Need to physically check in prior to using bands?

[rimomma66]

Hi All!
I have searched but can't find a definitive answer to this question and calling a phone CM would be an exercise in futility, so here I am!
Will the MB's work for park admission and FP+ before we physically check in to our resort? We don't want charging and aren't doing DDP, so those are irrelevant. We are getting in and want to drive straight to the park and check in later on that evening.
Any experience with this?
Thanks so much!!

Edited to add: Would online check in be enough to allow for this?

 

[Robo]

Hi All!
I have searched but can't find a definitive answer to this question and calling a phone CM would be an exercise in futility, so here I am!
Will the MB's work for park admission and FP+ before we physically check in to our resort?

Yes.

 

[HM]

Interesting, because when we checked in to POR in Dec, I had to go out to my car and get our MBs in order for the CM at the front desk to 'activate' them. That led me to believe we would not have been able to use them prior to checking in.

 

[Robo]

Interesting, because when we checked in to POR in Dec, I had to go out to my car and get our MBs in order for the CM at the front desk to 'activate' them. That led me to believe we would not have been able to use them prior to checking in.

Yes, activate them for all of the RESORT-related assets.
(Room door, charging privileges, dining.)

The question was about PARK TICKET assets.

 

[Itinkso]

Edited to add: Would online check in be enough to allow for this?

As Robo said, your tickets are already active on your MagicBand.

Online check-in just speeds up your check-in process once you reach your resort. Your MagicBand will not activate the entrance gate at your resort until you have physically checked-in and used the MB to open your room door.

 

[TDC Nala]

Yep if all you need is your tickets, you are good to go.

If you want room charges or dining plan you do need to visit the resort first.


Also...the first time you enter your room...use EVERYBODY's bands to open the door. Just keep shutting it and opening it until you've tried all the bands.

 

[rimomma66]

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear!

 

[SleepDoctor]

Your MagicBand will not activate the entrance gate at your resort until you have physically checked-in and used the MB to open your room door.

Not entirely true. Having your band scanned at DME makes them "active", as does a scan at the resort security station. Physically "checking in" will soon be going away. On the day of your arrival, you'll receive a message via your mobile device to tell you your room number and when it is ready. You won't need to go to the front desk , unless you haven't added charging privileges in advance.

 

[Itinkso]

Not entirely true. Having your band scanned at DME makes them "active", as does a scan at the resort security station. Physically "checking in" will soon be going away. On the day of your arrival, you'll receive a message via your mobile device to tell you your room number and when it is ready. You won't need to go to the front desk , unless you haven't added charging privileges in advance.

Thanks for clarifying. OP is driving to the park and not using DME.

 

[wolf29]

Maybe things have changed from last August. We did online check in for our stay at Pop. We went to Rope Drop at MK before physically checking in. We were NOT admitted, rather we were directed to Guest Services who then called Pop for confirmation of our package. Later in the day we checked into the Resort and had bands activated for door entry, etc. This occured during the test period, so maybe things have changed...hope so.

 

[RalphinSC]

We are planning on using ours at Disney quest the night BEFORE we officially check in at Pop.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I had my APs linked to my MB through MDE & still had to have it activated at BC before we could use them at Epcot in October maybe things have changed. .

 

[Pooksie]

I had my APs linked to my MB through MDE & still had to have it activated at BC before we could use them at Epcot in October maybe things have changed. .

It may have been a problem with the system in recognizing your AP's being linked to your MDE account.

I live just over an hour away from WDW. My last three trips, Sept. 2013, Dec. 2013, and Jan. 2014 I've driven to a park upon arriving in the morning and gotten right in without any problem. I didn't check into my resort in each case until after 3:00 pm on those days. I had my AP linked to my MDE account before my Sept. trip and never encountered a problem. Same goes for my boyfriend, so I'm inclined to think you had a system error.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

It may have been a problem with the system in recognizing your AP's being linked to your MDE account. I live just over an hour away from WDW. My last three trips, Sept. 2013, Dec. 2013, and Jan. 2014 I've driven to a park upon arriving in the morning and gotten right in without any problem. I didn't check into my resort in each case until after 3:00 pm on those days. I had my AP linked to my MDE account before my Sept. trip and never encountered a problem. Same goes for my boyfriend, so I'm inclined to think you had a system error.

Had u already used your MBs prior to September? This was our first time ever using them. I was part of the test at BC. I live just over an hour was from WDW too so have been going there frequently since then with no issues.

 

[Pooksie]

Had u already used your MBs prior to September? This was our first time ever using them. I was part of the test at BC. I live just over an hour was from WDW too so have been going there frequently since then with no issues.

No.

In September we had reservations at the AKL which was the only resort at that time along with the contemporary, I believe, that was sending guests magic bands ahead of time as part of the testing.

We went directly to Animal Kingdom that morning and got right in using our bands. We had just gotten them a few days before we left home. We checked in to the AKL around 4:00 that afternoon if I remember correctly.

 

[fitzperry]

As Robo said, your tickets are already active on your MagicBand. Online check-in just speeds up your check-in process once you reach your resort.

Just out of curiosity, does this depend on whether the tix are part of a package? We arrived on thanksgiving and spent a couple of nights on rented points at Kidani before checking in at the Poly. Our tix were part of the Poly package and we wanted to use them the day before we checked in there. The bands didn't work at the gate but guest services was able to activate them so we could use them that day. I'm just wondering if they'd have worked if we were trying to use them before check-in on the day our reservation started.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

We are planning on using ours at Disney quest the night BEFORE we officially check in at Pop.

Really? Do you have a package at Pop? Can you access your package tickets prior to check in with the MB (like you used to be able to pick up your tickets early?)

 

[Robo]

Really? Do you have a package at Pop? Can you access your package tickets prior to check in with the MB (like you used to be able to pick up your tickets early?)

Yes.

 

[fitzperry]

Really? Do you have a package at Pop? Can you access your package tickets prior to check in with the MB (like you used to be able to pick up your tickets early?)

As I mentioned above, we were able to do this in late November but only after having guest services sort it out. The bands did not work at the gate and the first cast member we dealt with told us (incorrectly) we couldn't use them until we checked in at the Poly for our package. Hopefully they've fixed this problem, but be prepared to stand your ground in case things don't go as planned and you encounter uninformed cast members.

 

[rimomma66]

So even if for some reason the MB's go glitchy as some said they have- I should still be able to use my RFID tix anyway because the FP+ would be linked to them, right?