Staying offsite...any real reason to upgrade to Magic Bands?

[JRatManda]

We are headed to Disney in March. Staying at a Disney Springs hotel, so no Magic Bands for us.
I know we could pay to upgrade and get Magic Bands, but I have yet to really understand if there is a legitimate need to. Does it make much of a difference - meaning - is there a perk I am missing??? Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!!!

 

[lindsmom]

When we will be going, I plan to get MB's even though we are off site. For the convenience of Memory Maker, primarily. Also so I don't have to keep taking the tickets out for FP's. It wasn't a big deal when we only took the tickets out for entry, but I think it will be a minor annoyance to take them out and put them away for FP's and MM. But otherwise, I don't think there's any real benefit.

 

[Planogirl]

You could use lanyards and then the tickets are about as convenient as the magic bands IMO. We never bothered with the bands when we stayed offsite.

 

[nherbert]

Having used tickets before and using magic bands this trip, I find the bands so much easier for everything. Particularly for fast pass and also for my son - I don't need to keep getting his ticket out all the time. If you have kids I suspect you will find bands easier.

 

[lizard1]

I think MM is the only reason I would consider an upgrade because the ride photos link automatically to the bands and there are some rides that don't have a photo station afterwards where you can stop to add photos or videos (like 7DMT).

 

[sharona]

Having used tickets before and using magic bands this trip, I find the bands so much easier for everything. Particularly for fast pass and also for my son - I don't need to keep getting his ticket out all the time. If you have kids I suspect you will find bands easier.

this, plus this

I think MM is the only reason I would consider an upgrade because the ride photos link automatically to the bands and there are some rides that don't have a photo station afterwards where you can stop to add photos or videos (like 7DMT).

 

[mds88]

We were so glad to have them. We only used them to get in and for FP but it was so much more convenient. It wasn't really crucial to have it, but a lot easier than having to keep getting our tickets out.

 

[JRatManda]

Hmmm...good thoughts and thanks for the feedback!
Our group is me, my husband our 6 yr old and in-laws, so I can see it being a pain making sure everyone has their tickets at the ready and as am planning on getting MM. Now I think I'm leaning towards upgrading everyone.
Follow up question - I am buying our groups tickets next week, will I have the option to upgrade us when the system sees we're not linked to a resort ressie or is there a different process for this?
Thanks again!!

 

[mshanson3121]

We are headed to Disney in March. Staying at a Disney Springs hotel, so no Magic Bands for us.
I know we could pay to upgrade and get Magic Bands, but I have yet to really understand if there is a legitimate need to. Does it make much of a difference - meaning - is there a perk I am missing??? Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!!!

We definitely would upgrade. We did. And it was sooo much more convenient. No digging out 4+ tickets every single time you come to a ride. Just a simple tap of the wrist. Also, if you plan on using Memory Maker, it's definitely easier. Again, no fumbling around digging out your card, they can just scan your wrist. You can do the lanyards, but I don't like things dangling around my neck all day, and I definitely wouldn't let the kids keep them around their necks for choking reasons. Plus, the kids LOVED having their magic bands and being able to buy Bandits to decorate them!

 

[mshanson3121]

will I have the option to upgrade us when the system sees we're not linked to a resort ressie or is there a different process for this?
Thanks again!!

I don't believe so. You'll have to go in and purchase them separately and then link them to your account.

 

[JRatManda]

I don't believe so. You'll have to go in and purchase them separately and then link them to your account.

I'm so sorry to keep asking questions, but do I have to wait till we get to the Parks to do this or are they available for purchase through the MDE app or Disney.com?

 

[HopperFan]

I love them and we still use ours even if staying offsite. Do you need them? No. What will you miss out? Only the auto photo load on rides at this point in time. They are mostly for convenience and no worries about pulling tickets in and out, possible losing. With all the special designs now I look at them as an inexpensive souvenir but if you aren't coming back no real future use.

 

[Accident]

I know we could pay to upgrade and get Magic Bands, but I have yet to really understand if there is a legitimate need to. Does it make much of a difference - meaning - is there a perk I am missing??? Thoughts?? Thanks in advance!!!

If your staying off site, there is only 2 things you cannot do without a magic band.

1: Any photos while riding 7DMT (there is no screens at the end to find your photo and link it to your hard ticket/photopass account)
2: Any videos while riding the few rides that support it.

If your planning to get memory maker and really make use of the photopass photographers and ride photo/videos you probably want to get the magic bands and then the extra convenience of it being on your wrist for fast pass is just a bonus.

convenience wise, for an offsite visitor:
- it's on your wrist for fast pass and park entrace.
- it's on your wrist to scan when using a photopass photographer
- pictures and videos during rides automatically link to your photo pass account(s).

 

[reverie1729]

We are staying offsite and plan to buy magic bands for this trip. I want them for the convenience of not having to dig tickets out and for memory maker. I figured it would make it easier for ride photos and videos, but also with the photopass photographers. Last year I ended up with so many photopass cards to keep track of because sometimes the photographers would just give me a new one instead of scanning the one I already had. It was a lot to keep track of and that was only a 1 day trip to MK. I haven't purchased them yet but I am thinking about ordering them from the Disney Store online.

 

[sharona]

My DD and I bought ours while in the park on a previous trip and the CM linked them for us while in the store. This last trip I ordered bands for the others from disneystore.com and they shipped them and I linked them in MDE - easy enough once I figured it out.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm so sorry to keep asking questions, but do I have to wait till we get to the Parks to do this or are they available for purchase through the MDE app or Disney.com?

You can buy them online at Disney.com

 

[Accident]

There is a much larger selection including designing your own(in mk) available while visiting and it's the cashier will link it to your account for you so it's ready to use the second you buy it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I never once found getting tickets ready to be any sort of a pain or inconvenience. That's the beauty of a lanyard.

I DO find it a literal pain and an annoyance to either twist my wrist all around to match it up to mickey heads OR choose the side I want to be on based on what wrist I have mickey on and how mickey is oriented.

Gimme a card. If I'm onsite I have that band on maybe half the time, IF that. If I were offsite? Card, all the way.

I could not care less about photos and videos.

 

[caroline1851]

I liked having my credit card linked to it so when we'd go to the parks in the evening, we didn't bring anything.

 

[IslandAdventure4]

Thanks for starting this thread, I had a lot of the same questions and you all answered them for me. I think were going to get the bands. My DS is all about the Star Wars bands.....