What Restaurants Can You Use Gift Cards as Method of Payment?

[gabzee]

I am trying to plan our upcoming trip. We are thinking about trying out gift cards as our method of payment for our trip. Will they accept gift cards at Crystal Palace and Via Napoli? Is there a benefit to use a Disney gift card over an AmEx or Visa gift card? Are you able to use one at more locations than the other? How you had any problems using gift cards? We don't want to carry cash but don't want to not be able to buy something. Thank you for your help!

 

[Buckeye Bob]

I'm not sure which restaurants, if any, accept gift cards, but if you're staying on property you can charge the meal to your room and the resort will accept gift cards as payment. We have the Disney Rewards Visa and this is how we pay for our meals - charge it to the room and settle the bill with the resort by using our Rewards Card.

I hope that this helps. Have a magical day!

 

[gabzee]

Thank you. Part of our trip we won't be onsite (we are staying at Universal while DDad has a convention) and we will go to Disney for a day before our actual Disney vacation starts. We were thinking of using the gift cards for when we were staying offsite.

If we used a Disney Gift Card would it be accepted at Crystal Palace or Via Napoli? Thanks!

 

[TDC Nala]

Yes.

The Swan and Dolphin restaurants will not accept Disney gift cards, but the restaurants in the parks and the restaurants that are owned by Disney (Via Napoli is not owned by Disney but it is in a park) will.

 

[gabzee]

Thank you SO much! I feel so much less worried about this now!

 

[hill242]

I thought I'd ask my question on this thread, if the OP doesn't mind.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe - Can I pay for our meal there with my KTTW card or a Disney gift card?

 

[ncc1701]

I thought I'd ask my question on this thread, if the OP doesn't mind.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe - Can I pay for our meal there with my KTTW card or a Disney gift card?

We have used both a Disney gift Card and our KTTW card at Wolfgang Puck Cafe.(also used Disney Gift Card at WPE Marketplace)

 

[alicia080979]

can you pay with a gift card if you are using the TIW card?

 

[aubriee]

can you pay with a gift card if you are using the TIW card?

Yes. I used both this past Sept, Nov/Dec and Feb trips. Will also be doing it again in May, Sept, and Oct/Nov. I've paid using the TiW and gift cards. I have also used the DDP and then used the TIW for things not covered under the DDP, and then used the Disney gift card for the gratuities for both of those bills. The only places I found I couldn't use the gift cards were the restaurants at the Swan/Dolphin and a few of the DTD ones (House of Blues and Paradiso 37). I've used them at T Rex, but have not tried at Fulton's, Portobello's, Bongos, Planet Hollywood, Raglan Road, or WGP, so don't know if they accept them or not. I was really surprised this past Feb to find I could use one at T Rex.

 

[Polydweller]

We have used them at Portobello and since Fulton's is owned by the same third party company they should be good there.

 

[j&j620]

We pretty much exclusively use Visa gift cards whenever we're in WDW. We do the dining plan, so we use them to pay for gratuities and anything else not included (i.e. adult beverages).

 

[mommys3]

FYI, Amex, Visa, and MC gift cards are known to charge I *believe* an extra 18% when charging at a restaurant (not sure for what, but I think gratuity purposes). I think that they just pend that amount and never take it out, but you'll be out of that extra $ until the charge clears. I can't remember where I've heard this from, but you just might want to ask

 

[Bellamouse]

FYI, Amex, Visa, and MC gift cards are known to charge I *believe* an extra 18% when charging at a restaurant (not sure for what, but I think gratuity purposes). I think that they just pend that amount and never take it out, but you'll be out of that extra $ until the charge clears. I can't remember where I've heard this from, but you just might want to ask

All cards of any kind run through any credit card machine at any restaurant authorize for 18% over the bill amount to account for any potential tip.

What happens if your gift card has $50.00 on it, and the bill is $47.50? And the server runs through $47.50 (with no extra authorization) and it gets approved (of course because there is $50.00 on the card). Then the guest decides to leave an $8.00 tip on the receipt. Later, after the guest leaves, the server goes back to the machine to add on his $8.00 tip and whoops! Declined! There is only $2.50 left on that card. So the server is out the tip.

So all cards are authorized only (not charged) for an amount over the bill (I think 18% is correct) in case you want to leave a tip. The authorization falls off after the machine is settled out for the night and the actual tip (or no tip) has been added and sent up at the end of the day.

But it's true, if you go to one restaurant and spend $20.00 on your gift card, leave a cash tip, your card is actually authorized at that point for around $24.00. So if you go somewhere else right after (say a gift shop) and try to spend the rest of the card (which is $30.00), it will likely get declined for that $30.00 because it doesn't know until later whether or not you put a $4.00 tip on that last bill or not. It only thinks you have $26.00 left until that other charge clears. Which doesn't happen until the restaurant closes for the night and banks out and transmits the day's transactions.

I suppose that could be annoying.

 

[P00H1010]

I am trying to plan our upcoming trip. We are thinking about trying out gift cards as our method of payment for our trip. Will they accept gift cards at Crystal Palace and Via Napoli? Is there a benefit to use a Disney gift card over an AmEx or Visa gift card? Are you able to use one at more locations than the other? How you had any problems using gift cards? We don't want to carry cash but don't want to not be able to buy something. Thank you for your help!

We have used Disney gift cards to pay for just about everything on our trips. They take them in gift shops, most carts, and almost all counter service and table services. The only things we couldn't use a gift card at were restaurants and stores that are not "Disney-owned" for example: some places in DTD you cannot use the cards. We also couldn't use a card to pay for our room service pizza even though it was the service provided by the resort (It needed to be pre-paid by credit or debit). Other than that, we had no problems. I would bring a small stash of cash just in case but you should be able to your gift cards for most all purchases. Have fun !

 

[gabzee]

We have used Disney gift cards to pay for just about everything on our trips. They take them in gift shops, most carts, and almost all counter service and table services. The only things we couldn't use a gift card at were restaurants and stores that are not "Disney-owned" for example: some places in DTD you cannot use the cards. We also couldn't use a card to pay for our room service pizza even though it was the service provided by the resort (It needed to be pre-paid by credit or debit). Other than that, we had no problems. I would bring a small stash of cash just in case but you should be able to your gift cards for most all purchases. Have fun !

Thanks! This is great to hear!

 

[Disney Mama]

Wouldn't it be great if there was a list to access of Disney owned restaurants that accepts Disney gift cards!