Hi there Lori!
Thank you so much for submitting your question and welcome to planDisney! I always love answering questions from fellow Canadians, so I am thrilled to be answering yours today. How excited are you to be leaving the Canadian cold for Florida's warm climate? I know that was always one of my favourite parts. Plus, since I grew up in Quebec, I guess that makes us province neighbours, right?
Well speaking of neighbours,
Disney Good Neighbour Hotels are such a great option if you want the next-level quality that Disney can provide without necessarily staying at a Disney Resort. Lori, you are a pro! You are right that one of the services that all Disney Good Neighbour Hotels offer is transportation to and from the parks, though additional fees may apply. In addition, these hotels are in close proximity to the parks, many offer Disney Theme Park vacation packages and complimentary breakfast, and have Guest Relations desks ready to help you with your Disney questions.
Disney Good Neighbour Hotels have varying amenities and services, however, so I would recommend looking at which ones are available at your hotel specifically.
As for MagicBands, you are right that unfortunately at this time
Guests who are not staying on Disney property cannot link their credit card to their MagicBand. However, while you can still use a MagicBand to link your PhotoPass portraits to your My Disney Experience account, or to scan your theme park admission, there are also a few other ways you can get these same services. First, you can simply go to a ticketing window at the main entrance of any of the four theme parks and claim a physical copy of your theme park ticket there. Second, if you have an iPhone, Apple Watch or Google Pay enabled Android Smartphone, you can also use the
Disney MagicMobile service on the
My Disney Experience Mobile App. This service is my personal favourite as it allows you to download your theme park admission directly on your phone into your digital wallet. If you or anyone in your party are like me and tend to forget their MagicBand back at the hotel, I would highly recommend trying this option. Plus, the best part is that you do not have to limit yourself to only one of the options I mentioned above. In fact, you could even try all of them on your upcoming vacation and see which one works best for you and the rest of your party!
I hope this was helpful, Lori, even though you already are a Disney expert! If you have any other questions come up in the time leading up to your trip, please feel free to reach out. If you ever wonder whether we can answer a question or not, the answer is always: Yes we Can-ada! I am sending you lots of pixie dust and wishing you the bluest skies and the sunniest days on your Disney vacation.
Have a magical day and see ya real soon neighbour!
Ariane