Disney Rewards and GC

[Poohbear5]

I have a friend who used Disney Visa Rewards points to purchase Disney Gift Cards so that they did not lose their points. I tried to do this at the Disney Store this week and was told that they will no longer do that "because people were taking advantage of that so they would not lose points".

Okay, so what's the incentive here to keep using this card if my points will be lost??

Has anyone been able to purchase GC online with Rewards Points?

Our next trip is not likely to happen for a few years. I was hoping to have a good amount of points accrued.

 

[HappyHappy]

Don't transfer your points to a rewards card until you are ready to use them. The points are available for a long time. The card expires annually - or about then. Look online at your rewards account and it will show you the points expiration dates. About 4-6 weeks before your trip, order a rewards card and then transfer as many points as you think you will use on your trip. If you need more, you can call Visa and they will transfer. They did for me. Your rewards card will have an expiration date on it when it arrives.

 

[SnowWhite2]

Reward points are good for 5 years after you earn them. You can then put them on a rewards card which is good for one year. Your CC statement should list the first month that the rewards start to expire and how many points that would correspond to that month.

 

[apennel]

I just recently signed up for the Disney Visa to get the $100 gift card, so I'm pretty new at this account. I've been trying to use it for everyday purchases to accumulate a few points.

I want to make sure I have a good understanding of what I need to do, and when, to cash in points in time for my Sept. trip.

I need to accumulate at least $20 in points to be able to get a new Rewards Card, right? So, once I have that much (and 4-6 weeks prior to my trip), I need to request the rewards card online? Can I then add any points accumulated after that to the rewards card, even if it's less than $20?

I thought I read something about transferring points from my account to a rewards card once I get to the park, does anyone know anything about that?

Thanks!

 

[Peanut&Piglet'sMom]

Just wanted to say that we only cash out our points when it's time for a Disney trip and that is usually every 2 years so ours really add up!

 

[DisneyMomLiz]

I just recently signed up for the Disney Visa to get the $100 gift card, so I'm pretty new at this account. I've been trying to use it for everyday purchases to accumulate a few points.

I want to make sure I have a good understanding of what I need to do, and when, to cash in points in time for my Sept. trip.

I need to accumulate at least $20 in points to be able to get a new Rewards Card, right? So, once I have that much (and 4-6 weeks prior to my trip), I need to request the rewards card online? Can I then add any points accumulated after that to the rewards card, even if it's less than $20?

I thought I read something about transferring points from my account to a rewards card once I get to the park, does anyone know anything about that?

Thanks!

I just looked at my newly arrived Disney Rewards - Summer 2009 newsletter/brochure It says that you can get your Disney Dream Rewards Dollars (DDRD card) at WDW, once you get there. You can get one (assuming you have the 20 points minimum) from Guest Services in DTD or City Hall in MK. The fine print says to bring your Visa and a photo ID to get your rewards card and you must call Chase Card services and activate and load at least 20 DDRD before using.

We're planning on doing this for our upcoming trip...4 days

Hope this helps!

 

[Ava]

On DisneyShopping.com there is an option to pay with a Rewards card. I just threw a $25 GC in my shopping cart, and that payment option is still available. I didn't complete the transaction, but it looks like you can still use DDRDs to buy GCs online. I also clicked on the "more information" link and saw this:

Q: Can I redeem Disney Dream Reward Dollars for Disney Dollars?
A: No. DDRDs have no cash or monetary value and may not be redeemed for cash or its equivalent, including Disney Dollars.

So it looks like you can purchase Disney GCs with them, but not Disney Dollars. If you try to buy the GCs online, let us know if it works!

 

[crocko]

Also good tip.

If you have $500 budget for souvenirs/food (just an example number)
and you have $200 on your Rewards Card.....try to spend the Rewards card first before dipping into your travel cash......since the card expires after a year, go ahead and get it spent first.

 

[KelleyD]

Just another tip...you may want to request the lowest amount on the card you can, then when you get it add the rest of the rewards to the card in hand. Would hate to lose all of your rewards getting lost in the mail.

 

[crocko]

That's a great tip. I did the same thing, got $20 and then electronically added the rest after I had the card.