Mid-year report card

You put a card on file at the desk, and I think it either pre-auth/checks it, or there's a set limit that you can spend before they put the charge through. I'm not entirely sure, as it's never been an issue that I've had to worry about. Like most things at Disney, it's kind of just taken care of for you.

Rides: B+ - Dragster was up and down, Snake River Falls closed the whole day and StR opened up at 7pm (The temp in the park was 88 at mid day.) Also, this was the first time in years I have seen Thunder Canyon queue full and people were lined up on the midway waiting.

Food: D - Enough said....

Cleanliness - D Sweeps were doing an okay job on the midways but seems to me the queue lines needed cleaning. I did not think it was okay to step on gum bare footed while waiting in line for Thunder Canyon. The gum situation was getting out of control especially when trash cans are spaced 5 ft apart (Some gum was on the queue railings.) Bathrooms needed some more love to them as the floors are wet again and this made changing quite tedious.

I am basing this on my only trip to the point this year. I might go during halloweekend and then I might add a end of year grade to this.

The hold on the debit card isn't tied to the authorization limit. You get a set spending limit based on the type of resort. So, for example, the limit at a Value Resort is $500. Once you spend that much money, they either charge your card automatically, or you have to go clear it at the front desk (I don't remember the exact workflow).

You can also tie a credit card to the account, but pay with something else. So, if you ultimately wanted to use the debit card to pay, but didn't want those insane holds, you can guarantee with a credit card and use the debit card (or even cash) to pay.

djDaemon said:
I almost never get asked for ID when I use my credit/debit cards, so I'm not sure how that being the case at Disney is more problematic than everyday transactions.

The benefit, as I see it, comes with having to carry ONE item throughout the resort - your room key.

If they were doing there job right, and asking to see your ID, than you would have to carry TWO items throughout the park.

If they don't ask to see my ID, I always ask them if they need to see it. A lot of stolen credit card issues can be prevented if they just ask for ID.

I am gonna carry my wallet with me anyways, so I just don't see the big bennifit that people see in this.

Now something like a photo pass card like Disney has would be cool.

toocool031074 said:
Cleanliness - D Sweeps were doing an okay job on the midways but seems to me the queue lines needed cleaning. I did not think it was okay to step on gum bare footed while waiting in line for Thunder Canyon.

That is why NO where in CP can you buy gum. It is an enemy to the amusement park and the sweeps.

You have to remember the queues are VERY hard to do when they are full. Most of the crews are busy running their ride, not to mention (with Raptor anyway) it is about impossible to clean the queue when people are still in it. That is why you will notice most of the major queue cleaning is done as the line is cut off. This way we stay behind the last person in line and clean up the mess without bothering any guests as the line moves.

Trash cans are 5' apart I cant believe the laziness (or non caring) of some of the guests and their trash.

I still always pick up trash I see on the ground and put it in the trash when I go to a park. One less thing for someone else to have to pick up.

Jo
Lifetime Raptor flights: 2236 :)

Ralph Wiggum said:
I find all the arguing about misspelling things to be amusing, mostly because I'm not aware of a single browser that doesn't yet have a built in spell checker.

Google Chrome my friend. The only thing is, PointBuzz doesn't have text/hyperlink options for Google Chrome.

crazy horse said:
If they were doing there job right, and asking to see your ID, than you would have to carry TWO items throughout the park.

Well, yes, but that's a problem with credit cards in general, not the room key-credit card concept itself.

You know it's kind of funny, the first time I ever went shopping in Michigan I was surprised that almost every store asked to see my ID when I paid with my Visa card. Here in Canada they never ever ask for ID. I guess we're just a more trusting people. :)

I don't think your visit was typical, Vince. The only place I ever get asked is Tubby's, and I regularly shop at Target, Meijer, Lowes, various gas stations, liquor stores, smaller grocers and so on. In fact, at most of those places, you swipe your card yourself, with little or no cashier interaction.

And that itself is interesting, in that at the swipe-it-yourself card stations, you can pay credit, sign and be done with it. I could use a card with the name LaFawnduh on it, and most or all cashiers at this type of checkout would never even know.

I suspect banks and/or credit card companies make so much profit "selling" credit that refunding the occasional illicit transaction doesn't even move their profit needle.

djDaemon said:

crazy horse said:
If they were doing there job right, and asking to see your ID, than you would have to carry TWO items throughout the park.

Well, yes, but that's a problem with credit cards in general, not the room key-credit card concept itself.

I agree, but why carry a room credit card key around, when you have your wallet anyways? It's just opening the door for problems.

Not just the thought of losing the card, but your cc number is now in disneys computer. And with all the ciber theft going on these days, all it would take is for someone to hack into the computers. It happens all the time.

DJ - I've found it's usually the small places that don't ask.

Almost every time I go to Meijer, Best Buy or any larger store and select credit, they ask to see the card.

Now, whether any ask to see ID or not is another question.

My favorite though was a girl at MJR on 15 mile. She swiped my card, waited for the receipt and then made sure that the names matched. Not the brightest bulb.

crazy horse said:
...your cc number is now in disneys computer. And with all the ciber theft going on these days, all it would take is for someone to hack into the computers. It happens all the time.

Then why do you use credit cards at all? I mean, Meijer, Target, Amazon and whoever else you do business with has the credit card number too.

JuggaLotus said:
Almost every time I go to Meijer, Best Buy or any larger store and select credit, they ask to see the card.

Now, whether any ask to see ID or not is another question.

Even at the self-swipe places (which most are)? Must be a West Side thing. :)

djDaemon said:

crazy horse said:
...your cc number is now in disneys computer. And with all the ciber theft going on these days, all it would take is for someone to hack into the computers. It happens all the time.

Then why do you use credit cards at all? I mean, Meijer, Target, Amazon and whoever else you do business with has the credit card number too.

True......but you are opening the door a little bit more every time your cc number is on file.

As far as using my cc online, one of my cc has a $500 limit. I only use that card for online buying so that if something did happen I am not out too much.

Couldn't they just have it be where you could claim the card lost, and have them deactivate it from the time it was claimed lost and give them a new one?

I guess if you claim that you can't remember when or where you lost it, guests would contest every charge. Which would put more responsibility on guests, which Cedar Fair clearly does not want to do.

I've never understood why this day and age fraudulent charges are such a huge concern to people. I know several people who refuse to buy anything online for fear of fraud. In recent years I've had 2 fraudulent charges and one case of identity theft (thanks University of Toledo for doing absolutely nothing to secure student information) and I found them both incredibly easy to deal with. Maybe it's harder with the big corporate banks, but I don't feel much sympathy for people who stay with banks that treat their customers like crap.

The biggest annoyance with any of these incidents was filing a police report for the ID theft, which the cops admitted was purely for show so the card companies can get their money from insurance. The cops don't do squat to follow up on ID theft, even though I had the address of the "suspect" and the times and locations they used the fake credit card. That the cops don't take it seriously is probably the reason these crimes are growing so quickly, but that's a whole other topic.

My experience wish Chase - not exactly a mom & pop credit union - has been similarly painless when dealing with a fraudulent charge.

KeyBank cut off access to my debit card right before a fraudulent charge hit because they picked up on something.

I feel a lot better about my credit card number traveling along an encrypted tunnel through cyberspace, or being stored in an encrypted database at Disney World, than I do about giving it to server and watching him/her walk away with it.

Even at the self-swipe places (which most are)? Must be a West Side thing. :)

If you mean the self checkout (i.e. no cashier) no.

If you mean the swipe it yourself module that's at almost every register, yes. I think mostly because when you select credit, the computer makes the cashier enter the last 4 digits of the card. At which point they usually check for a signature/ask for ID.

^Amen to that Walt!