Hi Natalie!
Welcome to planDisney! I'm so excited to see that you will be staying at the
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel because it's going to make a fantastic vacation "home" for your trip. Its location is perfect for your visit because you can travel to both EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios using
water transportation. Plus, since the hotel is located steps away from
Disney's BoardWalk, you'll be able to enjoy of wide variety of dining and entertainment during your trip!
MagicBands are a fantastic addition to your visit because they will give you access to your vacation magic with just the touch of your MagicBand. All Guests can use their MagicBands to access their
theme park tickets,
Lightning Lane reservations, and
Disney PhotoPass account. Guests who are staying at one of the Disney Resort hotels can also use their MagicBands to access their hotel rooms and make purchases that are charged to their room accounts. Unfortunately, since the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel is not one of the official Disney Resort hotels, you won't be able to use your MagicBands to open your hotel room door or to make purchases during your trip, but you will still be able to use your MagicBands to access your other vacation entitlements.
Natalie, since you still have a few months until your trip, I recommend that you follow the
Disney Parks Blog as you continue planning your visit. There are quite a few exciting things heading to the theme parks over the next few months, including new and returning restaurants and entertainment experiences that you will want to add to your "must-do" list. Feel free to come back to see us if we can help you again with additional questions! T-T-F-N, ta ta for now!
~Crystal