Magic Bands help

[Figaro928]

Ok so my families trip is in 19 days and I just got an email saying we've been chosen to use the magic bands. Cool, I think...right?

I've kind of been avoiding all the threads that discussed the magic bands because I thought they wouldn't pertain to this trip & now I'm clueless & Disney's website are NO HELP

So how will I use them? It says to put a name on them & make them customized - will that name show to the public (I'm weird with my kids' names out in the public & strangers knowing their names) ? Right now all of our dining reservations are linked to my name, but I'm not eating at every reservation - will they need my band/be able to look up the reservation/ or do I need to go back to their impossible website & change each reservation? Again - the trip is 19 days away & since I've "customized" them will they be shipped on time?

OK - Lastly - what the heck is the point of fastpass +?? ... Why does the site keep asking me if I want to get my Fastpasses NOW for Dumbo. Is there anyway to positively utilize FP+?

Sorry for all the questions! I'm a crazy plaaner & this was a little monkey wrench thrown into my Disney Mix!!!

 

[luv]

There are many threads on this topic. If you want to use the bands, it would be a very good idea to make your Fastpass reservations before you go, much as you make dining reservations before you go. You don't know what will be available later.

As of now, people using the bands can use their pre-arranged FPs AND are able to use their tickets to get same-day FPs. This will not last forever, but it's holding up for now. So, you can get extra FPs.

Disney has added FP to rides that didn't need it before, so the stand-by lines on those rides are now longer. You'll want to take advantage of the FPs, if you're using the bands.

Remember that they are still testing these bands. If you use them, you may encounter issues when they don't work like they should.

There are so many threads on this. You can find tons of opinions, experiences and information if you want to.

Have a great trip! And let us know how the bands worked out for you!

 

[Joshrzmeup]

No, it will not show names on the outside. It will be on the inside. We just got our bands, next-day air! Ordered them monday night and got them wednesday morning!

Fastpass+ is like a fastpass that you can reserve from home, or at a kiosk the morning you arrive at the park. You can do 3 and sometimes for MK, it will give you a bonus one. I didn't much care about my fastpass+ selections, none of the times listed were that great for what and when we wanted them, with the exception of our last day, in which I did Space Mountain (the only day it's open on our trip!!!) as well as MSEP and Wishes! Will come in handy, seeing as how we will be hightailing it from our dinner reservation in DTD.

 

[Figaro928]

Sorry if i'm beating a dead horse here, but threads with 100+ replies are a little overwhelming.... I'm just confused over how to make it work for our trip.

We are going in the (hopefully) slower time in September + we'll be with two small kids, so we may not need as many FP's as we did when we were summer single travelers . So I think we may stick with the paper FP - as long as they're still available for rides

you can do FP+ for parades & Wishes - how the heck does that work? is there a reserved area? And how will the FP+ QS reservations works? Those we might actually utilize!!!

Thanks again for any and all help!!!!

 

[Anotherfaceinthecrowd]

Sorry if i'm beating a dead horse here, but threads with 100+ replies are a little overwhelming.... I'm just confused over how to make it work for our trip.

We are going in the (hopefully) slower time in September + we'll be with two small kids, so we may not need as many FP's as we did when we were summer single travelers . So I think we may stick with the paper FP - as long as they're still available for rides

you can do FP+ for parades & Wishes - how the heck does that work? is there a reserved area? And how will the FP+ QS reservations works? Those we might actually utilize!!!

Thanks again for any and all help!!!!

Yep they are still available im guessing until the FP+ is fully rolled out and from what I can work out there will be reserved areas for FP+ fro parades and fireworks

 

[Rob562]

A few notes:

-You might want to just make FP+ reservations anyway, even if you plan on only doing paper FP's, since there's no harm in making them and hey, then you'll have FP+ (for which the time and attractions can be changed right up until you actually use them, based on availability).

-FP+ for parades and fireworks are for viewing areas specifically for FP+. The FP+ screen will tell you where the location is. (Wishes is in/near the Rose Garden, for example)

-For the names on the Bands, the names are printed on the *inside* so that you can tell whose is whose if two get the same color, but there is nothing on the outside saying the names. That being said, your first names *do* pop up on the CM's screens when you use the Band to enter the park or use your FP+ reservations.



-Rob

 

[Figaro928]

Thank you so so so much!!

On the website now trying to figure it out & plan my days, but no QS meals or parades or firework events are an option - just the rides. Is that option somewhere else on the site?

 

[Figaro928]

ok - last thing... we were planning on park hopping a few days... could I get a fp for mornings in one park & evenings in another???

 

[WDW-LUVR]

when we did our fastpass reservation we did not have and QS meal option, we had no options for Wishes, or the paraded at MK. We were able to do a fastpass for illumination at EP, and I can't remember if we had the option for the parade at AK.

 

[PrincessMia]

I've also customized the Magic Bands for our upcoming trip. I'm in the process of making FP+ selections- if paper FP are also still available right now, how do I get one without a KTTK? Will I get one of those in addition to the band?

 

[Joshua&CalebDad]

No, it will not show names on the outside. It will be on the inside. We just got our bands, next-day air! Ordered them monday night and got them wednesday morning!

Fastpass+ is like a fastpass that you can reserve from home, or at a kiosk the morning you arrive at the park. You can do 3 and sometimes for MK, it will give you a bonus one. I didn't much care about my fastpass+ selections, none of the times listed were that great for what and when we wanted them, with the exception of our last day, in which I did Space Mountain (the only day it's open on our trip!!!) as well as MSEP and Wishes! Will come in handy, seeing as how we will be hightailing it from our dinner reservation in DTD.

FYI...you can make a Fast Pass+ selection and then just go back and modify the time. It is a bit of a pin to back in and modify the times one at a time but it can be done. I choose all of our attractions and okayed everything and then went back in and choose another time that was more suitable to my family's liking. I hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[mitchk]

ok - last thing... we were planning on park hopping a few days... could I get a fp for mornings in one park & evenings in another???

Nope ... One park per day ..but as someone else stated, You can still take advantage of paper fast passes as well . Have a magical trip

 

[Joshua&CalebDad]

ok - last thing... we were planning on park hopping a few days... could I get a fp for mornings in one park & evenings in another???

Unfortunately, the FP+ system does not allow you to split daily choices between multiple parks. You will have to choose all three FP+ reservations for just one park. If you are park hopping between parks that are offering EMH's why not make FP+ reservations in the park not offering EMH (i.e. you start the morning in Animal Kingdom (make FP+ selections here) and then hop over to Magic Kingdom in the afternoon, which is offering the EMH). This could allow you to get more rides in that way since an evening EMH park will have almost no lines in the evenings.

 

[lunchbox1175]

Ok so my families trip is in 19 days and I just got an email saying we've been chosen to use the magic bands. Cool, I think...right?

I've kind of been avoiding all the threads that discussed the magic bands because I thought they wouldn't pertain to this trip & now I'm clueless & Disney's website are NO HELP

So how will I use them? It says to put a name on them & make them customized - will that name show to the public (I'm weird with my kids' names out in the public & strangers knowing their names) ? Right now all of our dining reservations are linked to my name, but I'm not eating at every reservation - will they need my band/be able to look up the reservation/ or do I need to go back to their impossible website & change each reservation? Again - the trip is 19 days away & since I've "customized" them will they be shipped on time?

OK - Lastly - what the heck is the point of fastpass +?? ... Why does the site keep asking me if I want to get my Fastpasses NOW for Dumbo. Is there anyway to positively utilize FP+?

Sorry for all the questions! I'm a crazy plaaner & this was a little monkey wrench thrown into my Disney Mix!!!

Haha...I just got the same email about an hour ago, and I have already done everything!! We leave in 21 days, and the first thing I did was call the number on the email, because we have AP's and I wasn't sure how to link them, the IT lady Isis was extremely helpful, she walked me through linking our AP's and even helped to change my wifes account to link to mine, as there was some kind of issue and she fixed it and emailed me a follow up as well. It was very easy to pick the FP's, the only thing I had to work around was some being a little closer to ADR's than I would like, but it does show a warining when a FP would overlap with and ADR, so that was good. At this time, you can only get them for one park per day thought, you can't do Tower in the morning at HS, and then do Soarin and Test Track in the evening at Epcot. Hope it all goes well for you!

 

[Figaro928]

Thanks everyone for your help! I'm still unable to use my FP+ for any parades or fireworks but was able to grab some for the attractions. Here's hoping for few hiccups!

 

[wogwog]

In case you are not aware. When planning remember during your visit the MK will hard ticket Halloween parties several days a week. The park will close at seven for day guests.

 

[Anotherfaceinthecrowd]

I've also customized the Magic Bands for our upcoming trip. I'm in the process of making FP+ selections- if paper FP are also still available right now, how do I get one without a KTTK? Will I get one of those in addition to the band?

At the moment you will get the band and KTTW card thats how you can "double dip" the normal FPs

 

[Joshrzmeup]

It says that I can link my dining reservations to my band...since I booked through a TA, can I still do that? And if for what ever reason bands don't show my reservation when I arrive, I will still have it on my KTTW card, correct?

 

[Anotherfaceinthecrowd]

It says that I can link my dining reservations to my band...since I booked through a TA, can I still do that? And if for what ever reason bands don't show my reservation when I arrive, I will still have it on my KTTW card, correct?

Yes yOu can link them and yes you still get your KTTW card

 

[Figaro928]

Is the MDE site really time-consuming and tedious? Or am I just starting to sound like my mom.... It seems slow and I keep having to back-track on every step. Plus - for the life of me I cannot figure out how to add parades/fireworks.

Deep breathes... 19 days...19 days...