Magic bands questions

[MammaMia 80s Kid]

Hi! I pre-ordered 5 magic band + bracelets right from the Disneygo site for my family several weeks ago. I really did not want to choose from the selection that was there because I had heard that guests could get bands for $10 each this past December. Besides a Gaston MB 2 and an Up MB 2 for $20 and $15 each, my only other option for the buy ahead bands was a $24.95 solid color MB + for each person (better to much better price than at Shop Disney or Amazon).

At that time, I was debating between POFQ (where I had a reservation for 2 connected rooms through Disney), OKW (where I had a reservation made through another agency), or maybe even Swan Reserve.

I did call to ask what would happen if I changed my resort reservation (but still stated on-site) and, after being connected to someone who specialized in MB, was told that the bands would not be canceled and could be just used for the other resort.

Anyway, a few weeks after receiving our bands during which I charged them, but didn’t try link them to anything I had set up on MDE (had POFQ, park tickets, and reservations), I saw the bands listed with codes for each of us through MDE and changed my resort to 2 connected rooms at the Dolphin, which is not available through Disneygo for my dates, but it had finally become available through Marriott.

I know these MB+‘S are nonrefundable and that the Dolphin doesn’t allow me to use the bands as a room key or to charge back to my room, but I am hoping I don’t get charged an additional $10 per band, as I don’t know if I had booked the Dolphin straight through the Disney site if I would have been given the option to buy the pre-trip MB’s for each member of my party.

I was surprised to see that, after I linked my Dolphin reservation through MDE, no pre-arrival MB’s were offered for my parents, who are now on the reservation (we’re not on the POFQ one), but my other bands were still there connected to my family members.

As I had already received the other bands and do plan to use them if possible for my family even though the Dolphin doesn’t allow us use them as a room key, will I retroactively be charged additional $10 per band since they were discounted for pre-trip? I understood what I was told by the MB specialist over the phone to mean that, if I switched my reservation to the Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, or any Disney hotel, my advance MB+ purchase would stand, but if I cancelled my hotel without moving us elsewhere, my purchase would be retroactively charged for an additional $10 per band.

Does anyone know if I will be charged extra now for my pre-arrival MB+’s even though I moved my reservation to the Dolphin, which is included with deluxe resorts for extended hours access?

Also, at the Dolphin, can we still use them to link our park tickets and reservations, get on Tron or another ride with ILL or a VQ, show our reservation on my Disney experience for early and extended hours access, and get pictures linked on a day that we might have genie +?

Can you access MDE, Genie +, VQ’s, and ILL’s on a MB/MB +?

Can I still link up some form of payment on my teens’ (and 9 year-old’s) MB +’s? Can I link up a Disney gift card if I combinr them all into one or do I need to add the code any time I use one? Can I use DGC’s via MDE just my phone with a code for each gift card (like for QS locations)?

Also, does anyone know if there are magic bands or magic band +’s available at the gift shop at the Dolphin? I heard that people found solid magic bands (or magic band +’s) for as little as $15 or $19 at Disney Springs or maybe some other place on site, but we don’t plan to go there for this very short trip (2 nights, 3 days-but the first day will start at Disney after at least 2 pm and the last will have to end by 7:45/8 pm so that we can head to MCO for a 10:50 pm flight home).

I am wondering if I should return the MB 2 that I bought for my mother on Amazon, which is fully refundable if not opened. It ended up costing about $31 with taxes and free shipping. I only purchased one instead of two (for both of my parents) bc there was not another $30 one available at the time that I ordered this. Now, there is another Mb 2 for $29 on Amazon. Nonetheless, I would rather not buy those ahead of time and allow my parents to choose from the selection at the Dolphin if there is one and get less expensive MB 2’s or MB +’s if they wanted them. My mother is applying for doing DAS for chronic bowel issues and severe colitis, along with some other issues for which she’s been recently hospitalized, so I think that having a MB 2 or MB + might be helpful/more efficient and convenient. I don’t know.

Please let me know if you have answers to any of my questions, and thank you!!

 

[lanejudy]

I'm pretty sure there haven't been $10 bands available for a while. MB inventory seems to fluctuate often, and if the "cheaper" ones do available, they are probably the older MB 2.0 and not MB+. MB+ are the kind that you need to charge, and the latest version.

MBs are not used at the Dolphin because it is a Marriott hotel and not a WDW resort. I do not think you'll be charged extra for the MBs you already bought, but if you didn't previously order MBs for everyone in the party the others will not be eligible for discounted bands now. You can use them for access to the parks, access to LL, some ride photos and (assuming MB+) for some other interactive stuff. They can't be used for purchases or as a room key because those are functions only available to WDW-owned resort guests. There is more about MagicBands on a "sticky" post on the TPAS Forum.

 

[loves to dive]

You will not be back charged for the bands you have already bought and paid for.

I don't know about returning the ones to Amazon, you would have to look at the policy that was stated when you bought them.

I stay at Dolphin often, actually have an upcoming trip next Sat. but really don't remember if you can buy them in the gift shop there. If they have plastic tickets, they really don't need MBs unless they just want them.

I don't think you can link a gift card or cc to your MB if you are staying at Dolphin. You can only charge to them when staying at a WDW resort since they charge back to your room, which has a cc associated with it. Since Dolphin is not a WDW owned resort, you can not charge back to them from the parks.

Yes, you can still do all Genie+, late hours, etc. that you can do from a Disney deluxe resort. Do be warned, sometimes your Dolphin reservation will disappear from MDE. Just check it before you attempt to purchase or make your LLs and add it back if it's disappeared. I've had mine go away before my trip but never after I've actually arrived.