Disney Gift Card Issues Currently (1/20/24) on Property

[CoachBeard]

I’m not sure the best place to post this or if there is any assistance that can be given…

I’ve been using 2 Disney gift cards one physical and one digital since last Friday when I arrived. Today is my last full park day and last night I transferred the balance from the digital to the physical card since that was the most convenient way to pay in the parks and whatnot.

This morning I went to buy genie plus and use the GC but it wouldn’t take. I went online and the card showed up but the balance was not showing. I removed the card and tried to add it again to “my cards” with no success. I called the number on the card and there was some level of misunderstanding each other but what I gather is he said they locked my card because the EAN number was incorrect… but I had the card already in there. It’s an older card so it has the secondary set of numbers but doesn’t specifically say EAN. I’ve been using it and transferring funds to it all week!


today is my last full day, it’s my only method of payment and I have a lot on there and I really need to use it. Now, the phone rep says they can unlock it in 24-48 hours and when I said that didn’t work he said 30min to 1 hour but there was some language barrier there and I wasn’t sure how he was able to change the timeframe like that. I’m going call back shortly as it hasn’t been an hour just yet.

Has one experienced this? Are there any solutions? Anyone on property I can speak with? I have my last receipt from late last night that shows the balance and I have the email confirming the transfer from the other card and that amount.

 

[dreamer17555]

No one on property can likely handle the gift card issue. If there was a language barrier, I would call back and see if you can speak to somebody higher that might be able to better assist you.

 

[CoachBeard]

No one on property can likely handle the gift card issue. If there was a language barrier, I would call back and see if you can speak to somebody higher that might be able to better assist you.

I’ve called back 3 different times now and it’s only one person. He’s unable to transfer me to anyone and says I have to email guest services.

The one card is now back on file and “unlocked” but it doesn’t reflect the balance transfer I made last night. I have an email confirmation of the transfer with the card numbers referenced and it shows in the “losing” card’s transaction history but not in the “gaining” card’s transactions so now I’m short roughly $400 and I go home tomorrow. So pissed.

 

[Rm4OneMore]

I had a similar issue not long ago. Long story short, I was copying pasting The card number and ean number when making a payment. Somehow, I accidentally missed one of the digits in the EAN. That locked the card. I called the customer service number on the back of the card and they were able to unlock it after confirming both the card number and the EAN number. I wasn't under any kind of time constraint so I don't remember if they said wait an hour or wait a day. I'm sorry you ran into this issue, especially while on your trip.

 

[SL6827]

Could this be avoided by not copy and paste the gift card numbers?

 

[soniam]

I had some weird issue recently with something else, where copying/pasting was putting a space after the number. It wasn’t obvious, and it was being rejected. I finally figured out the space though.

 

[SL6827]

I won't be copying/pasting next week.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Stop entering the gc’s into the website for now, don’t wanna accidentally lock your card again. Try to use the physical, see what it says the balance is. If the balance is wrong try using the digital one (they can try scanning or typing in the numbers).

If you can’t use your gc and you are staying on-site I would charge anything I couldn’t use my gc on to my room folio. Tomorrow before you check out maybe the gc will be unlocked and you can use it to pay the folio. Even if they charge your cc they can refund it and then charge the gc. If the gc is still locked when you leave you can try calling their billing department after the card is unlocked, explain the situation and see if they’ll refund it and take the gc as payment.

If you’re unable to use your gc the only other thing I can think of is to file a complaint with the FL Attorney General’s office that Disney sold you a gift card and refused to let you use it. They did both, it is not your fault they have bad IT. I wouldn’t expect you to get your money back or anything but enough complaints and Disney might have to stop doing this to people*

*happened to me a day before my trip in Dec but I got lucky and the card was unlocked 48 hours later and I was able to use it. I too had a couple ridiculous language barrier phone calls, was given an email address no one responded to and had to rely on hope and a prayer. Wonder if what locked my GC was typing in something wrong on the website? I never found out what happened

 

[Clemsonsarah]

Probably not helpful to you now, but I was using the app today to purchase park tickets, and tried using a gift card for part of the payment. It wouldn’t take the number on the app. So I tried through the actual website, and everything worked. Seems like a glitch on the app.

 

[SL6827]

Should I even buy the rest of my gift cards I was going to, around $1300 worth from Target. I already bought $900 worth and paid off our room, but I was going to use more gift cards for Genie +, spending money and food.

 

[kes601]

Should I even buy the rest of my gift cards I was going to, around $1300 worth from Target. I already bought $900 worth and paid off our room, but I was going to use more gift cards for Genie +, spending money and food.

Why would you let one person's experience, when they entered the wrong EAN, cause you to change all your plans? I've used gift cards with no issues for many, many trips.

ETA: Not saying this is the OPs fault. I do understand locking the card with an incorrect EAN given the amount of fraud that is going on with gift cards, but if you can call in and verify the correct info they should be able to unlock it right away.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I’ve used gift cards without problems for many trips. I will say I choose not to combine our cards. I take a couple to the parks each day and write their declining balance on the front using a sharpie. Have not experienced any problems and have probably used 50+ gcs.

 

[SL6827]

I’ve used gift cards without problems for many trips. I will say I choose not to combine our cards. I take a couple to the parks each day and write their declining balance on the front using a sharpie. Have not experienced any problems and have probably used 50+ gcs.

So you think it's the combing of them that is the issue? I am still going to get them, but may not combine them then.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So you think it's the combing of them that is the issue? I am still going to get them, but may not combine them then.

Possibly? I don’t need to write them or key them unless using mobile ordering. Since those with challenges have mentioned combining them I’m wondering if that’s proving to be challenging?

 

[kes601]

So you think it's the combing of them that is the issue? I am still going to get them, but may not combine them then.

I combine all the time, never had an issue.

 

[Shughart]

I had to combine them, I had literally over 50 on our last trip this time I'm considering getting the Costco deal. But it's e-gift cards and I don't like the idea of not having a physical GC so I was planning on getting a plastic one and transferring.

 

[CoachBeard]

Why would you let one person's experience, when they entered the wrong EAN, cause you to change all your plans? I've used gift cards with no issues for many, many trips.

ETA: Not saying this is the OPs fault. I do understand locking the card with an incorrect EAN given the amount of fraud that is going on with gift cards, but if you can call in and verify the correct info they should be able to unlock it right away.

The issue was a system issue. I only ever log the cards once so they all show on “my cards”. When I went to check the balance on my physical card it had some weird symbols and gibberish in lieu of the amounts so that was why I deleted it and re-added it to see if the balance would then show up correctly.

I’m also 99% sure I did not enter the EAN wrong because I’m positive there was a system issue with my card considering the aforementioned error.

Transferring balances between cards has never been an issue prior to this. I’ll often buy more digital cards during the trip then move the funds to the physical card for ease of payment and I don’t have to give anyone my phone.

 

[kes601]

The issue was a system issue. I only ever log the cards once so they all show on “my cards”. When I went to check the balance on my physical card it had some weird symbols and gibberish in lieu of the amounts so that was why I deleted it and re-added it to see if the balance would then show up correctly.

I’m also 99% sure I did not enter the EAN wrong because I’m positive there was a system issue with my card considering the aforementioned error.

Transferring balances between cards has never been an issue prior to this. I’ll often buy more digital cards during the trip then move the funds to the physical card for ease of payment and I don’t have to give anyone my phone.

My point remains. One person (you) is reporting an issue (may or may not have entered the EAN incorrectly), so why have that completely somebody's plans. If people let issues reported on the Internet sway their plans they we'd never do anything.

 

[CoachBeard]

My point remains. One person (you) is reporting an issue (may or may not have entered the EAN incorrectly), so why have that completely somebody's plans. If people let issues reported on the Internet sway their plans they we'd never do anything.

I agree with you but it’s important to note that a system error would be a reason to sway someone’s opinion. I don’t think it’s a terribly reasonable reason given the normal reliability of the system however this proves that it can have issues.

I’ve been having system issues with my mobile room key/hotel reservation since last night. Is that a reason to sway someone from staying at that hotel? It could be but it isn’t terribly reasonable. Frustrating on top of everything else.

 

[gottalovepluto]

My point remains. One person (you) is reporting an issue (may or may not have entered the EAN incorrectly), so why have that completely somebody's plans. If people let issues reported on the Internet sway their plans they we'd never do anything.

A wise person will not dismiss OP’s experience as an internet thing, they will acknowledge there is a possibility they will become OP and decide if the risk is worth it for them. It is worth it you due to the odds of it happening- but it may not be for everyone. OP is not the only person this has happened too, as I said I almost got screwed in Dec and I’ve done thousands of DGCs over the years. I’ve chosen to continue doing my DGCs but I keep meticulous notes and scanned receipts for every gc purchase and I know my gc might get locked and be unusable- but as an AP I know I’ll be able to use it down the road.

ETA- and they absolutely do NOT unlock it right away. OP’s experience was mine, misery trying to talk to someone who barely speaks English, good amount of confusion, 24-48 hours and it might work end result with nobody higher on the food chain but an email address. That’s it.