Question about paying for room and food and so on…

[Dave006]

When we arrive we will have a few hundred left to pay on our room at FQ.

You can call and pay off your remaining balance before you arrive. It you have a balance when you arrive it will be charged to your credit card on file.

Can I give the desk cash for our purchases on the account?

No but you can pay cash or use a Gift card every couple of days to clear any balance on your hotel folio. Some guests just make it part of their nightly routine to stop at the front desk and pay off any balance.

We plan on using mobile order so I thought this was the easiest way. If I’m missing something here, please let me know. if I’m making this complicated, please let me know. Thanks for any tips.

As I covered above you can use a Gift card much like a Credit or Debit card. Just takes one little extra step to cut / paste the number into the Mobile Order for something like the Note app.

Also some Guests consolidate Gift cards so that they only need to have 1 or 2 around and you can often purchase Disney gift cards at a discount.

You can learn all about how to use Disney gift cards here: https://www.disneygiftcard.com/

Dave

 

[Dug720]

You can use something like the Notes app and just cut / past the Gift Card number from a note into the Mobile Ordering App.

Once you do it a couple of times you will get the hang of it.

Dave

Ok, but you still cannot store it in MDE which is what had been suggested.

 

[Esmerelda]

I do appreciate all of the feedback and suggestions. I think Im going to use my debit card for food orders. If I have to go buy gift cards, that’s just adding more work to the equation. I plan to keep an eye daily on my card to be sure I’m not being overcharged. Thanks everyone!

 

[bsmcneil]

You can use something like the Notes app and just cut / past the Gift Card number from a note into the Mobile Ordering App.

Once you do it a couple of times you will get the hang of it.

Dave

I found this super easy (mostly because I had purchased a fair amount of gift cards using a card that gave me moderate cash back and so it felt like a good way to save some money.

Also to the person's point earlier - things purchased via magicbands do not immediately get charged to the credit card on file (I know because I ended up checking a couple of days in thinking they had been and they hadn't - so then I paid it off using my gift cards). Notably, I hadn't reached any of my daily limits (mostly I used my gift cards but there was a day I left them back in the safe and wasn't paying for something via the app - so, I just used my MB).

 

[bsmcneil]

You can call and pay off your remaining balance before you arrive. It you have a balance when you arrive it will be charged to your credit card on file.

No but you can pay cash or use a Gift card every couple of days to clear any balance on your hotel folio. Some guests just make it part of their nightly routine to stop at the front desk and pay off any balance.

As I covered above you can use a Gift card much like a Credit or Debit card. Just takes one little extra step to cut / paste the number into the Mobile Order for something like the Note app.

Also some Guests consolidate Gift cards so that they only need to have 1 or 2 around and you can often purchase Disney gift cards at a discount.

You can learn all about how to use Disney gift cards here: https://www.disneygiftcard.com/

Dave

This is true - but a couple of things I think it's important to note. If something happens and a refund is issued, it'll go back to the original gift card - so don't get rid of it/the info right away. (long story I short, I did just this and many months after I consolidated the cards, card 1 got a 150 dollar refund and I am so thankful I'm a pack rat, lol)

Also, since gift cards should be treated like cash, this is something to take into consideration. I had consolidated all of my cards but then felt really anxious walking around the parks carrying a gift card with a particularly high amount on it. Since I had brought the other physical card I had (which ended up having some on it), I felt way more comfortable carrying it around in the parks in case something happened and it was lost/stolen (then I'd be out 75 dollars vs. 450 - not ideal but way better than the alternative).

And then honestly, it was super annoying (as an introvert who doesn't like to talk about money) to use the large gift card. Frankly, I think 66-75% of the time, CMs would make a (really trivial - just not my style/comfort) comment about how I should take them to dinner or pick up the next person's bill when they saw the amount I had left on the GC. Like - it was fine but also I just didn't enjoy it.

I do wish you could link up MB/Gift Cards (and I understand the finite amount thing) because that would've been ideal. Second for me is the go to the front desk model, although that's not necessarily time you want to spend each trip (whether it's daily, every other day, etc). Maybe if there was a way to log-on and do it on my computer, etc - that would've been perfect. But for me, the system didn't quite line up as easily/perfectly as I would've liked (but ain't that the way, lol).

 

[Turksmom]

I usually have one or two large amount gift cards from purchasing discounted cards before leaving home. I take one with me on days that I have a table service meal, but otherwise they stay in the safe. I also have a wristband, festival gift card. I have an average daily spend on that one and I reload it at the gift shops as needed.
I'll generally use my credit or debit card directly for souvenir purchases. I'll also use the MB to grab a snack, but I don't use it enough to go over the initial deposit.
I was also one of those unlucky people(yeah- happens to me a lot) who was there when the new deposit rules were taking effect and they were really messing things up. On one trip I had 2 cards and my bank account frozen/cancelled for suspected fraud while I was there. I had one other credit card left to get 7 people through the week and home, so I gave a lot of thought to how not to have Disney mess things up.

 

[DVCjj]

Credit card or gift card. Any applicable discounts (AP/DVC) applied automatically.

Credit card can be stored in the app, but gift card number has to be typed in every time, which is pretty annoying.

Found typing in a gift card each time VERY annoying last week and our May trip. But I was determined to use the 5% off Target gift card so I did it each time (kinda gritting my teeth). I buy large gift cards so would last long.

 

[sarac87]

Have you considered a Visa gift card? Those have a lot of protections a credit card would have, and I would assume (but can’t confirm) you could link it to your MDE like a credit card. There are often deals through grocery stores or AAA to wave the activation fee.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I would assume (but can’t confirm) you could link it to your MDE like a credit card.

No. You can't book a rental car, hotel room, or anything of that nature with a prepaid card.

 

[bnf0522]

Thank you all very much for the tips! We also haven't been since 2019 and I was wondering how mobile ordering payment worked. This thread has been very helpful

 

[CarolynFH]

Found typing in a gift card each time VERY annoying last week and our May trip. But I was determined to use the 5% off Target gift card so I did it each time (kinda gritting my teeth). I buy large gift cards so would last long.

Next time, just save the GC number as a note on your phone, then copy and paste it into MDE each time you need it. Saves a lot of typing (and potential typos)!

 

[DVCjj]

Next time, just save the GC number as a note on your phone, then copy and paste it into MDE each time you need it. Saves a lot of typing (and potential typos)!

Next time, just save the GC number as a note on your phone, then copy and paste it into MDE each time you need it. Saves a lot of typing (and potential typos)!

Never thought of that. Duh THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Never thought of that. Duh THANK YOU SO MUCH!

RIGHT?!

 

[CarolynFH]

Never thought of that. Duh THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I learned that here on DISboards - just sharing the knowledge!

 

[DVCjj]

Sharing knowledge and information here makes a world of difference in our trips. Very grateful for everything gleaned.