Beware Of The Disney Gift Card!!!

[bsusanmb]

I posted this on the budget board, but I wanted the DVC members to know this also.

For my daugher's honeymoon, I provided my DVC points for her and her husband to spend a week at SSR. I purchased a Disney gift card from the Disney Store - the same cards they sell all over Disney World, $700. This would pay for their meal plan and leave a little money for a sourvenir etc.

Well, I got a tearful call from my daughter at check in at SSR. The hotels do not take the Disney gift card. Their computer systems don't even read them. They can be used for meals, but not to pay for the dining plan. So, what could I do???? I gave SSR my credit card number to charge the meal plan. I couldn't believe it. The clerk at the Disney store told me the cards are good for anything except the Disney Cruise. It was not a pleasant situation for any of us.

I did check the web site listed on the card - and it does say that it cannot be used at the WDW hotels or something like that. If Disney sells these cards, and they do up to $1500.00, they should know absolutely what they can be used for prior to someone purchasing them. How can a consumer check the internet prior to purchase?

So, there you have it. I won't do it again!

 

[Figment2]

As part of the pin event registration, we received two $15 gift cards. I know people who used them in the restaurants. I used mine at DTD.

I never even thought about using them for your hotel bill. I know you can use them in the hotel stores.

Cyn

 

[Dean]

I used mine on the room at DL 3 weeks ago.

 

[bsusanmb]

The card is good at DL, not WDW for the dining plan or the hotel bills.

$700 is a lot of put out for a gift card and then not be able to use it for the meal plan.

I will end up spending it on Christmas gifts for my grandchildren at WDW.

 

[DVCconvert]

Here are some selected highlights from the FAQ's w/ link below. I'm sorry you had this experience.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:


Where can I use my Disney Gift Card?
The Disney Gift Card can be used for purchases at participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, and at Disney Store locations in the U.S., DisneyShopping.com and Disney Cruise Line® onboard ship.



Where can I use my DisneyShopping.com Online Gift Card?
DisneyShopping.com Online Gift Cards can only be used for online purchases made specifically at DisneyShopping.com.


Can I use my Disney Gift Card to purchase Theme Park tickets?
You can use your Disney Gift Card as a form of payment for Disneyland® Resort vacation packages by calling the Walt Disney Travel Company California at 1-866-470-5119.
Coming soon, you will be able to use you Disney Gift Card for Walt Disney® World vacation packages.


Is my Walt Disney World Shopping & Dining Gift Card still valid?
Yes, a Walt Disney World Shopping & Dining Gift Card is valid for purchases at all participating Walt Disney World® Resort locations.



Link to complete text - once open click on FAQ's

 

[SamR]

The hotels do not take the Disney gift card. Their computer systems don't even read them.

I found out about their systems not reading the gifts cards in a different way yesterday morning.

When I was at the Food and Wine Festival Friday night, I went up to the Food and Wine merchandise area near the entrance to World Showcase and asked them to add $100 to my nearly-depleted gift card (with the $100 being charged to my room). The CM at the register seemed to have some trouble doing so, but called over a second CM for help and after a few minutes sent me on my way with a receipt showing my new gift card balance (now slightly over $100).

Yesterday morning when I opened up my express checkout package that was slid under the door of my Boardwalk Studio, I found not one, but three $100 charges on my bill (all labeled Disney Gift Card). I spent about half-an-hour at the concierge desk trying the get it straightened out. I was first told that their systems couldn't read the card, but if I would take it to the gift shop, I could get a report printed there that the concierge could use to verify my claim. I guess the gift shops in the hotels do take the cards, because the CM in the shop was able to pull up my balance, but said he had no way to print a report. Back to the concierge desk... A different concierge helped me the second time and after 10-15 minutes in the back finally came out and credited my account. It all worked out in the end, but what a pain for someone with a plane to catch!

A few thoughts from this:

• I guess the shops and front desk must be linked into different systems that don't communicate with each other, because the front desk/concierge cannot read the card, but you can use it in the gift shops.
• I heard one of the concierge CMs mumble something to the other one about "another week or two". It sounds like their systems will be able to read and get information about the gift cards soon (or at least this CM believes that). Whether this also means you will soon be able to use the gift card for any front-desk charge (room rate, meal plan, etc.) is unclear.
• In the interim, if you are using your room charge to load your gift card, verify your bill at the front desk the night before check out! You don't want to be dealing with gift card-related billing issues while under a time constraint like I was...

 

[browniemtb]

From what I hear....and others may have already posted this, is that Disney sold all their Disney stores to Childrens's place Inc. So all our perks at these store are gone. Maybe this has something to do with the limited use of the gift card.
Brownie

 

[maelstrom]

From what I hear....and others may have already posted this, is that Disney sold all their Disney stores to Childrens's place Inc. So all our perks at these store are gone. Maybe this has something to do with the limited use of the gift card.
Brownie

This has nothing to do with the limitations of using the Disney gift card at WDW, DL, and DCL locations. You are correct that Disney no longer owns the Disney Store, but they sell the same gift cards there that they do at WDW.

 

[mbhoxsie]

This kind of reminds me of the time we tried to use our Disney Credit Card (not the Disney Visa they have now) at AKL for room service and were told that they couldn't accept it...

Though we could have put the room balance on the DCC and then rolled the charge over to that..

 

[OneMoreTry]

Call Disney. Smile while you talk to them. Give em a chance to make good. Let us know what happens.

 

[bsusanmb]

Well, I am going to write via snail mail with a return receipt. Certainly I will be professional, but they need to know that guests are given incorrect information about these cards. Afterall, wouldn't you think that when you see a Disney gift card at all of the registers in the hotels and parks that if you purchased one it would be good for anything Disney in WDW???? Humm. I just know I had one very upset bride on the other end of the phone crying, and so concerned that her mom had just given her $700 and now mom would have to pay it a second time. But, it is all over now, great honeymoon, great family trip, and happy family!

 

[DVCconvert]

Afterall, wouldn't you think that when you see a Disney gift card at all of the registers in the hotels and parks that if you purchased one it would be good for anything Disney in WDW????

Where can I use my Disney Gift Card?
The Disney Gift Card can be used for purchases at participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort

Did you clarify what where or where not "participating locations" ???

 

[50 years Too!]

Okay, I'm confused. A gift card cannot be used for ddp, but a rewards card may?

 

[bsusanmb]

DVCconvert - answer to your question - only after purchase did I see that there was a website that would explain where it could be used. It can be used for restaurants, gift shops, DL hotel and dining, but not WDW hotels or DDP as their computers are unable to read the cards. According to the SSR CM, this has happened on numerous occasions to other guests. IMHO, this information should be displayed at the registers where the cards are located. They are very inviting with that picture of Mickey - "Give the gift of Disney"...just glad it was only $700 and not $1500.

 

[CarolA]

I just bought one at Disney and the signs here actually say something like "coming soon the ability to use them at the Resorts"

IMHO trusting the Disney store to have a CLUE is really risking it. They weren't great before the sale and from what I have seen things have gone DOWNHILL in terms of Disney knowledge. (And that merchandising plan STINKS!)

However, the BIG risk on these gift cards is that if you LOSE it, it is GONE. There is NO protection. For a $700 gift card in the future please consider a Visa card which does give you protection.

 

[bsusanmb]

CarolA - good thinking. Never thought of a visa gift card. Where do you buy those? I don't think I have ever seen one.

 

[DebbieB]

CarolA - good thinking. Never thought of a visa gift card. Where do you buy those? I don't think I have ever seen one.

I know my local mall sells them at the service desk but there is a fee. On a $50 card, I think it's $3.00.

 

[CarolA]

The best place that I have found for Visa cards is AAA if you are a member. We used these type of cards for my Girl Scout trip to Europe last year and they worked well. They did get charged a fee for cash withdrawals, but it wasn't dramatically different then the normal bank fees (and LOWER then what BOA charges for international withdrawals.... $5 each WHAT A RIPOFF!)

 

[vascubaguy]

DVCconvert - answer to your question - only after purchase did I see that there was a website that would explain where it could be used. It can be used for restaurants, gift shops, DL hotel and dining, but not WDW hotels or DDP as their computers are unable to read the cards. According to the SSR CM, this has happened on numerous occasions to other guests. IMHO, this information should be displayed at the registers where the cards are located. They are very inviting with that picture of Mickey - "Give the gift of Disney"...just glad it was only $700 and not $1500.

I'm pretty sure that if you took that card back to the store (and still had your receipt) that you could make them refund the purchase back to your credit card. If they refused, you could probably get your credit card company involved since you were provided incorrect information about the use of the card.

 

[MainStMandy]

Beware of using the Visa gift cards once the balance gets low. I have seen this many times at different stores I have worked at. Say you only have $13 left on your card, but you ring it up for $15 it will get rejected. And the only way to use the remaining balance is to charge for the exact amount on the card...gets tricky.

OP, sorry to hear what happened. That does stink. I was thinking about buying the gc for my brother and his gf for xmas, but hesitated due to lack of participating location. Disney dollars make more sense but I am not sure about those anymore either.