Pros and cons if charging to your room card

[MrsTigger]

We don't want to take a lot of cash this trip, so we were thinking of charging to our room and then paying if off with a cc at the end of the two weeks.we're not big shoppers it would prob just be tips and if we buy a starter and extra drinks in restaurants. Also we will have gift card, would we be able to use that for tips or towards paying the room charges? Thanks

 

[orangetiggs]

We normally put $200 on the room key and use this for tips and bits around the parks but last year we had no charging as we were sharing a two bed at okw and to be honest didnt miss it. We were on ddp and just used our fairfx to pay for any tips etc

 

[redrosesix]

We don't want to take a a lot if cash this trip, so we were thinking of charging to our room and then paying with a cc. We're not big shoppers it would prob just be tips and if we buy a starter and extra drinks in restaurants. Also we will have gift card, would we be able to use that for tips or towards paying the room charges? Thanks

For us there are no cons to charging to the KTTW card -- it's one of the things I like best about staying on resort. If you lose cash, it's just gone. If you lose your CC, you can get it back AFTER your trip when it's delivered to your home address. If you lose your KTTW card you can have it cancelled (so nobody else can use it) and have it replaced in about 5 minutes at Guest Services. My cash and CCs stay in my room safe, where they're safe.

We charge everything we buy, including things in DTD, to our KTTW cards -- but I'm good at knowing how much we've spent and when to re-charge it (which you can do by phone). You can use your gift card for this too at the front desk.

 

[starrysky]

The one thing we found was its very easy to charge back and before you know it the costs have added up. I think this year we might like Orangetiggs said put a cash amount on and try and be a bit more careful.

 

[MrsTigger]

Ok thanks, the only thing I'm worried about is tips i can't really remember the process from last time. Do you write the amount on the bill and then you get a copy so we'd know how much should be charged?

 

[redrosesix]

Ok thanks, the only thing I'm worried about is tips i can't really remember the process from last time. Do you write the amount on the bill and then you get a copy so we'd know how much should be charged?

yuppers -- we don't do DDP but from what I understand it's the same as with things you purchase OOP. Your bill will show where you used dining credits for some purchases, cash for others and then there's the tip. Every time you charge something to your KTTW card you get a receipt. That's how I keep track of how much we're spending with 3 of us charging and not always in the same place -- I make everybody pass me their receipts by the end of the day.

 

[queendisney]

we've always found the KTTW card really useful and we do put stuff on it. Generally we use cash or TCHQ's but sometimes we just don't take money out with us ie if we are just popping out to see the fireworks, which can then lead to an exit through the stores!!!

You can ask for a print out of what you've spent every day from the front desk at your hotel and pay it off as an when or just leave it to go on the card you gave them at the end of your stay..

 

[dixonsontour]

I had charging my card for the first time this time and don't think I would again.

I prefer to tip cash so did that mostly and just charged the odd thing to the room. The hassle of sorting mistakes at front desk outweighed the convenience of charging for how little we used it. We weren't near front desk at OKW so used to have to make a separate stop there in the car

Once at Ohana the server charged the meal to the card instead of taking the dining credits. Luckily I was keeping track of our credits and spotted we had too many and got it sorted but it couldn't have happened if I didn't have charging.

The one that really irritated me was at narcoosees. I had 2 alcoholic drinks so paid tip in cash plus the drinks in cash - I left more than the suggested tip yet the server had taken it all as tip and charged the drinks to the room. Felt like theft to me - front desk removed the charge for the drinks.

 

[2Tiggies]

I've had charging on my card only when I had to because of the old wired internet system (you couldn't connect if you didn't have charging on your card). I didn't use this last year as with free wifi it wasn't necessary. There is no disadvantage to it other than having to be very good at monitoring those little amounts a previous poster mentioned as they are the ones that add up. If you are generally that way inclined, I would see it as advantageous to charge to your room. If not, or if like me you don't want to be bothered with more than necessary, then maybe you could skip it.

I have used various means of paying for our spending and incidental expenses over the years, starting with a mix of a nominal sum in cash and all travelers cheques, which gradually reduced in proportion as I used FairFX instead and then FairFX and Post Office Credit card (definitely my preferred choice now). What I did do instead of charging to my room last year was to load Disney gift cards. I would just put £100 to £150 onto a gift card, lock the credit cards etc in the safe and used the gift card for everything. You get a balance shown on each receipt so I always knew how much was left in there. The main benefits for me in doing this was:

(1) not having to carry photo ID around for using a FairFX/Mastercard
(2) If anything should have happened to the gift card, it wasn't the end of my entire source of funds.

I only loaded according to what I thought I would need, plus a little more 'just in case'

Also the various gift cards made nice little scrap book souvenirs.

I put my DD's money onto gift cards too, in smaller amounts at a time and she was able to manage her money and spending and spread it through the trip by being able to see what was spent, the available balance on the card, and knowing from when she set out that day, how much she still had left to put onto cards/spend for the rest of the trip.

 

[Elise79]

We have always have charging on our room. I like it as we can just carry the one card when popping to the parks.

We have had the DDP and never had the issues others seem to with room charges instead of credits being used.

For me it is easier to pop to the front desk the night before check out and get a print out to check than try and do it at home a couple of weeks later when the CC bill arrives (or a month later if we are over the statement date).

The only issues I had on it were that we were charged for Internet when it should have been free as we were DVC members. 5 minutes later and it was sorted though.

 

[wayneg]

Used KTTW card everytime we have stayed onsite, credit card offsite. We don't use any cash at all now. In all the years only issue I have had is Manny's charging an extra $10, possibly an error & hit the wrong number, he offered to refund when I emailed.
If I go off the beaten track I would pay cash but around the themepark area its KTTW card or credit card for me.

 

[torsie24]

No cons to charging for me.

We do take some cash, but put the majority on the KTTW.

Every couple of days I ask for a print out at the front desk so we can see what we're up to. Although something makes me think maybe I was able to check the balance from the room TV or online or something? That could've been a different holiday though.

We charge to KTTW all trip, then pay off what we can with any cash we have left (save $20ish for the airport) and then the final balance with one credit card payment.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

We used the KTTW card to pay for tips for our TS meals, and then paid it off a day before we came home. All the other "stuff" we brought we paid cash for. We did it this way as we felt that if we put too much on it, it would have been more difficult to keep track of our spending.

Claire

 

[higgy66]

We've used the KTTW card 3 years now and charge everything to the room

I love how you an get a breakdown from the front desk when ever you want and it's detailed with every purchase so easy to see what you've spent. The girls take spending money but we charge everything to the card and then they pay us back. In fact other than drinks & tips the rest are the girls spends!

We've found it really useful to see what we spend our money on and now we have a realistic idea of what spends to take. We keep the cash in the safe and pay off the KTTW card the night before we leave. If we want we can still continue to spend on departure day and this is just billed to the credit card you gave at check in

For me it's no different to being at home as I pay everything on credit card/debit card as we live in a small village so very rarely get to a cash point!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We usema Disney gift card for this. I know if you loose it you cant stop it like the KTTW but I just keep loading it up with smallish amounts of cash then put it in my wallet. That way I dont need ID with me or cash all the time. Plus I dont have a big nasty bill at the end of the trip! Its pay as you go!

 

[chmurf]

we charge everything to the room.

We find it more convinient since we have a 2% fee on our gold mastercard for purchases in currency. But a minimum fee of 0.5 euros, so it's better for us to have the billing process in one block of $500 (for example) rather than $10 at a time.

It's more convinient for tips. No cash to carry or realising that you only have $20s left in the wallet and you only want to leave $8.50 on the table. plus il's all straightforward.

You keep a record of all expenses. You only need to drop by front desk to get a printout of your balance. And you can track any error, since everything if written down.

One perk is "express check out". With the CC linked to the account you can leave the resort without the need to go to the front desk. Your balance sheet is even sent through email now.

Should you lose it, it's no big deal. Cash is gone, gift card is gone, KTTW is reissued.

I don't think we could do Disney any other way

 

[crabbie1]

Regards the disney gift cards. Where do u get them from? I dont have a cc so dont do charge to the room. Just used Fairfx ( only got asked for id in shopping malls) have the friends and family card incase we go separate ways and a mixture of TC and cash. Each to their own.

 

[darthtatty]

The one that really irritated me was at narcoosees. I had 2 alcoholic drinks so paid tip in cash plus the drinks in cash - I left more than the suggested tip yet the server had taken it all as tip and charged the drinks to the room. Felt like theft to me - front desk removed the charge for the drinks.

this happened to us a few times on our trip.

 

[ladylovesatramp]

been having the same thoughts as the OP, so good to see different peoples feelings about charging to your KTTW card. My Mum and me fly out next week and have been discussing what we are going to do. Shes brilliant at keeping track of spending in her head, and i was thinking of just taking the little notebook I use at home. will make it much easier than fumbling round for tips at mealtime. Its our first time staying on site, and my first trip as a adult so never had these issues before!
( also- Hi! this is my first time posting in the Uk boards, but have been lurking and building up an amazing amount of great information for a long time!)