Hi Suzanne!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I love
MagicBands and all of the neat things they can do. I may even try to color coordinate them to my park outfits. And continue to wear them on the plane ride home.
While Walt Disney World Resort guests do not have to stay at a
Disney Resort Hotel to use a MagicBand, some of the magical things these bands can do are connected to an active Disney Resort Hotel Reservation and can only be unlocked on your check-in day.
When staying off site, your MagicBand will be able to serve as your Disney Theme Park ticket, your FastPass+ reservation holder, and as a way to collect any Disney PhotoPass photos. MagicBands sometimes also unlock special surprises, so pay attention to any TV monitors you may see in
attraction and ride queues. (Like when waiting to board Expedition Everest and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, or during the 'goodbye' room of "it's a small world".)
MagicBands will be able to unlock your Disney Resort Hotel guest room door, charge food and souvinEARs back to your credit card on file, and access any
Disney Dining Plan entitlements you may have once you check-in to your Disney Resort Hotel.
I hope this helped, Suzanne, and We'll See You Real Soon!
~Kristen
Bonus Tip: Be sure to keep up with the
Disney Parks Blog to find out about any new attractions, shows, events, Character experiences and snack items that are introduced between now and your visit!