What if My Band Doesn't Work at TS?

[boiledpeanut]

You can rent a car w/o a credit card???

 

[NickyKnack]

I live paycheck to paycheck because that is how I CHOOSE to live, not because it is how I HAVE to live. And I asked for thoughts and experiences on a specific park related matter, I didn't ask people to judge the way I choose to live my life. Even if I wasn't going on vacation I wouldn't be saving money just for a rainy day. Yes, that's taking a gamble, and it's mine to take. From where I stand keeping a savings account is a gamble. I may die without ever needing to touch that money and there went a good time I could have had... all because I was worried about paying rent on something that hadn't happened yet.

As to what happens when I get home? By the time I get home I'll have another wad of cash sitting there waiting for me, because we'll have been paid again. Then I wont get to party like I normally do for a couple of weeks, the problem will get taken care of and then another pay check will come in and my life will be a party again.

Then there is also that if my car engine throws a fit, my insurance will cover it and if something happens to my home then my land lord will cover it because I live in an apartment.

Like everyone I have had stuff come up, but guess what? I've always managed to work it out. Without a rainy day account.

There, now do you feel better now that you know all about the finances of a stranger on the internet?

I am not judging anybody but I have to agree with a PP. YOU YOURSELF stated that you will be using every dime you have to pay for the trip and if something came up there would be NO MONEY in the bank. You also admitted that you live paycheck to paycheck.

I don't have a CC either I only have a debit card but my DH has both. I absolutely would never go on vacation without back up money. But you alluded to the idea that you may have $200 emergency cash on you when you go. If that is the case that would be enough to pay for your dinner and get reimbursed later.

If going on vacation causes you to be that broke, and you do not have a CC what happens if you go home and the transmission in your car goes out or your home air conditioner burns up? You obviously have no savings from what you have said here yourself when you stated NO MONEY IN THE BANK.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Nicky, you put it out there that by the time your vacation rolls around in April you will have used all your savings to pay for a deluxe vacation (DxDDP and cruise -- concierge level of course) and that you will have no money in the bank account. Frankly, I think some folks are worried for you. Your anxiety over the DxDDP, MBs and not having the money to temporarily pay for a possible MB mistake is literally flowing off the screen. My advice is to try not to worry: if there is a mistake, Disney will correct it. You are a resort guest. They will not call the police on you if your MBs don't work properly and you don't have a credit card to pay.

FWIW, I would be far more worried about an accident or emergency while on vacation with no funds in the bank than possible MB failure. I'm not much of a worrywart by nature but even that would give me pause.

EXACTLY what I was thinking - Sometimes life happens and sometimes it isn't fair...granted you are clearly prepared for a fight if things don't go your way...but there are other things that might come up (dining aside) - We had the unfortunately experience of having a very sick kiddo on vacation that ended up costing us quite of bit of *unexpected* expense in WDW. I don't care how you pay for your trip or what you have in your bank account - none of my business. Just trying to give you some advice from experience.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

You can rent a car w/o a credit card???

Absolutely possible.

 

[NickyKnack]

I realize you can have a CC without being in debt, the problem is that they wont give me one until I have been in debt and paid on it for a long time because the lack of debt in my history means that I can't prove that I would pay it back if I was in debt. They told me when I applied for the Disney Visa that I couldn't have it because I didn't have credit... not that I had bad credit, but that because of the way I have lived my life I didn't have ANY credit.

BTW the time between spending money on your cc and paying it off you are technically in debt. Because you owe somebody else money for something you already have used, or taken possession of.

But I get your point.

No, I don't have student loans, I save up money to pay for my classes and then pay for them out of pocket, I don't consider my Rent check to be debt because I pay for that as I go. It's not like I have a mortgage on my apartment. But yes, due to an issue that I ran into last year I do have an auto loan, and it's eating away at my guts. Not enough that I'm willing to give up my trip because I'm only turning 40 once, if I wasn't I'd be paying off the auto loan in record time. Well that and my banker told me NOT to pay it off too fast because it was going to help me build my credit score so when we move it will be easier to pick up an apartment.

And for the record, my friends come to me to create their budgets because I handle money better then most of the folks in my family and circle of friends - and my aunt is the VP of a credit union for crying out loud. So no, I'm not someone that "can't handle a CC". And if I had one I would use it exactly the way that you describe. I would be willing to take on that level of debt as acceptable.

That said I still wouldn't attach it to a magic band to get charging privileges, nor would I use it in anything but the most dire of emergencies while on vacation, because I don't want to have to be uber careful tracking my spending... and I would be tracking every single penny and stressing like mad. Easier to go with cash or gift cards to avoid the stress.

You do realize you can use credit cards and not be in debt right?.... This is such a common assumption that if you use a CC you'r not really paying for something. If your a responsible adult you set that money aside to pay the credit card off in full each month. Than take all those wonderful points you've earned and take more vacations.

You sound(from what you have said about yourself) that you are not the kind of person who can manage a credit card. I just wonder if you have student loans, auto loans, heck a mortgage or rent because you know thats all "debt". Best of luck on your vacation and you may want to go visit http://ficoforums.myfico.com for some information on credit/debt in general.

 

[wordwitt]

Really? So because I am not as blessed financially as some I shouldn't go?
If I'm willing to sacrifice for the year before we go, too bad I'm too poor stay home? Really?

I couldn't travel with a CC even if I wanted to because I don't have access to one because unlike the rest of the planet I don't believe in debt so I don't have credit. So again, because I believe in paying for everything when I have the money instead of promising to pay for it later and hoping nothing goes wrong, I shouldn't travel?

Not judging; just making suggestions. I can understand your aversion to credit, but I would be so worried if I bought a gift card and that was my only method of payment. What if it's lost or stolen? You have absolutely no recourse. I might suggest a secured credit card or something of that nature, which will offer you much more protection against mishaps and won't involve going into debt.

And for the record, I wouldn't worry too much about getting stuck with the TS bill that should have been covered by the dining plan. If the band fails, chances are a non-RFID card will work. And if it doesn't? Well, if you don't have the funds to pay for it, then you don't. They know where you "live." Somehow, some way, they can access your entitlements.

 

[NickyKnack]

Not being willing to attach a cc to an account for charging privileges is not the same thign as not being willing to have one for emergencies. I never said I wouldn't be willing to have one for extreme emergencies, I said that I don't qualify for them because until the car loan I took on in Jan I had a credit score that basically said I didn't exist... when that changes I would be more then willing to pick up a CC to pay for emergencies.

Heck I would be willing to pick up one to pay for incidentals that I could then pay off and earn points for. (I would just put the money in a sub account once it was spent so that I would feel it was paid.)

But I CAN'T have one at the moment and I'm not going to not live my life just because I've chosen a debt free lifestyle up until this year. Not traveling would be a misery for me, so I go without a CC.

Actually my extreme dedication to a debt free life is one of the reasons we were able to survive the economic crash better then most of the folks that we knew. So I make no apologies for it.

I think you are way over thinking things. There is ALWAYS a risk to every activity we do but if we worry about everything we would never do anything. ever. We have had glitches and WDW has always made it right. We have had our KTTW card not scan the dining credits before and the restaurant could not figure it out so they just forgave the credits. I would not worry about dinning at WDW without a credit card. I would however worry a great deal about traveling without a emergency back up credit card. We too try to live a debt free lifestyle and are pretty good at it. We however travel at lot and KNOW that things can and do happen during travel. ER co-pays can be expensive and many walk-in clinics do not take all insurances. Lost prescriptions that are not available for refills are NOT covered by insurance and sometimes you HAVE to have that medication. Sometimes insurance will pay for the service later, but you may have to pay up front first. Yep....I can tell lots of stories. Point is, you need to be prepared. Just think through what you would do if there is a TRUE emergency and be sure you are prepared.

 

[JillianMarie]

I guess at the end of the day you have a couple options.

1. Put a gift card onto your room instead of a credit card. You already mentioned that you're going to have one for tips, so I suppose you could always just add it to the room ahead of time. No one will have access to anything that could possibly run up debt or empty your bank account.

2. Assume that everything is going to go perfectly and not plan any contingencies and if something *does* go wrong wash dishes in the back of a restaurant or something.

3. Postpone your trip. If you literally don't have 2 dimes to rub together you might want to reconsider your vacation plans.

4. Bring some cash for emergencies. If you don't use it - you still have the cash. You're stuck with a gift card.

5. Call Disney and find out what they would do in the situation. I know it's not perfect, but at least you'll be getting information from the horse's mouth.

You're completely right that you shouldn't *have* to plan for any contingencies. You've paid for the dining plan - you should get the dining plan without any issues! But, at the same time, sometimes things happen that shouldn't. In my opinion, it's foolish to not build in any sort of plan b if something goes wrong. We certainly didn't have any issues with the magic bands and have zero fear of the malfunctioning so I wouldn't really worry about it.

 

[NickyKnack]

I truly appreciate those who are actually concerned, but there is no need to be. I'm 39 years old and my lifestyle has worked just fine for me over all that time. Hell because I live my life the way I do, I dare say I'm happier and more fulfilled in my life than many of the folks I know who "play by the rules".

I'm not spending "all my savings" except in that my savings are savings being put together for THIS trip... otherwise I wouldn't have savings at all. Well, ok that's not true. I would probably have savings collecting to pay for my next round of schooling. But I'm turning 40, that needs to be celebrated right, so school will wait a year.

The anxiety rolling off the screen isn't just about the possibility that the MBs wont work in a restaurant, actually that's more anger then anxiety anyway. The anxiety comes from being neck deep in wondering for the first time if I should cancel my trip and move over to Universal and frankly not loving either option at the moment. I get anxious when I am in the making a choice stage esp when there is so much information in the air either way. Will FP+ ruin my Disney vacation? Will the food at Universal suck? Will the MB cause me issues that will have to come out of my fun money thus limiting my fun? Will I fit on enough of the rides at Universal to make it worth my while? I hate this stage of making a choice.

As to the medical issues?
I'm not going to go into why on a public board - but trust me I'm covered.
Besides if we had to we could hit an er and pay the bill later (though the odds of that being an issue are slim to none). A pricy ER bill might take me a month of serious sacrifice in our fun money to pay off... maybe.

Nicky, you put it out there that by the time your vacation rolls around in April you will have used all your savings to pay for a deluxe vacation (DxDDP and cruise -- concierge level of course) and that you will have no money in the bank account. Frankly, I think some folks are worried for you. Your anxiety over the DxDDP, MBs and not having the money to temporarily pay for a possible MB mistake is literally flowing off the screen. My advice is to try not to worry: if there is a mistake, Disney will correct it. You are a resort guest. They will not call the police on you if your MBs don't work properly and you don't have a credit card to pay.

FWIW, I would be far more worried about an accident or emergency while on vacation with no funds in the bank than possible MB failure. I'm not much of a worrywart by nature but even that would give me pause.

 

[NickyKnack]

You can when you're debit has a Visa log on it.
And you make a down-payment... don't know if you have to do that with an actual CC or not, never having actually done that.

You can rent a car w/o a credit card???

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Nicky what do you mean if your car poops out your insurance will cover it? What kind of insurance exactly covers mechanical repairs? Do you mean you have a car warranty? Because insurance doesn't pay for car repairs unless it happened in an accident.

And most ppl don't live paycheck to paycheck because they want to. What person doesn't want a savings account for unforeseen emergencies? Most ppl who live paycheck to paycheck do it because they have to. And you are 40 and have no savings?

And as for renting a car with a debit card. That is tricky because most car rental companies require an actual credit card and if all you have is a debit card they usually run a credit check on you and put a hold on a certain amount of money in your bank. Nicky would have to explain exactly how he rents a car with no credit card.

 

[tinawv]

It should be of no ones business what one's financial status is. That is a personal matter, and should remain that way. If the OP wanted financial advise, he would have asked for it.

 

[JillianMarie]

I don't think there's anything wrong with living a debt free life or not having a credit card. Personally, I find it admirable. I just find it sort of odd to go on vacation or into any unfamiliar territory without any sort of cushion or emergency fund. I wouldn't even be able to enjoy myself knowing that I was completely hosed if anything went wrong.

 

[NickyKnack]

I truly appreciate all of this.
I understand your concerns... people freak at the way I do things because it flaunts everything we have ever been taught, but then almost everything about my life flaunts everything we have ever been taught.

But it works for me, and has for a really long time and over countless trips to WDW and other destinations.

Maybe it comes down to I have an angel at my back, because I have absolute faith that I will be taken care of, and so I am... or maybe it's just that I'm really good at knowing the odds and playing them smart.

If something goes wrong then I will have the money to go offsite and eat, I just refuse to give them more money then I already have. I get back get them to fix it, and the make reservations somewhere else for breakfast so that the credit isn't lost.

Just because I only have enough money to get me through that paycheck (Which I will be on vacation during) doesn't mean I don't have two dimes to rub together. It means that I have enough money to get me through that paycheck.

I am bringing cash for emergencies, Disney just isn't getting it.
I have a contingency plan... it just doesn't involve paying Disney twice.

I guess at the end of the day you have a couple options.

1. Put a gift card onto your room instead of a credit card. You already mentioned that you're going to have one for tips, so I suppose you could always just add it to the room ahead of time. No one will have access to anything that could possibly run up debt or empty your bank account.

2. Assume that everything is going to go perfectly and not plan any contingencies and if something *does* go wrong wash dishes in the back of a restaurant or something.

3. Postpone your trip. If you literally don't have 2 dimes to rub together you might want to reconsider your vacation plans.

4. Bring some cash for emergencies. If you don't use it - you still have the cash. You're stuck with a gift card.

5. Call Disney and find out what they would do in the situation. I know it's not perfect, but at least you'll be getting information from the horse's mouth.

You're completely right that you shouldn't *have* to plan for any contingencies. You've paid for the dining plan - you should get the dining plan without any issues! But, at the same time, sometimes things happen that shouldn't. In my opinion, it's foolish to not build in any sort of plan b if something goes wrong. We certainly didn't have any issues with the magic bands and have zero fear of the malfunctioning so I wouldn't really worry about it.

 

[NickyKnack]

I have special insurance through my Credit Union, who I took out the auto loan through. We had to pay extra for it, but it covers issues with the engine.

I get that most people live paycheck to paycheck because they have to.
But why should anyone else get to judge how I choose to spend my money?
I don't buy into the whole concept of saving money for tomorrow when I could be living my life today. Since no one else has to pay my bills and should the worst happen I'm the one who has to pay for it... why does anyone else get to judge my choices?

It is very possible that they're running a background check on my wife when we rent a car. She has some credit (she had to co-sign for the loan for me to take it out, which we only did that way because we wanted to build my credit score.) but she refuses to get a CC as she was the type who couldn't handle them and swore she'd never do it again. Since she's the driver in the family, if they're running a credit check it's probably on her.

Also, why does everyone assume I'm male on the internet?
I get it all the time and I don't understand... esp since folks who know me irl face to face refer to me as things like "girly girl" and "shi shi"

Nicky what do you mean if your car poops out your insurance will cover it? What kind of insurance exactly covers mechanical repairs? Do you mean you have a car warranty? Because insurance doesn't pay for car repairs unless it happened in an accident.

And most ppl don't live paycheck to paycheck because they want to. What person doesn't want a savings account for unforeseen emergencies? Most ppl who live paycheck to paycheck do it because they have to. And you are 40 and have no savings?

And as for renting a car with a debit card. That is tricky because most car rental companies require an actual credit card and if all you have is a debit card they usually run a credit check on you and put a hold on a certain amount of money in your bank. Nicky would have to explain exactly how he rents a car with no credit card.

 

[NickyKnack]

I promise I do have a back up plan for the off chance that something might go wrong... well unless you count the cruise... now that I'm gambling on nothing going wrong for.

But that money is ear marked as I said for Emergencies not failure to deliver by Disney. I have to say that I think it would be a little silly to spend part of the 200 bucks to pay for a Disney MB screw up and then something did happen and I didn't have that money to use because I gave it to Disney.

I don't think there's anything wrong with living a debt free life or not having a credit card. Personally, I find it admirable. I just find it sort of odd to go on vacation or into any unfamiliar territory without any sort of cushion or emergency fund. I wouldn't even be able to enjoy myself knowing that I was completely hosed if anything went wrong.

 

[jmrothermel]

I am baffled by this thread.....wow.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Nicky I think ppl probably assumed you were male because you said wife. It is just a default way of thinking. We just assume if someone says wife they are the husband. Totally not true anymore in most cases but with an ambiguous name like Nicky where it could be male or female it is probably hard to tell one way or the other.

 

[Missyrose]

I am bringing cash for emergencies, Disney just isn't getting it.
I have a contingency plan... it just doesn't involve paying Disney twice.

But now the story is changing, when you started this thread you said you would have no extra cash with you (or back home) to pay for a dinner if something went wrong. Bottom line is Disney can get to your entitlements. Most of the people who paid for the meal and had Disney refund it hours later did so because they didn't want to spend a ton of time while Disney sorted things out. If you're willing to wait out that process, then I'm sure the restaurant can get in contact with your resort and manually use your entitlements if something went wrong with the MBs, however long that takes.

 

[glvsav37]

Wow! This thread has taken more twists and turns then BTMRR!!!

Quite frankly, no one here can honestly help you so really this whole thread is pointless.

Wether the MB fails or not during your trip, what happens next is between you And the Manager CM at the time. You yourself said that talking to phone CM is useless bc of conflicting answers, what would make the CM's choice of handling the situation if you cited a bunch of opinions on a message board???

Frankly your personal money management is of no consequence to Disney. How they chose to handle MB issues is up to them and should not waiver based on anyone's ability or non ability to pay.

If that is no acceptable to you, you are free to leave and visit US, but I suspect their corporate policy may have certain instances that may not jive with your choice of finance.


That said, your money is yours to manage as you wish. I too live a debt free lifestyle (as best I can) but also believe in some security of credit as needed. However, you cannot expect everyone to bend their policy (what ever it may be) based on your individual decisions.