I rarely use cash on vacation. I haven't used cash at all this whole trip. I do carry some cash just in case. A few years ago my banks credit system went down while I was at DL and I had no cash. Luckily it was only a few hours.
Honestly, I thought I remember hearing they were retiring Disney Dollars about 6 months ago. I guess the day has finally come. I have a one dollar note from the 50th, and I remember seeing something about them circa 2008, but I honestly haven't seen or heard anything about them in years. Similar to those under-promoted attractions that struggle with attendance, it seems like half the problem was that guests simply didn't know about them I also think that the overall reduction in cash purchases is a big factor here. I rarely use cash, unless I have no other options. DDs are fun for kids, but I imagine they're a hassle for adults, since it's basically just exchanging one currency for another for no real gain. Didn't they occasionally give DDs as change at one point? I seem to recall that being fairly common, but maybe we requested them to save ourselves an extra transaction I still think $2 bills are pretty cool. Heck, I have one in my wallet at this very moment that I got 2-3 years ago and haven't been able to part with it yet. Obviously they're not impossible to find, but it does make the money a little more fun (which I think was also part of the Disney Dollars program)
Counterfeiting is a good reason to stop, but since they are still going to accept Disney Dollars as payment, couldn't it still be a problem? What is to prevent a Frank Abagnale Jr.-type from rolling off fake bills to pay for a Mickey Mouse tee shirt or a Dole Whip? Anyway, I called the Disney Store. Apparently they stopped selling Disney Dollars years ago.
Nothing (if they're good at making fakes), but the very fact that so many of us Disney geeks were only half-aware they were still even a thing means that it wouldn't be as big a potential problem as it would be if they were still actively promoting them.
From the US Treasury: "As of April 30, 2007 there were $1,549,052,714 worth of $2 bills in circulation worldwide." My local credit union keeps $2 notes in stock and will order as many as a customer likes.
Jim Korkis reports that counterfeiting has never been a problem with Disney Dollars. https://www.mouseplanet.com/11421/The_Story_of_Disney_Dollars
It was obviously a concern, or they wouldn't have had to institute (and then upgrade) the anti-counterfeiting measures. As technology continues to make counterfeiting easier, the expense of upping it again might have figured into the decision. The US Treasury has had to do so multiple times as technology has advanced, but they sort of have no choice. That piece kind of blithely stated that counterfeiting was never a problem, but would they have admitted it if it was, given that it's still good to use? It also got other things wrong, such as "In November 1989, a $10 bill was added for both series featuring Minnie Mouse making her the first female to appear on paper currency used in the United States." - not true. Martha Washington previously appeared on US currency. Still, the primary reason I'm guessing they're discontinuing them is just the decline in the usage of cash in general. Most adults use plastic at the parks (I'm not sure if I used cash even once on my most recent trip). And if you're going to sell and use gift certificates (which is essentially what DD's were), the gift card is now the all-but-ubiquitous way to go. Certainly cheaper to produce, and easier to guard against counterfeiting as well.
I'm also not sure that we can really call Disney Dollars "currency". That seems like a stretch to me. They were really more like a clever way to have a gift certificate, right? It's not like you could trade them in at the currency exchange at the airport or use them in a vending machine (even at Disney)
Well yes, exactly. But if you're going to call them currency (as the author of the piece did), you might want to get your facts straight about actual currency.
That's true too. Pocahontas was depicted within a group scene of over 20 people; Martha Washington was the first woman honored as sort of a "solo act." There have also been other female figures (i.e. "justice," "liberty") that were not actual living women. New $20 bill to depict Harriet Tubman; 3rd woman ever on US paper money
