Hi. I am new here. I am planning our BIG family vacation to WDW for next year. The last time we went was 2009 and a LOT has changed. I've been trying understand all the Magic Band rules. I think this time we may stay on site. I know we will get Magic Bands through our package, but then I keep seeing all these "character and limited edition" bands that seem to be only sold at the parks??? My best friend lives close to the parks and can drop by to pick up these special character ones, but then I read something about it being difficult to transfer your tickets to another band?? I am just confused. I tried to read through the discussions on this board but there are so many and it was just confusing me even more. I know that the Magic Bands are an option only. I just don't want to spend extra money on the "special park" Magic Bands if we aren't even able to use them. Thank you!
-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Magic band question
- Thread starter Erdica
- Start date
RonAnnArbor
Well-Known Member
The special park magic bands can be transferred over by your resort or at Guest Relations at WDW --- you don't need to have your friend get anything in advance -- there are dozens and dozens of different designs - each shop seems to have some unique selections. Just find what you like when you are there and have your band connected on site. By the way, there is nothing to transfer over to the bands. All they do is attach your unique ID number to the band. All bands stay active. I have 18 bands. They all work. Just order your bands as usual on the website so you can select your basic band color and a name for it. Then get a special band if you want one at WDW.
Jake Wilson
Active Member
Open and closed case Watson! That's what I like to see here, great job on the quick response!
J_Krafty24
Active Member
With the coming Shop Disney Parks app will there be any reason the special bands cannot be pre-purchased and linked instead of waiting until you get to the park?
lilclerk
Well-Known Member
The app is already available, but you can't purchase MBs through it. It just shows you which shops they're in.
Attachments
jenos0524
Active Member
Is there a way to upgrade the magic bands they send you to the ones with images/designs on them? I am not going until August and I have no need for two bands per person, but Figured if i could upgrade to surprise my family I would. If not I will just have the solid color ones. Thanks!
lilclerk
Well-Known Member
No, you can only get the solid color ones with a resort stay. You can purchase the graphic ones and use those instead of the solid color ones, though! You can get some of them on the Shop Disney Parks app now, or disneystore.com also has them.
BJones82
Well-Known Member
As others have said no, but you can also refuse the solid color ones, then they give you RFID tickets and once you're in the parks you can just buy your band and activate them, that way you don't waste the solid color ones if you don't want to
The Shop Disney Parks app does allow you to purchase the special bands - I just purchased the Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom ones the other day. And it gave me the Disney rewards credit card discount without me having to enter the promo code.
WillCAD
Member
Think of MagicBands as keys. They open up a box of stuff. The box is your account on MyDisneyExperience.
Everything is linked to the box - your resort reservations, tickets, Advance Dining Reservations, dining plan credits, FastPass+ selections, Memory Maker entitlements, and your PhotoPass account.
Your MagicBand is also linked to your account, which enables it to access anything in the account. If you have a ticket in your account, you can scan your MagicBand at the gate to get into the parks. If you have made advance FastPass selections, you scan your MagicBand to enter the FP queue (and it knows if you're too early or too late and won't let you in). If you have purchased one of the Disney Dining Plans, you scan your MagicBand to a payment device in restaurants and eateries to use the credits. You can also link a credit card to your account, and use your MagicBand to charge purchases on WDW property (but only if you're staying at a WDW resort - it's what we used to call Room Charging).
To prevent fraud, you have to go into your MDX account in advance (or do it at resort check-in) and set a 4-digit PIN, much like you do with an ATM card. You enter the PIN any time you use a Dining Plan credit or make a purchase.
Since MagicBands are just fancy keys, you can have duplicates. There is no limit to how many MagicBands can be linked to your account - but only a maximum of ten (per person) can be active at any given time. If you have multiple resort stays, or split stays, or you buy some of the imprinted MagicBands in the parks, you can just keep adding more of them to your account and wear whichever one strikes your fancy on any particular day. I currently have four. Eventually I'll get all of the different solid colors, and I might spring for an imprinted one some time if I see one that I really like. They make nice Christmas tree ornaments.
And since they're just fancy keys, nothing is actually stored on the MagicBands themselves. No personal info, tickets, entitlements or anything else is stored on the MagicBands - it's all in your Disney Account. In other words, your tickets, entitlements, reservations, etc. are not linked to or loaded on your MagicBands - they are loaded into your Disney account, and your MagicBand opens the account for you. So if you buy a new MagicBand, all you have to do is link it to your Disney account, and it will instantly be able to access everything in your account.
Like the old Key to the World cards, MagicBands can be deactivated if lost or stolen.
I hope that's helpful.
Everything is linked to the box - your resort reservations, tickets, Advance Dining Reservations, dining plan credits, FastPass+ selections, Memory Maker entitlements, and your PhotoPass account.
Your MagicBand is also linked to your account, which enables it to access anything in the account. If you have a ticket in your account, you can scan your MagicBand at the gate to get into the parks. If you have made advance FastPass selections, you scan your MagicBand to enter the FP queue (and it knows if you're too early or too late and won't let you in). If you have purchased one of the Disney Dining Plans, you scan your MagicBand to a payment device in restaurants and eateries to use the credits. You can also link a credit card to your account, and use your MagicBand to charge purchases on WDW property (but only if you're staying at a WDW resort - it's what we used to call Room Charging).
To prevent fraud, you have to go into your MDX account in advance (or do it at resort check-in) and set a 4-digit PIN, much like you do with an ATM card. You enter the PIN any time you use a Dining Plan credit or make a purchase.
Since MagicBands are just fancy keys, you can have duplicates. There is no limit to how many MagicBands can be linked to your account - but only a maximum of ten (per person) can be active at any given time. If you have multiple resort stays, or split stays, or you buy some of the imprinted MagicBands in the parks, you can just keep adding more of them to your account and wear whichever one strikes your fancy on any particular day. I currently have four. Eventually I'll get all of the different solid colors, and I might spring for an imprinted one some time if I see one that I really like. They make nice Christmas tree ornaments.
And since they're just fancy keys, nothing is actually stored on the MagicBands themselves. No personal info, tickets, entitlements or anything else is stored on the MagicBands - it's all in your Disney Account. In other words, your tickets, entitlements, reservations, etc. are not linked to or loaded on your MagicBands - they are loaded into your Disney account, and your MagicBand opens the account for you. So if you buy a new MagicBand, all you have to do is link it to your Disney account, and it will instantly be able to access everything in your account.
Like the old Key to the World cards, MagicBands can be deactivated if lost or stolen.
I hope that's helpful.
Think of MagicBands as keys. They open up a box of stuff. The box is your account on MyDisneyExperience.
Everything is linked to the box - your resort reservations, tickets, Advance Dining Reservations, dining plan credits, FastPass+ selections, Memory Maker entitlements, and your PhotoPass account.
Your MagicBand is also linked to your account, which enables it to access anything in the account. If you have a ticket in your account, you can scan your MagicBand at the gate to get into the parks. If you have made advance FastPass selections, you scan your MagicBand to enter the FP queue (and it knows if you're too early or too late and won't let you in). If you have purchased one of the Disney Dining Plans, you scan your MagicBand to a payment device in restaurants and eateries to use the credits. You can also link a credit card to your account, and use your MagicBand to charge purchases on WDW property (but only if you're staying at a WDW resort - it's what we used to call Room Charging).
To prevent fraud, you have to go into your MDX account in advance (or do it at resort check-in) and set a 4-digit PIN, much like you do with an ATM card. You enter the PIN any time you use a Dining Plan credit or make a purchase.
Since MagicBands are just fancy keys, you can have duplicates. There is no limit to how many MagicBands can be linked to your account - but only a maximum of ten (per person) can be active at any given time. If you have multiple resort stays, or split stays, or you buy some of the imprinted MagicBands in the parks, you can just keep adding more of them to your account and wear whichever one strikes your fancy on any particular day. I currently have four. Eventually I'll get all of the different solid colors, and I might spring for an imprinted one some time if I see one that I really like. They make nice Christmas tree ornaments.
And since they're just fancy keys, nothing is actually stored on the MagicBands themselves. No personal info, tickets, entitlements or anything else is stored on the MagicBands - it's all in your Disney Account. In other words, your tickets, entitlements, reservations, etc. are not linked to or loaded on your MagicBands - they are loaded into your Disney account, and your MagicBand opens the account for you. So if you buy a new MagicBand, all you have to do is link it to your Disney account, and it will instantly be able to access everything in your account.
Like the old Key to the World cards, MagicBands can be deactivated if lost or stolen.
I hope that's helpful.
Best explanation of how magic bands function, ever. And I'm including Disney in that comment.