Disney Vacation Account and adding credit to my onboard account.

[snchpnz]

Ok, so I created a Disney Vacation Account (I added all my Target Disney Gift Cards to the account so that I would only have to use one account number to pay for stuff.) I called DCL to add some money to my onboard account before sailing but the nice lady on the phone said she didn't know how to help me. She transferred me to another department but the called dropped before they could even finish greeting me. Sooo.... I was wondering. Do I keep on calling until I find a rep who knows how to do it or do I wait until I get onboard and just give them my Disney Vacation Account number at guest services? Is it even possible to use the Disney Vacation account to add money to the onboard account or would I have been better off just keeping the individual Disney Gift Cards? I was just worried about traveling with a handful of giftcards and losing them. Any advice on what to do or say to the phone reps would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Sur]

The CMs are Extemely uninformed about the vacation account. Even the vacation account department themselves are inept on how it works. I needed Bree's help (fellow DISer) to learn how to open the account since I only had a bunch of gift cards ( have to open the account with a low payment from a credit card first, then add gift cards).
I'm just waiting to hear money is locked up in there and can't be applied for a trip. I'd love it if it could be used for DVC, but doubtful.

 

[Bree]

I would call back and talk to someone else. Very few CM's seem to know how to handle DVA. The DVA account number is the same length as a Disney Gift Card (16 digits). Maybe the DCL CM has to run it as a gift card? I know when I book WDW resort rooms there is no differentiation between a GC or DVA. It just asks for an account number in that box.

 

[holula]

Tell them you have a Disney Gift Card and use your 16 digit DVA number when they ask for it.

 

[pgroom48]

Can you use a Disney Vacation Account with a Travel Agent like Small World?

 

[snchpnz]

Thank you all! I did what Holula said. I called and said I wanted to add some money to my onboard account. I didn't go into any details. I told them the amount and when they asked me how I wanted to pay I said "Disney Gift Card Account" and gave them the 16 numbers. Just checked my account details and the charge went through. Very Easy. I think I was just making it over complicated with all the explanations.

 

[Sur]

Awesome!

 

[Bree]

Can you use a Disney Vacation Account with a Travel Agent like Small World?

You would have to ask them. I use Dreams Unlimited and when I make payments online I put my DVA number in as a gift card.

 

[ScubaMama]

Can you use a Disney Vacation Account with a Travel Agent like Small World?

Stephanie from Small World told me no in September so I went with Costco.

 

[cloud10]

You would have to ask them. I use Dreams Unlimited and when I make payments online I put my DVA number in as a gift card.

When you load the regular Disney gift cards into DVA, in addition to the 16 digits you also have to enter the 8-digit security code or whatever it's called.

For DU, did you need to enter something else when using the DVA number? Or did you just leave it blank and it went thru anyway?

 

[Pumbas]

Stephanie from Small World told me no in September so I went with Costco.

Can you use the DVA when booking through Costco?

 

[Mrspeaks]

When do you receive the gift card incentive with the Disney saving account? Is it $20 for every $1000?

 

[Bree]

When you load the regular Disney gift cards into DVA, in addition to the 16 digits you also have to enter the 8-digit security code or whatever it's called.

For DU, did you need to enter something else when using the DVA number? Or did you just leave it blank and it went thru anyway?

On DU payment page there is no spot to put in a security code. It only asks for the 16 digit number.

 

[CM Dad]

I believe that using a Disney Vacation Account is an exception to having to pay for your cruise through your travel agent. According to the vacation account agreement, you are not supposed to give you account number to a 3rd party.

If you use a travel agent and want to pay using the vacation account, you are supposed to call Disney Cruise Line at 1-800-511-9333 and give them the account number. I did this recently for an upcoming cruise. I got this information from my travel agent.

Although it may not have issues, I just called to use the vacation account to add the prepaid gratuities. She said I needed to do that through the travel agent. I was the 1st person to ask about the vacation account. She did some checking and is processing the gratuities now.

NOTE: that phone number is for the cruise line. There are other numbers for paying for WDW, Disneyland, Aulani and Adventures By Disney vacations.

 

[iivye]

I had a similar experience to CM Dad. My TA (from Small World) tried to run the payment as a gift card but it wouldn't work. She had me call Disney to pay but they didn't want to take any payments since I have a travel agent. I explained it was the Disney vacation account and the CM then took the payment. The CM said the Disney vacation account is relatively new and the staff did not have a lot of training on it which is why you will get certain CM's that won't process the payment. My TA had never heard of it either but it all worked out in the end and the payment was applied.

 

[ScubaMama]

Can you use the DVA when booking through Costco?

Yes. You should be given a direct number to Disney to make all the paymentalk with a CM. A Florida rate came out for one of our rooms that was a refund bigger than what we'LL need on the onboard account and getting a refund to DVA was no problem. Their refund policy once it's in the DVA if yof want a refund (rather than pay for another cruise) is that the money will go to your bank account first if you made any payments that way, then credit card, then gift cards. It's perfect because deposits weye paid with a credit card and then I used a zillion Disney gift cards purchased with a Target Red Card. I'm glad the refund went to my credit card automatically (since I didn't pay with a bank account.)

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Can you use the DVA when booking through Costco?

Yes

Heather

 

[GOOFY D]

Just to clarify, we can pay off our cruise with the DVA. However, am I to understand that you can also apply additional funds from DVA to the onboard account (to pay for your excursions, tips, charges, etc.)? If so, is the process any different from paying the cruise costs?

 

[sabrecmc]

Just to clarify, we can pay off our cruise with the DVA. However, am I to understand that you can also apply additional funds from DVA to the onboard account (to pay for your excursions, tips, charges, etc.)? If so, is the process any different from paying the cruise costs?

I was coming over here this morning to ask the exact same question! We have 2 back-to-back cruises coming up that are paid off...I want to add my DVA funds to my onboard account. It sounds like to do this, I just call DCL and tell them I want to add funds to the onboard account, give them my reservation number and then the DVA account number like it is a Disney Gift Card...am I following that correctly?

 

[holula]

I was coming over here this morning to ask the exact same question! We have 2 back-to-back cruises coming up that are paid off...I want to add my DVA funds to my onboard account. It sounds like to do this, I just call DCL and tell them I want to add funds to the onboard account, give them my reservation number and then the DVA account number like it is a Disney Gift Card...am I following that correctly?

That is correct.