Follow these steps to set up your MagicWaits display. Works for both the Colour Touchscreen and the E-Ink display.
⚡ Setup Steps
Getting Started
1
Plug in the device
Connect via USB-C to any phone charger, USB port, or power bank. The display will show startup / WiFi setup instructions.
2
Connect to "MagicWaits Setup"
On your phone or laptop, join the WiFi network called MagicWaits Setup. A setup page should open automatically. If not, navigate to 192.168.4.1 in your browser.
3
Enter your WiFi details
Tap Configure WiFi, choose your home network, enter your password, and tap Save.
Important: Only 2.4 GHz WiFi networks are supported.
4
Wait for startup
The device reboots, connects to WiFi, syncs the clock, and fetches your data — 15–30 seconds. E-Ink: the screen will slowly flash through a refresh cycle — this is normal.
5
Log in at magicwaits.com
Visit www.magicwaits.com on any browser. Your username and password are on the label on the back of your device.
6
Activate your subscription
Press the flashing gold button to go to Choose Your Package. Once you have chosen your package, you will enter the payment gateway. Your promo code allows you to choose any package for free.
On the payment page, select “Promo Code or Add Code” to reveal the box and enter your promo code (found in your packaging). Don’t worry — you won’t be charged during your free period and can cancel any time.
Payment details are securely managed by Stripe — a large and secure payment provider.
Once your payment details are saved, you can continue.
📌 TipsMake sure to enter your email address when prompted. On some devices, after entering your promo code you may need to tap the small close button (×) near the top right of the promo code field to confirm it and proceed.
7
Select your parks
You can now select any number of parks that your package allows. The number of available slots depends on your subscription tier. Press Save to continue.
8
Pick your rides
Now you can pick your rides. Under Ride Selection, choose the attractions you want to monitor.
📌 TipEach theme park is listed separately. Tap the dropdown arrow next to a park name to expand its full list of rides, then select the ones you want to track.
9
Customise your display zones
You can now go to the top right and left zones to further customise your display. These zones appear in different areas of your main screen, letting you show extra information alongside your ride wait times. You can make one selection for each zone.
For your first time, we recommend choosing Holiday Countdown and Weather or Clock — these look great and are easy to set up.
📌 TipEach time you select an option, scroll down — new settings may appear depending on your choice. For example, selecting Weather will reveal a field to enter your weather location.
10
Configure your settings
Go to Settings near the bottom and select your:
Time Zone — set your local timezone so the clock is accurate. Holiday Date — your trip date for the countdown. Refresh Time — how often your screen shows new data. View Modes — choose which screens you want displayed.
📺 Screen Guide
What you'll see on screen
TFTTap anywhere on the display to cycle through 11 screen views. Small dots at the bottom edge show which view is active.
E-InkPress the button (short press) to cycle through 10 screen views. Each view change triggers a 10–30 second screen refresh.
TFT — Main Dashboard
Countdown + colour-coded wait times
TFT — Big Countdown
Full-screen trip countdown
TFT — Clock
Full-screen date & time
E-Ink — Main Dashboard
7.5" e-paper, black/white
E-Ink — Days Countdown
Weeks + days split view
🕹️ Controls
How to interact
TFT Touch Controls
Quick tap
Next view
Hold 0.7s
Force refresh
Hold 15s
Reset WiFi
E-Ink Button Controls
Short press
Next view
Hold 3s
Force refresh
Hold 15s
Reset WiFi
🎨 Colour Key
Wait time display
TFTWait times are colour-coded on screen. E-Ink displays all numbers and "CLOSED" in black.
Green — Under 15 minutes. Go now!
Amber — 15–29 minutes. Moderate queue.
Red — 30 minutes or more. Long queue.
Cyan — Virtual queue / boarding group active. TFT
Grey / "CLOSED" — Attraction closed or no data available.
🔧 Quick Fixes
Common issues
Device shows setup screen every time it bootsIt can't reach your WiFi. Re-run WiFi setup (steps 2–3 above).
No data / FETCH ERR shownWiFi is connected but the server couldn't be reached. Hold to manually refresh (TFT: hold screen 0.7s · E-Ink: hold button 3s). If it keeps failing, check your internet and try power-cycling the device.
Clock is showing the wrong timeCheck the Timezone setting. Examples: −5 (Eastern US), +0 (UK), +1 (Central Europe), +10 (Eastern Australia). Add or subtract 1 during Daylight Saving.
Ride wait times show "Subscription Expired"Your subscription is inactive. Visit magicwaits.com → Account → Subscription to reactivate. Use the promo code from your packaging.
Screen is dim or barely lit TFTThe TFT needs at least 500 mA. Try a different USB cable or a more powerful charger.
E-Ink screen takes a long time to refresh E-InkThis is completely normal — e-paper displays require up to 30 seconds for a full refresh. The flashing through grey stages is part of the process.
E-Ink screen shows a faint ghost of a previous image E-InkMinor ghosting is normal for e-paper. It will clear on the next full refresh. Power-cycle if it persists.
Need to reset WiFiTFT: navigate to the Info/Control Panel screen (view 11) and use the on-screen WiFi reset button, or hold the screen for 15 seconds. E-Ink: hold the button for 15 seconds.
Force a data refresh TFT: hold the screen for 0.7 seconds. E-Ink: hold the button for 3 seconds. Wait up to 30 seconds for the E-Ink screen to update.
Need more detail? See the Full Manual for complete configuration options, panel modes, Premier Pass pricing setup, and more.