Disney Vacation Account?

[Samantha Gilbreath]

What is this and how does it work? Just got off the Disney magic today and put a deposit down for the next cruise. How does this DVA work? Thanks in advance

It is a free savings account through Disney. You set up a goal amount that you would like to save, and fund it however often you like with either automatic withdrawals from a bank account, disney gift cards, or credit card. For every $1000 that you SPEND on a Disney vacation from the account, you are eligible for a $20 bonus Disney gift card. So essentially it is like a savings account with a 2% interest rate.

 

[CM Dad]

you need to have the account open for 120 days in order to get the bonus gift cards when you spend from your DVA for a Disney vacation. The "interest rate" is not necessarily the same as a 2% return on some kind of savings account. If you put $1000 in the DVA and spent it 120 days later, that could be compared to a 6% rate of return. You could also open the account, and not deposit the $1000 until your 120 days are up, add the money and then pay Disney, you could then earn whatever interest you can get elsewhere on top of the $20 bonus giftcard.

 

[VanessainWonderland]

Wow that's good to know! Thanks so much!

 

[tec71]

So my parents booked a trip for the whole family to go to WDW. They opened a DVA and deposited enough in Disney gift cards to cover the balance. Then they found out that the TA made a mistake (Not dreams unlimited) on dining plans. Now they have about $600 extra in the account. Can they apply that to their room account to use to charge things through their magic band? Or do they need to pull it out on to a gift and use that to pay anything charged against the room? Thanks in advance.

 

[WIFamily]

So my parents booked a trip for the whole family to go to WDW. They opened a DVA and deposited enough in Disney gift cards to cover the balance. Then they found out that the TA made a mistake (Not dreams unlimited) on dining plans. Now they have about $600 extra in the account. Can they apply that to their room account to use to charge things through their magic band? Or do they need to pull it out on to a gift and use that to pay anything charged against the room? Thanks in advance.

Yes, they will have to call the same number used to pay for the cruise and the system can do it as small as 1 dollar increments. It will come through as an amenity. We had 576 left over after changing from Disney insurance to third party and after my request for the on-board credit, DU forwarded me the amenity confirmation email from disney. The details were 5 - $100 onboard credits, and 76 - $1 onboard credits.

I don't know if the system will count that amount in with your bonus 2%. I'm still waiting for that to be processed.

 

[DomesticKrys]

I've been doing some research about this and could really use someone with recent FIRST HAND experience with using the DVA account number like a gift card to make payments on your room charges. I know the fine print says it is not allowed, but it also says that about DVC and MANY DVC members now use the DVA to pay their annual dues buy using the account number as a gift card. I've seen the account of one person who cancelled their dining plan within 2 days of their vacation and had the amount added to their room available for making charges instead of being put back in their DVA. I see in the above post that someone was able to get onboard credit for a DCL vacation instead of the money being returned to the DVA or forced onto a gift card as it says it "should" be. Thank you in advance!!!

 

[RedSox68]

This is from their website under "How it Works":

Request your Disney Gift Card(s) 4-6 weeks in advance of your vacation date to allow time for delivery to your mailing address.

So it sounds like the previous post is correct -- they wait until you are within that range to send them out, even if you requested them months earlier.

 

[canyoncam]

This is from their website under "How it Works":

Request your Disney Gift Card(s) 4-6 weeks in advance of your vacation date to allow time for delivery to your mailing address.

So it sounds like the previous post is correct -- they wait until you are within that range to send them out, even if you requested them months earlier.

This is true. I have twice requested them about three months out only to receive them about a month before my trip. Then as another pp mentioned they started automatically sending a $20 GC everytime I use $1000. I even moved my trip date out a year and still get them that way.

So they do whatever.

 

[RedSox68]

This is true. I have twice requested them about three months out only to receive them about a month before my trip. Then as another pp mentioned they started automatically sending a $20 GC everytime I use $1000. I even moved my trip date out a year and still get them that way.

So they do whatever.

So true. It's like the old adage -- the answer you get when you call depends on the CM you are talking with. Call three times with the same question, get three different answers LOL

 

[anricat]

Yes, they will have to call the same number used to pay for the cruise and the system can do it as small as 1 dollar increments. It will come through as an amenity. We had 576 left over after changing from Disney insurance to third party and after my request for the on-board credit, DU forwarded me the amenity confirmation email from disney. The details were 5 - $100 onboard credits, and 76 - $1 onboard credits.

I don't know if the system will count that amount in with your bonus 2%. I'm still waiting for that to be processed.

I think the poster of this question said WDW, not cruise. In which case, no, there's no way to apply DVA to your Magic Band. I've asked the DVA people directly and they said that there's no way to apply DVA money to your WDW resort account. You can only request a Disney Gift Card from your account and then take that. I asked the rep if we get our bonus if we request a gift card. No.

HUGE OVERSIGHT if you ask me. Just ridiculous.

 

[WIFamily]

I think the poster of this question said WDW, not cruise. In which case, no, there's no way to apply DVA to your Magic Band. I've asked the DVA people directly and they said that there's no way to apply DVA money to your WDW resort account. You can only request a Disney Gift Card from your account and then take that. I asked the rep if we get our bonus if we request a gift card. No.

HUGE OVERSIGHT if you ask me. Just ridiculous.

Ah, I missed that WDW part! Apologies!

 

[WIFamily]

Darn it! DVA called me while I was out to dinner with family - so I didn't answer it. The voicemail basically says that "My trip date is April 17th according to my profile, so my bonus card is scheduled to be processed next week. Thank you and have a magical day". Ugh, their communication skills are terrible. An automated email acknowledging my online request and some details on processing would have been so very nice.

And so it's been a week - I haven't received any notification yet that my request has been processed. I guess I'll give it until lunch and then call for an update.

 

[Samantha Gilbreath]

And so it's been a week - I haven't received any notification yet that my request has been processed. I guess I'll give it until lunch and then call for an update.

Did you happen to call them?

 

[WIFamily]

Did you happen to call them?

I thought I had posted this on Friday. I did call and after 20 minutes on hold the initial rep told me that my cards were processed on the 14th. He could not tell me the amount or if they has shipped. When I pressed he stumbled around saying that what I was asking was info another department had, that his department was only to help pay for a customers vacation with the account. I asked for a supervisor and talked to a real nice lady who confirmed with the shipping department that my bonus had been mailed on the 14th, and confirmed the dollar amount. She could not explain why I had not received email confirmation - I'm an IT guy and check my spam filter daily. I will have to wait and see.

 

[pontikes67]

Consider this scenario for me please:
My balance on my cruise is currently $5267. I have a Disney Vacation Account with just $10 in the account but it's been open for 2 years.

In both options below, I LOSE a $50 Beverage Credit because I'm not paying my entire trip with my Disney Visa:

OPTION A: Using my Disney VISA I build a balance of $5267 in the Disney Vacation Account which will yield me 2% for DISNEY purchases and $20 Gift Card for every $1000 used on a Disney Vacation. I can not pre-pay excursions etc (correct?) so no need to save beyond the Cruise, Transfers, Fees, and Gratuities. That would yield me: $100 in Gift Cards from my DVA and another $104 in Disney Rewards on my Disney Visa which I can then cash in as a Gift Card and use to pay my excursions and other onboard expenses. Total "Savings" = $204 - before moving on to OPTION B - is that scenario legit?

OPTION B: Use my DISNEY VISA card to BUY $5250 in Gift Cards from Sam's (sold in packs of $150 for $142.98) for a 4.68% discount. It's not a Disney Purchase at Sam's so it is only a 1% Reward ($52.50) but I could then add those gift cards to my Disney Vacation Account and garner the $100 in Gift Cards from DVA. The Savings from buying those gift cards at Sam's is $245.70. Add up the Disney Visa reward, the DVA reward, and the savings at Sam's - Total Savings is $398.20. Question with this is: Do I earn the $20 Gift Card, IF I'm paying for my vacation with Gift Cards??

What flaws are in my scenarios? If these work, OPTION B clearly saves me more money, but would require me to enter 105 Gift Cards into DVA.

 

[DomesticKrys]

Consider this scenario for me please:
My balance on my cruise is currently $5267. I have a Disney Vacation Account with just $10 in the account but it's been open for 2 years.

In both options below, I LOSE a $50 Beverage Credit because I'm not paying my entire trip with my Disney Visa:

OPTION A: Using my Disney VISA I build a balance of $5267 in the Disney Vacation Account which will yield me 2% for DISNEY purchases and $20 Gift Card for every $1000 used on a Disney Vacation. I can not pre-pay excursions etc (correct?) so no need to save beyond the Cruise, Transfers, Fees, and Gratuities. That would yield me: $100 in Gift Cards from my DVA and another $104 in Disney Rewards on my Disney Visa which I can then cash in as a Gift Card and use to pay my excursions and other onboard expenses. Total "Savings" = $204 - before moving on to OPTION B - is that scenario legit?

OPTION B: Use my DISNEY VISA card to BUY $5250 in Gift Cards from Sam's (sold in packs of $150 for $142.98) for a 4.68% discount. It's not a Disney Purchase at Sam's so it is only a 1% Reward ($52.50) but I could then add those gift cards to my Disney Vacation Account and garner the $100 in Gift Cards from DVA. The Savings from buying those gift cards at Sam's is $245.70. Add up the Disney Visa reward, the DVA reward, and the savings at Sam's - Total Savings is $398.20. Question with this is: Do I earn the $20 Gift Card, IF I'm paying for my vacation with Gift Cards??

What flaws are in my scenarios? If these work, OPTION B clearly saves me more money, but would require me to enter 105 Gift Cards into DVA.

Sounds like B is a good deal but you will have to buy Walmart gift cards at Walmart to pay for the gift cards at Sam's because they don't accept Visa credit cards (only debit). You do still earn the $20/$1k even if it is funded with gift cards.

ETA consolidate your gift cards first at Disneygiftcards.com, you can put $1k on each card.

 

[minorthr]

OPTION A: Using my Disney VISA I build a balance of $5267 in the Disney Vacation Account which will yield me 2% for DISNEY purchases and $20 Gift Card for every $1000 used on a Disney Vacation. I can not pre-pay excursions etc (correct?) so no need to save beyond the Cruise, Transfers, Fees, and Gratuities. That would yield me: $100 in Gift Cards from my DVA and another $104 in Disney Rewards on my Disney Visa which I can then cash in as a Gift Card and use to pay my excursions and other onboard expenses. Total "Savings" = $204 - before moving on to OPTION B - is that scenario legit?

I think you can kind of prepay for excursions if you load more money into your vacation account then call and have that money added to your ship on board account. Its not really prepaying for those specific things but the money would already be there.

 

[pontikes67]

Sounds like B is a good deal but you will have to buy Walmart gift cards at Walmart to pay for the gift cards at Sam's because they don't accept Visa credit cards (only debit). You do still earn the $20/$1k even if it is funded with gift cards.

ETA consolidate your gift cards first at Disneygiftcards.com, you can put $1k on each card.

That what I was thinking...build balances to $1,000 then use on DVA.

 

[pontikes67]

I think you can kind of prepay for excursions if you load more money into your vacation account then call and have that money added to your ship on board account. Its not really prepaying for those specific things but the money would already be there.

Great idea...that'd be more 'rewards' too!

 

[pontikes67]

Sounds like B is a good deal but you will have to buy Walmart gift cards at Walmart to pay for the gift cards at Sam's because they don't accept Visa credit cards (only debit).

Actually, I ran a test today and was able to order ONLINE using my DISNEY VISA. Total was $142.98 for 3 - $50 Gift Cards!