Steps:
1. I assume you have a MyDisneyExperience (
MDE) account. If not, getting one is the most important step to doing everything necessary for FP+.
2. You need to get your reservation number into your reservations section of your MDE account. You can do that now or wait until after you attempt a change at 7 months out (until you are six months out when you can make restaurant reservations that will appear in your MDE account, there is really not much to do with your MDE account in relation to the upcoming trip). You should also have anyone going on the trip with you identified in the Family and Friends section of the MDE.
3. After you have your reservation number in the MDE, the sight will eventually tell you that have until a date certain, which is about one month before your trip, to personalize your Magic Bands. You can do that in the Magic Band section of the MDE. Personalization consists of picking a color and adding a short name (no more than 9 spaces) to each Magic Band. Just after that date certain given that is about one month before your trip, you will be sent your Magic Bands, You don't have to do anything else to get them.
4. When you get your APs in advance, you will get a confirmation (receipt) number but not the actual pass, which you do not get until you arrive at WDW. You should put that confirmation number in your ticket section of your MDE and identify those persons attrached to each AP. That will allow you to make FP+.
5. At 60 days before your arrival, you can make your FP+ selections for your entire trip through the Fastpass section in your MDE sight. Note that if you want a meet with Anna and Elsa at MK or ride the new Seven Dwarfs Mine ride, or want any other new attraction that might open between now and your trip, you should, at exactly 60 days out, as early in the morning as you can, somewhere around 6 a.m. eastern, get your FP+'s for those attractions because otherwise they may be gone. For just about every other attraction you have plenty of time (and for most can even make changes up to the day of the FP+).
6. Your Magic Bands are simply devices that communicate with your MDE account while you are at WDW. Thus, anything in your account will be recognized at WDW via your Magic Bands. You need not be conscerned with making changes in your MDE account after you get the Magic Bands. On any given day that you arrive at the parks the MBs will be tied to whatever is in your MDE account on that day.
7. After you have arrived, you will need to get your actual APs. That still requires going to a ticket booth or Guest Services at a park. When you get the actual passes, you can ask that the change be made right then to have them recognized by your MBs, or you can just wait until you get back to the resort and have it done there but if you do that you need to use the actual passes to get in the park that first day.
8. Despite the MBs supposedly recognizing everything and thus usable for park entries and FP at the rides, you will still need to carry actual cards for asny avaialble discounts, e.g., your AP or
DVC card for the 10% merchandise discount, the same for any restaurant discounts, and your Table in Wonderlands card if you purchase one for restauranr discounts (the TIW number cannot even be added to your MDE, at least not yet).
