Hi Katie!
Welcome back to planDisney.
This is a good question, and no!, you do not have to purchase your
MagicBands via your My Disney Experience account, but it's worth checking back a few times because the stock is often updated, and this is a special offer only available to residents of the United States, and you are offered a discounted price on these MagicBands.
Alternatively, all the gift shops at Disney hotels usually hold a limited amount of stock of MagicBands, so you can make your purchase when you arrive, and have the Front Desk set them up for you.
In my experience you'll find the best selection at
Disney Springs (D-Tech on Demand, and World of Disney), and in the theme parks - the Emporium at Magic Kingdom Park or Creations Shop at EPCOT. Before you make your purchase you can request Key to the World admission cards from your front desk - free of charge - which you can use to access your hotel room, make charges to your room and use for park admission.
I often purchase MagicBands from
Disneystore.com, to have them delivered to my Disney Resort Hotel before my arrival. You'll find a good selection, and it's probably worth having a look just to compare prices. Ensure you enter the delivery address as "Your Name" + "GUEST arriving -
insert your arrival date -" then add the name and address of your Disney hotel, which can be found on the Overview page of your hotel on the official website. On arrival, you can have your MagicBands linked to your account. I like to place my order around 10 days before I arrive to ensure the package is waiting for me. It should be noted that you will be charged a Resort fee of around $6.00 (
subject to change) for any package received for you by the Front Desk.
Please come back and visit us if you have any further questions - you can
send me a direct question if you wish. We will be happy to help you plan your magical vacation, and keep your eye on the
Disney Parks Blog for all the latest official news about events that may be happening during your stay.
Sue