Hi there, Frank! The planDisney family extends you a warm welcome! Thanks for stopping by.
You are wise to purchase your
MagicBand+ before your arrival (the prearrival discount for Disney Resort guests makes it super convenient)! It's helpful to have them fully charged and
paired to your phone in advance so you can hit the ground running! Then you can take the time to adjust the settings, including the light-up theme, for each individual in your party. You'll also be able to keep track of the battery life of each MagicBand+ so you'll know when to charge them.
As long as the bands are connected to a
My Disney Experience account and a ticket, they will work just fine without having access to your phone. This updated version works just like the "legacy" MagicBands that we all know and love, allowing users to enter the parks, unlock their Walt Disney World Resort hotel room door, and make purchases to their payment card on file. These features will still work even if you do not have a phone with you or if the band's battery runs out. In addition, touchpoints have a color-changing effect, and the MagicBand+ engages with the
Disney Enchantment fireworks at Magic Kingdom Park and the
Harmonious nighttime spectacular at EPCOT- again, no phone needed!
The one thing they may not be able to do is playing the two interactive games. There's one in Disney's Hollywood Studios called Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters, and the other is throughout all four parks and is called the Disney Fab 50 Quest scavenger hunt. However, if they have their own mobile devices, it might still work if they download the
Play Disney Parks app to their own device.
Another feature of the MagicBand+ is the ability to link your Disney PhotoPass photos. I recommend
purchasing Memory Maker in advance since it's less expensive at the pre-purchase price. This way, you can indulge in all those
festive Magic Shots!
I hope this helps, Frank! I know "yule" have the best time making magical memories!
Eean