Large Amounts of Money

[fey_spirit]

Ok, I will be carrying a little better then 270 dollars a day around in the parks. (Most of it for souvineers and snacks for the two of us - as this is my first trip, I really wanted to do it in high style).

There are so many options for carrying money:

Room Card Charged to credit card (Is there a way to limit how much can be spent on this a day?)

Disney Dollars - Do enough places both in the parks and out accept these to make it doable?

ATM is out of the question because I don't want to walk back to the front of the park everytime I want to buy something.

Using our Debit card - is it possible to buy anything we could possibly want at the parks?

What do you think the best way to carry this much money would be?

 

[mickaholic4077]

Is it a Visa or Mastercard debit? If so,then you'll have no problems paying for things wherever credit cards are accepted.

 

[mickeymousemom]

Geez, Fey Spirit...I keep running into you

To answer your questions first...

The limit on your room key will depend on the resort level you're staying at. When we stay at POR, we get a limit of $1000. Now, if you reach that limit and pay it off with cash, debit, or credit card, then you'll get to use your room key to charge again.

I believe Disney Dollars are accepted most places on Disney property, though we've never used them...we plan to this year(our 3yo will have a few)

I made the ATM mistake at Epcot last year...had to walk OUT of the gate to use the machine and wait to get back in. Never again.

You can use your debit card(major) almost anywhere. There may be a few carts that can't take it, but otherwise you're good to go.

Here's what we do:
We charge most everything to our room key, and take a little bit of cash($20-$40) to the parks with us daily. If you have traveler's checks, you can get them cashed out at the front desk at the resort...as long as they aren't foreign. We also have our debit card with us...I think neither DH nor I feel comfy unless we have different forms of payment with us. The one thing we DON'T do is take a large amount of cash with us in the parks. If we lost it, we'd be in trouble..and I've been known to misplace things from time to time...

Have a great trip...I didn't know you'd never been!!


ETA: Here's what I just bought to carry my cards, money, etc. in.
Passporter Pouch

I've lost my debit card, room keys(all but DH's), Driver's license, etc. at WDW before. I love this thing and can't wait to use it!

 

[MickeyNicki]

We carry very little cash for snacks and drinks. Mostly I use my Disney CC or my room charge card/ticket.

 

[ShariVT]

Dh and I each put 20 in our pockets in the morning everything else goes on the Debit card as it has a visa logo it is excepted everywhere they take any card.

 

[Quinn222]

I intend to use a reloadable Disney Gift Card on our next trip. I'll have a small amount of cash for little things but otherwise Disney Visa or Gift Card.

 

[ColoradoDis]

We carry a small ount of cash with us and charge everything else to the room key. I like the charge summary that we get when we check out.

 

[CleveRocks]

Ok, I will be carrying a little better then 270 dollars a day around in the parks. (Most of it for souvineers and snacks for the two of us - as this is my first trip, I really wanted to do it in high style).

There are so many options for carrying money:

Room Card Charged to credit card (Is there a way to limit how much can be spent on this a day?)

Disney Dollars - Do enough places both in the parks and out accept these to make it doable?

ATM is out of the question because I don't want to walk back to the front of the park everytime I want to buy something.

Using our Debit card - is it possible to buy anything we could possibly want at the parks?

What do you think the best way to carry this much money would be?

Starting a room charge is BY FAR the most convenient way to go. One card to carry. No risk if it's lost. You get the idea.

Each "level" of resort has an UPPER-limit to room charges ($500 for Values, $1K for Mods, $1.5K for Deluxes), but there is NO LOWER LIMIT. You can set up your room charge for ANY amount UNDER the upper limit. So if you're trying to budget yourself, or, as I say to my own clients, "protect yourself from yourself" in terms of over-spending, you could set up a new room charge each day if you want.

Each night (or each morning), you could wait in line at the front desk, settle the previous day's room charge with cash or credit card or whatever, ands then set up the next day's room charge in whatever amount you want. Obviously, this owuld be a lot of work.

It would be easier to just set yourself a limit you're comfy with, and then replenish once or maybe even twice if necessary. Room charges can be backed by credit card, debit card (with Visa or MC logo), cash, or even Disney Dollars.

Another advantage to a room charge over using your credit card or debit card for each transaction is that your credit card/bank statement will only have one charge on it, the total of your room charge account that you spent (but if you reconcile it more than once, it will have the total from each reconciliation). For me, I found one debit on my bank statement a lot more convenient thatn 47 separate transactions listed on my bank statement, if you know what I mean. And you will get a receipt with each and every transaction, so you will be able to check up on the accuracy of your room charge account. You can also go to your resort's guest services desk and get an itemized print-out.

Disney Dollars are accepted same as cash at ALL locations within the theme parks and the Disney owned-and-operated resorts. Locations accepting DDs at Downtown Disney will vary, depending on whether they are Disney or they are independent comapnies renting space there.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

On my past trip I carried very little cash, mainly which I used for snacks, (went during the F&W Festival, so had lots of those samplings.) Other then that I used my Disney Visa, or my Visa debit card, which I used at all the gift shops, TS and CS restaurants.

This year, I've requested the Disney gift card for my gifts. (People never know what to buy me anymore.)

I also had a charge on my room key, but never used it.

 

[Brise Nannie]

Disney Dollars are accepted same as cash at ALL locations within the theme parks and the Disney owned-and-operated resorts. Locations accepting DDs at Downtown Disney will vary, depending on whether they are Disney or they are independent comapnies renting space there.

Would you happen to know which DTD stores DON'T accept Disney Dollars?

 

[pepe of ohio]

We carry a small ount of cash with us and charge everything else to the room key. I like the charge summary that we get when we check out.

We do the same, hardly carry any cash, use the room key charging system for just about anything. We also like the print out when checking out, we go over the sheet with credit card statement, been using their system for a few years with no problems.

 

[InstImpres]

FYI, if you are a true "cash person" you can give the cash to the CM at checkin to use against your room charges. This could over ride the charge limit. (For example if you are at a value resort with a $500 limit and you give them a $1000 in cash at check in you will be able to charge up to $1500). If for some reason you turn in too much cash, you can get it back at check out.

This might give you the best of all worlds, the security of not carrying all the money around the park and the ease of room charges

 

[CleveRocks]

(For example if you are at a value resort with a $500 limit and you give them a $1000 in cash at check in you will be able to charge up to $1500).

If one of your numbers is NOT a typo, then I disagree with your statement.

100% of the room charge that you will have on your room key/resort ID MUST be backed up by something -- Disney does not extend credit to resort guests.

If you are at a Value resort with a $500 limit and give them $1000 in cash at check in, you would theoretically be able to charge $1000, NOT $1500. It's simply incorrect to add the room charge limit to the amount of cash you would put down to come up with some grand total.

I am 100% sure of the above. What I'm about to say next I'm only about 93.8% sure of -- regardless of how much you are willing to put down, each "level" of resort has its upper limits for room charges. At a Value resort, I'm fairly certain you can't give them $1000 in cash at one time and have a $1000 room charge credit. If that were the case, then setting the limits for each "level" of resort would be totally meaningless.

 

[InstImpres]

If one of your numbers is NOT a typo, then I disagree with your statement.

100% of the room charge that you will have on your room key/resort ID MUST be backed up by something -- Disney does not extend credit to resort guests.

If you are at a Value resort with a $500 limit and give them $1000 in cash at check in, you would theoretically be able to charge $1000, NOT $1500. It's simply incorrect to add the room charge limit to the amount of cash you would put down to come up with some grand total.

I am 100% sure of the above. What I'm about to say next I'm only about 93.8% sure of -- regardless of how much you are willing to put down, each "level" of resort has its upper limits for room charges. At a Value resort, I'm fairly certain you can't give them $1000 in cash at one time and have a $1000 room charge credit. If that were the case, then setting the limits for each "level" of resort would be totally meaningless.

Let me clarify, I meant the cash in addition to the card, as someone spoke of going and paying off the bill daily with cash. I agree, stopping daily is a pain. The point of the "limit" is that is the most they want to try and hit a cc for at one time. Any cash (or Disney dollars) is true money therefor it extends the limit to reach that amount plus the charge max if you left a cc. If you only leave cash, than you are cut off at the cash amount you left and not more.

 

[seashoreCM]

Somehow I believe that a guest should not be carrying in his pockets a large dollar amount represented by any combination of cash, Disney Dollars, checks payable to himself, or gift cards.

Unfortunately to get a credit line established on a room key, money has to be loaded in from somewhere which means carrying down the dollar amount on the airplane, or by using debit or credit cards. I still recommend credit cards as the first choice.

Carrying around $200. for the day's expenses it not too bad but where do you stash the rest of the cash for the rest of the vacation if you carry cash?

 

[kalidk]

I put 1500.00 on my room key with travlers checks. it was great!! i had a credit when I checked out. I don't do credit cards. I didn't want to touch my checking account. I also had Disney Dollars I was never turned down. FYI i was traveling with my little neices and nephew and had $30 in $1.00 disney dollars and bribing them to be good worked great.

 

[snugglepeas]

FYI, if you are a true "cash person" you can give the cash to the CM at checkin to use against your room charges. This could over ride the charge limit. (For example if you are at a value resort with a $500 limit and you give them a $1000 in cash at check in you will be able to charge up to $1500). If for some reason you turn in too much cash, you can get it back at check out.

This might give you the best of all worlds, the security of not carrying all the money around the park and the ease of room charges

only half true you CANNOT go over the limit even in cash, the last time we stayed at Pop we were only aloud to put down 500 and then half way through the week we went back down to the front desk and put down more money.

 

[InstImpres]

only half true you CANNOT go over the limit even in cash, the last time we stayed at Pop we were only aloud to put down 500 and then half way through the week we went back down to the front desk and put down more money.

I guess this is an issue of depends who you speak with. I talked to a POP Manager a few weeks ago about this as it comes up with my clients often and was told the info I posted. All the cash/Disney Dollars/Travelers checks + $500 if you still put down a cc.

Also, I know they allow you to go over in "refund credits" as I have definetly done that. A client paid in full than a person on the package backed put and instead of getting a refund they opted to have it as a room credit.

 

[famsen]

Last month for the first time in my life, someone got ahold of my bank check card/debit card number and took $770.00 from my checking account. It was a bogus charge as the company that used my number has never been found. I do not know how they got my number, could be from the internet, an inside job at the bank, store or utility company.I am extremely careful with my card and I NEVER give to anyone where it is out of my site.

After over a week of disputing with the bank, I did finally get the money replaced because the bank could not find the "merchant" that charged my account. The bank had to cancel my card and re-issue a new one. I had to send letters and sign affidavits stating that the charges were not mine. This account is not a charge card, it is linked to my checking account, so checks I had written already had bounced and I was charged more fees. I did not have that $770 for over a week so I was unable to pay many other bills. This was a HUGE fiasco.

Luckily, this did not happen while I was on vacation. I would have been royally messed up!

Now I am living in fear of this happening again. Yes, I did eventually get my money back from the bank but it took well over a week. I never want to be in a situation like as on vacation where I count on a large amount of money to be in my account, and suddenly it is gone. I no longer want to leave any extra money in my bank. I just want to leave close to the exact amount that the checks for my bills are written for and keep the rest someplace else.
Since I only have one credit card and it has a small limit, my only other option I guess is bringing cash and traveler's checks. I don't really love the idea.

Is there a way I could give the front desk cash only to put on my room key or do I have to give a credit card as well???

 

[InstImpres]

Since I only have one credit card and it has a small limit, my only other option I guess is bringing cash and traveler's checks. I don't really love the idea.

Is there a way I could give the front desk cash only to put on my room key or do I have to give a credit card as well???

If you give cash only you wil have charging priv. only up to but not exceeding that amount. Just keep tabs on it. (For example if you give $400 and have charge $375 already than go to add a dinner charge for $50 it will be declined as you only have $25 available). You may want to consider getting travelers checks or a Visa gift card at your bank, it is safer than traveling with cash.

Room charging is not a requirement