Disney Gift Cards - best way to save $?

[taniahappy]

Hi all, I have a question... I have been reading about the DGC but have never gotten them myself... with a big trip in the planning stages I want to be able to save as much as I can... so, what is you strategy for getting the GC ?

*I have read something about buying them with Target's Red Card or websites like Raise or Sam's Club... please let me know!

Thank you.

 

[Marionnette]

Hi all, I have a question... I have been reading about the DGC but have never gotten them myself... with a big trip in the planning stages I want to be able to save as much as I can... so, what is you strategy for getting the GC ?

*I have read something about buying them with Target's Red Card or websites like Raise or Sam's Club... please let me know!

Thank you.

There's a long thread on the Budget Board about GC discounts. You might want to start there.
http://www.disboards.com/threads/disney-gift-card-deals.2941964/

 

[Missy29]

Every time I go grocery shopping (every other week) I have been picking up a Disney gift card. I will get $25-$50, whatever I can afford that week. By the time I'm ready to buy my ticket in March I should have enough to buy more than half of our tickets.

 

[mfulk]

We had paid for several trips entirely with gift cards purchased with the Target debit card which saves 5%. It's a bit of a hassle when trying to buy thousands of dollars of $50 gift cards. I usually buy them over a number of visits to Target. We think it's worth though to save several hundred dollars.

 

[Mikie]

I like the idea and have used it myself for my dining, but I'd hesitate to use it to pay for the whole trip. It's easier for me to set it aside and not touch it when it's tied up in a gift card, but on the other hand if you had an emergency or needed to cancel plans, you're stuck with gift cards instead of cash.

 

[taniahappy]

Thanks, I will check that thread also... so is there a limit of number of GC you can use at once?

 

[mexxican]

If you have an Amex card make sure you check your benefits. A lot of times the have promos like spend $100 at staples (sometimes it's in-store only, others it's online or both) and get a $20-25 credit on your statement. I tend to buy my Disney GCs in-store but online they have Target Gift cards which I have no problem converting to Disney gift cards.

 

[beck00]

I save up my Target gift cards that I get with promotional deals, and use them to buy Disney GCs.

 

[tobikaye]

I do not like getting all of the smaller denomination gift cards, so I usually wait until I have at least a $200 before I get a Disney gift card. I usually try to hold of and get them when Kroger's is offering 4x fuel points.

I have also been known to buy a MC/Visa/Amex gift card if I am afraid of tying up too much money. Then I go and purchase the largest Disney Gift Card I can with those credit card gift cards. I may have to pay a service fee of $6 or $7 for the MC/Visa/Amex gift card, but I can use these if an emergency happened. I usually only do this if the trip is more than 6 months out. I am pretty good about putting gift cards up until I need them, but if it is in my savings account, I am likely to use it first before trying to figure out a different solution.

 

[dreamit]

I paid for everything but flights with Disney GCs purchased at Target (with 5% discount). It was not a problem at all. As my trip got closer, I logged into the Disney site and added cards toward my payment. It took some time, but it was fun watching the balance due come down. I will say that I stored my Target receipts showing the gift card numbers separate from the gift cards, as I was paranoid something would happen to them. After paying for the trip package, I brought the remaining cards to WDW, keeping one in my bag during the day (just in case) and the remaining cards in the room safe. Every night or two, I went to the concierge in Old Port Royale and used the cards to pay down room charges.

 

[Tbiafore]

We have saved hundreds of dollars by

1. Buying Disney Gift cards from Target with your Red Card which gives you 5% off
2. Then dumping those card numbers into a free Disney Vacation Account that also gives you money for every thousand you put into it.
3. Use that to pay for dinning, tickets, hotels

 

[Marionnette]

We have saved hundreds of dollars by

1. Buying Disney Gift cards from Target with your Red Card which gives you 5% off
2. Then dumping those card numbers into a free Disney Vacation Account that also gives you money for every thousand you put into it.
3. Use that to pay for dinning, tickets, hotels

You have to actually SPEND $1K on qualifying purchases to get a $20 Disney GC. Just putting money into the account won't get you the bonus.

 

[grumpydad]

I have about 475.00 in GC for my August trip, not much money when you look at it but that plus my disney visa will pay for all meals and souvenirs.

How did I get 475.00, well for the past two years all, fathers day, birthday and Christmas gifts were gift card, so yes I am paying for all my families meals and stuff with my gifts, I such a good DAD aren't I

Except when I'm Grumpy ..lol

 

[taniahappy]

I save up my Target gift cards that I get with promotional deals, and use them to buy Disney GCs.

What promotional deals for purchasing Target GC have you found?

 

[RachealM]

What promotional deals for purchasing Target GC have you found?

Target does a lot of regular item purchase promos that give bonus giftcards(such as buy 3 packs of xx and get a $15 target card).

Like other posters, I also like to pick up the Disney gift cards at Target using a Red Card to sabe 5%. My store finally started carrying the $100 cards, so it's been convenient. 5% isn't much, but it's better than nothing and eventually adds up : )

 

[jmkjr72]

If you buy from target with your red card you get the red card discount. Then if you have the time put those gift cards in a Disney vacation account and get an extra 20 bucks for every 1000 you use from it

 

[taniahappy]

Where does it let you put a GC ? I only get Debit/Credit option

 

[CAS239]

Speaking of getting gift cards from target..I've been thinking about doing that. I work for target so I get 15% off, but have yet to buy a Disney gift card lol.

Might have to for my next trip in 2 weeks

 

[ZoZo]

I like the idea and have used it myself for my dining, but I'd hesitate to use it to pay for the whole trip. It's easier for me to set it aside and not touch it when it's tied up in a gift card, but on the other hand if you had an emergency or needed to cancel plans, you're stuck with gift cards instead of cash.

I agree. If, heaven forbid, something happens and you have to cancel your trip, you're stuck wih having all of your money tied up in gift cards you can only use at Disney. What if you couldn't go to WDW for some reason on another trip?

I had planned a WDW trip with a friend last year, then my father was put into hospice. I was very glad I hadn't tied up all of my money in Disney gift cards, because there was a good possibility that my trip might have to be postponed or canceled.

Not saying this would be something that everyone would need to consider, but unexpected things come up, and it's a good idea to think about all possibilities before deciding.

 

[Stacey012345]

If you have a BJ's warehouse store by you, they sell $100 gift cards for $95.99. You can buy them and then add to a Disney Vacation Account as you get then, which leaves you one number to use to pay for your trip when you are ready (and you earn $20 back for every $1000 you spend from there too).