How do you pay when you check out?

[r4kids]

If you use your room key card to make purchases how do you pay when you check out? Cash, check or charge? We are using our room card for purchases and I am trying to figure out how to pay. I thought a check, does it go through right away or is it better to get cash out? I think our bank has a daily limit so I was worried about exceeding that limit. Any info is great!!!
1 days, 23 hours, 58 mins.........

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We always leave the charges on the credit card, and then pay off the charges on the card when the bill comes.

I like not having to bring the extra cash with me on the trip, however, it can be hard to keep to the budget at WDW :)

[irish1967]

We always leave the charges on the credit card, and then pay off the charges on the card when the bill comes.

I like not having to bring the extra cash with me on the trip, however, it can be hard to keep to the budget at WDW :)

Ditto!

[Mrs Grumpy]

I wanted to use my Disney Reward Dollars first and then my Disney Dollars before anything was charged to the CC. So at night I would go down and pay off the balance using those (didn't want to hit the $500.00 max and have them automatically charge the card). Once I used up all the Reward and Disney dollars I just left it on the credit card and paid when I got home.

[SBETigg]

We usually just charge, but we did have a trip when we were keeping our charges down and preferred to use cash and check.

We used a card to check in and to establish charging to the room, but we visited the desk and paid down our balance in cash regularly. We didn't travel with cash. We used the lobby ATM despite the extra fees. It was just easier than keeping large amounts of cash on hand.

The last few payments and final payment we made by check, once we realized they took checks and we didn't have to bother with the ATM. And the surprising thing is that Disney didn't clear the check immediately, as most companies would. It didn't go through until about a week after we came home. I don't know if they still do it that way but I thought it showed an amazing amount of faith in the customer.

[r4kids]

We usually just charge, but we did have a trip when we were keeping our charges down and preferred to use cash and check.

We used a card to check in and to establish charging to the room, but we visited the desk and paid down our balance in cash regularly. We didn't travel with cash. We used the lobby ATM despite the extra fees. It was just easier than keeping large amounts of cash on hand.

The last few payments and final payment we made by check, once we realized they took checks and we didn't have to bother with the ATM. And the surprising thing is that Disney didn't clear the check immediately, as most companies would. It didn't go through until about a week after we came home. I don't know if they still do it that way but I thought it showed an amazing amount of faith in the customer.


That does surprise me. I would have thought a check went through right away. I really hate the fees they charge for the ATM too. I think we'll use a check or our check card. We don't have any credit cards. I really don't like them. I feel like if we can't pay cash we really don't need it. I will TRY to remember to check our balance at night and just pay it nightly. I hate to have a bunch of little charges, I'd rather have just one charge. Thank you for all of your info!!

[mouseketeer mom]

We did a split stay this year and paid for the first stay before we arrived, and when we arrived at the villas at the WL for our second half of our trip, I paid for our room only portion by check upon check in. It was an $1800.00 check and they didn't cash it until after we were home! I put down a CC for misc. charges during our stay and used it for check out too.

[KylesMom]

We charge everything to our room and pay it off with our Disney Visa. That way, we're earning Rewards Dollars while at Disney for our trip the next year. It's nice, after you've used your $$$s, to see more on the card right away!:mickey:

[MollyKat1527]

Can you put a set amount on the room key at the beginning of the day by using cash or do you pay it off at the end of your trip? This is all very new to me. But excellent to hear. We are trying to figure out a safer way to carry cash with out carrying cash or traveler's cheques.

[Marilyn Michetti]

We pay everything with the Disney Rewards. It's a "head start" for the next trip. We've saved for our vacation, and the $$ is in the bank, and we pay off the Disney card with that
when we come home. It's a good $50 toward next year.:thumbsup:

[CleveRocks]

If you use your room key card to make purchases how do you pay when you check out? Cash, check or charge? We are using our room card for purchases and I am trying to figure out how to pay. I thought a check, does it go through right away or is it better to get cash out? I think our bank has a daily limit so I was worried about exceeding that limit. Any info is great!!!
1 days, 23 hours, 58 mins.........
When you set up a room charge, you have to "back it up" with something ... a credit card, a debit card with VISA/MC logo, travelers checks, cash, or even Disney Dollars. You MUST back it up with something, as Disney doesn't extend credit to its guests.

If you booked a package, then you paid in-full for the package at least 45 days in advance, and you arrive at the front desk of your resort owing nothing. If you booked room-only, then at the moment of check-in you must pay the entire balance for your room (and tickets if you are buying them through Disney) and tax. After that, you owe them nothing.

Setting up a room charge is totally separate from all that.

You give a credit card or debit card or cash or whatever to set up a room charge. The maximum amount of a room charge is determined by level of resort -- $500 for Values, $1K for Moderates, $1.5K for Deluxes. When you reach your limit, your card will then and only then be charged. If this happens, you can visit or phone the front desk and set up a new room charge. No matter how near you are to your limit, your room charge balance will be charged to your card around 3:00 a.m. on your check-out day, but you are still able to use it for the rest of the day (you'll be charged again for whatever you room-charged that day).

And by the way, those limits are UPPER limits ... in other words, you can stay at a Moderate and set up a room charge for $852 if you really want to.

When they swipe the card, they run through a charge of zero dollars ... they do this in order to be sure the card is linked to an active account (it will not be approved otherwise, yet doesn't affect your available credit, or the balance in your bank account). Additionally, there is NO HOLD placed on credit/debit accounts.

If you put down cash or such, and you didn't use it all up with the room charge, you will receive a refund upon check-out.

Also, just as an unrelated FYI, WDW is one of the few hoteliers in the USA that does NOT require you to leave a "plastic" imprint for "incidentals" such as phone calls. They absolutely do not require this, so if you really wanted to you could go to WDW plastic-free.

[r4kids]

When you set up a room charge, you have to "back it up" with something ... a credit card, a debit card with VISA/MC logo, travelers checks, cash, or even Disney Dollars. You MUST back it up with something, as Disney doesn't extend credit to its guests.

If you booked a package, then you paid in-full for the package at least 45 days in advance, and you arrive at the front desk of your resort owing nothing. If you booked room-only, then at the moment of check-in you must pay the entire balance for your room (and tickets if you are buying them through Disney) and tax. After that, you owe them nothing.

Setting up a room charge is totally separate from all that.

You give a credit card or debit card or cash or whatever to set up a room charge. The maximum amount of a room charge is determined by level of resort -- $500 for Values, $1K for Moderates, $1.5K for Deluxes. When you reach your limit, your card will then and only then be charged. If this happens, you can visit or phone the front desk and set up a new room charge. No matter how near you are to your limit, your room charge balance will be charged to your card around 3:00 a.m. on your check-out day, but you are still able to use it for the rest of the day (you'll be charged again for whatever you room-charged that day).

And by the way, those limits are UPPER limits ... in other words, you can stay at a Moderate and set up a room charge for $852 if you really want to.

When they swipe the card, they run through a charge of zero dollars ... they do this in order to be sure the card is linked to an active account (it will not be approved otherwise, yet doesn't affect your available credit, or the balance in your bank account). Additionally, there is NO HOLD placed on credit/debit accounts.

If you put down cash or such, and you didn't use it all up with the room charge, you will receive a refund upon check-out.

Also, just as an unrelated FYI, WDW is one of the few hoteliers in the USA that does NOT require you to leave a "plastic" imprint for "incidentals" such as phone calls. They absolutely do not require this, so if you really wanted to you could go to WDW plastic-free.

We are staying in a DVC (OKW) rental through Interval International. We already have our tickets and the room is "paid for" the only thing we have to do is pay for the dining plan upon arrival. Is there any difference in a DVC resort and a regular resort room charging? We will link our debit/credit card when we arrive.

[CleveRocks]

Is there any difference in a DVC resort and a regular resort room charging? We will link our debit/credit card when we arrive.
No difference whatsoever. It will all be as I posted above.

[Natazu]

We pay everything with the Disney Rewards. It's a "head start" for the next trip. We've saved for our vacation, and the $$ is in the bank, and we pay off the Disney card with that
when we come home. It's a good $50 toward next year.:thumbsup:
Yes, yes. What she said.

[poohluva]

We charge EVERYTHING to our SOUTHWEST credit card. Even at home, from gas to groceries!! So far we've earned 3 tickets for our next trip in April. One more and the flight will be free!!:thumbsup:

[AvonleaCF]

I booked as a package through Magical Journeys, so I pre-paid the trip and put it on my Amex (3% back on travel).

While at Disney I did not allow charging on my card, so any purchases I made I just paid cash or put it on my regular credit card.

When it came time to check-out, I owed nothing. :thumbsup:

[Samtastic]

I don't know why but putting a card to make room charges with the key card just bothers me. I like just going down with my regular c.c. and paying for purchases that way. Of course this year I have my disney card and will have rewards cards so I may just use them instead. I'm going to carry it around with anyway most likely--I need at least my room card and my i.d. (for :marg: :secret:) so what's one more card really? I have a tiny wallet.