Dear Disney:

[Ted in Halifax]

Dear Disney:

I realize that you and I are good friends, we have done many trips together, but there is something we need to talk about. Sorry … but here we go.

You know when I buy something "Disney" in US dollars amounts and then I get charged the conversion fee of around 2% ... then something like free dining comes along and then I cancel my original reservation and get charged that conversion fee again for my refund and then my new package ... So, for every grand or so, this is costing me $40 … in fact a simple trip with no cancellation can costs a few hundred dollar in conversion.

Here’s an example, say I make a payment on a package at Disney and pay $2000 of it. This costs me $40 extra in conversion and often I feel that I don’t get the best conversion rate, but that’s a discussion for our friend Visa! I later cancel this for a new package and get charged the conversion fee again ($40), plus the new payment of say $7000US, which costs be another $140. See where I’m heading? So far I’m out $40+$40+$140 …. $220. That buys a lot of Dole whips.

I know, what’s a few hundred dollars between friends right? Well … things are tights and we are all looking for ways to improve our friendship and cut down ours costs.

Perhaps, since we are such good friends we could work this out. How about this; for you Disney, perhaps you could charge me in Canadian dollars? Our good friends across the pond get to use their currency … GBP or EUR. How come we can’t be friends like that? Perhaps our relationship is too complicated for this … So maybe we could arrange a better refund situation … where you can transfer the amounts, rather than refund it? Just think about it … we might become better friends over this ….

See you next Feb, Love

Ted

 

[hockey mom]

LMAO

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

 

[minnie mum]

Ok, I LMAO too. I know you were being very tongue-in-cheek, but your fight isn't with Disney, it's with your credit card company.

If you don't want to worry about conversion fees, you can get a US$ Visa.

And (correct me if I'm wrong) but if you're switching from one Disney package to another Disney package, you don't have to cancel and there would be no conversion fees to deal with at all. They simply change the reservation. You'd only be looking at cancelling and rebooking if you were changing from room only to package (or vice versa).

And there's even one more way to avoid conversion fees. Make up your mind what kind of vacation package you really want before you make the reservation!! In 35 years of WDW trips, we've never made a change that required cancelling and rebooking. I know, everyone's different. Just sayin....

 

[peimikes]

I totally agree!

We stayed at POFQ last yr and had a connecting room with my in laws. They made a long distance call home to NS in their room.

My mother in law went to settle her account at the main desk while we were checking our luggage at magical express. The cm said everything was settled.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and I get my credit card statement (we hardly ever use it so this really stood out), I have a long distance phone charge at Disney for $33.02 I believe it was. Trust me I'd never get the money out of the in laws which would have been the easiest solution.

So.....now a long distance phone call later......long discussion with a CM that insisted this was the only credit card they had for the room....fine....I didn't stay in that room.....and I didn't make a long distance call to NS.....Why should I pay for it? Great over 15 mins later.....Disney will reverse it. CM seemed very disgruntled with having to reverse it.

Next credit card bill I think I got back $31 something....now I know it was only a $1 or so but I didn't make a phone call.....OH WAIT I DID! I had to pay for a long distance call to Disney to get a long distance call I didn't make straightened out and loose money on the exchange plus pay for a long distance call....

Sigh....

 

[abirdd]

Best part for me:
I had a CM at the CRO yesterday who felt SO bad. She knew having to refund my $200 package deposit to switch for an AP room only booking was going to cost me money. I actually said "too bad you can't charge in Canadian funds" - so she put me on hold, to see if anyone could find a way to avoid having to cancel/refund/recharge. I think some of the CMs understand every penny counts...

 

[pigletto]

I could be wrong (wouldn't be the first time) but I agree your fight is with your credit card. I don't get charged any conversion fees with Capital One that I know of.
ETA) I know whenever I have cancelled a Disney package (which I've done 3 times in the past 6 months) I have always gotten a little bit more than the US cost back when exchange is figured in. If the conversion fee is built in that would explain why I don't remember seeing one. If it is a separately listed fee I know for certain that there has never been one on my bill.

 

[CanadianPaco]

It's the credit card company. I have a US Visa from my bank and a US account. No more conversion fees.

 

[abirdd]

If the conversion fee is built in that would explain why I don't remember seeing one. If it is a separately listed fee I know for certain that there has never been one on my bill.

Currency Conversion Fees (or Currency Exchange Fees) are hidden in your transaction. Normally they are 2.0%-3.5% on top of exchange rates, but can vary from card to card.

As a sidebar: I found out tonight, thanks to RFD, "Chase has introduced an Amazon.ca Visa credit card which has no foreign transaction or currency conversion fees. So you could save on the 2.5% currency conversion fee that most Canadian credit cards charge for international transactions."

 

[pigletto]

Hmm. good to know. Thank for clearing that up!
Might be worth it to get a US credit card. Lord knows I would use it enough with all these Disney trips

 

[Sue M]

I agree, it would be nice if we could be charged in CAD for our WDW reservations. I didn't know other countries have that luxury of being charged in their currency! Being able to have our funds just transferred to other res.would be

We have a room only for Aug booked with a BB. 12 nights. I've paid off over half when the CAD has been up. Because you never know
We'd like to do a split stay but neither of our other resorts- either BC or WL were available with the BB, but maybe when WDW puts out the late Summer discounts something will open up. However I know I'll prob be refunded some of our AKL payment and then have to book our split with BC or WL if something is avail. Would be nice if they could just transfer over any excess payment from AKL res to new one. Really don't see why they can't

For those who say use a US credit card, I do have a USD acct at CIBC, and just got a USD CIBC credit card. However I prefer paying for my US airline flights and Hotels with my Visa Infinite card that has trip insurance with it. There isn't Trip Interruption/Cancelation or Delay insurance on the USD Visa. Particularly important when traveling during hurricane season, or during winter storm season in January.

I plan on using the US Credit card for all the other things there, that I don't need trip interruption/Cancellation insurance for!

 

[Ted in Halifax]

I considered a US credit card, but what's the saving? It would only be when there is a cancellation ... otherwise when I spend US money, I still need to acquire it at the bank, which involves a fee to do so. Have I missed something?

I like the set up that United has. I simply buy my ticket from say Manchester NH to Orlando and use the Canadian currency setting. That way, I pay in Canadian Funds.

 

[hockey mom]

It would be great if Disney could simply transfer your deposit from one package to another, but they can't so in this case it is Disney and not Visa who could help.

Paying in Canadian funds would also be wonderful.

 

[damo]

For some companies, United Airlines for example, if your credit card has a Canadian billing address, they will bill you in Canadian dollars. Not sure why Disney can't do this.

At Universal, if you make a change in your reservation that results in a difference in billing, you can have that difference credited to your account instead of refunded.

 

[Sue M]

I considered a US credit card, but what's the saving? It would only be when there is a cancellation ... otherwise when I spend US money, I still need to acquire it at the bank, which involves a fee to do so. Have I missed something?

I like the set up that United has. I simply buy my ticket from say Manchester NH to Orlando and use the Canadian currency setting. That way, I pay in Canadian Funds.

The advantage to me is that I have a USD checking acct, so when ever the CAD is high, I put money into this acct, so I'm buying the USD at a decent rate. I now have a USD credit card, to use for incidentals while in the US- food, suvies, Hotels (other then WDW) So I'm using my USD that Ive gotten at the best rate possible, rather then leaving it to fate what the exchange rate may be when I'm away. I pay my credit card with my USD checking acct.

The only prob. is that I won't use it on anything I may need Trip insurance/Interruption/Cancellation/Baggage Insur with. So not on flights, or pre paid packages like at WDW.

 

[fan1080]

Book with a local TA.

I've booked every Disney trip with a TA, and have always paid in CAD.

I guess we can add this to yet another good reason to book with a TA!

 

[Sue M]

That is interesting. Didn't know you can pay with CAD with a local TA. Sadly there are no TAs here that I know of that specialize in WDW. There was one at a BCAA office that was advertized as a Disney Specialist- but wasn't. I knew way more then her, and the price she quoted was a lot higher then the price quote from WDW web site She wanted to book thru Sun Fun Holidays or something crazy. Which would also mean if WDW came out with a promo I wouldn't be able to get it.

And I've heard horror stories of non Disney TAs not being avail when Disney puts out promo pricing, or don't jump in it right away.

I have gone with TAs before, but they've all been in the U.S.

 

[bankr63]

So I'm using my USD that Ive gotten at the best rate possible, rather then leaving it to fate what the exchange rate may be when I'm away.

I've seen this logic quoted so many times; maybe I'm dense but I don't get it. Does everyone else have a crystal ball so that they know the future rate is going to be worse when you actually spend it? Seems to me you are still making a wager that the exchange rate will be worse when you are travelling sometime in the future. These days, that's a pretty bad bet.

I still prefer to use my Canadian cards and take the exchange at the time. A lot less work, and my cash back benefit on my Visa covers most of the exchange fee anyway. I agree that returns or cancellations cause double dipping on the exchange rate, and that Disney should do something about this. They have enough Canadian visitors that it has to be worthwhile for them to open a Canadian $ business account so they can charge us in C$ directly. It sure is easier than all us Canadians opening US$ accounts so that we can deal with them!

 

[Sue M]

No, sadly no crystal ball But if I have to pay for something and that day the rates are down, I could be stuck. This way I buy when ever the rates go up, and you're right- sometimes it's higher then others, but it's an average. Who knows what the Loonie will do. For all I know it can drop to .90 over night. Or worse.
So happy it has most days stayed above par lately. So I'm stocking up now while the rate is good. I remember the .70 CAD