Welcome to planDisney, Robbin, and thank you so much for your question. How thoughtful of you to be planning and thinking about your grandchildren this holiday season. From the Land of Pleasant Living down to the
Most Magical Place on Earth, that is a pretty special connection to be making.
MagicBands make a great Christmas gift and are a fun way to build excitement before a Walt Disney World vacation. They allow Guests to enter the theme parks, tap into Lightning Lane entrances, unlock their
Disney Resorts Collection hotel room, link PhotoPass photos, and even charge purchases back to the room when that option is enabled. For kids, especially, having their own band with a favorite color or character makes them feel like part of the experience from the moment they arrive.
Purchasing MagicBands is easy. You can shop online at
disneystore.com, where you will find a wide variety of colors and character designs. Currently, my favorite designs are Santa Mickey Mouse Holiday MagicBand+, Lilo & Stitch, and the Toy Story Aliens MagicBand+.
There are two very important things to keep in mind, Robbin. MagicBands cannot be returned or exchanged, so you will want to double-check colors and designs before completing your purchase. Just as important, once a MagicBand is linked to a Guest’s MyDisney account profile, it cannot be reassigned to someone else. When you are ready to link them, open the My Disney Experience app, go to the menu, select MagicBands and Cards, and follow the prompts to assign each band to the correct grandchild. Like Saint Nick checking his list twice, taking a little extra time here will save you headaches later.
If you would rather play it safe, Disney Gift Cards are another great option. They are often available at a discount at stores like Costco, Target, or Sam’s Club, and you can let your grandchildren pick out their own MagicBands once they arrive. For the largest selection I have ever seen, I recommend stopping by
Pin Traders at Disney Springs or
Pin Traders Camera Center at EPCOT.
I hope this helps and adds a little extra fun to your holiday planning. If you have any more questions, please come back to planDisney and
ask me, my
Sweet 16 classmates, or any of the other panelists. We are always happy to help.
Cheers,
Brent