Disney Vacation Account

[TalkDisnerdytome]

Does anyone use it? Does anyone recommend it? I don't live paycheck to paycheck but saving for our family is hard when we have so many hobbies. Also if I stick money in my savings I normally end up taking it back out for something else. I literally just found out about Disneyvacationaccount.com last night while the In Laws were watching a Disney World vacation planning DVD. I can use this Disney vacation account thing to save for any type of Disney trip though correct? I am checking it out online right now but would love to know if there are other people out there that use it and if it's very helpful or not.

 

[PerfessorZ]

Does anyone use it? Does anyone recommend it? I don't live paycheck to paycheck but saving for our family is hard when we have so many hobbies. Also if I stick money in my savings I normally end up taking it back out for something else. I literally just found out about Disneyvacationaccount.com last night while the In Laws were watching a Disney World vacation planning DVD. I can use this Disney vacation account thing to save for any type of Disney trip though correct? I am checking it out online right now but would love to know if there are other people out there that use it and if it's very helpful or not.

I've used it. There are definitely some caveats, but overall, it's a been a good way for me to get a ~2% kickback for Disney hotel and ticket purchases.

You'll find a good handful of threads over in the Budget area of the Disboards - the good, the bad, the ugly about DVA, what you can do with them, and what to watch out for.

 

[chopstick]

The DVA is basically an account that you can put money into (via credit card, debit, gift cards, etc) and then spend on disney vacations or other purchases as though it was one big gift card. I set up an account to pay for an upcoming cruise that is around $8000, solely to get the $20 gift card per $1000 spent. Your DVA must be open more than 120 days before you are trying to pay for a vacation then get the gift card bonus, so that is something to keep in mind. Also worth noting is that there is a $1000 daily deposit limit if using a credit card. I waited until it was almost paid in full date for the cruise then had to go back daily and deposit more money. I was able to use the DVA account number to pay off the cruise directly on the DCL website, which was convenient. Would I recommend it? Depends. I haven't actually received my gift card pay out yet, which is the sole reason for my setting this up, but unless there are any issues getting it, sure.

 

[LizzyS]

I thought about this myself, but have seen a lot of complaints about DVA here on the DISboards, so that sort of scared me off.

 

[prestoncaldwell]

If you buy disney Gift Cards from Sam's Club, you can save almost 2% of the face value of the cards, and you don't have to wait several weeks for your gift cards as noted in DVA or wait 4 motnhs after opening DVA. If you plan to stay in a disney Resort, I get it, but I would just be using it for tickets and pocket money when we go, so I opt for the gift cards.

 

[starry_solo]

Have you thought about opening up an account at a different bank specifically to save for vacations (online bank accounts might be better as they might not have high minimum balance requirements to avoid fees)? Then have funds directly taken out of the paycheck and deposited there?

 

[Jane VanTassel]

I used it because I could add $ bi-weekly: over several years and was able to pay off my "deluxe" Disneyland trip without an issue. The other great thing for me was, during my "saving time" a couple if issues came up at home; I was able to get the $ back and pay for a new garage door etc on the "home front": no penalties, no problem. I received my "rewards card" about 1month or so before going on my trip. I received an email stating my rewards card was on its wa. I like it because, I'm not disciplined enough to save this money on my own. When the $ comes out, a little at a time, I don't "feel it" and the $ adds up. I hope this helps. The only way I can go on these trips is to have a DVA.

 

[tenneycjt]

I used this last year and this, I like it cuz I can do onetime contributions weekly. The refund back into the account to pay for the trip was speedy too. Plus its just fun to have a disney account to look at every week

 

[Tracy Pratt]

I am using it to pay for a trip to Aulani and so far I love it!

 

[Disn3yVision]

We use it and like it