If you're planning a Walt Disney World trip and were counting on doing a laundry load mid-stay to stretch your packing - you need to know about this before you go.
Some Walt Disney World hotel laundry rooms that use a payment system called SCSGO - which covers most of them - have not been accepting UK or international credit and debit cards in 2026. Something was changed in the system that blocks non-US cards, and as of now there's no confirmed fix or timeline for one. Disney has acknowledged the issue is being worked on, but they're not the ones running the payments for the service as it's outsourced to a third party company.
Cast members are apparently just as frustrated as guests about it, which is at least mildly reassuring.
A few laundry rooms are using a new “One Tap Away” service provider (although we haven’t seen a hotel with this new system yet, but have got reports of them popping up) and that system accepts UK and international cards fine.
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Which Hotels Are Affected
If your resort uses SCSGO for laundry payments - which is still a good chunk of them - then UK and international cards won't work at the washing machines or dryers. This applies to using the app or the website when scanning the QR codes on the machines. However, the detergent vending machines in the same laundry rooms are still accepting international cards without any issues, so you can at least buy your powder without a problem.
If you're not sure whether your specific resort is affected, it's worth asking at the front desk when you check in so you're not caught out with a bag of wet clothes and a declined card.
The Workaround
The good news is there is a way around this, and it might not cost you anything. Here's what to do:
Load your machine, add your detergent, and make a note of the machine number. Then do one of the following:
- Use the phone in the laundry room to call the front desk
- Head to reception in person
- Find a housekeeping cast member nearby
Tell them your international card isn't being accepted and give them the machine number - they will know the situation. Cast members have been activating machines at no charge for affected guests - so you get your laundry done for free, which is something. Not ideal, but workable.
There's also the low-tech option: if there's an American guest in the laundry room at the same time, you could ask them to start the machine and pay them back in cash. It's a bit of an ask from a stranger, but most Disney people are fairly reasonable about that sort of thing.
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What UK Guests Should Know
For UK visitors, laundry facilities are often one of the more practical reasons to stay on-site for a longer trip at a Disney resort. Knowing this issue exists before you arrive means you won't waste time standing in a laundry room wondering why your Monzo card keeps getting declined.
The workaround through the front desk does work, but it's worth flagging at check-in so you know who to call and don't have to trail across the resort mid-cycle.
There's no word yet on when the payment system will be updated to accept international cards again. If it's fixed before your trip, great. If not, at least you know what to do.
For more tips on getting the most out of a Walt Disney World trip as a UK visitor, take a look at the Walt Disney World deals and offers guide for UK guests - and if you haven't sorted your tickets yet, the UK guide to Walt Disney World tickets is worth a read before you book.
Ready to get your trip booked? Check the latest Walt Disney World packages here or find tickets for your dates here.
