Hi Kellie,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for asking us a question!
I manage my son’s
My Disney Experience profile too. He absolutely LOVES having a
MagicBand and being able to open our
Disney Resorts Collection hotel room door at the end of the day. I remember one trip where he kept going in-and-out of the room, just to “test” his MagicBand!
Based on my experience, you can absolutely set up your children’s MagicBands so that they can open your hotel room’s door but not grant them charging privileges. You should be able to set that up via
Online Check In, but if it doesn’t work, please visit your
Resort’s Front Desk for assistance.
As for linking a
Disney Gift Card to their MagicBands, unfortunately that isn’t available for the moment. The only way to allow them to use a gift card with their MagicBands would be to allow them to have charging privileges and then pay off their charges at the Front Desk with their MagicBands. The good news is that your Guest Folio does say who charged what, so you should be able to track their purchases pretty easily, after the fact.
If you don’t want to grant them charging privileges at all but you’re worried about them losing their gift cards, you can get them a Disney Gift Card that is on an elastic bracelet. I’ve seen them frequently at EPCOT’s festivals and I’ve sometimes found them at Disney Springs. You’ll be able to keep track of it by always making sure that they’re on your kiddos’ wrists, right beside their MagicBand!
Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne