Magic band can be used without pin

[HopperFan]

Initially there wasn't going to be a PIN for smaller purchases but when concerns were brought up this was changed to any amount needs a PIN. When we went in Sept every single purchase, even $2 needed a PIN. When we returned in Feb, new MB, they said if I remembered my old PIN then it was still active because it's not in the MB but rather the MDE account. Again any purchase, any price needed a pin.

For them to have their room charged I would say they pre-ordered or potentially something just attached to the FP+ for BOG. OP says the "server" did not know how to fix that which makes me think they went direct to their seats with pre-ordering (it is the first option on the FP+ page) and yes then it was put on the CC card attached to the reservation. If they had gone via the normal ordering they would have gone to a kiosk or a CM (used for cash purchases and all else if not busy). I have done both. Kiosk in Sept with MB and DDP (PIN needed) and CM in Feb with MB and charge to room (PIN needed). As a matter of fact with CM I had to input my pin twice to verify. You are asked either way how to pay for your meal? DDP, Room Charge, CC or Cash. They actually ask you at the podium so if you are using cash you have to wait for a human.

If you have any ADRs attached to your MDE account then you must have a credit card attached to guarantee. If OP did not remove the card after paying for the room any dining guarantee and any pre-orders comes from that card. I have not added a card in a year - they just use what is there until I tell them different.

In 20 days of MB use, Dining Plan and no Dining Plan, I was always asked for a PIN. And no, there is NO information on the MagicBand. It is merely a transmitter. It is much like the credit cards used in Europe that are virtually impossible to breach unlike our magnetic strip cards here that have been breached big time. I feel much safer using the MB than a credit card.

 

[Raenstoirm]

Ok Thanks, I see what your saying, its like when they made the reservations it had the cc on file than, just like when you book a dinner show or something like that

Exactly and hopper's explanation takes it one step further.

 

[mavadell]

Different situation, but on our Nov. trip the pin I chose when I did online check in worked for me but not my husband. They had him choose a new pin at the hotel. When we checked out and looked at our bill another family's magic band charges were on our bill. It even listed their name. The hotel quickly reversed the charges that we're not ours, but it did happen.

 

[maccagerl]

The CC that was linked to the reservation was set up for payment when the order was placed through the email link. When pre-ordering it auto links the card on the account. MB is not linked to BOG FP at all.

I just made my FP BOG reservations yesterday. Since lunch at BOG is not reserved, it is not processed like the other restaurant reservations are processed. It does not show up on your itinerary as a 'reservation'. It shows up as a 'fastpass'.

Also, you do not use your credit card to secure the fastpass to lunch at BOG. You use your Disney Resort reservation number.

 

[maccagerl]

Ok Thanks, I see what your saying, its like when they made the reservations it had the cc on file than, just like when you book a dinner show or something like that

The BOG lunch FP is NOT like booking a dinner show or a restaurant reservation.

It is NOT a reservation. BOG does NOT take reservations for lunch.

It is a fast pass to allow you to be seated sooner than the walk ups.

They do NOT take a credit card to secure the FP for BOG lunch.

When you sign up for the BOG lunchtime FP, you enter your name and your RESORT RESERVATION number.

I know because I just signed up for this yesterday!

 

[wordwitt]

The BOG lunch FP is NOT like booking a dinner show or a restaurant reservation.

It is NOT a reservation. BOG does NOT take reservations for lunch.

It is a fast pass to allow you to be seated sooner than the walk ups.

They do NOT take a credit card to secure the FP for BOG lunch.

When you sign up for the BOG lunchtime FP, you enter your name and your RESORT RESERVATION number.

I know because I just signed up for this yesterday!

The salient point here is that the OP's issue was BOG-specific. It has nothing to do with the bands. This was explained rather cogently by others. What we don't want to have happen is for people to assume, incorrectly, that someone could use a lost or stolen band to make charges without a PIN. There are a lot of people who don't understand the technology and are scared of it.

And BOG's FP+ is a quasi-reservation. No, it's not an ADR, but the concept is the same.

 

[donnajherren]

This last weekend I had to put my PIN in for every purchase, even the $3 ones. I do seem to remember not having to though back in October for purchases under a certain amount. But this weekend, we did.

What I want to know is where you found something at Disney that only cost $3.

 

[bumbershoot]

Also, you do not use your credit card to secure the fastpass to lunch at BOG. You use your Disney Resort reservation number.

The BOG lunch FP is NOT like booking a dinner show or a restaurant reservation.

It is NOT a reservation. BOG does NOT take reservations for lunch.

It is a fast pass to allow you to be seated sooner than the walk ups.

They do NOT take a credit card to secure the FP for BOG lunch.

When you sign up for the BOG lunchtime FP, you enter your name and your RESORT RESERVATION number.

I know because I just signed up for this yesterday!

I think you're actually saying the same thing as John, just with a different word.


When doing online checkin, I've read through all the links and FAQs several times. Alas, even though I read incessantly, I don't have a photographic memory, and tend to remember vaguely. And b/c the site keeps changing and the info keeps changing, and because sometimes you can't access info unless you're actually doing the process (or eligible to do it, which I'm not, as I don't have a reservation), vagueness is all I've got.

But we have two things here. IMO.

We have the room charge, which is set up at checkin and uses the RFID band or card, and a PIN.

Then we've got things that go back to the reservation. If I skip out on a dining reservation and never set up CC charging...they will still find me and charge me.

At some point in the process of paying for your DD's vacation, your CC got linked to the reservation itself.

So when the BOG FP invite was sent, it seems to have linked back to that.

Again, when you charge to a MB they don't know what CC you're using.


I think it was last February when we had changed resorts and set up charging at the new resort. We had set it up at the last resort, but only to access a credit for problems with the room. Because everything but $5 was covered by the credit, it was a very small charge that went to the CC at checkout. Well, because it was so small, it triggered the CC's fraud system. We didn't get a call, but after we went off to the parks, Disney found out that the $5 had been declined, and our room charge at the next resort was stopped.

I found all this out because I was looking at my DVC page for some reason, and saw these little individual charges from our afternoon in Epcot showing up in deep red print on the front page of my DVC account. It wasn't going to the charge, it was going "deeper" into the reservation info they had on us.

And I think that this situation is related.

 

[drew64]

Was there earlier this month - 90% of the time I had to enter the pin, but there were several CS restaurants where the pin was not needed - the CM at those specifically said no need for pin and charge went through without it.

I don't consider it a big deal - no different than if the card was lost and used whihc does not require a pin.

It is up to me to report a lost band/card and to check bill for discrepancies.

 

[quest4dl]

Was there earlier this month - 90% of the time I had to enter the pin, but there were several CS restaurants where the pin was not needed - the CM at those specifically said no need for pin and charge went through without it.

I don't consider it a big deal - no different than if the card was lost and used whihc does not require a pin.

It is up to me to report a lost band/card and to check bill for discrepancies.

Okay that decides it - not giving my son the magic band for charging. I don't think wearing a 'credit card' on a wrist is as secure as having it in your wallet. And a high school kid may take a bit longer to realize the band is lost. The band is unlikely to come off this middle-aged mom's wrist but not so sure about a teen - I know it doesn't happen often but there have been reports of it coming off when pulling down restraints etc.

 

[wordwitt]

Okay that decides it - not giving my son the magic band for charging. I don't think wearing a 'credit card' on a wrist is as secure as having it in your wallet. And a high school kid may take a bit longer to realize the band is lost. The band is unlikely to come off this middle-aged mom's wrist but not so sure about a teen - I know it doesn't happen often but there have been reports of it coming off when pulling down restraints etc.

Of course you can do what you want, but I think your argument makes no sense. The bands, when charged, do not automatically charge to a cc--they become a room charge. AND it would be pretty hard to rack up a substantial room charge on a lost MB because most of the time you do have to enter a PIN. OTOH, if the credit card is lost, no PIN is required, and the charges will come directly off the card and are pretty unlimited (until someone discovers the card is lost/stolen). To me, the band gives you an extra layer of protection. When we visit in May, I am giving three 13-year-old girls charging/signing privileges on the bands. While I may worry about them spending up a storm, I am not worried about others getting access to the bands and spending up a storm. It won't happen.

 

[2Tiggies]

Maybe they were on the dining plan and were just "charged" a meal credit?

Although I will say that I never attach a CC to my room. Yet when I added days to my ticket (on a trip prior to Magicbands) they charged my card. When I asked what card, they said it was the card I had used booking our package. So who knows......

I'm the same with the exception of one year when I really needed internet access and had to add charging to my room (pre wifi days). I literally had the card linked to the room for the few days I needed it and then asked that it be removed and was issued a new KTTW with no charging privileges noted on it. It said Not Valid for Charging. Last day of our trip we were burning leftover snack credits at the Emporium and I checked my receipt and noticed that they had charged the cash amount to my room instead of taking credits. Nobody seemed to know how this was possible and they did fix it immediately.

But I did have a card on there at some point so it's not like it appeared out of nowhere. Possibly the CM at the front desk had not removed it when issuing my new room key? I don't know. My card never was charged though as it was rectified so quickly.

 

[2Tiggies]

Okay that decides it - not giving my son the magic band for charging. I don't think wearing a 'credit card' on a wrist is as secure as having it in your wallet. And a high school kid may take a bit longer to realize the band is lost. The band is unlikely to come off this middle-aged mom's wrist but not so sure about a teen - I know it doesn't happen often but there have been reports of it coming off when pulling down restraints etc.

It's not really any different to the KTTW cards. The only difference now is that you get a pin which we never used to get. You can ask for charging to only be added to one or select guests' cards so your son does not have to have charging privileges unless this has changed.

 

[quest4dl]

It's not really any different to the KTTW cards. The only difference now is that you get a pin which we never used to get. You can ask for charging to only be added to one or select guests' cards so your son does not have to have charging privileges unless this has changed.

He's on a trip with his band and I won't be with him (though I will be on property). So if he loses his band (or more likely, forgets to put it on in the morning) then he won't have money to spend. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of him using a magic band vs. pre-paid Visa vs. cash. Of course he loves the idea of just being able to wave his wrist. Theoretically we could meet up with him to replenish his cash if necessary but that may be easier said than done.

I don't usually check my room charges on a daily basis but maybe I should start that practice this trip. So at checkout - if he loses his band or if I see charges that don't look that any of us have made, I can dispute it before paying the room bill like a credit card dispute?

 

[wordwitt]

He's on a trip with his band and I won't be with him (though I will be on property). So if he loses his band (or more likely, forgets to put it on in the morning) then he won't have money to spend. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of him using a magic band vs. pre-paid Visa vs. cash. Of course he loves the idea of just being able to wave his wrist. Theoretically we could meet up with him to replenish his cash if necessary but that may be easier said than done.

I don't usually check my room charges on a daily basis but maybe I should start that practice this trip. So at checkout - if he loses his band or if I see charges that don't look that any of us have made, I can dispute it before paying the room bill like a credit card dispute?

You definitely should be able to do this. I know the last time we were there I received an email version of my "folio" the night before check out. So there must be a way to get it emailed to you, even if he's with a touring group. Like I said, though, I would feel far better with my almost-13 year old having a MB than carrying a credit card at WDW. And the last time we were there her MB stayed on through 5 days and 2 visits to the water parks.

 

[distherapy]

He's on a trip with his band and I won't be with him (though I will be on property). So if he loses his band (or more likely, forgets to put it on in the morning) then he won't have money to spend. I'm just trying to weigh the pros and cons of him using a magic band vs. pre-paid Visa vs. cash. Of course he loves the idea of just being able to wave his wrist. Theoretically we could meet up with him to replenish his cash if necessary but that may be easier said than done.

I don't usually check my room charges on a daily basis but maybe I should start that practice this trip. So at checkout - if he loses his band or if I see charges that don't look that any of us have made, I can dispute it before paying the room bill like a credit card dispute?

Yes, you can dispute right there - and it's FAR easier than disputing with a credit card. And unlike, pre-paid Visa or cash, if he does lose his band, it can quickly be deactivated and reissued.