Do you need to check-in to activate Magic Bands?

[eandrsmom]

We are staying at Universal for a couple of days then headed to Disney for 5 nights at OKW. The morning that we check-in at Disney, we have breakfast reserved at Cape May. We were planning on spending the remainder of the morning at Epcot (International Gateway) then leaving to check in at OKW mid afternoon, after lunch. I've read on another site that we won't be allowed to do this because our Magicbands won't be activated due to the fact that we hadn't checked into the hotel. Is this true? I've already purchased (from a ticket vendor) and linked our park tickets to the Magicband, so we do have valid tickets. I can obviously understand not being able to charge anything with the bands until check-in, but is it true we won't be able to enter Epcot?

 

[wdwchamp]

I would think the magic bands would work, since you have linked your tickets to the magic band. It has nothing to do with the hotel check-in. I have had problems with my magic band at check-in, so a new magic band had to be issued to me. So I would just go the parks with your magic bands, and bring your tickets with you in case there is a problem with a magic band.