Why do Disney's charges take so long to post?

[Jen D]

This has happened all three times I have visited but I think this latest time is a record. I use a debit card with the MasterCard logo; since it is linked to my checking account I really notice when charges are deducted. Usually when the card is used as a MasterCard, first the charge amount is removed from my available balance (but not gross balance)
so the funds are reserved-- then within a day or two the amount is posted and the funds are removed. But when I pay at the Disney check-out desk, no amount is removed at all from my available balance... and then the charge itself takes days to remove.

Here is the situation-- we were due to check out of the Poly on September 25-- we had accumulated charges in neighborhood of $900. The hotel bill slipped under our door indicated a charge-off but my bank indicated nothing. We had to extend our stay two more nights, so by Monday morning we owed about $500 for two nights room and a couple small meals. We never received the bill under our door that time
(figured they were short stafffed because of Jeanne) but we went to check out so I assume that was charged off.

By Tuesday the 28th the $900 finally showed up as a charge-off, but nine days later the additional $500 still has not been deducted, it isn't even deducted from the available balance. Isn't that weird? Isn't it dangerous for Disney to bank that way? I could easily spend that money and when they did their charge-off there would be nothing there. Every time I have visited Disney I have been surprised by how long it took for the resort to post the charges but this has got to be a record.

 

[SnackyStacky]

I don't know what bank Disney uses, or if they use their own - but perhaps it WAS because of Jeanne.....

My charges from Disney PROMPTLY showed up within 1 business day, whether paying CRO before, or the room charges while we were there.

Now when Disney owed ME money - that's another story! That took more than a week!!!

 

[KBFinFan]

I have a similar but different concern. A few weeks ago I made a reservation online (since I was able to get a code for my dates...I got anxious), when I called CRO I was able just to apply the code to my exisiting rate. They said they would cancel my exisiting reservation and then the deposit would be refunded back to me. About 3-4 weeks later, which was yesterday, I call as the charge still appears on my statement. They said although it has been charged back by them, it may take 2-3 billing cycles by my credit card company for them to issue the refund to my account! Isn't that nuts? I think I may call the credit card company to see what they say, or Disney again...

Sorry to go off topic a little, I was just shocked by their banking as well....

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Jen D - I know exactly what you mean, I sometimes use my Mastercard debit card to make my room deposit. I'm always anxious until I finally see it deducted from my account, afraid I'm going to lose my res. with my AP discount! This just happened last week, and when I didn't see it on my account for several days I called to confirm my res. - they said it had been charged to my account and all was well. Go figure!

Now that I think about it, I still haven't confirmed that it has been deducted from my account - I'm gonna call my bank right now!

 

[summerrluvv]

I used my room card after checking out last year and charged about $75 worth of food, etc. before we went home. They never billed my visa card (check card) for it. I kept waiting and waiting for the charge to go through and it never did.

 

[Jen D]

Originally posted by summerrluvv
I used my room card after checking out last year and charged about $75 worth of food, etc. before we went home. They never billed my visa card (check card) for it. I kept waiting and waiting for the charge to go through and it never did.

Wow. It has crossed my mind that somehow charging me that $500 has slipped through the cracks. That's a lot of money, so I guess I'd better call them.

On a practical, and not just honest level, I'd hate to assume they were not going to charge it off and then suddenly have the charge finally show up six weeks from now when they discover their error!

In any case, it is getting weirdly annoying, just waiting for them to charge it off. I am one Gap shopping spree away from spending that money! Seriously, it really is crazy for them to wait like this. If they haven't charged itby Friday I guess I'll call the Polynesian.

This has happened before, although it was more like four or five days.

The annoying part is this is for the surprise, added two days to our trip because of Jeanne. We were actually pretty low on funds by the end of our vacationand panicked when we realized we had to cover two more days. So we actually did a bit of hoop jumping, calling our brother and having him get the checks out of our mail at home and deposit them while we were gone so the money would be available to pay for our trip at home. Didn't even turn out to be necessary.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Ain't that always the way?!?!?! If you hadn't gone to all that trouble, it would have gone right through and you would have been in the hole.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by KBFinFan
I have a similar but different concern. A few weeks ago I made a reservation online (since I was able to get a code for my dates...I got anxious), when I called CRO I was able just to apply the code to my exisiting rate. They said they would cancel my exisiting reservation and then the deposit would be refunded back to me. About 3-4 weeks later, which was yesterday, I call as the charge still appears on my statement. They said although it has been charged back by them, it may take 2-3 billing cycles by my credit card company for them to issue the refund to my account! Isn't that nuts? I think I may call the credit card company to see what they say, or Disney again...

Sorry to go off topic a little, I was just shocked by their banking as well....

They just use that 2-3 billing cycles to cover their butts.

Call your CC bank, and ask if there is a credit from Walt Disney World, or Disney Reservations. If the credit processed after your last statement was printed, it will appear on the next one.

They kept feeding me that 2-3 cycles line, but I knew that it hadn't processed because all my banking is done online, and I'd have seen the credit immediately.