Who purchases gift cards for their trip?

[BebopBaloo]

You can purchase gift cards at http://www.disneygiftcard.com/cards/characters with a wide variety of designs to choose from. This may help in keeping track of which card is the $25 and which is the $50, etc. The check out goes through the Disney store website, but the shipping is free.

 

[daileyad]

We just used a gift card for our trip. We loved it. It was so easy to keep on budget because it gives you the balance left every time you make a purchase. So we came home without putting anything on our credit card which made me very happy!

 

[hello kitty]

My dd is part of a SCRIP program at school, so I got a bunch of Disney gift cards to use on my last two trips. Well....I had about $400 worth in August and tried to put them on my room account at BWV..but wasn't allowed to. I had to go down to the front desk the day before checkout and have the gift cards applied then. And it takes a fair amount of time to enter each card...way longer than it should. It seems that they wouldn't allow me to use them to begin with because they aren't allowed to give you any money back if the entire amount isn't used. So, for a room account of about $360, I could only use $300 worth of cards.
Then, earlier this month, I did the online checkin for my stay at BWV. My friend was going with me. She planned on paying for her ddp with cash, I was going to use my Disney gift cards. When I tried to give the cards to the CM at the counter, she informed me that the ddp had already been put on my credit card!!! Are you kidding me???? I wasn't planning on using the credit card...only gift cards, including paying for my ddp with some gift cards. So now, rather than not use my credit card at all, I started the trip with close to $400 on it!!! I was not happy to say the least. Yes, my friend gave me cash to cover her ddp costs but that didn't go to my credit card..should have, but it didn't. When I asked the CM why this was done, she told me it was BW policy. Hmmm, not the policy at AKL the day before...did online checkin for them as well and paid for my ddp with a gift card when I got there.

Not saying this is always going to be the case, but just wanted to give a heads up. I seriously doubt I'll be using Disney gift cards for my trips to WDW again...way too big a hassle. Not to mention that one $100 card had a zero balance when I tried to use it. It was brand new..now I have to all Disney and check into that!

I kind of had the same experience at Pop a few weeks ago. I wanted to pay for our room using Disney Dollars, but they charged the credit card on file as soon as I gave them my name. I told them "uummm noooo" and they immediately credited my card back no problem.

Great customer service, but I think they should ask first.

 

[DisMN]

We're using Disney gift cards more and more these days. It's been a great way to save for upcoming trips......

and just before Christmas this year I found that Walgreen's was selling them! No waiting for them in the mail. LOVED it and that makes it easier to just pick up one or two every now and then, while I still have the cash in hand!

 

[Rudegrle]

My local grocery store sells Disney GC's, $25 and $50 i think. I got $200 worth in my stocking for xmas .

They say:
SHOP - DINE - STAY - PLAY
Redeemable at select participating locations at
*Disney Store
*Disnystore.com
*WDW
*DL
*DCL
*Adventures By Disney

I thought these were a great idea to pay for food/drinks, merch, and maybe pay off hotel. It sounds stupid, but I love the idea of having Disney $$$ set aside. Every time I go to the grocery store I pick up another GC... seems like I *need* more last minute items at the grocery store lately.

 

[CarKey]

If you have a Giant Eagle in your area you can buy them there. They come in denominations of $25 and $50 and they have Universal Studios too. Getting them at Giant Eagle pays off big time since they give you $.20 off per gallon of gas for every $50 you accumulate!

 

[Heidijs]

Our entire trip is already paid for with a Visa but my DD's school does script too and I'll be buying up the rest of their disney cards for our trip for tax and tips and stuff our dining plan doesn't cover as well as souvineers etc...

 

[MomPOM]

They did a sale at my son's school and I bought $1500 worth of cards. When we check in we'll get the card to apply charges to our room and then apply the gift cards to the room bill when we check out. We have a lot of activites planned (cruises, Wanyama safari, Pirates League, etc.), plus we're paying for food OOP. I suspect we'll use up most of this money and not worry about how much we spent. It's an easy way for us to stay on track and my son's school got 3% of the sale.

 

[wheredreamsbegin]

If you have a Giant Eagle in your area you can buy them there. They come in denominations of $25 and $50 and they have Universal Studios too. Getting them at Giant Eagle pays off big time since they give you $.20 off per gallon of gas for every $50 you accumulate!

I was hoping to do this...but before I do, I was wondering if someone could tell me if these gift cards can be used to purchase theme park tickets at check-in. We are staying on points for the first time, so I'm not really sure how things will work. Will we still be able to charge tickets, food, etc. to our room and then use the gift cards to pay off the balance?

Thanks!

 

[tannersmama]

Does every where at WDW take the gift cards? I was thinking of buying one for my mom as a gift to do the Pick a Peral in Japan.

I have some bought already also for my son for doing chores around the house. He is very excited, he thinks they are Credit Cards. When they are at a zero balance.. do we get to keep the cards? He is rather attached to the pics on them.

thanks for help

 

[GOOFY4DONALD]

Does every where at WDW take the gift cards? I was thinking of buying one for my mom as a gift to do the Pick a Peral in Japan.

I have some bought already also for my son for doing chores around the house. He is very excited, he thinks they are Credit Cards. When they are at a zero balance.. do we get to keep the cards? He is rather attached to the pics on them.

thanks for help

YEs to both of your question. I used GCs for my pick a pearl. The only thing is in Japan they will check to make sure you have enough to cover it through their computer. They did this every time. If not you can pay the balance but they still have to check. Also you can keep the cards after they are used up. I purchased many different designs just so I could keep them all.

 

[DisGal520]

We never have bought gift cards at a mall Disney store or online. However back in May we bought a couple gift cards at POP Century's gift shop. Ask for the ones with the free pin attached. We got one for a birthday and one for Time to Celebrate that cost $50 each. The pins were adorable for anyone who likes to collect or trade pins.

Then this month we bought some of the Holiday gift cards with holiday pins in Mousegears. Those were $75 per card.

And as for the gift cards once used up, since they are colorful and themed, we punched holes in a corner of each, strung a ribbon through and voila - extra Disney ornaments for the tree!

 

[tannersmama]

Thanks Goofy.. My son will be so excited. He did not want to give them up.

I am off to go and buy one for my mom then so we can pick a pearl togather!

 

[jbmgsdmom]

Are the disney gift cards you buy at the store, online, with scrip, etc different from other ones. I saw a thread where they were discussing a PIN for a gift card but that it couldn't be used for dining and other things. We are taking our very 1st trip in Oct and would love to purchase them throughout the year through scrip to pay for tips, tax and special things we are doing like MNSSHP but I don't want to run into a problem where I can't use them.

Also, if the trip has to be paid 45 days in advance, how do you apply the gift cards to your dining plan or room?

Thanks!

 

[disneymom99]

Can gift cards be used to purchase park tickets? One of our local grocery stores has a fuel savings program associated with in-store purchases. It would be wonderful it I could purchase Disney gift cards there and earn fuel credit. Thanks in advance for your input!

I was wondering the same thing. I want to start buying gift cards at Giant Eagle to purchase annual passes. I don't need the annual passes until next year, so it would be great to start buying the gift cards now.

 

[EMT-319]

Purchased 3 as Christmas presents... then left them at home

 

[stacy347]

I noticed recently that the local Kroger now has the $25 and $50 Disney GCs ~ I will be picking them up here and there while grocery shopping to have on hand for the trip.

 

[Kurby]

we will be buying them for dd for our next trip - it's a good way to teach her that "this is what you have on your card to spend if you blow it the first day you don't get anything else the rest of the trip"

we'll buy her some stuff that are more expensive but if she wants a little charm or a set of ears she has to buy them herself.

for us it's not necessary since we charge everything to the room and pay it when we check out - good way to keep track without having a stack of receipts to get lost (this is when we come home so we know what we bought)

 

[loriandmatt]

FOR THOSE ASKING ABOUT USING GIFT CARDS TO PURCHASE PARK TICKETS...

yes you can. i have used gift cards to pay for tickets at the ticket window at park entrance (i have done it at MK and EPCOT but i am sure you can do it at all of them). i also have used them at Guest Services to purchase APs.

 

[BradyBz12]

Does every where at WDW take the gift cards?

MOST places, but not all. There are some restaurants/shops that aren't Disney owned/operated that do not take them. I don't have the current list handy, but I know one is the Joffey (sp?) coffee carts found in the various parks (there's one near TT at EP). FWIW, they also don't take DDP - which is a shame because it's one of the few places in WDW to find good coffee.
When in doubt, ask first.