New Credit Card Authorization Holds

[MomOTwins]

Most TS meals I’ve had at Disney were over $100 so if I were that close to my credit limit I wouldn’t be able to use that card regularly for meals at WDW period—whether via a magic band or not.

As for debit card I would never use one at a hotel because of the risk of people accidentally room charging to your room with the wrong room number (or, sadly, not accidentally). This happens all the time—I remember one time having to dispute a $1,000 bar bill at a hotel in California and succeeding because the name and signature on the receipt were wrong—some gentleman sure enjoyed a lot of free drinks that night billed to my room number.

 

[Moliphino]

Here is what I am being told: "You are able to make room charges toward that amount if you would like and would not be charged again until you went over that threshold. If you did not charge anything back to the room at all, it would just be that flat fee that would be removed upon checkout (unless there are damages, etc to the room.)"

My question is - if you go over the $100 hold on day 1 - do you pay the $100 and any over amount that day and it resets to another $100 hold for day 2.? Do they take the amount over $100 as soon as you go over it?

I had one $755 charge from the resort after checking out for everything that had been charged to the room (11 night stay two months ago). I didn't check holds while I was there, so I don't know if I had a ton.

 

[Sarahslay]

It wasn’t 100% like that for us, on this trip or my last trip in August. What I saw was the initial $100, then as we went over they charged us $100 plus the amount we went over. Like for one day we went over $100 by $62, so the next hold was for $162. The big confusion came on check out day when those were all still there, and obviously they had done the last $100 hold but we hadn’t reached $100 so there was a refund. Then charges went through but there were still holds, and it got really confusing. I have one card that I pretty much use only for my Disney trips so it’s not a huge deal for me, but I wouldn’t use a low limit card, a card you need for other stuff once you get home, or a debit card. But like I said earlier i only charged snacks and some merch to the band, the rest went directly on that card or a different card (4x points when you eat out so I used that on TS), so we only had $685 total including parking at the end. My card has a lot more room than what is needed to double it though so I didn’t worry.

 

[DisneyNDecember]

Great advice. I’m just going to keep it simple. I am not going to charge anything back to the room. Magic Band will be used for park and room entry only.
Quick service is on card on file with automatic charge and no holds to worry about.
We will just use our debit card at table service meals and that will keep things from getting messy. My debit card is set for immediate alerts on my phone for any purchases and I can freeze it immediately thru the banking app.

Are the table service restaurants taking cash?
I know they are stressing debit or credit cards or gift cards, but how about good ole cash?

 

[pooh'smate]

Great advice. I’m just going to keep it simple. I am not going to charge anything back to the room. Magic Band will be used for park and room entry only.
Quick service is on card on file with automatic charge and no holds to worry about.
We will just use our debit card at table service meals and that will keep things from getting messy. My debit card is set for immediate alerts on my phone for any purchases and I can freeze it immediately thru the banking app.

Are the table service restaurants taking cash?
I know they are stressing debit or credit cards or gift cards, but how about good ole cash?

We paid cash at a few table service restaurants in late Sept/early Oct with no problems.

 

[Microcell]

I didn’t want to take much cash but I also don’t want to try to keep track of holds etc.. maybe will just pay as I go, it seems easier.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

Question-
can you pre pay against room charges with a Disney gift card? Like, if i don’t want the holds placed on my card can I put money down at checkin to cover charges?

 

[Dug720]

Question-
can you pre pay against room charges with a Disney gift card? Like, if i don’t want the holds placed on my card can I put money down at checkin to cover charges?

I have always been told no at WDW (it's possible on the cruiseline, but not on land) - their reasoning is any refund would have to go back on the card and if you don't have the card you're SOL. So rather than trusting us to be adults and hold onto the card, they just don't do it. (That is my mental response. I just politely smile and say "Thanks. I'll just use it rather than my Magic Band then."

I have seen ONE report on here that someone was able to, but only ONE.

Bottom line, I would 100% count on NOT being able to do that.

(Now, I don't know if they would allow you to put cash on the account - like actual cash. I've never asked about that as I'd rather just deal with the gift card even before COVID.)

 

[PammyPoppins]

Hi! We are renting vacation club points and because of availability we are having a split stay at 3 different resorts. We do not want charging privelges to our room. Will each resort charge our credit card a hold even if we do not have charging privelges? Also, can we check-in to the next resort before we check-out of the current one? Can my husband go over and check us in while me we are still getting ready in the morning?
Thank-You so much for any input.

 

[Chuck S]

I would assume there would be a $100 hold placed on your card at each resort if you do online check-in (which would be the easiest way so your husband doesn't need to run over to the new resort and check-in.

Other than that, as long as you don't charge anything to your room, that is all there should be. The hold time will vary depending upon your bank, but they generally drop off in about a week.

 

[Sarahslay]

Hi! We are renting vacation club points and because of availability we are having a split stay at 3 different resorts. We do not want charging privelges to our room. Will each resort charge our credit card a hold even if we do not have charging privelges? Also, can we check-in to the next resort before we check-out of the current one? Can my husband go over and check us in while me we are still getting ready in the morning?
Thank-You so much for any input.

First about the split stay and checking in and out, you can go straight to the new resort from the last resort, you don’t have to send someone early to do so. We’ve done several split stays, and 4 since reopening, and always just go over to the new resort after getting ready in the morning. They don’t guarantee at any resort that your room will be ready until after a certain time, and with renting points that time is 4. Now, on my last trip our room was ready at 1:30, but I’ve had the room ready as late as 6pm since reopening (twice at DVC resorts, Riviera and OKW), we’ve also had it ready as early as 7:30 am (also Riviera, we got the room ready text while we were still in our room at CR). Of course, that is because we did online check-in, and to do online check in you have to link a card. Linking a card will cause the hold, but that hold will roll off a few days after you leave that resort, this will be the same at each resort. I’ve never not linked a card because I like being able to charge purchases to my MB, it’s the same card I would use if I were in store so it really doesn’t matter either way. I have not noticed them doing the big hold after hold after hold thing they used to do, I generally just get the initial $100 hold and that’s it now. I suppose you could not do online check in, check in at the resort. But just make sure you do go over there first thing to check in, you will have to do this at each resort, and there is always a chance they ask you to still put a card down anyway.

 

[PammyPoppins]

First about the split stay and checking in and out, you can go straight to the new resort from the last resort, you don’t have to send someone early to do so. We’ve done several split stays, and 4 since reopening, and always just go over to the new resort after getting ready in the morning. They don’t guarantee at any resort that your room will be ready until after a certain time, and with renting points that time is 4. Now, on my last trip our room was ready at 1:30, but I’ve had the room ready as late as 6pm since reopening (twice at DVC resorts, Riviera and OKW), we’ve also had it ready as early as 7:30 am (also Riviera, we got the room ready text while we were still in our room at CR). Of course, that is because we did online check-in, and to do online check in you have to link a card. Linking a card will cause the hold, but that hold will roll off a few days after you leave that resort, this will be the same at each resort. I’ve never not linked a card because I like being able to charge purchases to my MB, it’s the same card I would use if I were in store so it really doesn’t matter either way. I have not noticed them doing the big hold after hold after hold thing they used to do, I generally just get the initial $100 hold and that’s it now. I suppose you could not do online check in, check in at the resort. But just make sure you do go over there first thing to check in, you will have to do this at each resort, and there is always a chance they ask you to still put a card down anyway.

 

[PammyPoppins]

Thank-You for the info.

 

[serenitynow]

Someone clear this up for me because I'm reading replies and getting confused.

It's an initial $100 hold, I charge $100, they charge my card and put another $100 hold.

So if I spend $2000 on my card, the actual amount being held from my available balance would be $4000 until the $2000 hold falls off? Or am I reading this wrong?

We normally spend more than $100 a day anyways.

Especially if you eat any meals at Disney

 

[Sarahslay]

Especially if you eat any meals at Disney

I don’t ever charge meals to my room, unless it’s a festival booth or snack, I do mobile order for quick service which is a card I have linked for that, and I pay with a card at TS. You don’t have to use your MB and charge back to your room if you don’t want to, on my trip in January my only charges were merchandise and festival booths which I could have easily used my Disney visa for (which is the same card linked to my room, so for me, either way it doesn’t matter).

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

On our most recent stay, I noticed that they put a hold on the card at check in (can't remember how much, but it wasn't more than $200). Then each evening an actual charge would go through for what we had really spent. Never put another "hold" amount on. But I would expect a second hold amount if I checked in to another resort. We stayed 4 nights, and by the time we got home, the initial hold had rolled off and all I saw were the actual charges. FWIW, this was at Riviera (cash stay; not on points).

The only stays I had where they put that hold after hold each time you charged anything to your room was in the months right after this policy was put in place (can't remember when, but definitely pre-covid).

 

[PammyPoppins]

I don’t ever charge meals to my room, unless it’s a festival booth or snack, I do mobile order for quick service which is a card I have linked for that, and I pay with a card at TS. You don’t have to use your MB and charge back to your room if you don’t want to, on my trip in January my only charges were merchandise and festival booths which I could have easily used my Disney visa for (which is the same card linked to my room, so for me, either way it doesn’t matter).

 

[PammyPoppins]

On our most recent stay, I noticed that they put a hold on the card at check in (can't remember how much, but it wasn't more than $200). Then each evening an actual charge would go through for what we had really spent. Never put another "hold" amount on. But I would expect a second hold amount if I checked in to another resort. We stayed 4 nights, and by the time we got home, the initial hold had rolled off and all I saw were the actual charges. FWIW, this was at Riviera (cash stay; not on points).

The only stays I had where they put that hold after hold each time you charged anything to your room was in the months right after this policy was put in place (can't remember when, but definitely pre-covid).

Thank-You for this info!

 

[PammyPoppins]

I don’t ever charge meals to my room, unless it’s a festival booth or snack, I do mobile order for quick service which is a card I have linked for that, and I pay with a card at TS. You don’t have to use your MB and charge back to your room if you don’t want to, on my trip in January my only charges were merchandise and festival booths which I could have easily used my Disney visa for (which is the same card linked to my room, so for me, either way it doesn’t matter).

Thank-You for this info!