Gift Cards at the Resort

[Love That Mouse]

Hello all! I know SOMEBODY will know the answer to this!

Because of the kindness of many of my students, I have a BUNCH of Disney Gift Cards for our trip coming up soon!

Can you "preload" your Disney Thing-a-mah-jig (Not sure what that bracelet, unmanly thing is officially called) or you "Keys to the World" card? I know you can do it on that big old boat that the Mouse operates, but what about your KTTW card/bracelet?

We are staying on DVC points, so. . . . yeah. . . .not paying "cash" for the trip. . . . not sure if that matters. . . .

Thanks fellow Disney nuts!

 

[dansdad]

Unless something has changed, no. In the past we have gone down to the front desk every couple of days and used gift cards to pay off the balance of what we have charged back to the room up to that point. We were told that they wouldn't preload our KTTW cards with gift cards because they had trouble in the past when guests would not use up the total amount they preloaded and they didn't keep the gift card(s). The CMs could only refund what was left to the actual card it was taken from.

Again, this might have changed. But it was our experience in 2011.

 

[Missytara]

You can preload cash, but not gift cards. Feel free go stop at the concierge desk and pay off each evening or every few days before you hit your limit.

 

[thisismyusername]

You can preload cash, but not gift cards. Feel free go stop at the concierge desk and pay off each evening or every few days before you hit your limit.

Not true. For two different hotels on our stay this month, we went up to concierge on the day we checked in, gave them several hundred dollars of gift cards and established a credit on our key (with a credit card to be used if our gift card credit was depleted). If the gift card credit was not fully depleted, the credit balance would be applied to our credit card that was on file.

This method was much easier than giving a waiter a $50 Disney gift card and asking them to take a certain amount off of it and then remember how much was left on the gift card the next time money was needed. We simply used our key and charged everything to the room.

 

[HubbDave]

Drooling over getting Disney Gift Cards from students...somehow I think that ain't happening for me this year. Congrats!!!

 

[MADnNOLA]

Not true. For two different hotels on our stay this month, we went up to concierge on the day we checked in, gave them several hundred dollars of gift cards and established a credit on our key (with a credit card to be used if our gift card credit was depleted). If the gift card credit was not fully depleted, the credit balance would be applied to our credit card that was on file.

This method was much easier than giving a waiter a $50 Disney gift card and asking them to take a certain amount off of it and then remember how much was left on the gift card the next time money was needed. We simply used our key and charged everything to the room.

This is new! In April, I could not do that at CSR. I would just stop in every other day and pay off with my gift card what I had charged back to the room. This would be much more convenient way to handle things!

 

[Love That Mouse]

Drooling over getting Disney Gift Cards from students...somehow I think that ain't happening for me this year. Congrats!!!

I was a lucky teacher this year! Love my kids and parents!

 

[Dis703]

We were there in May and I left the CM with a ton of gift cards to pay the balance of our room. She called me at the park to tell me I left too many and that I had a $500 credit on my account. I would think if it was a problem to do she would have stopped adding when my balance was done and given me back the cards.

 

[DisneyDmbNut]

This is new! In April, I could not do that at CSR. I would just stop in every other day and pay off with my gift card what I had charged back to the room. This would be much more convenient way to handle things!

Yep.. I just got back friday and same thing.. I couldn't put a credit like I have done in the past.. I could charge then pay down every few days. Worked for me.. I even went to target last Thursday to buy $200 more in cards with my target debit.. Saved 10% ! Love target

 

[thisismyusername]

Yep.. I just got back friday and same thing.. I couldn't put a credit like I have done in the past.. I could charge then pay down every few days. Worked for me.. I even went to target last Thursday to buy $200 more in cards with my target debit.. Saved 10% ! Love target

I just got back this week, and I was allowed at two separate resorts. Sounds like there's no consistency among resorts or CMs.

 

[fall08CP]

I'm a former disney front desk CM and we absolutely were not allowed to put gift cards on an account as a cushion. Unless things have recently changed, the CM broke the rules for PP and this experience should not be considered normal. As another PP said, it's not easily possible to load any remaining amount back on gift cards at a later time and front desk CMs don't load gift cards, nor have access to any blank ones. That would be a merchandise CM's job.

We also were not allowed to put on a cash cushion because it's not traceable for refunds. Only credit cards.

Either use the gift cards as intended or pay off the balance each night.

 

[Judique]

I'm a former disney front desk CM and we absolutely were not allowed to put gift cards on an account as a cushion. Unless things have recently changed, the CM broke the rules for PP and this experience should not be considered normal. As another PP said, it's not easily possible to load any remaining amount back on gift cards at a later time and front desk CMs don't load gift cards, nor have access to any blank ones. That would be a merchandise CM's job.

We also were not allowed to put on a cash cushion because it's not traceable for refunds. Only credit cards.

Either use the gift cards as intended or pay off the balance each night.

Which resort did you work at?

Things may have changed since you were employed.

Nobody seems to expect a cm to load blank gift cards. And it is usually understood that if a refund is to be made, it must go back to the original gift card used for the transaction.

Also, try to remember that Disney is selling the Disney gift card to be used for the Disney experience. So it should not come with a bunch of 'can't do's' when used for the Disney product.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Nobody seems to expect a cm to load blank gift cards. And it is usually understood that if a refund is to be made, it must go back to the original gift card used for the transaction.

But, what if the guest no longer has that gift card? That's when a CM must load the balance to a blank gift card.

 

[dizneekrazee]

Not true. For two different hotels on our stay this month, we went up to concierge on the day we checked in, gave them several hundred dollars of gift cards and established a credit on our key (with a credit card to be used if our gift card credit was depleted). If the gift card credit was not fully depleted, the credit balance would be applied to our credit card that was on file.

I'm not sure I am reading this right. Are you saying if you did not use all the gift card funds, the remaining balance would be put on your credit card? As in instead of the balance staying on the gift card? If so, that is against the terms and conditions of the gift card.

 

[dpswift]

In february we were allowed a balance however it took so long to put on the cards that I only did a few at a time. I know I had a $200 dollar balance for a short time because we went to Boma and I paid first.

 

[Love That Mouse]

Thanks for all of the suggestions! It doesn't make sense to me that big, old boat can accept gift cards, but li'l ol' Disney World can't!

Anyone else had experience with this?

 

[mistysue]

They accept the gift cards, but officially they aren't allowed to put more gift cards toward your room than your current balance. Last fall we did it both at POP and YC, but then I got back and in a thread similar to this was told that no they didn't, they can't do that. So... officially... they don't do that, but they might. If not, just go down every couple days and hand them a stack of cards.
As a heads up- You have to tell them the balance on the cards. SOME of the CM's will sit there and check the balance of every card and THEN run it and apply it if they think you don't know the balance. Some of them will just run the card and it empties it. If you get a CM who wants to check them- tell then how much is on the cards. Say it like you are certain. If you show any doubt you will be standing at that counter for an hour to run 20 cards through.

 

[Willows909]

Originally Posted by DisneyDmbNut

Yep.. I just got back friday and same thing.. I couldn't put a credit like I have done in the past.. I could charge then pay down every few days. Worked for me.. I even went to target last Thursday to buy $200 more in cards with my target debit.. Saved 10% ! Love target


Can you explain this to me? Are these Disney gift cards with a discount at Target? Do you have to use a "target" charge card to buy these? .....a bit confused...seems to be my life lately... Thanks for the info...

 

[GrandCalifornian]

Originally Posted by DisneyDmbNut

Yep.. I just got back friday and same thing.. I couldn't put a credit like I have done in the past.. I could charge then pay down every few days. Worked for me.. I even went to target last Thursday to buy $200 more in cards with my target debit.. Saved 10% ! Love target


Can you explain this to me? Are these Disney gift cards with a discount at Target? Do you have to use a "target" charge card to buy these? .....a bit confused...seems to be my life lately... Thanks for the info...

If you have a Target Red Card (Credit or Debit) you get 5% off, including on Disney Gift Cards. They usually have the $50 ones, and you only have to pay $47.50 for them. Every little bit helps.

I am curious about the 10% vs. 5% though. Sometimes they have special offers with additional discounts, so maybe that made it 10%.

 

[bluejasmine]

If you have a Target Red Card (Credit or Debit) you get 5% off, including on Disney Gift Cards. They usually have the $50 ones, and you only have to pay $47.50 for them. Every little bit helps.

I am curious about the 10% vs. 5% though. Sometimes they have special offers with additional discounts, so maybe that made it 10%.

I bought a total of 83 Disney gift cards I used 75 of them to pay off my package saved $415 and still have $400 worth to use as spending money!

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & CR Sept 8-15, 2013