Issues with Magic Bands for split stays - Anyone else?

[mickeyfino]

We've done split stays for our past 3 stays and each time, we run into an issue with our MB's not opening the door at the second resort.

Here's what I've been doing:
- Check into first resort and stay there for several days without issue
- Check out of first resort by stopping by the front desk
- Check into second resort at the front desk (evening)
- At the second resort, the CM is always baffled and cannot get our MB's to work. When they DO get it working, I'm told that they could not get all of our MB's working so only 3 of us can open the room door and the 4th person's MB won't work. The 4th person varies, sometimes DH's won't work, sometimes one of the kids' won't work

The explanation that I'm given most of the time is that the MB's are "asleep" and they need to wait for the MB to "wake up" and that the MB does not know which resort door to open. Each time, I'm stuck standing around for an hour while the CM calls tech support to try to figure out what the issue is. It's really frustrating and a waste of time! We're headed to WDW again in October and really want to avoid this issue again.

Not sure if it matters, but I inactivated old MB's and at any given time, there are only 2 active bands for each of us.

Has anyone else encountered this issue? What are we doing wrong??

 

[Marionnette]

We've done split stays for our past 3 stays and each time, we run into an issue with our MB's not opening the door at the second resort.

Here's what I've been doing:
- Check into first resort and stay there for several days without issue
- Check out of first resort by stopping by the front desk
- Check into second resort at the front desk (evening)
- At the second resort, the CM is always baffled and cannot get our MB's to work. When they DO get it working, I'm told that they could not get all of our MB's working so only 3 of us can open the room door and the 4th person's MB won't work. The 4th person varies, sometimes DH's won't work, sometimes one of the kids' won't work

The explanation that I'm given most of the time is that the MB's are "asleep" and they need to wait for the MB to "wake up" and that the MB does not know which resort door to open. Each time, I'm stuck standing around for an hour while the CM calls tech support to try to figure out what the issue is. It's really frustrating and a waste of time! We're headed to WDW again in October and really want to avoid this issue again.

Not sure if it matters, but I inactivated old MB's and at any given time, there are only 2 active bands for each of us.

Has anyone else encountered this issue? What are we doing wrong??

I've done several split stays since the time when MBs were first introduced. I've had problems, but never to the degree that you have seen.

In almost every case, I have had to check in at the front desk on the second and third resort in order to have my MB re-coded to open the door to our room. It kind of defeats the purpose of doing online check in when you have to spend 20-30 minutes checking in again and again.

When we stayed AKL concierge, they did it at the concierge desk. What I did learn during that stay was that only the MB that was coded at the concierge desk permitted me to access the concierge floor and my room. All other MBs that I had (which were under the same MDE account and assigned to me) would not work on the elevator nor the room lock.

 

[loves to dive]

I have had to have my MB re-coded twice but the first time was actually the first stay of a split stay and it was a brand new MB. They tried to tell me it was because I had too many active but alas, my son and DILs didn't work either and they only had 2, this one being the 2nd. We stood at the front desk at AKL for about 45 min, which didn't bother us as we were early and in no hurry and having a nice chat with the front desk lady while the mysterious people in the back did whatever they do. Eventually we were sent to our room and told to test them, mine worked (I'm the one with over 15 of the things) and the kids' didn't. We went about our business and later when we returned theirs worked but they couldn't charge to it. The only other time I've had problems was during a split stay with YC being my second resort. Again got there early and the room wasn't ready so I just checked in and went about my day. At some point during the day I got a text to see the front desk, which I ignored until I was good and ready and around about 5 pm saw the front desk and even went and spoke to people there. They told me there was a problem with MB, which was amazing since they had never even seen, touched or felt the thing and I had been going in and out of at least 3 parks all day. So three people huddled in a corner while holding my MB (I had two more in my luggage but evidently they didn't need to touch those) and after about 15 minutes I was told one of them would escort me to my room and let me in and then they would bring the offending MB to my room when they got it working. About 5 min later, a CM with the bad boy showed up and it worked fine. I hadn't even had time to go potty and admire my view so it wasn't a big deal. I always check out of the first resort by either going to the front desk (which I did during the YC trip) or by calling and saying I am checking out,then I go to resort #2 and check in at the front desk. I don't keep a cc on file in MDE since I don't normally know which one I'm going to use and I don't charge to my room anyway, so I never get the magic you can by pass the front desk and go directly to your room text. I do always check in on line but that is just because I like to put early arrival on it. I never request a specific location or view. I think I've actually had my room ready when I've arrived twice.

 

[DisBuckMan]

I've done several split stays since the time when MBs were first introduced. I've had problems, but never to the degree that you have seen.

In almost every case, I have had to check in at the front desk on the second and third resort in order to have my MB re-coded to open the door to our room. It kind of defeats the purpose of doing online check in when you have to spend 20-30 minutes checking in again and again.

This has been our experience as well. We were told that the system has trouble reconciling you being in two different rooms on the same day, even though you've already checked out of the first one. Makes sense, but it also seems like they could fix the problem fairly easily. We're DVC, and do split stays pretty much every time. It's a slight aggravation.

 

[Maxie86]

You don't need to have a split stay for the MB problems. Sometimes they work sometimes they don't. Every trip at least one band doesn't work. I always have one park I can't get into where it works on the others. Sometimes one won't work on the CL elevator, or the room door where it worked previously. They are better than they were but there are still glitches. I have been numerous times since MB's and still haven't had a trip where they all worked all the time. I have been stuck on the CL elevator too many times...we ask for a KTTW card as a back up.

OP you are not doing anything wrong...it is the MB's they should work but they often don't.

 

[V2000]

Very interesting. This year will be my first split stay. I was already worried about linking different credit cards to each band. Seems like some cast members know how to do it and others don't.

I wonder if I should just get different magic bands for each resort. I see that it is offered to order separate ones.

I wish some one knew they key words to fix the issue so we could let the cast member know how to resolve these issues.

I don't know what to do now.

 

[V2000]

I don't see a magic band help number to call. I'm going to try to email the help center. Maybe I can get some advice.

 

[Marionnette]

I wonder if I should just get different magic bands for each resort. I see that it is offered to order separate ones.

That doesn't seem to make a difference. I've had different MBs for each resort and I still had issues with none of them opening the door.

 

[V2000]

That doesn't seem to make a difference. I've had different MBs for each resort and I still had issues with none of them opening the door.

Well I guess that's good because I don't want three sets of magic bands.

 

[Maxie86]

There is no information on the MB'S. They just link to your MDE account. Doesn't matter if you have one or a hundred. They are all linked to all ressie, adrs and fps. I take at least three so i can change to match my clothes.

 

[mickeyfino]

Ok, good to know that I'm not the only one who's been having these issues. There was one time where we finally got into the room, then left to go to the pool and couldn't get back into the room because NONE of the bands worked anymore! Very aggravating! I will have to remember to ask for a KTTW card just in case. Thanks all for your advice!

Agree with the others - the MB's link to your MDE account. In our case, I end up bringing all 8 MB's (4 of us) to the front desk with the hope that they can get at least one MB for each person working.

 

[bumbershoot]

At the second resort, the CM is always baffled and cannot get our MB's to work. When they DO get it working, I'm told that they could not get all of our MB's working so only 3 of us can open the room door and the 4th person's MB won't work. The 4th person varies, sometimes DH's won't work, sometimes one of the kids' won't work

I'm not hearing you say that anyone actually went to the door to see if it would open it.

Did you?

Because if you didn't, you're at the mercy of their silly system taht likes to say things aren't working when they are, and that they are working when they aren't.

Glitches can happen. Deal with it if it does.

I have 10+ active MBs on my account (I refuse to deactivate them) and everything works just fine (except for my oldest grey one, which I think is just messed up) no matter what they do or don't do. In 2014 we had a 4 resort split stay and they all worked interchangeably with no issues.

Glitches sometimes happen and sometimes they don't.

They told me there was a problem with MB, which was amazing since they had never even seen, touched or felt the thing and I had been going in and out of at least 3 parks all day.

Yep.

We were called to tell us that our SSR cards (post-RFID, pre-MB) wouldn't work. I got that message as we drove back to the resort, and I opened the arm bar thing to get into the resort with my "non working" card. We let them play their games and do their voodoo, which involved reprinting a ton of them (there were 8 of us, 5 of whom hadn't gotten them yet). No proof that the cards would or would not have worked.

So three people huddled in a corner while holding my MB (I had two more in my luggage but evidently they didn't need to touch those) and after about 15 minutes I was told one of them would escort me to my room and let me in and then they would bring the offending MB to my room when they got it working. About 5 min later, a CM with the bad boy showed up and it worked fine.

No surprise that it worked fine when they thought it wouldn't, honestly.

I don't see a magic band help number to call. I'm going to try to email the help center. Maybe I can get some advice.

Advice for what? To know if something will glitch or not? Don't worry. If it glitches, get it fixed. If it doesn't, have a nice trip.

Between resorts, go to the front desk to do the check OUT process.

 

[Tink415]

We do split stays just about every time. I never checkout, just leave. Haven't had any problems.

 

[V2000]

I'm not hearing you say that anyone actually went to the door to see if it would open it.

Did you?

Because if you didn't, you're at the mercy of their silly system taht likes to say things aren't working when they are, and that they are working when they aren't.

Glitches can happen. Deal with it if it does.



Advice for what? To know if something will glitch or not? Don't worry. If it glitches, get it fixed. If it doesn't, have a nice trip.

Between resorts, go to the front desk to do the check OUT process.

You're right sometimes we have a smooth trip and sometimes we don't. Glitches happen and we should just have patience. For me, I just wanted advice for linking credit cards. It's not so much about glitches, it's about some cast members know how to link them and some don't. It's an expensive mistake because everyone's charges where on my card and I got over draft fees. Maybe it's safer not to link everyone's card but they like using their band for purchases.