Use magic bands before hotel checkin

David Giles

New Member
Original Poster
Hopefully I’ve got this in the correct forum, also I’m sure I’m missing this but can’t find this exact scenario when searching.

We have a 2 week ticket already linked on our mde account as we’re staying offsite.

I’m thinking of booking 1 night stay at a value resort to get 2 days of 60fp+ in the middle of our stay. I understand we will only get 60fp+ for check in and check out.

What I’m not sure on is could we go and collect the magic bands a week before the hotel reservation and use them for our whole 2 week park ticket.

Would save $100 on magic bands as we want to use them for fast passes as we have done in the past, plus the parking, which virtually pays for the room.

Being from the uk they can’t be sent to us.

Has anyone done this?

Many thanks
 

DisneyJoe

Well-Known Member
As it stands, you definitely would get your magic bands when you check in to the value resort, and they'd be good from that point onward.

I don't know if they'd give them to you a week in advance.

Not sure how you'd be saving on parking, except those 2 days you are a resort guest at the value resort, you wouldn't be paying for theme park parking, but you would be paying for resort overnight parking.
 

David Giles

New Member
Original Poster
Thanks, it’s only $12 per day but add that onto the $100 saving for 4 magic bands that comes out to $124 which almost pays for the room.

Knowing if we can get them early and use for regular park FastPass use is the key though.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
You'll get your magic bands at check in and not before.
I would not bother to book one night in the middle of your trip just to get a magic and and a couple days of FP+ advantage.
Just buy magic bands.
 

Queen of the WDW Scene

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
You say "as we have done in the past", which implies that you've visited before and used MagicBands. If you still have them, just use the Bands you have from before, then get your new Bands when you check into the Disney hotel and switch between them as you wish.

-Rob

Great catch!
Yes OP if you have magic bands from a previous visit just use them!
 

Jon81uk

Well-Known Member
Are you paying for Memory Maker?

If not then I wouldn't worry about it and just use the plastic ticket to check in for the FPs.

The only extra the bands can do is to link the photos that don't appear on a screen at the end (such as Seven Dwarves Mine Train) directly to PhotoPass. You can do everything else with the card and then save money buying a piece of plastic that has no other use.
 

Tuvalu

Premium Member
If you have old magic bands you can link them to your account.
As long as you have a ticket you can use the magic bands. Usually the only tickets that offer magic bands are the Annual Passes and the hotel & ticket packages for Disney hotels. Regular Disney tickets do not offer magic bands. If you have a regular ticket you will have to purchase a Magic band. if you have old magic bands you can use them on your current Disney tickets and future tickets. You will have to link them to your Disney account. If you make a reservation at a Disney hotel that doesn’t mean you will get a magic band. You have to purchase a hotel package that includes the tickets for a fee. Disney hotel guests that have purchased the hotel/ticket package will receive a magic band. Usually they are shipped to the guest 3 weeks before their hotel reservation. If the guests are from another country then Disney will have the magic bands waiting for pickup at the hotel. Fast passes can be reserved 60 day out from the Disney onsite hotel reservation. People that are not staying onsite can reserve fast passes 30days in advance. They are limited to 3 passes a day.
Please stop posting misinformation (bold type).

“Old” MagicBands remains forever linked in a guest’s account unless the guest deletes them. There is no need to link again.

The only tickets that offer MagicBands without a Disney Resort stay are Annual Passes.

MagicBands are tied to Disney Resort accommodations, not tickets. Anyone who books a stay at a Disney Resort WILL receive complimentary MagicBands EVEN WITHOUT PURCHASING TICKETS. The MagicBand serves as a room key and can be used for charging things back to the room account, with a credit card on file. NOTHING is “stored” on the MagicBand; it merely points to one’s My Disney Experience account where the info is stored. This is why no other hotels have MagicBands, they are unique to Disney Resorts only.

Non-resort guests DO NOT need to purchase MagicBands. Physical tickets can be used for admission and scanning at Fastpass entry.
 

nickys

Premium Member
First off the member that started the post is staying offsite not at a Disney resort/hotel. So they will not get a magic band being offsite unless they purchased Magic Bands or a ticket that the purchased has one. My info is not wrong. I am with Disney.
Reread what I wrote. Yes you can unlink a magic band. It is also possible to link a major credit card to a magic band.

Yes, you are right that they will not get a magic band this time, the OP knows this already. They were asking something else.

However that does not change that everything @Tuvalu highlighted in your post is incorrect. As is the part in your reply that I have highlighted.

You cannot link a CC to a magic band. You can only link a CC to your room reservation. Charges made using your magic band are added to your room account, and then charged to your CC. If you do not have an onsite stay, you cannot use your magic band to charge to a CC.

Perhaps your thoughts are getting muddled when committing them to print. At best your replies are not always addressing the issue at hand. But, your replies to various threads have contained factual errors, which iare seriously misleading. This is especially worrying if you genuinely work for Disney.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
If you have old magic bands you can link them to your account. As long as you have a ticket you can use the magic bands. First does your 2 week ticket offer a magic band? Usually the only tickets that offer magic bands are the Annual Passes and the hotel & ticket packages for Disney hotels. Hotels offsite do not offer magic bands. Regular Disney tickets do not offer magic bands. If you have a regular ticket then you will have to purchase a magic band. if you have old magic bands you can use them on your current Disney tickets and future tickets. You will have to link them to your Disney account. If you make a reservation at a Disney hotel that doesn't mean you will get a magic band. You have to purchase a hotel package that includes the tickets for a fee. Disney hotel guests that have purchased the hotel/ticket package will receive a magic band. Usually they are shipped to the guest 3 weeks before their hotel reservation. If the guests are from another country then Disney will have the magic bands waiting for pickup at the hotel. Fast passes can be reserved 60 day out from the Disney onsite hotel reservation. People that are not staying onsite can reserve fast passes 30days in advance. They are limited to 3 passes a day.

You've got no clue how magicbands function. Please stop posting misleading and erroneous information.
 

nickys

Premium Member
You'll get your magic bands at check in and not before.
I would not bother to book one night in the middle of your trip just to get a magic and and a couple days of FP+ advantage.
Just buy magic bands.

To get the FP advantage may be worth it. But it’s unlikely to get FoP, Slinky or MMRR. It might get Smuggler’s Run.

@David Giles, you could check out FP availability on The Dibb, a UK site, to give you an idea of what the 60 day booking window would get you. I would check that out before booking a random night in the middle. Unless you are wanting EMH, in which case keep checking that it’s still happening.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
First off the member that started the post is staying offsite not at a Disney resort/hotel. So they will not get a magic band being offsite unless they purchased Magic Bands or a ticket that the purchased has one. My info is not wrong. I am with Disney.
Reread what I wrote. Yes you can unlink a magic band. It is also possible to link a major credit card to a magic band.

If you work for Disney, you need retraining. You don't link a major credit card to a MB, you link it to a resort reservation through your MDE account. If you're not staying on property, you can't pay with a tap of your MB. 🤦🏻‍♀️

MBs do NOT come with the purchase of a park ticket. Only with a resort reservation or an AP.

No, a guest CANNOT unlink a MB. Once linked, they can only deactivate it or report it lost. Only CMs can "unlink" a MB.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Hopefully I’ve got this in the correct forum, also I’m sure I’m missing this but can’t find this exact scenario when searching.

We have a 2 week ticket already linked on our mde account as we’re staying offsite.

I’m thinking of booking 1 night stay at a value resort to get 2 days of 60fp+ in the middle of our stay. I understand we will only get 60fp+ for check in and check out.

What I’m not sure on is could we go and collect the magic bands a week before the hotel reservation and use them for our whole 2 week park ticket.

Would save $100 on magic bands as we want to use them for fast passes as we have done in the past, plus the parking, which virtually pays for the room.

Being from the uk they can’t be sent to us.

Has anyone done this?

Many thanks

The MBs are available the day of check-in, not before. MBs serve not only as your entry to the parks, but also as your room key. You could visit the front desk of the resort you made a reservation at, but don't be surprised when they refuse to give them to you early. You do know you don't need a MB for FP+, the plastic park ticket also works at the touch points.

If you have MBs from previous resort stays, they still work, unless you've deactivated them in your MDE account. I decline MBs for my resort stays as I have dozens and I just use the same one for each stay.

ETA: Your plastic park ticket will also work at the entry booths to the various parks parking lots. However, you won't get the free parking until the day(s) of your resort stay.
 

LAKid53

Official Member of the Girly Girl Fan Club
Premium Member
Thanks, it’s only $12 per day but add that onto the $100 saving for 4 magic bands that comes out to $124 which almost pays for the room.

Knowing if we can get them early and use for regular park FastPass use is the key though.

You don't need MBs for FP+. The plastic ticket card does the same as a MB for entry to parks and using reserved FP+ selections.
 

ELG13

Well-Known Member
Don't kill me ..I haven't kept up with the parking fees ....how do you get free parking? I thought it was just charged to your room. ***Be gentle y'all😂***
 

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