Cash,Traveler Checks,or Credit Cards?

[seagee]

Just curious: do you take cash, traveler checks, or credit cards with you to WDW? Buy the way I picked up just today a walet belt pack in the travel section at Target for $7.99. I can wear it around my waist and tuck it into my shorts! So tell me how to do you pay in the parks?

 

[my3princes]

We use all 3. Cash for the food carts in the parks. Travelers checks to replinish the cash and credit cards for everything else.

Deb

 

[bytheblood]

We do Disney Dollars, Travelers Cheques and a small amount of cash. We also take credit cards and use those to pay for any meal that is $75 or more.

 

[kilee]

We use all 3 too. The bulk of our money is in travelers checks though. I like the security of them the most. We don't have any credit cards per se- we use our debit that works like a credit. My biggest fear though is getting to WDW and there is some technology glitch that won't let our cards go through.
As for cash- we usually only start off from home to the airport w/ $40.00 for tipping and small snacks. The rest of the cash is from cashing the traverlers checks throughout the trip.

 

[oogieboogie]

all the above. Credit cards to secure rental car and to put it on for hi-speed internet access. Traveler's Checks to buy the WDW gift cards to use for payment instead of room charging. Disney Dollars/Cash to use at the carts that don't accept cards and tips.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

With the advancements made with credit/debit card companies insuring purchases and 24 hour credit card replacements for lost cards, aren't traveler's cheques a bit passe these days? I think the last time I purchased some was back in the 80's when I backpacked through Europe for 2 months during college.

 

[SnackyStacky]

With the advancements made with credit/debit card companies insuring purchases and 24 hour credit card replacements for lost cards, aren't traveler's cheques a bit passe these days? I think the last time I purchased some was back in the 80's when I backpacked through Europe for 2 months during college.

And you, my friend, just dated yourself!!!

I typically bring a stack of cash for tipping and snack carts.

Everything else goes on a credit card. Well, I have charging to the room authorized and I usually only carry my key to the world.

 

[Paul_Pearce]

We never use travellers cheques, they are so out dated. Also as our money will be converted from pounds into dollars, they usually charge commission or the exchange rate is worse than the rate u get when using cards, typically around 4% worse than the wholesales rate that cards use when converting.

We bring some cash from England to get us to the hotel/ATM at which point we then only use a debit card for purchases (for everything possible) and getting cash from ATMs for the rest (perhaps 10%) of overall spending.

My bank does not charge for taking foreign currency from an ATM abroad. (most charge 2.75%).

Given the likely spend for our 3 weeks starting Sunday, this startegy is probably saving us up to £100 ($175 dollars) in hidden charges.

Of course if I were American who didn't need to worry about exchange rates etc, I would substitue Credit for Debit in the above (probably one with 0% interest for X months and use that all the time, keep my cash in the bank earning interest for X months and then pay the balance just before the X montsh was up!!!!

 

[fizz13]

Last time I used travellers checks for the security of them and bacuse they are accepted as cash in most places. This time I will be staying onsite so will make use of room charging facilities with a credit card, and carry a little cash for carts.

Claire xx

 

[wfloyd]

Normally we just use credit cards for everything. We have a small amount of cash for the vending carts if we want something though.

 

[SheDaisy0088]

We use Disney dollars, cash and debit cards. Disney dollars are for purchases inside the park. Cash and debit cards are used for everything else!!

 

[disneyfreak71]

We use mostly our room cards which get charged to a credit card. They are easy to stuff in a wallet with id and there is no worries if they get lost since they can be cancelled and new ones issued immediately.

 

[Gymbomom]

We just got back from Vegas and travelers checks were used at the "cage" every minute....we see them all the time at WDW as well.

a debit card ? = can you use your bank debit card with the mastercard logo on your room, so you can charge back to your room? Do they "hold" a specific amount??

 

[Hopefully]

We primarliy use our room key guaranteed with the credit card. We take cash for carts and extra tips, but the rest goes on the credit card. We are on the MYW Plan with Dining, so we paid in full 45 days in advance for our room and virtually all our food.
Gymbomom, they do "hold" a certain amount of money if you choose to add charging to your room key. It varies by resort type. You are allowed to charge more to your room at the deluxes than at the values. If you reach that limit I believe they process it at that point.

 

[Frantasmic]

I still use traveler's checks. It seems to work well and there does seem to me to be some security.

We will be using Disney dollars this trip as we are giving the kids a set amount to spend each day and I want them to be more accountable. If they want something big there, they will have to save a few days worth of mad money. It will be interesting to see how it works out.

 

[puffkin]

We mainly use our room key guaranteed by a credit card. That way we can leave the credit card in the room safe. If the room key gets lost/stolen, it can be cancelled and replaced quickly.

We use a small amount of cash for drink stands in the park and unexpected tips. We always make up tip envelopes before the trip for mousekeeping and any towncar drivers. We usually have a few Disney Dollars as well, these we usually receive as gifts from friends/family. We usually take these to Downtown Disney the night we shop at the World of Disney Store.

Travelers Checks seem like such a pain and hassle, one more thing you have to worry about.

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

And you, my friend, just dated yourself!!!

...in the late '80's!!!

 

[basketlacey]

We went in 2003 and I liked having the Travellers' Checks. We stayed on site and used our room keys in the park and then paid our bill when we got back to the room with our Travellers' Checks. It was great for me to keep track of what we were spending.

We are going again soon (4 weeks ) and I am going to look into one of those new Travellers' Check Cards (looks like a credit card). The only thing that worries me about that is some places don't take American Express (I am not sure how it works yet though).

 

[aterriq]

We used all three. The reason we used the travellers check was to avoid the ATM fees for withdrawing cash. Also, didn't want to have to look for ATMs when I needed cash. Didn't want to charge small items (less than $10) to my credit card. Also having the Travellers checks forced us to stay on budget. Once they ran out we were going to stop buying soveniers.

 

[jann1033]

imo the easiest is a tiny bit of cash ( maybe 2 hundred total for trip up and back and at wdw) and the rest we use our room charge for.( filled by our debit card from our vacation fund)