Let's Talk Magic Bands

One of the best things during the planning of a Walt Disney World vacation is the receipt of Disney Mail, especially if that mail is your Magic Bands. Magic Bands are like a "free" souvenir from your vacation. There are lots of things you get to do with it on  your vacation. It's one of the newest pieces of technology that Disney uses. 

These bands use RF (Radio Frequency) technology. There is no information directly stored on the band. Disney works hard to make sure information stays private! It's also waterproof, go ahead and wear it in the pool or waterpark, the water won't ruin it. 

How do you get a Magic Band? Well, with your Walt Disney World package or room reservation, a Magic Band is included with your reservation. If you aren't staying on Walt Disney World property  you can buy a Magic Band at most shops on property and even on www.disneystore.com. 

Magic Bands come in many different colors, you can set this up on your My Disney Experience. You get to choose your color and what name will be printed on the inside. What's fun is that when you scan it somewhere the name you choose will be the name they see, so go with the fun nicknames if you want. You only get nine characters in your name, so make it a good one. The color choices are gray (standard), blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, and purple. Gray is the standard color and what you will receive if you do not go online and change it. Gray is also the color that is kept at the front desk of the resorts so if you have a problem with your band (or lose it),  you will get gray as a replacement.

I couldn't find a pic with the purple band in it. (Photo courtesy of: Disney Parks Blog)

You will receive your bands in a cool box with the Incredibles on it. Our box contained all 5 bands that we ordered, depending on how big your party is you may get 2 boxes. As you can see from my photo, the box has each band labeled with our names and they sent us the band color that we requested in My Disney Experience.

Those little cards peeking up behind the bands are luggage tags!

There is only one size band. The cool part is that the black outer part of the band comes off to make the band smaller. This smaller size is perfect for kids and even for women with smaller wrists. Be careful, though, once you take that outer part off you cannot put it back on. My suggestion is to try it on first to see how big it is before you start removing parts.

Band on the left is how it comes. Band on the right has had the outer part removed to make it smaller. 

Now on to all the cool uses for Magic Bands. My favorite use is as a room key. Each resort room has a Magic Band scanner on it so you can scan your band as your room key. No more juggling babies and strollers and bags and trying to find your room key because it's already on your wrist.

Another awesome use for the band is that it serves as your park ticket, if you have tickets linked to your account. This means that you can use this band to get into the parks. If you purchase a package from Walt Disney World the tickets are already linked. If you purchase tickets elsewhere, you will need to link them yourself. Since these serve as your park tickets they also serve as  your FastPass+ ticket. If you have any FP+ on your account all you need to do is scan your band at the right time and place and you are ready to go. 

Here is a photo of a family using their band for their FastPass+. (Photo courtesy of: Walt Disney World's website)

These bands are also used for your dining plan, if you purchased it. When you go to a restaurant (counter or table service) all you need to do is order your food and let them know that you are on the dining plan (if you have the dining plan). The cashier or waiter will then scan your Magic Band. You enter your predetermined PIN code and you are all set. How easy is that?

We like to use our bands for room charges, as well. This saves time getting my credit card, cash, or gift card out every time I want to purchase something. This works similar to the dining plan. All you do is scan your band, enter your PIN, and you are done. This one is an option and you can opt out of it if you want. All you need to do is tell the front desk when you are checking in and they will remove the charging option from your band. 

They are your pass to Disney's Magical Express. If you signed up for Disney's Magical Express in advance then make sure to pack your Magic Band in your carry-on bag because it is your pass to ride the motorcoach to your resort. 

It can also be used as a photo card for Disney PhotoPass. If you have one of Disney's photographer take your picture then he/she will scan  your band to load onto your MyDisney Experience account. This also includes some ride photos, as well.  

Disney's Magic Bands can be used for several years. Their batteries are said to last a few years so if you have ones from past vacations you can take them with you. So, make sure you save those bands, if not to reuse, at least save them as a souvenir. 

Just a few of our Magic Bands. 

Do you want to know the worst part about a Magic Band? It is not being able to use it when you come home. You tend to rely on it while you are on vacation and miss the convenience of it when you get home. 

How much do you love your Magic Band?

Do you miss using it when you come home?

If you want to have a Magical Vacation with a Disney's Magic Band please contact me here for a free quote. 

Have a Magical Day :)

Important Things to Pack for a WDW Vacation

I seem to have a lot of people ask me what they should pack for a Walt Disney World vacation. Everyone has opinions as to what is important and what's not.  After 25+ trips to the Mouse house, I've come up with some things that I can't live without while visiting.

Don't leave home without the following:

1.  Clothes. This one should be obvious. I recommend one outfit per day per person, plus extras. This may sound like a lot but you never know when you will run into a rainstorm in Florida, or get wet on Splash Mountain, or feel sweaty, or or or the list goes on and on. For a 6 night vacation I pack 7 or 8 shirts and shorts per person. Don't forget your cute Mickey shirts!

2.  Extra shoes. This one can be tricky. For myself, I always take 2 pairs of tennis shoes (gym shoes, sneakers) and 3 or 4 pairs of flip flops/sandals. I like to have a variety. For my non flipflop wearing boys, I like them to have 2 pairs of shoes (gym shoes, sneakers) so they can rotate on different days.

3. New socks. One of our favorite things to take with us is a brand new package of socks per person. Nothing feels quite as nice as a new pair of socks on tired feet.

We get good deals on socks at T J Maxx!

4.  Laundry detergent. We take Tide Pods. I always do a little bit of laundry while I am relaxing by the pool. The laundry is there so I might as well toss it in. I always, at least, wash our travel clothes. We are from Indiana and travel in the fall so we wear long pants on the plane. It's nice to have clean ones for the flight home without having to pack extras. To go along with this the laundry areas at Walt Disney World no longer take coins, they are credit/debit card only. With the new electronic system you can even watch your washer and dryer online here to know when it's done.

5.  Cash. One thing many people don't think about is cash. You don't need it very many places but you want to make sure you have it if you need it. Some outside vendors (balloons and toy carts) don't take cards or Magic Bands, only cash. There are ATM's available all over WDW but I'm sure the ATM fees are outrageous, usually for both the ATM and your bank. Another thing that you will need cash for is tips for Mousekeeping, bell services, baggage handlers, etc. We take a little, $200-300 and rely on our card for the rest.

6.  Glow Sticks. If you have small children, take your own glow sticks. I've even dedicated an entire blog post to just glow sticks here.

7.  Ponchos/umbrella. It rains in Florida, sometimes once a day. You can fork over the $10 per person for a Mickey poncho but why when you can get a 2 pack at your local dollar store for $1. Because it will rain in Florida. You could buy several packs for that price. Did I mention that it rains, in Florida? I even see people wearing ponchos on Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids.

8.  Toiletries/medicines. Please don't forget your medicines. They should be packed in your carry-on. You can always have your doctor call in what you need but it might be a pain to get to the pharmacy to get what you forgot. As for toiletries, I always make sure we have everything we need from shampoo to soap to razors. I don't want to have to pay the super high prices in the Disney gift shops to get what I didn't have. I've forgotten my facial moisturizer before and struggled to find something to replace it on property. Also, don't forget to pack the cute little first aid kit that we made here.

9.  Extra bag. You see that matching small bag there on top of my suitcase? I don't carry it on the plane, I flatten it on the bottom of my suitcase so I have an empty bag to bring home souvenirs. We also like to hit up the outlet malls and this helps me have extra room for anything I purchase.

10.  Anti-bacterial hand gel. Bathrooms are dirty, even at Walt Disney World. I always have anti-bacterial hand gel with me. I even got this cute one last year at Disney. They are expensive there but have lots of cute choices.

11.  Park bag. I usually carry a park bag. My kids usually carry a park bag. My husband usually carries a park bag. They are helpful to hold your maps, phones, gum/candy/snacks, cameras, first aid kit, and drink bottle. Last year was the first time in forever that I went one day without a bag, it was quite freeing but I got there and realized that my pants had no pockets so I had to carry my phone and I had no place to put my sunglasses on the rides. My husband helped me out by putting my stuff in his pockets. I think I will go without a bag one day this time but probably only once.

My favorite park bag from Thirty-One.

12.  Electronics. We all enjoy our phones, and you might need them for MyDisneyExperience. Some small children are entertained by iPad's in long lines. It's nice for teenagers to have a little distraction from "family time" as well. 

If you want to book a magical vacation, please email me here.

What's something you can't live without while at Walt Disney World?

Have a Magical Day :)