Originally Posted By pixiedust1 We no longer use our key card to charge anymore. We try to keep our spending down when we are at Disney.. I was just wondering how everyone else controls their spending habits (Addiction) when visiting WDW.. If they can.. The key card made it just a little to easy to buy, and you forget that it's real money that you're spending..
Originally Posted By BlazesOfFire I thought there was a limit of $500, but when it comes down to it, to me, $500 is a lot. We like to use our room key but you just need to keep track, just like you would your debit/credit card. I only like to carry a little bit of cash with me when I go to Disney just for drinks and snacks, but use my debit for other things, so it doesnt make a huge difference to me if I have my room key for charging or not.
Originally Posted By crazyformickey When I'm in WDW I buy travlers checks. I get around $500 that is my spending money for whatever. When the money is gone I'm done. If I used my credit/debit card I could really get into big trouble
Originally Posted By FenwayGirl We use travelers checks as well. I bring a set amount intot the parks with us everyday...That way we only spend what we have in hand.
Originally Posted By mouse of the south We also use travelers checks. I save for a year and have everything paid before we leave home. I charge the trip on my disney credit card, and pay the balance the day the bill comes in, we already have 200.00 disney dollars credits on our card. We call our trips to disney "Are Trump Vacations", its the only time we don't look at prices.
Originally Posted By Coachbagfanatic1 I like the convenience of using the room key as I do not like to carry a lot of cash nor do I take my credit cards except one, only to put it on the reservation and then it is locked up in the room safe.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>We try to keep our spending down when we are at Disney..<< Just buying tickets to WDW will set you back big time...so why even bother going?? But I am curious... what do you do to keep expenses down per se? Avoid eating, drinking, buying some souvenirs??? I mean...even the simplest of things at WDW is pricey.
Originally Posted By pixiedust1 <<Just buying tickets to WDW will set you back big time...so why even bother going?? But I am curious... what do you do to keep expenses down per se? Avoid eating, drinking, buying some souvenirs??? I mean...even the simplest of things at WDW is pricey.>> Well you know us ex-NY's... we have to save our money for cans of spray paint... have you seen the cost of a good can of spray paint lately.. anyway.. we pack bread and water from the day old store... plus any handouts we can get on 192.. those dumb tourists (you the ones) they will give you money is you beg for it... There are times that we dont eat for days.. we even park are car with the hood up (oops we broke down) just outside of the park entrance, as not to pay for parking.. and we just walk in... ; ).. I want to thank you for pointing that out for us... ; )
Originally Posted By TDLFAN Funny.. seems like the price of spray paint is not detering any transplanted NYers from spray painting all over our nice neighborhoods, which is the reason why we now pay higher resident association fees... to clean up and repaint over their messes.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 No $500 limit as far as I know-- I'll have to check my stuff from last time but I want to say the spending limit ( remember you put your credit card down against to back) - I believe was either $2000 or $2500....... As for me spending less, it has happened naturally as the level of quality collectibles and unique items like the watches on Main Street have dwindled-- so has my spending. They use to have outstanding customer leather jackets ( I am a sucker for jackets - and living in Chicago use them many months of the year) - I have an excellent brushed leather jacket with great stitching from Tomorrowland, one from Club 33, and about 8 others -- the last one was $325 I believe....but tell me when you see that stuff anymore ? I have bought the Bob Olszewski Cinderalla Castle and he will be doing other pieces for WDW as soon as he is done with DL........but gone are people like Rom Lee ( excellent piece on GTMRR - about $1700 ) - etc... I spend more money now on sit down restaurants than souvenirs --although I but most anything from OKW also.
Originally Posted By Labuda "No $500 limit as far as I know-- I'll have to check my stuff from last time but I want to say the spending limit ( remember you put your credit card down against to back) - I believe was either $2000 or $2500......." The limit is basedx o what type of hotel you're staying at. $500 for the values, $1000 for mods, ad I don't recall what it was when we stayed at a deluxe, but I believe it was higher tha the $1000 limit we get at moderates.
Originally Posted By Labuda Yeah, I figure DVC members get the biggest limit since y'all are already into Disney for a good amout of money.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom During my last visit to WDW, I had charging privleges on my room key. I thought this would be a convience and I could leave my drivers liscence and credit cards back in the room safe. However, every time I tried using my room key to charge with while on Disney property I was being photo IDed ( perhaps some new policy ? ). Since I already have a photo on my American Express, I ended up just brining my room key ( I had tickets to the world ), credit cards, cash and drivers liscence on me all the time. If Disney wants a photo ID when you are charging then why don't they take a photo of you and put it on your room key? The technology is cheap and already exists. It would be darn handy with all the wet rides being able to leave your drivers liscence and credit cards back in the resort room safe.
Originally Posted By pixiedust1 <<TDLFAN Sun 5/7/2006 2:01p Funny.. seems like the price of spray paint is not detering any transplanted NYers from spray painting all over our nice neighborhoods, which is the reason why we now pay higher resident association fees... to clean up and repaint over their messes.>> I missed your place... hmmm can you give your address...
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun Add me to the list of traveler check users. We take a set anoumt of Money to the park each day and leave the rest behind. To save during the trip, we usually only but 2 or 3 meals for the 4 of us to share. The kids are too excited to eat much and within a couple hours it's time for ice cream anyway.
Originally Posted By t1lersm0m <<Just buying tickets to WDW will set you back big time...so why even bother going?? But I am curious... what do you do to keep expenses down per se? Avoid eating, drinking, buying some souvenirs??? I mean...even the simplest of things at WDW is pricey. >> It's funny, but I personally have my priorities. Things I did in the past to keep cost down on a trip to WDW were: drive rather than fly. The price of gas was much less the last time we drove (August 2004) so that cut down big time. Since we had a car, we usually ate off property. When I was growing up, my parents didn't have a lot of money. We NEVER stayed on-site. We usually stayed in a cheap hotel like a Days Inn, we would eat at breakfast off-site, get to the park, have a light lunch, and then leave to eat dinner off-site. The price of getting into WDW can't usually be changed. I mean yeah, there is a big difference between a 1 day ticket and 10 day ticket, but in years past it was around $50 to get in each day, and there was no way to cut down that price. So families who dont make a lot of money can find other ways to cut costs on a trip to WDW so they can afford that $50/day ticket. (now $63/day, but much cheaper per day if you get a 7 or 10 day pass that expires)
Originally Posted By sun-n-fun I agree. We have found that a lot of little money savers can add up and you can still enjoy the magic of Disney and have a great time.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom Things that I have done to save money include; driving instead of flying ( I'm only a 7-8 hour pleasant drive away). I have an large electric cooler that I can plug in to the car as well as bring into the resort room. Oh course now Disney provides refrigirators in each room for free. I would bring down muffins, cheese and crackers, my Brita water pitcher with filter. Typically, I bring small snacking things to eat into the park such as snack mixes, cheese and crackers and my own water bottle. Typically I only enjoy a meal at a sit down restaurant a day. Each day I will decide a different meal and different place to eat. There are some reasonable places on property to eat Mickey waffles and things like that if you know where to look.
Originally Posted By Kennesaw Tom On one week long trip, myself and my party drove, stayed off property, brought our own food and managed to save $1,200. I used this money to buy a new fridge when I got home.
