Do you prefer cash or card in the parks?

[Foxhound3857]

I always try to keep a little cash on hand, but I don't feel comfortable holding more than maybe $80 or so at most these days, and 99% of the time I just use my debit card or my one credit card (which, fortunately, I owe no debt on).

Do you go to DL/DCA with cash on hand for big purchases, or do you prefer just card in the parks?

 

[joseph821]

I always try to keep a little cash on hand, but I don't feel comfortable holding more than maybe $80 or so at most these days, and 99% of the time I just use my debit card or my one credit card (which, fortunately, I owe no debt on).

Do you go to DL/DCA with cash on hand for big purchases, or do you prefer just card in the parks?

I bring cash with me definitely. I tend to pay for meals and snacks with cash, souvenirs by credit card and use cash for housekeeping tips at hotel. I tend to bring too much cash and I bring it home but my thinking always best to have too much than too little. There are ATM machines at the Resorts and its hotels too.

 

[mom25kiddos]

I carry the barest minimum of cash anywhere I go. I have enough for small tips, everything else I use a card for. Can't think of the last time I paid a restaurant bill with cash!

 

[DizMe]

I'm also concerned with carrying around a lot of cash. I mostly use my cards. I usually prefer to use my SW card as I get a lot of travel points that way. I always pay off the balance as I go so I don't end up with debt I can't afford.

 

[Foxhound3857]

I'm also concerned with carrying around a lot of cash. I mostly use my cards. I usually prefer to use my SW card as I get a lot of travel points that way. I always pay off the balance as I go so I don't end up with debt I can't afford.

Same. Even if I just used my credit card to pay for something big, like recently an $800 repair bill for my car, I always pay it off immediately so it doesn't accrue interest. Since I get 1.5% cash back on every purchase, it's basically free money, and somehow I still gain credit rating even though I don't carry the debt for any period of time (recently jumped from 777 to 784).

Someone once told me that a person with only $5 in their wallet but no credit card debt is far richer than the average American. Not sure how much stock I put into that one...

 

[smartlabelprint]

I pretty much never carry cash. Which is bad when I forget on trips. I need it for housekeeper tips and laundry.

 

[DizMe]

I pretty much never carry cash. Which is bad when I forget on trips. I need it for housekeeper tips and laundry.

This is me as well! When I do bring cash, I don't think ahead and it's usually 20s, which is more than I want to leave for housekeeping so I have to go get change someplace.

 

[Pluto468]

I always use credit cards, and sometimes Disney gift cards. I only have cash for tips.

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

Credit card for everything inside the parks since we get 3.5% cash back. No real reason for us to bring or use cash for anything other than housekeeping and bellhop tips.

 

[DizMe]

Credit card for everything inside the parks since we get 3.5% cash back. No real reason for us to bring or use cash for anything other than housekeeping and bellhop tips.

Do you mind if I ask which card gives you 3.5% cash back?

 

[Geemo]

I have a check list for my trips to DLR.
CASH is one of the items on the list. Along with how many 1's, 5's, 10's and 20's I feel I need for the trip. But for the most part I use a cash-back credit card for everything.

 

[PiratesOfTheSea]

Do you mind if I ask which card gives you 3.5% cash back?

Our BoA Premium Rewards card gets 2% base for travel and dining, and we have a 1.5% “relationship bonus.” There are probably better cash back travel cards out there if you don’t bank with BofA.

 

[MillauFr]

Do you mind if I ask which card gives you 3.5% cash back?

We use a Fidelity Visa which is 2% cash back. Chase Sapphire Reserve you can get 4.5% back when you charge restaurants and travel on the card. You have to book travel on the Chase travel platform to get 4.5% though.

 

[wabbott]

Magic Band. It tags our Visa Travel Card that is on file with DIS. The last few trips, I've kept my wallet with CC's, DL, cash, etc locked in the room safe.

 

[sheilafri]

Wow! I am out of touch. I always carry cash. I rarely use it. I lived in SoCal for many years and was bombarded with messages to have cash in case ATMs went down with a big earthquake. I also got caught on an extended trip in Venice when my ATM card expired (the replacement hadn’t come before we left) and I couldn’t get more cash. It was our last day and the $100 bill I had stashed let my sons and I ride a gondola on our last day. Dinner was on a CC but I needed cash for the gondola.

 

[SgtTibbs]

Do Magic Bands at DLR work like Magic Bands at WDW when it comes to paying for things? At WDW you can pay for anything including items from street carts with a tap.

 

[crystal1313]

Do Magic Bands at DLR work like Magic Bands at WDW when it comes to paying for things? At WDW you can pay for anything including items from street carts with a tap.

No, they do not work the same at Disneyland unfortunately. They don’t even open the room doors at the Disneyland resort hotels yet.

 

[wabbott]

Do Magic Bands at DLR work like Magic Bands at WDW when it comes to paying for things? At WDW you can pay for anything including items from street carts with a tap.

After I posted, I saw that this thread was about DLR/DCA instead of WDW. At DLR/DCA, I use my Visa Travel Card.

 

[Kit Jackson]

Magic Band. It tags our Visa Travel Card that is on file with DIS. The last few trips, I've kept my wallet with CC's, DL, cash, etc locked in the room safe.

Do Magic Bands at DLR work like Magic Bands at WDW when it comes to paying for things? At WDW you can pay for anything including items from street carts with a tap.

At DLR MagicBand+ cannot be used as a method of payment. At DLR MagicBand+ can be used to scan into the parks, scan into rides and will light up with some shows. The functionality is far more limited than WDW.

 

[DharmaLou]

I literally never have cash on me. I bring enough to tip housekeepers at hotels or anyone who handles bags, but I keep the money in the safe at the hotel. Most of the world is going cash free anyway.