Disney vacation account question

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Hi Heather. I figured you would show up here sooner or later!

So you don't have to pay the entire $1,000 at once to get the bonus gift card? I did not load my gift cards to prepay gratuities since it wouldn't get me to the next $1,000 level. Did you do this so you wouldn't have to carry gift cards with you? Does pre-loading your onboard account count toward the bonus? I feel like we've discussed this on the other DVA thread. My memory is terrible.

Jodie

Hi Jodie! No you definitely do not have to apply as an entire $1000 payment in order to get the $20 bonus gift card. I know I was nervous and wasn't sure about this when I first started. I've only requested and received one $20 bonus and that was on my last cruise on the Wonder last month which I paid off a couple months back. For sure, I didn't move over $1000 at one time, but I made sure I at least got to the $1000 threshold to qualify and then once the cruise was paid, I requested my $20 and no problems.

I think this is my one complaint about the DV account is that it doesn't keep track of what you have earned in bonuses and you have to request the proper amount and therefore keep track of it. That's why doing the $1000 increments for me is easier and what i do is once I know i've transferred over a $1000 or the sum of $1000 I print the sheet from the page and then write to the side - $20 gift card earned. For my Norway cruise I know I've earned $140 so far but I'm not done loading it and prepaying items so we'll see how far I get, then I'll request my bonus cards.

Yes, as far as I know anything you load to the DV account and then use for the vacation counts. Indeed, I didn't want to carry all these gift cards with me overseas and also since it counts towards another $1000 level I might as well load to the account and get credit that way. What several of us can't figure out how to do is use the DV account to pay for an onboard booking and it just seems nuts you can't especially since you are dealing directly with a Disney c/m on the ships and it reads like a gift card and I use gift cards to pay for my onboard bookings. I hope that changes one day.

Hope this helps - let me know if you have any other questions

Heather

 

[PhiSigKris]

Thank you all for this great information! One quick question. Let's say I use my vacation account to load $500 to my on board account before I leave. What happens if I only spend $450 on the cruise? Does the $50 go back into my vacation account? If so, do I have to leave it in the account, or can I contact them and request a $50 gift card to be sent to me. I also have quite a few gift cards that I would like to load into a vacation account (if I decide to open one), would I still need to hold on to the cards after I've transferred them to my vacation account? Thought I remember reading something about holding on to them in case there's left over money they'll refund it back to the original gift card.
TIA!!!!!

 

[pillow]

Thank you all for this great information! One quick question. Let's say I use my vacation account to load $500 to my on board account before I leave. What happens if I only spend $450 on the cruise? Does the $50 go back into my vacation account? If so, do I have to leave it in the account, or can I contact them and request a $50 gift card to be sent to me. I also have quite a few gift cards that I would like to load into a vacation account (if I decide to open one), would I still need to hold on to the cards after I've transferred them to my vacation account? Thought I remember reading something about holding on to them in case there's left over money they'll refund it back to the original gift card.
TIA!!!!!

Please double check me by reading the T&C's . . . but I believe you may request up to a $500 gift card if you have money in your DVA that you won't be using. But, if I remember correctly, you can only do this once. So that is a possible way to get money back if you overfund.

Also, I believe you can request that the money go back to the original Dis gift cards. So, yes, I would keep the gift cards you upload to that account. I have an enormous stack of cards here for that very reason!!

Jodie

 

[lanejudy]

Thank you all for this great information! One quick question. Let's say I use my vacation account to load $500 to my on board account before I leave. What happens if I only spend $450 on the cruise? Does the $50 go back into my vacation account? If so, do I have to leave it in the account, or can I contact them and request a $50 gift card to be sent to me. I also have quite a few gift cards that I would like to load into a vacation account (if I decide to open one), would I still need to hold on to the cards after I've transferred them to my vacation account? Thought I remember reading something about holding on to them in case there's left over money they'll refund it back to the original gift card.
TIA!!!!!

With regards to the onboard account -- if you pre-pay more funds than you spend on your cruise, it will be reimbursed to the payment method used. In your case, that should be put back into your DVA (though I have not done this).

I can't answer about getting funds back out of the DVA.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Agreed - I keep every Disney gift card until I know I'm done with the trip and some time has passed in case there are any refunds.

I can say that on opening day DCL was charging a few folks 20% for the deposit when it should have only been 10% since I was moving an OBB and I knew it was in error however I needed the booking so I let it go. Then a few hours later after they acknowledged it was in error they refunded me the 10%. I had used my DV account to pay the extra deposit (was moving to a real cruise then so had to pay the difference) and the refund posted to my DV account within like 2 days. The funds were not deposited on to the gift cards I had used, which I was more than fine with.

I know everyones situation is different but I try my best not to load too much on the DV account but I also feel if I had to cancel for some reason and all that money was applied back to the DV account I'll use it eventually. To me whether it's to the Disney gift card or the DV account it's all good to me

Heather

 

[WhitGB]

Currently I am using the feature on the DVA that allows you to state I need a certain amount by a certain date. For example - I need $2500 by August 31st. So it states I need to pull $60/week. I then sent this up to pull.

So, the question is...will it continue to pull the $60 after August 31? I would not mind since I need to gather $ for OBC and tips. Or do I need to re-set this up.

TIA

 

[erionm]

Currently I am using the feature on the DVA that allows you to state I need a certain amount by a certain date. For example - I need $2500 by August 31st. So it states I need to pull $60/week. I then sent this up to pull.

So, the question is...will it continue to pull the $60 after August 31? I would not mind since I need to gather $ for OBC and tips. Or do I need to re-set this up.

TIA

It will not make any automatic contributions after August.

 

[WhitGB]

Thanks for the info. I will change that once it occurs.

 

[PhiSigKris]

i asked them the same question and reply was :Yes, you can use your Disney Vacation Account to make a payment on a reservation booked directly with Disney through a participating travel agent. However, only you can make a payment with your Disney Vacation Account. Once you book a reservation with a travel agent and you are ready to make a payment, the travel agent can provide you with the reservation number and the dedicated telephone number to make your payment using your Disney Vacation Account. If you have any additional questions or requests about your reservation, you will be instructed by Disney to contact their travel agent.

I called DVA today to ensure that I could book through Costco (want that rebate check) and pay using my DVA. The CM said that I could do that, but I would not receive the 2% bonus from the DVA because I wasn't paying them directly. I told the CM that I had heard of people getting the reservation # from Costco, calling DCL & paying toward that reservation # with funds from the DVA. She said I would need to call Costco to see if that was possible. Has anyone done this exact thing & gotten their $20 incentive from DVA? That's the only reason I would be opening a DVA is for that stinking $20 giftcard! Love me a good giftcard! Thanks everyone!

 

[mickeyhereicome]

So if I add money to my DVA for OBC, does that earn the $20 for $1000?

 

[PhiSigKris]

mickeyhereicome, I didn't ask that specific question, but seems to me that it should because you're transferring your money directly to disney (going by what the CM told me yesterday). I would call to be sure though.

 

[pillow]

I called DVA today to ensure that I could book through Costco (want that rebate check) and pay using my DVA. The CM said that I could do that, but I would not receive the 2% bonus from the DVA because I wasn't paying them directly. I told the CM that I had heard of people getting the reservation # from Costco, calling DCL & paying toward that reservation # with funds from the DVA. She said I would need to call Costco to see if that was possible. Has anyone done this exact thing & gotten their $20 incentive from DVA? That's the only reason I would be opening a DVA is for that stinking $20 giftcard! Love me a good giftcard! Thanks everyone!

Yes, you can do exactly what you're describing. You do have to pay DCL directly. There is an 800# floating around somewhere, but I'm not organized enough to find it right now. I love that bonus gift card as well!

Jodie

 

[jtba]

i wish i knew how to tag people because this is when we need heather's (IBelieveInTheMagic) expertise because she's done exactly that!

DVA's special # for DCL payments is 800-511-9333.

 

[CM Dad]

With regards to the onboard account -- if you pre-pay more funds than you spend on your cruise, it will be reimbursed to the payment method used. In your case, that should be put back into your DVA (though I have not done this).

I can't answer about getting funds back out of the DVA.

Enjoy your cruise!

I can confirm that the unused funds will go back into the DVA. I just finished a cruise on the Wonder. I had reserved 2 cabanas on Castaway Cay for my wife's 60th birthday since there were 15 of us travelling. I have included enough onboard credit to cover the cost of the using my DVA. The Wonder was unable to dock there, so I ended up with money being credited back the to DVA. I'll just use it for the next cruise

 

[jtba]

@IBelieveInTheMagic! i'm tagging you!!!

 

[jtba]

trying one more time... elsewhere when people are tagged the text turns blue, so not sure if the one above worked...

@IBelieveInTheMagic

 

[PhiSigKris]

Yes, you can do exactly what you're describing. You do have to pay DCL directly. There is an 800# floating around somewhere, but I'm not organized enough to find it right now. I love that bonus gift card as well!

Jodie

AWESOME!!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

@IBelieveInTheMagic! i'm tagging you!!!

Me??

What's up? Heck I need to learn all these board features but work keeps getting in the way!

To answer above - you absolutely still earn a $20 bonus card when paying DCL directly (as required) for your Costco reservation cruise. I've paid off our Norway cruise and now I'm working on the transfers, gratuities, and excursions (all pre-paid).

Heather

 

[jtba]

yay it worked!

 

[lilmomma00]

Hey guys, I have a question. I don't know how it' would work if you start out paying with a credit/debit card and something happens to the card? Say you lose it or get a new #? How would they be able to refund my $? I hope that makes sense!