topic Re: Using a card at disney parks in Credit Cards

Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 23:45:29 GMT

OK this may be a terribly worded question but i am going to try my hardest! LOL

So I have a disney vacation coming up in a couple weeks for my honeymoon. We are staying at the resorts so we get the oppurtunity to use a "Magic Band" for access around the park. I can link my card to it as well so I don't have to carry things with me. Does anybody know if i link the card will it process a charge everytime i buy something or is it going to basically just batch the whole thing at once as a giant purchase at the end? I am asking this for rewards purposes. Do you guys have any idea how those purchases will code as well? Thanks guys!!

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Cred4All — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 23:51:53 GMT

I'm a Disney fan myself, and my experience has been that charges to your MagicBands are not charged to the credit card immediately. If that in fact was the case, it would cost Disney a significant chunk in transaction fees. Instead, they let your charge balance build up to a certain threshold (Last I knew) - $500 for Value resorts, $1000 for Moderates, and $1500 for Deluxes.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:00:17 GMT

ok thats what i was worried about. so it looks like i am going to be carrying cards in the parks lol. Discover 5% on restaurants with my match for the first year is going to be good to pass up.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Cred4All — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:01:33 GMT

I agree, smart move. We usually eat a good # of fancy dinners, some not included on the plan, and you can bet that I don't use my magic band for those... rather I gladly hand over a card .

Re: Using a card at disney parks

K-in-Boston — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:04:02 GMT

Disney should code as Entertainment - Theme Parks unless it's being charged as part of a room package, in which case it should be Travel - Lodging. Using Citi Premier as an example, the former would be 2x and the latter would be 3x.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:05:25 GMT

K, Will it code like that for all purchases in the parks? Even at restaurants? Or are you saying if i used the band for everything thats how the total transaction would code?

Re: Using a card at disney parks

K-in-Boston — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:13:06 GMT

I don't know exactly how the band itself codes. The individual purchases at restaurants wouldn't code as restaurants if you used the band, unless all purchases on the band code as restaurants. I used Amex throughout Disneyland Paris this year and didn't pay attention to how the individual charges coded; of course things may be quite different in Florida than France anyway.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 00:15:50 GMT

Thats fair. Looks like i'm going to go with rather safe then sorry. At restaurants looks like they're getting my physical card. Thanks K!

Re: Using a card at disney parks

acciofirebolt — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 01:59:34 GMT

I was at Disney World a few months ago, I didn't use my Discover there but I did use my Amex and Marvel card at the restruants in addition to my magic band. I ate at dine in and quick service restruants and all were coded as restruants. My magic band purchases was coded under Travel (on Amex), I used it at restruants and at stores when I didn't have my wallet with me .

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Cred4All — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 11:00:41 GMT

@acciofirebolt wrote:
I was at Disney World a few months ago, I didn't use my Discover there but I did use my Amex and Marvel card at the restruants in addition to my magic band. I ate at dine in and quick service restruants and all were coded as restruants. My magic band purchases was coded under Travel (on Amex), I used it at restruants and at stores when I didn't have my wallet with me .

That's news depending on the card you use. In the case of the CSR for example that's 3x for Dining or Travel if I'm not mistaken. Great info.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

SwarthyOgre — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:04:49 GMT

I'm glad the OP started this thread as I myself and heading to DW in a week and was trying to figure what cards to bring for what purpose.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 19:16:32 GMT

Agreed. Somethig I never considered was how shops inside Disney coded, and what card would be better used there. Seems the CSP would be the optimal choice as it covers Resturants and travel, with the AAdvantage as a secondary.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 22:17:10 GMT

2 other good choices are:

Costco Visa - 3% back on dining and travel

Marvel Mastercard -3% cash back on dining and Entertainment including amusement parks

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Sep 2018 23:48:41 GMT

Capital one Savor would be a perfect choice if you are grandfathered in. 4% on dining AND entertainment is hard to beat as far as cash back goes. You don’t have to worry bout how it codes either since you would almost certainly get 4% regardless at Disney.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

SunriseEarth — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 10:07:50 GMT

I just used my cards when I was at WDW, but I'll often use Apple Pay at Disneyland in California (where I live).

For both WDW and DLR, restaurants in the parks and resorts will code as dining, whether table service or quick service, including carts. Because Discover is currently 5% dining, I mainly used that at WDW (except in cases where my Disney Visa got me a discount). However, I usually use my Uber Visa for dining at Disney.

As for odd coding, when I was at Epcot, the gift shop in Morocco came through with a restaurant MCC when I used my Disney Visa. Had I know that, I would have used my Discover there!

Re: Using a card at disney parks

Cred4All — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 11:04:45 GMT

With all of these great data points, I've never been as excited to spend more hard earned income than this winter going to Disney World again. Thanks for the info thus far folks.. I too am glad the OP started this thread.

Re: Using a card at disney parks

SomewhereIn505 — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 20:43:49 GMT

I think OP mentioned honeymoon?!?!?

If so, I'm wonering if your spouse can put 1 card (like a restaurant card) on that band and a different card on your band?!?!

Re: Using a card at disney parks

QuakerOatmeal — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 21:09:42 GMT

Just an FYI, Bank of America coded my spending at Disney and Universal as Travel!
(2 points per dollar on their Premium Rewards card , 3.5 if you're platinum honors )

Next time I go (in January), I will most definitely bring my Disney Visa for that 10% off at certain Disney restaurants.

Disney is expensive and any discount here or there helps!

Re: Using a card at disney parks

acciofirebolt — Thu, 06 Sep 2018 22:53:29 GMT

This is kind of a side topic but for those who plan to visit Universal Orlando and Disney World at the same time, the restruants inside Universal Studios also codes as restruants (I ate at Three Broomsticks and Hogshead, I'm not sure about the others). They also have offers for Amex card holders, before you buy tickets check out the app and see if any of the offers would work for you.