annual pass question regarding magic bands

[DisneyMarv]

i have a friend who just became a AP holder now, she has her ap linked to the account yet she does not have the option to customize her magic band, i've been trying to figure out what else to do to see if i can get her ap affiliation to pop up in the magic bands/cards section but it shows nothing in it, or does she have to wait now till she goes to guest relation to set up her magic band.

 

[DebbieB]

i have a friend who just became a AP holder now, she has her ap linked to the account yet she does not have the option to customize her magic band, i've been trying to figure out what else to do to see if i can get her ap affiliation to pop up in the magic bands/cards section but it shows nothing in it, or does she have to wait now till she goes to guest relation to set up her magic band.

If she bought the AP online and was logged into MDE, it should have automatically linked. If not, she should be able to use her confirmation # to link. If she got a voucher in the mail, she might be able to use the number on the back.

 

[DisneyMarv]

it's automatically linked but i haven't been able to see that option for her band, would it be in magic bands/cards or would personalize your magic band be in the login page of your my disney experience.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I believe you can't order a magic band until you have an active AP linked. So if it is a voucher for future activation, she will get the notification to customize the magic band after it's activated.

I do not know whether there is the option to pick up a magic band when you activate though.

 

[DebbieB]

If she's staying at a Disney resort, she should be able to customize the band without activating the ticket. If not, she'll have to wait until after it's activated.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

it's automatically linked but i haven't been able to see that option for her band, would it be in magic bands/cards or would personalize your magic band be in the login page of your my disney experience.

The personalization process occurs after activation, which is essentially when she uses her AP for the first time. After she activates the AP at the park, she'll be able to log into MDE and a new MB order will be showing. If she's staying onsite, she'll still get a MB because of the onsite stay, and if not, then she'll just use her AP card (which is RFID enabled and can do pretty much everything a MB can do--it will serve as her park admission and she can redeem her FP+s with it). The AP card will be given to her when she activates her AP. She'll have to carry the card even if she has a MB if she wants to use any AP discounts.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

It's not actually when she uses it the first time to enter a park, but when she visits a Guest Relations or ticket booth and activates it. The "clock" starts running on her AP at that time, even if she doesn't use it to enter a park after activating it. They will give her a physical AP card, which will do anything a Magic Band would do except you can't wear it and it won't scan ride photos.

 

[cindyfan]

another question maybe you folks will know.....

I have an AP and (with my resort reservation etc) I have my Magic Band linked to. The AP isn't activated yet, but will be when I arrive at the end of the month.
My question....
If I purchase one of the new Magic Bands coming out this month how do I link that to my MDE and AP, etc.?

 

[MakiraMarlena]

All you do is use the number on the back of the band to link it to your MDX and it will read anything you have linked to your account.

 

[trishadono]

I purchased our annual passes online in December. I received the tickets/vouchers in the mail the following week. I was able to immediately customize our bands in the MB and cards section of our DME.

Not sure if it matters but we also had a Disney resort booked and linked at that time.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Not sure if it matters but we also had a Disney resort booked and linked at that time.

It does matter. You were able to customize bands because you had a Disney resort reservation. Once you activate your APs you will have the opportunity to customize more bands.

 

[jcvalenti]

Disney's treatment of the magic bands with annual passholders is ridiculous.

We got APs last year, planning to spent 14 days in the parks last year, and 12 this year before they run out. Because our length of stay is long, and we are not billionaires, we rented a house offsite.

They wont ship you the AP magic bands early, no matter what. Even if you have a plane booked and a house rented and know the exactly minute you are going down there. So, in essence, we were told when we got there if we wanted magic bands for the first 14 days, we'd have to buy them - as they couldn't ship the custom AP magic bands until we "activated" the pass (ie, the first day we used it to get into the park). Freaking idiotic.

We had five families who shelled out $14,000 for annual passes and essentially were told we couldn't have Magic Bands without paying more, because their system sucks. It really started the trip off on the wrong foot .... and the bad memories came right back up when we got the magic bands in the mail 3 days after we got home. Grrr....

 

[cindyfan]

I really don't understand why they can't send the magic band with the AP voucher!

 

[hiroMYhero]

It doesn't make sense. That's why some APs follow the advice on the Throwaway Room Thread. They book the lowest-priced room-only reservation, customize their MagicBands, and as soon as the MagicBands are confirmed as shipped, the Throwaway Room is canceled.

This method is used mostly for SDFPs but more than applicable to guests buying APs and with vouchers in hand.

 

[Laketravis]

Disney's treatment of the magic bands with annual passholders is ridiculous.

We got APs last year, planning to spent 14 days in the parks last year, and 12 this year before they run out. Because our length of stay is long, and we are not billionaires, we rented a house offsite.

They wont ship you the AP magic bands early, no matter what. Even if you have a plane booked and a house rented and know the exactly minute you are going down there. So, in essence, we were told when we got there if we wanted magic bands for the first 14 days, we'd have to buy them - as they couldn't ship the custom AP magic bands until we "activated" the pass (ie, the first day we used it to get into the park). Freaking idiotic.

We had five families who shelled out $14,000 for annual passes and essentially were told we couldn't have Magic Bands without paying more, because their system sucks. It really started the trip off on the wrong foot .... and the bad memories came right back up when we got the magic bands in the mail 3 days after we got home. Grrr....

JC, don't hold back - tell us how you really feel!