Spending Money for DD and Friend at Disney with MB

[scottmel]

I have never given DD15 charging privledges before on vacation b/c she was always with us. This year she is bringing a friend and I assume they might go off on their own a bit around the resort or Epcot (within walking distance of our resort). I think she is old enough to have charging and I think she will be mindful of the cost of things, she normally is!

I was going to give each girl 100.00 giftcard as a surprise for the trip and basically say when it is gone it is gone! I know last year I spent around 150 on DD and her jewelry and must have tshirts, etc. but since she has a friend now I want it to be fair to both girls.

Would you give them charging rights and somehow keep track of what they spent or entrust them with their individual gift card? This makes me a little nervous as that iphone comes in and out of the pocket 20 times a day and she isn't one to carry a purse...Easier to use the magic band but I think you can track more of what you spend using the gift card. There is a neat iphone app that lets you register your gift card and you can track your balance on here although you can't use your iphone screen to pay for anything unfortunately...

Thoughts??

 

[ShariVT]

If it was just my daughter I would have no problem with charging priviledgges but with a friend alot I would do gift cards. They have some you can buy that you can wear around your wrist you could get those if you wait and buy while you are there. My daughter always brought a friend but for the most part even though we told them they could go off with out us they never really did.

 

[runsandjumps]

Gift cards are a great idea. I would not however give them a credit card.

 

[scottmel]

If it was just my daughter I would have no problem with charging priviledgges but with a friend alot I would do gift cards. They have some you can buy that you can wear around your wrist you could get those if you wait and buy while you are there. My daughter always brought a friend but for the most part even though we told them they could go off with out us they never really did.

Could you clarify? You mean you buy a gift card there that you wear around your wrist or the gift card I have attaches to something they wear around their wrist?

 

[scottmel]

Gift cards are a great idea. I would not however give them a credit card.

I think I like the giftcard idea too b/c it is no strings attached. No explaining what you bought or wondering "is that too much, I feel funny charging to the room" etc. This way if they want to eat at every booth in epcot they can or they can buy one big item etc.

 

[Straitlover]

Could you clarify? You mean you buy a gift card there that you wear around your wrist or the gift card I have attaches to something they wear around their wrist?

They have a small gift card that comes on a bungee/coil you can wear on your wrist (like the rewards cards that go on your keychain), but I don't know if they sell them all the time or not. I think they first started them w/ the Food and Wine Festival.

 

[Sandi]

There are gift cards that have a plastic coiled cord that you wear around your wrist. They are available all over WDW and the GC itself is the size of reward cards you might have to different retailers.

I find it more convenient to give my DD charging privileges so she can get food and drinks without my having to be with her. With a friend, you'd have to consider whether the friend will be as responsible. Maybe give your daughter charging privileges and not the friend. If you lose a GC, it's like losing cash. If you lose a MB, they can kill it and recover the information. Also, if you want to keep track, just ask for a print out of charges at your resort. You can easily see who charged what. If things aren't going like they should, remove the charging privilege from your DD's MB.

 

[scottmel]

There are gift cards that have a plastic coiled cord that you wear around your wrist. They are available all over WDW and the GC itself is the size of reward cards you might have to different retailers.

I find it more convenient to give my DD charging privileges so she can get food and drinks without my having to be with her. With a friend, you'd have to consider whether the friend will be as responsible. Maybe give your daughter charging privileges and not the friend. If you lose a GC, it's like losing cash. If you lose a MB, they can kill it and recover the information. Also, if you want to keep track, just ask for a print out of charges at your resort. You can easily see who charged what. If things aren't going like they should, remove the charging privilege from your DD's MB.

Thanks Sandi! Since I get 17 percent off gift cards I like to use my own instead of buying one there. Do you think I could use my gift card to buy one of these gift card things?

 

[Sandi]

Thanks Sandi! Since I get 17 percent off gift cards I like to use my own instead of buying one there. Do you think I could use my gift card to buy one of these gift card things?

I think that the Disney GCs say that they cannot be used to purchase GCs. Check the back of the card and its fine print. How the heck do you get 17% off?! That would be sweet.

 

[MomToOne]

I'd go with the gift cards - kids that age understand the value of a gift card and are pretty good about keeping track of them. Just be sure to take a picture of the back of each of them, where you can read the numbers, and keep your purchase receipt for them with you. That way if they somehow do end up lost, you can get them replaced.

 

[scottmel]

I think that the Disney GCs say that they cannot be used to purchase GCs. Check the back of the card and its fine print. How the heck do you get 17% off?! That would be sweet.

THanks Sandi! I have a chase freedom rewards card that pays 5% bonus at gas stations or grocery stores during certain months. So when my fuel perks are double at my grocers I get 12% in free fuel and 5% in charge so I feel that is 17% off gift cards. I buy a few grand when it hits this special sweet spot!!! I see you are in MI. It isn't like Krogers who I heard caps you at 1.00 a gallon. I get free 30 gallon fill ups with my grocers!!! So instead of saying it is FREE gas, I say it is percent off Disney gift cards!

 

[mini22]

If it were me I would buy them each two $50.00 gift cards.That way if they lost one it wouldn't be as great a loss.

 

[disney is my life]

You could also give them charging privledges and set a limit on their bands. When we went in November we gave dd16 charging privledges but set a limit of $300. We just took the band to the desk at CBR and they were able to put the limit on(only her band). The limit was the amount of money that she had saved to bring on the trip, so any extras she wanted she was able to purchase herself.

 

[FLSarah]

If you want to do the gift card with a coil but can't find one, then you can use a hole punch (or anything really) to make a hole in one of the corners of the gift card. Then you can attach a coil. You can buy coils in the keychain section of lots of stores.

 

[EMode]

Thanks Sandi! Since I get 17 percent off gift cards I like to use my own instead of buying one there. Do you think I could use my gift card to buy one of these gift card things?

If I could save 17% on GCs then they would be getting GCs

You could punch a hole in it and put a carabiner clip on it that they can clip to their belt loop.

 

[Sandi]

THanks Sandi! I have a chase freedom rewards card that pays 5% bonus at gas stations or grocery stores during certain months. So when my fuel perks are double at my grocers I get 12% in free fuel and 5% in charge so I feel that is 17% off gift cards. I buy a few grand when it hits this special sweet spot!!! I see you are in MI. It isn't like Krogers who I heard caps you at 1.00 a gallon. I get free 30 gallon fill ups with my grocers!!! So instead of saying it is FREE gas, I say it is percent off Disney gift cards!

However you calculate it, it is definitely good money saved. Good for you!

You could also give them charging privledges and set a limit on their bands. When we went in November we gave dd16 charging privledges but set a limit of $300. We just took the band to the desk at CBR and they were able to put the limit on(only her band). The limit was the amount of money that she had saved to bring on the trip, so any extras she wanted she was able to purchase herself.

I did not know you could put a limit on certain people in your room. This is very helpful information.

 

[scottmel]

You could also give them charging privledges and set a limit on their bands. When we went in November we gave dd16 charging privledges but set a limit of $300. We just took the band to the desk at CBR and they were able to put the limit on(only her band). The limit was the amount of money that she had saved to bring on the trip, so any extras she wanted she was able to purchase herself.

REALLY??? so I could tell each girl in theory that I loaded 100.00 on each of their bands (but in reality tell the concierge to cap them when each of their bands hits 100). That is awesome the I can just pay the balance with a GC. THANKS!