Can I use traveler's checks to set up room charge?

[GEM]

We're heading down next week. We don't have any credit cards any more, and I'm always a little worried about using our debit card for the room charges, since it is tied to our main bank account and I've heard some horror stories.

We have about $1,500 in cash saved up and we want to use that for charging. I know you used to be able to put down cash (instead of a credit card). Is that still the case? What about traveler's checks? I'd rather not carry all that cash on the plane.

 

[jenleahs]

I believe you can but then if you don't use that all it may be hard to get the balance back.

One CM at the CR told me once that you can put a specific amount on the card for charging....and when it is depleted it is depleted....I would think you could then add more as need be.

Hope that makes sense.

 

[tcp0421]

I believe you can but then if you don't use that all it may be hard to get the balance back.

One CM at the CR told me once that you can put a specific amount on the card for charging....and when it is depleted it is depleted....I would think you could then add more as need be.

Hope that makes sense.

I am wondering the same thing. We will be there in 10 days!!

 

[KilleriMac17]

Yes you can put money or traveler checks down for room charge.
the highest balance depends on the resort, for example

at values, you can put down $500, what you dont spend you get back, if you spend it all or even part of it and want to put more down, you can put more down to reach $500 again.

at moderates its $1000 and deluxes its $1500 we have done this every trip at both value and moderates, but never been deluxe. (our first trip they didnt have the 500/1000/1500 differences that was added in a few years ago but we always got cash back that wasnt used, one time $700

 

[acourtwdw]

If you want to room charge you can pay at the end of your trip with cash, personal check or travelers check. They swipe your debit card if you have visa/mc and authorize it for a dollar so that you can charge back to your room. Make sure that you don't sign up for express check out but settle your balance before you go with you tc if you want to do that.

 

[DreaminDisney]

I too plan on bringing travelers checks to put down for room charge but my kids have been saving disney dollars like crazy. Would they be able to put those down too?

 

[coltink]

How would you get the money back if you didn't use it all?

I have Disney Dollars, a Disney Gift Card, and cash.

 

[GEM]

I know that when we used to put down cash, we would go to the desk the morning of check out and they would refund any amount over what we owed for our charges. It was great. I just wasn't sure about using traveler's checks in the same way, since we had never done that.

 

[CleveRocks]

You can back up a room charge with travelers checks, cash, Disney Dollars, credit card, or debit card (with VISA/MC logo).

Those above-stated limits for room charges by level of resort are UPPER limits -- you can set the room charge for any amount up to and including that amount.

LACK OF HORROR STORY:

When you use any sort of plastic to back up your room charge at a WDW resort, they do not pre-charge your account, and they do not place a hold on your account. In fact, they don't even check to see if you have enough in your account! They "run" the card just to make sure it is tied to an active account. But they absolutely definitely don't pre-authorize anything or have a hold placed on anything. For example, let's say your debit card is tied to your checking account. Let's say you have $3,000 in your checking account. You check in at your resort and set up a $1,000 room charge. You can call your bank every day, and every day you will still have a $3,000 balance in your checking account (if there was no other activity, of course), because Disney placed NO HOLD on your account.

Same thing if you have a credit card with $3,000 available credit. If you authorize a $1,000 room charge, you can call your credit card company every day, and every day you will still have $3,000 available credit, because Disney placed NO HOLD on your account.

If you reach/exceed your room charge limit, then your credit/debit account will be automatically charged. But as long as you don't reach/exceed your limit, nothing will be charged until about 3:00 a.m. on your check-out day. You can also go to the front desk before you hit the limit, and pay down the account through any other means you want. Also, you can go to the front desk at any time and get an up-to-the-minute printout of your room charge activity and current room charge balance.

Personally, I've not read even one single horror story about using a debit card to set up a room charge. And I've done it twice myself and it's worked according to plan. Any chance you have a link to these horror stories???

 

[WillCAD]

You can back up a room charge with travelers checks, cash, Disney Dollars, credit card, or debit card (with VISA/MC logo).

Yup. I've done it myself with cash, Disney Dollars, and Disney Gift Cards.

Any remaining balance gets refunded to you in regular US cash.