Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
28
to find ATM locations at your destination.
Be sure you know your daily withdrawal
limit before you depart. In addition, inter-
national travelers should check with their
bank before departing to ensure that their
PINs (personal identification numbers)
will be valid in the U.S. (though most
major U.S. banks generally accept the
same 4-digit PINs commonly accepted
worldwide). It is also a good idea to alert
your bank of your travel plans in an effort
to avoid any possible difficulties using
your card while in the U.S.
ATMs
are located on Main Street in the
Magic Kingdom and at the entrances to
Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and
Animal Kingdom (where you'll find
another one located across from the Tricer-
aTop Spin in DinoLand). They're also at
Pleasure Island, in Downtown Disney
Marketplace, at Disney resorts, and in the
Crossroads Shopping Center.
There also are ATMs near Guest Ser-
vices at Universal Studios Florida, Islands
of Adventure, SeaWorld, and Aquatica.
Outside the parks, most malls have at
least one ATM, and they're in some conve-
nience stores, such as 7-Elevens and Circle
Ks, as well as in grocery stores and drug-
stores. There are frequently extra charges
for using nonbank ATMs or bank ATMs
not affiliated with your home branch.
Depending on your institution, those
charges can range from $1 to $3.50 per
transaction—the average is $2.75 across
Florida. To compare banks' ATM fees
within Orlando, use
www.bankrate.com
.
Visitors from outside the U.S. should also
find out whether their bank assesses a 1%
to 3% fee on charges incurred abroad
(most will unless they are associated with
the Global Alliance).
Be
very
careful when using ATMs, espe-
cially at night and in areas that are not well
lit and heavily traveled. Don't let the land
of Mickey lull you into a false sense of
security. Goofy and Pluto won't mug you,
but some of their estranged neighbors
might. Cuddly characters aside, this is a
big city and the crime rate here is the same
as in comparable locations. When entering
your PIN at an ATM, make sure you
shield the keyboard from others in line.
And if you're using a drive-through, keep
your doors locked.
In addition to getting cash out of an
ATM, you can also buy
Disney dollars
while visiting Walt Disney World (cur-
rency with the images of Mickey, Minnie,
Pirates of the Caribbean, and so on) in $1,
$5, and $10 denominations. They're good
at WDW shops, restaurants, and resorts,
as well as Disney stores everywhere. This is
a great way to give a preset allowance to
kids for their souvenirs. If you have any
dollar leftovers, you can exchange them for
real currency upon leaving WDW, or keep
them as a souvenir.
Note:
Pay close atten-
tion if you have a refund coming. Some
items, such as strollers, wheelchairs, and
lockers, require a deposit, and Disney
staffers will frequently use Mickey money
for refunds instead of the cash. If you don't
want it, just let them know and they'll be
happy to give you real cash.
Credit Cards & Debit Cards
Credit cards are the most widely used form
of payment in the United States, and most
Orlando establishments accept the follow-
ing:
Visa
(Barclaycard in Britain);
Master-
Card
(EuroCard in Europe, Access in
Britain, Chargex in Canada);
American
Express; Diners Club;
and
Discover.
Credit cards also provide a convenient
record of all your expenses and offer rela-
tively good exchange rates. You can with-
draw cash advances from your credit cards
at banks or ATMs, but high fees make
credit-card cash advances a pricey way to
get cash.
It's highly recommended that you travel
with at least one major credit card in
Orlando. You must have a credit card to
rent a car, and hotels and airlines usually
require a credit card imprint as a deposit
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