Do you have to have a credit card when you check in?

[ericaaalynn]

My friend and I are planning on going to Disney World in September and we don't have credit cards. Unfortunately, our one friend who was going to come with us isn't anymore and she had the credit card. Our parents would be paying with their credit cards...and we'd then give them the money. Do you have to have a cred it card when checking in? I just want to know if I should apply for one.

Thanks!

 

[Missytara]

You are not required to have a credit card in order to check in.

 

[mickeynut1]

The only thing you would need a cc for is if you wanted charging privileges, which would require you to leave a cc at check in. But with that said, cash and gift cards could be used for this as well, so if you did want to charge things back to your room, you could use another method other than a cc.

 

[minnie mum]

Sounds like you are a group of teens or college students? As a PP said, you don't HAVE to have a credit card at check in. It will probably simplify things if you don't have charging ability on your KTTW and just use cash and/or gift cards for your purchases while at WDW.

 

[spiceycat]

have a cc and don't leave it. until disney can guaranteed their employee won't steal again.

besides you can kept up with how much you are spending w/o a cc - at least for me that works.

you use to not be able to get away without check out - unless you left a cc - but now you can.

 

[jcjen519]

I don't believe you have to have one. If you're in high school or college I do NOT think you should get one. I also wouldn't use a debit card. We had an issue on our last trip where they charged the entire party's stuff to our credit card. Of course it was fixed but would have been more of a problem if they were accessing our bank account.

 

[miprender]

In all my trips we never leave a Credit Card on file. I don't trust having it linked to my Keys to the World card because it seems to easy for someone else to accidentally or intentionally to charge something .

 

[Sfmarine]

I am surprised that Disney does not require having a CC on file. I am in the hospitality industry and all of the hotels that I've worked for require a valid CC on file or a cash deposit of usually $150 or more. The is basically to cover incidentals. I can see how many do not want to enable their KTTW for charging purposes but it still boggles my mind how Disney still does not require a CC on file. What if someone smokes in a room or breaks an item?

Very interesting...

 

[minnie mum]

. I can see how many do not want to enable their KTTW for charging purposes but it still boggles my mind how Disney still does not require a CC on file. What if someone smokes in a room or breaks an item?

Very interesting...

They know where you live.

 

[spiceycat]

I am surprised that Disney does not require having a CC on file. I am in the hospitality industry and all of the hotels that I've worked for require a valid CC on file or a cash deposit of usually $150 or more. The is basically to cover incidentals. I can see how many do not want to enable their KTTW for charging purposes but it still boggles my mind how Disney still does not require a CC on file. What if someone smokes in a room or breaks an item?

Very interesting...

they use too and they still encourage one. However when some of their CM's were robbing their guests - they stop requiring one.

 

[Sfmarine]

they use too and they still encourage one. However when some of their CM's were robbing their guests - they stop requiring one.

That is very unfortunate.

 

[TXGRMAMA]

they use too and they still encourage one. However when some of their CM's were robbing their guests - they stop requiring one.

I am not sure how long ago the above is supposed to have happened. I have worked for WDW for ten years and a credit card has never been required in that time period. (I will add that I have been staying in WDW resorts since 1986 and I was never required to place a credit card. For years, I didn't have one.) It was always up the guest to place a credit card or not. To the person who is in the hospitality industry for another company, Disney does not require it for check out because Disney requires total payment of room before or at check in. If there is no CC, there is simply no charging to the room.

As far as the allegation, that cast members were "robbing their guests." Unfortunately, there are bad people in every industry and company in the U.S. I would wager that there is less unuthorized charges at Disney than other companies. Mainly because of the steps that the company makes to protect your information. Once your card is scanned into the computer (reservation) all the numbers are masked except for the last four digits. No one at the company can retrieve those numbers from the computer.

 

[vicki_c]

they use too and they still encourage one. However when some of their CM's were robbing their guests - they stop requiring one.

That is not accurate. They haven't required cards for many years. Those few well publicized theft issues only happened in the past 3-4 years. The two things are not related.

Oh I see someone more expert than me was already saying that, better than I did.

 

[edillen3953]

Thats exactly why I use Credit Cards. Any unauthorized charges you are not responsible for. Its much better than losing or getting a thousand bucks stolen.

 

[bdklein]

Thats exactly why I use Credit Cards. Any unauthorized charges you are not responsible for. Its much better than losing or getting a thousand bucks stolen.

100% agree. And why we dont have debit cards.

 

[JimS4210]

Thats exactly why I use Credit Cards. Any unauthorized charges you are not responsible for. Its much better than losing or getting a thousand bucks stolen.

True. With a credit card, you can fight what you think are unauthorized purchases. With a debit card, the money is gone from your checking or savings account. Much more of a hassle to get your money back when using a debit card!

Jim

 

[amberpi]

WDW doesn't require a cc, but I will caution against carrying that much cash. I've been in risk consulting for 11 years and I don't carry cash than tips, a taxi, etc, would require. If you lose that money, or anything were to occur (god forbid) to the currency you would just be out of luck. There are completely responsible ways to use ccs. I've had one since I was 18 and I have never spent a DIME on interest...

 

[Magical JenK]

That is not accurate. They haven't required cards for many years. Those few well publicized theft issues only happened in the past 3-4 years. The two things are not related.

I'm doing my online check-in right now & it is REQUIRING me to enter a CC info. I've never had to do that before. It won't let me continue without a CC #. I never leave one on file for many reasons. I don't want to today either.

 

[TheRatPack]

I have worked for WDW for ten years and a credit card has never been required in that time period. (I will add that I have been staying in WDW resorts since 1986 and I was never required to place a credit card. Once your card is scanned into the computer (reservation) all the numbers are masked except for the last four digits. No one at the company can retrieve those numbers from the computer.

I remember traveling in the early 90's to Disney and having to bring cash (we didn't have a credit card) that we had to leave on our reservation at check in. So...they have required some sort of deposit/guarantee in that time period. As far as the theft issue.....we've vacationed all over....and I've never had my accounts compromised as much as I have at Disney. It may just be a coincidence but we do NOT use our debit at Disney for this very reason. One year I called in to make a payment on our reservation, and the next week our account was compromised. We used our Disney Visa at Disney 2 years ago (only place we had used it) and again, a week or two later it was compromised. I don't know what it is about Disney but it has definitely made us think about how we pay for things while we are there.

I'm doing my online check-in right now & it is REQUIRING me to enter a CC info. I've never had to do that before. It won't let me continue without a CC #. I never leave one on file for many reasons. I don't want to today either.

I don't remember ever leaving a credit card on file for online check in, but I did notice when making payments that it shows a credit card on file for our reservation. I guess maybe the original booking CM asked me and I approved it to be left on there. Which is fine since it's a credit card...but still that's good to know that they require it for online check in. I have never really paid attention....guess we've always had something on file. Can you put in a credit card you don't use so it'll be easy to watch for unauthorized charges? Or maybe buy one of those prepaid cards and only put 5.00 on it or something small?

 

[Nohal]

I also don't want to leave a cc on account and was planning to do on line check in next week. I have never had to leave a cc when doing on line check in before. I wonder if there is any way around this. I am uncomfortable with giving out my cc info and then rely on someone when checking in to take it off. I'm wondering if like a PP said a visa gift card which I am willing to buy would be enough.