Buying MBs for Off-Site stay...

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

We decided last night -- 32 days from our trip -- to move offsite and save some $$.

My family has APs, our companions do not. They purchased tickets from Disney and they are linked (not via a package) to our current Fort Wilderness reservation in MDE.

Tomorrow is the last day to customize our MBs. I have "declined" my family's bands (never knew that was an option online -- I just saw it!) but it looks like if I don't cancel my Disney resort reservation today they will still ship us MBs for the other family.

Now, I know (or at least I think) these MBs will be useless after we cancel our onsite stay -- their tickets will NOT be linked to them. The other family REALLY wants MBs (specifically for their children so they don't feel "left out" since we all have them).

So, I can buy them bands from the Disney Store, right? And then link them on MDE? WITHOUT messing with our FP selections???



UPDATE:
Just wanted to update... we decided over the weekend that we are not staying onsite, so I called Disney this morning to cancel the reservation (I no longer have the option to cancel or modify the reservation on My Disney Experience). The CM was very helpful, I told her I was scared of losing my FPs and she said not to worry -- our tickets were totally separate from the room reservation, canceling one had no effect on the other. So, she cancelled the room only reservation and I logged out & back into MDE -- and all my FPs were still there. Whew!

She also asked if I got the Magic Bands yet, and I said yes, and she said "Oh good -- those are yours to keep, you can still use them with your off site stay!"

We're going to hold off on buying MBs for our friends, if the ones Disney sent don't work at the gate we'll just buy them in the park.

So unless my FPs disappear in the next few days, it seems like we'll be ok.

Thanks for your help

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

...anybody?

 

[pmreilly]

So, Disney will ship you Magic Bands that will not be linked due to a cancelled reservation?

In any case, we had Magic Bands and my sister-in-laws family did not last week. We bought 5 bands at the Disney store, linked to their profiles on MDE and they worked great. It is really very easy.

 

[tlmadden73]

I doubt they will ship you Magic Bands for a cancelled reservation (even if you already customized them) .. unless it is very last minute.
So if somehow you still got them in the mail .. I would think they would still be valid .. you just may have to manually link them in My Disney Experience. Not sure though.

But if they didn't ship them and you want to get Magic Bands anyway .. you can get them at Downtown Disney or in the parks or Disney Store.

Last trip I went to Downtown Disney before our theme park days and bought Magic Bands ..they linked the tickets right there on the spot (I had the card tickets with me). You may have to link them manually if you order them online.

There should be no issues linking it to your MDE account. Your MDE account is what "contains" your tickets and FP reservations .. not the band itself. The band just lets the computers access your account.

 

[hiroMYhero]

The MagicBands will still ship if you were to cancel after the MBs are on their way.

You may want to search for the 'Throwaway Room' thread because there have been recent reports that when an onsite reservation is canceled, all FPs made in conjunction with the onsite stay are also canceled.

 

[supersnoop]

Bands are linked to the account, not the reservation. If you cancel after the bands ship, then the bands will arrive and they'll work.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

You may want to search for the 'Throwaway Room' thread because there have been recent reports that when an onsite reservation is canceled, all FPs made in conjunction with the onsite stay are also canceled.

I can't find that thread.... I've never stayed off site before, we're doing this for the other family, this seems like way more trouble than it's worth

If all of the FPs ARE cancelled, will it happen right away? I'm hoping I'll have a chance to grab them all back if I lose them.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Here's the thread - the last few pages may answer your questions. Sorry, I don't follow that thread but have seen the room cancelation/FP dilemma posted on other threads:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/throwaway-room-read-post-2041-before-posting.3218652/

 

[richmo]

Bands are linked to the account, not the reservation. If you cancel after the bands ship, then the bands will arrive and they'll work.

This sounds right to me. If there's still something on your MDE allowing you to customize bands, I'd do it and see if they show up. As others have said, the band isn't tied directly to your reservation, the band is tied to your MDE. Everything, including reservations, get tied to that. Once you are in possession of bands, I see no reason why you couldn't use them. You just need to link any tickets you may purchase to MDE, and that can happen before or after you physically possess any MB's.

 

[supersnoop]

If all of the FPs ARE cancelled, will it happen right away? I'm hoping I'll have a chance to grab them all back if I lose them.

You'll lose FP's if you remove the tickets, but not if you remove the on-site reservation.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

You'll lose FP's if you remove the tickets, but not if you remove the on-site reservation.

Our reservation that I am cancelling is a "room only."

Since our APs are not part of the onsite stay, and our travel companions tickets were not booked as part of a package, I think (hope) we'll be ok, then. I guess I'll find out this weekend when we make the final FINAL decision (other family is getting cold feet over the "what ifs" concerning FP+).

 

[supersnoop]

Our reservation that I am cancelling is a "room only."

Since our APs are not part of the onsite stay, and our travel companions tickets were not booked as part of a package, I think (hope) we'll be ok, then. I guess I'll find out this weekend when we make the final FINAL decision (other family is getting cold feet over the "what ifs" concerning FP+).

There are no "what ifs." If you cancel the room reservation, they won't be able to change the FP+ until you hit 30 days. But they won't be cancelled.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Disney has started canceling FP reservations when room reservations are canceled. I wouldn't depend on this as a strategy.

This was posted in the SDFP thread. When you begin the room cancelation process, the FP warning will appear.

 

[Robo]

Just to be clear, regarding the MagicBands part of your question...
MagicBands have nothing to do with making or keeping FP+ reservations.
And, MagicBands are not required to use FP+ in the parks.

 

[MomTo3PrincessesInNJ]

Just wanted to update... we decided over the weekend that we are not staying onsite, so I called Disney this morning to cancel the reservation (I no longer have the option to cancel or modify the reservation on My Disney Experience). The CM was very helpful, I told her I was scared of losing my FPs and she said not to worry -- our tickets were totally separate from the room reservation, canceling one had no effect on the other. So, she cancelled the room only reservation and I logged out & back into MDE -- and all my FPs were still there. Whew!

She also asked if I got the Magic Bands yet, and I said yes, and she said "Oh good -- those are yours to keep, you can still use them with your off site stay!"

We're going to hold off on buying MBs for our friends, if the ones Disney sent don't work at the gate we'll just buy them in the park.

So unless my FPs disappear in the next few days, it seems like we'll be ok.

Thanks for your help