Charging to your room

[lovenmickey]

Can someone tell me how this works? Do you leave a credit card number at the desk when you check in? and if so do they place a hold on your card, and if they do what is the amount that they hold on your card??? or can they just take your credit card number and not place a hold on it??? thanks!

[gardenia]

They take your credit card number, but they do NOT put any hold on it - they just check to see that it's a valid card. They give you a charging limit (ours was $1000 at CBR last week, and $1500 at a deluxe resort recently). When you reach the charging limit, you can't use your room key to charge more until you visit the front desk and request a new limit.

[tinkerbell04]

The limits for the room charging are
500 for values
1000 for mods
1500 for deluxe and home away form home

They do not hold money on the card, just verify that it is valid:mickey:

[gerald72]

My limit (value resort) was $500, but I charged $549 and was still able to charge.
I also think you have the choice of having each purchase billed to the card as you make it, or waiting until the end of your stay to charge it all.

[DizneyRox]

Actually, I believe that once you hit the limit, they will charge the card on file and it will reset. They do this to minimize their risk. I've never been asked to visit the front desk unless I was charging to the room on a cash basis. We put money down at check-in and had exhausted that.

IT is correct, values allow $500, moderates, $1000, and deluxe have a $1500 "limit" before they charge it.

[LandFan]

The one time we did get caught a bit... Apparently we hit our $500 limit and they hadn't automatically reset it yet and we tried to get :marg: at the Cantina and it was refused. I just had to call Pop and the ran it and reset it and we were good to go:thumbsup:

[CleveRocks]

Room charge can be set up using a credit card, debit card (with VISA/MC logo), travelers checks, cash, and even Disney Dollars.

When you set up a room charge at a WDW resort using a debit or credit card, they place NO HOLD on your account. There's no pre-authorization, no checking of your balance, etc. The only thing they do is swipe the card and 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.

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.

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.

[peemagg]

How do they do the room charging if more than one person in the party wants to do the room charge, but have seperate accounts? I was thinking that I might like to do that, but was concerned about how they would seperate the accounts.

For instance I have a limit of say $300, My mother $700, and my brother-in-law and sister $1000. Would our limits only be tied into our room keys or are they lumped together?

[CleveRocks]

How do they do the room charging if more than one person in the party wants to do the room charge, but have seperate accounts? I was thinking that I might like to do that, but was concerned about how they would seperate the accounts.

For instance I have a limit of say $300, My mother $700, and my brother-in-law and sister $1000. Would our limits only be tied into our room keys or are they lumped together?
There can only be one room charge account per room. No exceptions. In other words, there simply can't be a per-person limit. There's a total limit for the one and only room charge account.

You can only control whether or not a person (or rather, a person's key card) has charging privileges.

Luckily, it's easy to keep track of who charged what. At any time, you can request a print-out of your account at your resort's front desk. Part of the info in the print-out is the card number used for that charge. On your own, you can tally who charged what, and can settle up with each other.

But Disney won't allow more than one room charge account at a time.

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . There can only be one room charge account per room. No exceptions. In other words, there simply can't be a per-person limit. There's a total limit for the one and only room charge account . . .

1) Actually, very misunderstood.
. . . you can have as many charge accounts as you like
. . . each person can use their own credit card for charges
. . . each person can have a different room key limit
2) All you have to do is ask at check-in time.
3) This is done many times every day at WDW.
4) But, most CM's don't know about it.
5) Just ask for a "SHARE". (this very specific term must be used)
6) If CM doesn't know about it,
. . . ask for the Front Desk Advisor (FSA)
. . . ask for a manager
7) If still no, tell them to review steps in Front Desk Procedure Manual.

Example: (mother and daughter want separate accounts)
. . . mom checks in, and gives credit card for charging
. . . daughter checks in and requests a "SHARE"
. . . daughter gives her credit card for charging
. . . they can split the room rate or one can pay
. . . effectively, mom has room #1111a
. . . effectively, daughter has room #1111b
. . . each has own accounts and own credit card
. . . each can take the default dollar limit or a different one
. . . only takes 5-10 minutes longer to check in

NOTE: The only glitch is that collective room charges are charged to the first person who checks into the room, In the above case, phone calls and room service would be charged to mom. Just a glitch in the system.

[CleveRocks]

WOW!

I learn something new every day.

Thanks for the greatly detailed explanation.

Sorry for the misinformation!

[TheRustyScupper]

. . I learn something new every day . . .

1) Yep.
2) This is such a seldom mentioned option.
3) Front Desk CM's are not formally trained on it.
4) In fact, many managers don't even know about it.
5) Yet, it is something so many people want.
6) Instead, the guest is told, "Sorry, only one credit card per room.".

[vamaggie]

WOW!

I learn something new every day.

Thanks for the greatly detailed explanation.

Sorry for the misinformation!

Me too!! Wish I'd known this when we went earlier in the month. Would have liked to have DS be able to charge to the room with his spending money put down. Oh well, knowledge for the next time. THANKS!!!!

[ToDisney]

1) Actually, very misunderstood.
. . . you can have as many charge accounts as you like
. . . each person can use their own credit card for charges
. . . each person can have a different room key limit
2) All you have to do is ask at check-in time.
3) This is done many times every day at WDW.
4) But, most CM's don't know about it.
5) Just ask for a "SHARE". (this very specific term must be used)
6) If CM doesn't know about it,
. . . ask for the Front Desk Advisor (FSA)
. . . ask for a manager
7) If still no, tell them to review steps in Front Desk Procedure Manual.

Example: (mother and daughter want separate accounts)
. . . mom checks in, and gives credit card for charging
. . . daughter checks in and requests a "SHARE"
. . . daughter gives her credit card for charging
. . . they can split the room rate or one can pay
. . . effectively, mom has room #1111a
. . . effectively, daughter has room #1111b
. . . each has own accounts and own credit card
. . . each can take the default dollar limit or a different one
. . . only takes 5-10 minutes longer to check in

NOTE: The only glitch is that collective room charges are charged to the first person who checks into the room, In the above case, phone calls and room service would be charged to mom. Just a glitch in the system.


Can you do this with a family, say;
Parents having the credit card on their key, and put cash to back up the kids key card so they will have just a set amount to spend??

[GrumpyFan]

1) Yep.
2) This is such a seldom mentioned option.
3) Front Desk CM's are not formally trained on it.
4) In fact, many managers don't even know about it.
5) Yet, it is something so many people want.
6) Instead, the guest is told, "Sorry, only one credit card per room.".

Meaning, you could have a hard time getting them to do it for you.

[TheRustyScupper]

Can you do this with a family, say;
Parents having the credit card on their key, and put cash to back up the kids key card so they will have just a set amount to spend??

1) Yes, you can.
2) Again, ask for a "SHARE" when checking-in.

[ToDisney]

Thanks, this could work out pretty good if I can get someone who know about a "SHARE"

And if my DH trust my son to keep up with his room key.

[TheRustyScupper]

Thanks, this could work out pretty good if I can get someone who know about a "SHARE"

1) If they do not, ask for a manager.
2) If he/she doesn't know, ask them to read the Front Desk Procedure manual.

[NJRRK]

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).

This ONLY applies if you use Express Checkout. If you don't use Express Checkout, nothing will be charged to your account until you checkout.