Magic Bands for Canadians

[xipetotec]

So WDW doesn't mail magic bands to Canadians, but I wondered how do you know if you'll be receiving them and how do you customize them before you get there? Or can you?

You have to go on My Disney Experience 30 days prior to your trip. Make sure you reservations are properly linked and you should have the option to modify.

We just completed our trip March 2-11. Everyone had custom colors and names on their bands ( all 19 of us ). But you're right, they don't ship to you, they will be waiting at your resort.

 

[dennise]

I am sure this has been asked, but are magic bands only for when you stay onsite?

 

[RatherDrive]

I am sure this has been asked, but are magic bands only for when you stay onsite?

Right now they are only meant for WDW on-site usage. There is the potential to use them on the DCL and other Disney sites. You can reuse them for future visits. You will get issued new bands for each new reservation you make but you can choose to use the which one you want. By logging into MDE you can activate and deactivate your bands as you want.

There is one hidden use for the bands, I know that you can use them in the Disney Infinity game to unlock some game content. Place the band on the power disk spot to unlock the features.

 

[karri868]

Have any Canadians had experience with entering the parks prior to your hotel check-in? I have a co-worker that is staying offsite for the first week of their trip and then onsite for the week following. Is there any way he will be able to get their Magic Bands to use the first week of their stay in advance of their check-in?

Thanks!

 

[RatherDrive]

Have any Canadians had experience with entering the parks prior to your hotel check-in? I have a co-worker that is staying offsite for the first week of their trip and then onsite for the week following. Is there any way he will be able to get their Magic Bands to use the first week of their stay in advance of their check-in?

Thanks!

The way it is now, no. They won't get their bands until they check into their resort and are given them. I am sure there are ways around this like using a US mailing address for the delivery of the bands. Maybe they could call WDW directly and ask if they could pick them up early.

Even as an annual pass holder, I can only have them shipped to a US address.

 

[disney is my life]

The way it is now, no. They won't get their bands until they check into their resort and are given them. I am sure there are ways around this like using a US mailing address for the delivery of the bands. Maybe they could call WDW directly and ask if they could pick them up early.

Even as an annual pass holder, I can only have them shipped to a US address.

As an Annual pass holder do you get one band for the whole year or a new one each time you visit?

 

[RatherDrive]

As an Annual pass holder do you get one band for the whole year or a new one each time you visit?

I can't really answer that question yet since I was only able to get a band for my AP in the last month and my AP is not up for renewal until December 2014. I did link my AP to the band I got from my December visit and only just recently got a band that was for my AP, so yes I guess I have two bands for my AP. Clear as mud right?!?

But that said, I have three reservations this year and I will get a new band for each reservation. I will have to activate, with MDE, the band that I want to use and deactivate the ones I don't want to use. Looking at MDE right now shows a KTTW card linked to my original band as well as my AP. I see that I also have an Disney Passholder (AP) Affiliation band followed by three more bands for our future stays. We have a split stay this summer and I still get one band for each reservation. I will be able to move my AP to which ever band I want. So if I break or lose one I can easily move my AP to another band.

It is a good idea to have extra bands. My oldest broke his on the last day and they could only give him a grey one to replace it, we could have got another custom one but it would have taken some time to get one. He decided to live with the broken band since he knew we were going to be coming back and would get another one.

You have the opportunity to not take any more set of bands. Don't customize them and when the CM hands the grey ones to you just say you don't want them. They will then be recycled for reuse.

 

[disney is my life]

I can't really answer that question yet since I was only able to get a band for my AP in the last month and my AP is not up for renewal until December 2014. I did link my AP to the band I got from my December visit and only just recently got a band that was for my AP, so yes I guess I have two bands for my AP. Clear as mud right?!? But that said, I have three reservations this year and I will get a new band for each reservation. I will have to activate, with MDE, the band that I want to use and deactivate the ones I don't want to use. Looking at MDE right now shows a KTTW card linked to my original band as well as my AP. I see that I also have an Disney Passholder (AP) Affiliation band followed by three more bands for our future stays. We have a split stay this summer and I still get one band for each reservation. I will be able to move my AP to which ever band I want. So if I break or lose one I can easily move my AP to another band. It is a good idea to have extra bands. My oldest broke his on the last day and they could only give him a grey one to replace it, we could have got another custom one but it would have taken some time to get one. He decided to live with the broken band since he knew we were going to be coming back and would get another one. You have the opportunity to not take any more set of bands. Don't customize them and when the CM hands the grey ones to you just say you don't want them. They will then be recycled for reuse.

This helps a lot. I couldn't seem to find any other information on this. Thank you!
Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[JohnnyFromCanada]

Does anyone know why they do not ship out of the US?

Claire

That is an excellent question. They ship the luggage tags, vouchers, tickets to get on the Mickey Bus (our name for the magical express). Why can't they ship the bracelets?

 

[disney is my life]

I can't really answer that question yet since I was only able to get a band for my AP in the last month and my AP is not up for renewal until December 2014. I did link my AP to the band I got from my December visit and only just recently got a band that was for my AP, so yes I guess I have two bands for my AP. Clear as mud right?!? But that said, I have three reservations this year and I will get a new band for each reservation. I will have to activate, with MDE, the band that I want to use and deactivate the ones I don't want to use. Looking at MDE right now shows a KTTW card linked to my original band as well as my AP. I see that I also have an Disney Passholder (AP) Affiliation band followed by three more bands for our future stays. We have a split stay this summer and I still get one band for each reservation. I will be able to move my AP to which ever band I want. So if I break or lose one I can easily move my AP to another band. It is a good idea to have extra bands. My oldest broke his on the last day and they could only give him a grey one to replace it, we could have got another custom one but it would have taken some time to get one. He decided to live with the broken band since he knew we were going to be coming back and would get another one. You have the opportunity to not take any more set of bands. Don't customize them and when the CM hands the grey ones to you just say you don't want them. They will then be recycled for reuse.

This helps a lot. I couldn't seem to find any other information on this. Thank you!

Sent from my iPod touch using DISBoards

 

[bdoyledimou]

That is an excellent question. They ship the luggage tags, vouchers, tickets to get on the Mickey Bus (our name for the magical express). Why can't they ship the bracelets?

These are all printed in local locations (for example the GTA is serviced out of an office in Markham) so there is no international shipping charges.

The boxes are bulky, somewhat heavy, and contain electronics. If they were sent across the border -- they may be scrutinized and delayed -- the shipping costs would be quiet high as well ---

 

[EastYorkDisneyFan]

That is an excellent question. They ship the luggage tags, vouchers, tickets to get on the Mickey Bus (our name for the magical express). Why can't they ship the bracelets?

I'd guess it cost to much to send them internationally. Paper goods like the DME tags are cheep to ship where as the box the magic bands come in is bulky and probably weighs a fair bit..

 

[FirstTimeDisneyDad]

Sorry to hop onto the thread with a related question.

DO you still receive a package of information prior to your trip as you normally would? In the past we always received something in advance of our trip (i.e. luggage tags, ME check in vouchers, coupons etc. that were part of the package.)

We are 8 days out from our vacation and the CM I am speaking with says that nothing ships to us because we are Cdn. I know that we will pickup the MB at the resort, but have others received the "rest" of the package in advance?

Thanks!

 

[bdoyledimou]

Sorry to hop onto the thread with a related question.

DO you still receive a package of information prior to your trip as you normally would? In the past we always received something in advance of our trip (i.e. luggage tags, ME check in vouchers, coupons etc. that were part of the package.)

We are 8 days out from our vacation and the CM I am speaking with says that nothing ships to us because we are Cdn. I know that we will pickup the MB at the resort, but have others received the "rest" of the package in advance?

Thanks!

the only thing you would get now is a your ME reservations confirmation (luggage tags , vouchers etc).

you should have received those at 30 days -- if you are not taking ME -- then you wouldn't get anything.

 

[JohnnyFromCanada]

I just thought I'd post this in case somebody else has the same problem. Last night I tried for about an hour to customize my magic bands using every link possible and it did not work.

The reason was that I hadn't done my address confirmation (because I had a Canadian address and knew they didn't ship to Canada ) I assumed that the error I was getting was normal.

I was getting an error because the Disney magic band system seems to be using a very old address book. They would not accept my new address (City name and postal code changed by Canada Post more than 8 years ago). Once I put in my old (8 year old address) the address confirmed and I was able to customize my magic bands.

Note: The normal Disney booking site seems to have no problems with my *new* address.

 

[Disneylover99]

the only thing you would get now is a your ME reservations confirmation (luggage tags , vouchers etc).

you should have received those at 30 days -- if you are not taking ME -- then you wouldn't get anything.

You still get your package booklet with coupons in the mail if you've booked a package (not just a room only). At least we got ours in December. Did that change?

 

[RatherDrive]

You still get your package booklet with coupons in the mail if you've booked a package (not just a room only). At least we got ours in December. Did that change?

No it didn't change, packages are still mailed out. I know in the past if when we used a TA, the TA will get the package and forward it onto us. Funny thing is that this didn't happen all of the time. Once and a while we would get the package directly from Disney Travel.

 

[Tweedle Dees]

If we've booked room only through a TA can we still get customized magic bands to pick up when we arrive? We haven't set up MDE yet but we would have a conf # from our agent. Then when we arrive and pick up our tickets & bands we can book FP+ Is this right? Thank you !

 

[RatherDrive]

If we've booked room only through a TA can we still get customized magic bands to pick up when we arrive? We haven't set up MDE yet but we would have a conf # from our agent. Then when we arrive and pick up our tickets & bands we can book FP+ Is this right? Thank you !

Anyone staying on Disney World property regardless of package type will get MB and the ability to use FP+. You will have to set up your MDE account and link your Res# there. Once that is done you will be able to customize your bands. You have to do it at least thirty days before you arrive. It will give you a date when they have to be customized by. The bands will be waiting for you at your resort when you check in. If you have your tickets already, all you have to do is link them to your DME account as well, then you can do FP+ before you arrive. Otherwise you will have to wait until you get your tickets to do your FP+ selection.

 

[Tweedle Dees]

Thanks Rather Drive
Just made the deadline to customize the bands thanks to the info found here Going to Univ before WDW. We can pick up our hoppers 4 days before we check in at Disney and link them then. Hopefully we'll still have some choices for FP+ ?