If using online check-in on a room only reservation, can I pay with gift card upon arrival

[Llama mama]

Hello, so I have a room only reservation for three nights. My first night was already charged to my charge card. If I use the start check-in now on my app can I still pay for the rest of the trip up upon arrival with a gift card? Or will it immediately bill the rest of my payment to my credit card upon arrival?

 

[Marthasor]

To avoid having the CC on file charged, your best bet is to call before you check in and pay with the gift card over the phone.

 

[Wood Nymph]

You can pay with a gift card upon arrival. The front desk will be happy to help you

 

[bluecastle]

I always go to the front desk upon arrival, even if I do online check-in. I pay my balance with a combination of gift cards, my Dis Visa Redemption card, and my credit card. Nothing gets charged automatically when you do online check-in, AFAIK.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

I had one time that our CC was charged the day of check-in and the CM had all sorts of issues reversing the charge so I could use my GC. So, ever since then I always call and payoff my room with GC's before we even start our trip. I find it so much easier.

 

[dansdad]

I had one time that our CC was charged the day of check-in and the CM had all sorts of issues reversing the charge so I could use my GC. So, ever since then I always call and payoff my room with GC's before we even start our trip. I find it so much easier.

We have had the same thing happen. We now always make sure to pay off our balance before check in day.

 

[lisset005]

We pay our room only in Disney gift cards. I call and pay it off completely ahead of time to avoid any issues.

 

[SL6827]

We pay our room only in Disney gift cards. I call and pay it off completely ahead of time to avoid any issues.

Did this.

 

[bluezy]

I had one time that our CC was charged the day of check-in and the CM had all sorts of issues reversing the charge so I could use my GC. So, ever since then I always call and payoff my room with GC's before we even start our trip. I find it so much easier.

We have had the same thing happen. We now always make sure to pay off our balance before check in day.

Same for us. It's been awhile since we've done a room-only reservation, but I had planned to pay some of it with Disney Visa reward and gift cards upon arrival. It was frustrating to find out it had automatically charged to the credit card on file (which hadn't happened on the previous trip). If I ever do a room-only reservation again, I will absolutely pay it off 2 days before we arrive to avoid any headaches with payments. We've done a package the last 7 or 8 times we've gone so now it's easy to use the rewards and GCs to pay that off before we ever arrive.

 

[ninafeliz]

I thought if you did online check in they charge your balance to your cc at something like 6am the day you check in. I know I always get a text from my cc company super early in the am of check in with the charge. Last trip we payed cash (not DVC) at the BWI and planned to pay with my Disney visa rewards dollars, and Disney signature services told me not to do online check in and wait to use that card when I checked in in person. So that’s what we did and it worked fine, I just couldn’t get a room ready text or go straight to the room- which was fine with me.

 

[bluecastle]

Can someone explain why it’s a bad thing to do a combination of gift cards, Dis Visa redemption card, and cc at check in? I try to pay down the balance before our trip, but a 2 BR villa balance is too high for me to pay it in full.

 

[HopperFan]

I thought if you did online check in they charge your balance to your cc at something like 6am the day you check in. I know I always get a text from my cc company super early in the am of check in with the charge. Last trip we payed cash (not DVC) at the BWI and planned to pay with my Disney visa rewards dollars, and Disney signature services told me not to do online check in and wait to use that card when I checked in in person. So that’s what we did and it worked fine, I just couldn’t get a room ready text or go straight to the room- which was fine with me.

This has been my experience since 2014 - I remember because we were dropping DD off for DCP, DH was working so he would be paying for the room. My CC was charged around 6 am for the full trip. We had to go to the desk and work with them to reverse it off my card and put on his card. Every trip since (we've only done room only since then - prior we did packages so were paid in advance) I have been charged in the morning before check in.

Last summer I even ran in to a problem because my card that was used for deposit had been lost, so cancelled. I forgot. When we still didn't have room number by 4 (we were in parks all day) I checked and they said I needed to provide card for online check-in for them to charge.

I imagine that it is possible different credit card companies handle it different as well.

 

[gottalovepluto]

You can online check now without any charges. And yes you can pay with your gc upon arrival but your credit/debit card on file will have a pending charge for the entire balance due plus the necessary incidental hold placed early on check in day and you will need to visit the front desk on arrival night at some point to apply the gc’s. This hold can take 10 days to drop- nbd to some people, total mess to others. Sometimes you get a CM who doesn’t really “get it” once you arrive but be patient, they’ll figure it out or their manager will help them.

I paid this way for years before I learned you can pre-pay. Now I’m always going to pre-pay. I don’t have to risk losing the gc balance while traveling or risk forgetting to swing by the front desk or even deal with the front desk if don’t want to.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Last trip we payed cash (not DVC) at the BWI and planned to pay with my Disney visa rewards dollars, and Disney signature services told me not to do online check in and wait to use that card when I checked in in person.

Even if you do online check in the charge can be reversed by Disney (at least if you visit the front desk on arrival night it can) and you can use whatever payment method you want then, but it can take a week or more to drop from its pending state on your credit card.

Only time I had an issue with this was when I used a really low credit limit card as the card on file (stupid of me, never again) and I had a 3 hotel split stay. My MB wasn’t working to charge at MK suddenly and a call to WL later I found out my CC was being declined. I panic logged in to the cc and all the pending charges had eaten up the stupid low credit limit. Had to charge to my gc in park and put a different card on file when I got back to the hotel for the last day.

 

[Eastern]

ime the balance is billed to the cc on file the morning of the first day of the reservation. It's easy enough to call and apply the gc amount to the balance. You don't even have to talk to a human.

 

[WLWildlife]

Can you apply gift cards and rewards through MDE online before arrivial, like you can for a package?

 

[CarolynFH]

Can you apply gift cards and rewards through MDE online before arrivial, like you can for a package?

I believe you have to call, but there may be an automated process via phone as opposed to having to speak to a person.

 

[Sandi]

Can someone explain why it’s a bad thing to do a combination of gift cards, Dis Visa redemption card, and cc at check in? I try to pay down the balance before our trip, but a 2 BR villa balance is too high for me to pay it in full.

I don't believe it is a bad thing and I don't see where anyone said it was bad. You can use whatever combination you want to when you check in. The suggestion is paying with gift cards and/or the Disney Visa redemption card BEFORE you arrive avoids the hassle of having to have cc charges reversed where they charge you before you check in. For charges made to your room account while you're there, you'll want to go to the front desk to used gift cards and the Visa redemption card the day before you check out since they will post those expenses shortly after midnight of your check-out day.

Enjoy your 2BR villa. That sounds lovely!

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Can you apply gift cards and rewards through MDE online before arrivial, like you can for a package?

Unfortunately no. When they first came out with allowing a customer to pay online, they did allow both Package and RO to do it. But, the RO payment option only lasted a few months and then it was gone. Not sure what happened that made it go away but it has not been back since. I remember making a payment on 2 different months and when I went back a month later to pay the balance, it was no longer an option. Now I combine my GCs on the disneygiftcard site so that when I call I can make a big payment. Calling to make a payment has only taken a few minutes and it really is not a big deal, and having my reservation paid off before we arrive is a great feeling. Followed by paying off our room charges every few days with GCs so that when we checkout there has been no $$$$ charged against my CC, is a great way to end our trip.