There are lots of times when you’ll need to whip out that credit card before and during your Disney World trip. (You’ll see proof of that on your credit card bills after your trip. 😳)
You’ve Got to Be PREPARED for Anything in Disney World
For starters, you’ve got to buy your park tickets to actually get in and experience the magic. Then, you’ve got to decide where you’re staying (unfortunately you can’t sleep in the Disney World theme parks 😂). And throughout your trip, you’ll need to pay for snacks, souvenirs, and much more. Your first thought may be to use your credit/debit card to pay for most or all of these things (and maybe you’ll rely on your MagicBand to pay since they can typically be connected to your credit card), but there are a few reasons why you should always carry multiple forms of payment with you. If you don’t, you may encounter a serious issue.
During one of our trips to Disney World a few years ago, the Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Company locations were struggling a little bit with taking a few forms of payment, specifically MagicBands and Disney Rewards.
While this is an issue we experienced back in 2022 (which was fairly quickly resolved), it is something that could potentially happen again and it’s something you NEED to be prepared for! 🚨
Joffrey’s Cart in EPCOT
When we encountered this payment problem in 2022, we spoke to Cast Members at a few Joffrey’s locations in the parks who shared that internet problems were causing their systems to go down frequently, rendering them unable to accept one or both of these forms of payment.
Joffrey’s is POPULAR!
You might have thought that linking your credit or debit card to your MagicBand meant you didn’t need to bring your actual credit card into the park, but that could cause some serious problems. If Joffrey’s (and/or any other spots in Disney World) experience a similar payment problem during your trip, you may not be able to grab the snacks/coffee you hoped to grab!
Start your park day off right with a fresh brew from Joffrey’s!
And this issue isn’t exclusive to Joffrey’s. We’ve seen other issues with Disney’s systems in the past. Back in 2022, we tried to buy a new pair of ears in Magic Kingdom and a Cast Member told us that they were only accepting cash at that time. We even tried to use the Mobile Checkout option but had no luck. Meanwhile, credit cards were being accepted without issue in EPCOT and Mobile Orders (for food) were able to go through without issue in Magic Kingdom. So it really can depend.
Snow White x Kate Spade Wallet
So..what’s the moral of the story here? While payment issues like these are on the rarer side in Disney World, they CAN and DO happen sometimes and you’ll want to be prepared.
Our recommendations?
First — be sure to bring your credit cards/debit cards with you. Don’t just plan to link one to your MagicBand and then leave it in the room. If for some reason there is an issue with accepting MagicBands as payment options, you’ll be in a difficult situation without that card.
©Disney
Second, we recommend carrying some cash (even if it’s just a little bit) with you. That way, if there are any payment problems and only cash ends up being accepted, at least you’ve got a small amount for whatever you need.
Third, remember that there are ATMs located around Disney World. You may need to pay some bank fees to pull out the cash you need, but that can be an option should you need it!
A little snack money
Fourth, know that these issues typically get resolved quickly. Later in the day, try to go back to the stores/locations that were having issues to see if the problems have been resolved.
Fifth, make sure the My Disney Experience app is downloaded to your mobile device, fully set up (with all of your hotel, credit card, etc. info linked), and ready to go. You can usually use apps like Mobile Order and Mobile Merchandise Checkout to buy food or merchandise (respectively). That might be an option you’ll be able to use even if certain systems are down. (The app system might go down too though — it all depends, but at least you’ll have the app ready to go in case you can use it to pay for what you want!)
Cinderella Castle
The important thing here is to BE PREPARED!
Speaking of being prepared, if you’re trying to plan your next Disney World trip and are feeling overwhelmed with it all, let us help!
Click here to view our ULTIMATE guide to planning a Disney World vacation!
And check out our video below all about the important things you need to know before visiting Disney World.
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A few years ago you mentioned in a video that sometimes the Food and Wine booths will only take cash if it’s storming. Since then we’ve always carried a bit of cash with us. Last Sept it paid off. There was a huge rainstorm and none of the booths were accepting credit cards or magic bands. We could still buy food because we had cash.
So, thanks!
I had a problem like this with my magic band! I couldn’t even buy a bottle of water!
Have to say guest relations said it wasn’t their problem and to talk to my Disney hotel. I was kind of surprised they weren’t more coordinated. My hotel did fix it easily.
I think the world can survive not being able to buy lousy overpriced coffee.