It sounds like you’ve already made some serious headway in planning an amazing vacation, Julie. Way to go!
Disney’s Art of Animation is an excellent choice. Not only does it bring larger-than-life Disney Characters up close, but it also boasts one of the most unique modes of transportation I’ve ever experienced:
Disney Skyliner. Traveling via aerial gondola is pretty cool, don’t you agree?
MagicBands can indeed be used to charge both food and merchandise purchases to your resort room during your hotel stay. That is one of the perks of opting for a hotel in the Disney Resort Collection. You’ll want to be sure that your MagicBands are properly linked in your My Disney Experience account. And then, once you arrive, you can charge purchases with the tap of your wrist. Easy peasy!
Yes! You can also use Disney Gift Cards to pay your account balance at the front desk of your resort hotel. I have done this several times myself. One pro tip I’m happy to offer is that once your account balance reaches a certain threshold, the resort will submit a charge to the credit card on file. If you have a high enough balance on your gift cards that you intend to cover all of your purchases, it’s a good idea to stop by the front desk every couple of days and apply a partial payment via that gift card. That way you can avoid any unforeseen charges being sent through to your credit card company.
I hope that helps, Julie. Have a magical trip!