Why are the room charging limits diff. for each resort?

[milmore104]

I just emailed Disney to find this out! I don't understand why there are different limits to room charging based on your resort! It's like they de-value the people staying at the value resorts. I don't understand this one bit. When we stayed at ASSp in Dec.01' we had a $1500 limit. It makes me feel like I'm not good enough because I'm not staying at a deluxe resort! We usually charge around $1300 to our room and now I can't because we're staying at POP. I just don't think this is right. Anyone else with me on this? Thanks for listening I needed to vent. I don't know why but it's really buggin' me!

 

[r5moores]

You can charge as much as you want to. What they do is put the limit ...say $1500.00. Once you reach that limit they will process the charge and you can set up for an additional 1500.00 to start charging again. I understand what you saying though. I dont know why they do diff. limits per value, mod or deluxe.

 

[milmore104]

I understand I can go down give them another card or use the same one. But what about the time it will take me and the hassle to do it. I just don't understand why I should have too! I try to keep track of what has been charged but w/ 3 people using it... It's sometimes hard and I hate to feel silly when I'm in line trying to pay for something and it won't go through because I've hit my little $500 limit!

 

[cjsmith]

It's not that you have a limit. Disney preauthorizes you credit card for an amount and when that amount is reached they charge the card and then will automatically set amount another preauthorization. I know that at the deluxe resorts they pre-authorize $1500 and will actually charge your card once it reaches that level. I guess I don't understand your problem because on your first post you said that you had a $1500 limit and then had a $500 limit on your next post. If it bothers you that much tell them to preauthorize a higher amount.
I would assume that Disney set the line by tracking what is spent at the different levels of hotels and I would assume that those who stay at the deluxe level spend more money at the parks on a whole then those who are staying in a value resort.

 

[DVCconvert]

I understand I can go down give them another card or use the same one. But what about the time it will take me and the hassle to do it. I just don't understand why I should have too! I try to keep track of what has been charged but w/ 3 people using it... It's sometimes hard and I hate to feel silly when I'm in line trying to pay for something and it won't go through because I've hit my little $500 limit!

I believe the way it works is that when you check in and sign up for charging privilegesm, you sign a sheet that authorizes Disney to put thru the charge ($500/$1000/$1500) immediately upon reaching that amount - assuming your credit card company has no problem with authorizing the charge, it will go thru, and you should not have to go to the front desk to sign or do anything. As you go thru your vacation this process is repeated.

 

[milmore104]

It's not that you have a limit. Disney preauthorizes you credit card for an amount and when that amount is reached they charge the card and then will automatically set amount another preauthorization. I know that at the deluxe resorts they pre-authorize $1500 and will actually charge your card once it reaches that level. I guess I don't understand your problem because on your first post you said that you had a $1500 limit and then had a $500 limit on your next post. If it bothers you that much tell them to preauthorize a higher amount.
I would assume that Disney set the line by tracking what is spent at the different levels of hotels and I would assume that those who stay at the deluxe level spend more money at the parks on a whole then those who are staying in a value resort.

What I said was when we went in 01' & stayed at ASSP we had a $1500 limit. And now when we go in Oct. we will only have a $500 limit. I asked if I could set a higher limit and I was told NO the limit for a value is $500.
My problem w/ this is I don't believe it should matter what resort your staying at! If they're going to set a limit on room charges I feel it should be the same no matter where your staying!

 

[Tigger_Magic]

What I said was when we went in 01' & stayed at ASSP we had a $1500 limit. And now when we go in Oct. we will only have a $500 limit. I asked if I could set a higher limit and I was told NO the limit for a value is $500.
My problem w/ this is I don't believe it should matter what resort your staying at! If they're going to set a limit on room charges I feel it should be the same no matter where your staying!

As long as the credit card you give them for resort charging can handle a $1500 total charge, there is no problem. Disney will simply put through 3 charges to your card of $500 each instead of 1 charge of $1500. You are not limited on your room charges, except what your credit card company will pre-authorize. If your cc has a $1500 limit on it, you shouldn't have to go back to the front desk to change it.

 

[ducklite]

For at least the past going on six or seven years the limits have not changed. The difference is that in the past, when your limit was hit your card was automatically charged and you started fresh with a new credit line.

My guess is that they were finding that people didn't like having their cards charged automatically, because they were using the card only as a "deposit" and actually wanted to pay in cash.

I'm sure they did a lot of business analysis on how much people staying at different resorts spent on average, and that's how they determined the credit line. While of course there are always exceptions, I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that the average guest party staying at a value will spend less than the average guest party staying at a deluxe.

Personally I don't see the big deal. We've had trips at a deluxe that we hit the limit twice during the stay. I would stop at the front desk as I was walking by and there was no line, and if we were getting close, I'd have them run the card. It took a minute or two, no biggie, and helped me keep an eye out for any possible mistakes so there were no surprises when we checked out.

Anne

 

[gigi1313]

well, first of all, ASSp is the same level of hotel as pop century, so i do not see discrimination based on level of resort (both value)... maybe the policy has changed since '01? second, thought... it seems likely that a guest at a deluxe hotel would rack up a higher bill more quickly just based on the cost of the hotel! if they are putting some of their room bill on their credit card, whammo, it's typically a lot bigger bill than a value guest's resort bill...

again, as the other poster's said, you don't have to do anything "extra" or wait on line to get your pre-authorized limit re-upped...

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

I understand I can go down give them another card or use the same one. But what about the time it will take me and the hassle to do it. I just don't understand why I should have too! I try to keep track of what has been charged but w/ 3 people using it... It's sometimes hard and I hate to feel silly when I'm in line trying to pay for something and it won't go through because I've hit my little $500 limit!

I noticed this when we were at WDW in May. We were staying at POP and the preauthorized amount was $500, after 2 days we decided to switch to POLY, and when I checked in the preauthorized amount was $1500. I used the same card at each check-in. But as others have said, I was told this was not a limit, they told me it was only the amount they preauthorized with the credit card company. I specifically asked about getting rejected if I charged something back to the room over the preauthorized amount and they said as long as the credit card would accept the charge it would go through. HTH

 

[DisneyMomx7]

I didn't even think there was a limit! We always leave our American Express card. Last year we charged $1900 to our room and I don't remember having to go to the front desk, I thought they did it automatically!

 

[goofy4tink]

We've stayed at all levels and had the different amounts. Only once, when we were at the Polynesian did we have any issue with our preapproved amount. Our last night there, we stopped off to buy dd a sweatshirt since it was chilly. The charge wouldn't go through because we were 'over' our preapproved amount. We paid with a credit card and went on our way. They told us back at the Polynesian that all we had to do was resubmit our card for another amount. Since we were leaving that day we didn't.

But, and this one was a shocker....when we were at BWV last Thanksgiving, we used dh's Amex card, since we had put cash aside for the trip, we would pay the balance when the bill came. No problem...except on the day of departure, when they tried to put the charge through (for about $1300) Amex wouldn't accept it. Seems they have a policy of only okaying charges of $500 a day!!! At least that is the policy with this particular business acct. So, we got a bill from BWV/DVC about a month later, which we promptly paid. But...I guess my point is to be sure your particular credit card doesn't have a daily charging limit on it. I know my debit card used to have one.

 

[legalslave]

I think the pre-authorized limit on the deluxes is because the price of the ROOM is higher, and the room is charged each day.

 

[TammiMcMan]

I think the pre-authorized limit on the deluxes is because the price of the ROOM is higher, and the room is charged each day.

If you have booked a package, then the whole thing needs to be paid even before you arrive. If you book room only, then you put a deposit down for one night and pay the balance at check-in. The room is not put in as a daily charge.

My guess is that it may be a policy change because of the widespread use of debit cards and other daily charging limitations that credit card card companies have put into practice.

 

[Brian Noble]

Given that there is a factor of two in room rate between vals and mods, and a factor of three (at least) between vals and deluxes, I don't find comparable limits on how much credit WDW will extend to be odd at all. (And, before I am accused of beling an elitist, I am staying in the values, not the deluxes. I've got cheap in my genes from both sides of my family.)

 

[cjsmith]

We've stayed at all levels and had the different amounts. Only once, when we were at the Polynesian did we have any issue with our preapproved amount. Our last night there, we stopped off to buy dd a sweatshirt since it was chilly. The charge wouldn't go through because we were 'over' our preapproved amount. We paid with a credit card and went on our way. They told us back at the Polynesian that all we had to do was resubmit our card for another amount. Since we were leaving that day we didn't.

But, and this one was a shocker....when we were at BWV last Thanksgiving, we used dh's Amex card, since we had put cash aside for the trip, we would pay the balance when the bill came. No problem...except on the day of departure, when they tried to put the charge through (for about $1300) Amex wouldn't accept it. Seems they have a policy of only okaying charges of $500 a day!!! At least that is the policy with this particular business acct. So, we got a bill from BWV/DVC about a month later, which we promptly paid. But...I guess my point is to be sure your particular credit card doesn't have a daily charging limit on it. I know my debit card used to have one.

It must have been the particular type of Amex card and account that you had because our Amex doesn't have any kind of charging limit per day or I'd have been in trouble on more than one occasion! I just charged $9000 on our Amex card two months ago to pay off the balance for our upcoming Princess cruise all at once.

And you're right, debit cards do have a limit of charging and it depends on your bank and account type as to what that limit is. It's a good thing to find out prior to traveling both from that standpoint and if the debit card finds that you're charging too much they may put a temporary security freeze on your account until they figure this out, that I learned the hard way. I was busy trying to buy something and they wouldn't let the charge go through until I spoke with someone because they noticed an unbelievable amount of usage, all at Home depot!!!!

 

[milmore104]

I understand and thank everyone for your responses. I have stayed at all levels of resorts. I would love to upgrade to a mod. but I have to see how our finances work out seeing this is a suprise trip (due to the free dining package) and the fact that I'm paying for my DGM to tag along w/ us!. I guess what I'm trying to say and get across is that I just don't feel it's right to have different limits at the resorts. I am more likely to spend more on souvies and what not now seeing I'm not breaking the bank w/ my hotel. I also planned on charging our MNSSHP tickets to our room upon arrival and upgrading our tickets. So that's 1/2 our limit right there. then a quick stop in the gift shop for a Pal Mickey for the little one and we only have $200 left.

 

[ducklite]

Milmore--there's an easy solution to your problem.

When you pay for the upgrades and NSS party tix, put those directly on the credit card rather than room charge. That way you have the entire room charge available.

Anne

 

[milmore104]

Yes I know I'll probably just order it all now and have it paid for before we go. I'm just weird I like to charge everything I can to our room and I keep the bill from every year in my scrapbook for each year. We love going through it and having memories of what we bought and when. I also love to see how prices change. It's just the point of it that bothers me.

 

[philaround]

I think the pre-authorized limit on the deluxes is because the price of the ROOM is higher, and the room is charged each day.

Two years ago DW & I were at the Poly for 1 week and then went to ASMu for anpther week. Both rooms were all paid in advance well before checkin. The Poly put $1500 on our key card and ASMu put $500. Since the rooms were all prepaid the room cost did not factor into the equation.
It is my opinion that Disney does split quests up into financial brackets with those staying in value resorts at the lowest level.

I think the formular should be based on length of stay and members in your party. Yes the per night room charge does vary from one level of resort to another but I find that I spend just about the same amount for meals and other things no matter what resort I am staying at this time.

As to the room charge: It is not billed to you on a daily basis. If you have not paid in full before arrival you will have to make payment of the full balance at check in. This is not just a pre-approval but actual full payment by cash, check, or CC. Once again daily cost of room will not factor into your room charge privileges.

This is, I think, one of the main reasons why resort snobs exist. For myself it makes little or no diiference what resort a person is staying in. I don't care what a persons "net worth" is. When I meet someone for the first time I do not ask to check thier financials, nor would I ever ask a person how much money they make [or are worth] and I don't think Disney should be in the bussiness of pre determining how much a quest should be able to charge to a room.

I can see Disney requiring a minimum amount [$500 sounds right to me], but at check in a quest should have the ability to ask for more money on thier room card. The only limiting factor should be left to the quest. If they have cash, or travelers checks, or a CC that will support the extra amount on the key card they should be allowed to do so at check in, not have to return in a few days to put more money on the key card.