Magic Band Purchase

[tguz]

We booked a vacation for later in 2019 and we each chose our Magic Band color already so we will get those shipped to us from Disney before our vacation. My girlfriend just saw the new Mary Poppins Magic Band and I am going to buy it for her. My question is, can we tie it to our reservation immediately or is that something we have to do at Disney upon arrival? And, when we do get the Mary Poppins one tied to the account, does that mean she will have 2 active Magic Bands for this vacation or will one become inactive?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Think Tink]

Hey there! Yes she should be able to add the band to her MDE account beforehand. The bands attach to the account, not the hotel reservation so the bands will stay active for all future visits as well unless you mark them as inactive. She will then have 2 bands for her next trip.

I brought 5 bands with me in August. I kept changing the band each day lol

 

[tguz]

Hey there! Yes she should be able to add the band to her MDE account beforehand. The bands attach to the account, not the hotel reservation so the bands will stay active for all future visits as well unless you mark them as inactive. She will then have 2 bands for her next trip.

I brought 5 bands with me in August. I kept changing the band each day lol

Awesome!! Thanks. I didn't know bands from previous trips were still active! I will be able to take my bands from 2017 and 2018 so I will have 3 to switch back and forth from. We have not ever bought a "special band" before so thanks for the info!

 

[nickys]

Awesome!! Thanks. I didn't know bands from previous trips were still active! I will be able to take my bands from 2017 and 2018 so I will have 3 to switch back and forth from. We have not ever bought a "special band" before so thanks for the info!

At some point, maybe after around 2 years, the RFID chip that activates the on-ride videos will stop working. So if that is important to you remember to take your new one with you to the parks, even if it’s just in your pocket!

 

[tguz]

At some point, maybe after around 2 years, the RFID chip that activates the on-ride videos will stop working. So if that is important to you remember to take your new one with you to the parks, even if it’s just in your pocket!

Hey thanks. Great info that I will keep in mind!

 

[Rob562]

At some point, maybe after around 2 years, the RFID chip that activates the on-ride videos will stop working. So if that is important to you remember to take your new one with you to the parks, even if it’s just in your pocket!

And to expand on that, all tap-to-use functions will continue to work indefinitely on all Bands. It's just the long-distance functions that stop working in the future. (Though with the ability to remove the pucks, you can always take the "puck" out of a new plain color Band and put it in the specialty Band when its battery dies)

-Rob

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Beware that across the board they are deactivating older bands now -- but you can easily just reactivate them. It looks to me like they are deactivating anything older than 2 years -- so that bands from 2017 through 2019 are currently active but anything from Dec 31 2016 or older have been deactivated across the board by IT.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Awesome!! Thanks. I didn't know bands from previous trips were still active! I will be able to take my bands from 2017 and 2018 so I will have 3 to switch back and forth from. We have not ever bought a "special band" before so thanks for the info!

You can also use a small jeweler's screwdriver to switch out the pucks (Disney calls them the "icon") in the center of the band. So you can have a blue band with an orange puck, that kind of thing.

 

[nickys]

Beware that across the board they are deactivating older bands now -- but you can easily just reactivate them. It looks to me like they are deactivating anything older than 2 years -- so that bands from 2017 through 2019 are currently active but anything from Dec 31 2016 or older have been deactivated across the board by IT.

All mine are still active, including my key to the world card from 2012.

I think this is something they do if you accumulate too many for the system to cope with, but not universally, afaik.

 

[Rob562]

All mine are still active, including my key to the world card from 2012.

I think this is something they do if you accumulate too many for the system to cope with, but not universally, afaik.

All 6 of my Bands are still active, the newest of which is October 2016, oldest are Nov 2014.

-Rob

 

[ninjaprincesst]

Just a tip I have found if you activate the bands from home before your trip all the features work, but when i have purchased them at Disney and activated them i have found that charging does not work and it will not recognize them son rides (like St the end of Small world when your names pop up).