EMH and Magic Bands or need Room Key

[lilpooh108]

We are trying to make a late extra magic hour at MK (10 pm to 1am) after landing at night.

Can we do online check in, wear our Magic bands (tickets and room reservation already attached) and head straight for the park?

Or do I still need to physically check in and get room keys to show during EMH.

Thanks!

 

[Kupek]

We are trying to make a late extra magic hour at MK (10 pm to 1am) after landing at night. Can we do online check in, wear our Magic bands (tickets and room reservation already attached) and head straight for the park? Or do I still need to physically check in and get room keys to show during EMH. Thanks!

As far as I understand, you should be fine going right to the park. The checkin at the hotel just links up the band to the room you get. I'd call to make sure that's true, but that's what I've understood the magic band system to work like so far.

And as for emh it should just be a flag on your account saying you're eligible for emh, regardless of if you have a physical card or not.

 

[lilpooh108]

And as for emh it should just be a flag on your account saying you're eligible for emh, regardless of if you have a physical card or not.

Really? B/c in the past I've had to show the room key for emh at each ride I wanted to go on, but I can't remember what we did during our last trip (but FP+ and MB were in testing phase only).

Does anyone have recent experience?

 

[disneydream211]

Room keys are no longer used for EMH. They scan your MB at the entrance of a ride and that pulls up your info as to what resort you're staying at. I would check-in at the desk first still. We did online check in too but still went to the desk to make sure our MB were in working order. It only takes 5 minutes once you get to the counter. Definitely do online check-in still!

 

[lilpooh108]

Room keys are no longer used for EMH. They scan your MB at the entrance of a ride and that pulls up your info as to what resort you're staying at. I would check-in at the desk first still. We did online check in too but still went to the desk to make sure our MB were in working order. It only takes 5 minutes once you get to the counter. Definitely do online check-in still!

Wow, thanks for letting me know about room keys not being used for EMH. Hmmmmmmm.... that's a good point about making sure the MBs are correctly linked to the active room reservation.

We were hoping to just rush over to MK.

How do they scan the MB at the entrance of a ride if not all rides have FP+....or do they now? Come to think of it, I can't think of one ride that doesn't have FP+?

 

[disneydream211]

During EMH the FP lines are not available. The cast members have an iPod touch with a MB reader connected to it. That's how they scan your MB. You'll see this contraption a lot like when they scan your band for dining or to reenter the gates of your resort. Out of curiosity, what time does your flight get in and where are you staying?

 

[POOHsie]

Wow, thanks for letting me know about room keys not being used for EMH. Hmmmmmmm.... that's a good point about making sure the MBs are correctly linked to the active room reservation.
...

You have to prove that you're staying at a Disney resort to ride the rides during EMH. Your Disney room access ("room key") is on your MagicBand. If you aren't checked into your Disney resort yet, you won't have ride access during EMH.

 

[lilpooh108]

During EMH the FP lines are not available. The cast members have an iPod touch with a MB reader connected to it. That's how they scan your MB. You'll see this contraption a lot like when they scan your band for dining or to reenter the gates of your resort. Out of curiosity, what time does your flight get in and where are you staying?

OK our last trip was in Dec and I only saw the supervisors with the iPads (no iPods yet) and didn't know those could scan. That's really cool! I hated digging into my lanyard for EMH/KTTW.

--Wait what? They scan for dining too? Seriously? Like for ADRs? I dunno why but that feels a little "Gattaca" to me. Talk about tracking our movements at all times. Pretty soon we'll have to MagicBand into the bathrooms.

Our flight lands at 5pm but this flight is usually 15-20 minutes late (we've taken this one a few times). We're staying AKV Kidani so it's quite a ways from MK by bus. AKV bus service is slow at night. We usually wait an average of 15-20 minutes, then it's like 25 min for the bus ride. Plus we have 2 little ones so I feel like if we stop at the resort then usually one thing or another will hold us up.

My first planned FP+ is from 6pm - 7pm for Meet Tinkerbell at Townhall (figured close to main entrance, etc)

 

[minnie mum]

Wait. What? Your plane lands at 5. You predict it will likely be late. Yet you make a FP for 6??????? Why would you do that??

If you take DME you'll get to the resort between 6 and 6:30. If you rent a car (after collecting your own bags) you'll get to the resort maaayyybbee a few minutes earlier. Check in, drop your bags and bus to MK: add an hour, getting you there between 7 and 7:30. If you drive instead, and then take the monorail or ferry, its still going to take you close to 45 minutes. Add in a bathroom stop along the way, or some pesky family member wondering if you are ever going to give them dinner, and I don't think you have any hope of making that FP window. But you'll still have a couple of hours before EMH starts.

 

[lilpooh108]

Wait. What? Your plane lands at 5. You predict it will likely be late. Yet you make a FP for 6??????? Why would you do that??

If you take DME you'll get to the resort between 6 and 6:30. If you rent a car (after collecting your own bags) you'll get to the resort maaayyybbee a few minutes earlier. Check in, drop your bags and bus to MK: add an hour, getting you there between 7 and 7:30. If you drive instead, and then take the monorail or ferry, its still going to take you close to 45 minutes. Add in a bathroom stop along the way, or some pesky family member wondering if you are ever going to give them dinner, and I don't think you have any hope of making that FP window. But you'll still have a couple of hours before EMH starts.

I keep trying to change the 6-7pm one but it just won't let me/give me a later time, so I'm stuck with it. I guess I can skip it but we'd rather not. We'll see!

 

[disneydream211]

You should have plenty of time to check in and get yourselves organized in order to make EMH in time. As for that 6-7 FP...yeah, you aren't making that. haha. And I know! It was so weird to not have cards to worry about and everything being on your wrist and by weird I mean extremely convenient! haha