Magic Band mini-vent

[SusieQ79]

We are going in three weeks, and are splitting our stay between BCV and BLT.

I noticed in our account, it said we had TWO sets of Magic Bands coming.

I inquired with Member Services, and they confirmed that yes, we will have to use two separate sets of magic bands since we have two different resort reservations - they won't combine them up front.

I asked what that meant for our tickets, and they said they'd be associated with the first set of bands but when we're there we'll have to have Guest Services then TRANSFER them to the second set so we can get into the parks on the day we change to our new resort.

How annoying.

I haven't bought our tickets yet, so I can't book FP+ yet. I already don't like that we have to plan more than we usually would. We usually plan ADRs and keep to them, but we like to play the parks by ear depending on crowd levels.

 

[nickspace]

I am trying to be open minded about Magic Band but they are very annoying. How can something that is meant to simplify things be such a pain in the neck?

 

[SusieQ79]

That's our problem, too. We were actually really excited about them. I like the idea of them, but it really feels like a lot of the mechanics and details weren't thought through all that well.

 

[Pirate Granny]

We have ten of us and three different resorts...so I will be getting 30 magic bands. We are putting the resort initials on each of the bands xxxx BCV; XxxxOKW and xxxx VGF. Since there aren't ten colors we should have a great time...although I'm told the kiddies you can peal off the gray outer band...so that may help. Will be interesting as I will put all 30 in my carry on.

 

[myhouseofmouse]

Even though they are sending you 2 sets. You will be able to use the same MB for the entire trip. They will just need to update the info on them when you switch resorts. It sucks that you will have to go and check in to update the MB's but you will only the set. We just came back from a Split stay and had to leave the one resort, go check in to other resort and have the MB updated with the ticket info. Only pain was having to go to the resort and check in instead of being able to go right to parks.

Have a great trip.

 

[SusieQ79]

We have ten of us and three different resorts...so I will be getting 30 magic bands. We are putting the resort initials on each of the bands xxxx BCV; XxxxOKW and xxxx VGF. Since there aren't ten colors we should have a great time...although I'm told the kiddies you can peal off the gray outer band...so that may help. Will be interesting as I will put all 30 in my carry on.

OMG PG that's insanity! Great idea for the organization part, though. I actually thought to myself, "Well I'm glad there won't be more than two of us there" and there you are with 10.

 

[SusieQ79]

Even though they are sending you 2 sets. You will be able to use the same MB for the entire trip. They will just need to update the info on them when you switch resorts. It sucks that you will have to go and check in to update the MB's but you will only the set. We just came back from a Split stay and had to leave the one resort, go check in to other resort and have the MB updated with the ticket info. Only pain was having to go to the resort and check in instead of being able to go right to parks.

Have a great trip.

Thanks for the heads up! I think what will work in our favor is that we're moving to BLT, so we can stop there for the Band update and just walk to MK.

I bought our tickets today and it seems to have linked to our reservation successfully, but it will only let me make FP+ selections for myself. I'm hoping that once DH accepts my request to manage his MDE stuff it'll let me do his, and that this isn't some weird glitch.

 

[myhouseofmouse]

Thanks for the heads up! I think what will work in our favor is that we're moving to BLT, so we can stop there for the Band update and just walk to MK.

I bought our tickets today and it seems to have linked to our reservation successfully, but it will only let me make FP+ selections for myself. I'm hoping that once DH accepts my request to manage his MDE stuff it'll let me do his, and that this isn't some weird glitch.

Yeah I think once he accepts, you should be fine. You might want to wait to make the FP+ until he accepts to make sure you are able to get the same times and all.

 

[disneynutz]

We just use MDE to only have one set of bands attached to our account. Used the same bands for the whole vacation at two different resorts.

Bill

 

[SusieQ79]

I was thinking that about FP+...what if I got Test Track and he didn't? I'd never hear the end of it

Thanks also for the tip on being able to use the one Band. It really seemed silly to me. When I asked if she was sure I couldn't combine them onto one, the response was, "Disney appreciates you testing both bands." I'm glad they appreciate it. :-|

 

[Dean]

We are going in three weeks, and are splitting our stay between BCV and BLT.

I noticed in our account, it said we had TWO sets of Magic Bands coming.

I inquired with Member Services, and they confirmed that yes, we will have to use two separate sets of magic bands since we have two different resort reservations - they won't combine them up front.

I asked what that meant for our tickets, and they said they'd be associated with the first set of bands but when we're there we'll have to have Guest Services then TRANSFER them to the second set so we can get into the parks on the day we change to our new resort.

How annoying.

I haven't bought our tickets yet, so I can't book FP+ yet. I already don't like that we have to plan more than we usually would. We usually plan ADRs and keep to them, but we like to play the parks by ear depending on crowd levels.

Maybe there's something I'm not thinking about but is this really any different than it has been? Historically you've had to do the same thing to have your passes on your KTTW card.

 

[d-r]

We are going in three weeks, and are splitting our stay between BCV and BLT.

I noticed in our account, it said we had TWO sets of Magic Bands coming.

I inquired with Member Services, and they confirmed that yes, we will have to use two separate sets of magic bands since we have two different resort reservations - they won't combine them up front.

I asked what that meant for our tickets, and they said they'd be associated with the first set of bands but when we're there we'll have to have Guest Services then TRANSFER them to the second set so we can get into the parks on the day we change to our new resort.

How annoying.

I haven't bought our tickets yet, so I can't book FP+ yet. I already don't like that we have to plan more than we usually would. We usually plan ADRs and keep to them, but we like to play the parks by ear depending on crowd levels.

They told me that we were supposed to use the same magic bands for two years. We put our annual passes on them. We are supposed to use them and bring them back. But I don't know if that will work or not. We are going for a weekend in January and have picked our fast pass times. Haven't tried for our next trip in May yet.

Surely with annual passes we won't have to change them each time we stay at a resort.

I don't know why they call them "bands" they aren't "bands" they are "bracelets."

 

[d-r]

Maybe there's something I'm not thinking about but is this really any different than it has been? Historically you've had to do the same thing to have your passes on you TTW card.

with annual passes our passes were always separate from the room key now they are on the bracelet.

 

[disneynutz]

Nothing is put on the bands, ticket media, AP's, FP's, everything is in your MDE account, the bands are used only to access your account.

Bill

 

[Fjobe]

Maybe there's something I'm not thinking about but is this really any different than it has been? Historically you've had to do the same thing to have your passes on your KTTW card.

This is what I was thinking. Anytime I've changed hotels during a stay I've had to transfer the tickets to the new KTTW or have a separate ticket from my room key.

 

[Dean]

with annual passes our passes were always separate from the room key now they are on the bracelet.

OK but there's still nothing lost over previously, is there?

 

[LOVEARS]

During our trip in Oct we had a split stay and had two sets of bands. It worked out with just a couple of small issues.

The wife has an AP so we had to make sure each band had access. The biggest issue was with MDE. MDE creates one account with your DVC account and a separate " regular" account was created when we got the bands. So we had our Guest services cast member link the two accounts and just transfer the info from the second stay over to the first bands.

All in all it took around 30 minutes, so not too bad.

Other than that we experienced no other issues and were actually suprised how easy they were to use. It was also nice to not worry about our daughter losing her card and not worrying about giving her cash to lose when she was away from us.

 

[d-r]

OK but there's still nothing lost over previously, is there?

as long as we don't have to get them reset after a stay.

so far the passes on the bracelets went without a hitch for us.

The only thing I have experienced lost so far is combining photopasses from disneyland and aulani with disney world.

 

[Msmithmd]

Like others have stated, there is nothing at all "on" a band. It doesn't have any type of drive. It just emits a fixed RFID code number that is associated with your MDE account. As long as the band is active and associated with your account, it works.

I currently have three bands (as well as annual pass cards) for each member of my family of five. And all work interchangeably for that given person. The AP card does everything the band does, incidentally: including FP+ ride entrances. The only thing the AP card won't do is the "active (distance) RFID", which is a feature of the bands that isn't being used yet for anything.

What the AP card will do that the band can't, for now at least, is pull FP-. This also works for daily tickets. So I would strongly recommend folks who are going to buy a regular ticket do so online before their trip, and have the ticket shipped to your home. This way the ticket window doesn't have the option of adding the ticket to your MDE account without giving you an actual ticket card.

If some Disney activity (lodging, dining plan, FP+) is associated with your MDE account, then every RFID media you have from them should work simultaneously, as long as you haven't de-activated that item in MDE. Now the system has been full of glitches so when you check in and resorts talk about "putting your room key on your band" or a ticket window talks about "putting your ticket on the band," all they are really saying is that they need to make sure that the given item is associated with your MDE, and that the band also still works for your MDE.

But as I understand from discussing with a Disney network engineer, you can have literally dozens of bands associated with a single person's account simultaneously. So ALL your bands should work. Ours did on a split stay last month. I definitely agree that it seems wasteful for them to ship so many out. For now, our goal is a band of every color per person. We will reach that in a couple months. Guess I know why Disney price inflation keeps accelerating.

 

[disneynutz]

Like others have stated, there is nothing at all "on" a band. It doesn't have any type of drive. It just emits a fixed RFID code number that is associated with your MDE account. As long as the band is active and associated with your account, it works.

I currently have three bands (as well as annual pass cards) for each member of my family of five. And all work interchangeably for that given person. The AP card does everything the band does, incidentally: including FP+ ride entrances. The only thing the AP card won't do is the "active (distance) RFID", which is a feature of the bands that isn't being used yet for anything.

What the AP card will do that the band can't, for now at least, is pull FP-. This also works for daily tickets. So I would strongly recommend folks who are going to buy a regular ticket do so online before their trip, and have the ticket shipped to your home. This way the ticket window doesn't have the option of adding the ticket to your MDE account without giving you an actual ticket card.

If some Disney activity (lodging, dining plan, FP+) is associated with your MDE account, then every RFID media you have from them should work simultaneously, as long as you haven't de-activated that item in MDE. Now the system has been full of glitches so when you check in and resorts talk about "putting your room key on your band" or a ticket window talks about "putting your ticket on the band," all they are really saying is that they need to make sure that the given item is associated with your MDE, and that the band also still works for your MDE.

But as I understand from discussing with a Disney network engineer, you can have literally dozens of bands associated with a single person's account simultaneously. So ALL your bands should work. Ours did on a split stay last month. I definitely agree that it seems wasteful for them to ship so many out. For now, our goal is a band of every color per person. We will reach that in a couple months. Guess I know why Disney price inflation keeps accelerating.

Non-touch RFID is currently being used in some restaurants and at attractions where your picture is taken on the ride. In restaurants where you order and pick where to sit, the servers know who and where you are from your MDE account. Photos from the ride are added to your photo pass account without you having to do a thing.

Bill