Got an email from Disney I'm not sure I understand

[isabellea]

We are 99% cash-less at home and on vacation. Once my MIL paid us her cruise fare that I had paid for in advance cash. I kept it all in the safe and every evening I would go to the front desk and pay the charges we had put on our room with our MBs. No way I would carry hundreds of dollar on me or in a backpack (we once lost a backpack at MK and I was so happy there was no money or cards in it). If WDW was to become cash-less and my kids had money to spend I would simply keep a tab with them. I would make the purchase and they would reimburse me.

 

[AngiTN]

So how are they going to handle guests that aren’t staying there after they become a cashless resort? Lots of people go to AKL just to eat and shop.

I'm just going to take a stab in the dark but for the test this is going to only apply to guests staying at the resort, not to those visiting the restaurants or stores.

 

[DLgal]

So how are they going to handle guests that aren’t staying there after they become a cashless resort? Lots of people go to AKL just to eat and shop.

They are going to tell them to use a credit card, Disney gift card or Apple Pay/Google Pay.

This test will be applied to EVERYONE who visits this resort during the test phase. Not just resort guests.

 

[2kidsForMe]

I don't understand Disney's motivation for this. Am I missing something?

 

[DLgal]

I don't understand Disney's motivation for this. Am I missing something?

It can be a few things.

1. Less time required to balance cash register tills against receipts at the end of a shift.
2. Less chance of internal theft (CMs pocketing cash)
3. Lower fees negotiated with credit card companies for going cashless. Many card companies offer bonuses or incentives for businesses to go cash free because it translates to more money in fees for them

 

[Bree]

They are going to tell them to use a credit card, Disney gift card or Apple Pay/Google Pay.

This test will be applied to EVERYONE who visits this resort during the test phase. Not just resort guests.

That’s exactly the issue. What if the person doesn’t have any other form of payment? Are they going to start asking when you check in at Boma and Jiko what your form of payment will be? Are they going to tell cash guests too bad you can’t eat here if they only have cash? I know that’s a very small amount of guests, but it would still suck to be turned away.

 

[AngiTN]

They are going to tell them to use a credit card, Disney gift card or Apple Pay/Google Pay.

This test will be applied to EVERYONE who visits this resort during the test phase. Not just resort guests.

You are certain of this?

 

[AngiTN]

That’s exactly the issue. What if the person doesn’t have any other form of payment? Are they going to start asking when you check in at Boma and Jiko what your form of payment will be? Are they going to tell cash guests too bad you can’t eat here if they only have cash? I know that’s a very small amount of guests, but it would still suck to be turned away.

I'd have to doublecheck the hours but last time I stayed there the store closed before the restaurants did too, so I'm not sure how guests would convert cash to a gift card outside of the retail store hours

 

[Bree]

But they can’t use cash at AKL to purchase a gift card!

 

[rteetz]

I'm going with total opposite. I can't see how this will ever work. For all the reasons discussed here. No way can the entire property go cashless. No way. Though I stand to be wrong. I am every day. But as a person who never bets, I'd bet on them not adopting a totally cashless system.

With the amount of international travel I can't see them every going cashless across property.

 

[cruiser21]

Why wouldn't someone just take the cash they have planned to spend and just go buy a gift card with it? Or gift cards, as the case may be?
This whole thing seems puzzling to me.
My parents are both cash types, by choice. Though it's funny because growing up, my mother is the one that taught me to never carry more cash than I could afford to loose. Since I can't afford to loose any, I don't carry any. Some time along the way she changed and now does cash only. But she'd be ok with going to buy a gift card instead. And honestly, that just feels safer. I wish she'd do that anyway.

People should be able to pay however they want to pay. Why should you have to buy a gift card? I understand why they do this on a cruise ship, but at a hotel? Makes no sense and feels wrong. Another way for Disney to track your spending habits?

 

[AngiTN]

But they can’t use cash at AKL to purchase a gift card!

Based on the email in the first post they can take cash at the front desk so someone can. Maybe they are going to sell them now? Instead of the gift shop

 

[AngiTN]

People should be able to pay however they want to pay. Why should you have to buy a gift card? I understand why they do this on a cruise ship, but at a hotel? Makes no sense and feels wrong. Another way for Disney to track your spending habits?

Curious, Why do you understand doing it on a cruise ship but not a hotel?

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know why they're making a big production out of this and calling it a test. It isn't any different than what they were doing previously.

Of course it's different. Before, you could use cash to pay. Now they are "testing" NO cash. Very different.

Why wouldn't someone just take the cash they have planned to spend and just go buy a gift card with it? Or gift cards, as the case may be?

Can't do it at the resort, though...

We do not like to give our credit cards at restaurants. Too many opportunities for credit card fraud.

Which makes sense. And is a good reason to think about charging to the room if onsite; you enter it into the more-secure-than-handing-the-card-to-a-person-who-might-leave-your-sight website with online checkin, and then no CM touches the card or sees it after. And you have a PIN.

And please note that I rarely do room charging, but I can see that it's more secure than handing the card over.

Personally, I think it's dumb.

Agreed.

I do have to wonder though, do those who operate only with cash have no fears about loosing it?

I do have fears, and I have lost a significant amount of cash due to my own utter stupidity. Thankfully we were able to absorb it (just a few years prior we would't have been able to do so), so I've been able to focus on the lesson of "don't be stupid" LOL. I was carrying a wristlet as a wristlet (usually it went in my purse as a wallet) on the second of the month with all of our month's grocery budget in it AND a hefty movie theater giftcard we'd purchased to get extra gas rewards at Safeway. It was snowing (rare here) and my son and I took a 2 hour long walk through town. Got almost back home and I realized the wristlet was gone. Went all around again, nowhere to be found. Sigh. Had just renewed my drivers license and had to pay to get it replaced, etc etc etc. Such a pain. Now I know better than to do something out of the ordinary if you're carrying cash.

Only if you hit 50% early in your trip. For instance, if you have a 8 day trip, at AKL with a $2000 and charged $1500 by day 3, then they may run it early

I'm not sure there's any rhyme or reason to when they charge before one hits the mark.

 

[Amelia :)]

I don't understand Disney's motivation for this. Am I missing something?

I agree with all the reasons the above poster gave. But, I know it won’t apply to everybody, but generally, when you’re using cash, you spend less. You tend to only buy what you need, or what you have enough cash for. Speaking from personal experience, when you get into the habit of charging stuff to the room, or credit cards, you can lose track of how much you’re spending more easily, and I personally end up spending much more... which is good for Disney!

 

[bumbershoot]

Curious, Why do you understand doing it on a cruise ship but not a hotel?

Hard to get to a bank when at sea. And it's just the way cruises have been for years and years.

 

[rteetz]

I agree with all the reasons the above poster gave. But, I know it won’t apply to everybody, but generally, when you’re using cash, you spend less. You tend to only buy what you need, or what you have enough cash for. Speaking from personal experience, when you get into the habit of charging stuff to the room, or credit cards, you can lose track of how much you’re spending more easily, and I personally end up spending much more... which is good for Disney!

Disney has reported guests have been spending more since Magicbands were implemented likely due to the convenience of it.

 

[AngiTN]

Hard to get to a bank when at sea. And it's just the way cruises have been for years and years.

So it's just resisting change?
Not saying I agree with this, believe me.
Simply saying, I don't see why people are ok with cashless on a ship but not at a hotel. I wouldn't be ok with cashless either place, if I was a cash user.

 

[Amelia :)]

Disney has reported guests have been spending more since Magicbands were implemented likely due to the convenience of it.

Yep, I just lose my mind. A key-ring here, a pin there, a plush. If I had to really think about those purchases and pay cash most probably wouldn’t happen. They know what they’re doing!

 

[AngiTN]

Can't do it at the resort, though....

Yes, if you go back and read the email posted it does say you can provide cash at the resort. So they can take it at the front desk. And actually, this can be an improvement to those who want to put cash down, which they wouldn't take before.
Now, say you want to limit yourself to $1000 spending money. Give them $1000 cash, that's all you got. No credit card. Sort of set limit, no?