Travel card or traveler's checks?

[farrishq]

I don't know whether to get the American Express travel card that works like an American Express card or Traveler's checks for our trip. Where can you cash travelers checks at WDW. And does every place accept the American Express card at WDW. I don't know if it is as easy to use like a Visa would be. Everyone accepts Visa. Also there would be atm fees to get cash off the card. Any suggestions?

 

[totalia]

As a hotel clerk, a card please, not travellers cheques. It just makes things so much easier for us.

 

[jjarman]

But can you use the Travelers Card anywhere in the parks?

 

[SAWYERMAW1]

I think the the card sounds like a great idea but how do you check your balance?





So sad, never tagged!!

 

[Chicago526]

Just a suggestion! And this only works if you are staying at a Disney hotel.

I'm just charging everything to our room key (hotel, meals, shoping the works!), and then paying with a credit card at check-out. Then I'll just pay the credit card bill once I get home out of money in our savings account. Is this an option for you? It's just as good as travel checks/card and you avoid the fees.

 

[bradpierce5]

^^^^^

We are doing the same thing! We will charge everything to the room key, then at check-out we will charge it to our Disney Visa. Then, we'll get home and pay it off.

It makes it incredibly convenient and we can start saving up some money for our next Disney vacation!

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

I just called my AAA office and spoke to them about the pros and cons of the card.
The card costs $4.95 to purchase. To check the remaining balance you can use any ATM and do a balance check. You do not receive any change back (currency), so if you need cash you have to use the ATM again and this time it costs $2.00 for each transaction. Or you can call a phone number to check the balance which is .50 cents each time.

For us , we decided to stick with the TC's.

Gary

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by totalia
As a hotel clerk, a card please, not travellers cheques. It just makes things so much easier for us.

What don't you like about the TCs? I thought that they can be used just like cash. I can understand if someone pays a whole resort bill with small denominations (that could take forever...), but as long as there are 50's for the bigger amounts and $20's for the small things I would think it would be ok.

 

[totalia]

The problem with traveller's Checks (heh, have to remember to use american spelling and not Canadian) is not that they are't cash. It's how long it seems to take people to fill them out.

For some reason, there is usually a line of people behind whoever has the traveller's checks and then the people behind them are forced to wait and guests seem to quickly get annoyed if it takes longer than a few minutes to check people in.

With a credit card # or a card, you just give the guest a form to sign, then you swipe the card and grab the keys for the guest and they can go. I can check a guest in in less than a minute if everything is correct and they leave very happy with a quick check in and a pleasant clerk.

I don't know why it is but it takes much longer with Traveller's Checks because they have to fill them out. When the guests start to figit behind the one with the Traveller's Checks during a check in, its taking too long and the others are getting annoyed.

I LOATH facing irate guests. It usually means they are rude to me and leave unhappy with their service (for some reason, guests get upset at the clerk even when the clerk did nothing wrong). A happy guest is a happy clerk.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Of course if there are stamps that can fill in the city and the business that would cut down on how long it takes. We only use TC as a back up and normally prefer plasitc or cash.

T&B

 

[megrod74]

Would you be using TC/AmEx for everything or just the hotel or just incidentals? I can understand totalia's comments about paying for the hotel with TCs but everything else seems like it would be easier with them. Last time we used traveller's checks and it was very easy. I had 50's and 20's and when I was low on cash I used a 50 to pay for something and I got cash back. The little food carts don't take TCs but that's about it. And ALMOST everywhere you fill in "WDW" for the "pay to".
Plus, you always know what your balance is; you could even divide it up so you don't overspend (eg - $200 per day).

I looked into the AAA travellers card too. It didn't seem worth it. Plus, my bank didn't charge for TCs.

Just my opinion.

 

[jjarman]

Originally posted by megrod74
Would you be using TC/AmEx for everything or just the hotel or just incidentals? I can understand totalia's comments about paying for the hotel with TCs but everything else seems like it would be easier with them. Last time we used traveller's checks and it was very easy. I had 50's and 20's and when I was low on cash I used a 50 to pay for something and I got cash back.

We do something similar. I set aside a set amount for each day for meals and snacks. Then at the end of the day whatever is left over goes into a "fun" envelope. That is money we use for extra souveniers and such. I love doing it that way cause I never spend as much as I think I will.

 

[farrishq]

I love the idea of charging everything to our room key but could you give me an example of places or things that you cannot use the room key for and will need cash or another method of payment.