Can you put money on a room key?

[sissybells]

I'm not sure where to post this. I have been saving money for my neices to spend at Disney when we go. Can I give the money to the front desk and tell them to put it on their room key so they can use that instead of carrying around cash? I hope that makes sense. If not what can I do so they don't have to carry the cash or disney dollars? Thank you to anyone that can help.

 

[larryz]

What you can do is tie a credit card to your room account (if you don't, you won't get to use the phone... )

It depends on how old the girls are. If old enough, give the nieces "charging privileges," and they can use the room key to buy stuff, which then goes to your room bill.

Now, you have to ask yourself, "Self, do I trust my nieces with my credit card?" because that's essentially what you'll be doing.

There are also several "cash balance debit cards" offered by banks and/or retailers that you can purchase and deposit specific amounts with, so that the girls could use those cards instead of cash or D$s. They aren't expensive, and some banks (like mine) offer the service for free.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[OKW Mom]

I have put a cash amount down because we were anticipating spending a specified amount and I had it in cash.

I also included my credit card to guarantee the other room charges.

 

[csaribay]

You can add a cash balance to your folio to be used for guest ID charges, and I believe (though I'm not sure) that you can apply to each card individually.

If that's not an option, you can get Disney Gift Card(s) in most merchandise locations at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and DisneyShopping.com that are accepted in most other merchandise and food/beverage locations.They're available in increments of $25, and it's a dollar for dollar amount (no service charges). As long as you keep the original receipt, should you lose the card, Disney can provide a replacement card. That's an added benefit that you won't get with Disney Dollars.

 

[Pakey]

You can select only certain room cards to have charging privileges but you cannot then specify certain amounts on each of those cards. It's basically an all or nothing type of deal. If you want them to have charging priviledges, you would have to keep track of the individual spending yourself as the charges will just be bundled together on that one room.

 

[CleveRocks]

What you can do is tie a credit card to your room account (if you don't, you won't get to use the phone... )

This is completely inaccurate on both counts.

At WDW resorts, there is NO CREDIT CARD REQUIRED. Period. None. This makes WDW different than almost every other hotelier in the country, but it's true. You do not need to leave a credit card on file for "incidentals" or phone or even a room charge.

You most certainly can set up a room charge with cash. Or travelers checks, Or Disney Dollars.

There are only two instances when WDW requires a credit card, and neither of them have to do with resort stays. One instance is if you buy air travel through WDTC, you need to pay for it immediately with a credit or debit card. The other is when you book specific meals that require prepayment (e.g., Cinderella's Royal Table).

But when you check in and stay at a WDW resort, there is NOTHING that requires a credit card. It's often assumed that you need one, but those assumptions are inaccruate.

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

Hey Eric, So why is it that when we check in they ask for a credit card to be on file for incidentals?

 

[Charleyann]

I was able to place travellers cheques on ours. Disney put it on as cash. That was Just this Dec/ Jan.


Charleyann

 

[Alicnwondrln]

yes you can. We did this last July. We were staying at the GF and put down 1500 at check in. When we checked out 9 nights later we still 500 bucks on there. So I had to go to the lobby front desk as I was staying concierge and they gave us a refund. It was easy.

 

[ksjayhawkfan]

Hey Eric, So why is it that when we check in they ask for a credit card to be on file for incidentals?

Ive never had them ask for one. Ive had them ask if I wanted to add one, but never have.

 

[CleveRocks]

Ive never had them ask for one. Ive had them ask if I wanted to add one, but never have.

Exactly. If you listen carefully, without assumptions, they ASK if you want to put down a credit card to open a room charge. They may not initiate telling you that you can do a room charge with cash, but they never say that you must use a credit card to do it.

Similarly, they do not tell you that they must have a credit card imprint or a swipe of your credit card to have "on file" or "for incidentals." If an isolated CM did it, it was against his/her training, and must have been a vestige of when that person worked for a different hotel company.

Seriously, if you listen carefully, they do NOT say that you need a credit card on file for incidentals. People read between the lines, but there's nothing to read there!

If you put down plastic for a room charge, they swipe the card, but they authorize a charge of zero dollars and zero cents. They do this just to make sure the card is "good" and is tied to an active account. They don't even check to see if you have any available credit! And, also unlike almost every other hotelier in the country, they do not place a hold on your credit/debit account. When hotels swipe your card "for incidentals," they either pre-charge or put a hold on the account. Not Walt Disney World, though. No way.

There are plenty of people like my in-laws, who don't even have any credit cards and who don't like the idea of a room charge. I once checked-in side-by-side with my father-in-law (2 different rooms). He didn't have a credit card to give and he wasn't asked to put down a cash deposit or anything. At that moment, I even suggested that he put down cash to set up a room charge and he said he didn't want to. He had booked a package ... all he needed to check-in with was ID. And they used their phone and everything.

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

Exactly. If you listen carefully, without assumptions, they ASK if you want to put down a credit card to open a room charge. They may not advertise that you can do a rom charge with cash, but they never say that you must use a credit card to do it.

Similarly, they do not tell you that they must have a credit card imprint or a swipe of your credit card to have "on file" or "for incidentals." If an isolated CM did it, it was against his/her training, and must have been a vestige of when that person worked for a different hotel company.

Seriously, if you listen carefully, they do NOT say that you need a credit card on file for incidentals. People read between the lines, but there's nothing to read there!

First of all don't ever assume that someone is reading between the lines and it has happened to us every time we have stayed at the GF and the YC. Never once have we ever heard them ask if we "WANT" to leave a credit card on file for incidentals. They ask us for a credit card to be on file. But if you "INSIST" I will have to check this out in April.

 

[mrf777]

Its great not having to carry cash around, I charge almost everything to my room.

 

[CleveRocks]

Hey Eric, So why is it that when we check in they ask for a credit card to be on file for incidentals?

They don't do this. And if they do, it is a mistake, as it is specifically NOT Walt Disney World policy.

We're so used to being asked for a credit card for incidentals at every other hotel we ever stay at, so at WDW when they ask for a credit card to set up a room charge, we think they said they need it for incidentals.

 

[CleveRocks]

First of all don't ever assume that someone is reading between the lines and it has happened to us every time we have stayed at the GF and the YC. Never once have we ever heard them ask if we "WANT" to leave a credit card on file for incidentals. They ask us for a credit card to be on file. But if you "INSIST" I will have to check this out in April.

Excellent. Please do. I gently insist.

If I'm wrong, I want to be corrected. I don't want to be "right" ...I want everyone out there who's reading this to have accurate information.

 

[CoachBagFanatic]

Excellent. Please do. I gently insist.

If I'm wrong, I want to be corrected. I don't want to be "right" ...I want everyone out there who's reading this to have accurate information.

Hey Eric, I completely agree. I do understand where you are coming from and appreciate the insight that you have. Like I said, I will definitely ask when we are there. Not stating that I am right but I know what I heard when I have checked in. Hey if I don't have to leave a credit card on file that's fine with me as well. They have plenty of my money already and we pay for everything when we are down there using our debit card. Thanks again.

 

[WillCAD]

I'm not sure where to post this. I have been saving money for my neices to spend at Disney when we go. Can I give the money to the front desk and tell them to put it on their room key so they can use that instead of carrying around cash? I hope that makes sense. If not what can I do so they don't have to carry the cash or disney dollars? Thank you to anyone that can help.

Back to the original question:

Yes, this is possible. In fact, I do it every time I stay on-site.

You can put down cash, travellers checks, Disney Dollars, or Disney Gift Cards as a deposit to enable the charging feature on your room key. If you have any left over when you check out, it will be refunded to you in cash (no other option, unless the CM happens to have some Disney Dollars in their cash drawer, which is not always the case).

As others mentioned, you also have to option to have a credit card swiped instead of putting down cash.

One thing to remember is that many check-in CMs don't know how to do this, or even know that it can be done. They all know how to do it with a credit card, but many don't know that it can be done with cash, and a few even think that it can't be done with cash and might tell you so.

If the CM tells you that you can't do it with cash, or that credit cards are the only thing you can use to enable the charging feature, don't panic! Don't get upset, don't get nervous. In fact, smile. Be patient. Tell the CM that yes, it is possib;e, and if he doesn't know how, he can call his manager over to show him, because all of the managers know how it's done.

About 2/3 of the check-in CMs I've had over the years didn't know how to do this procedure with cash and had to call the manager. About 1/3 of them actually told me it couldn't be done. But it can, and it doesn't take long once the manager shows them how.

 

[sandym718]

Thank you for all of this great information. When we go in 2009, if the DDP hasn't changed, I'd like to put down cash (or probably Disney Gift Cards) that we've set aside in advance to pay for the tips. Just put it on the room, so it's just one card we're dealing with at the restaurants. (Trying to make it as convenient as it was in 2007 when the tips were included!! Have it all "paid for" in advance) We don't pay for much else, we're not big souvenier people, but I'd put down a CC also just in case we wanted anything else. The kids will have Disney dollars or gift cards for their own souveniers.

Thank you!

 

[bumbershoot]

....Disney Gift Card(s)....They're available in increments of $25, and it's a dollar for dollar amount (no service charges).

It might be different at WDW, but I know that at DLR gift cards are available starting at only $5. (I know, I have one!)

 

[WillCAD]

It might be different at WDW, but I know that at DLR gift cards are available starting at only $5. (I know, I have one!)

There are no more DLR gift cards.

There used to ba one type of gift card for DLR, one for WDW, and one for the Disney Store. But in early 2005, all of those were replaced by a single, unified Disney Gift Card that can be bought and used at any of those places, and also used on DisneyShopping.com and the Disney Cruise Line.

These cards have a minimum load of $5, but they are reloadable in any amount, have no fees of ANY kind, no expiration of any kind, and are replacable if lost (as long as you have the original purchase reciept).

The Disney Gift Card can be bought online, but when you buy them online you have to get them in pre-set values of $25, $50, or $100 from the Disneyland web site (multiple card designs available), or in $25 increments from $25 up to $500 from the DisneyShopping.com web site (only one design available there). When you buy them at the Disney Store or at WDW or DLR, you can buy them in any amount you choose.

You can also add money to the Disney Gift Card at any Disney Store or any store at WDW or DLR. I do this every payday as a way to save for my WDW trips.