Cash at WDW

[SandyinMonterey]

I read about using a gift card and wondered if that's better than charging to your room. How do you know how much you're spending with it (balance). Do you get a receipt with each purchase?

I never charge to room. Always leave with zero balance. Yes, I always have a receipt. Keep it with each individual gift card till empty.

 

[Soulshift]

Cash for tips is the big one here. Its just easier. But in general MB are good literally everywhere. I wonder if Disney Springs is more likely to need cash. Cant recall of hand.

 

[YawningDodo]

I read about using a gift card and wondered if that's better than charging to your room. How do you know how much you're spending with it (balance). Do you get a receipt with each purchase?

Having just gotten back from my trip, I have to say I was actually really glad I'd been what I considered "lazy" by charging almost everything to my room. They send you a PDF with all the details on your room charges at checkout (you can also get an in-progress version at any point during your trip, which I did when I went to the front desk to pay it down with gift cards and unneeded cash), and it was super easy to go through that document and reconcile/verify all my expenses against my personal notes. Having (nearly) every expense listed in one location was very helpful to me for my accounting.

 

[SleeplessInTO]

I would just say be careful with gift cards. If you get a refund sometimes the balance goes back onto the original form of payment. Not usually an issue with credit card or cash but sometimes I don’t keep zero balance gift cards.

 

[MarkS2112]

How much cash do you carry when you go to Disney World? I feel like nearly everything can be purchased using your magic band...but I also vaguely remember that there are a few things that need cash (though I can't remember at all what those are!). Trying to figure out what to pack and if I need to hit up an ATM!

I carry about $100 for tips and that is it. Carry no wallet into the parks. My wife carries a small bag and 1 CC just in case. No need for cash in the parks or DS anymore. Disney made it easy to spend to money without ever pulling it out.

 

[TarotFox]

I would just say be careful with gift cards. If you get a refund sometimes the balance goes back onto the original form of payment. Not usually an issue with credit card or cash but sometimes I don’t keep zero balance gift cards.

As long as you register it online you could transfer the balance.

 

[GatesFam]

Tips should be the only thing cash would be needed for. A wonderful perk of the band

 

[maranara]

Just to follow up as the original poster...we got back Sunday...the only thing we ever used cash for was to tip mousekeeping (and we made those envelopes at home) and the person who brought up our luggage. I used my MB for EVERYTHING ELSE. So easy, and like a previous poster said, you get a pdf emailed to you at the end with every charge listed.

 

[YawningDodo]

I brought $45 cash on my 7 night trip. Used $15 on tips and various things where cash was easier (I declined housekeeping so no tips for that); ended up going to the front desk on the last night to put the other $30 toward my room charges. I don't really use cash much at home and that money was already marked for WDW in my budget when I withdrew it, so it was simplest to just put it toward those charges. I'll probably bring about the same next time since it's nice to have cash on hand just in case, and do the same thing with the leftovers.

 

[1911]

Take 1500$ but usually wind up charging everything to my credit card. I like having cash in my pocket,just don’t feel normal with out it.