need help planning - 2012

[Dizzy_Oz]

This is my very forst post on DIS, so please be gentle.
And being an Aussie naturally I end up in the Aussie plannong section.

ADR = ?

WDW booklet?

And probably direct me to the 'start button' LOL.

See you all around the loops.

 

[austraveler]

Hi all
Just a quick note to say that POFQ is a great choice. We stayed there last April and lovedit. Make sure you wander down to the lobby in the evening as there is a great musician most nights. The rooms were nice, the staff were friendly, the grounds were lovely and the bus to downtown Disney was a treat.

Also for those that have not yet discovered it, the unofficial guide to WDW is an awesome read for Disney tragic planners. Pages and pages of information and stats coupled with a very funny sense of humor.

Welcome. Advance Dining Reservation. Not all that common for us but absolutely necessary when you go to WDW - especially if you have booked during a period when free dining is offered.

 

[battymum]

its overwhelming isnt it?

ADR = advanced dinner reservation
(you need to make these six months out,.... yes really! Most people count down until they are 180 days out, which is the magical day you can make your dinner reservations)

Not sure what a WDW booklet is.

I havent been yet either, but have been hanging around here for a while, so have learnt a lot.

Oh ....and welcome to the DIS!

 

[dabecs]

thanks everyone for all the great info

I hope by using a US travel agent they will be able to advise me if an AP is better value for when we are going..

At the moment I wish we had more spare money available to change into USD - the exchange rate is so good! I wonder how long it will stay that way?

 

[AussiePossum]

This is my very forst post on DIS, so please be gentle.
And being an Aussie naturally I end up in the Aussie plannong section.

ADR = ?

WDW booklet?

And probably direct me to the 'start button' LOL.

See you all around the loops.

Hi DizzyOz...

What I found helpful when I came across all the abbreviations (as a newbie I found them very confusing) is to look them up. There is a list of them on the Disboards.com forums and they are under the "First Time Visitors Section".

 

[Sugarglider]

hmmm.... may i ask where did you see "wdw booklet"? I've not seen that one before.

 

[dabecs]

Dizzy Oz - sorry I missed your post when I was replying to other posts..

The abbreviations can be very confusing when you first start - there are so many, including every hotel and park and ride!

I also don't know about a booklet - there is a planning dvd you can order in the USA (I bought mine off ebay quite cheaply). I did order one through the Aus Disney site but it was an old one. There are also many books available - but most of the info in them you will find on the Disboards!

I am only relatively new on here too and I will say everyone is really helpful and friendly and willing to answer any newbie question you might have

When are you thinking of travelling?

 

[dabecs]

I just went to the Post Office to change some currency - how good it felt to hand over $700AUD and be told that will equal $725USD!

How does everyone carry their 'money' while overseas? I am planning on taking most of our spending money in cash and possibly when at Disney I might change some into a gift card so I don't have to carry money in the parks (for tips, spending etc).

I am hoping to have $5000 in spending money and I was happy to get some changed over today while the rates are so good (and who knows how long this will last!) and also I can't spend it once it's US

 

[DVCAustralia]

Originally posted by dabecs
How does everyone carry their 'money' while overseas?

For Disney, travellers cheques are very useful as they have protection in case of loss, are easy to use, and give you cash change.
For larger sums the travel cards by Commonwealth (Mastercard) and ANZ (VISA) are good but try to load a large sum when you first buy it as there is no added commission for this amount.

 

[dabecs]

thanks, I have looked at a debit travel card but the one I looked at had a fee and the exchange rate wasn't great - I will have a look at CBA and ANZ (I think I looked at Amex).

I honestly didn't think people used travelers cheques anymore! I will have to look into them

 

[5ofus]

thanks, I have looked at a debit travel card but the one I looked at had a fee and the exchange rate wasn't great - I will have a look at CBA and ANZ (I think I looked at Amex).

I honestly didn't think people used travelers cheques anymore! I will have to look into them

I only use travelers cheques when I go to the Disney theme parks in the US. As mentioned above, Disney give change in cash which is really handy - saves using ATMs as well. I like the old-style security of having them.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

I've used the ANZ Travel Card twice now and found it really wonderful. I liked the convenience of being able to add money into the card online in the lead up to the trip as well as the convenience of a visa that was our own money.

When it comes time to book your trip I highly recommend Bob and Kimberly Hill at Mousetales Travel. Amazing people and they apply any new specials that come along even after you have booked and it doesn't cost anymore than booking directly with Disney to use them. They also got us AMAZING rooms, with awesome views.

 

[PrincessBelle39]

We use cash for our spending money. We did try the ANZ card as well as cash last time and had a bad experience with the card. We also found it wasn't accepted everywhere. There were a couple of shops at the factory outlets that we couldn't use it at and also got stuck trying to use it to pay for excess luggage at Orlando airport. I wont use it again after that. We've found that cash works best for us.

 

[Travel Mum]

We use cash for our spending money. We did try the ANZ card as well as cash last time and had a bad experience with the card. We also found it wasn't accepted everywhere. There were a couple of shops at the factory outlets that we couldn't use it at and also got stuck trying to use it to pay for excess luggage at Orlando airport. I wont use it again after that. We've found that cash works best for us.

If a shop wouldn't accept it (that is a worry), did you still have the option of going to a cashflow machine and withdrawing US$cash off the card? Or did you have to come home with US$ still on it because you couldn't use it?

 

[PrincessBelle39]

We ended up coming home with over $2000 left on it but not really because we couldn't use it everywhere. 10 days before coming home, we had spent more that we had expected, and transferred more onto the card by bpay. It took 9 days for the money to appear on the card, finally showing up on the morning of our last day. We had been planning to do most of our shopping in the last week so it was a mad rush around on the final morning to get a little shopping in. Some of the money we had transferred was to pay for our last few meals which we had to cancel because we didn't have enough money on the card until the money showed up. So all that money was left, plus the money for the shopping we didn't get done. Then of course we wouldn't use it in a couple of places. I lost over $400 transferring it back to AUD when we got back.

 

[Travel Mum]

Gosh, I think I'd better stop putting more $$ on my travel card!!! I have already got all the cash that I'd be insured to carry so, for any extra money we take, it sounds like we had better get travellers cheques

 

[Jade+3]

We have used a travel card once. I only tried to use it twice, and both times it was knocked back. Ended up withdrawing the cash at an ATM. We prepay what we can, use travellers cheques for Disney (always large denominations so we get plenty of change), take some cash, and rely on our credit card for incidentals.

 

[dabecs]

that would be awful to not be able to access your money! And then to loose so much transferring it back to AUD

It reminded me though that a few years ago my parents took an ANZ travelcard to Japan and couldn't use it anywhere they went - so they had to use their regular credit card and got hit with all the transaction fees etc..

We all assumed it was because they were in some less touristy areas but to hear it happened in the USA has put me off them

edited to say: just remembered my parents had a CBA card not ANZ

 

[Travel Mum]

Darn, darn, darn it because I've already put most of it on a (Kiwibank) travel card

 

[Toy Story]

Hi Dabecs, We used the CBA travel card in New York and at WDW with no problems.

While we could pay our hotel in New York using it, we could not leave the initial room deposit, as it did not have the raised lettering to take an imprint.

At WDW, if you are staying on property, put the money on your room card - than you only have to take very minimal cash into the park. We charged everything to our room. I checked in at concierge twice to check their balance was the same as my collected receipts.