New AP holder - magic band question

[MilesMouse]

Hello!
My DW and I bought APs for the first time. Typically, we vacation to Disney maybe once a year but we’ve got 3 trips planned over the next 12 months and after doing some number crunching it works in our favor to do that. Anyways, what we’re trying to figure out is how and/or when we should expect to get Magic Bands mailed to us? We’re not staying on property for our first visit coming up in April, so that’s also when we’ll get our chance to first activate our APs. We see in our MDE that we can customize bands for our later two trips that are on property. Does this mean we need to use an old Magic band or wait until we get to WDW and activate our APs?

Thanks!

 

[mountdew1]

Typically you won't be prompted/able to customize your AP bands until after you activate the AP, so after your first trip. If you have old bands on the same MDE accounts, those will work fine for that first offsite stay.

 

[Robo]

Does this mean we need to use an old Magic band or wait until we get to WDW and activate our APs?

Yes.

 

[MilesMouse]

Thanks for the replies. That’s what we were thinking. If we decide to buy a custom band, like a Star Wars one, I’m guessing there’s an ID that can be linked ahead of time to our AP and fast passes?

 

[mountdew1]

Thanks for the replies. That’s what we were thinking. If we decide to buy a custom band, like a Star Wars one, I’m guessing there’s an ID that can be linked ahead of time to our AP and fast passes?

There is a number/identifier on the band that you would add to your MDE profile. Nothing gets linked to your AP, rather your AP gets added/linked to your MDE account.

 

[MilesMouse]

Y’all are awesome (and faster than I can google some of these things!). Thank you for the help.

 

[hakepb]

FYI, when you activate your AP’s, make sure you get/ask for your AP card (the card is technically needed for all discounts, but sometimes CM’s forget if you have a Magic Band)

 

[emmabelle]

FYI, when you activate your AP’s, make sure you get/ask for your AP card (the card is technically needed for all discounts, but sometimes CM’s forget if you have a Magic Band)

and have your license with you! Some of those CM's don't want to give up the discount without a fight. hahahaha

 

[pitpat]

We just got home from our trip where we activated our APs. We customized the AP bands, they shipped the next day and we received them 2 or 3 days later!

 

[dachsie]

I have a question as well. I just bought an AP and wont activate it until 9/21 for an offsite visit. Will I be able to set up FP at 30 days out even tho the AP isn't active yet?

 

[CAS239]

I have a question as well. I just bought an AP and wont activate it until 9/21 for an offsite visit. Will I be able to set up FP at 30 days out even tho the AP isn't active yet?

Yes

 

[tidegirl]

Hi. New here. I wanted to share that if you want to get your new band right away, there is a guest services desk in Liberty Square right next to Hall of Presidents where you can pick one up in park. I wasn't able to find this info anywhere on the web prior to our first trip, and even when I called Disney and asked if there was a way to get our bands for our first trip I was told I had to wait. Luckily, I mentioned to the CM at TTA that I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't have our bands for our first trip and she shared this with me. Granted you can only get plain bands (many colors, but only the solid colors), but you CAN get bands.

Since you already have bands you can use on your first trip it may be worth it to you to wait for customized bands. But if anyone else is reading that doesn't have bands it is a huge help to be able to pick up those bands. It would have been such a pain to pull out a card for every tap!

 

[Princess KP]

Are the AP bands different than the ones you get when staying on site?

 

[Robo]

Are the AP bands different than the ones you get when staying on site?

Nope.

 

[Princess KP]

Nope.

Thanks!

 

[loves to dive]

Are the AP bands different than the ones you get when staying on site?

Same bands but they do send the little sliders with them, most of the time. The sliders have been the same in the past few years, they used to have the year on them but not any more. They are a little bit of a pain since they can (and do for me) slide off when you take the band off. They don't do anything for you but I have had the occasional wait person at a restaurant say I see you are an AP holder so you will get the discount before I ask for it. They still ask to see the discount card and an ID but it has been nice to not have to ask for it since I often forget.