When you embark on a Disney Cruise, you will be given a Key To The World Card. The card will not only unlock your stateroom but also uniquely identifies you to the crew. It has a lot of information embedded on the card as well. I'll try to breakdown the information as well to show you some examples of the card.
One of the worst aspects of cruising on Disney Cruise Line is the fact that you actually have to pay your final bill! (Just kidding). If you've never cruised with Disney Cruise Line before, I wanted to share exactly what that final Guest Account Summary will look like once you receive it.
When you embark on a Disney Cruise, you will be given a Key To The World Card. The card will not only unlock your stateroom but also uniquely identifies you to the crew. It has a lot of information embedded on the card as well. I’ll try to breakdown the information as well to show you some examples of the card.
| A | The dates of your cruise |
| The ship you are on | |
| C | Your name |
| D | Your Castaway Club status |
| E | Your lifeboat station |
| F | Your dining rotation:
Fantasy
Dream
Magic
Wonder
|
| G | Your dining time |
| H | Your check in line number |
| I | Indicates you have a Disney Visa Card as your credit card (entitles you to additional perks) |
| J | Your table number in every main dining room |
| K | Your Castaway Club account number |
| L | A for Adult, M for Minor |
| M | P for Disney Transportation to the Port, A for Disney Transportation to the Airport, R for Disney Resort, PA for Port and Airport, PR for Port and Resort, and RPA for Resort to Port to Airport. |
Here is our first card, which was for a cruise to Alaska. The only difference here is that we didn’t have any Disney Transportation booked, didn’t have Castaway Club status, and Disney had not yet started to indicate if you were using a Disney Visa Card.
On our second cruise, we had obtained Silver Castaway Club Status. We went on a Spring Break cruise on the Wonder.
On our third cruise, we got a star added to our card. This was to indicate that we had visited the Immigration and Custom Officials before the ship docked in Key West. This cruise was a four night Caribbean cruise on the Wonder.
Nothing new on this card for our fourth cruise. Although, it is interesting to note that there is no check in line number on this card. I think my Key To The World card got demagnetized on this cruise (and wouldn’t open my stateroom door), so it got reprinted while we were on board. This was a five night Western Caribbean cruise on the Wonder.
This was our fifth cruise and it was our first time on the Fantasy. This was a 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy.
Back on the Wonder for our sixth cruise, where we changed to Gold Castaway Club Members. We also don’t have a check in line number for this cruise, but I remember that we did upgrade our stateroom in the cruise terminal. This meant that our card got reprinted in the supervisor’s line. This was another five night Western Caribbean cruise on the Wonder.
For our seventh cruise, we returned to the Fantasy. We also paid for Disney Cruise Line transportation from the airport and the port, so the card has a PA on it. We also used a Disney Visa Card for the default credit card for this cruise, so they added the DV to this card. We didn’t actually use the credit card, since all the charges were paid off using Disney Gift Cards. This was a seven night Eastern Caribbean Star Wars Day at Sea Cruise.
Our eighth cruise was our first cruise on the Dream. We again paid for round trip Disney Cruise ground transportation and used our Disney Visa Card. This was a three night Bahamian Cruise on the Dream.
On our ninth cruise, we went on the Magic for a Very Merrytime Cruise. We drove to and from the Port of Miami, so no annotation about Disney Transportation. We used our Disney Visa Card as the default credit card for this cruise. This was a 5 Night Very Merrytime Western Caribbean Cruise on the Magic.
On our tenth cruise, we went back on the Magic for a Sprint Break Cruise. We drove to and from the Port of Miami, so no annotation about Disney Transportation. This was a 5 Night Bahamian Cruise on the Magic.
Our eleventh cruise, where we were Platinum for the first time, was another cruise on the Fantasy. We drove to and from Port Canaveral, so no annotation about Disney Transportation. This was a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean on the Fantasy.
On our twelve cruise, we went back onboard our favorite ship, the Wonder, for a Spring Break Cruise. We left from San Diego on a 5-Night Baja Cruise. This was the first time we had been on the Wonder since its refurbishment that added Tiana’s Place. Disney Cruise Line changed the way the dining rotation was specified on the card to add two letters for the name of the restaurant so there was no confusion with Tiana’s and Triton’s. We actually didn’t sit at Table 57, as we discussed in the trip report, because we wanted to sit with our favorite crew member. Since we took an Uber to and from the port (we had additional vacation days before and after the cruise), we didn’t use Disney transportation.
During some recent cruises, our daughter was old enough to go to the Vibe. When the kids check in to the Vibe, they get new Key To The World cards printed on this special card to indicate they are allowed in the Vibe. If they don’t have this card during a “Card Check”, they will be asked to leave the Vibe. Our daughter indicated they do this check every so often.
Some friends sailed in a Concierge Cabin and were kind enough to share their Key To The World card with us. As you can see, they had Port/Airport transfers and also used their Disney Visa Card as the default payment. The card is gold because they were Concierge guests and had access to the Concierge Lounge. There are two interesting items to note with this card. One first is the Concierge check-in desk number “993”. The second item is the crossed Mickey Keys in the bottom left, which also indicates a Concierge guest.
We just added some information on how you can store your Key to the World Card as well, talking about Lanyards available from both Disney and Amazon.
If you have enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line information page, which has useful hints in addition to our cruise trip reports!
amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0";
amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true";
amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "backtothemous-20";
amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";
amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";
amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
amzn_assoc_region = "US";
amzn_assoc_title = "My Amazon Picks";
amzn_assoc_linkid = "f812c94558dd78dd893dfc0341809c77";
amzn_assoc_asins = "B01ASU994E,B07CJ81DHJ,B01B20D24M,B01BS46XHU,B07HQYZ6YM";
One of the worst aspects of cruising on Disney Cruise Line is the fact that you actually have to pay your final bill! (Just kidding). If you’ve never cruised with Disney Cruise Line before, I wanted to share exactly what that final Guest Account Summary will look like once you receive it.
This Guest Account Summary is from our most recent cruise on the Disney Magic. It was waiting for us the morning of disembarkation. You can also go to Guest Services at any point on the cruise to get a printed version of it (for charges up to that point).
The first two individuals on the bill are our daughters. They both have charging privileges (they ask via the Navigator app before charging anything). The first one didn’t charge anything. The other one charged popcorn and drinks at the Preludes bar outside of the Walt Disney World Theater.
The next set of charges are mine. The first two items under my section are actually stateroom credits. The first is from Disney Cruise line from when we used an onboard booking on this cruise (for cruises under seven days, you receive a $100 stateroom credit). The next credit was from our travel agent, Michelle McKnight, as a thank you for using her to book our cruise. The rest of the charges are for various drinks around the ship, a tube rental on Castaway Cay, as well as our charges for Palo brunch ($30 each plus tip). The last item is the final charge to my credit card to settle the remaining balance.
The next section is Nancy’s charges. There are various drinks as well as some laundry that we had to do on board. Nancy’s charges continued to the next page.
Following the list of individual charges is a total of the charges as well as the payments that have been made. Since this was our final bill, the balance was zero. Below the balance is a list of all the payments that have been received into your account so far. Disney Cruise Line will charge the credit card on file at certain points on the cruise once your balance reaches a certain amount. So, if you are going to pay using Disney Gift Cards, you should either have Guest Services load the gift card onto your account or have them reverse some of the credit card charges in order to pay with your Disney Gift Cards.
We have personally loaded Disney Gift Cards onto our account at Guest Services and then not used the full amount. The remaining amount was returned to our Gift Card once the cruise was over. We have also had our credit card charged before we were able to pay with the Gift Card. In that case, Guest Services reversed the credit card charge and we then used our Gift Card to pay the balance off.
So, that’s our description of our final bill. Hopefully, your bill won’t be a nasty shock for you (or at least bring back the fond memories of your adventures)!
If you have enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out our Disney Cruise Line information page, which has useful hints as well as our cruise trip reports!
Planning | Travel | Animal Kingdom | Epcot | Magic Kingdom | Hollywood Studios | Summary
The third day of our trip took us to the Magic Kingdom. We arrived early so we could get there in time for rope drop. Since the opening show for the Magic Kingdom has been moved to the hub, we were able to get in really early. We decided to wait for rope drop at a spot near the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant. It was quiet, near some restrooms, and out of the sun, unlike what the large crowd that was building on the bridge to Tomorrowland was experiencing.
The girls made a beeline for Space Mountain and Nancy and I headed to Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. The girls rode twice on Space Mountain, then came over to join us for another round on Buzz Lightyear. Nobody managed to get the maximum score, but we all had a great time!
We spent the rest of the morning going around Fantasyland, riding our favorite rides.
Once we finished up in Fantasyland, we decided to stop for a snack at Gaston’s Tavern. Even if we aren’t hungry, we can always manage to finish some cinnamon buns from Gaston’s Tavern with a Lefou’s Brew to wash down the sugar.
After our snack, we continued touring through the park until about noon. We rode a number of rides as well as looked through the shops.
The girls wanted to ride Splash Mountain, but (as previously established) I HATE being wet while walking around the parks. Nancy and I took some pictures while they rode.
Around noon, we decided to split up to get lunch. Half the family wanted something from Sleepy Hollow Snacks and the other half wanted something from Friar’s Nook. I went off to Friar’s Nook to get some food and planned to walk over to Sleepy Hollow with the food to join the rest of the family. However, while waiting for the food, the sky opened up. I ended up getting two trays and covering the food with one of them to keep it dry while I walked in the rain over to Sleepy Hollow. The storm continued for about 20 minutes, then it cleared up and the sun came out again.
The park got more and more busy as the day went on. We used our initial FastPasses up, and continued to add to them. We did, in a moment of weakness, decide to take the girls onto Stitch’s Great Escape. One of them had never ridden before, so we all took the plunge. It was ten minutes of our life we will never get back.
After riding Stitch’s Great Escape, we headed towards Big Thunder Mountain, but got side tracked in Liberty Square by The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History. It was actually pretty funny, even thought we only caught a small portion of it. Next time we go through Magic Kingdom, I’m going to make sure we see the entire show.
We continued touring through the park until about 8:00. We decided to take advantage of a 30% off dinner special Disney was running at select restaurants during the time we were visiting. Since we were at Magic Kingdom, we decided to head to The Wave at the Contemporary Resort for dinner. We have visited The Wave before, but it has been a few years.
We started with the bread service, which was so good that we almost filled up on it.
We also ordered the cheese platter, which is a family tradition. One of the girls serves the cheese, while the rest of us try to come up with funny descriptions of the cheese (e.g., “This one reminds me of the sweet smell of dirty socks resting lightly in an old coffee can”).
Everything we ordered as entrees was delicious. This included the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, the Seared Potato Gnochi, the Cioppino, and The Braised Short Rib.
The total cost for the dinner was actually pretty reasonable considering we ordered an appetizer and four entrees. I believe the total, with tip, was about $135. We decided to pass on dessert and head back to our room. We were going to Hollywood Studios the next day for our last day for this short trip.
For all of these trips, we always pay for our shopping and dining using Disney Gift Cards that we’ve purchased at a discount. So, whatever the price is, we have always gotten another 5% off using Disney Gift Cards.
As you may have read, the Disney Vacation Account is no more. On July 25 2017, Disney announced that they would be shutting down the Disney Vacation Account program. Future contributions were suspended and owners with existing funds were offered 4 options for their accounts. We are going to focus on how to liquidate your account using Option 1, which offers owners the opportunity to buy a Disney Gift Card using funds in their account. The gift card is distributed via email. As an added loyalty bonus, Disney offered to increase the amount on the gift card by 5%.
In order to cash out your account and turn the funds into a Disney Gift Card with the additional 5% bonus, you will need to log into your account. Select any accounts with funds in them. On the left hand side of the screen, select “Purchase a Disney Gift Card”.
You will then be brought to another page that will allow you to choose the account you wish to liquidate. As long as you do this by September 27, 2017, you will receive an additional 5% on the gift card. They do warn you that if you have more than $10,000 in your account, it might take a few days to cash out via gift cards.
Select the account you want to liquidate in the highlighted pull down.
Once you have selected the account, check the box that indicates that you agree that all funds in the account will be converted into a Disney gift card. Then select “Review Your Request”.
You will then see a review of your transaction. You will see the amount in your account and the amount that will be in the gift card you receive. As you can see, we had $1852.13 in our account, but would receive $1944.74 on our gift card. That was a bonus of $92.61! Once you have reviewed the transaction, select “Buy Disney Gift Card”.
You will receive a confirmation screen once you have purchased the card. Your account will now be empty.
We received our electronic gift card in our email within moments. We then called our travel agent (Michelle McKnight – affiliated with Touring Plans Travel Agency) and had her apply the gift card to an upcoming cruise. She applied it to our cruise and then mailed us an updated reservation confirmation indicating the new remaining amount to be paid on the cruise.
While we are really sad that the Disney Vacation Account is closing, we definitely appreciated the 5% bonus that Disney gave us. Liquidating the account was very easy to do, just follow the steps shown above!
We just received the following email:
Here are the four options:
I think we are going to go with Option 1, since it provides the largest bonus. Obviously, this is another hit to our plan to maximize our savings on Disney Vacations. We still like saving 5% or more by buying Disney Gift Cards, but loosing this 2% bonus (plus the ability to organize the money) is going to be another hit on the way.
Were you using a Disney Vacation Account to save for your vacations? What are your plans now? Please let us know in the comments.
Sadly, Disney announced the closing of the Disney Vacation Account program on July 25, 2017. They are no longer available for use.
We often mention our technique for buying discounted Disney Gift Cards and putting them into a Disney Vacation Account in order to reduce the costs of Disney vacations. We will now show you how we used our Disney Vacation Account to purchase Annual Passes for Walt Disney World! The first step in purchasing the tickets is to make sure you have your Disney Vacation Account Number. You can access it from the left hand side under “Next Steps”. Select View Account Number:
After you select “View Account Number”, you will get a password request, and then you will see a screen that gives you the last four digits of your account number. You get the first twelve digits via an email. Once you get the email, you can build the entire 16 digits you need by combining the first twelve digits from the email with the last four digits from the web site. Here is a sample of the screen, with my information removed. Your last four digits will appear where the red box is:
Once you have your Account Number, you will need to head over to the Disney Web Site. Go to the section for Annual Passes. If you aren’t a Florida resident, the number of annual pass types is limited.
We selected the Platinum Passes, which give you everything with the exception of the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and the golf courses. We selected four passes (and tried to not pass out from the price) and added them to our cart.
Once the passes were in your cart, select “Check Out”.
You will then be prompted to sign in to your Disney account if you aren’t already signed in.
Once you are signed in, you can assign the tickets to people that are linked to your My Disney Experience Account.
Once you’ve assigned a name to each pass, it is time to pay for the passes. Go to the bottom of the payment section and look for the link that says “Use Another Payment Method”.
Selecting “Use Another Payment Method” will bring a popup to the screen that allows you to select “Credit Card”, “Rewards Card”, or “Gift Card”. Select “Gift Card”.
This will give you another popup that allows you to enter in your 16 digit Disney Vacation Account Number. Once you have entered the number, select Done.
If your Disney Vacation Account does not have enough money in it to cover the passes, you can select another payment method to cover the balance of your payment. Once you have completed paying for the full amount, you will receive a Walt Disney World “Exchange Certificate” in the mail for each annual pass that you have purchased, along with a letter indicating how to redeem the certificates for Walt Disney Annual Passes!
Just take these exchange certificates to the ticket window at any Walt Disney World theme park (along with a photo ID for the adults) and they will hand you your annual passes!
I had the great privilege and honor to be invited back on my favorite podcast, Rope Drop Radio, to discuss various ways to take Disney vacations for less money.
Derek and Doug, the hosts of Rope Drop Radio, are two dads who love Disney. Their goal is helping you navigate the Disney Parks and never missing a rope drop! They want to share tips and tricks, travel plans, and must sees to help you have an amazing Disney trip!
You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. Make sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter as well!
There are two Disney-branded credit cards offered by Chase. The first is the Disney Premier Visa Card which has a $49 annual fee. It earns 2% at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and most Disney locations, and 1% everywhere else. The other is the Disney Rewards Visa Card which earns 1% on all purchases, but has no annual fee.
All the rewards are granted in Disney Rewards Dream Dollars. These Dream Dollars can only be loaded onto a reloadable Disney Rewards Redemption Card. This is basically a Disney gift card that your Dream Dollars get loaded onto that you can use anywhere you can use a normal Disney gift card (parks, cruises, paying for a trip, DisneyStore.com, etc).
The Disney Premier Visa Card has an additional benefit; you can use your Dream Dollars as a credit toward an airline purchase you have made with your Disney Premier Visa Card. We’ve never personally used this feature though.
One of the best perks of having a Disney-branded credit card is the ability to book discounts on trips before the general public. Disney will frequently offer a discount or perk to Disney credit card holders before anyone else. These discounts can be room discounts up to 30% off or free dining offers.
Both Disney-branded credit cards offer a 10% discount if you make a $50 purchase in the parks and use the card to pay for it. We have used this discount multiple times. Since you must pay with a Disney-branded credit card to get the discount, you may not pay with Disney gift cards on that transaction. Some dining locations also offer you 10% off your meal as well if you pay with one of the credit cards.
Both Disney-branded credit cards allow you access to an exclusive character meet and greet at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The meet and greet in Disney World is currently at Epcot in Innoventions and gets you a free 5 x 7 photo from the event. Another meet and greet is available at Disney Hollywood Studios to meet a Star Wars character. We have met both Darth Vader and Kylo Ren! There is an exclusive one in Disney’s California Adventure as well, but we didn’t take advantage of that last time we went to Disneyland. You must present your Disney-branded credit card at the meet and greet to participate.
There are also some benefits to using the Disney Visa card as your on file credit when you cruise with Disney Cruise Line. These benefits include 15% Off at select spa and salon locations, 10% off select Disney Cruise Line digital photo packages, 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more aboard Disney Cruise Line, 10% off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package, and 20% Off select onboard massages or facial treatments. We have set our Disney Visa card as our main credit card while on board, but we haven’t used any of the above benefits.
Some other features of the Disney-branded cards that we haven’t used, but which are available, include 15% off certain guided tours at Walt Disney World and Disneyland; 6 months with 0% financing on Disney vacations charged to the card; and some sort of “special” financing for Disney Vacation Club. I don’t know if paying credit card interest rates for a real estate transaction counts as “special”, but you’ll have to make your own decision.
Often times, you can get a signup bonus for these Disney cards. The Disney Premier Visa card will sometimes offer a $200 Disney gift card when you spend $500 within three months of opening the card. The Disney Visa Card without the annual fee sometimes has a $50 Disney gift card after you make your first purchase.