[Dana]

I have been saving for my Disney trip by purchasing Disney Dollars. I was told they are accepted anywhere in Disney. Does that include the restaurants? I know the snack carts accept cash only, but I was unsure about the restaurants. Any help is appreciated. Thanks

[ilvminnie]

Yep, restaurants, too. However, I thought the snack carts took them, too. I know they don't take plastic or your room card, but I thought at WDW Disney Dollars are just like cash. Anyone had specific experience?

My DD is turning 17 tomorrow & since we're going in Oct everyone is giving her Disney Dollars instead of boring old cash. She's sooooo excited! I hope we have room to bring home all the stuff she's planning on buying!!!

[Goofette]

Originally posted by ilvminnie
Yep, restaurants, too. However, I thought the snack carts took them, too. I know they don't take plastic or your room card, but I thought at WDW Disney Dollars are just like cash. Anyone had specific experience?

My DD is turning 17 tomorrow & since we're going in Oct everyone is giving her Disney Dollars instead of boring old cash. She's sooooo excited! I hope we have room to bring home all the stuff she's planning on buying!!!

Be sure to give your Daughter Warm Birthday wishes from us. That is a terrific idea. My daughter started saving for wdw a long time ago, so she had around 400.00 when we went. I should have got some Disney dollars for her, she would have been so excited. Most of what she saved was in "Coins" believe it or not. My fingers were so sore from having to roll coins for hours then I could barely lift it to trade it at the bank.

Dana, that may be what I have to do to make sure I save the money and not spend it. Do you know how it works if you don't use it all? Can you change it back to cash?

[ilvminnie]

Hey Goofette, I work PT at a credit union (& used to work at a bank). Check next time...they may very well have a machine that sorts & counts it all for you. I know we won't even take it rolled anymore...& it's sooo much easier on your fingers!!!

[Goofette]

Originally posted by ilvminnie
Hey Goofette, I work PT at a credit union (& used to work at a bank). Check next time...they may very well have a machine that sorts & counts it all for you. I know we won't even take it rolled anymore...& it's sooo much easier on your fingers!!!

Oh you're kidding? I should have checked, I didn't even know they had something like that. She has already started on another jar (one of the huge pickle jars) so I'll have to do that when it gets full.

[Dana]

I thought I read in the unofficial guide that you can change it back (disney dollars to cash). I could be mistaken. I am glad they all accept it. Was starting to worry. I have soooo many disney dollars. I purchase them every two weeks and throw out the reciept.. Ok I have no control with money and this is the only way I can be sure I wont spend it. LOL sad but true..... Mickey may know for sure on the exchange of disney dollars. In the end I should have half cash and half Disney dollars. Every time I spend Disney trip money I give myself a penalty and buy double what I spent in Disney Dollars...:laugh I need an accountant. Mickey.......any insight on this?

[mickey]

Disney used to accept any amount of Disney Dollars back in exchange for US dollars. They have changed that policy last Fall due to the fact that there were some people in Orlando that were taking advantage of Disney, and buying the Dollars from unsuspecting visitors. They will still exchange some DD, but not large amounts without a receipt. Dana, from now on, keep your receipt, and you shouldn't have any problem.

I would just make sure that you use your DD first, and then your cash second. You can pay your hotel bill with it, any Disney restaurant, shop or food cart. There are a couple of restaurants in Downtown Disney that don't accept them.

[Dana]

Thanks Mickey. I knew you would have the answers. I will spend the DD first. Thanks again.

[Goofette]

Originally posted by mickey
Disney used to accept any amount of Disney Dollars back in exchange for US dollars. They have changed that policy last Fall due to the fact that there were some people in Orlando that were taking advantage of Disney, and buying the Dollars from unsuspecting visitors.

Mickey, I'm probably going to show how naive I am, but why would people want to buy the dollars from unsuspecting visitors? I assume it was something crooked that they did, but what would they do with them, or I guess I should say, how would it work to their advantage?

[mickey]

Goofette, I went back and found the article. I believe the real reason they stopped doing this is fight against counterfits, though they don't mention it in the article.

Disney Dollars have dark side, some workers say
Posted March 11, 2002
By Robert Johnson | Sentinel Staff Writer

When Walt Disney Co. begin minting its own theme park currency in 1987, it put watermarks on every bill to prevent counterfeiting.

But that hasn't stopped what some Disney World employees see as a black market in the so-called "Disney Dollars" by profiteers.

"Some people buy up Disney Dollars for 80 cents apiece and bring them in here to exchange them one- for-one for real dollars," said a guest-services counter worker at Disney Marketplace last week. "We have had some people bring in several thousand dollars at a time, so we have stopped exchanging them."

That isn't the way Disney Dollars were originally envisioned by The Mouse's marketers. Sold at Disney resorts and parks, they're seen as cute promotions that encourage spending at the ubiquitous attraction stores. Many are taken out of circulation as souvenirs -- which Disney welcomes because each of those is just as good as a dollar spent.

Some Orlando area stores and other businesses buy them to give away as promotions to their own customers. For example, some time-share companies offer up to 100 Disney Dollars to prospective customers for sitting still through their one-hour sales pitches.

But now Disney's longtime promise to redeem unspent Disney Dollars has caused a flap with at least one International Drive businessman who accepts them as currency from tourists to whom he markets time-share units.

"We redeem them for cash," says John Ardizone, owner of A+ Marketing Inc., located next to Wet 'n Wild. He does that as a courtesy to earn customer loyalty and return business, he says.

For years, Ardizone has occasionally amassed 2,000 or 3,000 Disney Dollars and exchanged them for cash at a Disney Marketplace's guest services counter. But last month, Disney World spokesman Bob Jimenez confirmed, Ardizone's effort to redeem about 1,400 Disney Dollars -- featuring the image of Mickey Mouse on the $1 bill and Donald Duck on tens -- was rejected.

Even after Jimenez phoned a guest services supervisor to confirm that the original policy of one-for-one cash redemptions is still in effect, an Ardizone employee's exchange attempt was again rejected at the Disney counter.

"It's bizarre," said Jimenez, who said that neither word of problems with Disney Dollar exchanges nor talk of a black market had reached the Team Disney executive suites where his office is located.

So Jimenez phoned the Disney Marketplace guest services counter to reiterate the 15-year-old official theme park redemption policy on Disney Dollars, which were first issued at Disneyland in California.

Last week, after Jimenez's call to the counter, a supervisor there made an appointment for A+ Marketing to exchange Disney Dollars for $1,400 in cash. "With our sincere apologies," said Jimenez.

But what about the supposed black marketing and profiteering in Disney Dollars? Even if that's going on off Disney property, the theme park doesn't lose money on such transactions, Jimenez said. "Our policy has always been that they're worth a dollar to us -- in merchandise or cash."

Still, Bob Boyar, the A+ employee who exchanged the cash at Disney World, said a man who identified himself as a Disney security officer phoned his office later to ask how he obtained so many Disney Dollars.

Jimenez said he isn't sure why Disney security is inquiring about the dollars. "There's a point at which it doesn't seem worth the energy to chase this."

[Bathsheba]

We probably won't be going to WDW until sometime next year (2003), but I wanted to start giving my daughter DD as a reward for good grades. Will 2002 DD be accepted in 2003? It's been many years since my last visit to WDW and most of this stuff is new to me. I wanted to give my daughter (7yo) an opportunity to save some spending money for her first ever trip to WDW and thought this was the perfect idea. She can't spend it at Wal-Mart if it's DD!! Thanks for the info.

[Scanlonsgirl]

Bathsheba!! WELCOME TO DISNEY CENTRAL!

We always use DD! they are a great way to save money!
we get them when ever we have extra cash and get so much out of each check! This is the best way so I don't spend the money! I LOVE SHOPPING AND GOING TO THE SALON!

LISA :)

[Bathsheba]

Will 2002 DD be accepted in 2003?

Basically I'm trying to ask if I get my daughter DD today and don't go to WDW for a year or more, will the DD still be good? Do they have an expiration date or are they just like money and DD from 5 years ago are still good today? Thanks!

[mickey]

Originally posted by Bathsheba
Will 2002 DD be accepted in 2003?

Basically I'm trying to ask if I get my daughter DD today and don't go to WDW for a year or more, will the DD still be good? Do they have an expiration date or are they just like money and DD from 5 years ago are still good today? Thanks!

Bathsheba, welcome to DisneyCentral. Yes, past years dollars are good forever. That is a great way to get your daughter excited for your trip (as if you will need any help) and also a great way to save.

[Bathsheba]

Thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed to know. I'll have many more questions as time goes by. I'm as excited (maybe even more so) than my daughter is about our future trip to WDW. Again, thanks.