Adding onboard credit with a gift card

[FSU Girl]

I was thinking of buying a Disney Gift card to put some onboard credit on my account. I was calculating everything I have prebooked and the tips so I have a rough idea how much it'll be and then figured I'd add a little more in case we buy things on the ships. I'm wondering if I don't spend all the money I put on the account will it go back onto that gift card at the end of the cruise? I'm fine with that since I go to Disney a lot and can use the money there, I just want to make sure that the money doesn't just disappear if I don't use it.

 

[com_op_2000]

Yes, any monies left over will go back to the card that you put on your account.
If you have more than one card be sure to keep them in the order that they were applied to the account, so you can use the proper card when going back to the desk for the refund.

FSU Girl - Go Gators!

 

[belac]

I always have trouble figuring which was which, so I simply write on the card in sharpie, amount that was on it and date I used it. Makes it easier if you have 10 cards to weed through.

 

[FSU Girl]

Yes, any monies left over will go back to the card that you put on your account.
If you have more than one card be sure to keep them in the order that they were applied to the account, so you can use the proper card when going back to the desk for the refund.

FSU Girl - Go Noles!

I have to go to the desk to get it applied, they won't do it automatically?

I also may have changed your last comment

 

[belac]

You can call and have them put onto your account, but I haven't done that in ages. Things may have changed, but give it a shot

 

[AWilliams]

You can combine Disney gift cards (move values from several cards onto one card) up to $1,000 at https://www.disneygiftcard.com/Manage/MyCards. I always combine the cards I get at Target onto one single primary card. It is a great site to check your balance and see the transaction history too.

I just booked our first cruise, so not sure how to apply them to the onboard credit, but we will probably do that too!

 

[Chirple]

I was thinking of buying a Disney Gift card to put some onboard credit on my account. I was calculating everything I have prebooked and the tips so I have a rough idea how much it'll be and then figured I'd add a little more in case we buy things on the ships. I'm wondering if I don't spend all the money I put on the account will it go back onto that gift card at the end of the cruise? I'm fine with that since I go to Disney a lot and can use the money there, I just want to make sure that the money doesn't just disappear if I don't use it.

We did this for our upcoming cruise. BJs offered an extra discount on Disney Gift Cards (one-day sale) so we purchased a lot. I then consolidated the amounts into two cards via the website mentioned by @AWilliams. I am bringing those cards on the cruise with me should we have funds left over. I called Disney Cruise Line about two months ago. I first prepaid my tips with a partial amount from one card. Then I applied the remaining amount plus the full amount of the other card to our onboard account.

 

[FSU Girl]

We did this for our upcoming cruise. BJs offered an extra discount on Disney Gift Cards (one-day sale) so we purchased a lot. I then consolidated the amounts into two cards via the website mentioned by @AWilliams. I am bringing those cards on the cruise with me should we have funds left over. I called Disney Cruise Line about two months ago. I first prepaid my tips with a partial amount from one card. Then I applied the remaining amount plus the full amount of the other card to our onboard account.

To prepay tips do I call and do it that way? Or can it be done online.

 

[Chirple]

To prepay tips do I call and do it that way? Or can it be done online.

You have to call, but it is a painless process.

 

[FSU Girl]

You have to call, but it is a painless process.

Thanks! I'll be doing this.

 

[Dug720]

FWIW, in Feb I was told by more than one CM (phone and on board) that anything left over would go back to the gift card. So I would not count on it going back to your credit card on file.

 

[FSU Girl]

FWIW, in Feb I was told by more than one CM (phone and on board) that anything left over would go back to the gift card. So I would not count on it going back to your credit card on file.

That's fine, I figured it would go back onto the gift card since that's whats being used. My biggest concern was getting it back at all lol. Since the numbers I'm calculating are odd I'd definitely have something left and I figure if I put more than I plan to use it'll give me a cushion on what I can buy without worry

 

[Marcelyry]

Can I just give my kids a Disney gift card to use on board to buy things, or does it have to go through the room charges?

 

[FSU Girl]

Can I just give my kids a Disney gift card to use on board to buy things, or does it have to go through the room charges?

I believe you have to charge everything to your room, no cash/cards can be used on the ship

 

[Dug720]

That's fine, I figured it would go back onto the gift card since that's whats being used. My biggest concern was getting it back at all lol. Since the numbers I'm calculating are odd I'd definitely have something left and I figure if I put more than I plan to use it'll give me a cushion on what I can buy without worry

Understood. I have never had a problem with it going back on the card pretty much immediately without me doing anything (besides close my account the last night).

I will say that if you have more than one gift card, go to disneygiftcard.com and combine them (I think you can do it up to either $1000 or $1500) onto as few as possible because you only have to hang onto that 1 (or 2 or 3) card(s). It also makes the CM on the gifts and amenities line happier. When I was putting around $650 on my account in Feb, I could pretty much hear the relief in her voice when I said "Oh no, all on one card". (I live where there is a Disney Store, so I just go and reload my card rather than dealing with a zillion. Lol.)

 

[Marcelyry]

I believe you have to charge everything to your room, no cash/cards can be used on the ship

thanks!

 

[FSU Girl]

Understood. I have never had a problem with it going back on the card pretty much immediately without me doing anything (besides close my account the last night).

I will say that if you have more than one gift card, go to disneygiftcard.com and combine them (I think you can do it up to either $1000 or $1500) onto as few as possible because you only have to hang onto that 1 (or 2 or 3) card(s). It also makes the CM on the gifts and amenities line happier. When I was putting around $650 on my account in Feb, I could pretty much hear the relief in her voice when I said "Oh no, all on one card". (I live where there is a Disney Store, so I just go and reload my card rather than dealing with a zillion. Lol.)

That's good to know. I feel weird going to a store and asking for a $1,000 gift card, I feel like they'll look at me like I'm crazy

 

[Dug720]

I believe you have to charge everything to your room, no cash/cards can be used on the ship

thanks!

There are 2 exceptions...

1 - Gift cards CAN be used in the gift shops on board. Makes it easy if parents/guardians want to not give kids open charging on the KTTW card but let them spend their own money.

2 - For onboard bookings you would use a credit card or gift card for the deposit. I do not know if they accept cash for onboard booking deposits.

(You can also give them cash at Guest Services to load money onto/pay down your account.)

 

[Dug720]

That's good to know. I feel weird going to a store and asking for a $1,000 gift card, I feel like they'll look at me like I'm crazy

Trust me, Disney Stores won't blink. They might need manager's approval, but it's not a problem. You can also custom order them - I think from the site I listed or disneystore.com - and have it mailed to your address.

 

[FSU Girl]

Trust me, Disney Stores won't blink. They might need manager's approval, but it's not a problem. You can also custom order them - I think from the site I listed or disneystore.com - and have it mailed to your address.

Thanks!