Disney gift cards... Help please!

[DanieB]

A friend was just told by Disney that most of the restaurants in the parks won't take Disney gift cards. I was previously told they do and I bought a bunch of cards leading up to our trip. Now I am extremely worried. Can someone with recent experience please let me know. Thanks!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Let me guess, it was a phone CM that told her that? Unless that is a very recent change, it isn't correct. The little kiosks that are cash only won't take them. I've never heard of a Disney owned restaurant at a Disney park not taking them.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

I am planning to use Disney gift cards at all restaurants and counter service locations except Via Napoli, Trattoria Al Forno, WPE and Earl of Sandwich (although if anyone knows if they accept them also that would be great as well). I'm bringing cash for the kiosks/stands.

 

[nj disney family]

Haven't heard that, but we usually charge everything back to the room and every few days pay down the balance with our gift cards.

 

[MinnieMSue]

I have used a gift card at every single restaurant we have been to over the years (sorry never ate at the ones mentioned above so no help there). If they don't take them I will use magic band then go to hotel desk with the gift card that night or next morning to use it to pay the bill.

 

[DanieB]

Let me guess, it was a phone CM that told her that? Unless that is a very recent change, it isn't correct. The little kiosks that are cash only won't take them. I've never heard of a Disney owned restaurant at a Disney park not taking them.

Yes it was a CM on the phone. I'm getting the feeling their info is not always accurate!

 

[DanieB]

Thank you all for the info. I'm very relieved!!!

 

[Serenebean]

Haven't heard that, but we usually charge everything back to the room and every few days pay down the balance with our gift cards.

Yep - we do this!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Charge to the room, Pay with a GC is the only way to go. You can eat anywhere they charge your room and pay that way.

 

[Meriweather]

We always use gift cards.....never a problem.
I don't want to charge back to my room.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Not only do they take Disney gift cards, alot of people do not realize places like Yak & Yeti, T-Rex and Raindforest Cafe will also take Landry's Gift Cards and Starbucks locations will take Starbucks gift cards. I mention that because from time to time Landry's gift cards can be found for a discount on restauraunt.com and both Landry's and Starbucks can regularly be bought with Capital One Rewards points for anyone who has checking accounts with them.

 

[MouseMomx2]

I am planning to use Disney gift cards at all restaurants and counter service locations except Via Napoli, Trattoria Al Forno, WPE and Earl of Sandwich (although if anyone knows if they accept them also that would be great as well). I'm bringing cash for the kiosks/stands.

Earl of Sandwich, the Trattoria and Via Napoli all take Disney gift cards. I'm not sure about WPE.

 

[momto4obkids]

I am planning to use Disney gift cards at all restaurants and counter service locations except Via Napoli, Trattoria Al Forno, WPE and Earl of Sandwich (although if anyone knows if they accept them also that would be great as well). I'm bringing cash for the kiosks/stands.

WPE accepts them. We used them there on our last trip.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

Earl of Sandwich, the Trattoria and Via Napoli all take Disney gift cards. I'm not sure about WPE.

WPE accepts them. We used them there on our last trip.

That is an excellent surprise, thank you!

 

[KrazeeK120]

I would recommend charging to the room and then paying with gift cards if you go to table service restaurants.

I've shared this story before, so I apologize if you've seen it already. But my DH and I ate at 'Ohana in January 2014 and I paid with a gift card. I was using the Disney gift card app to track all of my gift cards. It was a birthday trip, and several people had given me Disney gift cards for my birthday to use on the trip, so I had a lot to keep track of. Anyway, when I was verifying everything that night, something wasn't matching and it took me a long time to figure it out. Eventually, I realized that I had not been given back the same gift card at 'Ohana that I'd used to pay. I'd input all of my gift cards before the trip - the one I'd paid with at 'Ohana was no longer in my possession and the one I did have was not in my gift card tracker, so I knew it was the wrong one. It had the same design on the front as the one I'd used to pay, so I didn't think anything of it. There was less than $5 still on the card, so I didn't pursue any action over it. I felt like I'd been potentially robbed (the card I had been given back, of course, had a $0 balance on it), but again, I wasn't going to spend vacation time chasing down $4 and some change. Obviously if it had been my personal credit card, I would have known right away if it was the wrong one because the name would have been incorrect.

An alternative would be to take a photo of the back of your card or write down the number somewhere and compare when the check is brought back to you.

But to answer the OP's initial post...unless it's a very recent change, all WDW owned and operated restaurants accept Disney gift cards. There may be some kiosks that don't, but I successfully used gift cards at several kiosks on my trip.

 

[disney minnie]

I always add the gift cards to my account before I leave home so we show up with a balance. I don't like to have to sit there at the counter and add them one after another. I charge everything to my magic band. Know that if you are planning to use the cards to pay your resort bill you need to do that before you go. If you don't they will charge your credit card before check in.

I have heard that you can consolidate your gift cards on to one card by calling the number on the back of the card. This will help when making a payment and getting a refund. Be aware that if there is unused money it will go back on the gift card so if you are using them one by one you need to keep up with them. If you consolidate then you need to hold on to that one card.

 

[AngiTN]

I always add the gift cards to my account before I leave home so we show up with a balance. I don't like to have to sit there at the counter and add them one after another. I charge everything to my magic band. Know that if you are planning to use the cards to pay your resort bill you need to do that before you go. If you don't they will charge your credit card before check in.

I have heard that you can consolidate your gift cards on to one card by calling the number on the back of the card. This will help when making a payment and getting a refund. Be aware that if there is unused money it will go back on the gift card so if you are using them one by one you need to keep up with them. If you consolidate then you need to hold on to that one card.

Even easier, there's a website for that
https://www.disneygiftcard.com/

 

[tobikaye]

...
There was less than $5 still on the card, so I didn't pursue any action over it. I felt like I'd been potentially robbed (the card I had been given back, of course, had a $0 balance on it), but again, I wasn't going to spend vacation time chasing down $4 and some change. Obviously if it had been my personal credit card, I would have known right away if it was the wrong one because the name would have been incorrect.

An alternative would be to take a photo of the back of your card or write down the number somewhere and compare when the check is brought back to you.

....

I wonder now, with the new consolidation available on the website, if you could have just moved that balance back to another card.

When I went to WDW before you could combined cards, sometimes I would have 2-3 cards with me. I always wrote something on the front to keep track, plus the remaining balance on the back so I would have known right away if I had been brought back the wrong card.

 

[Babydreamz]

Yes it was a CM on the phone. I'm getting the feeling their info is not always accurate!

They more often wrong than not.

I would recommend charging to the room and then paying with gift cards if you go to table service restaurants.

I've shared this story before, so I apologize if you've seen it already. But my DH and I ate at 'Ohana in January 2014 and I paid with a gift card. I was using the Disney gift card app to track all of my gift cards. It was a birthday trip, and several people had given me Disney gift cards for my birthday to use on the trip, so I had a lot to keep track of. Anyway, when I was verifying everything that night, something wasn't matching and it took me a long time to figure it out. Eventually, I realized that I had not been given back the same gift card at 'Ohana that I'd used to pay. I'd input all of my gift cards before the trip - the one I'd paid with at 'Ohana was no longer in my possession and the one I did have was not in my gift card tracker, so I knew it was the wrong one. It had the same design on the front as the one I'd used to pay, so I didn't think anything of it. There was less than $5 still on the card, so I didn't pursue any action over it. I felt like I'd been potentially robbed (the card I had been given back, of course, had a $0 balance on it), but again, I wasn't going to spend vacation time chasing down $4 and some change. Obviously if it had been my personal credit card, I would have known right away if it was the wrong one because the name would have been incorrect.

An alternative would be to take a photo of the back of your card or write down the number somewhere and compare when the check is brought back to you.

But to answer the OP's initial post...unless it's a very recent change, all WDW owned and operated restaurants accept Disney gift cards. There may be some kiosks that don't, but I successfully used gift cards at several kiosks on my trip.

If you have an account with disneygiftcards.com you can log in and transfer the remaining $5 onto a card that you have in your possession. I often keep an empty card in our room so that I can transfer a balance if we lose a card while out and about. It's very convenient.

 

[mkla2015]

We used gift cards on our last trip in March to pay for every single meal and had no issues at all- including WPE. I used the website to track my spending- we had 4 cards and used 1 at a time to make it easier.

I also tried to order more uncommon gift card designs- lion king, monsters inc, stitch so that they were easier to keep separate than the common mickey or mickey and friends that you see all over.