Doing the parks etc WITHOUT a Magic Band

[FCDub]

OP, you are totally overthinking these parts of your trip. Just breathe!

 

[ww52]

Its unfortunate that your party has made things complicated by not deciding to get a physical ticket or magic band from the get go.

I'm convinced that we should simply get the Magic Bands.

Thanks for all the response (and patience!)

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

Pretty sure this is NOT correct. As anamamatt said, BOTH tickets will link to the online account and act like a magicband. They still need to prioritize beforehand.

If they use the physical tickets no prioritizing is needed since they will use one ticket and then the other ticket.
I've had experience with this because my parents had 2 physical tickets last year linked to their account and used one ticket in April and another in November.

 

[anomamatt]

If they use the physical tickets no prioritizing is needed since they will use one ticket and then the other ticket.

With one caveat... using the cards and not needing to prioritize is fine, provided they are linked to different MDE profiles. In some ways, that is the easiest thing for the OP to do. But... If OP links both tickets to the same profile, the tickets will still need to be prioritized. Because in the latter scenario, the cards become identical links to the same profile.

OP: the important thing to remember whether using cards or bands is that there is nothing stored on the band/card (** almost) and all they do is provide a link to your MDE. Your MDE is where the data is stored (e.g., tickets).

** for complete accuracy, fingerprint signatures are stored on MBs.

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

Agree with Queen.

If you get Magic Bands, which you can certainly do if you like, you are really just paying for the ability to wear something on your wrist and a visit to guest services to prioritize tickets. If you just use hard tickets, even with multiples, you eliminate that issue as long as you know which card is which. Whatever ticket card is used to enter a park will be the ticket card used at FP+ scanner. It is not at all complicated. Do you have the hard tickets that were linked to MDE or did you get e-tickets placed into the system?

 

[bumbershoot]

It just seems to me that the Magic Bands are worth the convenience, even though we have to purchase them. Ticket/FPs in one pretty hard to lose place.

The hard plastic tickets are (act as) your ticket and FP as well. So...

If you linked your tickets, you were able to make FP+ ahead of time. If MDE did not detect any linked tickets, it would not let you book FP+. So you're good if you already have any booked FP+!

Exactly.

The two people with the 2 ticket types don't have a physical ticket for the 1 day. In fact, of our entire party of 7 ticket holders, most do not have physical tickets

Then they’ll need to get some plastic cards from Disney.

So we'd have to get them - which at this point I suspect Disney would charge us something for (at least shipping)..

Nope. They were charged for the tickets. They won’t charge again for a plastic card.

I'm convinced that we should simply get the Magic Bands.

Mystifying.

OP: the important thing to remember whether using cards or bands is that there is nothing stored on the band/card (** almost) and all they do is provide a link to your MDE. Your MDE is where the data is stored (e.g., tickets).

Yep.

If you get Magic Bands, which you can certainly do if you like, you are really just paying for the ability to wear something on your wrist and a visit to guest services to prioritize tickets.

YES.

 

[anomamatt]

OP, you are totally overthinking these parts of your trip. Just breathe!

Agreed!

And OP, if something goes wrong (for example, with ticket prioritization), guest services will happily fix it. Guest Services is a GREAT resource and the GS CMs are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable.

So don't worry so much, if something does happen to go wrong, it will be fixed.

 

[IrishNYC]

IF I understood all your concerns, the only issue I see is that if you use Ticket A to enter a park, then mistakenly use Ticket B to scan for a FP. They've recently closed the loophole so Person X can't use Person Y's FP if Person Y hasn't entered the park that day, and while this isn't the same thing, I don't know if there's an effect. With all your worries I would get MBs prioritize your tickets, and have fun.

 

[mickey&minniealways]

OK - so in a different thread I asked about distinguishing like color bands (and got suggestions about decals from third party sources).

But the option of going band-less was brought up a couple times.

We're staying at the Dolphin, so the utility of the MagicBands is decidedly less.

So - if we decide on "no Bands" - what do we need?

Obviously, a physical ticket. We don't have that for everyone, but obviously could get that.

We're all set up in MDE and have fast passes. Here's are the questions then:

Can we use MDE to activate the FP and get on the ride? Or do we use the ticket?

And here's the wrinkle - most of us have a five day hopper. But two people have a left over 4 day hopper and a one day NON-MK ticket. The system links the FPs to a person, not a ticket. So not an issue? No matter which ticket was used, it would know that person had a FP for that attraction/time?

Side question - is it possible to do Disney without the MDE app? It seems like the answer is "not if you want a fast pass".

It just seems to me that the Magic Bands are worth the convenience, even though we have to purchase them. Ticket/FPs in one pretty hard to lose place.

You should be able to link them to a card. This is what we did in 2015. We stayed off site. Still able to get fast passes.

 

[StacyStrong]

I would honestly get MBs anyway. It's not crazy to me. The tickets are fine and easy to use, but the bands are fun and a cute little 'souvenir' as well. Any kids in your party will love the independence. Unless it's really going to break the bank, I would get them!!!

 

[sunnybunnies]

So - if we decide on "no Bands" - what do we need?

Obviously, a physical ticket. We don't have that for everyone, but obviously could get that.

When we went to MK last week we had e-tickets. Used the bar code in the confirmation email from Disney right at the entry to MK. CM scanned the barcode and then gave us each a ticket for the day, for which we also needed to scan our fingerprint. Right there when we walked through the "turnstile." Easy peasy. Then we put the tickets (looks like a credit card) into our pocket. Scanned the card at each ride for which we had a FP. Just as quick and easy as a MagicBand.

 

[StacyStrong]

I have no idea if you actually have kids in your group, but I can imagine a kid saying "I want one" when he sees another kid tapping their band. Similar to the "I want to hold it" with cards.

 

[sunnybunnies]

I have no idea if you actually have kids in your group, but I can imagine a kid saying "I want one" when he sees another kid tapping their band. Similar to the "I want to hold it" with cards.

Our kids liked having the card in their pocket and being fully in control of it. They saw the MagicBands but had no desire to have something on their wrists (it was hot and sticky that day).

 

[JerseyJanice]

I have never owned a Magic Band because we usually stay at the Swan.

I keep my paper ticket and room key in a zip-top pouch that is attached to a lanyard.

Never had any problems with anything.

TBH, tho, my family has Annual Passes with Memory Maker and Magic Bands. I’m not sure how Photo Pass pictures work without Magic Bands. Beyond that, things are seamless.

 

[motherof5]

OK - so in a different thread I asked about distinguishing like color bands (and got suggestions about decals from third party sources).

But the option of going band-less was brought up a couple times.

We're staying at the Dolphin, so the utility of the MagicBands is decidedly less.

So - if we decide on "no Bands" - what do we need?

Obviously, a physical ticket. We don't have that for everyone, but obviously could get that.

We're all set up in MDE and have fast passes. Here's are the questions then:

Can we use MDE to activate the FP and get on the ride? Or do we use the ticket?

And here's the wrinkle - most of us have a five day hopper. But two people have a left over 4 day hopper and a one day NON-MK ticket. The system links the FPs to a person, not a ticket. So not an issue? No matter which ticket was used, it would know that person had a FP for that attraction/time?

Side question - is it possible to do Disney without the MDE app? It seems like the answer is "not if you want a fast pass".

It just seems to me that the Magic Bands are worth the convenience, even though we have to purchase them. Ticket/FPs in one pretty hard to lose place.

I went without magic bands once and found it was a pain to constantly pull out the ticket versus just swipping my band. I was also stressing that I would lose it. Just giving you something to think about. Hope this helps.

 

[kagmypts]

Assuming all your tickets are linked to MDE, there is precisely one difference between using a physical ticket and using a Magic Band. A Magic Band is worn on your wrist while a ticket is carried around like a credit card. The number of tickets linked to a single profile does not make a Magic Band or a physical ticket easier to use since they are both merely links to your MDE account. All of the relevant information (ticket type and FPs) is stored on MDE.

If your tickets are linked to MDE, please do not think that the ticket you use to enter the park will be the one that is decremented. The ticket used will be determined by the ticket prioritization in MDE regardless of whether a physical ticket or Magic Band is used.

In the warmer months, I actually prefer to use a ticket. Magic Bands make my wrist sweaty.

 

[SouloTravlr]

I have never used the band. My hard ticket (credit card like) has my ticket and accesses my FP's and ADR's. I don't load a CC number, I just use my credit card and I don't stay onsite, but, from what I understand even onsite the card does exactly the same thing as the bands. You scan the ticket instead of the band.

Tickets don't access ADR's. MDE does. ADR's are not tied to park tickets in any way.

 

[SouloTravlr]

TBH, tho, my family has Annual Passes with Memory Maker and Magic Bands. I’m not sure how Photo Pass pictures work without Magic Bands. Beyond that, things are seamless.

You have your physical credit card-like ticket scanned instead of a magicband.

 

[tjmw2727]

We have magic bands but I don't use mine when we stay at the Dolphin. There is nothing it does for me that my plastic pass can't do other than Memory Maker and I don't really like wearing it (often use just the puck on a carabiner when staying onsite!)

Since one of my dd's likes to wear her MB we use that for MM.

Since it is only good for entry and FP+ I just use a lanyard or clear faced wallet for the 4/5x I need to pull it out each day.

The MB and the plastic card(s) are just keys - in different shapes - to your MDE account, they both/all do the same thing.

For those of you who have two sets of tickets, just mark them and make sure to use only the pass you entered the park with that day.

 

[tjmw2727]

You have your physical credit card-like ticket scanned instead of a magicband.

Oops - quoted wrong and repeated the above. sorry