Hi Jim!
Welcome to planDisney! Oh boy, oh boy - your Walt Disney World Resort vacation is almost here! Now is the perfect time to get those final Donald Ducks in a row, including details like theme park entry. Since you already have your theme park tickets and have downloaded the
My Disney Experience Mobile App, you can take a deep breath and say "Hakuna Matata!" You already have the bare necessities for theme park entry - now let's just talk about how to put them all together when you arrive at the park.
Jim, the first thing you should confirm is whether or not your theme park tickets
require theme park reservations. Standard date-based tickets no longer require theme park reservations, but there are still a few kinds of admission that do, including Annual Passes, student group tickets, Military Salute tickets, and a few others. Once you have your tickets ready to go, there are three choices you have for park entry:
- MagicBand+ - This is my personal favorite as it keeps me "hands-free" when I'm entering the park, tapping into Lightning Lane entries or Virtual Queues, and purchasing food or souvenirs. This handy band also has interactive features that include lights and haptics during select daytime and nighttime entertainment, adding an extra fun element. Plus, they come in many different styles and colors making them fashionable accessories in the parks. If you're staying in a Disney Resorts Collection hotel, you can pre-order from a selection of MagicBands for your party at a discounted price. Before your first use, you'll want to make sure that your MagicBands are linked to your My Disney Experience account!
- Disney MagicMobile Service - While I'm partial to MagicBands, my husband is a big fan of Disney's MagicMobile Service. Under your tickets in your My Disney Experience Mobile App, you should see an option to "Save to Wallet." When you click this option, the app will walk you through a very simple process of creating a virtual pass that will live in your mobile wallet. You can then use your phone much like a MagicBand+ when it comes to entering the parks and any attraction queues. My husband likes to access his virtual wallet via his smartwatch so he can also be "hands-free" when we arrive at the parks.
- Key to the World Card - Although not as commonly used anymore, you can still request a Key to the World Card from your Disney Resorts Collection hotel which can act as your room key and park admission ticket during your stay. It may be one more item to keep track of during your vacation, but some people prefer having that physical ticket with them instead of using the available technology options.
Jim, as you can see there are quite a few options available for you and your travel party when entering the parks - it's just a matter of what works best for your group! I hope this information helps as you get ready to make magical memories later this month. If you have any other questions, please stop by to see us again here at planDisney!
See ya real soon!
Kristi