Which payment forms to use?

[Pucks104]

Our trip is a bit over a month away now. I am trying to determine the best payment form to use for these things: tips for baggage handling, car service from airport, (assume cash?), bag check at airport, dining gratuities - we’re on the dining plan?, Minnie Vans - PayPal? Tips?, Shula’s since it isn’t a Disney restaurant, Galaxy’s Edge experiences? Souvenirs?
The vacation package is fully paid and I am trying not to use a credit card while traveling as we have had issues in the past with cc card numbers being stolen.
Thoughts?

 

[holden]

Baggage handlers - cash
Car service - depends on the service; some take credit cards, others cash
bag check at airport - cash if curbside; nothing if inside
dining gratuities - cash or credit (if charging meal on credit card)
Minnie Van - paid through the Lyft app
Shula's - cash or credit (not sure if they take Disney gift cards)
Other - cash, credit or Disney gift card

 

[MillauFr]

I would use credit cards exclusively. You have way more protections by using a credit card than you do using cash. When you credit card is stolen you don't lose any money. When your cash is stolen you can kiss it goodbye.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

Go cash whenever possible. With a set limit on cash, you probably won't over extend yourself. If the CC number is stolen, sure you are not out any money but the time to clear up or prove you didn't purchase something is costly.

 

[barkley]

I would use credit cards exclusively. You have way more protections by using a credit card than you do using cash. When you credit card is stolen you don't lose any money. When your cash is stolen you can kiss it goodbye.

we don't take allot of cash either-mostly what's just needed for tips, small odds and ends. with some credit cards in addition to putting the company on a travel alert you can set up a security system where you get immediate texts or emails that show anytime your card is used/attempted to be used (and denied)/used without the physical card being presented so catching something happening and resolving it can be immediate. i DO suggest if planning on using a card to take a secondary (different account) just in case of fraud shut down or (as in our case once) a hiccup on disney's part that creates a mess (we set up charging privileges to the room so they did that dollar amount 'hold' each day (i want to say it was around $200 per day) that is supposed to get released each night when the day's charges get posted with the process repeated each subsequent day of your stay. problem was-someone flaked and did'nt release the holds so near the end of our trip we get notified from front desk that our card is being declined. we call the credit card company and they explain what's going on, we even put the front desk manager on the phone with the credit card company but 'that's a different department that does reconciliations, they are only open x days/x hours and guest inquiries can take up to 72 hours to respond to.....' it was a god-awful mess.

 

[MillauFr]

Go cash whenever possible. With a set limit on cash, you probably won't over extend yourself. If the CC number is stolen, sure you are not out any money but the time to clear up or prove you didn't purchase something is costly.

How is it "costly" to prove you didn't purchase anything? It has happen to me at least a half a dozen times. You just call the credit card company and say you didn't make the charges. Takes about 5 minutes on the phone. Have you had to pay for charges you didn't make?

 

[barkley]

How is it "costly" to prove you didn't purchase anything? It has happen to me at least a half a dozen times. You just call the credit card company and say you didn't make the charges. Takes about 5 minutes on the phone. Have you had to pay for charges you didn't make?

same here-and the companies i most trust working with are the ones that have clued me in before i ever noticed an issue (and i am dogged about keeping an eye on this). w/some i don't even have to call-just go on-line and click the individual charge to designate that i dispute it. enter the dispute info and the process is initiated. never had to pay for a fraudulent charge.

 

[Cruising Engineer]

How is it "costly" to prove you didn't purchase anything? It has happen to me at least a half a dozen times. You just call the credit card company and say you didn't make the charges. Takes about 5 minutes on the phone. Have you had to pay for charges you didn't make?

I've had my cc number stolen and the time it took to notify all the auto payments I used the card for (cell phone, TV/internet, services, subscriptions, on-line, memberships, etc.) it was costly in time. Did away with most of the auto payments (and services). Now I'm careful of using my CC and what services I have the card on auto pay.

 

[_19disnA]

All Disney hotels have ATM's so you don't need to carry/store large sums of cash with you and can just get it as you need it. Some things like tipping the bellhop or airport baggage person is only practical to do in cash.

 

[Bjkandma]

I bring little cash to Disney. I make sure there is enough for tipping at airport, the magical express driver and bell services. I also carry some for incidentals that I might need at airport. I use Disney gift cards for tips for table service restaurants.

If we need cash for anything there are Chase atms in the parks as well as the resorts. I don't use credit cards on vacation, nor do I charge back to the room. I know exactly how much money I have to spend and stay within that limit.

While I don't use a credit card, I certainly carry one with me. It's my "emergency"\back up plan. I just notify the bank to place a travel alert on the card. That way charges are not denied and can be run through if necessary.

 

[MillauFr]

All Disney hotels have ATM's so you don't need to carry/store large sums of cash with you and can just get it as you need it. Some things like tipping the bellhop or airport baggage person is only practical to do in cash.

Agreed. Can't believe the bellhops and airport baggage people don't have swipers now days. They are missing out on quite a few tips from people like myself that carry no cash. Even the girl scout cookie sellers have square credit card swipers now days.