My mentioning of your remarks about Face Coverings versus Mask terminology was not necessarily in disagreement and was definitely not connected to your misinformation campaign on MagicBands. It was reconfirming that -- Yes, there is a very clear distinction between a 'Face Covering' and a 'Mask'. However, I doubt it makes much difference since Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has been cancelled.
In keeping with MagicBands, you originally claimed that Disney will be 'Sunsetting' or otherwise discontinuing the sale and use of MagicBands while opting to increase features of the mobile phone application as a replacement. I called this a lie because it simply is. There has been no substantial announcement or evidence that Disney has any intention of discontinuing MagicBands.
As I mentioned previously, Disney has committed to increasing its push for guests to use contactless payment methods such as using MagicBands, phone payment methods, or as a last resort credit/debit cards. Why would Disney promote MagicBands if phone payment methods work just as well? Because it is a service they already provide, that returning guests know and feel comfortable with. It also provides Disney's guests with more options.
Outside of Disney's commitment to continue to push for guests to use alternate means of payments, the MagicBands are already capable of so many things. They are the 'Swiss Army Knife' of Disney reservations and abilities. That I can currently recall, they are able to perform such acts like: Acting as a Park Admission Ticket/Pass, Acting as a Resort Room Key, Acting as a Restaurant Reservation, Acting as a Contactless Payment Method, Acting as a method to attach photos to your online account for in-person photos as well as on-ride photos, Acting as FastPass+ Reservations, among other things. While all of these things might eventually be able to be converted to their mobile phone application, that would require more work. New code has to be written and tested and implemented.
Extending on that hard work that needs to be done, the MagicBands are an existing service that fills everyone of those needs perfectly as is. Why force so many already existing guests to learn a whole new way of things, when you can simply keep what you have that works so well. I am not saying that the mobile phone application will not obtain more powerful features, because that is the nature of progress. However, I believe that by adding more features to the mobile phone app, Disney is giving guests more options and more power to do as they please. If you want to continue using a MagicBand, you can. If you want to use your phone, you can. Some people may not feel comfortable using MagicBands, while others are so ingrained using them that they have to use them.
It all comes down to options and convenience. MagicBands and the mobile phone application work together. They compliment each other. They are not competing forces. They are on the same team. Just like how an iPhone and Apple Watch are on the same team. One does not replace the other, they compliment each other. Other examples would be like the Skyliner and Busses. They do not cancel the other out, they compliment each other and work together to transport guests allowing for more options and increasing capacity overall. The same concept is applied to the Monorail and Ferryboats.
When it comes to FastPass+, you use your phone to make the reservations and you use the MagicBand to confirm when you arrive. The phone takes care of the actual setup which requires some complexity. Whereas, the MagicBand takes care of the convenience. Having to pull your phone out constantly risks dropping or otherwise damaging your phone and drains battery life quick. If you used your phone solely for everything, you would end up with a dead phone real soon. Unless you prepared by packing a battery pack, which should not be requirement to bring with you on your trip to the park.
And touching on fragility of your phone, there are water rides in which you don't want to bring your phone on. MagicBands are virtually waterproof whereas your phone will get destroyed coming in contact with large splashes and soaking. Not to mention the ability of losing your phone on a roller coaster or other ride. MagicBands stay perfectly strapped to your wrist and hardly ever get lost. Why risk your entire vacation bringing your phone onto a ride when you can sue the safe option of having a MagicBand.
Finally, I will just add on to
@Nicole 's post and say that from a collectors standpoint, it doesn't make business sense to remove the product. It provides great profit on a simple and cheap device. You might as well say that they are going to stop selling pins and trade 'virtual' pins instead. That would be ridiculous.
Your assumption of MagicBands coming to an end is based on the cancellation of a 'freebie' program. This is the time to capitalize on contactless tech, and by not providing a freebie, Disney is allowing themselves to make more money than they would have. Guests will likely feel more obligated to purchase a MagicBand for the convenience. Guests will still be able to buy them, and resort guests will get a discount; however, that is a new stream of money coming in for Disney. If anything, people should be outraged that Disney is trying to force people to pay more money.
Now for a break form MagicBand discussion and switch over to reopening altogether.
With the rise of cases, I do not think closing down again is likely to happen. There is so much political and economical pressure to open, I think we will only see more restrictive measure take place. We will likely see a face covering requirement issued by governments widespread, among other things. Also, I think resorting to closing down should be a last ditch option. The purpose of reopening was not because the situation was getting better. It was to reopen businesses in a way that they can control and handle the situation. If anything, we have learned that these restrictions are either not being enforced by businesses like they should or that they are not enough.
I feel that the restrictions are not being enforced fully enough and if numbers keep rising, the government and businesses will do everything in their power to crack down hard on people in an effort to stay open as long as possible.
