Disney Bands Question

[heathers4um]

It has been SEVEN YEARS since I have been home! I am just starting to think about a quick getaway for DH and I and it dawned on me that the planning process is shaken up a bit! I don't have any idea how the bands work, or where they fit in. What if we don't want to plan an itinerary, or buy park tickets until we decide that day what we want to do? I know that's blasphemy, but we are looking for more relaxation then doing a park assault, and I just want us to *be present* this time with the option of taking in what's new. Is there a quick run-down someone could share with me so I don't stumble along while I am looking into things during my pre-planning? TIA!

 

[Skippyboo]

The magic band is basically your room key and your ticket. It will open your hotel door. The first time you go to the park you tap your magic band - Mickey to Mickey and then you have to pick a finger for the reader. Remember what finger you pick. Have to use the same one. When the tap station turns green, you are good to go. The magic band has access to your My Disney Experience. So you have to tap in for your Fast passes. All the fast passes are done electronically now no paper ones. You can do them 60 days out with onsite stays. If you are on the dining plan, they will scan your magic band to redeem your credits. You can also link a credit card to magic band to use the magic band to pay for stuff.

The magic band is pretty useful.

 

[justadreamaway77]

You can also have your credit card on your magic band so you don't have to carry your wallet around! Very convenient!

 

[Skippyboo]

If you’re not stay onsite, then the magic band don’t really come to play. You just get a card as a ticket.

If you do zero planning, it might not go so well. At bare minimum, do your 3 Fast Passes that you are allowed especially if you want to try the newer rides such as Flights of Passage, etc.

 

[siren0119]

If you plan on riding any of the big ticket rides, or not waiting in hours long lines for them, you are going to need to buy your tickets 60 days ahead of time to be able to book fastpasses (I'm assuming you would be staying onsite). If you haven't been since 2014, paper fastpasses are not a thing anymore, so you are definitely going to want to read up on how FP are booked, and how to plan your park touring accordingly.

Disney can still be fun if you are planning on the fly and are OK missing some of the popular rides and dining experiences, but it requires a lot more advanced planning if you want to experience headliner attractions and popular dining.

 

[heathers4um]

The magic band is basically your room key and your ticket. It will open your hotel door. The first time you go to the park you tap your magic band - Mickey to Mickey and then you have to pick a finger for the reader. Remember what finger you pick. Have to use the same one. When the tap station turns green, you are good to go. The magic band has access to your My Disney Experience. So you have to tap in for your Fast passes. All the fast passes are done electronically now no paper ones. You can do them 60 days out with onsite stays. If you are on the dining plan, they will scan your magic band to redeem your credits. You can also link a credit card to magic band to use the magic band to pay for stuff.

The magic band is pretty useful.

Thank you! Do you have to purchase your bands in advance, or do they get sent to you after you make your reservation? When do they get linked to your plans, and most importantly, do you get to pick your own and can you keep them for the next time??

 

[siren0119]

Thank you! Do you have to purchase your bands in advance, or do they get sent to you after you make your reservation? When do they get linked to your plans, and most importantly, do you get to pick your own and can you keep them for the next time??

If you are booking a Disney onsite resort, they are sent to you a few weeks before your arrival date. You can choose a color before the shipping date, and there is a limited selection of specialty bands that you can choose for an upgrade charge. If you really like the designed bands and the one you want isn't available for upgrade, you can buy it at full price from shopDisney and have it linked to your My Disney experience account, then it will work just like the ones they send standard.

You keep them, they are yours - they work for a pretty long time, although the long-range functions that require the battery (like having your name pop up on stuff in the queues, some of the ride photos) stop working after about 2 years.

 

[erionm]

Thank you! Do you have to purchase your bands in advance, or do they get sent to you after you make your reservation? When do they get linked to your plans, and most importantly, do you get to pick your own and can you keep them for the next time??

If you are staying at a Disney owned & operated resort at WDW and have a US mailing address, the MagicBands would be mailed to you free of charge at around 30 days from your check in date. Once the room reservation is linked to your My Disney Experience (MDX) account, you would be able to customize your MagicBands and they are REUSABLE.

If you don't have a US mailing address, the MagicBands will be sent to your resort for pickup at check in.

 

[justadreamaway77]

Thank you! Do you have to purchase your bands in advance, or do they get sent to you after you make your reservation? When do they get linked to your plans, and most importantly, do you get to pick your own and can you keep them for the next time??

Also, you can remove/replace the "pucks". These are the working part of the Magic Band.....the center of them with the Mickey head. So if you choose to buy a specialty band, the next time you go you can just take the old puck out and replace it with the new fresh one and use the specialty band again.

 

[heathers4um]

If you plan on riding any of the big ticket rides, or not waiting in hours long lines for them, you are going to need to buy your tickets 60 days ahead of time to be able to book fastpasses (I'm assuming you would be staying onsite). If you haven't been since 2014, paper fastpasses are not a thing anymore, so you are definitely going to want to read up on how FP are booked, and how to plan your park touring accordingly.

Disney can still be fun if you are planning on the fly and are OK missing some of the popular rides and dining experiences, but it requires a lot more advanced planning if you want to experience headliner attractions and popular dining.

Thank you! We have been so many times, just not in the last *cough cough* 7 yrs. I know there are LOTS new and some we will want to see so, while I would make my resvs way prior to 60 days, I guess I would also need to have my few must do's in check! I never used FP's much but it sounds like I would have to change that course of action.

 

[siren0119]

Thank you! We have been so many times, just not in the last *cough cough* 7 yrs. I know there are LOTS new and some we will want to see so, while I would make my resvs way prior to 60 days, I guess I would also need to have my few must do's in check! I never used FP's much but it sounds like I would have to change that course of action.

LOL yeah - so much is new! Even between our trip in 2017 and 2019 there were a bunch of new things to see.

The challenge with fastpasses if you like to plan on the fly is that you cannot book them without your tickets being purchased first - you can book dining ahead of time without needing tickets, but fastpasses are a different story. I only mention that because you talked about purchasing park tickets the day you decide to go, which won't allow you to book any fastpasses in advance.

 

[CraigInPA]

The biggest change IMO is the integration with the My Disney Experience phone app. On the app, you can make dining reservations, make fast pass selections, view photopass pictures taken, see the standby line wait times for rides, open the door to your room, see when the next bus for your destination is due to arrive at your resort, and more.

 

[heathers4um]

The biggest change IMO is the integration with the My Disney Experience phone app. On the app, you can make dining reservations, make fast pass selections, view photopass pictures taken, see the standby line wait times for rides, open the door to your room, see when the next bus for your destination is due to arrive at your resort, and more.

Wow, you can do all that through the app on your phone now?? That's great!

 

[Geomom]

Another great thing about the magic bands is that they're waterproof. You can wear them in the pool!

 

[bumbershoot]

What if we don't want to plan an itinerary, or buy park tickets until we decide that day what we want to do?

You won’t get FP+ in advance.

I just want us to *be present* this time with the option of taking in what's new.

They don’t have paper FPs at all now, so you’d be limited to what they have that day or just go standby. It’ll be a challenge to go entirely without FP while trying to be present. IMO.

The magic band is pretty useful.

The band behaves exactly as the cards did for the things they had just a few years back. And you can still get a card.

The only thing you can’t do with the cards is not scan for photo pass and get the videos on the rides with videos.

I guess I would also need to have my few must do's in check!

Because of your wording, I’ll go out on a limb and mention that Stacey is still on the “must do” channel. It’s been updated a couple times, and you can see how amazingly she’s aging.

I never used FP's much but it sounds like I would have to change that course of action.

If you never used them, then maybe you’re used to standby. Up to you.


And you must have just missed the beginning of the bands. Our first MB trip was October 2013 shortly after they were rolled out.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I always have my ID, AP card, and my CC with me because in my experience, the MB doesn’t always work. I also have my TIW card, so I keep a small billfold with me.

 

[heathers4um]

I always have my ID, AP card, and my CC with me because in my experience, the MB doesn’t always work. I also have my TIW card, so I keep a small billfold with me.

I would likely do the same just in case...!

 

[heathers4um]

You won’t get FP+ in advance.



They don’t have paper FPs at all now, so you’d be limited to what they have that day or just go standby. It’ll be a challenge to go entirely without FP while trying to be present. IMO.



The band behaves exactly as the cards did for the things they had just a few years back. And you can still get a card.

The only thing you can’t do with the cards is not scan for photo pass and get the videos on the rides with videos.




Because of your wording, I’ll go out on a limb and mention that Stacey is still on the “must do” channel. It’s been updated a couple times, and you can see how amazingly she’s aging.



If you never used them, then maybe you’re used to standby. Up to you.


And you must have just missed the beginning of the bands. Our first MB trip was October 2013 shortly after they were rolled out.

yes, likely - we were there for 10 days in July '13.

 

[heathers4um]

You won’t get FP+ in advance.



They don’t have paper FPs at all now, so you’d be limited to what they have that day or just go standby. It’ll be a challenge to go entirely without FP while trying to be present. IMO.



The band behaves exactly as the cards did for the things they had just a few years back. And you can still get a card.

The only thing you can’t do with the cards is not scan for photo pass and get the videos on the rides with videos.




Because of your wording, I’ll go out on a limb and mention that Stacey is still on the “must do” channel. It’s been updated a couple times, and you can see how amazingly she’s aging.



If you never used them, then maybe you’re used to standby. Up to you.


And you must have just missed the beginning of the bands. Our first MB trip was October 2013 shortly after they were rolled out.

STACEY! Thank you! I am going to search her out now - I don't know why I haven't done that yet. We used to watch her just because...LOL!