Hi there, Kristin!
Pretty sure there is nothing better than booking a Disneyland Resort vacation and arriving just a few days later! We love helping fellow Guests find their way to and through the magic here at planDisney, and oftentimes that starts with logistics well before you hit the parks. I'm happy to help you today!
It looks like you are an East Coaster (as am I!) and may be familiar with traveling to Walt Disney World, where you can purchase a pre-arrival
MagicBand+ to be shipped to your home if you have a Disney Resort hotel reservation. It works a bit differently at Disneyland, which doesn't offer the pre-arrival option tied to a
resort reservation. Guests can purchase a
MagicBand+ either online at the Disney Store or once they arrive on property. They are very easy to find throughout the resort, including most hotel merchandise shops, retail locations inside the parks, and World of Disney in Downtown Disney. If it were me, I'd head to
World of Disney, which has one of the largest selections on property.
The good news is that if you do have a MagicBand+ from a previous visit to Walt Disney World, you can link it to your ticket for Disneyland! My kids and I have used ours for multiple trips to both coasts. One thing to note is that only MagicBand+ is supported throughout the Disneyland Resort, so if you have original MagicBands, those will not work for this trip.
Once you have your MagicBand+ in hand, open up the Disneyland App. Head to the three-line icon in the bottom right-hand corner, scroll down to "MagicBand+", tap the "+" in the top right-hand corner, and select "Tap". Follow the instructions from there to finish linking your band to your ticket. It should be pretty intuitive from there, but if you have any issues, find a Cast Member or head to Guest Services, and they will be happy to help get you all set up!
At Disneyland, the MagicBand+ provides an easy way to tap into the Main Entrance Gates and
Lightning Lanes if you have added Lightning Lane Multi, Single, or Premier Pass to your tickets. If you capture any photos with
Disney PhotoPass photographers, have them scan your band so those memories automatically show up in your app. With a MagicBand+, you'll also get enhanced, unexpected experiences through lights and vibrations during nighttime spectaculars! I do like to mention that at Disneyland, the MagicBand+ does not yet have the functionality to open your resort room door or the tap-to-pay feature to charge back to your room.
Ok, with all of those logistics out of the way, I can't wait to share with you that in honor of the 70th Anniversary, there are special
MagicBand+ activations throughout Disneyland Park! My planDisney pals and I set out on a quest to find each one during our last visit. It was honestly delightful even for a group of adults! What I loved about it was the hint of nostalgia found at each spot, which is classic Disneyland! Seek and find all five locations, tap your band, and unlock a surprise!
Kristin, I hope this has helped pave the way to the magic for your visit next week! If you have any more questions, we are always here for you at planDisney!
Magic awaits!
Tara