MB FP+/AP report

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Just a brief report on my initial experience with my Magicband. Two of us made reservations at a WDW resort a couple of months ago, got our bands in the mail, etc. We both linked our tickets (one regular ticket, one AP) online on the MDE site. I can't remember if our reservations were automatically linked or if we did it but, regardless, they were linked. We also linked ourselves as "family" to make FP+ reservations together.

Pretty simple so far, except I think the MDE website is really clunky and needs some polishing. So does their app (at least the Android one).

Then comes the day to go to a park for half the day before we check into the hotel. We went through the gates with our tickets as usual (not the Magicbands). We went to our first FP+ ride and scanned our Magicbands - no problem at all. Went to the second ride - still no problem. Third ride...perfect. So far the experience was perfect.

Checking into the resort was typical and the Magicbands were already working as room keys without anybody doing anything extra. The only thing I did different was ask for a regular room key card. I really don't expect to do any more FP+ reservations on this trip and it seemed silly to wear the band just to get into the room and park. There was some confusion and a couple of managers had to get it set up - but they did. No problem.

Finally, it turns out my regular old AP card that I've been carrying around since spring worked as a room key too (thus having the extra room key wasn't needed).

So far everything has been flawless.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Yes, and for the time being the AP card also works inside the parks in the regular old Fastpass machines, meaning you can get your 3 FP+, use the room key for more fastpasses, and your plastic AP for yet more fastpasses....its a glitch, but it works for now

 

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FWIW the room key did not work at MK for regular fastpasses but the AP did. I was staying at an All Star resort and they'd just changed the way the room keys were handled. Apparently I was the first one to get an actual room key under the new system.

Others in our group (different rooms) had regular tickets purchased before the trip, their magic bands and regular tickets worked interchangeably but the tickets (cards) didn't work as a room key.

It's been years since I've stayed "on property" so I don't know what the procedure for driving into a resort used to be. Now though, when you hit the gate they ask (literally) for your "band". The security guard at the gate scans your magic band and if it clears then he opens the gate. Sounds great except I didn't bring my magic band when I went to dinner...the room key I'd asked for worked though.

While the bands worked perfectly, I wasn't overly thrilled with them. While our FP+ reservations worked great, actually wearing the ticket only saved me the horrible ordeal (insert sarcasm ) of having to pull out my wallet 4 times over the course of a day. Big deal. Over the next three days none of us used the bands for anything except park-entry and as room keys. They're a neat option that I can appreciate, but can be overkill for many of us.