Charging to your room?

[mistyinca]

This will be our first stay at a WDW resort. I understand you can charge to your room. Can someone explain how this all works. Is it through the magic band? Does it default to the credit card I have on my Disney online login account (the one that was used to secure ADRs)?

Ideally, I would like to charge everything to our room, and at the end, opt to pay some with a disney gift card and some with a credit card. Can I do this? Or does it automatically charge to the card on file? If I can, at what point do I need to settle this, and is this at the desk or online somewhere?

Thank you!

 

[Hopefully]

This will be our first stay at a WDW resort. I understand you can charge to your room. Can someone explain how this all works. Is it through the magic band? Does it default to the credit card I have on my Disney online login account (the one that was used to secure ADRs)?

Ideally, I would like to charge everything to our room, and at the end, opt to pay some with a disney gift card and some with a credit card. Can I do this? Or does it automatically charge to the card on file? If I can, at what point do I need to settle this, and is this at the desk or online somewhere?

Thank you!

We use our Magic Band, with a PIN I setup, to charge to our room
It goes to our room folio, not directly to the credit card on file. There are maximum amounts you can charge to that account before they run the charges to the credit card. I think they are $1000 Value, $1500 Moderate, and $2000 Deluxe. But there are many reports of the charges being put through to the credit card before these amounts are reached.
I always go to the Concierge Desk every few days and pay down my balance with my Gift Card. You can not leave a Gift Card value on credit to charge on. You can only use it to pay actual charges incurred.
Be sure to pay prior to your last day. The credit cards are charged about 2 AM on your check out morning.

 

[EdmondD]

As @Hopefully says, you hear some people say that even with a, say, $1500 limit, the hotel might charge your CC on file when your balance is only at, say, $900. And then sometimes they won't actually charge the balance off to your card at all and you'll hit that $1500 limit when you try to get a Dole Whip and get declined (which involves a call to the hotel to ask them to charge off your balance and reset you at $0). The inconsistency is frustrating.

Best bet if you want to use up a gift card balance is to stop by the desk every evening and just pay down your balance with the gift card.

 

[buzznina]

We use our Magic Band, with a PIN I setup, to charge to our room
It goes to our room folio, not directly to the credit card on file. There are maximum amounts you can charge to that account before they run the charges to the credit card. I think they are $1000 Value, $1500 Moderate, and $2000 Deluxe. But there are many reports of the charges being put through to the credit card before these amounts are reached.
I always go to the Concierge Desk every few days and pay down my balance with my Gift Card. You can not leave a Gift Card value on credit to charge on. You can only use it to pay actual charges incurred.
Be sure to pay prior to your last day. The credit cards are charged about 2 AM on your check out morning.

This

I will stop in the lobby every 2-3 days and payoff the current balance with my GC. I also get a printout just so I can check it for mistakes etc.

 

[nkereina]

PPs are all correct. Another option and what I usually will do is just pay for meals or souvenirs with my Disney gift cards first and then start charging to the MB when the gift cards are gone. I can't be bothered to stop at the front desk after check-in unless I have an issue, so this just works better for me. Also ensures I don't miss the window of them posting the charges to my CC.

 

[GovieMom]

Another option and what I usually will do is just pay for meals or souvenirs with my Disney gift cards first and then start charging to the MB when the gift cards are gone. I can't be bothered to stop at the front desk after check-in unless I have an issue, so this just works better for me.

This makes the most sense to me, as it's the most convenient way of doing things. I plan to use what's on my Visa Rewards card before using my magic band to start charging things.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

We stayed at POR this past August and I had a CC on file for magic band charges. I agree with EdmondD, the inconsistency of how frequently the charges hit your card is weird. I asked at check in if I could come back to use my debit card to pay the charges from the day prior or the last two days. I placed a $1k limit. Came back to pay one day of charges which was just some shopping and food and they had already charged my CC and I couldn't pay directly with my cash. I asked what happened and they said that some nights (early AM around 2am, disney charges the card on file for all the room charges. If you want to use gift cards for anything it might be easier to take them with you and spend them or if it's a lot of money, use them to pay for your trip when you pay.

 

[mistyinca]

PPs are all correct. Another option and what I usually will do is just pay for meals or souvenirs with my Disney gift cards first and then start charging to the MB when the gift cards are gone. I can't be bothered to stop at the front desk after check-in unless I have an issue, so this just works better for me. Also ensures I don't miss the window of them posting the charges to my CC.

This is probably what I’ll end up doing. Also, can we make a payment for the room before we even arrive?

 

[barefootMom]

so if someone is doing a Split Stay and wants to use their Magic Bands to pay for things on the day where they have already checked out of one hotel but not into another, can that be done?? I thought it automatically charged to whatever cc was attached to the magic band so now I am confused as we might be "resort-less" for 7 or 8 hours?

 

[dansdad]

so if someone is doing a Split Stay and wants to use their Magic Bands to pay for things on the day where they have already checked out of one hotel but not into another, can that be done?? I thought it automatically charged to whatever cc was attached to the magic band so now I am confused as we might be "resort-less" for 7 or 8 hours?

You are able to charge via Magic Bands up until midnight of check out day. You will see a separate charge on your credit card the next day for anything you charged on check out day.

 

[Action City]

This is probably what I’ll end up doing. Also, can we make a payment for the room before we even arrive?

Yes. You can call and pay off your room before arrival.

 

[22Tink]

This is probably what I’ll end up doing. Also, can we make a payment for the room before we even arrive?

We did! Our room only reservation is paid off already and we don't go till March.