Traveler's check still necessary? [Archive]

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pinkytuscadero

03-10-2007, 12:10 PM

Are traveler's checks still the way to exchange on a trip or have ATMs taken their place?

Thank,
Pinky

Bahlk

03-10-2007, 12:12 PM

With ATMs, debit cards with the mastercard/visa logo that come straight out of your checking account make it real easy while traveling

pinkytuscadero

03-10-2007, 12:22 PM

With ATMs, debit cards with the mastercard/visa logo that come straight out of your checking account make it real easy while traveling

Thanks-

I am a little concerned about self control with debit card. It seems so easy to run it through. Maybe some and the rest debit.

I'm headed to Disney on Monday. :) I want something easy and that I won't drop all over the place-so maybe debit is the way to go. :smt119

Pinky

Bahlk

03-10-2007, 12:24 PM

LOL, Disney is expensive but it's fun. Have a great time out there.

pinkytuscadero

03-10-2007, 12:26 PM

Are fanny packs still for goobers?:smt118

Pinky

Conveyor Belt

03-10-2007, 02:35 PM

Hey, just wait till your at the park and buy Disney Dollars at the information desk in the park. you can get $50 a day on your card and it spends like cash in Disney parks...

fanny packs are gooberish, but sometimes they are functional, Disney is one of those places where you won't be laughed at for them... now, if you wear one to walmart, that's a different story...

Any questions about disney, just turn over to allears.net or disboards.com

Astra

03-10-2007, 03:30 PM

If you are staying on the Disney property, your room key is also your ticket AND allows you to charge any purchases made in the park to your room. I went a few weeks ago and it was very handy to only need one card while you were in the parks. It also works at all the stores in Downtown Disney.

Conveyor Belt

03-10-2007, 05:39 PM

Disney's also got this wireless handheld pos credit card thing down... just because you don't see any wires doesn't mean you can't use plastic...

daisy

03-10-2007, 05:46 PM

I still like traveler's check so I stay with in my budget, but I guess when you have to do the rest the other is a good option.

Have fun.

pinkytuscadero

03-10-2007, 06:51 PM

I have also thought about those VISA gift cards for my boys. That way they could possibly have some independence but also a limit. Ofcourse Disney is not the best place for a lesson in self control.:)

I had never thought about the room key, that is a great idea. One card sounds good.

I did look for a goober bag today and didn't see one. The thought of wearing one makes me cring. I guess I should get the tube socks and black tennis shoes to go along with it.:eusa_danc

Thanks for all the suggests and help. Anyother ideas would be much appreciated.

Pinky

Maggie-Doodle

03-10-2007, 07:33 PM

pinky, have a good trip and be safe...I know y'all will have a blast! Have enuf fun for all of us who are not lucky enuf to be going along!

TheKing

03-10-2007, 10:12 PM

please dont get a fanny pack

if you do...ill laugh at you forever

i make a weekend trip to orlando every 6 months or so to hang out with my old college friends...most of hte time i go to disney world for half a day or so...

couldnt get over it from when i lived there for a couple years...good times

Pop

03-10-2007, 11:08 PM

I recommend those two mile radios that you can buy at Walmart if you think your party may split up during the visit at the park. (unless you use your cell and roam). I also recommend that you take as much roll film or disposable cameras as you can from home, prices on film at the park are astronomical.

Expat in Korea

03-11-2007, 12:16 AM

please dont get a fanny pack

if you do...ill laugh at you forever

I have to agree! Buy a backpack or a messenger bag and stay away from the fanny pack!

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 12:18 AM

Expat in Korea

03-11-2007, 12:32 AM

Got tickets to see the Braves v/s Astros for Tues. night! All we could get were lawn seats but oldest says that's good b/c that's where all the fouls will go. :) I think they would be happy where ever we get to sit/stand.

Pinky

You guys will have a great time. lawn seats or not. It will be something your children will remember forever!

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 12:49 AM

Conveyor Belt

03-11-2007, 05:17 AM

my favorite park is EPCOT, followed by Magic Kingdom, MGM then Animal Kingdom last. Don't miss soarin or the Magic Kingdom opening show, which starts 20 min before MK opens.

My tips on soarin... get there for the epcot countdown to open... count backwards from 10 like a little kid. go in and go to innoventions east gate (right hand side) and wait for the second countdown. Countdown again, and go with the mob to The Land. Go downstairs to Soarin and get a fastpass. Get in the standby line and ride the ride. Go across the food court and catch Livin with the Land, a cool boat ride where you get to see some awesome farming things and incredible plants, etc... check out the tomato cherry tree... it's HUGE... then, by the time that's over, your fastpass time for Soarin will be ready, and you can ride soarin again on fastpass...

One thing about fastpasses that is unwritten, but cast members know... the time window on the fastpass isn't really a window... meaning, a fastpass will say return between 10:15 and 11:15, but you can return anytime after 10:15... meaning if you get a fastpass for 10:15am, and it's 7pm, you can go and use those fastpasses... they never expire... if you get one on wed, then go to the park on thrusday, you can use them... even years later... I've done it and it's true... great tip they don't let you in on...

I could go on for pages and pages, but that's my tip o the day... Check out The Unoffical Guide to Walt Disney World for TONS of great park touring tips and cheats...

Astra

03-11-2007, 12:59 PM

I don't know if they are still there or not, but as of the last time I went, Stormtroopers had been added at the Star Tours ride in Disney-MGM Studios. They were walking around on the catwalks and "harassing" the Star Tours ride attendants.

TheKing

03-11-2007, 01:38 PM

i'll tell you all about disney if you want...its pretty cool

if youre gonna be there for a while...i highly suggest taking a day and going to islands of adventure at universal studios

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 02:45 PM

King,

We are only staying until Friday. 4 days with my Mother and 3 boys is about all I can take, ...unmedicated.:)

We have reservations for dinner or lunch every day so my youngest gets his character thing. We are going to the ballgame for my oldest 2. Other than that, I want to make sure I get them to Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon as they really want to do the water park thing.

What do you think of the Tower of Terror? Do you think that it is dangerous for little (7 yr) ones?

Is the Island of Adventure a special day trip or is it located at Universal?

Pinky

TheKing

03-11-2007, 02:52 PM

island of adventure is located at universal studios

trust me...its THE place to go

also, if you feel like getting out for some night life...check out church street in downtown orlando...specifically this one bar called 'Makos'

get a ride from the swing girl for me ;)

and if disney will let your 7 year old on the ride...it isnt dangerous unless he has an undiagnosed heart condition

LipsofanAngel

03-11-2007, 02:57 PM

Pinky-

regarding the Tower of Terror, if your little ones ever get motion sick, you might want to think about that. Sometimes the ride is set up just to be like 1 or 2 long free falls, but other times it's several little drops one after another. I can handle long free falls, but the smaller ones made me sick! I've always gotten motion sickness, & tower of terror is the only ride that ever bothered me at Disney when I was a child. Now, ofcourse the newer ride at epcot (can't think of the name) that's a space ride simulation- if anyone in your family gets the SLIGHTEST bit of motion sickness, then do not ride this ride! I felt ill for about 3 hours after riding it when i went 2 summers ago.

TheKing

03-11-2007, 03:05 PM

Pinky-
Now, ofcourse the newer ride at epcot (can't think of the name) that's a space ride simulation- if anyone in your family gets the SLIGHTEST bit of motion sickness, then do not ride this ride! I felt ill for about 3 hours after riding it when i went 2 summers ago.

mission space

and that ride owns your face!

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 03:21 PM

LipsofanAngel

03-11-2007, 03:23 PM

Lips & King,

Thanks for the advice! I will definately avoid the Mission Space ride! I have concerns about the Tower of Terror b/c little one had a heart murmur at birth. By the end of his hospital stay, dr.s said it was o.k. and had corrected itself. Because he had a hard time at birth, I have always kind-of babied him.

Oh Lips, been meaning to tell you that he started the swim lessons at the Y. Great teacher- Mr. Case or Cage? :smt038

Pinky

Great! :) I'm not familiar with him, but I hope your son is enjoying it. Glad you found someone :) And have a great time in Disney! I'm jealous! I don't care how old I get, that place alway makes me happy!

Conveyor Belt

03-11-2007, 05:22 PM

1/2 the rides at disney have a warning about motion sickness and heart conditions, but I have both and they're pretty tame. The watered down version of mission space, the one without the centerfuge, is less likely to make you sick. I get more sickness off star tours than I ever got off the real version of Mission space or tower of terror.

4 days is not enough time, Pinky... You're going during a peak season, and can expect 60min+ wait times in most of the standby lines. You're going to have to prioritize what you want to see and just decide to miss some stuff this time... However, at the same time, you're going to have to not act like the whole park's a checklist and go from one thing to another in vain... IMO, it takes 2 weeks to do Disney during peak season to get to do most things, and this isn't even everything that you can do.

I like the whole atmosphere of the parks, and getting into discussions with cast members from other parts of the country or world. Looking at the details and watching the street performers when they're out. Watching a line of kids interact with the wicked queen... it's great...

Oh, at MGM, they have Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater characters that you can meet and get your picture taken with. It's pretty cool seeing them roll down the street. There's a hidden mickey on Mater's corroborator wing nut.

Universal has it's merits, too. They have some really cool stuff and the rides are a bit more adult oriented. I'd say Disney is for the 3-8 year olds, and Universal is for the 13+crowd. However, I still prefer disney... you don't see people walking through Disneyworld wearing bikini tops and ass shorts, but you do see that at Universal. Now, there are SOME at Disney who do this, but 9999 out of 10,000 do not. At universal, when there, I'd say it was about 30/100 wearing the bikini tops, etc...

They are two different parks attracting two different sets of people for two different reasons.

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 06:20 PM

CB,

I think 4 days is not enough time-but my Mom has purchased the whole vacation for her "precious angels" and free is right in my price range.

Would you really be able to stay somewhere two weeks? I think I would end up hurting someone. As for ass shorts and bikini bottoms, I refrain for the safety and enjoyment of others. :smt118

Pinky

Astra

03-11-2007, 07:14 PM

If you visit Animal Kingdom, the Everest ride is now open. It was great - it's a roller coaster, not too much different from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad until you get toward the end of the ride. At that point, you go up a lift hill... and then go backwards, twice!

If the kids like coasters, hit the Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster in MGM. It does a couple of loops, but it's completely inside an air-conditioned building and is a really smooth ride. My mom normally hates roller coasters but she even enjoyed it enough to hit it multiple times.

As for Mission: Space, I got to ride during the "soft opening," back when the Imagineers were still hanging out as the riders departed and fine-tuning the ride. I ran right out of the ride and got back in line - so did a pack of 4-7-year-olds in front of me! It can definitely be a problem if you have existing problems with motion sickness, but a lot of people who do have problems do so because they take their eyes off the display in front of them. It's really tempted to get in there and look around, but once your eyes come off the screen you can get really disoriented as your body realizes it is being fooled. They have also toned down the ride a couple of times since I last rode it.

iheartellisons

03-11-2007, 08:57 PM

i think traveler's checks are better if you are going out of the country...but in the country cards are always good...the visa giftcards are good especially for kids bc they will know their limit and get a lesson in spending responsibly.....

I loved Disney! there are just so many fun parks...hope you have a great time pinky!

Astra

03-11-2007, 09:01 PM

Oh, and if you have four days, you should get to see a big chunk of each park. You won't be able to hit EVERYTHING, but Animal Kingdom is pretty small and usually only good for about half a day anyway. MGM has a couple of neat things, but it is also a small park and some of the shows are what I'd call "missable" ("The Voyage of the Little Mermaid" has some interesting effects, but it's pretty much just a rehash of the movie, "Sounds Dangerous" is getting really dated, and the animation studio tour is currently more depressing than interesting). I'd reserve a whole day for EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom and fit the other stuff around that.

pinkytuscadero

03-11-2007, 11:04 PM

Astra,
Thanks for your advice about the 1/2 day at Animal Kingdom. We have reserv. at Animal Kingdom Resort rest. on Tues. for a brunch. We can revolve that park around the rest. leave on in time to rest before going to the Braves game.

We have reservations for our char. lunch at The Garden Grill Rest. in Epcot on Wed. It is a revolving rest. and as I recall, was really cool as the scenary changes as you rotate. It seemed like some sort of history of agriculture scene.

This trip will be different than the last time I was there so I am getting excited. I had a bad attitude about it b/c last time I was there I was 7 months pregnant with #3 and took a 2 1/2 and 5 year old. OMG!!!! Throw in my Mom and hubby who thought we were there to find the next beer kiosk and I was wrecked!

My Mom would take it upon herself to teach all the random folks on the buses manners for pregnant people. She asked some teenage kid if his mother had taught him anything when he didn't give me his seat. :oops: ----ok breath, it will be fine.

Pinky

TheKing

03-12-2007, 12:38 AM

as an adult..

i highly suggest going between oct1 and mid of november for the food and wine festival at epcot

i go every year...no questions asked

Conveyor Belt

03-12-2007, 03:24 AM

To avoid crowds at disney, a 2nd or 3rd week in september is sublime. I'm talking about walking onto rides... taking longer to walk from the entrance to the ride than the 'line' takes... I think this spoiled us (my wife and I) and now if we see a line longer than 20 min, we skip it til next time.

The new nemo ride at The living seas in Epcot is good.

I really don't care for Animal Kingdom... it's a walker... meaning, you're going to trek about 10 miles in animal Kingdom if you're doing it all day long. Epcot's the probably the biggest walking park, but AK is pretty close beating it... AK is great the first time you go, but they push the environmental thing really hard there and you can't get straws and lids for your cups, which is stupid, IMO, because you can do it at all the other parks...

Anyhow, AK is a big zoo done up disney style with rides and stuff... don't miss hester and chester's dinorama and the ride primeavil whirl... that thing is so much fun, yet so simple... I love it!

pinkytuscadero

03-17-2007, 07:46 AM

I'm back-it was AWESOME!

Thanks for all the great advice everyone gave!!!! You would not believe how much easier it was.

The dining plan is great! Having the reservations made a HUGE difference in the wait time for everything. My biggest problem was that dessert was added to every meal! Not one of you better ask me about my Nutrisystem!:)

Again, thanks to all who helped get me prepped up for the big adventure. I even rode the Expedition Everest/Yeti ride! Although some of you should have warned me that photos are taken on the way down.

Pinky

LipsofanAngel

03-17-2007, 09:53 AM

Glad you had a great time Pinky & made it back safely!

TheKing

03-17-2007, 10:30 AM

good times

i think im gonna go next weekend

who wants to go?

LipsofanAngel

03-17-2007, 10:31 AM

good times

i think im gonna go next weekend

who wants to go?
ME!

TheKing

03-17-2007, 11:01 AM

im not even joking

im all about spontaneous trips with people i dont know

i can take friends i do know but...i already know them

LipsofanAngel

03-17-2007, 11:11 AM

im not even joking

im all about spontaneous trips with people i dont know

i can take friends i do know but...i already know them
haha well, no offense to you- but being a female... random trips with strangers might not be the smartest thing in the world!!

course it is DIsney World.... you drivin & payin? ;)

TheKing

03-17-2007, 11:17 AM

sissy

i pay for hotel and gas

you pay for your tickets and to feed yourself / get yourself inebriated

LipsofanAngel

03-17-2007, 11:32 AM

tempting, very tempting....

TheKing

03-17-2007, 11:36 AM

i bet fuzzis would go

shes got balls

LipsofanAngel

03-17-2007, 11:40 AM

i bet fuzzis would go

shes got balls
yes, she does. I don't. Wish I could be more like her.

TheKing

03-17-2007, 12:32 PM

MollyDogMomma

03-18-2007, 12:26 AM

I hereby recommend a MH marathon disney world trip for next weekend.

Drive down fri night...go into the parks) saturday morning...party our asses off saturday night at church street station...die in the hotel...wake up sunday and drive our asses back

who is game?
My husband and I leave Wednesday for our 6 night adventure in disney. Where is Chuech Street Station? We're game!