What forms of money should I bring/ easiest to use while there?

[AJKMOM]

As soon as I know I am going, I start buying Disney gift cards at my local grocery store-they offer money off a gallon of gas with each purchase. I am up to $1.70 off per gallon, and I have $100 toward my expenses for three of us. We are DVC, so pay out of pocket for meals.

I get leary about using a credit card, having read about how easy it is for someone to copy the number, and illegally use your card while you are on vacation. Guess that makes me paranoid and old?

 

[Marionnette]

As soon as I know I am going, I start buying Disney gift cards at my local grocery store-they offer money off a gallon of gas with each purchase. I am up to $1.70 off per gallon, and I have $100 toward my expenses for three of us. We are DVC, so pay out of pocket for meals.

I get leary about using a credit card, having read about how easy it is for someone to copy the number, and illegally use your card while you are on vacation. Guess that makes me paranoid and old?

Stolen cash and GCs are lost forever while you are absolved of any unauthorized charges on a stolen credit card number.

I understand why people use GCs and cash instead of CCs, but fear of a CC # being stolen should not be a reason not to use them.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Any vacation- anywhere- We travel with credit cards and then maybe a couple of hundred in cash- just in case. Without fail, we return home with most of the cash. We charge everything. Might as well get the rewards on vacation.

This is us too. Plus the theft protection is great, and if the card is lost or stolen they will overnight you a new one (even thought DH and I bring two different ones each as he did lose one once). I would be a nervous carrying around a large gift card that I could lose.

Plus I look at it as earning money for my next vacation.

 

[JessM]

I charge everything to the room. Its too easy to drop a few dollars here or there when using cash. I like that I get a printout upon checkout of everything we spent for the week and then it just charges to my cc. Yay for reward points!

I took more cash then usual last trip because my DBF gave me money for his ticket in cash (I had put it on my cc) and I didn't have time to drop it in the bank before we left so I figured I'd spend it on the trip. It was annoying paying in cash. It was much easier to charge to the room and then apply the cash to the balance.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Cash, Disney Dollars, Travelers' Cheques, Credit or Debit Cards (with any of the following logos: American Express, Discover, Japan Central Bank, MasterCard, Visa), Stored value cards with any of the previously listed logos, Resort Room Key (KTTW), Disney Gift Cards, including the miniatures sold year-round at the water parks.

Some of the locations, depending on what they sell, may also accept wampum or cowrie shells. For these, check with the individual locations.

 

[ICF]

I just don't want to pay for that many gift cards. At $4-6 per gift card, buying 6 of them could kinna dig into my spending money.

What type of gift cards would you be getting that would cost you $4-$6 each?

 

[TheShea's]

I'll carry $200-$300 cash but just about all expenses will be on our room or debit card.

 

[VACamm]

My 2 sons each have$100 disney gift cards. .. I charge everything to my room and then pay it in cash at the end of the week

 

[cluvsdisney]

Any vacation- anywhere- We travel with credit cards and then maybe a couple of hundred in cash- just in case. Without fail, we return home with most of the cash. We charge everything. Might as well get the rewards on vacation.

We do the same thing.

 

[Nakkira]

What type of gift cards would you be getting that would cost you $4-$6 each?

Visa.
I would get Disney, but if I don't use it all I am rather limited with what I can do with it Post-trip!

 

[momof1princess]

hmmm...this thread has got me thinking. we'll be in WDW next week, and DH wants to take just cash and the rewards CC we use for gas. the bank my employer uses is offering visa GC in any amount for $2.95 each; if i got a couple of these for our trip, would my money be covered if someone stole the GC number and used it?


ETA: NVM...just called my employer's bank, and their visa GC terms and conditions state that you can't dispute charges and they don't reimburse unauthorized/fraudulent charges. ugh.

okay, what about a debit card (i can get one same-day from my bank) or a prepaid CC? my bank says they WILL return money deducted from fraudulent charges; but, frankly, with the # of times i've seen people on the DIS complain about their CC/DC numbers being stolen and used in WDW and around Orlando, i'm leery of even getting a DC. *sigh* i miss travelers checks.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

I primarily use cash. I save it up all year in our safe and then chuck most of it in the bank right before the trip. I use the ATMs when I need to, although the surcharge is a bit outrageous. This works for me, as I personally don't like credit cards.

 

[Freesia123]

I'm going with cash. I'm not on the plan but I've planned out our meals more or less (ie, Monday night counter service, Tuesday lunch character meal etc). So I know how much per day I get and I'm only taking that amount into the park. I do have a credit card but I'd just as soon not have to use it!!

 

[crisi]

Easiest....room card paid off with a credit card. You might need a little cash for the odd thing that won't take a room card, but I haven't needed it in years.

A lot of budget boarders like to get 5% off Disney Gift Cards with a Target Card (10% if you use the 5% for prescriptions at they same time - they stack!) and we've done that. We've used them instead of the room card, they can be a little harder to manage, but 10% is nice.

 

[tvguy]

Credit card for hotel and rental car, cash/travelers checks for everything else. Debit card for emergencies.

 

[Mysteria]

Carry as little cash as possible with you. It's the one thing that can't be replaced if lost or stolen.

 

[Marionnette]

hmmm...this thread has got me thinking. we'll be in WDW next week, and DH wants to take just cash and the rewards CC we use for gas. the bank my employer uses is offering visa GC in any amount for $2.95 each; if i got a couple of these for our trip, would my money be covered if someone stole the GC number and used it?


ETA: NVM...just called my employer's bank, and their visa GC terms and conditions state that you can't dispute charges and they don't reimburse unauthorized/fraudulent charges. ugh.

okay, what about a debit card (i can get one same-day from my bank) or a prepaid CC? my bank says they WILL return money deducted from fraudulent charges; but, frankly, with the # of times i've seen people on the DIS complain about their CC/DC numbers being stolen and used in WDW and around Orlando, i'm leery of even getting a DC. *sigh* i miss travelers checks.

A debit card with a Visa or MasterCard logo offers you the same protections as a credit card when it comes to fraudulent charges. Unfortunately, any unauthorized charges come right out of your checking account and can take a while to be returned to it. This can wreak havoc on your vacation if you are relying on that money to pay for food and other necessities.

A pre-paid credit card with a Visa, MasterCard or AmEx logo might have some protection against unauthorized charges. You need to read the user agreement to see what is covered. Unfortunately, the same problem exists as with a debit card...you may have to wait for the money to be returned to the card and in the meantime, you have to scramble to figure out how to pay for food and whatnot.

The ideal plan would be to have one backup credit card to cover yourself in the event that your other funding methods get compromised. You can use it at check in to cover any room charges but then pay off the charges with your primary method (cash, GCs, debit card) before the charges are applied to the CC.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I like using a Disney gift card because your card total is on the bottom of each receipt. Its so easy to keep track of spending, especially when going during Food&Wine. I don't like having too much on the gc because I worry about losing it.

I usually make a travel fund with my AAA card. It has a prepaid Amex option so I just put the money I'm saving for my trip on that. I'll bring a Disney Gift card and a little cash too.

I don't do room charging because I often travel with other adults and its easier to keep our spending separated.

 

[North of Mouse]

What forms of money should I bring/ easiest to use while there? Cashiers checks, credit card, plain cash, Disney gift cards, gift card credit cards, Amex gift cards?

Way by far, the easiest type 'currency' we use is to charge everything to our room card, then to our credit card at the end, then pay it lump sum when the statement comes. We brought a small amount of cash this past trip, but didn't use any of it - never saw 'money' the whole 10 day trip! So easy for us.

 

[ICF]

Way by far, the easiest type 'currency' we use is to charge everything to our room card, then to our credit card at the end, then pay it lump sum when the statement comes. We brought a small amount of cash this past trip, but didn't use any of it - never saw 'money' the whole 10 day trip! So easy for us.

That only works if you're staying on site though.