Cash / credit / debit cards

[julielizabet]

I was thinking, regarding the Disney gift cards, that if you budget a certain amount for a particular purpose (say you know you're going to have a hotel balance of X amount, or you're definitely going to need X amount of souvenir dollars, snack funds, or even restaurant money), you may as well get the Disney gift card. They, and the Disney Dollars, are also nice for kids who you want to have a sense of responsibility regarding their souvenirs. Cuts down on the begging.

[weepstah]

@juliwlizabet,

I think we're on the same path here - hopefully not the path to bankruptcy! I definitely do think the the Disney Dollars have a place, but I wouldn't use them as my central repository. I want my sons to spend some money at the park, to get a few things that reminds them of the trip and hopefully become treasured souvenirs. And if they feel like a snack, it gives them the authority to get what they like. I suppose you could do that with US currency, but the 'spend it or else' nature of the Disney dollars would definitely encourage them to not hold back. I'm not trying to make them into big time shoppers, I'm looking to make memories.

I'm not so sure about the hotel balance or food money (if not on a DDP). I suppose if we were there with a dining plan it would work for me for leaving tips and picking up incidentals.

Otherwise the cost of dining and/or the hotel bill is where I'd want to leave my options open. I'd plan for about how much I think it would be, but it's just an estimate. I don't really want to find out that I over-estimated and have a big surplus of funds I can only spend at Disney. I also want to have some kind of reminder that I am spending real money - not that I want to spend much time thinking about that! But if I'm going to put the whole money thing out of my head while I'm there, I need a circuit breaker to kick in if it's spiraling way over the budget.

[julielizabet]

me, neither. but it's another option. last time i used the prepaid cards as my main money source. i'd definitely do it again.

as i recall w/the disney gift cards, i don't think they have endless limits, although i could be wrong. i think once upon a time you could only get them for up to around $100, but that may not be true anymore. i personally do not want my kids carrying around cash. i don't carry cash myself. my oldest, who's 8, MAY be responsible enough in a yr to carry the gift card, but i doubt it. i'd probably carry it for him.

what i don't like about many prepaid cards is that there are additional expenses, like activation fees, that you have to look out for. everything has a downs side i guess, but for me the disentanglement from our regular bank accounts was worth it, so i bit the bullet.