Buying Disney Gift Cards

[smorkovsky]

This is a twofold question because I still don't completely understand what the heck I"m doing.

We got a Disney Rewards Card a couple years back to "save" money for a future trip. It's now a year before that trip!!! So we have something like $1200 Disney Dream Dollars. Best I understand, I call CHase and have those dollars put onto what is basically a gift card once I'm ready to use it. I'll probably end up using that money to pay for park tickets since we are staying off site.

In the mean time, I've thought of just randomly buying gift cards at the grocery store or where ever as another means of "saving" for the trip. These would be used to pay for meals, as that will be our other huge expense.

If I do all of the above, will I be able to use these cards to pay for anything, anywhere at Disney (theme parks, restaurants, DTD, stores, BBB, etc.)?? I'm only worried that I'll end up having more in Disney only money. Disney money won't but airline tickets or pay for our off site stay. What do you think?

 

[MsLeFever]

This is how we are dealing with it for our upcoming trip. I've been buying Disney GC at the Giant Eagle because you get discounts on gas from getting them there. I figured out how much money I thought we'd need for food and am buying that much in GCs....I highly doubt we'll go under that amount - but if we do I'll use the extra for souveniers.

Then the rest of the money I'm keeping more fluid in case we need to spend it in other ways than Disney!

Barbara

 

[LoveMickey]

We are going on a Disney cruise next month and I am going to use our rewards points and gift cards for our trip.

Our trip consists of 3 days pre-cruise at WDW and 2 days post cruise. Can't got to Florida and not go to the parks

We will use our gift cards for meals and incidentals at the parks and use our rewards points to put on our cruise to cover excursions and alcohol.

You should note that you have to use up all of the rewards that you transfer to the rewards cards by the end of the current year, or they expire. The expiration for the rewards themselves is shown on your credit card statement. I hope that make sense. Basically don't transfer your rewards to the rewards card until you are ready to use them in the same year.

I've been buying my gift cards from either Target - they give you the discount when you use their 'red' card since Disney gift cards are considered 'entertainment cards' not gift cards. And BJ's where they have the gift cards discount pre-purchase. Example $100 gift card, costs $95.XX

Hope this helps

 

[Malibustyle23]

This is a twofold question because I still don't completely understand what the heck I"m doing.

We got a Disney Rewards Card a couple years back to "save" money for a future trip. It's now a year before that trip!!! So we have something like $1200 Disney Dream Dollars. Best I understand, I call CHase and have those dollars put onto what is basically a gift card once I'm ready to use it. I'll probably end up using that money to pay for park tickets since we are staying off site.

In the mean time, I've thought of just randomly buying gift cards at the grocery store or where ever as another means of "saving" for the trip. These would be used to pay for meals, as that will be our other huge expense.

If I do all of the above, will I be able to use these cards to pay for anything, anywhere at Disney (theme parks, restaurants, DTD, stores, BBB, etc.)?? I'm only worried that I'll end up having more in Disney only money. Disney money won't but airline tickets or pay for our off site stay. What do you think?

Yes pretty much anywhere on Disney property will take Disney giftcards. There are a few exceptions though. I believe some of the small snack carts located in the park are cash only. In addition to some locations at DTD including (according to another Diser) The Lego Store.

 

[bohemian74]

can you use cards for tipping if you are on the DDP? In other words, they would only run the tip on the card.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

can you use cards for tipping if you are on the DDP? In other words, they would only run the tip on the card.

Edited. Don't know about tip only as we put the entire meal including tip on cards.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[My3Princez]

can you use cards for tipping if you are on the DDP? In other words, they would only run the tip on the card.

I don't know if you can do that in the restaurant, although I would think so since they would accept gift cards as payment if you were paying for your meal. I'm sure you can charge it to your room and pay off your room charge at the resort using gift cards.

 

[Nintfamily]

can you use cards for tipping if you are on the DDP? In other words, they would only run the tip on the card.

I have done this! There wasn't much left on the card ($5 or so) and I used that as the tip (I added more as it was a large order and our waitress was amazing!).