How many Disney Dollars do you bring?

[hopskip]

I started ds with a little box which he's been putting $1 Disney bills into. I'm realizing this is a pretty good idea for myself! I'm not sure how much is <i>too</i> much though. Has anyone brought a large sum (I'm thinking maybe $500 or so?) of Disney Dollars on their trip? Thanks!

 

[weissjaz]

We took $250 on our last trip. Spent it all one night at CG. 4 people, appetizers, a lot of wine. We still needed extra cash for the tip. You'll have no problem spending Disney Dollars.

 

[jgates]

$11

(Sorry- I couldn't resist- that's what we have left over from stroller rental refunds, etc from last trip.)

Otherwise we are a credit card(s) and small amount of cash family.

 

[jennymouse]

You're going to think I'm nuts, but I'll be taking about $1500 or so in October. I've been doing rewards programs for over a year now and have gotten about $250 that way...plus, I've been buying them $100 at a time from the Disney Store about once a month.

When I get to the resort, I'm going to give them $1300 so I can charge to the room and not have to have a backpack to carry them around!LOL

 

[VickiVM]

We have been coverting our change jar money to DD, but I think I'll stop with this next round (we'll have about $150 total in DD). If they get lost or stolen, they're not replaceable so I think I'll convert our change jar money to travelers checks instead. I was really only getting the DD for the kids so that can their own novelty spending money.

 

[Snow Brite]

I would put $50 plus the Connections vouchers we were using in my fanny pack each day. All the change I got back from using the DD was in American cold hard cash, so this worked well. Any time I reached in there to pay for something (all too often! ) I would only take out the DD. If I used them all up, then I used the cash instead. I think I had $50 DD leftover at the end of our stay and put that towards our hotel bill.

While this would work with Travelers Checks, you have to have a pen and sign and it was messier, in my opinion, on the fly than the DD which worked just like cash. This also helped me regulate our spending each day, and if I really NEEDED to get something (that really cute picture of my DS with Buzz) then I charged it to the room.

Jennifer

 

[WDW2002]

I am not sure how much in DD we will end up with but it will be whatever our change piggys eat up before Thanksgiving time. This will be our suvenier $$ for the 3 of us (DD11, DD9, & myself). I am guessing it will be between $300 - $500.

 

[Trish Thorpe]

I have been purchasing Disney $ every time we go to the mall for the past few months... $10 here and $20 there...we have over $350. It is a great way for us to save for our November trip.....also my DS get $10 a week in allowance (we get him disney dollars) so his stash is growing. We love having them and find that we would spend cash if we were stowing it away.

Have a great time on your trip!

 

[Mickeycrazy]

but I'll be taking about $1500 or so in October.

My wife and I hope to have $3000 when we go in february. For us its a way to budget, and keeps us excited. We have 2 boys who will take $100 a piece.
Todd

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says................................You guys to need be careful. Carry around $3000 in cash? That is what Disney Dollars are. Sure, we bring 200-300 but thats it. We have an account for travel, and the statement before we go, on our credit card, I drop a grand into it, as our airline tickets are already paid for. For safety sake, don't get carried away!! This trip it's 0 Disney Dollars, maybe 200 cash, 500 travelers checks, and the rest in credit card credit. I can always buy a soda to turn 50 TC into 48 cash! Throw ATM into the mix and your possibilities are endless!

 

[tink2dw]

I'm with Disnee Dad!! We have always turned our hard earned vacation $$ into REPLACABLE Travelers Checks!!
We travel with Murfee[Murfee's Law;Anything that can happen, will happen and often does happen at least twice!!] everywhere we go so we abide by the Boy Scout code; Aways BE Prepared!!

I really liked the $100. Travelers Checks this last trip to WDW. WE would cash one at breakfast or lunch and that would be the days budget.

 

[Mickeycrazy]

We have always turned our hard earned vacation $$ into REPLACABLE Travelers Checks!!

There's a lot of wisdom and common sense in these posts. We were doing the Disney Dollars cause we lack discipline, but converting to traveler's checks as we save is the same approach only safer.
Thanks,
Todd

 

[ChiTownZee]

Originally posted by jennymouse
I've been doing rewards programs for over a year now and have gotten about $250 that way

Can I ask which program this is? I've seen mypoints but I don't think they offer the Disney dollars.

 

[jennymouse]

ChiTownZee, Creations Rewards has Disney Dollars and a couple others too, but I only do CR for DD's. I do surveys, Netflip & Searchcactus which sends a check that I cash and purchase the Disney Dollars with.

Thanks for the concern on carrying so many Disney Dollars, but like others have said, for me it was a great way to save.....I don't miss the $ this way and can't dip into it. I'll be taking $1000 in travelers checks too....I've got one of those pouches that you can wear under your clothes, that I put the DD's & TC's in. It worked out well for me last year. My only concern this year is security at the airport thinking I'm packing a bomb if searched.LOL

IMHO, interest rates aren't good enough to open a savings account. I like having everything paid for (except food, etc.) when we arrive instead of running up a credit card and trying to pay it off when we get home. To each his own.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Hmmmm, for me I planned on carrying $1000 in DD, or maybe a little less, because DH and I have to have travel money for the road. It is a thought that once you lose DD they are gone, so maybe I should do half DD and half travellers checks. Better safe than sorry! DH and I can use the DD first and save the traveller's cheques for last.

 

[shrpgrl]

We took 420. I think we came back with 50. I used them to pay for our meals and a few pins. I gave my son probably 150 for his meals and for the lego store. Of course we were at the BWV and had a kitchen. We ate breakfast every day except one in the room. (We were there 5 days). There were 3 of us. My DH and I split many of our meals so that helped.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.....................................We don't run up a credit card bill , we run down our $1000 credit card credit!! Last trip we didn't even spend it all, and used the extra for xmas gifts.