Hi Patrick,
Welcome to planDisney! I hope this means that you'll soon be at The Most Magical Place on Earth soaking up the magic and fun and creating memories to cherish for a lifetime!
While
all Guests, regardless of where they're staying, are welcome to use a
MagicBand, only Guests staying at a
Disney Resort hotel will be able to use a MagicBand to charge dining and retail purchases. A MagicBand doesn't carry any actual data; it simply links back to your
My Disney Experience account and any information stored there. Because credit cards are currently only linked to Disney Resort hotel stays, Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel are able to take advantage of scanning their MagicBands and entering a secure PIN number to charge expenses all around Walt Disney World Resort.
If you're staying offsite, you'll still find a MagicBand to be a handy dandy tool to enter the theme parks, link your
Disney PhotoPass photos to your account, and even unlock special surprises at various locations in the theme parks. You will, however, need a different form of payment (preferably a contactless form, due to
Disney's commitment to health and safety for Guests and Cast Members) to use during your visit. I recommend
Disney Gift Cards. They're an excellent way to cover any expenses with a simple swipe, and can be really useful for budgeting and tracking, too!
We're so glad you stopped by planDisney, Patrick, and hope you'll come see us again if we can help with anything else as you're planning your visit. I hope that you have a truly magical vacation!
Missy