Hi Earl, welcome back to planDisney!
Ordering your
MagicBand+ before your trip is great because you get to take advantage of some perks like pre-arrival exclusive MagicBand and MagicBand+ designs, and a pre-arrival discount.
Currently, the only way to guarantee that your MagicBand+ is delivered to your Disney Resort hotel is by waiting to place your MagicBand+ order 6-10 days before your stay. However, you should keep in mind that pre-order availability of MagicBand+ designs changes frequently. So, if you’ve got your eye on a certain design, it may not be available if you wait until closer to your arrival date. If you choose not to pre-order, you’ll still be able to find MagicBand+ available for purchase throughout Walt Disney World Resort!
After you receive your MagicBand+, you’ll need to
take a moment to set it up before using it. You can do this by first making sure you have the My Disney Experience app installed on your mobile device. Turn on the MagicBand+ by pressing the button on the back, and then tapping the MagicBand+ to your phone. Your phone will direct you to open your My Disney Experience app and the app will guide you through pairing the MagicBand+ to your device and linking the MagicBand+ to your account. I also recommend charging the MagicBand+ fully before using it.
Once you’re all set up, you can use the MagicBand+ to have some fun in the theme parks! You’re visiting just in time to search for the
Disney Fab 50 Character Collection. Use your MagicBand+ and the
Play Disney Parks app to wave at the golden sculptures throughout all four theme parks and collect the characters in the Disney Fab 50 Quest. And at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can use your MagicBand+ to join
Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters!
Earl, the
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration is ending on March 31, 2023, so you are visiting just in time to catch the special entertainment, merchandise, and food offerings. I recommend trying to see the
Beacons of Magic in all four theme parks, and of course, you should
meet Mickey in his celebration outfit! This is also your chance to see
Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom Park and
Harmonious in EPCOT before they end on April 2, 2023!
I hope this answer was helpful, Earl. And enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World Resort! Feel free to visit us again at planDisney with any more questions you have.
Kaitlin