Can you tie a gift card to a Magic Band?

[Rivka]

Sorry if this is the wrong board for this question... I couldn't figure out where it would fit better.

I want to give each of my kids a budget for snacks, soda, and souvenirs in the park so that they can manage their own money instead of begging us to buy them stuff. I'm afraid to give them a gift card to carry, though, in case they lose it. Can you apply a gift card to a child's Magic Band so they can "charge" against their balance? Or do all the Magic Bands in our party need to be on an adult's real credit card?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

 

[supersnoop]

Nope.

Bands are linked to your profile, and can be used to authorize room charges.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

No.
You can only link a credit card via your room reservation.
You could pay off with gift cards every couple days but that's a hassle.
Just give each child a gift card loaded with the amount you want them to be limited to.
Get a lanyard with card holder if you're worried they will lose it.

 

[SweaterInJune]

Sorry if this is the wrong board for this question... I couldn't figure out where it would fit better.

I want to give each of my kids a budget for snacks, soda, and souvenirs in the park so that they can manage their own money instead of begging us to buy them stuff. I'm afraid to give them a gift card to carry, though, in case they lose it. Can you apply a gift card to a child's Magic Band so they can "charge" against their balance? Or do all the Magic Bands in our party need to be on an adult's real credit card?

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

It's not so much of a hassle to stop by the hotel lobby to pay down room charges with gift cards. Honestly, we do this every trip; however, I don't think anything indicates who bought what.
You can also punch a hole in the corner of the cards and put it on cord to wear as a necklace, so each child wears their card. Depending on when you are going, Disney may be selling the mini wrist/bracelet gift cards that they have sold in the past for festivals like Food & Wine. They really should sell them all of the time like this!

See here:
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Food-and-Wine-Gift-Card-001.jpg?8d7e69

 

[Anthony1971]

You may be able to put a limit on the magic bands I have always been asked --your limit is X is that OK....it may effect all or maybe they can change one by one? I however do not see how that would work for your purpose as they would not know how much they have left. With a gift card your receipt will tell you the balance.

 

[PatMcDuck]

I hope someday it is possible. I use gift cards my whole trip at Disney.

 

[supersnoop]

however, I don't think anything indicates who bought what.

My bill has always listed who made each purchase. My wife has been busted several times for buying popcorn and not sharing!

I know you can assign a different credit card to each person, but that has to be set up at the front desk. I don't think you can impose separate charging limits.

 

[SweaterInJune]

My bill has always listed who made each purchase. My wife has been busted several times for buying popcorn and not sharing!

Oh good! I couldn't recall. As a CM, I always tended to be the one paying!

I will pay more attention this time.

 

[gottalovepluto]

I hope someday it is possible. I use gift cards my whole trip at Disney.

It is! Yes, you have to have a credit card or debit card tied to the magic band but at the end of the evening you just swing by the front desk with your gift card and pay of the account. So much nicer than hassling with gift cards in park!

 

[gottalovepluto]

Love the gift card carried around in a lanyard idea, it gives them a little responsibility in that they have to take charge of their own money while giving them a fighting chance to not lose it! I really wouldn't try the magic band charging for the kids, I feel like that could go south quickly...

Also, you can be the back-up if you want. Register each of the kids' cards to the Disney gift card website. Bring a couple empty gift cards for yourself (if you need to purchase them put the minimum you can, like $25, and then use that at the front desk to pay down your account on the first day, boom empty cards!) and use these as back-ups. If a kid loses their gift card you can go online and instantly transfer the balance to one of the empty gift cards in your possession and give them that card.

 

[momjeeps]

We did gift cards for our kids. But there were some stores at DS (DTD back then) that didn't take them and I ended up buying them back from a couple of kids so they could spend their money on other things. This may have been when we were at DLR. I think it was Buildabear and Ridermakerz. Won't be a problem soon I guess since they are both closing. Other than that though, gift cards worked good for our kids.

 

[gottalovepluto]

We did gift cards for our kids. But there were some stores at DS (DTD back then) that didn't take them and I ended up buying them back from a couple of kids so they could spend their money on other things. This may have been when we were at DLR. I think it was Buildabear and Ridermakerz. Won't be a problem soon I guess since they are both closing. Other than that though, gift cards worked good for our kids.

Yeah, those are at Disneyland but that's a valid point on either coast. I'm sure there are plenty of DS stores that don't take Disney Gift Cards.

 

[Rivka]

Thanks, everyone! I will hole-punch gift cards for them and use lanyards. I have nooooo intention of taking them to DS to shop, so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Rivka]

Register each of the kids' cards to the Disney gift card website. Bring a couple empty gift cards for yourself (if you need to purchase them put the minimum you can, like $25, and then use that at the front desk to pay down your account on the first day, boom empty cards!) and use these as back-ups. If a kid loses their gift card you can go online and instantly transfer the balance to one of the empty gift cards in your possession and give them that card.

Oh, I didn't know you could register the cards online! That takes away so much of my concern. Thank you.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Oh, I didn't know you could register the cards online! That takes away so much of my concern. Thank you.

Yep. But you're maxed out to 5 per online account so depending on your situation you may need to create 2 accounts. Also, each gift card can hold up to $1,000 -not that your kids are getting $1,000 in spending money but just as an FYI

 

[jmmess]

I thought kids weren't allowed to charge to MBs?

 

[supersnoop]

I thought kids weren't allowed to charge to MBs?

They have to have a pin to charge to the room. I'm not away of any age threshold. My daughter has been charging to the room since she was 11.

 

[jmmess]

They have to have a pin to charge to the room. I'm not away of any age threshold. My daughter has been charging to the room since she was 11.

That's good to know. It doesn't allow me to add a PIN online for my kids o when I do Online Check-in, so maybe it has to be done at the front desk or màybe it's for kids ("Disney adults") 10+?

 

[SL6827]

This past February I switched our reservation from the AKL to the WL two weeks before arrival. I had around a $200 credit I believe, so it was on our room account and was on our Magic Bands. I don't know of any other way I could have had money already on my tab when we arrived there.