Disney World ATM ?

[RoseRoni2]

What is the fee to withdraw money from ATM at Disney World? I don't want to carry $1000 with me on the plane.

 

[mantaz]

I don't know the fee, but I am sure it is a couple dollars and then a fee from your bank if they charge too. You could get like a $500 disney gift card and then get $500 in travelers checks to avoid actual cash and the fees.

 

[JB2K]

What is the fee to withdraw money from ATM at Disney World? I don't want to carry $1000 with me on the plane.

All ATMs on Disney property (both at WDW and DL) are owned/operated by Chase -- that said, use of the machines are free if you are using any Chase or Washington Mutual-branded card.

If you are using a card from any other financial institution, you will pay your bank's "foreign ATM fee", plus the surcharge Chase imposes on all "non-customers" (typcially $2 per transaction).

 

[Mickeyistheman]

Just got back and the Fee was $2.00.

 

[WillCAD]

Another thing to consider is the daily maximum withdrawl amount.

Most banks will not let you withdraw more than $300 or $00 per day from your account using an ATM (or several ATMs). Some ATMs have a maximum transaction limit, as well; so even if your bank allows you to withdraw $400 per day, the ATM you choose may only allow you to withdraw $200 per day.

Travellers checks are a good option, if you can get good rates on them. Some banks won't charge you anything, but most charge a small service fee. My bank charges 1%, so $300 in travellers checks will cost me $3 - less then the combined cost of a $300 ATM withdraw at WDW. And travellers checks are replacable if lost.

Purchases using your ATM card as a check card typically don't cost anything. Likewise, purchases made with an ATM card in debit mode will cost far less than an ATM withdrawl - my bank charges 20 cents per ATM purchase. By paying for stuff with the card itself, you carry less cash and, if you plan wisely, you can incur fewer fees.

I save for my WDW trips by putting money on a Disney Gift Card each payday. When I get to WDW, I use the DGC to pay off any outstanding balance on my resort room, and also use it as a deposit to enable charging privileges on my KTTW card. While I'm travelling with a DGC that has hundreds of dollars on it, I feel safe, because the cards are replacable if lost, and once I check into my WDW resort, I carry my KTTW card - also replacable if lost - and my ATM card for off-site or non-Disney purchases. And ATM cards are also replacable if lost.

 

[prncess674]

If your ATM card has a Visa or Master Card logo on the front I would just use it to make purchases in WDW that are direct debited from your account verses carrying around a wad of cash. Almost every vendor other than a few snack carts will take your Visa/MC branded ATM card. Remember if you lose cash it is gone, no way no how to identify it and get it back.

Yes there are risks to using yoru ATM card as a check card but there are at least avenues to get back your money if your card is stolen or misused by a thief.

You also don't mention where you are staying. If staying on WDW property you can used KTTW card to make purchases that are just added to your room bill.

 

[bumbershoot]

Another option, if you don't want all the little charges on your account and don't want to put it all on your room charge...buy a giftcard in the amount you want to spend. I've done it where I get a *big* giftcard, and I've also done it where I split the budget by the number of days, and just buy one day's worth on a giftcard each morning. (I like to collect the giftcards, otherwise I'd just refill them)

That way I keep "control" over my spending b/c each receipt shows what is left (unlike when we've charged to the room) but I don't have to keep track of each piddly charge in my account b/c it's a few bigger sums or one lump.

That said, I've only been to DLR, where the stand-alone carts don't have as much card capability as WDW does, so I have found myself at the helpful Chase ATMs, with no fee for wamu or Chase accounts.

 

[RoseRoni2]

These are very good tips, I am planning on doing either the gift cards or room key since we are staying at the POP.

 

[PolyAddict]

Another thing to consider is the daily maximum withdrawl amount.

Most banks will not let you withdraw more than $300 or $00 per day from your account using an ATM (or several ATMs). Some ATMs have a maximum transaction limit, as well; so even if your bank allows you to withdraw $400 per day, the ATM you choose may only allow you to withdraw $200 per day.

Travellers checks are a good option, if you can get good rates on them. Some banks won't charge you anything, but most charge a small service fee. My bank charges 1%, so $300 in travellers checks will cost me $3 - less then the combined cost of a $300 ATM withdraw at WDW. And travellers checks are replacable if lost.

Purchases using your ATM card as a check card typically don't cost anything. Likewise, purchases made with an ATM card in debit mode will cost far less than an ATM withdrawl - my bank charges 20 cents per ATM purchase. By paying for stuff with the card itself, you carry less cash and, if you plan wisely, you can incur fewer fees.

I save for my WDW trips by putting money on a Disney Gift Card each payday. When I get to WDW, I use the DGC to pay off any outstanding balance on my resort room, and also use it as a deposit to enable charging privileges on my KTTW card. While I'm travelling with a DGC that has hundreds of dollars on it, I feel safe, because the cards are replacable if lost, and once I check into my WDW resort, I carry my KTTW card - also replacable if lost - and my ATM card for off-site or non-Disney purchases. And ATM cards are also replacable if lost.

Ya know i asked our disney store manager about whether or not the gift cards were replaceable (i wanted to put $1000 on it) and he couldn't give me an answer. Do you know this for sure? I would still like to do it if i could for my DD17 who is staying at a different resort with friends instead of her carrying cash or her debit card around.

 

[prncess674]

Ya know i asked our disney store manager about whether or not the gift cards were replaceable (i wanted to put $1000 on it) and he couldn't give me an answer. Do you know this for sure? I would still like to do it if i could for my DD17 who is staying at a different resort with friends instead of her carrying cash or her debit card around.

Personally I wouldn't put all my money on one Disney card. What if you need to pay for something non Disney related. What if you don't need all that money at Disney. Once you put it on a gift card you aren't getting it back in cold hard cash. I would probably put a couple hundred on a gift card for a teenager if they had no other form of payment, but what is the advantage of a gift card over a Visa branded debit card?

A GC can be used by anyone and if it is lost/stolen at WDW I am sure someone is going to burn through it REALLY quick. If you don't notice it missing for a couple hours you are SOL. There is no signature requirement on a gift card. It is just swipe and go. A lost card can be replaced, but it will only be replaced with the value remaining. So if a crook stole it, ran up a bunch of charges, you get nada.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ya know i asked our disney store manager about whether or not the gift cards were replaceable (i wanted to put $1000 on it) and he couldn't give me an answer. Do you know this for sure? I would still like to do it if i could for my DD17 who is staying at a different resort with friends instead of her carrying cash or her debit card around.

I wouldn't put 1K on it personally, but they can be replaced.

Personally I wouldn't put all my money on one Disney card. What if you need to pay for something non Disney related. What if you don't need all that money at Disney. Once you put it on a gift card you aren't getting it back in cold hard cash. I would probably put a couple hundred on a gift card for a teenager if they had no other form of payment, but what is the advantage of a gift card over a Visa branded debit card?

A GC can be used by anyone and if it is lost/stolen at WDW I am sure someone is going to burn through it REALLY quick. If you don't notice it missing for a couple hours you are SOL. There is no signature requirement on a gift card. It is just swipe and go. A lost card can be replaced, but it will only be replaced with the value remaining. So if a crook stole it, ran up a bunch of charges, you get nada.

They tell you to keep the receipt and the extra receipt with the activation info (the store that sells it to you should activate it), separate from the gift card. That way you can be helped if you lose it. I'm sure that especially at Disney, where everything is watched and scrutinized, the bogus charges could be figured out.

 

[bumbershoot]

Oh, and for me the advantage of a GC over a debit is that I don't have to keep track of all the small debits in my ledger book.

And I don't like to use Visa-type pre-paid giftcards b/c they tend to have fees, they expire, and if you're towards the end of it you have to know how much is on there and only charge that...the disney giftcards are more user-friendly for me.

The other benefit, for me and some families, of the disney GC is that they can be used at disneyshopping. And don't expire.

 

[prncess674]

I wouldn't put 1K on it personally, but they can be replaced.



They tell you to keep the receipt and the extra receipt with the activation info (the store that sells it to you should activate it), separate from the gift card. That way you can be helped if you lose it. I'm sure that especially at Disney, where everything is watched and scrutinized, the bogus charges could be figured out.

Sure you can keep the receipt with the activation code, but the fact is when you lose a GC it is like losing CASH. There is no signature or ID verification. What if I walked in to a Disney establishment, bought a $500 gift card, then a few weeks later went wild using it in Disney over a couple of hours, but then called the entity and said, hey "someone" stole my GC. Do you really think Disney is going to going to restore the $500? I don't think so. If you have the activation info, they will deactivate the GC and transfer the remaining balance to a new number, but getting the new card could take a while and you may not get that new card till you are home from WDW and then what good would a large Disney do you back home?

Oh, and for me the advantage of a GC over a debit is that I don't have to keep track of all the small debits in my ledger book.

And I don't like to use Visa-type pre-paid giftcards b/c they tend to have fees, they expire, and if you're towards the end of it you have to know how much is on there and only charge that...the disney giftcards are more user-friendly for me.

The other benefit, for me and some families, of the disney GC is that they can be used at disneyshopping. And don't expire.

I wasn't advocating using a prepaid Visa debit card. I have never understood the appeal of such things. Use your bank issued debit card with the Visa logo. As far as small purchases, I would just keep an envelope of receipts and enter them in my ledger when I got back in town. Each evening you can tally up your receipts to see what the day's total should be to see if you are on track with your budget. I use Quicken and import all my transactions so seeing what has cleared is merely a click of the mouse. Also disputing charges with your bank is much productive than trying to argue with the GC issuing service.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I have a hard enough time keeping track of the cards I use already, let alone extra gift cards, etc. I simply use one visa card I reserve for travel only. I put the rental car on it, I keep it on file at the hotel, I use it anywhere off-site. While at WDW we use the KTTW cards and if we need cash we get it at the closest fee-free Credit Union ATM near WDW with the ATM card. Remembering to put a certain dollar amount per day every morning on particular cards or new cards would confuse me and, as a result, I would end up carry around all the dang cards. Ugh.

 

[WillCAD]

Ya know i asked our disney store manager about whether or not the gift cards were replaceable (i wanted to put $1000 on it) and he couldn't give me an answer. Do you know this for sure? I would still like to do it if i could for my DD17 who is staying at a different resort with friends instead of her carrying cash or her debit card around.

According to the Disney Gift Card FAQ:

Q: What should I do if my Disney Gift Card is lost or stolen?
A: Promptly call 1-877-650-4327 or Contact Us via email to report the card lost or stolen. Your Disney Gift Card will be 'frozen' and funds remaining on the card (at the time of the call) can be transferred onto a new card. An original proof of purchase receipt for the Disney Gift Card is required to transfer the funds onto a new Disney Gift Card.

Personally I wouldn't put all my money on one Disney card. What if you need to pay for something non Disney related. What if you don't need all that money at Disney. Once you put it on a gift card you aren't getting it back in cold hard cash. I would probably put a couple hundred on a gift card for a teenager if they had no other form of payment, but what is the advantage of a gift card over a Visa branded debit card?

A GC can be used by anyone and if it is lost/stolen at WDW I am sure someone is going to burn through it REALLY quick. If you don't notice it missing for a couple hours you are SOL. There is no signature requirement on a gift card. It is just swipe and go. A lost card can be replaced, but it will only be replaced with the value remaining. So if a crook stole it, ran up a bunch of charges, you get nada.

I never put all of my trip funds on one gift card, either. I go off site a lot, and I like to eat at non-Disney places, so I make sure to have some cash too.

I don't use a Disney Gift Card throughout my entire trip. When I stay on-site, I use it all in one shot to enable room charging. There IS a signature requirement on KTTW cards.

 

[chrismass]

There is a surcharge free atm at the WDW credit union across the street from downtown disney, (by the hess station) they have a drive through atm in the back of the building. If you don't belong to a credit union, join one before you go, (most require a minimal $5 savings account balance to become a member) then put your spending money in that account - that's how I know I can stay within my budget when I go. If you don't have a rental car, you'll have to pay the $2 Chase surcharge but your credit union won't charge you an additional fee like banks do.

 

[larry_poppins]

I may be going out on a limb, but instead of joining a credit union before your trip, why not join Chase. Then you could use all the ATMs at WDW and DLR fee free instead of trying to drive around to find a credit union ATM.

Larry

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Join Chase!!! hahahahah

You kill me. You really do.

I may be going out on a limb, but instead of joining a credit union before your trip, why not join Chase. Then you could use all the ATMs at WDW and DLR fee free instead of trying to drive around to find a credit union ATM.

Larry

 

[prncess674]

Join Chase!!! hahahahah

You kill me. You really do.

Really Chase is a fine institution and frankly if all you are going to do is use it as a checking account there is nothing wrong with Chase. Perhaps it isn't the bank for you but they do have millions plus happy customers. Chase has one of the most user friendly websites for online banking and I personally have never had a problem with any of their services or employees. Just for the record I am not a Chase employee.

I don't use a Disney Gift Card throughout my entire trip. When I stay on-site, I use it all in one shot to enable room charging. There IS a signature requirement on KTTW cards.

If you are just going to chunk down a GC for charging priviliges why not just use your Visa branded debit card or a regular credit for KTTW charging purpose. I don't understand why you would intentionally turn your money into "Mickey" money knowing that if you don't spend it all you are not getting US Dollars back but a less valuable currency that may only be spent at WDW?

 

[WillCAD]

If you are just going to chunk down a GC for charging priviliges why not just use your Visa branded debit card or a regular credit for KTTW charging purpose. I don't understand why you would intentionally turn your money into "Mickey" money knowing that if you don't spend it all you are not getting US Dollars back but a less valuable currency that may only be spent at WDW?

Two reasons:

1) I use the Disney Gift Card as a way of saving up for my trip through the year. A few bucks goes onto the DGC each payday, and by the time the trip comes up, I have a significant portion of it paid for on the DGC.

Yes, I realize that DGCs don't earn interest, but I don't have the willpower to save in a savings account; if the money is there and readily accessible, I will spend it, or at least some of it. A DGC can only be spent at a Disney venue, and since I rarely buy anything from either the Disney Store or Disneyshopping.com, the money stays safely unspent until my WDW trip.

2) When I plunk down my "Mickey Money" to enable charging privileges on my KTTW card, any unspent remainder is refunded to me at check out in cash. Greenbacks. Dinero Americano. Little green pictures of George Washington and friends. So it's not a "less valuable" currency ($1 still equals $1), and it's not a currency that "can only be spent at WDW" (unless other places have stopped accepting cash and I haven't heard about it, that is).