What form of money do you bring to WDW??

[mom2jcc]

I'm so confused. I've just learned about Disney Dollars and the Disney Gift Card (I think that is what it's called).

Just curious how most people break up their spending money for eating and buying things.........cash, credit card, Disney Dollars, the Gift Card or travelers checks. :confused3

Thanks so much!!!!

[MinnieGirl33]

We bring some cash but use a cc for room charges & take care of it after we get home.

Plus, when you rely on your KTTW card for charging, if you do happen to lose it it's much easier to replace than an actual cc.

[GEM]

We put a credit card down when we check in and charge everything to our room. It's great! We do carry some cash with us, but never much.

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

We put the bank card down on the room.

We bring the Disney Gift Car now for snacks and little stuff

Disney Dollars for the ice cream carts and such.

[plotmom]

We bring some cash (for tipping and buying small items) an American Express travel card for travel expenses (souveniers, food, boat rentals, etc) and charge to the room anything that was not intended for the trip (Santa went shopping, neighbor asked to p/u something specific). If there is money left over on the Amex card at the end of our stay we use it to pay the room charges otherwise they go on the credit card that is on record.

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

Credit card on room key. It's great. I felt so free!

[Ed J]

Airfare / car rental / accomodations / park passes all on a credit card (in most instances there is no other choice).

All other purchases are done in cash, it's easier to keep spending under control when you actually see how much money you have gone though.

Don't get me wrong, we don't skimp, I'll start out with 700 to 1000 and the goal is not to have to "tap mac" during a 9 day trip (Wife, kid & myself).

Cash forces you to see what your spending. Then in AP on then way home, we spend the remainder in the gift shops :teeth: .

My $.02

[mom2jcc]

Ed J--I see what you are saying. I would just be paranoid that I would lose all that cash somehow. We might take the same idea and use Amer. Exp. certificates...if they still make those.???

[WillCAD]

For the past few years I've been using Disney Dollars as a savings method, so I wind up with a bunch of DD$ for my food and souvenier budget.

This year I am using the new gift card instead, since it can be replaced if lost (as long as I have the original purchase reciept). But the WDW resort front desks are not yet tied into the gift card system, so to pay my resort bill I still need Disney Dollars.

When I'm staying at an off-site resort, I sometimes carry travellers checks to pay the bill.

I carry a small amount of cash at all times for those non-Disney venues that don't accept the gift card or DD$.

[pepe of ohio]

We put a credit card down when we check in and charge everything to our room. It's great! We do carry some cash with us, but never much.

Its become so much easier through the years now that leaving a cc impression and charging all to it virtually leaves you with nothing in your pockets to lug around and worry about losing. End of trip, express check out with detail sheet of your expenses and away you go. My credit cards and ID remain in the room safe the whole time and some cash, usually carry around 20 bucks for the day but hardly spend any of it.

[DiznEeyore]

We NEVER put a credit card down. We initially didn't do this because we wanted to keep track of what we were spending -- we used traveler's checks and Disney Dollars. We've also travelled with other people and every time one of them has put a CC down for room charges, they've gotten stuck with incorrect bills. A couple of times it took a week or so after returning home to resolve them. Way too much hassle for me.

We pay cash at home; we'll do the same on a trip (and knock wood, we've never had a problem keeping track of our traveler's checks or money).

[mom2jcc]

I am very much leaning towards the traveler's checks and Disney Dollars with a little cash for each day. Traveler's checks and Disney Dollars are excepted at all restaurants and stores on the disney property I assume??? What about drinks/ice cream stands??

Thanks!!

[GEM]

We've also travelled with other people and every time one of them has put a CC down for room charges, they've gotten stuck with incorrect bills. A couple of times it took a week or so after returning home to resolve them.

I certainly don't think that's the norm. In almost 20 trips using our credit card for room charges, we've never had anything like that happen. :confused3

[jtlover]

In February we hardly took any cash and got everything charged to our room card. At the end of the holiday I then chose to pay with my American Express Charge card. It worked really well and we are doing that again next year.

Also if you get charged for every transaction this is a good way as you only have one bill to pay at the end of your holiday :thumbsup2

[gaelic grace]

We haven't ever had trouble with incorrect room charges either. We find that charging to your room key is very convenient.

[mom2jcc]

Now I just don't know what to think?

Not having to worry about cash, checks, etc. sounds nice. I do have a seperate bank account that is our "Disney Account" that we throw money in for our trip so that would be the debit/Visa we are going to use anyway.

Hmmmm.....so charge meals and souveniers to the room and bring little cash for snacks??? So you just give the waiter your room key? How is the tip handled?

[WillCAD]

I am very much leaning towards the traveler's checks and Disney Dollars with a little cash for each day. Traveler's checks and Disney Dollars are excepted at all restaurants and stores on the disney property I assume??? What about drinks/ice cream stands??

Thanks!!

Travellers checks are accepted almost everywhere in Orlando. Most places don't even bat an eye if you whip out a $50 travellers check to pay for a $2 soda; your change will be in US currency.

Disney Dollars are accepted at every Disney-owned venue at WDW, including all the drink/ice cream/souvenier stands and carts. Change when paying with Disney Dollars is also given in US currency.

Most of those small carts even have credit card readers and can accept room charging and the new Disney gift cards.

The only places you will need alternate forms of payment (such as cash, credit or debit card, or travellers checks) are non-Disney venues such as the restaurants and shops in the Swan and Dolphin, the AMC theater at Pleasure Island, and a few of the non-Disney shops at Downtown Disney's West Side (some of these do accept DIsney Dollars but not the gift cards or room keys).

[mom2jcc]

Thanks WillCAD!!!!!! What a big source of info. you are!!!

Going to WDW this time is going to be a whole different and EVEN BETTER experience because I have found these boards!!!!!! How did we do it w/o them?

Anyway, thanks a million!!!!!

[bigbabyblues]

We bring some cash, but not to pay for everything. Usually around $200 or so in cash. The rest, we charge to our room, which goes on the cc of course, and I write the check when we get home. The amount we spend depends on how much we have saved before the trip.

[Disney MAINEiac]

I like cash, DW likes the room card so we use both. I just have to keep enough cash on hand in case of an unexpected emergency (some kind of neurotic compulsion my wife thinks :lmao: )

[BTDTGB]

We charge the room and tickets on Disney Visa, bring a little cash, and use the Disney rewards points accumulated since our last trip to pay for daily expenses.

We pay all of our house hold bills on the Disney Visa, at least the ones that don't charge to pay with a credit card, and as a result normally have enough points to cover food, drinks, snacks, and other expenses for three people over seven days. If you use a credit card and have not switched to a Disney card you are really missing out on some great savings.

[I Love Pluto]

ATM and cash get us through our vacation. We leave our cc number so that we can have express checkout, but we don't use it.
:wave:

[disneychickforever]

where do you get Disney Dollars? I would love to give some to my sister for our upcoming trip.

[ZoZo]

Last year, went to WDW and stayed at Shades of Green. While this hotel is on WDW property, it is not officially part of the WDW "system," so you can't charge things to your room. (They also will not deliver purchases to your room there.)

In addition, there were four unrelated adults staying in the same suite. Rather than try to have everyone charge things to the room (and try to figure out whose charges were whose), we all took care of our own purchases.

My solution was to use American Express travelers' checks (the paper ones) in large denominations ($50). Kept most of them in the room safe, and took them out as needed. If they're lost, you can get replacements.

That said, next time I go I will try using an AMX travelers' check card. I couldn't find a place to get one for an amount less than $500, so that didn't work last year -- but I'm going to try it again next time! You can use it like a debit card (pre-load the money on the card), but it's not tied to your bank account (fewer worries if lost or stolen). Plus, you can still have it replaced if you lose it.

[mom2jcc]

ZOZO----
-----So no charging for us to the room!! That settles things....thanks for the reminder!!

[DIS4MYGIRLS]

Disney Visa all the way.... earning Disney dollars for future travel to Disney

[Kiddeokee]

I think I am sticking with the Travelers Checks/Cash. The charge it to the room just sounds tooooooooo convenient. Plus, then I can limit myself each day. I will get a book of one dollar bills for tips, and TC & off to fun (extra Travelers Checks can be kept in the safe.) No credit card for me :thumbsup2

I'm SOOOOO Excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Only 2 more days of Work and then a day of pampering & packing then it's OFF to DISNEY WORLD!

[DiznEeyore]

I certainly don't think that's the norm. In almost 20 trips using our credit card for room charges, we've never had anything like that happen. :confused3

:confused3 Whether it's the norm or not, I can't say. All I can speak to is our experience, and that's why we'll never use that service. If it works for you, that's great! :)

[kimbac3]

I have decided to use Visa gift cards for my kids spending money. I am toying with the idea of getting one for my spending money too. I like the idea of cash but not the idea of carrying cash. I always end up with like 50 ones and it just gets crazy! I used my debit card last year and it worked great. What didn't work great for me was having to enter every transaction in my check register!! Do you realize just how many purchases you make over a 10day vacation?!?!?!? :rotfl2: It was crazy!!
So now with 37 days to go I still don't know what I'm doing. By the way I'm not staying onsite so the room charge won't work for me.

Keep the tips and ideas coming!!
Kimba

[ShellyMouse]

That said, next time I go I will try using an AMX travelers' check card. I couldn't find a place to get one for an amount less than $500, so that didn't work last year -- but I'm going to try it again next time! You can use it like a debit card (pre-load the money on the card), but it's not tied to your bank account (fewer worries if lost or stolen). Plus, you can still have it replaced if you lose it.


where do you get these? do you have to go online? can you get one, and add to the balance weekly? they sound great!

i usually get the paper traveler checks. but the card would be so much nicer b/c i could get one for me AND one for dh. last year he was too busy to go to the bank with me to sign them all, and then was peeved when he couldn't use them. i would just give him cash after i "broke" one. grrrrr! MEN!

anyway, i would love to know where to get one, thanks!! :thumbsup2

[plotmom]

where do you get these? do you have to go online? can you get one, and add to the balance weekly? they sound great!

i usually get the paper traveler checks. but the card would be so much nicer b/c i could get one for me AND one for dh. last year he was too busy to go to the bank with me to sign them all, and then was peeved when he couldn't use them. i would just give him cash after i "broke" one. grrrrr! MEN!

anyway, i would love to know where to get one, thanks!! :thumbsup2

I just ordered an American Express travel card for my upcoming trip. I got it online at AmericanExpress.com. It cost $14.95 per card and took about 7 days to arrive. I believe there was a $200 minimum to start on the card but I could be wrong. You can add to the balance whenever you want and use it like a debit card or atm card.

[mom2jcc]

Is there a expiration date at all on the American Express card?

[jenelope]

This trip, I'm planning to do some cash for tips and small expenses, some traveler's checks to change to cash when it inevitably runs out, and my credit union-issued Visa for the bulk of it. That way I can transfer my vacation expenses from my vacation savings club account to my Visa as soon as I return.

I've saved cash as Disney Dollars and as traveler's checks on various trips, and I have to say I prefer traveler's checks. They come in larger denominations and are refundable if lost or stolen. It's not always easy or quick to get the money back, but if I lost Disney Dollars- that's it, they're gone.

Visa also makes a card version of traveler's checks. I think some terms might vary depending on where you buy it from, but I know AAA Michigan sells them with a minimum initial card load of $300, with a $4.95 card activation/purchase fee. On the other hand, National City bank has it with a minimum $100 load and a $7.95 (non-personalized) to $12.95 (personalized and mailed to you) purchase/activation fee.

[plotmom]

Is there a expiration date at all on the American Express card?

There is an expiration date on the physical card but not the funds. If the card expires and you still have funds on it you can get a replacement card (similar to the process when your credit card expires). I hope that makes sense

[Boston5602]

I put down a CC at check in and charge to my room ( although at times I have gone hog wild and not payed any attention to the final amount going to be due , this is not good <G> )

Its real convenient .

At Walgreen's and CVS they sell lots of different cards so I think next year I'll get a VISA or AMEX card at CVS and give those to the kids for their spending money. The AMEX card is a one time deal , but the VISA card can have value added on to it.

[Disney Doll]

A Disney VISA Rewards card, some cash, and the rest via ATM.

[deekaypee]

Most of our vacation is paid up front; we use CCs for hotel and major purchases. We carry cash for the daily expenses, including souvies. We don't carry balances on our CCs, so we do what we can to avoid the Disney imperative to buy more stuff than we need. (Don't ask how many pairs of MM ears I own! ;) )