A Problem with Disney Dollars!

[disney's daughter]

I am fortunate to be able to go to Disney World a few times a year...I usually go with my sister and in February, I take all of my family (husband, adult children, and grandchildren)....I always try to pay off just about everything before the trip....so there is virtually little or no debt facing me when I get home... Because of the Best Rate program, I cannot pay off my hotel rooms in advance...somebody suggested I just buy disney dollars...and pay off the rooms when we get there with the Disney Dollars..( I could put them on my charge card a few hundred a month before the trip)......another way to get either Disney Rewards on my Visa card..or Sky Miles on my American Express...AND save exclusively for the Disney trip) Well..I went to our local Disney store today..and was told that $200.00 per customer per day was the limit on purchasing Disney Dollars...They said that they were only given so much in Disney dollars and if I asked for too much...I'd wipe them out...making it so the other customers couldn't purchase any...(I had asked for $800.00 worth).... I figured I'd purchase around $700.00- $800.00 per month until the trip.....So...now I have to go to the mall every week or (every day straight for four days each month) to purchase the Disney dollars.... I know this all sounds a bit crazy..like why on earth am I making such a big deal about it...Why can't I just put the money aside for the trip..and forget about the disney dollars....It's because I have always paid for everything with my credit card..each month..(and paid off my credit card each month, too)....like the plane tickets one month..the rooms another month....any other type reservations..(character meals...and so forth)...and give my four grandchildren Disney dollars to spend for the trip...(they have to earn them throughout the year)....I guess I am just used to planning it all out a certain way...(and yes..I am just too set in my ways!...Guess I will just have to change... Oh well...things could be a whole lot worse....

 

[KeepSwimming]

I really would recommend using the Disney Visa in this case. You will get cahs back on a Disney rewards card that you can use on your trip, or give to your grandkids as a gift.

I hear you about the BRP program. We like to pay off our room before we go, and this December we booked under the BRP and that is making me a little crazy as well.

 

[melanie18]

How come you can't pay it off in advance with the Best Rate program? If its paid, will they not lower your rate? If that's the case, pay a decent portion of it (you know the price won't drop to half the cost) and pay the balance once the "Best Rate" window closes.

I'll admit, I don't know all about the Best Rate program yet.

 

[GIOny]

I'll admit, I don't know all about the Best Rate program yet. [/QUOTE]



I don't know anything about the best rate program at all! Could someone please explain it to me. Dis daughter, I know this would be too late for this year but have you ever opened up a vacation club at the bank to save money? You get a small amount of interest but it's one way of keeping money aside for vacation.

 

[ladysoleil]

It's a bit of a pain, but the extra rewards points will make it worthwhile.

What about the new Disney giftcards they have? Do you get points/miles for buying those? What's the limit on those purchases- if you can do larger dollar amounts, that might work too and make it less hassle. You can probably load up gift cards for the grandkids the same way, I'd think.

I haven't tried to use one yet but I've read here that they're good in the parks and resorts, so that could be a possible solution, depending on what the dollar limits on the cards are?

 

[disneymoon0606]

There are Disney giftcards? Can someone tell me more about them? Where do you get them?

 

[Simba's Girl]

My Disney store let me purchase more than $200 worth the other day (last Monday)...

But I soooo know where you're comming from with the paying the debt thing! I'm sure it'll all work out in the end...

Heather

 

[dthogue]

Do you relaize that if you lose them or they get stolen you can't replace Disney Dollars? Why take the chance of traveling with so much unreplaceable cash ? I would suggest traveler's check. You can buy them as often as you like and in various amounts Much safer and replaceable if heaven forbid you lose them or worse.

Tammy

 

[PNO4TE]

Do you relaize that if you lose them or they get stolen you can't replace Disney Dollars? Why take the chance of traveling with so much unreplaceable cash ? I would suggest traveler's check. You can buy them as often as you like and in various amounts Much safer and replaceable if heaven forbid you lose them or worse.

Tammy

I agree with Tammy 100%. I also like to have everything paid for before we go and it is the one thing about the BRP that I don't like. So, this year I am going to AAA and buying "mass quantities" of traveler's cheques and will have them to pay off anything that stilll needs to be done.

If you are a AAA member there are no fees to purchase them. Many banks also offer them without a fee or a minimal fee.

 

[disney's daughter]

Thank you for all your great ideas...this is why I love the Disney Discussion Boards! I like ALL the ideas...Traveler's checks...a separate bank account...I didn't know about the Disney card....Also, I think I wll ask about paying "most" of the balances of the three rooms....Every little bit can help.

 

[Alice Sr.]

Can you buy the gift cards at the local Disney stores? Do they then work like credit/debit cards in the parks?

TIA,
Alice

Good point about the benefits of traveler's checks over Disney dollars, especially when you are talking about that amount of money.

 

[PNO4TE]

Also, I think I wll ask about paying "most" of the balances of the three rooms....Every little bit can help.

I have no first-hand experience with this but have read numerous posts from other DISers that stated that they were unable to pay any additional amount over the one night's deposit required at booking on their BRP reservations.

If you have luck, please let us know how!!

 

[k5thbeatle]

The Disney store not selling over $200/day must be a local decision? I recently purchased over that amount in a single visit. It's kinda silly when you think about it...isn't the idea to sell the Disney dollars? And you wonder why their stores aren't doing as well anymore?

 

[mickeysaver]

Gift cards at the Disney store are just for the Disney Store. They can not be used at the parks. There is a different sort of rechargable card that they are selling to the stores within WDW. Maggie

 

[minnie61650]

Do you relaize that if you lose them or they get stolen you can't replace Disney Dollars? Why take the chance of traveling with so much unreplaceable cash ? I would suggest traveler's check. You can buy them as often as you like and in various amounts Much safer and replaceable if heaven forbid you lose them or worse.

Tammy

ITA
I always carry travelers checks with me. They are my emergcy cash and If they are lost or stolen they can be replaced!

 

[disney's daughter]

Yes...I think I will mostly have to go the Traveler's checks route....along with some Disney Dollars.....I owe a balance on three rooms...(six nights)....so...I think the Disney Dollars will go towards the rooms as soon as I get there....I will have six and a half days of meals to pay...for ten people...Whew!

The manager at our Disney Store here was absolutely "horrified" that I wanted to buy "that much" in Disney Dollars........saying that most of their customers only want about $25.00 to $50.00!

I will be at Disney World this coming Tuesday..Maybe I can just ask while I am there...if I can pay more towards the rooms...I really can't imagine getting the rooms much less than what I originally paid using the Best Rate program....but, I'll let everybody know what I am told...

 

[owensamo]

I'm not sure where to get them, but I do know that American Express now has a Traveller's Checque Card that's like the pre-paid Visa cards you can get. It's supposedly more secure than the cheques, and I assume is taken anywhere American Express is (which should be all over WDW). I know our old bank (Central Carolina Bank/SunTrust) was promoting them when they first came out - they had a promotion where if you purchased a card with $350 you'd get a voucher for a free companion airfare.

I'm not sure if there are any current promotions, but it might be easier to use something like this than to have to sign umpteen traveller's cheques when you check in to pay off the room. I know I have a hard enough time getting my signature to look right on just one!

Granted, I have a bit of a bias against Traveller's Cheques - the first and last time I had them I was 12 or 13 and took $100 in chekques in my own money to WDW - and had one CM who made me sign it 4 times before she'd accept it! I mean, what 12 year old's signature is stable? Sheesh. That was probably one of the least magical experiences I've had at WDW, though, and that's pretty minor of one.

Mur!