM said you get the band at check in at resort. It is NOT mailed to you. I was told you can’t customize with your name but your name as posted is next to the BB-8 band. The picture of customize is what was posted above. So true from what CM said you get LE BB-8 or plain band NOT both.
Thank you for this info!
Got mine today in the mail. customized with our names
u got the special limited bands in the mail and customized?
Yep, they ship them in the mail.
What Luggage tag came with them.
If they don’t ship the bands, how does Magical Express work?
You don’t need a band to use Magical Express. They can just look you up in the system on the spot there.
Good to know! It states that you should not pack your magicbands and have them ready to use the magical express. I just assumed they were required. Thanks for the info, as we have booked this package for June!
Do you think its worth the entire family getting this band? Or just one person in the group? There is no way to customize it color wise.
Yes, it will be very limited and this will be your only chance to get it. I would if I were you.
When i read the offer details on the disney site i am interpreting 2 specific items:
1 – you need to also buy a 2 day magic your way ticket (so as annual pass holder I cant just book a room)
2 – it as though the fun (lights n sounds) functionality of the band will expire after the awaken summer period – “This one-of-a-kind band will activate a special sound and lighting feature at select touch points throughout the Walt Disney World Resort for valid travel dates during this special offer.” …not sure if an agent or insider can validate.
I wish there was a limited amount of these open to buy. Just saw someone use the BB-8 band at Epcot and the lighting effects were better than we’ve seen lately.
Hi Jason, I have used them a few places and the lighting effects are very cool, but I haven’t been able to hear sound yet. I am going to put together a video of all of the effects for this band and post it on the website soon.
My girlfriend and I just returned from our 4 day vacation using the awaken summer magic bands. This was our first visit, but the effects were REALLY COOL! Hollywood studios entry point and fast pass+ touch stations lit up with BB-8 colors and made noises to match. Epcot and Magic Kingdom were rainbow colors with what I think were tinker bell sound effects, and Animal Kingdom were orange and green (I believe) with Dino roars. I’m curious if these will continue to work past this summer season…
Thanks Adam.
Wow, a band that works at entry and FP+ locations. I wonder if they will do something like this in the future…fingers crossed ☺
I just got the notification that my limited edition magic bands are on the way. Very excited!
I booked the awakenings package it was actually $256 more than the standard package ( 3 people) so the bands are not free. When I arrived the bands were not in and they would not be at the hotel during my stay but I was told they would be shipped to my house and a refund would be processed well two weeks later now since I checked out and I called this morning they say the refund was processed to an old reservation from last year and bands were not shipped so I was polite and I will wait a few more days. I want my refund of course but I really want the bands.