Can you use Cash at Disney Orlando Now?

[Jkarrows]

I have heard so many stories but can someone who has just come back from Disney Orlando let me know if you could pay using the good old American dollar or was everywhere expecting you to pay via card?

Was told that some Disney restaurants are not taking cash as payment, is this all true or just another one of those made up stories.

Thanks all.

Just do not want to keep paying the card transaction fee as the dollar rate is so bad at the moment this will just add to the issue.

 

[PrinceRaki]

Yes you can

 

[Jkarrows]

Yes you can

Thank you, will make it so much easier to use cash.

 

[Jangles]

Thank you, will make it so much easier to use cash.

Have you thought about getting a Revolut card? It’s not a credit card, as it’s prepay, but there are no exchange charges or overseas transactions charges, and the exchange rate offered are excellent. You can also transfer money and hold it in various currencies, as you wish, so you can smooth out the exchange rates sometimes.

 

[csimon]

I have heard so many stories but can someone who has just come back from Disney Orlando let me know if you could pay using the good old American dollar or was everywhere expecting you to pay via card?

Was told that some Disney restaurants are not taking cash as payment, is this all true or just another one of those made up stories.

Thanks all.

Just do not want to keep paying the card transaction fee as the dollar rate is so bad at the moment this will just add to the issue.

You don't have to pay card transaction fees. For example, Halifax Clarity credit card has no fees and a near-perfect exchange rate. I've had one for years for overseas trips and online purchases in dollars or euros e.g. Bandcamp. Beware prepaid debit cards and other app-based currency exchange systems, they sometimes have fees or unfavourable rates for exchanging currency on weekends. You can still pay cash at Disney although a lot of other USA theme parks have gone cashless.

 

[deno]

Yes you can pay cash. In fact, they are excellent at it! They took every last penny of mine

 

[Jkarrows]

Have you thought about getting a Revolut card? It’s not a credit card, as it’s prepay, but there are no exchange charges or overseas transactions charges, and the exchange rate offered are excellent. You can also transfer money and hold it in various currencies, as you wish, so you can smooth out the exchange rates sometimes.

Is this card accepted in all places in the USA?

 

[Jkarrows]

You don't have to pay card transaction fees. For example, Halifax Clarity credit card has no fees and a near-perfect exchange rate. I've had one for years for overseas trips and online purchases in dollars or euros e.g. Bandcamp. Beware prepaid debit cards and other app-based currency exchange systems, they sometimes have fees or unfavourable rates for exchanging currency on weekends. You can still pay cash at Disney although a lot of other USA theme parks have gone cashless.

Thank you, So you only pay the exchange rate and no fee as most I have found charge an extra 2.5 to 3% per transaction.

 

[Jkarrows]

Yes you can pay cash. In fact, they are excellent at it! They took every last penny of mine

 

[Jangles]

Is this card accepted in all places in the USA?

Yes. I have found it very useful.

 

[csimon]

Thank you, So you only pay the exchange rate and no fee as most I have found charge an extra 2.5 to 3% per transaction.

Yep, that's correct. Check Money Saving Expert for a list of the fee-free debit and credit cards:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

Also pre-paid cards like Revolut (as I've mentioned, they're not always fee-free and possibly their exchange rates are not quite as good as Mastercard/Vias):

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/prepaid-travel-cards/

And general advice for exchanging money:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money/

 

[Jkarrows]

Yep, that's correct. Check Money Saving Expert for a list of the fee-free debit and credit cards:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/travel-credit-cards/

Also pre-paid cards like Revolut (as I've mentioned, they're not always fee-free and possibly their exchange rates are not quite as good as Mastercard/Vias):

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/prepaid-travel-cards/

And general advice for exchanging money:

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money/

Thank you.

 

[Plague]

There are two possibly significant difference between prepay card and credit card.

The prepay you obviously pay up front, whereas with CC you defer actually paying till (usually) weeks after the holiday. So difference cash flows.

With prepay you get the exchange rate at the time of loading it, which possibly gives you an element of control over it - you might only load it when you think the rate is favourable (or just less awful). With CC you'll pay the rate at the time of each transaction (or possibly the next day, depends on processing perhaps) with no control.

Edit. A debit card will presumably work like a credit card except no credit - it'll come off your account within a day or few.

 

[itf]

Have you thought about getting a Revolut card? It’s not a credit card, as it’s prepay, but there are no exchange charges or overseas transactions charges, and the exchange rate offered are excellent. You can also transfer money and hold it in various currencies, as you wish, so you can smooth out the exchange rates sometimes.

Chase is slightly better at the moment - 1% cashback for the first year, and every little helps at the current exchange rate.

 

[Jangles]

There are two possibly significant difference between prepay card and credit card.

The prepay you obviously pay up front, whereas with CC you defer actually paying till (usually) weeks after the holiday. So difference cash flows.

With prepay you get the exchange rate at the time of loading it, which possibly gives you an element of control over it - you might only load it when you think the rate is favourable (or just less awful). With CC you'll pay the rate at the time of each transaction (or possibly the next day, depends on processing perhaps) with no control.

Edit. A debit card will presumably work like a credit card except no credit - it'll come off your account within a day or few.

Actually, Revolut gives options. You can hold money in Sterling and change it into US$ (or any other currency) at anytime and I suppose play the market, but it will also covert instantly from money held in sterling, whenever you make a foreign transaction. If you hold funds in US$ it pays interest.
I had never heard of Revolut until my son spent a year in South America. It was useful because we could hold a joint vault and I could easily transfer funds to him, when he was running low. Young people like it because it has a ‘split bill’ option. It also has a physical and virtual cards, one of which is one time use only, so offers some extra security for internet purchases.
Monso has similar options.

 

[PrinceRaki]

You can also buy a disney gift card. It works like prepaid and you dont need to carry cash around

 

[Jkarrows]

You can also buy a disney gift card. It works like prepaid and you dont need to carry cash around

 

[jf256]

Just stating the obvious though that if you put too much on a disney gift card you can't get it back out in cash.. whereas at least with other pre paid options you can pay for something else.

 

[Jangles]

whereas at least with other pre paid options you can pay for something else.

Or, with Revolut, just withdraw the money/transfer to your bank account. Or change into whichever currency you need for your next holiday.

 

[MarkE83]

Cash is pretty much the worst option for UK based folk because nowhere that sells it gives a decent rate. Right now Tui rate is $1.11, Travelex is $1.10… Revolut prepaid card is $1.147. If you used a regular bank card, I’d wager that the better exchange rate + an overseas transaction fee is still better value than getting a rubbish rate for buying cash.