Consolidating Disney Gift Cards

[HappyGal]

I know I've read here on the boards that you take take your small value Disney Gift Cards to you local Disney Store and they will consolidate them into a larger increment Gift Card.

I called both of my local stores and both said they were not able to do that.
Does anyone have any experience with this?

 

[lauti]

You can't, most Disney stores won't do it anymore.

 

[HappyGal]

Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[orion2185]

Also FYI...some people will tell you to call Disney gift cards number listed on the backs of the cards....and they will combine GC

We have called Several times...and the answer is always NO
They can not combine GC
Last phone rep we spoke with said that they use to do this...but are no longer doing this.
Same for Disney retail stores.


Some people have noted success going to Disney retail stores and using their lower amount GC to buy a load a new GC with a higer amount.
You will have to speak with the manger and lay in the charm to do this. Some have noted their store/manger would not allow this.

Other than that...we have not come across any way to successfully consolidate Disney gift cards.

You would think that Disney would offer someway of doing this. To make cast members lives allot easier. Than tying up their phone lines when someone is paying with multiple gift cards.


However,if anyone finds as way...please post
We have a TON of GC and would make cast members life allot easer if we could reduce the amount of GC we have.

 

[mrp4352]

If it's for spending money on a trip, put the gift cards on your room account, then buy a gift card in the gift shop and charge it back to your room. I did this on my cruise earlier this month (rather than have them put the money back on all the little $25 cards that are the only size Disney GCs my Kroger stocks...)

 

[dkrauss]

Just saw this on the Disney Questions site.....

http://www.disneyquestions.com/can-...gic-band-will-use-first-charging-credit-card/

Interesting stuff..........but would still rather be able to consolidate cards.

Doug

 

[JillianMarie]

Unless they've changed it since November, it's absolutely false that you can't put gift cards on magic band accounts. We went down with $250 in gift cards which a very lovely CM loaded them all into the system and on our bill it charged down the gift card amount and then pulled from our credit card.

Like I said, maybe it's changed since November but it worked for me and was extremely convenient.

 

[lauti]

Unless they've changed it since November, it's absolutely false that you can't put gift cards on magic band accounts. We went down with $250 in gift cards which a very lovely CM loaded them all into the system and on our bill it charged down the gift card amount and then pulled from our credit card. Like I said, maybe it's changed since November but it worked for me and was extremely convenient.

Yes but you're not loading anything onto the band, it doesn't store anything, so what the CM did was add those cards to your room account. Not the bands themselves.

 

[Marionnette]

Yes but you're not loading anything onto the band, it doesn't store anything, so what the CM did was add those cards to your room account. Not the bands themselves.

And not every CM is willing (or perhaps able?) to do this at check in. But I've never had a problem applying the GCs to a room balance at any point during my stay.

 

[JillianMarie]

Yes but you're not loading anything onto the band, it doesn't store anything, so what the CM did was add those cards to your room account. Not the bands themselves.

I guess in this case I'm using the term 'account' and 'magic band account' interchangeably as nothing is actually loaded onto a magic band, per se. I mean, obviously, your credit or gift card isn't swiped onto your physical band. The charging mechanism (having something on your person that communicates with stored payment methods) hasn't changed, just the physical thing you keep on yourself (KTTW card to plastic wrist band).

And as for not everyone being willing/able I highly suspect it's a willing issue. I have a hard time believing that there was only one CM at POFQ who has the ability to do this. If you come with 2 grand worth of $50 gift cards I would probably also tell you that it's not possible and to come back every night because adding those all to the reservation is a huge time suck during check in but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I'd rather push to get it done at check in and have a credit on my account than go down every night to pay off my balance.

Just saying that it's possible and extremely convenient and I am floored that people spend their evenings at the desk with a pile of gift cards every night rather than just load them all up front. It doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[Marionnette]

I guess in this case I'm using the term 'account' and 'magic band account' interchangeably as nothing is actually loaded onto a magic band, per se. I mean, obviously, your credit or gift card isn't swiped onto your physical band. The charging mechanism (having something on your person that communicates with stored payment methods) hasn't changed, just the physical thing you keep on yourself (KTTW card to plastic wrist band).

And as for not everyone being willing/able I highly suspect it's a willing issue. I have a hard time believing that there was only one CM at POFQ who has the ability to do this. If you come with 2 grand worth of $50 gift cards I would probably also tell you that it's not possible and to come back every night because adding those all to the reservation is a huge time suck during check in but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I'd rather push to get it done at check in and have a credit on my account than go down every night to pay off my balance.

Just saying that it's possible and extremely convenient and I am floored that people spend their evenings at the desk with a pile of gift cards every night rather than just load them all up front. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Don't get your panties in a wad over it! Just because you had a positive experience, that does not mean that others have not had the same.

Do you know how many ticketing CMs (and managers) have no idea how to bridge tickets? Often it's not a case of being unwilling to do it. They just don't know how to. The same goes for a check-in CM who may not know how to apply GCs to a room account that has a zero balance. The will might be there but the ability to accomplish the task based on their level of knowledge may not be. Rather than to waste time and hold up a check-in line, I prefer to just handle the GCs at a later time. Does it really matter if I choose to do it when I check in or by stopping by the desk at 10 o'clock the night before I check out? The end result is the same.

 

[nalajms]

The same goes for a check-in CM who may not know how to apply GCs to a room account that has a zero balance.

I've encountered CMs who don't know how to apply GCs to a room account with a balance! The last time it happened at BCV this past Nov. He had to call a supervisor. I was there at about 8pm so it was pretty empty.

Also curious if anyone's ever run into CMs that laugh or snicker when you pull out a stack of GCs? The most I've ever used was 7-10. It wasn't even that much! And it really takes less than 15sec to swipe a card and click the mouse a few times

 

[yooperfan]

Just saw this on the Disney Questions site.....

http://www.disneyquestions.com/can-...gic-band-will-use-first-charging-credit-card/

Interesting stuff..........but would still rather be able to consolidate cards.

Doug

I like this idea....that way I can double dip by getting a discount off merchandise with my Disney Visa plus reward dollars and the discount I got on the Disney gift cards. Wait, that would be triple dipping.

 

[nalajms]

.that way I can double dip by getting a discount off merchandise with my Disney Visa plus reward dollars and the discount I got on the Disney gift cards. Wait, that would be triple dipping.

I don't think it works that way. To get the Disney Visa discount, you have to pay in full with the Visa or the rewards dollars.

That's separate from charging to the room, then paying off the balance with GCs.

 

[EPCOTatNight]

I guess in this case I'm using the term 'account' and 'magic band account' interchangeably as nothing is actually loaded onto a magic band, per se. I mean, obviously, your credit or gift card isn't swiped onto your physical band. The charging mechanism (having something on your person that communicates with stored payment methods) hasn't changed, just the physical thing you keep on yourself (KTTW card to plastic wrist band).

And as for not everyone being willing/able I highly suspect it's a willing issue. I have a hard time believing that there was only one CM at POFQ who has the ability to do this. If you come with 2 grand worth of $50 gift cards I would probably also tell you that it's not possible and to come back every night because adding those all to the reservation is a huge time suck during check in but that doesn't mean it's not possible. I'd rather push to get it done at check in and have a credit on my account than go down every night to pay off my balance.

Just saying that it's possible and extremely convenient and I am floored that people spend their evenings at the desk with a pile of gift cards every night rather than just load them all up front. It doesn't make any sense to me.

 

[JillianMarie]

You can do whatever you want. But the question is 'can you add gift cards at check in to pull before your credit card' and the answer is yes. If that isn't an option you wish to utilize more power to you. Whether or not CMs will or won't do it for each individual is irrelevant. I was just pointing out that that unless things have changed since November the earlier information about there being only one way to do is wrong.

 

[Marionnette]

You can do whatever you want. But the question is 'can you add gift cards at check in to pull before your credit card' and the answer is yes. If that isn't an option you wish to utilize more power to you. Whether or not CMs will or won't do it for each individual is irrelevant. I was just pointing out that that unless things have changed since November the earlier information about there being only one way to do is wrong.

I don't see any posts saying that you cannot do it. We've only said that it's possible to encounter a CM who cannot do it for one reason or another. You're getting your panties in a bunch over a non-issue. How an individual chooses to handle payments during their vacation should not be high on your list of concerns. It all works out in the end, regardless of how you choose to do it.

And FWIW, the original question was not about adding GCs to your room account at check in. It was about consolidating multiple GCs onto one or a few cards so as to avoid having to carry so many.

Have a magical day!

 

[eyor44]

In January I took a stack of GCs to the Guest Services at MK and had them all consolidated into one card. Took about 15 minutes, but the CM was very nice about it. I don't like to have charge privileges to the room. Most of the cards I had were $50 and but a couple had just a few dollars each on them.

 

[maxiesmom]

You don't have to go down every night. You just have to go before you reach the amount where they send the charge through. I would think it is much easier than having to stiff arm a CM into doing something.

 

[JillianMarie]

Maybe. I just mentioned I had her and she volunteered to do it. I don't want to visit a resort desk every night. Other people might feel the same way. I'm sure everyone can make their own decisions based on their own preferences but it's just nice to know that there are options. Everyone am keep doing it the same way thy always have since that seems to be the overwhelming popular opinion. I would make a different choice.