Online Check-In and Going to the Parks Early

[begood524]

Just checked in online in advance, does this eliminate the need to go the hotel and have the Magicbands linked/activated? I have looked and gotten no definitive answer. Help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[JaxFLBear]

No need to stop at your resort unless you want to drop off your luggage with bell services.

Your MagicBands for a resort stay are linked & active as soon as they are processed and sent out.

 

[Weather_Lady]

The only exception to this would be if you have a split stay that is room-only, followed by a package reservation (meaning your tickets are part of a room-and-ticket package for a stay that won't start until sometime after your arrival day). Visits are sometimes structured that way, to take advantage of room discounts or dining specials that are only valid for the latter part of a stay. If that was the case, you would have to go to your resort and have your tickets activated "early" -- up to 3 days before your checked in for the package part of your stay.

Assuming you're in the 99.99% of visitors to whom that narrow exception does NOT apply, OP, you're all good!

 

[nickys]

Another slight exception would be if you're coming from outside the US and don't have magic bands from a previous trip.

You could go to GS at the park and collect your hard ticket and go straight in.

If you do have old magic bands you can check they are still active in MDE; if so, they will be good to use and you can get your new ones later back at the resort.

On the other hand, in this case (coming from abroad) you're likely to have hand luggage to drop at bell services first, so you might as well just get the bands then.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Occasionally there would sometimes be an issue with using dining credits from a package or charging to your room account if you didn't check in at the front desk first, but those issues are being reported less and less....

 

[JaxFLBear]

The only exception to this would be if you have a split stay that is room-only, followed by a package reservation (meaning your tickets are part of a room-and-ticket package for a stay that won't start until sometime after your arrival day). Visits are sometimes structured that way, to take advantage of room discounts or dining specials that are only valid for the latter part of a stay. If that was the case, you would have to go to your resort and have your tickets activated "early" -- up to 3 days before your checked in for the package part of your stay.

Package tickets can be activated up to 10 days early at any Guest Relations Location.

 

[DisneyWorldAndy]

Another slight exception would be if you're coming from outside the US and don't have magic bands from a previous trip.

You could go to GS at the park and collect your hard ticket and go straight in.

If you do have old magic bands you can check they are still active in MDE; if so, they will be good to use and you can get your new ones later back at the resort.

On the other hand, in this case (coming from abroad) you're likely to have hand luggage to drop at bell services first, so you might as well just get the bands then.

I was just wondering about that. Does it make any sense to even do the online check-in when coming from abroad and needing to pick up your magic bands at the hotel reception anyways..??

 

[nickys]

I was just wondering about that. Does it make any sense to even do the online check-in when coming from abroad and needing to pick up your magic bands at the hotel reception anyways..??

I don't bother. We always arrive around 7:30pm so no rush to get to the parks. And we always set up spending limits on the boys' bands, which has to be done at the front desk.

 

[DisneyWorldAndy]

thanks!