Everything you need to know about MagicBands.

[SuperTink]

I'm returning after 2 years. How can I tell if my old Magic Bands are still "good?" Thanks!

 

[Accident]

I'm returning after 2 years. How can I tell if my old Magic Bands are still "good?" Thanks!

The band is still good. it'll work for room key, purchases, tickets, fastpass, anything you touch the band to do. Where it would be questionable if it's still good is the wireless battery powered function and right now that is the ride photos. the only way to tell if ride photos and videos will link is to ride somethign with one and look if it appears in your account. unfortunately it's only longer ride lines that have this so it's very annoying to find out it didn't work and then replace it and get in line again.

If your staying at a disney resort, take the new band that is included in your reservation. If you don't want to wear that one and like your old one just put it in your bag and it'll work for ride photos as long as your bag is with you. it will still work for the other "touch" things as that is not battery powered.

If the ride photos are important to you, it's time to replace it.

 

[SuperTink]

Thanks, Accident!

I just posted a question about SDFP in that thread that you might be able to help me with.

 

[Chip_Dale]

Are the luggage tags that you receive are they dependent on the colour on the magic band that you pick? What character is assigned to each band colour?

 

[Accident]

Are the luggage tags that you receive are they dependent on the colour on the magic band that you pick? What character is assigned to each band colour?

everyone has reported that the luggage tags do match the magicband color, I do not know what they look like but I'm sure google can quickly help you find them if nobody else replies(and I'll find them another night and add it to the faq and that's something I missed)

 

[Chip_Dale]

Google search found this

 

[quilt03]

Help help!! I am trying to link my band. Seems very easy so I am looking at my id on the back of band to link to MDE. So let's say they I'd is 2233-3B09-F670 , are those zeros or the letters O??? I linked one and am paranoid to do the others!

 

[kelmac284]

This may be a dumb question but I hope someone knows. We are going next month and it is our first time with magic bands/FP+ etc. We haven't been in 6 years.

I set up the account and am the primary. I am the only one who has a disney MDE account. It is also my elderly parents and my 2 kids. I bought us all magic bands (we are staying offsite) and I linked the tickets. I also bought memory maker and it shows it under my band.

I have read a few places to go into the account settings and select share photos but I can't find that. Since I am the primary and linked my family does that mean they are ALREADY all linked? Also We were supposed to go this past summer so for xmas LAST year I bought my girls and I the special magic bands. Now we are going THIS xmas so those are about a year old. I know they say they can last 2 years. Do you think we should be ok or is there a way to check to make sure the battery is still good?

TIA!!!

 

[Accident]

I have read a few places to go into the account settings and select share photos but I can't find that. Since I am the primary and linked my family does that mean they are ALREADY all linked? Also We were supposed to go this past summer so for xmas LAST year I bought my girls and I the special magic bands. Now we are going THIS xmas so those are about a year old. I know they say they can last 2 years. Do you think we should be ok or is there a way to check to make sure the battery is still good?

It sounds like everyone is under the same MDE account, aka you added them as managed by you. There is nothing you need to do for photos, they all go into the same account. If you have multiple MDE accounts in use, then you just need to link the accounts together and your done. (every login is 1 mde account so if your parents have their own account you need to get them linked together, if they are just added to your account you don't do anything).

photopass is the actual photo service at disney, everyone gets that for free and you don't need to do anything special above the linked accounts to use any band to get the photo. Memory Maker is 1 of many payment options to get the photos. You don't need memory maker to take a photo, memory maker will kick in when it's time to download the photos everyone took. nothing special to do here.

Your bands should be fine power wise. also just to clarify things, nothing links to a magicband, it's just an id bracelet and you link it to a person. all other options you control in mde and just assign them to a person in your mde (or linked to your mde).

 

[quilt03]

Well I finally figured out if they were o or 0!!!!! Now another questions. My party of 10 all has magic bands bought and linked. We just had a person add on and we don't have time to have a magicbands sent our local Disney store doesn't carry them. So when I get to the dolphin I can buy one there, will they set it up for me as we are going straight to the park and the 11 person will need hers for fast pass, entry etc

 

[Mumph39]

I just wanted to say "thank you" for this thread. The last time my family was at the World the magic bands were just being tested. We are going back this January and it will be our first time with magic bands. The information here really helps.

 

[Accident]

My party of 10 all has magic bands bought and linked. We just had a person add on and we don't have time to have a magicbands sent our local Disney store doesn't carry them. So when I get to the dolphin I can buy one there, will they set it up for me as we are going straight to the park and the 11 person will need hers for fast pass, entry etc

I've never looked to see what the dolphin actually sells so the best I can say is maybe on that question. They are sold all over the place though, it's hard to not find them. A Magicband is not a requirement, they can use the hard ticket and if they really want one or wait to find one with a design they like. there is a lot more designs available on property than you can get from home.

 

[disneydizzy2]

We purchased AP's and are staying off property at an RV park a month prior to our on site stay. So the magic bands will arrive after we are gone from home. Can I request them shipped early so we can use them before our onsite portion of the vacation?

 

[Accident]

We purchased AP's and are staying off property at an RV park a month prior to our on site stay. So the magic bands will arrive after we are gone from home. Can I request them shipped early so we can use them before our onsite portion of the vacation?

someone recently mentioned that they are now shipping AP bands before you activate your AP. If you have purchased an AP online, check MDE (My Disney Experience, I recommend the website instead of the app for this one). under the magicbands and card section (found under profile) you should see 1 magicband per AP waiting to be customize. Just customize it and it will immediately ship and arrive within about 10 days..

If you are planning to upgrade a ticket to an AP or buy the AP while at disney property then you will not be able to customize the bands until you have an AP and then it takes 10 days to ship and they go to your home so again you don't get it in time for your trip.

Please report back and let us know if it was possible to get your bands early.

 

[Beamerball]

Interesting situation. Everything I know says you cannot change the person the band is linked too but you just got the bands and they are unused so maybe disney would in this case if you call them. Thats your only hope to fully change them. I'm not sure I would do the swap in other ways. It would just make me nervous if there was a problem or he decided tomorrow he wants moms other color or he's feeling green the next day. that situation your not going to be able to just use another band that morning because now you have a fingerprint to get into the park.

let us know what you ended up doing. i'm surprised there has never been another post like this before. It can't be that uncommon that a child liked another band better.

We went to the guest relations at Disney Springs. Unfortunately they couldn't change the magic bands. Fortunately the 5 year old was good with his original band so it did work out for us.

 

[Chip_Dale]

Are names on the bands limited to alpha numeric characters or can you add special characters.Thinking on adding mouse ears (°O°) as part of the name

 

[aviva5675]

We had problems last week. DH used one of his bands, showing under his name on our MDE, but it didnt work for the FP. He got into park fine. CM said his band was showing as me. It correctly shows on the account. I used one of mine, wasnt able to tap to get into park, but worked for FP. It shows incorrectly under DH name on our MDE. CAlled and she said she cannot switch the bands, or she could, but they wouldnt work after she did it. She recommended deactivating all the 'old' ones and just using one. None are old, we got them all since Sept. And whats the point of being able to get / buy/ collect them if they get misplaced on the account? Any way to get these 2 to work for each of us correctly?

 

[Accident]

We had problems last week. DH used one of his bands, showing under his name on our MDE, but it didnt work for the FP. He got into park fine. CM said his band was showing as me. It correctly shows on the account. I used one of mine, wasnt able to tap to get into park, but worked for FP. It shows incorrectly under DH name on our MDE. CAlled and she said she cannot switch the bands, or she could, but they wouldnt work after she did it. She recommended deactivating all the 'old' ones and just using one. None are old, we got them all since Sept. And whats the point of being able to get / buy/ collect them if they get misplaced on the account? Any way to get these 2 to work for each of us correctly?

never heard or experienced this. my best suggestion is stop at guest relations and show them mde doesn't match what they are seeing and something is wrong. they can open an IT ticket but they can also issue a new grey replacement band. Only other option I can think of is buy a new band but you shouldn't need to do that.

 

[Accident]

Are names on the bands limited to alpha numeric characters or can you add special characters.Thinking on adding mouse ears (°O°) as part of the name

I would think with the international nature that would work, never tried it.

other tip: add the year to the name also so you know exactly when you got it for battery life reasons.

 

[aviva5675]

thanks. Thought of bringing them with and doing a big stop over at guest relations. One other question- if I bring one I already have will it be automatically updated to my room key for the next stay? Or does the front desk have to do something. How do they know which band you plan to use?