What do you do with your money?

[stubby]

We are going to have a lot of money between food money and souvenir money that we have to carry on us. I have had problems with my bank so I can't leave it in my account and use my atm-they like to shut me off when I use it out of town(even if I have called.) And thought about Disney giftcards but know not all places take them. Last trip we only had about half as much as this time....so wasn't as worried. Wondering what do you guys do w/ yours?

 

[tanyaewa]

I just carry it with me - or leave some in the hotel safe.
We have to carry passports to travel to the US so I keep my extra $ in a safe place with them

 

[kathie859]

Truly, I think I would advise you to find another bank. There's no way I would recommend carrying a large amount of cash on a vacation and there can be fees associated with some gift cards and travelers' checks. A VISA or MasterCard debit card tied to a depository account is the safest way to go if you choose to not use a credit card.

 

[mama2dutchies]

I agree, I would find a different bank. IF that isn't feasible, then I would do a combo of giftcards and cash.

 

[skiingfast]

We are going to have a lot of money between food money and souvenir money that we have to carry on us. I have had problems with my bank so I can't leave it in my account and use my atm-they like to shut me off when I use it out of town(even if I have called.) And thought about Disney giftcards but know not all places take them. Last trip we only had about half as much as this time....so wasn't as worried. Wondering what do you guys do w/ yours?

That is really weird about the bank. While for security reasons ATM cards have limits to how much can be spent on single purchases, in a single day, and in remote locations, they can adjust this easily. So if your bank says no, ask to talk to a manager or branch president. They can adjust the limits easily, and for set amount and or times.

For example, somone in Hawaii, wants to buy a Dell laptop for $1800 online or over the phone. They just need to know what day you call, oh maybe Friday, over the weekend or Monday. No problem allow out of region transaction for those 4 days with a limit of $1801.

If your bank says no(they are being jerks, and terrible customer service).

Don't do gift cards. They are same as cash, lost = gone forever. Although they are accepted almost everywhere in DLR except in DTD.

And follow the saying, Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

 

[Dobie]

Spend it!!!!

 

[Kittyskyfish]

I 3rd the suggestion to get a different bank. There is no good reason why your current bank denies "normal" purchases while you're on vacation. Not that I'm suggesting BoA, but I've been with them for 14 years and I've never run into this problem.

 

[CrazyDuck]

I don't carry cash, except for tipping money! What ya gotta do is bring your hotel room key and charge everything to that! But this only works if you are staying on property. If you are staying off property then you should just use a credit card!

 

[jessredrabbit]

Bring the cash and allot so much money for each day. Put the rest in the in-room safe. I would also advise to invest in a thin wallet for your trip and keep it in your front pocket.

 

[iKristin]

I use Rush Card as a prepaid card. It is seriously AWESOME!!! I Have had two cards for 3 years and have never once had an issue with them. They charge $1 every time you swipe your card, but if you swipe it more than 10 times in a month you get all those dollars back the following month So kinda like a savings account while using your card hehe

 

[Gisele]

Debit/Cash/Disney gift cards is a good idea, that is what I like to do. With Disney's gift cards, there is no charge for purchasing them, nor for having a balance. If they are lost or stolen, make sure that you have the receipt for the purchase of the gift card. That way, you can be credited.
Very few locations/vendors in Disneyland do not accept Disney gift cards. In DTD, WoD, Marcelines Confectionery and one other Disney owned business does accept them. Otherwise, no. There are different gift cards that can be purchased for different local business's.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We bring very little cash and use a credit card. The two cards we have give money back so it is like getting a small discount everywhere. And if they are lost, you don't loose the money in your account like could happen with a debit card. You simply report it lost and you are not charged for things you didn't buy. Also, unlike a gift card, it is good at any store so you aren't tying up your money in a single brand, like Disney.
We don't put anything on the card that we don't have cash in the bank to pay for at that moment.

 

[LavenderPeach]

We bring very little cash and use a credit card. The two cards we have give money back so it is like getting a small discount everywhere. And if they are lost, you don't loose the money in your account like could happen with a debit card. You simply report it lost and you are not charged for things you didn't buy. Also, unlike a gift card, it is good at any store so you aren't tying up your money in a single brand, like Disney.
We don't put anything on the card that we don't have cash in the bank to pay for at that moment.

This is exactly what we do too.

 

[bnbheartdisney]

We are going to have a lot of money between food money and souvenir money that we have to carry on us. I have had problems with my bank so I can't leave it in my account and use my atm-they like to shut me off when I use it out of town(even if I have called.) And thought about Disney giftcards but know not all places take them. Last trip we only had about half as much as this time....so wasn't as worried. Wondering what do you guys do w/ yours?

I carry a thin wallet that holds my debit card, APs, ID and cash. I typically use my debit card in the parks, but since there are some places that don't take cards, I take cash as well. If you have a safe in your hotel room, definitely leave some behind - don't carry all of it around when you're in the parks.

 

[BELLEDOZER]

My DH and I carry money belts that can fit under our clothing comfortably. We've only put enough money in our wallets to cover us for a day or 2 and the rest goes in them. Once we reach the hotel, we use the hotels safe and put the money belts in there for safe keeping. Never had a problem doing this, and will do so again in Sept.

 

[OnTheRoadAgain]

Credit card and pay it off when the bill comes.

Cash only for tipping and small incidentals. Never a pre-paid credit card, I think those are a ripoff.

Disney Gift Cards maybe because:

Promptly call 1-877-650-4327 or Contact Us via email to report the card lost or stolen. Your Disney Gift Card will be 'frozen' and funds remaining on the card (at the time of the call) can be transferred onto a new card. An original proof of purchase receipt for the Disney Gift Card is required to transfer the funds onto a new Disney Gift Card. But you have to do this before someone else finds it and perhaps uses it (scoundrel).​

If you have to do cash, then keep it in the hotel room safe and only carry what you need.

And like everyone said, get a new bank with better ATM and CS.

 

[Brady's Mom]

What about a Visa gift card? I had one from credit card rewards and it worked just like a Visa. No fees, no hassle. And you can always call and check your balance, so you don't need to worry about spending too much.

 

[Brer Cameron]

I keep half of my spending money in my checking account and the other half I carry around in cash. I usually use one of my pools of money for food, and the other for everything else.

 

[bumbershoot]

I would get a new bank. We do most of our banking with our credit union, but when going to Disney we put the budgeted money in Chase b/c those are the ATMs at the parks.

We do like using giftcards, and are sure to put the receipts for the giftcards separate from the actual cards, so if the cards are lost we can still go get help with those receipts.