Using room key for purchases?

[SnapesGirl]

Hi everyone! Hoping I can still go on my September trip! I usually buy a gift card when I arrive at the hotel and then use that for all my purchases and meals while I'm there. I'm staying at Cabana Bay again - is it better to use the room key for purchases? I read on a few sites that you have to load the room key with money first rather than getting charged at the end of the trip - is that correct? And are there any places in the parks or City Walk that don't accept the room key?

Thanks and I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy! ❤

 

[macraven]

I stay at RP and don’t know how other than premier hotels, set up a few things.

I set up charging back to my hotel room for what I buy in the parks and CityWalk.
I show my room key at the shops, eateries and charge back to my room.
Each hotel sets a daily limit on amount you can charge back to your room.

There is a daily limit so I do clear my charges with my AE during my stay.

I am not up on policies for this procedure for all the onsite hotels.

Some do buy gift cards and use them to make a purchase in the parks.


I have done that in past trips but for me, easier to have one less card to keep with me.
If I can’t fit something in my lanyard, I leave it in my room
safe.

I have to read up on new info on how the parks app is set up for going cashless for ordering and paying for food and merch in the parks.

Could be the less contact is a safe guard for all?

I assume if you charge back to your room, gift cards would be a way to pay it off.

Have not read enough yet if staff at the hotels will set up less contact and have less face to face interactions with guests.

 

[disneyjr77]

I've tried using my room key on 2 different trips and it's always been a hassle. The first time we set everything up at the front desk, went to the gift shop in the resort and it wouldn't go through. It was some sort of technical glitch with the front desk. Then the second time it was at the Universal store in Citywalk and it wouldn't take. Again, it was a technical thing. Now we just get a gift card and keep throwing money on it every few days.

 

[georgina]

Hi everyone! Hoping I can still go on my September trip! I usually buy a gift card when I arrive at the hotel and then use that for all my purchases and meals while I'm there. I'm staying at Cabana Bay again - is it better to use the room key for purchases? I read on a few sites that you have to load the room key with money first rather than getting charged at the end of the trip - is that correct? And are there any places in the parks or City Walk that don't accept the room key?

Thanks and I hope everyone is keeping safe and healthy! ❤

No, you don't load the room key with money. You give them a credit card and then use the key for charges. I prefer to use a gift card rather than charge to my room, but that is more because I can buy discounted gift cards and it is a bit of a hassle to use the gift cards at the front desk to pay for charges. They have to do a multi step process to redeem them. I pay for my room using GC and then I just use the GC directly in the parks and restaurants instead of room charge. If you are happy letting the room charges go on your credit card, using room charge is fine.

I had trouble once charging to my room when I had checked in early buy my room wasn't ready yet. They gave me a room key to use for EP, but I couldn't yet charge with it until I had a room.

 

[bchbetha]

Mine has been glitchy. Always take some back up form of payment, just in case.

 

[Lashed34]

We never had a problem (Dec 19) at HRH. Gave credit card on check-in, specified amount limit we wanted and then towards the end of the holiday we increased the amount. They run the credit card to ensure your card has the amount available and then holds it - anything you don't spend from the limit given is returned to the card after check out. We never had any issues with using the room card to buy anything throughout our 2 week stay.

 

[SnapesGirl]

Thanks everyone for the answers! Sounds like I might be better off just sticking to the gift card afterall!

 

[Oscar Madison]

No, you don't load the room key with money. You give them a credit card and then use the key for charges. I prefer to use a gift card rather than charge to my room, but that is more because I can buy discounted gift cards and it is a bit of a hassle to use the gift cards at the front desk to pay for charges. They have to do a multi step process to redeem them. I pay for my room using GC and then I just use the GC directly in the parks and restaurants instead of room charge. If you are happy letting the room charges go on your credit card, using room charge is fine.

I had trouble once charging to my room when I had checked in early buy my room wasn't ready yet. They gave me a room key to use for EP, but I couldn't yet charge with it until I had a room.

I find discounted disney gcs all over the place. Where do you find UO ones?

 

[Oscar Madison]

There is a daily limit so I do clear my charges with my AE during my stay.

What's AE? Do they charge your credit card everyday for the purchases you make in the park that day, or do they wait to charge it until checkout?

 

[macraven]

Sorry, American Express credit card

Don’t know if it’s same policy as it was last year but my cc was charged each evening for charges I made that day.

 

[nkereina]

We've found that room charging doesn't work on check in day until our room is ready. We'll arrive and check in in order to get our EPs, but we almost always have to return to the desk later in the day to obtain our room number. They also re-run our keys for our assigned room at that time. Its not until that point does room charging start for us. They are supposed to text you your room number and you should be able to go straight to your room, but that has never worked for me in my experiences.

Also, room charging does not work on check-out day after you check-out or after check-out time of 11am. Whichever comes first.

Other than check in day and check out day, its worked fine for us during the trip and they charge in increments based on the hotel's daily limits. Similar to Disney. You don't set a predetermined amount, although you may be able to put cash down to do this - I'm not sure. But the hotel sets the limit, and when you reach it, they charge your card and start over. Its automatic, nothing you need to do or track.