Back for a day - but left behind?

[purple hippo]

DH and I are going to be in the area for a cousin's wedding and thought we would spend a day at DHS and check out all that is new including Galaxy's Edge. DH is not a Star Wars fan at all but (much to my surprise) said we could go since I would really like to see it and this may be my only chance for years to come.

We used to do family Disney Vacations every other year with the kids, and then it turned into a split trip and we would only do MK during MNSSHP. We loved doing the one night as we were able to do everything we wanted in one night - back when crowds were limited and it wasn't completely packed. I used to understand all the ins and outs and was an uber planner. I was on the phone at 7 am on day 180 making those ADRs, fast passes were printed at a kiosk and we showed up and had a great time. Now it's magic bands, and MDE, and online fastpass reservations and apps. I'm pretty tech savvy when I need to be but I feel completely lost in an area I always felt so comfortable. I'm doubting whether it's even worth it for one day but I'm trying to catch up and figure all this out. Life seems much simpler on the dark side.....

Do we need magic bands for a one day visit? What is MDE really? Why are people arriving at 4:30 in the morning to wait in line to get into a park for 7 am? I realize if I want to ride ROTR then we need to be there at opening to so we can try to get on a BG but why 4:30? Is the app and MDE the same thing? How far in advance can you book a fast pass? What if staying offsite? I've been going over pages and pages and it seems to make me more confused. Sorry for all this but maybe there should be a Dis101 sticky for those who have been out of the loop for a while....unless there is one and I missed it.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[ClapYourHands]

You don’t need magic bands. You can get a card that does almost everything the MBs do. You don’t need to show up at 4. People used to be able to join BGs when they were let into parks, but Disney got sick of that, so BGs are only distributed at park open time. Get there early, but as long as you’re early enough to be inside the park at opening, your chances are as good as anyone else who is there.

You should download the My Disney Experience (MDE) app. Very easy to book and modify FP, and make dining reservations. If you want to build a droid or lightsaber, you’ll book those experiences in the app. And of course, get your BG.

FP opens for booking at 7:00 eastern at 60 days if you’re on-site or 30 days if you’re off site. There are select non-Disney hotels in Bonnet Creek and Disney Springs that also have the 60- day window

 

[DuskKodesh]

Everything said above. Also if you'd like the Play Disney parks app has neat stuff you can do in Galaxy's Edge. It's worth having.

 

[YawningDodo]

1. Do we need magic bands for a one day visit?
2. What is MDE really?
3. Why are people arriving at 4:30 in the morning to wait in line to get into a park for 7 am? I realize if I want to ride ROTR then we need to be there at opening to so we can try to get on a BG but why 4:30?
4. Is the app and MDE the same thing?
5. How far in advance can you book a fast pass? What if staying offsite?
I've been going over pages and pages and it seems to make me more confused. Sorry for all this but maybe there should be a Dis101 sticky for those who have been out of the loop for a while....unless there is one and I missed it.

Any help would be appreciated.

1. You don't need MagicBands, no. You'll get them for free if you're staying onsite, but otherwise you'll be able to get a card that does everything you would need a MagicBand for (I believe that's what you get when you go to a ticket window to activate an electronic ticket).
2. MDE (My Disney Experience) is WDW's interface for managing your reservations and account. You can access it online on Disney World's website; you can also access it through the app. If you get a MagicBand, the MagicBand is linked to your account and anything in MDE can be accessed via the band--the card you'll get as an offsite guest works the same way; the only difference is that you have to be staying onsite to charge purchases to your band.
3. I concur with the user above; people were arriving at 4:30 because of the way Disney was handling boarding group distribution, which has since changed and such early arrivals are now unnecessary. I'd suggest checking out the no-spoilers Rise of the Resistance boarding group tracking thread on the Galaxy's Edge board. All of the basic info about how it works is on the first page; you don't actually need to read the whole giant thread.
4. See #2--the app is another way of accessing MDE, but also includes maps, restaurant menus, and other stuff you might find useful. On my phone the app is labeled "Disney World," but it's listed as My Disney Experience in the app store.
5. 30 days if you're staying offsite; 60 days if you have an onsite reservation. The 60 day window opens 60 days in advance of the start of your hotel reservation and lets you book FP+ for the entire length of your trip all at once. Not sure re: 30 day window.

 

[purple hippo]

Thank you all so much! I feel much better now. I have been reading the Galaxy Edge posts and we aren't going until May. The BG process may change again by then but at least now I have a better understanding and will stay on top of it. The whole magic bands and MDE had me concerned but now I get it.