How much cash?

[GirlDreamer]

This is the first time we'll be using a credit card for our trip, but I feel like we should still bring at least a little cash just in case we need it anywhere. As far as I know, we're not doing anything we might need cash for as most places would accept credit card (or room charge in Disney) and we're planning to use uber for any journeys off property. We're going for 21 days, so any suggestions on how much cash to take?

 

[Mrs Doubtfire]

I'd take the maximum you are insured for. There's tolls, tips, snacks and perhaps as a back up if your card doesn't work.

I'm a cash type of person, I find it easier to budget each day.

 

[GirlDreamer]

We're not driving there, so tolls won't be a problem. I probably should have mentioned that we're on the dining plan as well, so even if we might have to get some snacks, we shouldn't need to get a lot, and we'll pay the tips on room charge that'll come out of the credit card. Maybe we'll need some cash in Universal for Universal Halloween Horror nights or something.

We're not really planning on using cash as I never know how much to bring. It's more of a back up just in case we have to pay for something where they don't take cards.

 

[dotdot35]

It is good to have some cash as back up, how much is something I always struggle with. However if we have a significant amount left towards the end of the holiday, we pay off the room charges before it gets taken off the credit card. I have been buying dollars bit by bit when the exchange rate was looking good, and seemed to have ended up with more cash than planned so I am already anticipating using it to pay room charges.

 

[Pooh's-Honey-Pot]

We usually take about $500, just because I would rather pay for odd things like an alcoholic drink, rather than get credit card charges for changing dollars to pounds. Thats for two adults. As someone else said, if it gets towards the end and we have some money left we go pay it off the room charges.

This time we are actually going to try take spending money for Premium Outlets etc as cash too, instead of credit card, again to try avoid fees. I'm tired of giving money away!

 

[saintrob]

We pay for everything on credit card so that we get the Virgin Atlantic airmiles but still take cash. We work on $500 per week but still end up bringing cash back. The bulk of our money is spent on taxis if we stay at Universal first so that we can't use the magical express. We may pay the odd tips in cash but that's about it.

 

[Just-Pete]

For my 2017 trips I decided to experiment with going Cashless, and have to say I was surprised by how well it worked. And now I just do it.

I stay off site, but I actually stay with friends who live in the area, so we would mostly drive together in their car. A few times if I was doing something without them I simply used Uber to get where I was going, or onto property where it was then fine with WDW transport.

Everywhere took card as payment, and obviously tipping now works fine on card in most venues. The only time I felt like I needed cash was for the porters at Port Canaveral who it seems to be generally accepted you tip cash to for handling your cases when you turn up for the cruise. In the end my friend handled that and I just bought the first round of cocktails once we had boarded.

It's worth pointing out of course it depends on your card setup etc, and on some other forums theres been a bit of (imho) old fashioned talk about the security of Travellers Cheques, and the flaws if you lose your card etc.

I use Monzo, which always offers the MasterCard Exchange Rate without any markups to customers. There's also the great functionality of the app, which means I could do instant transfers of money from my Halifax Current Account (also Using their app) and these could be smallish amounts or any size. So even if the card was lost or misused you had some element of control to what the damage would be. Plus Monzo (and some other cards like Revolout) have that great "Freeze" function where you can just temporarily lock a card (like when you're not certain you have lost it) and then unfreeze it when the panic is over and realise you left it the footwell of your friends car when you got carried away eating the Chick-Fill-A on the way back from Happily Ever After (based on real life events).

 

[GirlDreamer]

Both DH and me have credit cards that doesn't charge any fees to use abroad, so we won't incur any extra fees by using it. I hate paying more than I have to, so I wouldn't use the card if there were extra fees involved.

It is good to have some cash as back up, how much is something I always struggle with. However if we have a significant amount left towards the end of the holiday, we pay off the room charges before it gets taken off the credit card. I have been buying dollars bit by bit when the exchange rate was looking good, and seemed to have ended up with more cash than planned so I am already anticipating using it to pay room charges.

That's good advice, I'll have to remember that. As I don't think we'll need much cash, it's good to have a back up plan on how to spend it as I don't want to take any back home.

We usually take about $500, just because I would rather pay for odd things like an alcoholic drink, rather than get credit card charges for changing dollars to pounds. Thats for two adults. As someone else said, if it gets towards the end and we have some money left we go pay it off the room charges.

This time we are actually going to try take spending money for Premium Outlets etc as cash too, instead of credit card, again to try avoid fees. I'm tired of giving money away!

I was thinking of taking about $500 as well. I don't think we would need that much cash, but I'd rather not miss out on anything because I didn't have the foresight to bring any.

 

[Jon84]

We mostly use our Revolut Cards.

Ontop of as mentioned above I also take cash for Bell Services and Valet and using at Bars. Sometimes I don't wanna open a tab, I just want one drink and get out. If the bar is really busy it's sometimes easier just to get the bill and leave cash, rather than wait around for the slip to sign and tip.

 

[OldSchoolReasons]

I usually take £500 worth of dollars and then credit card the rest. We use the MasterCard Post Office Money card so there's no transaction fees.

This time we're gonna cut down to $250, I've started going cashless in other countries and it's such a good strategy as you don't get stuck with leftover dollars.

 

[KatyT1996]

I am taking $520 in cash then I have $1200 on a prepaid travelex card, I am only taking that much In cash because I may just need some cash on some days to buy drinks or snacks etc. we're not driving and we are planning to use the lynx bus services whilst there so ill probably come back with some money left over if I don't use it all on Christmas stuff hehe

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

I’m taking $650 in cash for 4 weeks, all staying on property. I thought that would be plenty, but now I’m thinking I may need more. I am hoping not to need it for anything except tips to porters etc. I hate having cash, as I feel like it disappears so fast, whereas I keep better control of it when I’m using a card.

 

[VailaTigger]

We were in WDW for two weeks last year, staying on site. I used my FairFx pre-paid dollars card (good exchange rates, no fees, can top up while there if you have the app or online access). Left my credit card details at check in just in case, but paid it off a couple of times before checking out with the FairFx card so the credit card wasn't touched. (I don't leave the FairFx card details in case of 'ring fencing'). Using the card or magic bands for charging or tipping was so easy.

Other than that, I took $50 in cash! A lot less than some of you. But it was plenty for tipping the DME driver, and mousekeeping, which is all we needed it for. ($3 per day for 3 of us in the room for mousekeeping, and $1 per case per trip for DME driver = $48) I got it all as single dollars, so no need to panic about not having change.

If we had needed more cash, I could have used my FairFx card at the ATMs in the resort lobby for a small fee (I think it's around $2 per withdrawal but it's a while since I used it at an ATM)

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

We were in WDW for two weeks last year, staying on site. I used my FairFx pre-paid dollars card (good exchange rates, no fees, can top up while there if you have the app or online access). Left my credit card details at check in just in case, but paid it off a couple of times before checking out with the FairFx card so the credit card wasn't touched. (I don't leave the FairFx card details in case of 'ring fencing'). Using the card or magic bands for charging or tipping was so easy.

Other than that, I took $50 in cash! A lot less than some of you. But it was plenty for tipping the DME driver, and mousekeeping, which is all we needed it for. ($3 per day for 3 of us in the room for mousekeeping, and $1 per case per trip for DME driver = $48) I got it all as single dollars, so no need to panic about not having change.

If we had needed more cash, I could have used my FairFx card at the ATMs in the resort lobby for a small fee (I think it's around $2 per withdrawal but it's a while since I used it at an ATM)

Would you mind telling me where you got $1 bills from? Did you have to order them specially? Thanks.

 

[Jon84]

Would you mind telling me where you got $1 bills from? Did you have to order them specially? Thanks.

Most Exchange places have $1 Bills?

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

Most Exchange places have $1 Bills?

Both Asda and another place told me that they couldn’t do them. I will keep looking.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

If you are only bringing cash for when you can't use the credit card, or charge to your room, I wouldn't bring $500. That, to me, seems like a huge amount.

My husband and I just came back from a short trip. Just 6 days.

We each had about $50 in cash. I came back with $35. He came back with $50. I paid for the tip for bell services and one tip at a lounge. Everything else went on the room and we used gift cards to pay off the room.

The only reason I see to bring a bunch of cash, is if you are paying for everything in cash. Or charging to the room, then paying off, in cash, the charges.

Oh, and we did a similar thing back in January. We had a 12 day trip. And we each had about $75. He came back with about $75. I had less because of a few tips that I left in cash.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

If you are only bringing cash for when you can't use the credit card, or charge to your room, I wouldn't bring $500. That, to me, seems like a huge amount.

My husband and I just came back from a short trip. Just 6 days.

We each had about $50 in cash. I came back with $35. He came back with $50. I paid for the tip for bell services and one tip at a lounge. Everything else went on the room and we used gift cards to pay off the room.

The only reason I see to bring a bunch of cash, is if you are paying for everything in cash. Or charging to the room, then paying off, in cash, the charges.

Oh, and we did a similar thing back in January. We had a 12 day trip. And we each had about $75. He came back with about $75. I had less because of a few tips that I left in cash.

This is helpful, thank you - I’m not the OP but I go in 2 weeks and am also trying to decide how much cash to bring. Did you use Uber/Lyft/Minnie Vans during your trip? Tips for ride sharing is where I’m imagining the vast majority of our cash will go.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

This is helpful, thank you - I’m not the OP but I go in 2 weeks and am also trying to decide how much cash to bring. Did you use Uber/Lyft/Minnie Vans during your trip? Tips for ride sharing is where I’m imagining the vast majority of our cash will go.

We did not. We used our own car for a couple of trips.

Is there a way to tip through the app? I do like to tip some people in cash, even when I can put it on the room. Bartenders are in that group. I don't know how you feel about ride share drivers.

 

[Tigger in a kilt]

We did not. We used our own car for a couple of trips.

Is there a way to tip through the app? I do like to tip some people in cash, even when I can put it on the room. Bartenders are in that group. I don't know how you feel about ride share drivers.

Thank you. I have never used ride sharing before, but I gather you can tip in the app, though I would prefer to tip in cash. I feel the same way about bartenders. We will work it out.