How do you pay in the parks?

[KalamityJane]

We are doing gc because I have a target redcard and got 5% off with it. We are also paying off the hotel with them.

 

[kylie71]

I buy them through out the year at Safeway....
If you get one for $100.00 at a time you get 4 gas rewards, a few times a year...
I'm a big fan of the gift cards! Also cash. No credit cards here = no bills and guilt later!

Lori

 

[Kittyskyfish]

We use our debit card for all purchases not at the rolling carts. I don't like using gift cards because there is too much hassle and documentation to safe keep in case it is ever lost or stolen.

 

[ten6mom]

I bought a lot of gift cards and used those. I carried a little cash for the carts that didn't take them, although we found there were very few that wouldn't. I bought all of them at Target using my Target card to get the additional 5% off.

I checked my local Target for Disney gift cards and they didn't have any. I found very few gift cards aside from Target ones. Which location did you find them at, if you don't mind my asking? Was it a California location?

Thanks!

 

[hjgaus]

If you have a Disney visa REWARDS card it CAN be used just like the Disney Gift Card but only for selected restaurants,shops & hotel gift shops! I have used it @ the Grand Cali gift shop & White Water snacks.

 

[Ancient Purple]

I checked my local Target for Disney gift cards and they didn't have any. I found very few gift cards aside from Target ones. Which location did you find them at, if you don't mind my asking? Was it a California location?

Thanks!

They have them at the 44th Street and Thomas location in Phoenix as that is where I bought mine. I know that isn't close to Chandler, but it isn't too bad of a drive as you can take the 202 to the 44th Street exit, turn right, drive a little over a mile and you are there.

Also, I found them in the back of the store near the electronics and video games in one of the end of aisle displays.

 

[lovedisneyland1]

We use cash and our debit cards, but mostly cash. With the cash I do not bring all of the cash with us. I usually will allow a certain amount a day and take it out of the atm as needed. It does cost a little extra in fees but I don't have to worry about lost or stolen cash either. I can also keep a better handle on what we're spending that way.

 

[bethyylovee]

Can you use debit cards almost anywhere? I have Chase.

 

[AZwldcats]

Can you use debit cards almost anywhere? I have Chase.

Yes, They just run them as Credit. No PIN entry.

 

[AZwldcats]

We used either Disney Gift Cards bought with my 5% off via Target Debit or my Chase Disney Debit card for everything.

Used less than $30 in cash (mostly churros lol) in 6 days there.

 

[Malcon10t]

We use cash and our debit cards, but mostly cash. With the cash I do not bring all of the cash with us. I usually will allow a certain amount a day and take it out of the atm as needed. It does cost a little extra in fees but I don't have to worry about lost or stolen cash either. I can also keep a better handle on what we're spending that way.

If you go into the store, and instead of taking cash, load the amount you would use on a gift card, there are no fees, so you can get an extra churro!!

 

[MillauFr]

We use our credit card for everything. As long as you pay in full every month they are a good deal. I figure with the airline miles I rack up I am getting back %1.5.

 

[Escape2Disney]

Cash!

When we go on vacation, we take a specific amount of cash. We pay cash for EVERYTHING while on vacation. It makes it easy to not over-spend by using a credit card.

We have always done it this way. Works great for us, and we always return with money at the end of our trip.

We do a combo of cash and gift cards for this very reason. If I see the money depleating, I spend less.

Does anyone know if you can use gift cards at the hotel restaurants? Like for the character meals?

Just note that some of the restaurants won't allow you to put the tip on the gift card. We ran into that a few years ago, so now bring some cash.

 

[hlbtimes2]

I typically carry cash for the daily food expenses. I like to have the visual of how much we are spending. We use our debit card for souveniers.

 

[ten6mom]

They have them at the 44th Street and Thomas location in Phoenix as that is where I bought mine. I know that isn't close to Chandler, but it isn't too bad of a drive as you can take the 202 to the 44th Street exit, turn right, drive a little over a mile and you are there.

Also, I found them in the back of the store near the electronics and video games in one of the end of aisle displays.

Thank you! I didn't realize they would sell non-Target gift cards anywhere other than the front registers! I will check every nook and cranny of my local Targets before heading up to the location you recommended!!!

 

[sheetz]

We use our credit card for everything. As long as you pay in full every month they are a good deal. I figure with the airline miles I rack up I am getting back %1.5.

Ditto. We're naturally very frugal so there's never even a thought of overspending. We don't buy anything with credit cards that we can't afford to pay with cash.

 

[cp11]

We get Disney Gift cards for Christmas and birthdays, and then once a month we get a three pack of $15. ones.. by the time we go we have a ton of "money" and havent really missed it over the year..

The Disney store in DTD takes the gift cards..

I know this might sound like a stupid question, but this has my interest as we would be paying for our trip without breaking the budget. I like it, so I think I might start doing this.

So my questions are: How many gift cards are you taking typically doing it this method.

I take it if I use one card up, but still owe 18.50, they can use it up on one card, then use the next, right? I'm just picturing having tons of these $15 gift cards and pulling out ten of them to say pay for a meal for four or five. I think my husband and kids would walk away in embarassment.

Can people fill in the blanks for me on this. Thanks for your help in advance.

 

[AZwldcats]

I know this might sound like a stupid question, but this has my interest as we would be paying for our trip without breaking the budget. I like it, so I think I might start doing this.

So my questions are: How many gift cards are you taking typically doing it this method.

I take it if I use one card up, but still owe 18.50, they can use it up on one card, then use the next, right? I'm just picturing having tons of these $15 gift cards and pulling out ten of them to say pay for a meal for four or five. I think my husband and kids would walk away in embarassment.

Can people fill in the blanks for me on this. Thanks for your help in advance.

Yes, I had about 18 $50 Gift Cards for my trip. I would use one and it would take the remaining balance, apply it to the transaction and tell me how much more I owed (if any). I would just tell the CM to toss the zero balance cards so I would know about what I had left.

Also the card #'s and balances print out on your receipt.

I used 4 once for one transaction.

 

[sweethannah]

we used a combination of cash, credit and gift cards.

We bought a gift card for DD to use in the Park. We carried cash for small purchases and for when we did smaller dining breaks in the park.

For big sit down meals we used our credit card. We divided the cash between my DH and myself each morning before we left and topped up in the evening if needed.

 

[lovedisneyland1]

If you go into the store, and instead of taking cash, load the amount you would use on a gift card, there are no fees, so you can get an extra churro!!

That's a good idea but I don't like to have my money tied up into gift cards. If something were to happen like a slow time of work (my husband is in a job where they usually have a month or so off a year) I don't want to have nearly a thousand dollars sitting there in gift cards that can only be used at Disney. I would rather pay a few extra dollars in atm fees.