Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Christopher!
As I type this answer, I’m on my way home from another magical vacation at the Walt Disney World Resort, and I haven’t yet been able to bring myself to remove my MagicBand. I wish I could use it to open my front door and purchase coffee back at home!
Each member of my family selected
upgraded MagicBands for this recent visit, and I know exactly what you’re experiencing. My daughter had her heart set on one design, and it took a lot of patience, a little flexibility, and a sprinkle of pixie dust to get the perfect MagicBands on each of our wrists.
You’re correct that all the
MagicBands on your party’s reservation must be purchased or selected at the same time, regardless of whether the MagicBands will be shipped to a U.S. address or picked up at the front desk of your Walt Disney World resort hotel. In my experience, the easiest thing to do is select the MagicBands one by one as they appear – you can select, customize, and place the band in your cart using
My Disney Experience. As you may have experienced, until you complete check-out, there is the possibility that any MagicBands in your cart may disappear, pending availability.
My strategy was to select the “easy” designs (solid bands or those that appear every time you check) and just keep them in my account. If I logged in and saw one had disappeared, I would add it again. The goal was to be ready when the MagicBand my daughter loved popped up as an option. It can be frustrating, but keep trying. I see you’re visiting in May 2020, so you have quite a bit of time still.
I also recommend checking for availability at a variety of times of day. It took me a few weeks until the stars aligned, and I noticed that inventory was more robust at certain times, like late at night and mid-morning on a weekday.
Christopher, I’m sending you pixie-dusted wishes that you’re able to get the character MagicBands you’re hoping for. If you have any more questions as you plan and dream about your upcoming visit, please come back and see us!
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn