Hi Dwayne,
Welcome to planDisney! It sounds like you are gearing up to plan a magical vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort!
The good news is that
MagicBands are not required. And you can certainly connect with other people using the My Family & Friends list in
My Disney Experience. First things first, make sure to create a My Disney Experience account. Once you have that account created, link your
vacation package or
resort hotel using the confirmation number. If you link a vacation package, you should be able to login at any time, click on My Plans, and make a payment online by clicking on Make a Payment.
In My Disney Experience, look for the My Family & Friends List. Once you click on that list, you should be able to click on the option to Add a Guest. If you choose the option to enter the Guest's name and age, once you enter that information, you should see an option to send the Guest an invitation to connect. If the person has a My Disney Experience account, you should send your invitation to connect using the email address associated with that person's My Disney Experience account. Once you have everyone connected, you should be able to also see your shared plans in the
My Disney Experience Mobile App. To add a Guest to your My Family & Friends List in the Mobile App, click on the three bars in the right-hand bottom corner of the screen, and then click on My Profile. From there, click on My Family & Friends List. You should then be able to scroll down and Add a Guest.
If you have family traveling with you and you need to manage their plans because they do not have My Disney Experience accounts, you can also add them as Guests and click the option to manage all plans. Once you are connected to your friends and family, you should be able to see everyone's plans and
PhotoPass photos. I manage plans for my girls and my husband. It makes planning our Disney vacations so much easier.
As you continue to plan, start exploring your
dining options so that you are ready to make
advanced dining reservations when your
dining reservation window opens. At this time, Guests can reserve dining 60-days in advance. I hope you also know that you are arriving during
The World's Most Magical Celebration. So, keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for magical updates!
Magic and memories,
Donyell