when to put magic bands on wrist

The first time you'll need them is whichever of these happens first for you:
a.) ME
b.) arrive at hotel parking/front desk/ your room.
c.) enter the MK/HS/AK/Epcot parking lots or any of parks (If your tickets are linked to your band)
d.) use DDP credits

I'm not a huge fan of wearing them before we get to WDW.

I dunno, wearing the bands outside of WDW tells EVERYONE my destination. I'm fine sharing information with the hackers and the TSA, but I don't always feel eager to talk Disney with every creepy stranger sitting next to me.
 
My recent trip was the first time i used the magic bands and we put them on before we left for the airport. It was just easy so we didn't have the box in the car as we were leaving and forgot since we left the house at like 430 am.
 
On our last trip, I kept them all in my carry-on backpack. Had everyone put them on when we were approaching the DME check-in. DS5 loved being the one to check us in for our ride to the resort!
 

I generally wear mine about 2-3 weeks before the trip and 3 weeks after. :-)

For convenience though as others have said, i drop it in my carry on during travel for airport security. I put it on during the flight usually - one less thing to worry about when I get off the plane since you need it at DME.
 
But if you still don't like them, I'd just use a card. Easier to pull out than a band.

Agreed.

I dunno, wearing the bands outside of WDW tells EVERYONE my destination. I'm fine sharing information with the hackers and the TSA, but I don't always feel eager to talk Disney with every creepy stranger sitting next to me.

Also agreed.

When we go to the store, etc, I make everyone take off the MBs and/or lanyards. I take down the parking pass (if we have one) from the dashboard. etc. I have zero need to advertise our vacation plans to people directly around us or our car.


You can put your MB on early. You can put it on late. You don't NEED them for DME; after all, every non-American-resident doesn't have them until they get there (or once they've been there and reuse a band). In fact you don't NEED them at all.


I do like the boxes because they make good "stuff catchers" on the flat surfaces in the room. But I recently broke down most of them and recycled them. (though I now realize I should probably have put them on ebay)
 
Call me crazy, but I miss the magic bands in real life. It was so easy. I'd like to be able to use my magic band to scan in at work instead of keeping up with my security badge; or pay for my groceries with it and not have to also scan my Kroger card, or pay for my Starbucks coffee in the drive thru with it. Real life applications are endless! haha.
 
Have you ever connected all your Magic Bands together to make one giant Magic Band? Anyone gotten to belt length???
 
More than the bands, a family joke used to be, "Awww...we've left the land of magic bathrooms." These days, automatic bathrooms (toilets and sinks) are pretty common, but Disney was in front of that trend.
 
I put mine in my carry-on and put it on my wrist right before we land in Orlando. :goodvibes
 
We rent a car so our MB's stay in our carry on until we get to resort check-in.

I do like the boxes because they make good "stuff catchers" on the flat surfaces in the room. But I recently broke down most of them and recycled them. (though I now realize I should probably have put them on ebay)

I bought a small fabric-sided box at the dollar store to use our "stuff catcher". It collapses completely flat so easily fits in a suitcase. We've had it for years - it works great and it's still going strong after 6 or 7 years.
 
Being from the UK we have to wait till we get to the hotel to get them :( would love to be wearing mine now :teeth:
 
We rent a car so our MB's stay in our carry on until we get to resort check-in.



I bought a small fabric-sided box at the dollar store to use our "stuff catcher". It collapses completely flat so easily fits in a suitcase. We've had it for years - it works great and it's still going strong after 6 or 7 years.
I was going to post the same, but now with online check-in, you don't need to do this- at least not FIRST.

Also, when you drive into the hotel lot, there's the gate. In the old days, you had to show ID to the guard on your first entry. I'm not sure that's the case any more if you do online check-in. You might be able to scan your band on the first entry.

For stuff, we use ziplock bags.

Also, if a plane de-boards at the airport, and half the disembarking passengers are carrying Disney shopping bags, then the flight just came from Orlando! These days, they are also wearing Magicbands!

I also find it mildly amusing to see the bands when we are at Universal. that is why I think Universal should adopt something similar, even if the US bands only work to replace room keys.
 
We usually have them in our carry ons, with no box, and then put them on as soon as we land in Orlando - makes for an easy Magical Express check-in :)
 












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