Kids Club Magic Bands

[Woodmnky]

Are the kids club magic bands only required to be worn during secure programing in the clubs or do kids have to wear these during the whole cruise?

 

[Geomom]

Are the kids club magic bands only required to be worn during secure programing in the clubs or do kids have to wear these during the whole cruise?

They secure them onto the kids so that they can't be removed during the cruise. It was kind of like a ziptie type thing. (DD12 didn't complain about it at all, so I assume it was comfortable enough.)

 

[DisneySunPrincess]

I don't know if anything has changed since last year, but when we went on the Magic, the kids club magic bands where secured with a locking mechanism so that they could not be removed until the end of the cruise.

 

[Woodmnky]

I would love to know if anyone has been able to have any alternate options, especially if the kids are not going to be in the kids clubs (at least during secure programming). My son detests wearing magic bands on his wrist (he has sensory issues).

 

[cheermom2four]

I know they are needed while kids are in the clubs at all times (except during OH). Not sure about outside as my dd5 just wore hers when they put it on in the port till the night before when we turned it in.

 

[Geomom]

I would love to know if anyone has been able to have any alternate options, especially if the kids are not going to be in the kids clubs (at least during secure programming). My son detests wearing magic bands on his wrist (he has sensory issues).

I would email them beforehand and see if they have other options for your situation. If you're just going to be going in during open house times with him, then he wouldn't even need to be registered (or need the band) for the club.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

they are only required for kids that will be in the clubs during secured programming. They are not needed for open house periods or for anything else on the ship.

 

[jahber]

My son took his off when he wasn't n the clubs, and he took it off on castaway cay. He doesn't like the way it feels. He also had them cut the old Mickey head off every night before they switched to magic bands.

 

[cmph]

I have to imagine the little plastic thing "locking" them is the same as the one they use at Aulani, right? We were able to remove that ourselves a couple of times without issue this summer, and have the kids' club CM there just reattach it when we checked them back in. They didn't seem at all put off by doing so, so I have to imagine that's a common issue for DCL too. I know people some times removed them for photo sessions, but in our case we removed them b/c DS didn't like the way it felt (sensory issues too), and the first time it was attached, the CM did it too tightly for DD. There was no self-check-in/-out option at Aulani, though, so I could see DCL being somewhat more nervous about kids getting used to removing their bands.

 

[MeeskaMooskaMickey]

I'd assumed that they were fixed to the child's wrist but my son easily undid the magic band and was able to pop it back on, no problem.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

the zip tie is not removable unless you cut it off. the CM's in the clubs do not let you take it off - it is a security issue since it is tied directly to the child and parents and tracks the location of the child inside the clubs.

 

[anricat]

The zip tie can be slid down with no problems and the band taken off. My DD hates the band and won't wear it unless she's in the club. When the CM puts on the little zip tie locking clip thing, just tell them to not make it crazy tight and it won't be an issue getting it off and on.

 

[Dug720]

Just out of curiosity, do they also help identify the child's muster station? I know the two cruises I've been on RCCL all children under 12 were required to wear a band whether they were in the clubs or not so that in the event they were not with their parents (whether they were in the clubs or elsewhere roaming free) if an emergency happened, crew could easily get them to their muster stations.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

You can absolutely take the bands off when the children are not in the club. My DS8 did not want to wear it the whole cruise (we were just on the Aug. 20 Fantasy cruise and did this on a 20 night B2B on the Magic as well) so when he left the club, he asked the CM to cut off the lock. When he re-entered the club, they would simply put another lock on his band. It is not a problem to have the band off when the child is not in the club.

 

[Mommb]

Just out of curiosity, do they also help identify the child's muster station? I know the two cruises I've been on RCCL all children under 12 were required to wear a band whether they were in the clubs or not so that in the event they were not with their parents (whether they were in the clubs or elsewhere roaming free) if an emergency happened, crew could easily get them to their muster stations.

I don't know for sure about muster stations, but I would guess that yes, the magic bands can be used to locate a muster station. I do know that they can be used to locate a child's parent/guardian, because I have seen cast members outside of the kids' clubs talking to young children wandering alone and scanning their bracelet. So, if there is a chance your child might wander off and wouldn't know how to locate you, it would be helpful to have a magic band. If that's not a concern, then the main reason to keep the bands on when not in the club is to make sure you know where it is if the child goes back to the club.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would love to know if anyone has been able to have any alternate options, especially if the kids are not going to be in the kids clubs (at least during secure programming). My son detests wearing magic bands on his wrist (he has sensory issues).

The only reason to GET a band for the kids is when you're signing them up for secure programming. Otherwise you don't get one.


Dug, you know what's funny...we figured that all kids on Royal had to have the Royal bands, so of course we got them. Every kid we've seen on Royal has had one. I stuck my nose in someone else's business while we were in line and said "oh you should get in line because your kids have to have these" and she snottily, but with great authority, said that kids don't *have to* have them. And moved on. I never saw her again, which was a bummer b/c I wanted to know if her kids had had to get them. She really sounded like she knew what she was talking about, so who knows? (and that sure taught me to try to help strangers IRL, LOL...)

 

[Dug720]

The only reason to GET a band for the kids is when you're signing them up for secure programming. Otherwise you don't get one.


Dug, you know what's funny...we figured that all kids on Royal had to have the Royal bands, so of course we got them. Every kid we've seen on Royal has had one. I stuck my nose in someone else's business while we were in line and said "oh you should get in line because your kids have to have these" and she snottily, but with great authority, said that kids don't *have to* have them. And moved on. I never saw her again, which was a bummer b/c I wanted to know if her kids had had to get them. She really sounded like she knew what she was talking about, so who knows? (and that sure taught me to try to help strangers IRL, LOL...)

I just know both of my RCCL cruises they have made it a point to check the wrists of the kids in my muster station and band them if they didn't have one on. So my guess is her free-range kids did get banded at muster - whether she kept them on the kids is another matter... (Though in a case like that where they specifically state that the bands are to help get the kids to the muster station, if there SHOULD be an emergency and she somehow either managed to not get them banded or to remove the bands, I'm pretty sure she would be the first freaking out that they HAD to find her kids.)

 

[jahber]

I just know both of my RCCL cruises they have made it a point to check the wrists of the kids in my muster station and band them if they didn't have one on. So my guess is her free-range kids did get banded at muster - whether she kept them on the kids is another matter... (Though in a case like that where they specifically state that the bands are to help get the kids to the muster station, if there SHOULD be an emergency and she somehow either managed to not get them banded or to remove the bands, I'm pretty sure she would be the first freaking out that they HAD to find her kids.)

At our muster drill they very specifically told everyone to get one for all their kids under 12, whether in the clubs or not.

 

[party-of-five]

I would love to know if anyone has been able to have any alternate options, especially if the kids are not going to be in the kids clubs (at least during secure programming). My son detests wearing magic bands on his wrist (he has sensory issues).

We asked to have my son's band a little on the loose side so that he could slip it on and off. It wasn't an issue. He wore it while in the clubs (but maybe he could have kept it in his pocket, we didn't ask that). When he wasn't in the clubs we took it off and I held onto it. The only issue was that if he lost it, we were out $12.95 or whatever the cost is. That was an acceptable cost for his comfort. He too doesn't like the bands.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

My DD doesn't like to wear the band all the time. I keep the band in my bag that I carry around and if she goes into a club for secure programming, then I put the band on her, and the CM's put one of the Mickey "locks" on. When we leave the kids club, I ask the CM's to cut the lock off, and put the band back in my bag. A couple of times the CM's were a little snotty about it, and gave me the speech about having to pay for it if it gets lost, but most times it was no problem at all.

Claire