We are getting the generic old colors for our magic bands- pink, green, and yellow. Everytime I go to check our order, the colors disappear. I called and talked to a CM who said it should all be corrected “soon” and our bands shipped out 11 days before our vacation starts. I told her we are going to Universal first, and what if we have already left when the magic bands arrive? I think this is going to be cutting it close. I recall last year that we received our magic bands a couple of weeks before our actual trip. I asked the CM about the change in shipping time-frame, and she seemed baffled that we received our magic bands so early last year. She said if we miss them due to going to Universal first then we will have to go to guest services when we arrive at Disney World. I was hoping we would already have our bands and be able to go right to our room at POR. So, is this shipping timeframe and cutting it so close to the trip a new thing? How easy is to go to guest services and pick them up even if they already shipped ours but we missed them?
In the past, Magic Bands had to be customized 30 days before the trip and arrived about 3 weeks before the trip. The first time I heard of the 11-day window is when they announced the new upgrade option, but I’m not positive if the change came before that. (Our last trip was in November.) I feel like 11 days is cutting it too close, too. With 3 weeks lead time there was time to track down shipments that went astray or get them re-sent if they didn’t arrive, and people who were driving down or going to multiple places on their vacation still had them before they left. It wouldn’t surprise me if the new time frame causes more problems than it’s worth and has to be changed, but unfortunately it sounds like your trip is very close and you’ll be one of the guinea pigs. I hope they arrive in time!
When they announced you would be able to get the premium bands, they said that as long as you had at least 11 days before your trip, you could still order them and they would ship them. I didn’t interpret that as a change to the policy, I thought it just meant if people were close to their trip they could decline the free band and still pay for one closer to the time.
What does the ‘customise by’ date say on your magic band page? Assuming you can see it… Not necessarily the case the way it’s going I know.
The way around it would be to put a non-US address in MDE temporarily. They don’t ship MBs internationally, so they would be waiting at front desk for you.
Just from what I have seen on FB, people who ordered the upgraded MBs had immediate shipping. Heck some don’t have trips till July or later and have already received them. The issue with bands disappearing is right now everyone can order instead of waiting till closer to their trip so the supply is being strained. Disney really should have thought about those closer to vacation when this was rolled out.
Yes they are. My trip is August and my bands have allegedly already been sent to POFQ to wait for me there. I say allegedly because I haven’t been charged, though I have had an emailed receipt and shipping confirmation.
But people who have already customised plain bands and are leaving shortly shouldn’t be affected by that surely? There must be thousands of people staying in the next few months who couldn’t give a rats ass about the premium bands and probably quite a few who don’t even know they are supposed to customise them at all.
That said, when it comes to Disney incompetence, I suppose nothing should surprise us. And you are right that this has been rolled out with breathtaking incompetence.
If it helps for comparison, I received my bands a couple weeks ago, and am still 2 weeks out. So the 30 day thing was still working this month.
I just received my bands this week at 25 days out. I got the notification that they were processing and shipping on the 30 day mark. Standard bands, colors chosen a few months ago. I, honestly, didn’t expect them on time hearing reports like this. It’s very nerve wracking.
If you still have the bands from your trip last year bring them with you. They should still work and then you can get into your room etc with them and go to customer service later if you have to because the new ones were shipped late. The old band would also comes in handy if you happen to lose a band.
If we bring the old bands how would we get them “programmed” to work for this year? Is that something that can be done at the front desk?
Ours were already programmed with the new info. Not sure how Disney does it but it worked for us. You may want to call them just to check and make sure that it will work for you. I know I read somewhere that after awhile the chip inside dies but ours were fine a year and 1/2 out.
They don’t need reprogramming. Any magic band you have is connected to MDE and has access to anything on there. The only reason I didn’t suggest that myself is that any magic band - including brand new ones attached to your current stay - can be glitchy for opening doors.
That is really good to know. I had no idea! Now to find them stored away in our closet somewhere…
The battery dies but is only used for long range stuff - basically automatically picking up your ride pic without tapping. They work forever for anything you tap. And nobody has yet reported having a battery die. Len said recently his first ever band from 2013 (?) still works fine long range.
I’m not going until August either and just got the email this morning
I’m really excited cuz I’m getting them a lot earlier than planned, but weirdly disappointed that I’m not getting them normal time as it kind of prestarts the trip.
If they were coming to my house I would be beyond excited. It just seems really unlikely that the resort will be able to find them in August. And people who have trips months after mine are having theirs sent to resorts now too!
It’s so odd that bands are being shipped now for trips farther away yet according to Disney I might not be able to get my generic good old fashioned solid colored bands in time for my trip in July. 
I believe the new bands that you pay for are shipped right away. It will be interesting to see what happens if people cancel after shipment since they are discounted.
Yeah that doesn’t seem like it’s gonna work very well…is every resort going to have a huge pile they’ll have to wade through to find everyone’s upon checkin?
My inner OCD is twitching at the thought 
I think they’re going to have them in a huge skip out the back.
I don’t know if you know what a skip is…like a car sized bin (trash can?) used by builders.
I think that would have worked better if I didn’t have to explain it.
I have never heard of a skip before, but your explanation makes sense!