Poor Person's Quesstion

[NADINENURSE]

Please don't laugh, and Im even embarrassed to ask BUT will ALLSTAR MUSIC accept a personal check from a bank in NY for the final checkout payment on my room charges ? I have posted here on the boards 3 weeks ago about losing my job, and my vacation needing to be cancelled, but I got the funds together for final payment on the Fairy Tale package, and now am stressing out about such a simple thing as how to eat at the land. I still don't even have airfare back yet, living paycheck to paycheck, oh my lovely employers, however, good news, have found new job start 9/15 (leaving for the word 9/19 & okay w. new employer), and vacation paychecks will start 9/26, that's double paychecks for 6 weeks. So, when I get back on 9/28, I'll have TONs of $ , with no way to accesss the checks until I return. So, will I be abe to write the check?, only have debit/credit cards as my credit card so they wil not be abe to charge the check against the account ? I am embarrassed to admit this as most of the posts seem to be about poeple who are spending more than $200 for a hotel room. I am just average and poor.

 

[Mic]

I have sent checks(with a Disney theme, no less) to Disney as payment for reservations several times, and paid the balance with a check as well when I checked in at the resort. As long as you have current photo identification(such as NY driver's license) there should be no problem. And congratulations on the new job.

 

[NotTooGoofy]

I would think ASMusic would take a personal check as long as you have photo ID. If you want to call the resort just to be sure, here is the phone number: 407-939-6000,

 

[mad4themouse]

Your strategy may have a small flaw in it.

Are you planning to make room charges? If not, then you will not need to write a check at the end of your stay since room and passes will have already been paid for.

If you are planning to make room charges, you will need to secure it using a major credit card or debit/credit card. In doing so, you will be establishing a line of credit up to a certain amount with by using the available balance on the card (offhand, I do not know what that amount is). Disney will place a hold for that amount on your card, thereby assuring them that they will be paid. For credit card holders, this may not be an issue unless they are already close to their credit limit. For debit card holders, it means tieing up that amount until the hold is either relased or the charge is put thru.

And, once your room charges reach that amount (on the Magic, it was $500), they will put it through as a charge and collect their money. They will graciously do a "charge back" should you decide to pay off the amount using cash or a check. This is not a problem for credit card holders but it can tie up the funds of debit card holders for a few days while the charge back goes through.

So, if that debit card is connected to your checking account, you may run into problems if there isn't enough money in there to cover those charges and checks that you have written.

If there is any way at all to get the vacation checks direct deposited, I would try to do so. And if you can convince a friend of family member to advance you the money on your vacation checks, you will be even better off. Because even though Disney will accept your out-of-town check, they will still want assurances that they're going to get their dough.

 

[Rexfan]

The All Star's have a $500 charging limit also if you want to use your passes for that.

 

[summerrluvv]

Disney does not put a hold on your credit card for room charging priveledges. They authorize the card for $1.00 and then when you reach the resort maximum spending allowance ($500 for Value, $1000 for moderate and $1500 for deluxe), then they charge the card. You can settle your account at any point during your stay before the room charges reach the $500 so you may be able to pay that with the check and then start all over.

 

[DMRick]

So, will I be abe to write the check?,

I assume I'm the only one misunderstanding what you are writing. Will you have money in your checking account when you write the check? And why would you need to write a check, if you have paid your final payment? I'm reading it, that you won't be able to get to your vacation checks while you are gone, so you want to write a check to Disney, and then when you get back, you'll have money to cover them?
If so, those checks could end up clearing before you get home...and if you don't have the money in the checking account yet..they will bounce. Am I misunderstanding?
If you have already paid for your trip in full..and tell them you don't want charging priviledges, you shouldn't owe anything.

 

[NADINENURSE]

so confused !! summerluv and madforthemouse seem to disagree. Both you guys sound like the answers are feasable, but I hope summerluv is right, if I call Disney will they tell me the truth if I ask ? I am definately not gettlng out of paying, just holding off until I get home to deposit multiple checks, we have no family to do it for us.

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
Please don't laugh, and Im even embarrassed to ask BUT will ALLSTAR MUSIC accept a personal check from a bank in NY for the final checkout payment on my room charges ? I have posted here on the boards 3 weeks ago about losing my job, and my vacation needing to be cancelled, but I got the funds together for final payment on the Fairy Tale package, and now am stressing out about such a simple thing as how to eat at the land. I still don't even have airfare back yet, living paycheck to paycheck, oh my lovely employers, however, good news, have found new job start 9/15 (leaving for the word 9/19 & okay w. new employer), and vacation paychecks will start 9/26, that's double paychecks for 6 weeks. So, when I get back on 9/28, I'll have TONs of $ , with no way to accesss the checks until I return. So, will I be abe to write the check?, only have debit/credit cards as my credit card so they wil not be abe to charge the check against the account ? I am embarrassed to admit this as most of the posts seem to be about poeple who are spending more than $200 for a hotel room. I am just average and poor.

NADINENURSE ,
Congrats on the new job!
I have paid for Disney rooms using a check years ago (now, I pretty much stick to the CC routine to get the bonus incentives).
I was surprised the past couple of visits that Disney charged my room balance on check in to my CC--and they also asked if I wanted to use the cc for any incidental expenses to be charged to my room...(we always use the room charging, too). I don't know when they changed this because I am pretty sure that they always used to charge the CC on check out.
You might want to check on this because I would expect they would ask for your final payment on check-in no matter what you are using for payment.

-DC

 

[NADINENURSE]

DMRICK, you got it kind of. The day I return I will cash the paychecks, deposit the money, which will be the same day I write the check in Disney, technically, the money will be in the bank at midnight when the bank does the deposit. I told you this would all be a great big embarassment to ask, Im also not talking about big bucks, probably $300 at the most. Hope everyone does not think I am a slimeball, have had great family and job problems over the past couple of months, now time is the factor as I have a Fairy Tale Package for a certain date, a week before the paychecks come, as I understand it, I cant change the dates, so I am stuck big time. Trying just to make it work, I could cry again, have been so sad for weeks.

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
so confused !! summerluv and madforthemouse seem to disagree. Both you guys sound like the answers are feasable, but I hope summerluv is right, if I call Disney will they tell me the truth if I ask ? I am definately not gettlng out of paying, just holding off until I get home to deposit multiple checks, we have no family to do it for us.

NADINENURSE,
Whoops! I was thinking that you might have direct deposit...
I definately think your check will beat you to the bank (before you can deposit the checks)....
Do you have a line of credit that you could set up or would it be possible to delay your trip?

-DC

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
DMRICK, you got it kind of. The day I return I will cash the paychecks, deposit the money, which will be the same day I write the check in Disney, technically, the money will be in the bank at midnight when the bank does the deposit. I told you this would all be a great big embarassment to ask, Im also not talking about big bucks, probably $300 at the most. Hope everyone does not think I am a slimeball, have had great family and job problems over the past couple of months, now time is the factor as I have a Fairy Tale Package for a certain date, a week before the paychecks come, as I understand it, I cant change the dates, so I am stuck big time. Trying just to make it work, I could cry again, have been so sad for weeks.

NADINENURSE,
I don't think anyone thinks of you in a negative way---this is just a temporary cash flow problem that you have to solve--even large corporations have cash flow problems now and then. There has to be a way to make this happen as you seem to be so close. Regarding changing the dates... I don't think it would hurt to ask if it is possible as it would take a whole lot of pressure off of you if they would allow it.
-DC

 

[summerrluvv]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
so confused !! summerluv and madforthemouse seem to disagree. Both you guys sound like the answers are feasable, but I hope summerluv is right, if I call Disney will they tell me the truth if I ask ? I am definately not gettlng out of paying, just holding off until I get home to deposit multiple checks, we have no family to do it for us.

There was a thread about the room charging and credit card holds about a month ago I think. Unless they changed it in the last few weeks, it still stands that they just authorize the card for a dollar. Now if you don't live in FL and you pay upon check out with the check, you would probably have time to deposit your paycheck without the Disney check bouncing. Maybe you could have someone else deposit the check for you in your account just to make sure nothing happens. I am not an advocate of forging signatures, but I have signed my husbands name on checks of his and just deposited them (not cashed) and of course with his consent.

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by NADINENURSE
The day I return I will cash the paychecks, deposit the money, which will be the same day I write the check in Disney, technically, the money will be in the bank at midnight when the bank does the deposit.

If I'm reading your question right, you are saying that when you checkout from AS, you will pay your bill with a personal check, but the money to cover that check won't yet be in your account.

If that is accurate, you definitely should not do that! You should <B>NEVER</b> write a check unless the funds to cover that check are already in your account. It is far too easy for the check to clear before your deposited funds are available, in which case the check won't actually clear, it will bounce. For example, what happens if your return flight is delayed and you don't get to the bank in time?

I think you stated that you don't have a credit card. In that case, I think your best option is to find someone - friend, relative, co-worker - who is willing to lend you the money before your trip and be repaid when you return and cash your paycheck.

By the way, and I'm not asking this to be nasty or critical - just realistic, but what do you plan to do for food and spending money during your trip if, at this point, you don't have the funds for the hotel bill?

Steve

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
There was a thread about the room charging and credit card holds about a month ago I think. Unless they changed it in the last few weeks, it still stands that they just authorize the card for a dollar. Now if you don't live in FL and you pay upon check out with the check, you would probably have time to deposit your paycheck without the Disney check bouncing. Maybe you could have someone else deposit the check for you in your account just to make sure nothing happens. I am not an advocate of forging signatures, but I have signed my husbands name on checks of his and just deposited them (not cashed) and of course with his consent.

summerrluvv,
The only problem is that the entire room balance would be due when NADINENURSE checks in and she would have to write the check for the balance on her day of arrival.
I am looking at my statement from my last stay just to double check--the date my visa was charged for my room balance was on the day I checked in (my CC statement also reflects the check in date as well). I always thought this was done on check out (maybe it has always been done on check in and I just didn't notice).
-DC

 

[summerrluvv]

Right...the payment for the room is due upon check in. I thought she was just concerned about incidentals not the room charge. In that case, the check would definately clear before she got to deposit it.

 

[JesseBlue]

Nadine do you plan on charging to your room (for food and stuff) and paying for it with a check and then hoping you beat the check back home? If so, I wouldn't do it. Your vacation checks could be held up, plane could be delayed, anything could happen. Then you'd be hit with bounced check fees. A better idea would be opening a line of credit on your checking account to avoid any bounced checks. I have this and it's saved me a few times. I just make sure to pay it off in full every month. I also have a feeling Disney will say absolutely to the question you are going to ask which is essentially, do you check bank balances when you cash checks for guests? Even if they don't they aren't going to tell you they don't.

Believe me you aren't the only average income poor person on these boards. I try not to pay over $250 for a condo near Disney for a week!

 

[scanmom]

I thought the OP stated that the final payment had been made on the FTP? Did I misread the post? If that is true, the room should be paid for and all the $$ would be for food and incidentals. I think that I would borrow the money from a friend or relative to avoid bounced checks. I would worry the whole time over the possibility of bounced checks, and that would ruin my trip. Hope you get it all worked out and have a great trip! And don't worry, not any of us on the budget board would fit the description of "rich". We are all pretty well more toward "poor"!!!!LOL!!!

 

[Hootiss]

I paid the remaining balance for our room at check-in this past Friday. The Cm called to verify funds while we were standing there. This was at the AKL and the amount was less the $300. If you do not have the money in your account to cover the check, you might get caught in an unpleasent situation! Just a heads up!

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by scanmom
I thought the OP stated that the final payment had been made on the FTP? Did I misread the post? If that is true, the room should be paid for and all the $$ would be for food and incidentals. I think that I would borrow the money from a friend or relative to avoid bounced checks. I would worry the whole time over the possibility of bounced checks, and that would ruin my trip. Hope you get it all worked out and have a great trip! And don't worry, not any of us on the budget board would fit the description of "rich". We are all pretty well more toward "poor"!!!!LOL!!!

scanmom,
I re-read the OP (again!) and I guess the question WAS concerning incidentals... (The package has to be pre-paid in advance, wouldn't it?)
I hope it all works out.
-DC