My warmest welcome to planDisney, Patrice. Thanks for bringing us your question. You sound a little like me, as the mama and planner of your family.
The easiest way to think about
MagicBands is that they offer wrist access to all the details in your
My Disney Experience App, so yes, you can use your phone to update everyone's plans. Let's say you book a
virtual queue for your family for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind - which I highly recommend! All MagicBand holders linked in your Family & Friends list within your My Disney Experience can then use their MagicBands to scan into the queue. I love MagicBands for many reasons. First, I love all the Disney theming options for my wrist. Second, using them saves my precious phone battery. I'm usually the one checking ride times and plans, so every bit of battery juice saved, the better. My kids love the independence of scanning themselves. If you choose the MagicBand+ option, there's a little more magic in store, too, such as Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters interactive quest at
Disney's Hollywood Studios.
If you buy MagicBands on
shopDisney.com, you could link them up before your vacation begins. MagicBands are widely available at several shops throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. You can buy them upon arrival, as it takes mere moments to link with your My Disney Experience account.
Patrice, I hope this information helps and that you make magical memories with your family on your Walt Disney World adventure. Please let me know if you need anything else, Louise.