Hiya Crystal,
Welcome to planDisney! What an amazing mom you are! I am honored to help be a tiny bit of making the magic happen for your Mouseketeers. Once upon a time, I had a dream and a wish to visit Walt Disney World Resort, and thanks to my parents, it came true. As Cinderella says, “if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”
Crystal, I’m not 100% sure what wristbands you are referring to, but I will try my best. If at any point you don’t think we are on the same page, feel free to
write back, and I will work to dig a little deeper and get you what you seek. Currently, the closest thing we have to wristbands are the
MagicBands. Think of MagicBands as a vessel that house your Theme Park tickets, resort hotel room key, and generally grants you access to the magic. Now just like all enchanted things, the object itself isn’t the magic; it is just the carrier of the magic. You can access Walt Disney World Resort without a MagicBand at all. In fact, you can have your Theme Park tickets housed on a ticket card or even your mobile device through
Disney MagicMobile Service. MagicBands are handy for little ones because they can give them something special from the trip and make it easy to manage multiple tickets. They can be personalized for your children and feature some of their favorite characters. MagicBands are available for purchase through the Walt Disney World website before your trip (up to 10 days prior), through
shopDisney, and you can also pick one up when you arrive at Walt Disney World at the various shops.
As I mentioned, the MagicBand is just a vehicle for Theme Park tickets. To make your children’s dreams come true, you must purchase actual Theme Park tickets to be put on the MagicBands. Theme Park tickets can be bought for multiple-day visits so your children can experience all the rides they want. Theme Park ticket prices vary based on the day, so I cannot give you exact pricing. The
website will be able to provide that for you based on your ideal travel dates. If this is their first visit, I recommend purchasing at least four-day Theme Park tickets. With a four-day ticket, your little ones can visit each theme park (one per day) and explore. You could also look into adding a Park Hopper Option, but for first-timers, I think it isn’t necessary (unless you only want to visit for two days, for instance). Once you purchase your Theme Park tickets, make
Disney Park Pass Reservations! Currently, to access the four Theme Parks, you must have both a valid Theme Park ticket and a Disney Park Pass Reservation for each day of your tickets. Once you have these two things, ensure they are linked to your My Disney Experience account, and you will have the foundations for a great visit to Walt Disney World Resort.
I know this was a lot of information, Crystal, but I hope it is enough to get you started. There is so much more we can talk about to make your children’s magical dreams come true. I can help you with suggestions for Walt Disney World Resort Collection Hotels, dining reservations, and even more magical
Enchanting Extras. Please come back and see me or any of my other fellow panelists if there is anything else you need help with.
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.