Magic Bands and New Annual Passes

[ConnecticutFlea]

Last year I already had a magic band when I exchanged the certificates. The CM never mentioned anything. I ordered a free band after I got home.

This year I already had two and then bought a third with the villains on it, so I now have three bands. I am not going to order the free band this year because I don't need it.

I don't know if they will give you a grey band if you ask while exchanging the certificate.

 

[mrzrich]

They don't give you a grey band when you exchange, because truthfully, you don't NEED a Magicband. Your AP works at the turnstile and at FP tap points.

 

[rachdd]

I just bought my AP certificate about 3 weeks ago and I could immediately make FP selections for 30 days out.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

They don't give you a grey band when you exchange, because truthfully, you don't NEED a Magicband. Your AP works at the turnstile and at FP tap points.

thank you!

 

[HopperFan]

Thank you SO much. I'll probably buy them bands online and go ahead and link them. So, after our trip, they'll get another band in the mail... right?

Do you know if they give you a grey (non personalized) band at guest services when you swap the exchange certificate for the actual annual pass?

Just did ours two weeks ago. No, we got the hard AP tickets and an AP booklet. No MB.

I had bought the APs online via Disney so they were automatically linked to all our past MBs. I then booked all our FP+. I handed them the certificate at guest services so I could get the hard tickets. Easy.

NOW on return my MDE allows me to order our AP MB.

 

[DebbieB]

Bands you get from your room reservation, bands you get from an AP, bands you buy are all interchangeable. You can use them until the battery runs out.

 

[Missyrose]

Thank you SO much. I'll probably buy them bands online and go ahead and link them. So, after our trip, they'll get another band in the mail... right?

Do you know if they give you a grey (non personalized) band at guest services when you swap the exchange certificate for the actual annual pass?

They do not give you a band when you activate an AP at guest relations.

I just bought my AP certificate about 3 weeks ago and I could immediately make FP selections for 30 days out.

Correct, simply linking the AP confirmation number makes you eligible to make FP+ reservations. You don't need the physical pass in your hand when you make the advance reservations, and you don't need a Magic Band to redeem those reservations (your activated AP works to do that).

 

[cigar95]

. . . . . You can use them until the battery runs out.

. . . . and for most purposes, even after the battery runs out.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

They don't give you a grey band when you exchange, because truthfully, you don't NEED a Magicband. Your AP works at the turnstile and at FP tap points.

They don't give you a gray MB of shame when you exchange (or upgrade) because you automatically get an MB that you can customize in MDE mailed to you for purchasing an AP, anyway. If they gave you a gray one for exchanging the voucher, you'd end up with two MBs.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Ahhh. Ok. That makes a lot of sense. Thank you.

Ok, so my family of four each has a magic band that we got through staying at the resort last time. My kids didn't need annual passes because they weren't 3 yet, so my husband and I have APs. So, on MDE, my husband and I each have a Magic Band coming even though we already have them... so either of those will work, correct?

My daughter, however, has since turned 3. So, we bought her an AP. She doesn't have a Magic Band. But, according to what you're saying, she should be able to use the old band from the resort. We'll just bring it with us when we exchange the certificate for her actual AP. Right?

ALSO... we have grandparents coming on the trip this time. They are buying APs, and have no Magic Bands associated with their names..... SOOOO... should I buy them bands before we go and just have them linked when they do their exchange certs?!

Just to summarize for the purposes of your peace of mind:

• Your APs are assigned to your individual MDE accounts, not to any specific MBs, so don't worry about that at all.
• You won't be given gray MBs when you exchange your AP vouchers because the way it works with an AP is that you're mailed MBs (that you can customize in MDE before they're mailed to you.)
• But you can use any MB you want, anyway, so...
• Just use your family's existing 4 MBs that you got last time. The MDE accounts they're linked to will show that each of you has an AP. That means they'll totally work for park admission, checking in for your FP+ reservations, and for the Photopass benefits that you get for being an AP.
• And then just purchase two additional MBs for the grandparents, since they don't have MBs from last time.
• And when you get home, you'll have a whole set of additional MBs waiting for you in your mailbox that you can use next time, or not, as you and your family prefer.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

Just to summarize for the purposes of your peace of mind:

• Your APs are assigned to your individual MDE accounts, not to any specific MBs, so don't worry about that at all.
• You won't be given gray MBs when you exchange your AP vouchers because the way it works with an AP is that you're mailed MBs (that you can customize in MDE before they're mailed to you.)
• But you can use any MB you want, anyway, so...
• Just use your family's existing 4 MBs that you got last time. The MDE accounts they're linked to will show that each of you has an AP. That means they'll totally work for park admission, checking in for your FP+ reservations, and for the Photopass benefits that you get for being an AP.
• And then just purchase two additional MBs for the grandparents, since they don't have MBs from last time.
• And when you get home, you'll have a whole set of additional MBs waiting for you in your mailbox that you can use next time, or not, as you and your family prefer.

Awesome! Thank you!! That was so nice of you.

 

[aviva5675]

I purchased our Florida AP last week online, and was surprised when earlier this week I was able to book FP for our visit to EPC 9/9. We drove Thur afternoon, got our AP cards at guest relations at Dis Springs. We were staying at CBR but were told we couldnt get our AP at a resort. I didnt realize of course, that since we were staying at a dis resort we could have free parking, and didnt want to pay to park then get our AP at EPC that morning. Anyway, 2 days before our trip I was able to book FP (Soarin at 915!!, shocked) before we had picked up/activated our actual passes.

So we each have a grey band, and I have a Dory band, and our 2 AP bands are coming. So, ok , this is wrong of course to do, but if my kid comes down to visit, can she use one of our bands to tap in at a park? or you also finger scan?

 

[Accident]

You can use them until the battery runs out.

You can use them after the battery runs out. It's just ride photos and storyteller where the band is wireless read that stops working when the battery dies. all other touch your band to use it features will in theory work forever.

 

[Accident]

So we each have a grey band, and I have a Dory band, and our 2 AP bands are coming. So, ok , this is wrong of course to do, but if my kid comes down to visit, can she use one of our bands to tap in at a park? or you also finger scan?

The bands are linked to a specific person and CANNOT be reassigned. She can have a nice bracelet but it's someone elses band and linked to their stuff and not hers. You don't really need a band, especially if your with someone else who has a band on all the rides.

 

[DisneyMom2000000]

I purchased our Florida AP last week online, and was surprised when earlier this week I was able to book FP for our visit to EPC 9/9. We drove Thur afternoon, got our AP cards at guest relations at Dis Springs. We were staying at CBR but were told we couldnt get our AP at a resort. I didnt realize of course, that since we were staying at a dis resort we could have free parking, and didnt want to pay to park then get our AP at EPC that morning. Anyway, 2 days before our trip I was able to book FP (Soarin at 915!!, shocked) before we had picked up/activated our actual passes.

So we each have a grey band, and I have a Dory band, and our 2 AP bands are coming. So, ok , this is wrong of course to do, but if my kid comes down to visit, can she use one of our bands to tap in at a park? or you also finger scan?

Sounds like you had a great experience.

I think you're implying she would use your annual pass, and no, she can't. They'll finger scan. You'll just have two magic bands assigned to your AP that only you can use.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

So, ok , this is wrong of course to do, but if my kid comes down to visit, can she use one of our bands to tap in at a park? or you also finger scan?

If you're talking about giving your daughter someone else's MagicBand in order to use someone else's ticket or annual pass to enter the parks, you're right, it's wrong. Tickets and passes are associated with a single person's My Disney Experience account and are non-transferable under their terms of use. The finger scan would catch that your daughter is trying to access a park using a MagicBand associated with someone else's My Disney Experience account, and could cause her and the other person a lot of trouble, including the ticket media in question being confiscated/invalidated.

 

[aviva5675]

I know, I know (blushing) it's wrong, and even if there was a technical way to do it, I wouldnt cause it might be legal but its morally wrong. In any case, it cant be done. We are going to take 2 cousins mid Oct for their first visit, and I'm setting them up on my MDE and going to link them so we can get FP 30 days out. So heres another question: I buy their day passes, or FL resident 3 days, whichever they decide--- are they automatically attached to my MDE since I put their names in there? wouldn't think you have to wait for tickets in hand to do the FP (as I didn't have to with our AP).

 

[MakiraMarlena]

And I acknowledged that in my response. My point was to refute @MakiraMarlena's contention that old MagicBands will not work for resort functions,

Which did not need refuting, because I was aware that the OP was staying offsite. and old MBs will not work for resort functions if you are staying offsite. My response was for the OP, not for everybody.

No matter where you are staying, you cannot give your MB to someone else and have it work on their account or their tickets for park entrance. It will only work for yours. And now they are finger scanning everybody, including children.

If you don't have an AP you must have an actual ticket linked to your account to make FPs. It doesn't matter when you plan to use that ticket, because regular tickets are not active until they are used to enter a park. An AP must be activated before it can be used, so they arrange for the ability to make FP reservations prior to activation. As soon as regular tickets are linked, they will work for fastpass reservations, up to the number of days on the ticket.

You can use them until the battery runs out.

You can use them after that. The battery has no effect on the touchpoints, just on the long-distance functions like photo uploading.

 

[mrzrich]

I know, I know (blushing) it's wrong, and even if there was a technical way to do it, I wouldnt cause it might be legal but its morally wrong. In any case, it cant be done. We are going to take 2 cousins mid Oct for their first visit, and I'm setting them up on my MDE and going to link them so we can get FP 30 days out. So heres another question: I buy their day passes, or FL resident 3 days, whichever they decide--- are they automatically attached to my MDE since I put their names in there? wouldn't think you have to wait for tickets in hand to do the FP (as I didn't have to with our AP).

Are the cousins Florida residents? Because they will need to show Florida ID regardless of who buys the tickets

 

[HopperFan]

I know, I know (blushing) it's wrong, and even if there was a technical way to do it, I wouldnt cause it might be legal but its morally wrong. In any case, it cant be done.

We are going to take 2 cousins mid Oct for their first visit, and I'm setting them up on my MDE and going to link them so we can get FP 30 days out. So heres another question: I buy their day passes, or FL resident 3 days, whichever they decide--- are they automatically attached to my MDE since I put their names in there? wouldn't think you have to wait for tickets in hand to do the FP (as I didn't have to with our AP).

There is no technical way to do it. Every linked MB is linked to ONE person, that person's tickets and that person's finger scan. Even if you buy new tickets it is still linked to that finger scan. I have 23 MB. No one else can ever use them because I have.

Are the cousins Florida residents and are they adults? If yes and yes, they will need to bring proof of residency like ID etc. [For Florida resident tickets, all adults will need to show proof of Florida residency at park entrance.]