Disney Dollars or Gift Cards?

[meeskamouska]

So, I noticed at the grocery store that they had Disney Gift cards in $25/50 increments.

My question is would you purchase these before your trip for kiddos spending money or would you wait until you got to the park and then get Disney Dollars? We don't plan on taking much cash can you get Disney Dollars with you cc?

If that is a stupid question just laugh it off!!

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

I went to the Disney Store in the mall and bought two giftcards (you can choose your amount there).

 

[tony609]

I like giftcards easy to carry and helps control spending. I get mine at my Disney store.

 

[meeskamouska]

The closest Disney Store to us is at least 4hours away!!

 

[mouseymommy]

I buy gift cards for our trip. I like having everything paid for before our trip, so I buy gift cards for our food and souvenirs. I buy them at the grocery store.

 

[bumbershoot]

You can get the dollars with your CC, but I warn you, not all registers have them, and the register that I went to that did have them...the cashier didn't know they were there. I had to ask her to look again.

GCs are great and easy and accepted *almost* everywhere inside the parks.

If you want to buy them ahead of time, you can go to disneygiftcard.com and buy them online.

But we like buying them at the parks. I like keeping the used ones as souvenirs. (you can re-fill them...I just don't) When our budget was a more solid amount, I'd buy one each morning for that day's spending!

 

[Pixiafurie]

This may be a silly question, but what happens to the remaining balance on the gift cards at the end of your trip? Can you get a refund or should you just spend it out?

Or could you use the remaining balance to buy Disney Dollars on your way out?

 

[nikkislaght]

Due to a strict budget in our house, I would buy the cards at the super market every couple of weeks... spaced out I could afford to buy and extra one or two .. specially if I had not spent all of that weeks money on food... lol

as for the remaining balance??? what remaining balance?? we always used the card fully .lol

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

The closest Disney Store to us is at least 4hours away!!

You could get one at the Disney Store in DTD I'd assume?? Anyway, I wouldn't bother with the bucks if it were me. I'm pretty sure you'll use the whole card But it's a question you could ask before you buy!!

 

[CateinPhoenix]

I buy the 25/50 Disney giftcards at the local grocery store. Mine is a Fry's/Kroger that gives gas points discounts and every little bit helps! I've been buying a giftcard once a week for about 5 weeks which will cover our meals and souveniers!

 

[Mel522]

This may be a silly question, but what happens to the remaining balance on the gift cards at the end of your trip? Can you get a refund or should you just spend it out?

Or could you use the remaining balance to buy Disney Dollars on your way out?

You can use the gift cards at the Disney Store, or disneystore.com. They do not expire either, so you could even save them until your next trip. I bought one at the good neighbor hotel we were staying at. I would bet all the good neighbor hotels would sell them. You can also buy them at a Disney hotel or inside the park.

I believe Disney Dollars can also be used at the Disney Store if you don't spend them all, but since your closest store is 4 hours away you would have to go to the store. Whereas with the gift cards you can purchase online. The Disney Dollars also do not expire, and they can make nice souvenirs if you don't ever spend them.

 

[pixiewings71]

Some snack carts and wandering vendors don't take credit cards. Maybe get some Disney Dollars but most on a gift card. It's nice to have a little cash if you want the light up toy or the cotton candy or whatever from the wandering vendor.

 

[pinktink83]

It seems like I read once to not get Disney Dollars because you can't get change with them, and if they get lost, there is no way to replace them.

 

[pixiewings71]

It seems like I read once to not get Disney Dollars because you can't get change with them, and if they get lost, there is no way to replace them.

Well this is 50/50, they are just like cash so no, they are not replaceable if lost, just like cash, however, just like cash they DO give change back. They don't give change back for dining vouchers but for DD they do.

 

[pixiemomof3]

If you get a gift card keep your recipet. I made the mistake of buying one at the store last year for my son for christmas, we went to use it and found out the cashier did not activate it correctly!! There was nothing they could do since I bought it 6 wks earlier (early xmas shopping). I had so many recepits for the holidays so I had no idea where it was and never thought about keeping it, This was a first time experience. I was out $25

 

[MrsPinup]

Good information! We wanted to get the boys gc, but then I saw this post and remembered about Disney Dollars. Is there a way to get them before the trip?

 

[californiamomof4grls]

I was in DL last week I actually regretted getting GC because my girls had a lot of the toys they were selling at the stores in the parks. But what they really wanted to do was Build-a-bear. While at BAB they told me that they can't take the GC but they could somehow use the Disney Dollars. They return them and then take them to Disney to get real cash.
I think next year I will get them Visa gift cards so that they can spend them in DTD or the parks. Just an FYI. I have seen the VISA GC at our grocery stores too.
On a side note we used our GC for all dinning and no problem anywhere (in the park) getting food.