"Activating" charging to magic band

[Figment Mom]

On our last visit I checked in at the desk and thought I linked a credit card to my magic band. Shortly after that we made a purchase at the food court. My band didn't work. I had to return to the desk.

Have you had this happen? I want to avoid this snafu next time. Is there something special I need to do?

If I do online checkin do I still have to go to the desk to set this up?

 

[cwestpvb]

If you put a card on file during online check in, as well as create the pin code, it should set you up to charge using the magic band. They place holds on your card, so if your card or bank has any limits or settings that would have it block charges it could prevent the magic band from working. I had a quick issue on my last visit, but I visited the front desk and they quickly removed the card from file and put it back and everything worked fine after that. If you want to be sure on your next visit, you can go to the front desk to make sure everything is set up. It definitely would not hurt to double check.

 

[shocker]

You can also establish who on the reservation has charging privileges when you're logged into your account. You can set pin up for each user.

 

[Figment Mom]

I don't understand why if you set it up online and/or at the desk you'd have to go back to the desk and redo anything.

Yes, yes, Disney IT.

I guess I'm trying to figure out if it's a common problem. And is it human error (mine or CM)? IT issue?

 

[tjmw2727]

I have had one or more of our bands not work property on some trips and not others.

Now we all go to the resort gift shop prior to heading out and make a small purchase to check our bands, usually a bottle of water or snack. This way if something is off we can just head to the front desk to fix the issue. Fwiw the front desk has never been able to tell me why it happens on some trips and not others!

 

[Wood Nymph]

On our last visit I checked in at the desk and thought I linked a credit card to my magic band. Shortly after that we made a purchase at the food court. My band didn't work. I had to return to the desk.

Have you had this happen? I want to avoid this snafu next time. Is there something special I need to do?

If I do online checkin do I still have to go to the desk to set this up?

I don't understand why if you set it up online and/or at the desk you'd have to go back to the desk and redo anything.

Yes, yes, Disney IT.

I guess I'm trying to figure out if it's a common problem. And is it human error (mine or CM)? IT issue?

We have had this happen to us, even though I had a credit card on file and did online check in. It was extremely embarrassing to be told that my MB didn't work when buying food. The most recent trip in February it happened at both resorts. We had a split stay and had them fix the credit card charging problem by having them run our credit card through their system. When we got to the second resort the credit card was still messed up, even though it had worked at the first resort. I blame Disney IT.

 

[Figment Mom]

We have had this happen to us, even though I had a credit card on file and did online check in. It was extremely embarrassing to be told that my MB didn't work when buying food. The most recent trip in February it happened at both resorts. We had a split stay and had them fix the credit card charging problem by having them run our credit card through their system. When we got to the second resort the credit card was still messed up, even though it had worked at the first resort. I blame Disney IT.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It really seems like a common problem.

I'd love to go straight from the DME bus to a park bus without stopping at the desk but I guess I will.

 

[georgina]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It really seems like a common problem.

I'd love to go straight from the DME bus to a park bus without stopping at the desk but I guess I will.

Or you could just taker another form of payment with you to the park in case the band charging doesn't work, and stop at the front desk should it prove necessary. I always have a gift card or credit card with me in the parks just in case.

 

[Figment Mom]

Or you could just taker another form of payment with you to the park in case the band charging doesn't work, and stop at the front desk should it prove necessary. I always have a gift card or credit card with me in the parks just in case.

Yes, you're right. I'll have other forms of payment because I'll be coming directly from my flight. I just like everything nice and neat on one statement. But it will definitely be fine either way.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks for sharing your experience. It really seems like a common problem.

I'd love to go straight from the DME bus to a park bus without stopping at the desk but I guess I will.

I highly recommend taking a credit/debit card and a little cash with you to the parks even if you're using the magic band for charging. We've had more than one instance where the whole "room charging" system is down when we're out at a park. One time we had just grabbed a few snacks/drinks and were just getting ready to pay with our magic band and the entire charging system was down -- you couldn't charge with a magic band, credit card, or debit card. The only option was cash. We had about $20 on us which wasn't enough to cover the items we were buying so we started to put them back but the CM told us just to keep them and that it was "on Disney". We did give her the $20 which covered most of our bill.

We do always go to the resort when we arrive and have every family member purchase something in the food court to make sure their magic bands are working as expected for charging. Last year we did that and our bands weren't working. I went to the front desk and found out that for some reason, the credit card attached to our file was an old one and it had been replaced (due to a data breach at some retailer) over a year before that. It was not the card *I* attached to our file for that trip but it was one we had used on a prior trip 2 years before that. I had made the down payment and final payment with the new card and the new card is what was showing in MDE. The CM at the front desk completely removed the old card from our profile and replaced it with the new one. Two days later, the magic bands weren't working for charging again. Back to the front desk -- same problem. Fixed it again. Two days later, same problem. That time I talked to a manager at our resort who happened to overhear me explaining to the CM that this was the 3rd time we were fixing it. The manager looked at the file and said that for some reason when a certain update/process was happening (that happened every 48 hours) in Disney's system, it was retrieving our information from a previous stay. And guess what, it happened again on our last day. I didn't bother to have it fixed that time. But that whole situation just reinforced (for us) why it's important to carry a credit card with us all the time even if we're using the MBs for everything.

 

[Figment Mom]

I highly recommend taking a credit/debit card and a little cash with you to the parks even if you're using the magic band for charging. We've had more than one instance where the whole "room charging" system is down when we're out at a park. One time we had just grabbed a few snacks/drinks and were just getting ready to pay with our magic band and the entire charging system was down -- you couldn't charge with a magic band, credit card, or debit card. The only option was cash. We had about $20 on us which wasn't enough to cover the items we were buying so we started to put them back but the CM told us just to keep them and that it was "on Disney". We did give her the $20 which covered most of our bill.

We do always go to the resort when we arrive and have every family member purchase something in the food court to make sure their magic bands are working as expected for charging. Last year we did that and our bands weren't working. I went to the front desk and found out that for some reason, the credit card attached to our file was an old one and it had been replaced (due to a data breach at some retailer) over a year before that. It was not the card *I* attached to our file for that trip but it was one we had used on a prior trip 2 years before that. I had made the down payment and final payment with the new card and the new card is what was showing in MDE. The CM at the front desk completely removed the old card from our profile and replaced it with the new one. Two days later, the magic bands weren't working for charging again. Back to the front desk -- same problem. Fixed it again. Two days later, same problem. That time I talked to a manager at our resort who happened to overhear me explaining to the CM that this was the 3rd time we were fixing it. The manager looked at the file and said that for some reason when a certain update/process was happening (that happened every 48 hours) in Disney's system, it was retrieving our information from a previous stay. And guess what, it happened again on our last day. I didn't bother to have it fixed that time. But that whole situation just reinforced (for us) why it's important to carry a credit card with us all the time even if we're using the MBs for everything.

That issue with your old cc would have been very frustrating! I guess it proves there's no way to guarantee avoiding an issue.

 

[Skippyboo]

Yes, you're right. I'll have other forms of payment because I'll be coming directly from my flight. I just like everything nice and neat on one statement. But it will definitely be fine either way.

Just use the credit card that’s on file as your backup in case MB doesn’t work.

 

[MrsInsG]

Honestly, Magic Band issues are why I always carry cash and an alternate form of payment at Disney. My husband is a stickler for carrying ID, too, and he's right; it's important. I also spend less when I use cash as opposed to the mythical "free money" on my MB! Just a thought...

 

[Day-Day]

Happened to me on my visit in May at Port Orleans Riverside. Scanned my MagicBand at the food court and it was very irritating that it would not charge. I used my credit card that I had with me to pay. I went to the front desk and it was fixed quickly. The CM said a box was un-checked in their system so charges were not allowed. Stupid me, I did not do online check in as I was trying to get a room next to my son's room and figured it would be better to do this in person. I should have made sure my card was set up for charging then.

Also, on the same trip, staying at Yacht Club, we entered our room on my wife's MB and I did not check mine. Later, when I tried to re-enter, my MB would not unlock the door. I had to make a trip down to the front desk. I did online check in for this hotel.

 

[MomOTwins]

This happens to me every time. I just go to the front desk first thing each time.