How Much Cash To Bring?

[CinderAriel]

I've never stayed on property before, but will for the first time in 31 days. If I understand correctly, my resort key card can be charged for the majority of purchases, correct? Specifically
food/restaurants,souvenirs, items in the gift shops, small food carts at the parks. Is this correct? Thanks!

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

Being able to charge to your room is one of the perks about staying on-site!

You can use your room key just about anywhere - for merchandise, for food, for snacks, even tips can be charged back to the room. We've only ever found one or two places (usually small outdoor carts) that don't have the ability to take room keys, but this has been really rare.

If you're planning on charging everything you can to the room, you'll only need a few dollars. We usually take $20 into the parks, just in case we need dollar or two, and bring almost all of it back with us each night.

[alaMode]

I usually end up bringing the same $20 bill back and forth during our stay! EVERYTHING goes on our KTTWs.

On our first visit I didn't have cash with me and DS wanted a balloon on Main Street. The vendor told me to charge it in Emporium and bring her the receipt. Worked like a charm, but after that I make sure to bring a little bit of cash, even though I almost never spend it!

I do bring cash to tip the DME drivers back and forth (DS uses a wheelchair and they are always so careful with it and with him!) and Mousekeeping every day. I bring the individual envelopes (a tip I learned from Intercot!) and leave one out each morning when we leave the room.

Enjoy your trip!!!

[PopPhan]

Being able to charge to your room is one of the perks about staying on-site!

You can use your room key just about anywhere - for merchandise, for food, for snacks, even tips can be charged back to the room. We've only ever found one or two places (usually small outdoor carts) that don't have the ability to take room keys, but this has been really rare.

If you're planning on charging everything you can to the room, you'll only need a few dollars. We usually take $20 into the parks, just in case we need dollar or two, and bring almost all of it back with us each night.

I completely agree with this statement.

One thing you must take into account, though, is that your credit card will be charged if you reach the "spending limit" for your level of resort - someone can clarify the actual amounts, but I believe they are $500 Value/$750 Moderate/$1000 Deluxe and above.

You can still charge to the room after those amounts are reached, but your card will be charged when, and as many times, as you reach that limit, so be careful with your spending!

[tinksmom02]

I completely agree with this statement.

One thing you must take into account, though, is that your credit card will be charged if you reach the "spending limit" for your level of resort - someone can clarify the actual amounts, but I believe they are $500 Value/$750 Moderate/$1000 Deluxe and above.

You can still charge to the room after those amounts are reached, but your card will be charged when, and as many times, as you reach that limit, so be careful with your spending!


I think it's $1000 for Mods and $1500 for Deluxe (don't know about Values), and if you get too close to that limit, they won't let you charge until the next day (after your credit card has been charged and the limit has been reset). Learned this the hard way last trip--I tried to buy a scarf at the Emporium and my KTTW card was "denied" until the next day.

[AllDisney]

We bring $40 a day to the parks, just in case. Most of the time we end up bringing it back with us at the end of the day. We basically charge our room with any expenses we may run into.

We tip the mousekeepers every morning before we leave for the day so we have small bills for that.

[gerald72]

I dont bring a dime with me into the parks.
The only time I ever needed cash was when my DS wanted coins to drive the little boats near Jungle Cruise.

[ransam]

Most of the time, i bring very little cash with me. when i leave for the airport to go to disney, i have a certain amount and that's all i use, mainly for airport tips, bus driver tips, etc....

[Mickey'sGirl]

Personally, I'm a cash girl. I have a set budget, and taking cash ensures that I stick to it. My budget is set before we leave our house (I have estimated our food costs, ice cream costs (Yes, Ice Cream is a budgetted item!) etc). Anything left is carried over to the next day, and if we don't have enough, then we do without. It works, and we make do without a lot of the trinketty souveniers that get tossed eventually, and impulse purchases do not happen. The kids also have a budget, and have learned to spend wisely. It works for us.

I recommend doing the math before you leave, it really works! :thumbsup:

[mudpuppysmom]

Personally, I'm a cash girl. I have a set budget, and taking cash ensures that I stick to it. My budget is set before we leave our house (I have estimated our food costs, ice cream costs (Yes, Ice Cream is a budgetted item!) etc). Anything left is carried over to the next day, and if we don't have enough, then we do without. It works, and we make do without a lot of the trinketty souveniers that get tossed eventually, and impulse purchases do not happen. The kids also have a budget, and have learned to spend wisely. It works for us.

I recommend doing the math before you leave, it really works! :thumbsup:

We are a cash family too....for the above mentioned reason -- you know exactly what you have in your pocket and you know what you have left.

I do the same thing-- I do a pretty good estimate of our meal costs (we don't budget ice cream though as that is a good behavior treat!). We have a souvie budget too.....my older DS is now 9 and he knows how much things cost and thinks about spending "his" money before he does it. Our younger DS, who is 2 doesn't have a clue what to expect as he was 6 months old the last time we were down! We also don't let kids buy gagety things as we all know where they end up often!

Cash system works well for us so I don't plan on changing our system.

[merlinmagic4]

I am trying a cash system for our trip. I budgeted the same amount per day and it will go into an envelope. If we have any leftover, it will go into the next day's envelope. It's kind of an incentive to limit spending to try and have more the next day :) Plus I will have only one transaction at an ATM each day instead of logging dozens of purchases in my checbook register (yes, I still use one)!