Magic Bands alternative

[Goldfish Are Feral]

Hello all!

I am in the midst of planning our WDW trip for May and am on the fence on wether to order Magic Bands are not. What are used instead? Just your phone? And will that cover everyone in my party? Also I had paid for the DDP with gift cards for my May 2020 trip (may she rest in peace as she never came to fruitarian) and of course I got refunded for the DDP back on my gift cards. I am planning on paying everything by charging everything to my room and then paying off the balance with my gift cards, is this possible to do without a magic band? Should I just get magic bands for the adults? Sorry for the questions, I'm just confused on the alternative to magic bands. I grew so attached to them and their convience!

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

You'd use a physical plastic ticket for each person. (you can pick them up at your resort or will call)

I'd just use the gift cards at the time of purchase.
But yes you can charge to your room reservation and then pay it off with gift cards at the front desk.
However there are limits on how much you can charge back to your room before they charge your credit card so you have to keep an eye on that.

Personally I'd use magic bands.

Do you have old magic bands? If so use them...

 

[Goldfish Are Feral]

You'd use a physical plastic ticket for each person. (you can pick them up at your resort or will call)

I'd just use the gift cards at the time of purchase.

Personally I'd use magic bands.

Do you have old magic bands? If so use them...

I would use the gift cards at time of purchase but they cant be added to MDE to pay for via mobile ordering. I read on a thread here how you can add the gift card each time but I think charging to the room would be easier and less of a chance of me dropping a gift card by accident or being a few dollars short and somehow trying to pay the balance with a second gift card. I was thinking I'd just use magic bands for the adults, but it may just be easier to get the kids one too since they are so cheap.

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

I would use the gift cards at time of purchase but they cant be added to MDE to pay for via mobile ordering. I read on a thread here how you can add the gift card each time but I think charging to the room would be easier and less of a chance of me dropping a gift card by accident or being a few dollars short and somehow trying to pay the balance with a second gift card. I was thinking I'd just use magic bands for the adults, but it may just be easier to get the kids one too since they are so cheap.

Just be aware there are limits on how much you can charge back to your room before they charge your credit card so you have to keep an eye on that and go pay it down.
Also again do you have old magic bands?

 

[Goldfish Are Feral]

Just be aware there are limits on how much you can charge back to your room before they charge your credit card so you have to keep an eye on that and go pay it down.
Also again do you have old magic bands?

I plan on paying the balance off every other day. And no, no old magic bands

 

[bakerworld]

We used to use the CC and the bands when we were at the pool. Once there was multiple posts of people getting their CC hacked we started using GCs. If planning to use a room card anyway then using the GC is no different.

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

I plan on paying the balance off every other day. And no, no old magic bands

Oh Okay. I guess I was just assuming that since you said you grew attached to how convenient magic bands are that meant you had old ones.

 

[Goldfish Are Feral]

Oh Okay. I guess I was just assuming that since you said you grew attached to how convenient magic bands are that meant you had old ones.

I have had MBs before yes, but I dont have all of them and it has been 2+ years since we used them.

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

I have had MBs before yes, but I dont have all of them and it has been 2+ years since we used them.

You can use the ones you do have for touchpoints.

 

[lanejudy]

I would use the gift cards at time of purchase but they cant be added to MDE to pay for via mobile ordering. I read on a thread here how you can add the gift card each time but I think charging to the room would be easier

I think mobile-ordering charges direct to the credit card, not the room. If you want to use the gift cards for quick service you will need to do it thru mobile ordering, and yes unfortunately it must be added each time.

If you don't get MagicBands or use old oness, you will be given hard plastic tickets. I don't know if the hard ticket can be used for room charges; that may require MBs. You can use your phone to open the resort room door. As PP mentions, the older MBs will still work fine for touchpoint.

 

[Pixie Dusted Snow]

I think mobile-ordering charges direct to the credit card, not the room. If you want to use the gift cards for quick service you will need to do it thru mobile ordering, and yes unfortunately it must be added each time.

If you don't get MagicBands or use old oness, you will be given hard plastic tickets. I don't know if the hard ticket can be used for room charges; that may require MBs. You can use your phone to open the resort room door. As PP mentions, the older MBs will still work fine for touchpoint.

Absolutely correct about mobile ordering!

 

[LBLCOMO]

I think this is a related question to what has been asked above...forgive me if it's already been answered. Given that there aren't FP+ right now, is there really a need for the magic bands once you're in the park (especially if we're mostly going to do mobile ordering for QS meals and are not going to be doing the Memory Maker this time around)? I don't think I'll mind using my phone/MDE to get into the parks, but I want to make sure it won't be a hassle to not have MagicBands once we're in the park. (we might have one still hanging around but am pretty sure we let others go...thinking they'd be replaced the next time we went with new ones - oops!) Thanks!