Gift Cards

[sweethannah]

I can't buy Disney gift cards before we go down - I'm in Vancouver BC and I don't think any local stores sell them. They also won't ship to Canada via Disney.com.

I wanted to buy a gift card for my DD8 for her to use for purchases and treats in the Parks without her having to worry about carrying cash. Where can I buy them in the Parks?

I would have loved to have given her a custom card through here: http://www.disneygiftcard.com/cards/



I had it all picked out, added my cc and address as a Canadian address was accepted but then you read the fine print:This item cannot be shipped internationally, outside the contiguous United States, or to a P.O. Box, APO or FPO address. This item can only be shipped to a physical address. Please allow 10-15 business days for Standard Delivery.

 

[KalamityJane]

Will they take Disney GC at the resort hotels? I did a group booking through through the Gay Days site - wondering if I can get an extra 5% off and pay the hotel with GC. Anyone know?

 

[KalamityJane]

lurpee - the 5% off is all the time.

 

[lurpee]

lurpee - the 5% off is all the time.

Thanks!

 

[BayGirl22]

Can someone please explain to me the reasoning for using gift cards instead of a regular credit card? I mean, assuming I have the cash ready to pay off my cc so there's no interest, I'd also get cc points and have better theft protection. Then i dont have $$$ tied up in Disney currency that i cant get back.

We're staying on site so my preference is to charge everything to the room, put it all on one cc, then pay that off right after the trip. Am I missing some kind of gift card benefit?

 

[KalamityJane]

If you buy the gift cards with a Target debit or credit card, you get 5% off. So in the case of the hotel, you would only spend 950 bucks for every grand that you spend. I earn 1 mile per dollar on my Alaska Air credit card. 1000 miles can be purchased for 27.50. For me, it makes more sense to use the Target/Disney gift cards to pay for stuff. If you get 5% or more back on your credit card (and I haven't heard of many that offer percentages that high), then it might be more worth it to you to put it on your credit card.

 

[emacat]

That's too bad, I saw them in the electronics section


I've been buying them from my Kroger Store when they run 4Xs fuel rewards

You can also purchase them at Walgreens.

On a side note, many of the food places in Downtown Disney don't take the Disney gift cards. We ran into that several years ago, so take some cash or debit cards as well.

 

[Tea4Alice]

I purchased our gift card just for our tip money at our ADRS. Someone on another thread told me about the Disney Gift Card app, it was a great help. It showed me what I had spent and my total, did my math for me, all I had to do was a quick check!

 

[emacat]

Can someone please explain to me the reasoning for using gift cards instead of a regular credit card? I mean, assuming I have the cash ready to pay off my cc so there's no interest, I'd also get cc points and have better theft protection. Then i dont have $$$ tied up in Disney currency that i cant get back.

We're staying on site so my preference is to charge everything to the room, put it all on one cc, then pay that off right after the trip. Am I missing some kind of gift card benefit?

Typically, I use them for myself and my daughter's "fun money." It helps us keep to some type of budget per day. Of course, also carry some cash or a card for those places that may not take the gift card.

I find the idea of charging to my room too frightening. It's alarming how fast I can spend without thinking about it.

 

[BayGirl22]

If you buy the gift cards with a Target debit or credit card, you get 5% off. So in the case of the hotel, you would only spend 950 bucks for every grand that you spend. I earn 1 mile per dollar on my Alaska Air credit card. 1000 miles can be purchased for 27.50. For me, it makes more sense to use the Target/Disney gift cards to pay for stuff. If you get 5% or more back on your credit card (and I haven't heard of many that offer percentages that high), then it might be more worth it to you to put it on your credit card.

Ok, so the benefit is just from buying it through Target. I'm not interested in opening a new account just for the trip. I use a Starwood card then put the points toward a condo for our next vacation. It's probably not 5% return put gets us decent value. I don't think I'd be comfortable carrying $2k of gift cards to pay for the room.

 

[MrsMears]

Would I be able to use the gift cards to buy a park hopper once I am at the parks?

 

[lurpee]

FYI. My local (Oregon Coast) Safeway is running the 4x Fuel Rewards deal right now when you buy gift cards.

 

[starry_solo]

Would I be able to use the gift cards to buy a park hopper once I am at the parks?

Yes!

Any snack cart that takes credit cards also takes gift cards. They just have to have the set-up (computer) for it. There are still a few snack carts (like in the BBQ area in Frontierland where you can meet Clara Cluck and Clarabelle Cow) that don't - those still only take cash.

 

[ValpoCory]

Someone on another thread told me about the Disney Gift Card app, it was a great help. It showed me what I had spent and my total, did my math for me, all I had to do was a quick check!

Too bad it's not on the Android Marketplace yet.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/11/new-disney-gift-card-app-now-available/

 

[ValpoCory]

Ok, so the benefit is just from buying it through Target. I'm not interested in opening a new account just for the trip. I use a Starwood card then put the points toward a condo for our next vacation. It's probably not 5% return put gets us decent value. I don't think I'd be comfortable carrying $2k of gift cards to pay for the room.

One of our grocery stores in Texas has had incredible Disney Gift Card coupons over the years, from the incredible 33.3% off Disney deal in December 2010, to several 15% off Disney deals since that come every couple of months. And these were added on top of any credit card rewards you would earn. I am going to DLR in late January, so I plan on upgrading my Disney Visa to a Premier Disney Visa in November to get the 5% off at grocery stores, Disney, etc. for 3 months perk. Then I'll wait for our grocery store to have a deal, and buy up $1500 in gift cards for at most $1275, and earning $63.75 in Disney reward dollars in the process. We like to use the gift cards to buy Theme Park Tickets, PhotoPass+ pre-order, Meals, and any other expenses.

Other stores around the country offer specials that dwarf any credit card rewards by themselves.

 

[ValpoCory]

I can't buy Disney gift cards before we go down - I'm in Vancouver BC and I don't think any local stores sell them. They also won't ship to Canada via Disney.com.

Can you drive to the Bellingham, WA Target or the Walgreens in Ferndale, WA to stock up?

 

[dana278]

My local Kroger owned store is doing 4x fuel points right now as well, through September 11th.

 

[QueenBeeMB]

As a Target employee we will be getting 15% off our purchase

$500 worth of DGC for only $425 whooo hoooo !!

 

[azdisneylover]

For those who are looking for discounts of gift cards for Ghiradelli, Costco online has them 4 $25 gift cards for $79.99. That is a 20% saving. Also, there are discount card places online that sell gift cards for a reduced price. With the holidays coming up, many restaurants will have deals on their cards. Last year, the Patina Group (Tortilla Joes, Napolini, Catal), for example gave a $20 gift card if you purchased gift cards.
Target is great for getting the Disney Cards, and Subway cards.