Two money related questions... First, is it reasonable for me to assume that I can use my debit card most places in the park? Second, being there for 4 nights and 5 days, (with 2 kids under 6, and 2 adults) how much should I budget for souvenirs?
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- Thread starter ToddfromCanada
- Start date
As long as your debit card has a Visa or M/C logo you are good to go all over WDW.
OswaldTheRabbit
Well-Known Member
Yes you can use your debit card easily if it can act as a CC.
Souvenirs is a whole other topic
. I could spend a ton every time I am there. I go a little crazy when we are there! I guess it depends what you are willing to spend. Some people get their kids giftcards (say for a birthday or Christmas) and then they can use it and when it is gone it is gone. Others set a limit. We honestly spend a couple hundred easily but again I do it up and we don't buy much during the year!
You will have a blast! Your kids are a perfect age for a Disney trip!
Souvenirs is a whole other topic
. I could spend a ton every time I am there. I go a little crazy when we are there! I guess it depends what you are willing to spend. Some people get their kids giftcards (say for a birthday or Christmas) and then they can use it and when it is gone it is gone. Others set a limit. We honestly spend a couple hundred easily but again I do it up and we don't buy much during the year!You will have a blast! Your kids are a perfect age for a Disney trip!
Monty
Brilliant...and Canadian
- In the Parks
- No
A standard Canadian bank debit card won't work for payments in WDW. As Richard said above, if you have a Visa or Master Card debit card it will work.
EDIT: Did a quick look and apparently most, if not all, Canadian banks now routinely issue Visa debit cards rather than the old Interac card that I still have... I should get out more!
The budget for souvenirs is a little more complicated...
It really depend on what your expectations are. When I go I'm usually there for 7 or 8 days and can spend upwards of $2,000 on golf shirts, T-shirts, Lego kits for my son and various fridge magnets and occasional pins. I might buy a plush toy or something else to bring back for friends' kids and a box of chocolates for my ex-wife.
There's no limit to what you can spend other than the depth of your bank account [or perhaps willingness to go into debt]. Realistically, you can budget to get each child one nice keepsake for under $30 and leave it at that.
EDIT: Did a quick look and apparently most, if not all, Canadian banks now routinely issue Visa debit cards rather than the old Interac card that I still have... I should get out more!
The budget for souvenirs is a little more complicated...
It really depend on what your expectations are. When I go I'm usually there for 7 or 8 days and can spend upwards of $2,000 on golf shirts, T-shirts, Lego kits for my son and various fridge magnets and occasional pins. I might buy a plush toy or something else to bring back for friends' kids and a box of chocolates for my ex-wife.
There's no limit to what you can spend other than the depth of your bank account [or perhaps willingness to go into debt]. Realistically, you can budget to get each child one nice keepsake for under $30 and leave it at that.
rsoxguy
Well-Known Member
I believe that others have answered the debit card question sufficiently. As to the issue of a souvenir budget, I believe that this is an issue that is dependent on your desires as a parent, and your children's desires. ddbowdoin has answered according to perspective of an adult without children, and I completely understand his response. I, however, advise you as a parent to consider a bit more for the kids. Low quality merchandise is not so easily identifiable to children. They only know that they're at Disney World, and they're surrounded by seemingly "cool stuff". I would suggest that you set a budget for each child according to the balance in your bank account, and purchase accordingly. I have always found that budgeting according to that which I can afford to spend is far better than budgeting according to that which is available to purchase.
Vader2112
Well-Known Member
Plus Disney unlike soem hotels/resorts does not reqire you to place a card on the room.
mickey2008.1
Well-Known Member
For the budget, plan on around $150/kid. First, I have four and know a little bit about what they want. All want a tshirt, hat, and night light up things for the parades and fireworks. Then throw in the occasional pin or must have disney plush toy, and you hit the $150 mark. Anyway, have a great time, and if you can, over budget.
tracyandalex
Well-Known Member
We have a daughter who is 3 and we really don't spend very much on souvenirs. She usually gets a t-shirt ($25) and maybe a plush of some sort ($15) and sometimes a book ($10). Most of her Disney merchandise has come from Walmart or Target where it is cheaper/on sale or the Disney store online when they have a sale. For us the quality of the merchandise at WDW does not often warrant the price especially because she out grows the clothes so quickly and her tastes change so often. It is the same merchandise we can get elsewhere for cheaper. That being said if this is more of a "once in a lifetime" kind of trip we would probably spend more.
ExtinctJenn
Well-Known Member
To help answer the budget question let me tell you what we do...
We book our trip and pay it off. We save up money to afford the gas to/from (we drive) and food (unless we do DDP) and sourvenirs. Whatever we save, we spend every penny of. Under any other circumstance I agree with not going overboard but when you're at Disney... go nuts! When you're with kids, it's a lot different than visiting as adults. Instead of maybe just shirts and pins you'll end up with plush toys, hats, shoes, 100 other types of toys, buying every photo taken on rides, etc. etc. Just save up what you can and whatever you don't spend is a bonus.
We book our trip and pay it off. We save up money to afford the gas to/from (we drive) and food (unless we do DDP) and sourvenirs. Whatever we save, we spend every penny of. Under any other circumstance I agree with not going overboard but when you're at Disney... go nuts! When you're with kids, it's a lot different than visiting as adults. Instead of maybe just shirts and pins you'll end up with plush toys, hats, shoes, 100 other types of toys, buying every photo taken on rides, etc. etc. Just save up what you can and whatever you don't spend is a bonus.
Vader2112
Well-Known Member
Another tip is if they like a certain charecter buy some things at the Disney Store before you go. I do this then when we are leaving the room for the Park I tell the kids if they are good maybe Mickey will leave something in the room for you. When we are leaving I have them go out first with my wife. Then place the items on the beds they are sleeping on.
KCheatle
Well-Known Member
We've never had any issues using our debit card in the park. Typically, we spend around $700-800 total by the end of the trip on Souveniers, gratuity, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique ($150), and extra snacks. We have a family of 4 with a 6 yo and a 2 yo. I usually budget for $1000 just in case, but I don't ever hit that mark.
Edit: We usually go 7 days 6 nights or 8 days 7 nights. So our trip would be a bit longer than yours.
Edit: We usually go 7 days 6 nights or 8 days 7 nights. So our trip would be a bit longer than yours.
nngrendel
Well-Known Member
Can you use a Debit Card in the Amphitheater where they have Fantasmic?
A few years back I ran into a issue where Debit Cards were not taken at this location in Hollywood Studios.
I was trying to buy a hot dog and drink for my daughter at the time and found out they did not take debit cards. This has been a few years back though.
It has been a few years since I have been to Fantasmic! as well. From what I remember those vendors were cash only at the time. No idea if that is the way it currently is.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
I had trouble everywhere with my debit card. It was cash or credit card for me.
Buy some Disney trinkets at your local hypermarket. Mine always has Princess and Cars junk for like a dollar. And try to buy those glow-in-the-dark thingies before you go. They cost $240.95 in the parks, and you cant say no because your kids will really want them.
This way, you can keep merchandise expenses in check. Kids are bombarded constantly with Disney stuff in WDW and will want want want. All that management with retail backgrounds has turned WDW into a merchandise machine that no kid can resist.
Buy some Disney trinkets at your local hypermarket. Mine always has Princess and Cars junk for like a dollar. And try to buy those glow-in-the-dark thingies before you go. They cost $240.95 in the parks, and you cant say no because your kids will really want them.
This way, you can keep merchandise expenses in check. Kids are bombarded constantly with Disney stuff in WDW and will want want want. All that management with retail backgrounds has turned WDW into a merchandise machine that no kid can resist.
