Hi Stephanie,
Welcome to planDisney! Thanks for stopping by with a question about
Disney bands (known as MagicBands in the U.S.A.). They are a great tool for keeping
Disney World Resort details organized and convenient. Disney Bands allow Guests to open their Disney Resort hotel room with a tap of the wrist, tap for theme park entry at the turnstiles, scan to add
PhotoPass photos, and touch for payment for merchandise and dining.
As a Canadian, like you, I'm unable to pre-purchase Disney bands before arriving at Disney World, but once you have purchased one, it will work perfectly! My daughter chose her Disney band when we were visiting earlier this month, and while the Disney band does come pre-charged, it is recommended that you do a full charge so it can be used to its full potential. We did not have a theme park visit on our arrival day, so we set up the Disney band and left it to charge overnight so it would be ready for our first park day. You can now customize the lights on the Disney band (she chose ones to match the theme on her band), and when linking the band, she was prompted to further charge the band before continuing.
If you are heading to the parks on your first day, you can always use the charging cord with a portable charger (I always carry one for my phone) and charge it on the go. I haven't had any issues with a Disney band holding its charge for the whole day. The Disney band's lights and haptic vibrations during the nighttime shows are a fun added touch!
I hope this information helps with your vacation planning, Stephanie. If you have any other questions, please stop by
planDisney again - we'd love to help!
Happy planning,
Candace