FL Seasonal Passes and Magic Bands

[rgrimm]

Our last trip to Disney was (12/2013) and we had the Magic Bands (it was during the early beta testing of the Bands I guess). We were also FL Resident seasonal passholders and had active passes when we made the 12/2013 reservations. It was easy to 'link' our seasonal passes to our Magic Bands through our My Disney Experience (MDE) account since our seasonal passes were already linked to our MDE account.
We have our reservation made for a 12/2014 FW trip but since our last seasonal passes expired shortly after our 12/2013 Disney Trip we will need to purchase new ones. Before the Magic Bands, we always just stopped at a Park's Customer Relations (wished they would sell park passes at the resorts for resort guests - like at the FW Reservations Building) and purchased new FL Seasonal Passes. But with the FP+ feature is linked to the Magic Bands, I was told to use the FP+ feature I must have park passes linked to my MDE account. So this means I can not wait until I arrive at FW/Disney on 12/5/14 to purchase my new FL seasonal passes.

So here is my question(s) that perhaps someone may know the answers to. Since I will have to purchase our new FL Resident Seasonal Pass via either the Disney Website or by phone, will those new passes show up on my MDE account right away so I can link them to my Magic Bands and start to make FP+ (after October 6th for me) reservations? Or will I receive and Email with the pass numbers so I can linked them to my MDE account. In the past I always had the physical Seasonal Pass cards to link them to my MDE account from the card numbers. Will Disney still send me 'physical' Seasonal pass cards or will I still have to go to a Park's Customer Relations to physically pick them up ....... or is everything electronic now with Magic Bands for Resort Guest?

Thanks,
Russ

 

[Robo]

1. Before the Magic Bands, we always just stopped at a Park's Customer Relations (wished they would sell park passes at the resorts for resort guests - like at the FW Reservations Building) and purchased new FL Seasonal Passes.

2. But with the FP+ feature is linked to the Magic Bands, I was told

3. to use the FP+ feature I must have park passes linked to my MDE account.

4. So this means I can not wait until I arrive at FW/Disney on 12/5/14 to purchase my new FL seasonal passes.

So here is my question(s) that perhaps someone may know the answers to. Since I will have to purchase our new FL Resident Seasonal Pass via either the Disney Website or by phone,

5. will those new passes show up on my MDE account right away so I can link them to my Magic Bands and start to make FP+ (after October 6th for me) reservations?

6. Or will I receive and Email with the pass numbers so I can linked them to my MDE account.

7. In the past I always had the physical Seasonal Pass cards to link them to my MDE account from the card numbers.

8. Will Disney still send me 'physical' Seasonal pass cards or will I still have to go to a Park's Customer Relations to physically pick them up .......

9.or is everything electronic now with Magic Bands for Resort Guest?

Thanks,
Russ

1. No longer a good idea.

2. This situation is not directly related to MagicBands, but it IS related to MDE and FP+.

3. To make ADVANCED FP+ reservations, this is correct.

4. Correct.

5. Yes. (Again, you don't have to link anything to your MB.) **
The MB will work, but you could also just use your AP ticket.

6. You can input the AP voucher number when you order.
(Or, in most cases, the new ticket will automatically show up
in your MDE account.)

7. You can do that, too.

8. You can still pick them up at GR (which I would do so you'll also
have the hard tickets.)

9. I would also also pick up the hard tickets.

**Just to keep things as clear as possible-

There is no reservation info, or ticket info, or credit card info,
or FP+ info "put onto" a MagicBand.

The MagicBands just contain a unique serial number that is used
to access the information that is stored in your MyDisneyExperience computer file.

So, even if you were to lose a MagicBand, the info stays locked in your file.
Disney can just set up a new band (different serial number)
to access the info in your MDE file.
Disney can also issue ADDITIONAL MB's to a guest and each
additional band can be used for the same purposes as the first band.
So, yes, there can be multiple MB's per person, and each of them can be used by that person.

The MagicBand works like the combination to a locked safe, or a key to a locked door.

Why does this distinction matter?
Because there is so much fear about losing bands and,
in turn, losing all of a guest's information thought to be on the band.

The MB, itself, is not the file of info or the container of the info.
The MB just unlocks the file of info, allowing it to be accessed from your MDE account when needed.

 

[rgrimm]

Robo,

Thank you for your response and clarification to my questions.

-Russ

 

[DisneyWisher]

Don't forget because you are a FL resident you can do the payment plan. Definitely get a hard ticket to use for merchandise discounts. Ordering through the website and signing in should automatically link the SP.

 

[rgrimm]

Don't forget because you are a FL resident you can do the payment plan. Definitely get a hard ticket to use for merchandise discounts. Ordering through the website and signing in should automatically link the SP.

I have purchase seasonal passes since 2006 (when we moved to FL) and the last 3 pass purchases I did on the 'payment plan'. But, I never just renewed them automatically as I just never know when my next trip to Disney would be. So when my passes expired I would not purchase new passes until I actually was at Disney for my next trip so that the one year clock on the tickets started at first use. When you use the payment plan to purchase tickets the one year clock start at the time of purchase (or renewal) and Not on First use. While I have usually gone to Disney 2 to 3 times a year, it is not a guarantee. Sometime Life just gets in the way of a trip to Disney. A good example for NOT just renewing passes is my current situation - My last trip to Disney was 12/2013 and the seasonal passes (on payment plan) I had for that trip expired two days after that trip. Had I renewed those tickets when they expired in 12/2013 and because I just can't make it back to Disney until this December, the passes I would have purchased last December would have expired before I used them a waste on money for me. So once my passes expire, I have always just waited to renew them on my next Disney Trip so the year clock started then.

If I choose to take advantage of the new FB+ feature within my MDE I must have park passes (annual or other wise) I will have to purchased new Seasonal Passes (before October when my FP+ selection window opens) out right (no payment plan) so that passes' expiration Year Clock doesn't start until first use in December 2014.

 

[DisneyWisher]

You only can renew within a certain frame of the expiration of your SP. I think it's 2 months prior to exp and 1 month after. Once that passes you have expired you will be buying a "new" SP that will exp 1 yr from first use.

I'm like you I never renewed, we'd always get 1 more trip before expiration and buy new for next trip. Even if within the renewal date you have choice to renew or purchase a new SP. April was the first time I ever renewed because I was going with daughter and her kids in May. When renewing I didn't have to put the 1 day ticket down. My monthly payment is
about $24 a month, plus saved about $50 for renewing.

I just bought my youngest a SP under her MDE and it didn't automatically link. I had to click "print voucher" to get the ticket
number to link...it'll show you 2 pages. The voucher number is on the page with Goofy. (Lol I forgot that and I frustrated myself because conf # wasn't working, obviously it was wrong number). A reason to order prior and link is so you can make your FP+. Good luck

 

[DisneyWisher]

If I choose to take advantage of the new FB+ feature within my MDE I must have park passes (annual or other wise) I will have to purchased new Seasonal Passes (before October when my FP+ selection window opens) out right (no payment plan) so that passes' expiration Year Clock doesn't start until first use in December 2014.

You can still do payment plan. My middle daughter bought her SP in March '13 and didn't use until Sept '13. Her payments started right away in March and they were paid off before it expired. They actually don't expire Sept 13, 2014. Don't be afraid to use payment plan because you had a SP that expired in December, they won't be renewing that but require you to buy a new SP. I like the payment plan plus it's interest free.

 

[rgrimm]

You only can renew within a certain frame of the expiration of your SP. I think it's 2 months prior to exp and 1 month after. Once that passes you have expired you will be buying a "new" SP that will exp 1 yr from first use. ...................

Yes, I was aware that there was a 'window' in which you could renew and that renewing did save you a little money. My problem is that outside of usually going to Disney in December (anniversary celebration) trip, any other trip is usually spontaneous. So while I have been purchasing SP since 2006, I have always purchased 'new' SP tickets on the day I would arrive at Disney for a trip after existing ones had expired.

 

[rgrimm]

You can still do payment plan. My middle daughter bought her SP in March '13 and didn't use until Sept '13. Her payments started right away in March and they were paid off before it expired. They actually don't expire Sept 13, 2014. Don't be afraid to use payment plan because you had a SP that expired in December, they won't be renewing that but require you to buy a new SP. I like the payment plan plus it's interest free.

I would prefer to purchase via the payment plan (as I have for my last 3 SP), BUT when I called Disney a few weeks ago about FL SP they told me that the Year Clock for the SP would start on the day of purchase if I used the Payment Plan and Not on first use. If I paid for the tickets in Full when I purchased them then the 'Clock' Starts on the day of First Use. So what you said about your daughter's SP seems to change that and would open the door back up for me to use the payment plan.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with the FL SP passes.

Russ