No More Room Payments???

[lynn71092]

What's up with this?
I have always made my room reservations through Disney and made payments so I would have it paid for when I got there.
Now I just went to make a payment and they told me they no longer accept payments on the room only, that it has to be a package deal. That totally messes me up for future vacations. Since this was only a 3 night stay and I had already paid for one night we just cancelled that reservation and I was credited for one night and then we rebooked 3 nights and paid for it all at once. But if I wanted to stay for 7 days I couldn't pay for that all at once. This really has me upset. When did this start?? Are they trying to make people only book package deals? I already have a 7 day hopper that I haven't used yet so I don't need the package deal.

 

[ducklite]

Why not just deposit the payment money into a savings account, make the interest and take it out as travelers checks right before you go?

Anne

 

[callahanjulie10]

I also like to have everything paid by the time we go to WDW. It makes our vacation so much more enjoyable not having to think about $$. I hated it when they did away with the vouchers, not only did we eat places we never had and tried things we would have never ordered, we didn't have to look to the right side of the menu! I wonder why all of a sudden everything has to be a package- this really stinks for AP holders.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Why not just deposit the payment money into a savings account, make the interest and take it out as travelers checks right before you go?

Anne

Makes perfect sense, but for some of us it is not always possible. This may not be for the OP though, but for us, if it is in our possession it can end up elsewhere. I love the idea of having everything paid for upon arrival. I wish I could get the meal plan with my land/sea for that reason. I don't think there is any money saving value to it (did the math and about broke even), but it would be one less thing to worry about!

To the OP - you could always try the envelope in the underwear drawer. I have that for our trip in Nov and until now I forgot it was there!

Goodluck!

 

[SueEllen]

Payments can still be made on room reservations booked through CRO, but not if you booked your room stay on the internet. Internet room only stays (including the best rate plan for passholders) cannot have additional payments made in advance. You have to pay the balance at check in.

Sue Ellen

 

[lizziepooh]

When you want to make a payment, could you purchase money orders and make them out to Disney (to avoid using it for something else)? Then just take them with you when you go. Or maybe you could actually write checks to Disney and take them when you go.

 

[Acklander]

I don't think Disney accepts money orders as a form of payment.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

We do purchase Disney dollars for trip savings. Can't use 'em anywhere else so they sit until trip time. I think you can use them to pay for the room too.

 

[ducklite]

Makes perfect sense, but for some of us it is not always possible. This may not be for the OP though, but for us, if it is in our possession it can end up elsewhere.

Please don't take offense to this, but I just don't understand the logic behind your statement.

Why would it make any difference if it was in WDW's hands or your savings account? How would it end up elsewhere?

Anne

 

[WDWorBUST]

I think what she means is if the cash is in their possession it may get spent on something else - when it's already paying for the trip they aren't going to ask for it back - but if it's easily accessible it can easily be spent on other things. I understand the reasoning - that's why I have a separate savings at an internet bank so it's not easily accessible. I have to think about it before withdrawing to spend it elsewhere - and then it still takes a couple of days to get it.

 

[got2lovedisney]

Get Disney Dollars...as RichNKatHolly stated above...they can only be used in Disney so it's a forced savings. We actually did that one year and bought 11 Seasonal Passes with Disney Dollars!

 

[RichNKatHolly]

Please don't take offense to this, but I just don't understand the logic behind your statement.

Why would it make any difference if it was in WDW's hands or your savings account? How would it end up elsewhere?

Anne

No offense taken. I'm just one of those spenders. If it's in my account or in my wallet it will probably disappear and I may not know "how did I spend so much?"

I know it's not the "right" way to live, but I haven't totally gotten that bad habit out of my system. So I can understand why it would trouble someone to not be able to make periodic payments toward their room. To pay for our upcoming trip I contact my TA everytime I have $500 to put toward the trip. I cannot imagine doing it anyother way - this is what works for me

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I think what she means is if the cash is in their possession it may get spent on something else - when it's already paying for the trip they aren't going to ask for it back - but if it's easily accessible it can easily be spent on other things. I understand the reasoning - that's why I have a separate savings at an internet bank so it's not easily accessible. I have to think about it before withdrawing to spend it elsewhere - and then it still takes a couple of days to get it.

Too funny! You know, you just reminded me of my little ING account! Guess I should start feeding that again too! Opened it for the exact reason you did - no debit card and it takes a few days to get the $$. Hopefully by the time you withdraw it, the urge to spend it has passed.

 

[ducklite]

No offense taken. I'm just one of those spenders. If it's in my account or in my wallet it will probably disappear and I may not know "how did I spend so much?"

I know it's not the "right" way to live, but I haven't totally gotten that bad habit out of my system. So I can understand why it would trouble someone to not be able to make periodic payments toward their room. To pay for our upcoming trip I contact my TA everytime I have $500 to put toward the trip. I cannot imagine doing it anyother way - this is what works for me

I see. How about opening a "passbook" savings account in a bank on the other side of town, where you have no MAC card and have to actually go in to access your money? Or as some do with credit cards, freeze the Mac card in a block of ice so it's not easy to access?

Anne

 

[Kristi1357]

No offense taken. I'm just one of those spenders. If it's in my account or in my wallet it will probably disappear and I may not know "how did I spend so much?"

I know it's not the "right" way to live, but I haven't totally gotten that bad habit out of my system. So I can understand why it would trouble someone to not be able to make periodic payments toward their room. To pay for our upcoming trip I contact my TA everytime I have $500 to put toward the trip. I cannot imagine doing it anyother way - this is what works for me

I do the exact same thing!
I will be really bummed out if I can't make periodic payments on my room only ressies.

 

[RichNKatHolly]

I see. How about opening a "passbook" savings account in a bank on the other side of town, where you have no MAC card and have to actually go in to access your money? Or as some do with credit cards, freeze the Mac card in a block of ice so it's not easy to access?

Anne

We do have a passbook savings as well which I almost never use. I'm sure I can be disciplined if I have to, but it is nice to pay as you go. We only have 2 credit cards with a total of about $500 credit so we don't get into much trouble with those, but I was surprised to read on these boards that people actually practice the freezing cards thing - that's great.

 

[lynn71092]

Thanks for all your input but I need to put the room on my Disney Visa so I can get my points and it's a lot easier to pay for one night a month than to have to have the whole vacation put on one months statement.

 

[got2lovedisney]

Can you send the money to your Disney VISA...build up a credit balance and when you have enough, pay off your reservation? Just a thought. Or use the Disney VISA to buy Disney Dollars...that way you're getting your reward dollars and saving the $ you need at the same time.

 

[Honeybehr1]

I ended up going through a travel agent for our trip because it saved us close to $300. Yesterday I went and paid the balance using Disney Visa and then wrote a check for the same amount. That way I get my rewards and I have essentially paid cash for the trip.

If you dont have a DV than I would go with buying the disney dollars, that way you are not tempted to spend the money.

 

[lynn71092]

I like the idea of the Disney Dollars, I'll do that for my next trip!!