Dining Reservations and Magic Band

[DWFEVR]

This is the first time in ages we aren't staying on Disney Property but we have reservations at Wilderness Lodge for dinner one night. Even though we aren't staying on site may we still link our reservations to a magic band that is still active? We also aren't going into any of the parks....just having dinner. It's showing up on My Disney Experience and I did link it on the site....not sure if it took. Thanks for any help.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Nothing is ever "linked" to your MagicBand as such. Not dining, not park tickets, not on-property resort reservations.

All of those things are linked to your My Disney Experience profile. Think of the MagicBand like a key that "points" to your My Disney Experience profile. If the reservation is on the profile, the band will pull it up.

What are you hoping to do, exactly? When you tell them your name at the podium, they'll have your reservation right there regardless of whether you have your band or not. It won't really do anything.

 

[DarthVader]

Even though we aren't staying on site may we still link our reservations to a magic band that is still active?

If linking do you mean being able to pay for the dinner at the end? Then that won't happen because your credit card is linked to your resort stay which is linked to your magic band. If your not staying on site then that can't happen.

As for the reservation proper, the magic bands are just a means to get you in the park and use your FPs. I don't think it has anything to do with holding/linking dinner reservations

 

[nickys]

If linking do you mean being able to pay for the dinner at the end? Then that won't happen because your credit card is linked to your resort stay which is linked to your magic band. If your not staying on site then that can't happen.

As for the reservation proper, the magic bands are just a means to get you in the park and use your FPs. I don't think it has anything to do with holding/linking dinner reservations

Anything on MDE can be accessed through your magic band. Nothing is stored on your band. Everything is linked to your MDE account.

The magic band can show your hotel reservation, ADRs etc, just as it can your fastpasses. A restaurant can scan your band and access your booking. Or you can just give them a name and they will find it.

So to @DWFEVR , yes you will be able to use your magic band when you arrive at a restaurant, if they have scanners at the check-in. You don't need to do anything, your ADR is on MDE and everything is set.

 

[TheGuyThatMakesSwords]

Nothing is ever "linked" to your MagicBand as such. Not dining, not park tickets, not on-property resort reservations.

All of those things are linked to your My Disney Experience profile. Think of the MagicBand like a key that "points" to your My Disney Experience profile. If the reservation is on the profile, the band will pull it up.

What are you hoping to do, exactly? When you tell them your name at the podium, they'll have your reservation right there regardless of whether you have your band or not. It won't really do anything.

Better.... There is no "one system" at WDW. Each Restaurant TRIES to maintain a local copy of your Reservation at the Restaurant level.
Why? Because the CENTRAL Database holding your Reservation Numbers goes down. OFTEN.

Your MB is indeed just a key into the Master backend Database. But a LOT of facilities have local copies of this data, to protect themselves from problems associated with Master Database failure. Your entry to your ROOM (MB), is stored at the local Hotel. Your DINING Data is stored at the Hotel, or Restaurant level. All to have a bit of backup WHEN the ancient Central Database Server pukes, or the Network goes down.

So - a suggestion: ALWAYS PRINT OUT YOUR RESERVATION NUMBERS. ALL of them. Carry this with you. PAPER.
When trouble hits? There is nothing like PAPER, with a Res Number on it, captured from MDE (capture the letterhead), to stop
"Our System is down" whining.

HOW?

1) In Chrome - go to MDE "My Reservations".
2) PRINT. If you can print to PDF? Great .... upload this to your Cell Phone.

CARRYING Hard copy Res Numbers, downloaded and printed from MDE, has saved our tail ends SEVERAL times. Paper is cheap, folds well, can be stuffed in a pocket, and is WONDERFUL when confusion erupts .

All personal opinion - I'm not necessarily right, no one else is necessarily wrong.

 

[jaklgreen]

This is the first time in ages we aren't staying on Disney Property but we have reservations at Wilderness Lodge for dinner one night. Even though we aren't staying on site may we still link our reservations to a magic band that is still active? We also aren't going into any of the parks....just having dinner. It's showing up on My Disney Experience and I did link it on the site....not sure if it took. Thanks for any help.

The magic bands are just like the old plastic key cards that would open your door/tickets/charging privilege if you were staying on property. It is just in the shape of a bracelet now. So many people are confused by this. It's just like the card, just a different shape.

 

[Lyman]

If you don't want Disney tracking you use an old band. There is two parts to the band. one is the tracking feature. It tracks your wandering around. This part needs a battery to broadcast a RIF signal. The battery is good for about 2 years. The other part is passive, it doesn't broadcast a signal. This part allows you:

get into your room
make purchases IE tickets, dinners, get through gate at hotel parking. etc.

I found this out when I looked on my disney app. and verified with front desk.

I had new bands and old bands with me. They all worked.

You have to use the app to deactivate the the bands.