News Disney to pilot electronic-only transactions at its resort hotels

[Jahona]

This is exactly why Disney wants cash-less transactions as much as possible. If you don't know/keep track of your spending and only get the final bill, well, it's too late to cut back at that point.

Latest version of the MDE app allows you to see purchases made on the MagicBand.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

any cash business can, and usually does to some degree, slip money under the table. Its simple really. you hand me cash for your dinner/service/product. I put said cash in my pocket and just never record the sale. Its really easy with a restaurant as there is not much in the way of inventory to track. How are they going to prove you sold that steak? Maybe you just threw it out because it went bad? Or the customer didn't like it so you gave them another one. Or it got dropped on the floor. Its not like there is any evidence left that the customer ate it, or at least not any anyone is going to want to look at.

I understand the concept...it just seems low rent/pointless for restaurants...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Actually we use a combination of cash, magic bands, and credit cards. On our last trip to Disney I received a bill that was three times what our actual card charges were. It seems someone else had the same last 4 digits in their credit card-at least that was the explanation. It took 3 months-countless phone calls-some consternation-to get it all straightened out.
Never had that problem with cash transactions.

Oh don't disagree...disney billing is awful. I used to work with/manage that type.

 

[nickys]

What has ‘foreigner’ got to do with anything about this? I can use my Visa, MasterCard or American Express anywhere in the world that they operate, which is most countries. And think about, when Americans come up to Canada you are the foreigners and have no problems using your cards up here.

The exchange rates are things you always have to factor in when travelling internationally, regardless of your nationality. So nothing new here. Have done it every trip to Disney and elsewhere. I don’t see any new issue.

So you want a Mickey bar. Cost is say $3. Present a credit card and you're hit with a transaction fee of 3% or a minimum of $5. If that's OK to you, then great. I don't think many people would pay $8 for an ice cream.

So a family comes to the parks for a day, brings $200 in cash. Then they find they cannot buy anything to eat. That's going to go down well. It is not that uncommon.

Amongst overseas visitors, the vast majority (95% and more) stay offsite. Their only choice would be to use a card. I use a currency card, which I load from my bank account. The transaction fees are therefore based on how much I load, not each time I use the card. But not everyone has them.

There is no way they could go completely cashless in the parks. And I have seen @peter11435 's post suggesting they might.

Here's the First likely scenario. Family turn up to Boma, have their meal, and present CM with cash. I bet you anything the CM will find a way to accept this if they have no card on them!

More likely this could happen at The Mara. Having gone to AKL to look around, they decide to head to the Mara, where order their pizzas, pick up drinks and zebra domes, go to the till and get out cash to pay. Now what?

I wouldn't like to be a CM at AKL when this first comes into effect.

 

[peter11435]

So you want a Mickey bar. Cost is say $3. Present a credit card and you're hit with a transaction fee of 3% or a minimum of $5. If that's OK to you, then great. I don't think many people would pay $8 for an ice cream.

So a family comes to the parks for a day, brings $200 in cash. Then they find they cannot buy anything to eat. That's going to go down well. It is not that uncommon.

Amongst overseas visitors, the vast majority (95% and more) stay offsite. Their only choice would be to use a card. I use a currency card, which I load from my bank account. The transaction fees are therefore based on how much I load, not each time I use the card. But not everyone has them.

There is no way they could go completely cashless in the parks. And I have seen @peter11435 's post suggesting they might.

Here's the First likely scenario. Family turn up to Boma, have their meal, and present CM with cash. I bet you anything the CM will find a way to accept this if they have no card on them!

More likely this could happen at The Mara. Having gone to AKL to look around, they decide to head to the Mara, where order their pizzas, pick up drinks and zebra domes, go to the till and get out cash to pay. Now what?

I wouldn't like to be a CM at AKL when this first comes into effect.

I was never suggesting they might go cashless at the parks. I don’t believe that will happen any time in the foreseeable future. I was just pointing out that at this point it’s a test at one Resort and we don’t know what their ultimate goals are here.

 

[Polydweller]

The impact is they will have cash taken away from them as a per transaction option. No longer can they give suzzie a 20 and sent her to the qsr counter. No longer will any party member be able to pay w/o a mickeyband if they don't have a credit card. If they had opposition to using the purchasing with mickeybands this will push them towards it.

No all international credit cards handle fees and costs the same. Not every member of a party carries a credit card at all times.

This will push people to use magic bands- or try to ration themselves with gift cards,etc

Many people are still opposed to using credit on all purchases for their own reasoning

Not a new impacts. Travelling internationally always have had to work that out.

 

[nickys]

I was never suggesting they might go cashless at the parks. I don’t believe that will happen any time in the foreseeable future. I was just pointing out that at this point it’s a test at one Resort and we don’t know what their ultimate goals are here.

Sorry, my bad! I read through about 4 pages of replies and thought you had said you thought it was coming!

 

[nickys]

Not a new impacts. Travelling internationally always have had to work that out.

Yes, by taking out a reasonable amount of cash at a time, and using that for smallish transactions, whilst using a card for major expenses!

 

[mikejs78]

I was never suggesting they might go cashless at the parks. I don’t believe that will happen any time in the foreseeable future. I was just pointing out that at this point it’s a test at one Resort and we don’t know what their ultimate goals are here.

It will be in the parks eventually as we are heading to a cashless society. But it will be ~ a decade, I think, before that happens.

 

[Polydweller]

Post #9 is an example. Not everyone is coming from Canada.

Nope, not an example. Doesn’t change the planning every international traveller, regardless of country has to take into consideration. The trial policy doesn’t change that.

Oh, and when you Americans travel internationally you become the foreigners and have all the same things to consider. Being from Canada is a meaningless statement. Nationality doesn’t matter, you have to figure out what the implications are for travelling in the country you are visiting.

 

[nickys]

It will be in the parks eventually as we are heading to a cashless society. But it will be ~ a decade, I think, before that happens.

A place that attracts so many overseas visitors really has to be careful here.

As I say, what is the solution for a place that has so many small value transactions? It ain't going to look good when the first aid centres are inundated by dehydrated visitors because a bottle of water is effectively costing $10 each.

 

[nickys]

Nope, not an example. Doesn’t change the planning every international traveller, regardless of country has to take into consideration. The trial policy doesn’t change that.

Oh, and when you Americans travel internationally you become the foreigners and have all the same things to consider. Being from Canada is a meaningless statement. Nationality doesn’t matter, you have to figure out what the implications are for travelling in the country you are visiting.

OK? How do you pay for an ice cream at WDW? Serious question.

 

[MarkTwain]

Another basic resort amenity goes down the drain… add it to the list besides the kid's clubs and 24-hour room service as resort amenities removed just within the last few weeks.

It's true that many people only use cards for most of their transactions, but many others don't, and accepting cash at a major tourist destination is a pretty basic guest service.

Any chance Disney's attempt to reduce their overheads will be reflected in the nightly rates?

 

[Polydweller]

Yes, by taking out a reasonable amount of cash at a time

I hope you have no foreign transaction fee type card

That is a factor before the cashless trial. You determine what cards to use on your trip and plan your trip budget around those. Have always done that going to Disney and nothing has really changed about the planning and budget process.

 

[Polydweller]

OK? How do you pay for an ice cream at WDW? Serious question.

How would you think? Now cash and have always taken some and will continue to do so. If that became totally cashless, which I seriously doubt in the medium term, then cashless on the hotel bill via magic band. And I do that now for some items.

This is getting a bit silly. My point is that when you travel out of country, doesn’t matter to or from what country, you have to plan and budget for that country and destination. Nothing about this policy changes that and we are basically running around in circles on this issue. I’ll comment further one some definitive change to foreigners is shown.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Nope, not an example. Doesn’t change the planning every international traveller, regardless of country has to take into consideration. The trial policy doesn’t change that.

Oh, and when you Americans travel internationally you become the foreigners and have all the same things to consider. Being from Canada is a meaningless statement. Nationality doesn’t matter, you have to figure out what the implications are for travelling in the country you are visiting.

It is an example that directly counters your insistence to just use cards.

I don’t know why you’re strong all wound up by the term “foreigners.” What other term would you prefer? I doubt @flynnibus is unaware that the term is relative and that Americans in other countries are foreigners. It is also a very common recommendation amongst Americans to use local cash and not cards when traveling abroad.

 

[lazyboy97o]

How would you think? Now cash and have always taken some and will continue to do so. If that became totally cashless, which I seriously doubt in the medium term, then cashless on the hotel bill via magic band. And I do that now for some items.

This is getting a bit silly. My point is that when you travel out of country, doesn’t matter to or from what country, you have to plan and budget for that country and destination. Nothing about this policy changes that and we are basically running around in circles on this issue. I’ll comment further one some definitive change to foreigners is shown.

This policy being widespread changes the planning. That was the whole point.

 

[jakeman]

More likely this could happen at The Mara. Having gone to AKL to look around, they decide to head to the Mara, where order their pizzas, pick up drinks and zebra domes, go to the till and get out cash to pay. Now what?

That inconvenience is your punishment for going to the craptastic Mara.

 

[nickys]

That inconvenience is your punishment for going to the craptastic Mara.

I think the variety is pretty good. And I'd resort hop to AKL just for zebra domes!

 

[peter11435]

That inconvenience is your punishment for going to the craptastic Mara.

There are a few good options.