How to get your kid to wear Magic Band (and keep it on)?

[juliekzp]

Last year my 4-year-old had no interest in wearing his Magic Band except when absolutely required. So hubby or I would take it, which inevitably led to mixups later in the day. DS is 5 now, still strong-willed but a little more capable of being reasoned with. What do you do to make wearing the Magic Band appealing and maybe more comfortable for your younger kids?

 

[subtchr]

I won't be much help here, because my kids are grown and my first grandchild is only three weeks old.

But I just had to say that for the couple weeks I was at WDW in March, I kept thinking how much my kids would have LOVED "making Mickey turn green" when they were little! So he doesn't have any interest in that? I even saw kids who did not have MBs put their wrists up to the touchpoint, because that's what everyone else was doing.

 

[xlsm]

I'm not sure on the comfort issue...did you leave the gray part on or tear it off to make it child sized? He might like it more one way over the other. If you sew or know someone who does, maybe a fabric cover could be fashioned for it?

As for the appeal, maybe you could decorate it with characters he likes? Stickers or temporary tattoos...or depending on your artistic inclination, you could paint it. There's an awesome thread about decorating magic bands on here.

Good luck!

 

[KathyNY76]

I don't know...I have a super strong willed 5 year old and when we went in Jan it was "wear it or you don't go". He seemed to accept that!

 

[mrzrich]

It is never "absolutely required" for a four year old to wear a MB. Its not even required for a 40 yo to wear a MB. I have a 15 yo autistic son. I wear his MB on my other arm. I have also kept MB in my bag, he wore it on a landyard one trip. You just hold it up to the Mickey head. There is no rule saying that it has to be on your wrist when you do that.

I am also unsure how you mixed up your bands. You can get them in different colors, but even if you dont, they have names on the inside.

 

[Traveliz]

I would not fight this battle. Take it off and put it in your pocket. He only needs it to enter and for FP entries and I would think that would be easy enough to keep track of...and he doesn't even have to wear it at that point. I NEVER wear mine. It's too hard to twist the band or my wrist to get the Mickey's lined up (yes I know it hasn't that hard but it's annoying enough for me). I hold it up and do it then stick it in my pocket. I wouldn't even think your child would have to do it himself. He could stand by you and you coud do yours and then his. I just don't think this is that big of a deal.

Liz

 

[juliekzp]

Mix ups like when we split up (sisters like totally different things than brother), and hubby has the band in his pocket still and I have the kid

 

[Traveliz]

Mix ups like when we split up (sisters like totally different things than brother), and hubby has the band in his pocket still and I have the kid

Yes I agree that takes some forethought as we have had that happen too when we used one another's bands for FPs.

Liz

 

[ah1126]

My DD loved wearing hers! She loved touching it to the Mickey Head and using it to open our door. She wanted to touch her band to the Mickey Head even if we weren't using Fastpass. She loved to play around when we were in line and try to touch her band to ours so she could "steal" our magic. Hopefully he will be ok wearing it this trip so you don't have to fight him on it.

 

[bumbershoot]

It is never "absolutely required" for a four year old to wear a MB. Its not even required for a 40 yo to wear a MB.

I agree 100%.

Mix ups like when we split up (sisters like totally different things than brother), and hubby has the band in his pocket still and I have the kid

Pretend it's the old days with card-shaped tickets and paper FPs. Make sure the right person has the ticket and FP+s for the people they are with.

Forcing anyone to wear a MB isn't something I'm interested in doing. Because when you don't want to wear something on your wrist, you seriously don't want to wear it. And when you're too little to truly explain why, it's even worse.

 

[soniam]

Would he like one of the sliders? You can get some of them on Disney Store.com. The bandits are cheaper, but DS lost most of his during our summer trip.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

Explain you need this band to stay in the park - if you don't have it you can't come in and all of Mickey's friends he invites into the park has one. I dunno it would work for me!

 

[butterfly71076]

I don't know...I have a super strong willed 5 year old and when we went in Jan it was "wear it or you don't go". He seemed to accept that!

I pretty much did the same with my DS the first time we used MB. Although, I would love if they would provide the "locks" like they have on Disney cruises. The kids need a MB to get in and out of the kids clubs, and there is a plastic "lock" that the CM's put on the MB so it cannot be taken off. Then, at the end of your cruise they will snip the "lock" off and you can either keep the MB or return it (and not be charged $12.95).

 

[Jennasis]

Can you offer to buy him a "special" one that he chooses? A Star Wars/Frozen etc one? Would he wear it on a lanyard? What about a cover band?

 

[ariane37]

My first response would be the "wear it or you can't go in the park". If that truly didn't work, b/c it's not like I'd stay behind with him lol, I'd just do what pp's have suggested and keep it in my purse or wear it myself. And like you said, if you split up you'd just have to remember to give his band to DH or DSis, whomever he goes with.

 

[Tara922c]

I would bring a sharpie and label his band. I don't think it is worth the fight to make him wear it if he is going to find it uncomfortable. Just stick it in your park back and pull it out when needed. We are going in May, and it will be my first experience with MB. I told my dd8 that she has to wear it if she wants to ride the rides, but if it is making her miserable, I will hold it in my bag.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We just wear ours on lanyards. I don't like it in my wrist either.

 

[PoshMom]

Mix ups like when we split up (sisters like totally different things than brother), and hubby has the band in his pocket still and I have the kid

Yes this happened to us. We have 3 kids. And when the youngest would want to go back to resort to rest and others stayed in park. And we would start to reenter later in day. Yep, dd mb was w husband. And yeah it might be easier now that they're older. It does become fun to light up the mickey head. I have also worn my youngest one's mb on my arm bc 9 times out of 10 she was w me.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

Do his pants have belt loops? Or does he carry a small bag of his own? Couldn't you just link it around that, then it wouldn't bother him? I don't like wearing watches when it's hot out, so that's what I do. That way it stays with him.

 

[juliekzp]

Thanks for the tips! Trial run this morning -- wearing it around the house, with the rule that he's not allowed to take it off, and if he wants if off, I have to do it. So far so good....