How Do You Carry Your Money?

[LilyWDW]

I just charge to the room everything I can and pay it off nightly or every other night. That way I can get a printout of all the charges and verify them then instead of waiting until the end of my stay.

Into the parks I carry my KTTW card (though that soon will be a Magic Band), ID, and about $20 in cash. I keep everything else in the safe in the room.

 

[scribega]

I will carry 2-3 gift cards and some cash. I then put what I am not taking with me in the safe. This way if I lose something one day then I don't lose everything.

 

[sumptimwong]

Re: getting calls from the bank or lender while using CC's on vacation..

My wife and I both have Wells Fargo credit cards, but under totally separate accounts. One time we took a trip out to Florida and we were both using our cards, and WF actually placed a hold on her card by the second day! She was trying to use it, and it just wouldn't authorize all of a sudden. She had to call the bank to figure out what was going on. They told her they already canceled the card (what the heck!), and that they were issuing a new one in the mail.

If she was traveling by herself and didn't have other cards, she would've been hosed. WF for some reason didn't mind me spending money out of state, and we guessed that it was because I travel out of state for work so often that it doesn't seem out of place to their automatic fraud detection systems..

I would call ahead just in case.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I'd call the credit card company ahead of time and let them know you are traveling.

I also do bring cash with me - about 500.00 per trip. I just keep it in my purse. I don't carry it all at one time in Disney though - usually only about 100.00 on me at a time. The rest is in the safe at my resort.

I've had credit cards declined when trying to pay for dinner because the company thought it was fraudelent when I forgot to tell them I was traveling, credit cards decliined while trying to pay for merchandise - this just happened in June, my husband had cancelled the card due to a fraudelent charge and forgot to tell me, carts that wouldn't take the KTTW card or Credit card because they were cash only.

Oh and one of my favs was when my KTTW card was maxed but I couldn't run the charges through because the whole Disney computer system was down. The only way I could pay for anything that day was either cash or my credit card. that was the day I found out my husband had cancelled the one credit card. Good thing I had another one on me because 100.00 in cash wasn't going to begin to cover my DTD spending.

Plus if I grab a taxi I have cash on hand to pay them. I love having some cash on me - I feel safer.

 

[SmuffSheltie]

Wow! I've learned a lot just from reading all of this. Good stuff to know!

I might do a combo of cash/credit card/debit. The KTTW card sounds easy, but I don't think I will be able to use it this trip since somebody else is paying for the rooms (well, we're all going in four ways and only one person is paying for both rooms with one card). Can you add a different card to use for KTTW or does it have to be the one associated with the card used to purchase the room?

 

[mmbl]

You only need to notify your CC co. if you're traveling internationally; if you're in the US, you shouldn't have problems. Also, your ATM card should work everywhere for cash. We carry small amounts of cash but just about everything goes on our room charge.

 

[bumbershoot]

You should be able to do different cards on different KTTW cards.

Getting phone calls from fraud depts is easier when all you have is a cell that you have with you while traveling.

 

[GrannyEv]

I deal stritchly in cash. I do take my Visa with me..just in case of an emergency. I divide my cash into as many envelopes as the days I'm going to be there, and label them.. by parks. I know I will probably spend more at MK than at AK.so I plan accordingly. Then each morning I just grab the envelope and keep the rest in the in-room safe.. also have a couple extra envelopes which contain the mouskeeping money, an envelope for the airport and then a misc. envelope for things at the end of the trip. Works for me..when my money is gone, that's it.. I do have the free dining plan so don't have to worry about that..

 

[GoofyMB]

I buy Disney Gift Cards at Target before my trip using my Redcard and save 5%. I then keep those cards in the safe at the resort. I charge everything I can on my KTTW card and carry a small amount of cash (like $40) just in case and pay off the charges using the gift cards. That way I am getting a 5% discount on everything I buy at Disney I also use the cards to pay off my resort/package reservation.

 

[DanielSp]

I hardly use bills.. CC is always a god option specially when your pockets are restrict.

 

[Anthony1971]

To everyone who said they call their credit/debit card companies....do you routinely get calls about your activity when you go away? One time ever in my life has the bank called us, when we bought a computer in the next state over (tax-free state). We have never had any problem using our cards when we travel, and we don't alert them. Just wondered how common it is to have them think it's fraudulent activity and not just people traveling.

Chase has shut mine down every time I did not let them know... but it was mostly after the trip when I tried to charge something at home.. likley becuse we use the KTTW card and get one big charge at the end of our stay.
On the good (somewhat) side I did get free gas once as somehow the person putting the gas in got it to work and there was never anything on my creditcard end... found out the card was not working when we went to buy something else

 

[Jerseymomof2]

Chase has shut mine down every time I did not let them know... but it was mostly after the trip when I tried to charge something at home.. likley becuse we use the KTTW card and get one big charge at the end of our stay.
On the good (somewhat) side I did get free gas once as somehow the person putting the gas in got it to work and there was never anything on my creditcard end... found out the card was not working when we went to buy something else

Our Disney Visa has called us by the 2nd day every time we go to disney and don't tell them 1st.
Even after telling them we were going to disney we took a day trip across the state to visit some friends and they flagged it there too thinking that someone at disney got our card #.
I always call the cards I am going to take to let them know.
Then I have no problems. I also take a few hundred in cash but find out where the nearest atm for my bank is too. in case I need more.

 

[texasroni75]

We charge most things back to our room using our room card. We rarely leave the parks or resort once we get to WDW. Usually DH holds onto our cards once we are through the turnstiles though - so I have my own cash too. We don't bring huge quantities of cash, but keep enough that if our card had an issue (hold, bank error, whatever), we could still manage to cover our expenses till it could be cleared up. So, most of the cash stays in the room safe, and a little in our pockets each day. And, if DH and I split up to do different attractions, I'll still be able to stop and buy a drink without having to track DH down!

Although, once DH forgot his room card at a Fastpass machine for SM and we realized it an hour later! We were in a panic thinking someone was probably using it to charge up a storm throughout the park. Thankfully a CM had found it and held onto it until we made our way back over there (DH showed his license and they returned it). But it was a lesson for us to be VERY careful with them in the future.

 

[NorCalGal]

I do not bring lots of cash, other than our ones and fives for tipping (and roll of quarters for tolls).

This is what I do as well. I usually carry some small bills equaling at least $20 and leave the rest in the hotel safe.

everything else is in room safe

Yep, me too.

Most/many CC companies have a way to notify them online if you're traveling, too. Check out their website.

I've never notified mine, but last time I visited family out of state I did get a text from the CC company asking to check my account and make sure all charges were mine. They were and all was well.

If you're feeling uncomfortable, make sure your cc company has a cell phone number to reach you. You can usually clear up issues quickly over the phone - but on the person with Wells Fargo whose wife got her card cancelled with no notice! I'm be furious. I am generally more concerned when I travel internationally, but will also notify them if I think about it any time I'm going out of state. Make sure you have a good 24-hour contact number for them, as well (I think all credit cards have this number on the back.)

Wow! I've learned a lot just from reading all of this. Good stuff to know!

I might do a combo of cash/credit card/debit. The KTTW card sounds easy, but I don't think I will be able to use it this trip since somebody else is paying for the rooms

I have never had an issue with using multiple cards to pay room charges. I frequently travel with my uncle, and if he makes a large gift shop purchase we aren't going to split, he will go to the front desk and have that amount charged to his card, then we can split the remainder. No problem any time we've tried.

 

[rock_doctor]

Most credit card companies now have a web presence. Get online and see if you can set a travel notification via their web page. I use Capital One and that is all i do and i do set a notification when going more then 500 miles. Five minutes on the computer and we are good to go. Anything funky and they call my cell phone at the first charge rather then reject the charge (they are spectacular in this area). I had (had) a Nations Bank card and they would cancel the card on you w/o any warning. Was fun when traveling to find you have no credit card because they cancelled it...but of course they would overnight you a new one...to your listed address...where you are not currently at...

We carry cash (which we shouldn't) but we only take $100 in case we get stuck in "no where land" looking for fuel (we use Diesel). Diesel can be hard to find if off the beaten path...a couple bucks to a farmer can get you back on the road. If you are taking a lot of cash then take travelers checks. Your Disney resort should be able to cash them for you. If staying off property a small mom and pop hotel/motel probably will not cash them for you...

 

[Pembo]

To everyone who said they call their credit/debit card companies....do you routinely get calls about your activity when you go away? One time ever in my life has the bank called us, when we bought a computer in the next state over (tax-free state). We have never had any problem using our cards when we travel, and we don't alert them. Just wondered how common it is to have them think it's fraudulent activity and not just people traveling.

My USAA M/C will call me if I don't let them know of my vacation. My Disney Visa through Chase I can use anywhere and they don't call us. I think it may depend on the lender.

 

[mmbl]

To everyone who said they call their credit/debit card companies....do you routinely get calls about your activity when you go away? One time ever in my life has the bank called us, when we bought a computer in the next state over (tax-free state). We have never had any problem using our cards when we travel, and we don't alert them. Just wondered how common it is to have them think it's fraudulent activity and not just people traveling.

Citibank ONLY calls if their is 'suspicious' activity. We have NEVER had a problem in the States when traveling. Our first trip to Europe we did get blocked so we had to call. We now ALWAYS call with our itinerary when traveling abroad. That said, I have had blocks and calls on occasion when ordering items online.

 

[mmbl]

Re: getting calls from the bank or lender while using CC's on vacation..

My wife and I both have Wells Fargo credit cards, but under totally separate accounts. One time we took a trip out to Florida and we were both using our cards, and WF actually placed a hold on her card by the second day! She was trying to use it, and it just wouldn't authorize all of a sudden. She had to call the bank to figure out what was going on. They told her they already canceled the card (what the heck!), and that they were issuing a new one in the mail.

If she was traveling by herself and didn't have other cards, she would've been hosed. WF for some reason didn't mind me spending money out of state, and we guessed that it was because I travel out of state for work so often that it doesn't seem out of place to their automatic fraud detection systems..

I would call ahead just in case.

Just wanted to say that I HATE WELLS FARGO. My debit card was stolen, reported and replaced. 3 months later it was used. It too them 3 , yes 3 years, to get it all resolved. Would never recommend them to anyone.