Worlds of Fun adds Food Options and Credit/Debit terminals

I'd rather keep the cash out of my wallet and reduce the temptation to spend impulsively.

So that explains your clothes!

Rob: most things I've read suggest that cards encourage impulse spending more than cash. Handing over cash money is the real deal. You know how much you are paying. When you hand over your card, the process is the same, whether it's for $10 or $1000.

In short, there is a reason that e.g. Disney tries to get everyone to pay with room charges, and why casinos use chips instead of greenbacks.

Now, if you leave your plastic in the car, too, then you're in business...

FWIW, Brian is spot-on.

It's good to see you old people are giving up cash too.

I know this has nothing to do with Credit/Debit. I went to Opening weekend last year WOF and I notice the coasters were not running. People where going in and they were still chargeing to park. I stopped at the gate and asked what was going on. They said it was too cold to run the coasters. Then I ask why is the park still makeing people pay to park. tHE GUY WAS LIKE WELL WE GOT A COUPLE KIDDIE rides RUNNING AND WE WILL LET YOU RIDE THE GO-CARTS FOR FREE. I was speechless.. I flew out there for that purpose and I get to ride Go-carts?? That just left a bad taste in my mouth and they were still charging full price to get in.. Sorry off topic

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Brian Noble said:Rob: most things I've read suggest that cards encourage impulse spending more than cash. Handing over cash money is the real deal. You know how much you are paying.

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Ouch, if that ever "got out" to the casino-gaming public, an entire industry would be in danger of collapse.

It's also another reason why I heartily endorse the idea of Schlitterbahn's Splash cash, as well as Scooby bucks and any other program that takes money and turns it into something that only has value at the park. Encourages spending. ;)

Ya know who had the weirdest idea ever about in-park spending? Santa's Workshop. You basically get a card, they write down the purchases, and you pay the balance when you leave. Funny how they had probably the most trustworthy of employees going, but almost no one had any cash-handling other responsibilities than at the front gate (I think there was money at the arcade, well, the arcade they had, LOL). But that would virtually eliminate any problems with theft and would be a good idea for others to consider.

My feeling is that anything that takes money and turns it into "almost money", esp. credit cards, makes more money for the business than would be the case in cash-only. Oh, and even though I try to always have SOME cash on hand...I almost never spend cash.

P.S. Splash cash...doesn't care if it gets wet, it's plastic...genius! Waterparks hate paper, even paper money. ;)
*** Edited 2/16/2008 12:53:18 AM UTC by rollergator***

^^ I do believe the park offered free return-visit tickets that day. Something that is VERY rare at WOF.

Yeah, cash makes you far more aware of what you're spending. It's a lot easier to hand over a piece of plastic, even if it is debit versus credit, and not think as much about it. That's why Universal and Disney want you to charge stuff back to your room key. It's just too easy.

I've gone back to using cash for a lot of things right now. I read a article on a financial website that talked about the ten signs that you're having trouble with debt. One of them was paying for gasoline with a credit card which I was doing all the time.

I wasn't thinking about it, but that's $100 a month or so I was putting on my credit card. That helped to make sense why I couldn't get my credit card debt down. The principal is killing me.

I have major surgery coming up soon and they wanted $600 co-pay which in the past would've automatically gone on the credit card. No more. I drove down to the hospital and payed with a check.

Will I not use the credit card at all? No, some fees are still tied to it month to month. I also use it to pay for things shipped to my house. And in the summertime, hotel rooms get reserved with the card.

Debit cards can be equally as bad. Sure, they may seem the same as cash, but don't offer the projection of a credit card, and some businesses (mainly gas stations) can put a hold fee on your card of $75 (in example).

So you not knowing any better go and put something else on your debit card and now you've been charged a overdraft fee or aren't able to use the card because the holding fee at the gas station hasn't cleared yet.

Putting gas on your card is perfectly okay, provided you pay it off, in full, every month.

But, if you're not doing that, put as little on it as you can get away with. Good for you for using those greenbacks.

Another tip: make yourself keep a log of every purchase, no matter how small. Knowing you have to write it down later often makes you think twice about that impulse purchase. I did this when I was a broke graduate student, and it was really helpful.
*** Edited 2/18/2008 1:55:25 PM UTC by Brian Noble***

I only use my credit card on major purchases. And when I go on trips, I use them for hotels and admission fees only. Otherwise I'm paying with the check card or in cash for gas, food, souveniers, etc.

Paying for things at point of sale is easier for me than worrying about a monthly statement telling you "You owe me!"

It's a scary thought to me if actual tangable currency dissapears for imaginary blips on a screen. Give me cash any day. And put it back on the gold standard. No, I'm not backing Ron Paul.

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