Hi, Perry!
Thanks so much for your question and welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Online check-in and Magic Band activation are two separate actions.
Online check-in allows guests to make room requests and to skip the check-in line once you arrive to the resort. By logging into your My Disney Experience account, you can choose from specific hotel room locations unique to your resort. On the day of your arrival, you will receive an email or text message indicating that your room is ready, typically after 3pm, including the room number. At that point you can head directly to your room by using your Magic Band to open the door. We love online check-in! We always head straight to the parks when we arrive, knowing that our luggage will be safely delivered to our room!
With your Magic Band, it will need to be linked to your
My Disney Experience account. If you elected to have Magic Bands mailed to your home, those bands will already be activated and ready for you to enter the parks.
If you purchased Magic Bands through the Shop Disney app or Disney Store website, you can link your
Magic Bands to your My Disney Experience account by entering the code on the back of the Magic Band.
Once your Magic Band appears on your My Disney Experience account, you're all set!
So, if you decide to do online check-in or not, your Magic Bands will allow you to enter the parks any day or anytime you choose!
Happy planning,
Korliss