Gift Cards

[safroim]

BJs has a 3 pack of $50 Disney gifts cards for $140.50. I'd like to buy a bunch. Does anyone have any experience with using Disney gift cards at the restaurants? Whenever we try to use regular give cards at restaurants we have a heck of a time. Apparently they want to make sure you leave enough room left over for a tip. So if the bill is $50 they won't let you use a $50 gift card because there isn't enough left for a tip. Are Disney GC just as difficult to use at the restaurants?

 

[DisBuckMan]

Never had a problem using Disney gc's in that way.

That's a good deal on the 3 packs. Might pick up a few myself.

 

[dgthree]

I use them all the time, and have never had any problems.

 

[mnamna]

This is where I would charge the meal to my room, and pay with the GC at the front desk.

 

[Aristo-cat]

No, Disneys do not operate in that manner.
The GCs issued by banks or cc companies when you are in a hospitality type establishment and a tip is involved you can use only 80% of the card to pay for services rendered.
You can use the other 20% to tip, or just hold the card and that 20% can be used anywhere that a tip is not inferred.

I'm a restaurant manager, you would not believe how difficult it was to understand these policy's! Ha

 

[4DisneyWVUfans]

I was just going to ask the same question. To expand...If I am on the dining plan, can I use the gift cards for tips?

 

[Kjbbach1]

I was just going to ask the same question. To expand...If I am on the dining plan, can I use the gift cards for tips?

Yes. Just charge the tip to your magic band/room and use your gift cards to pay the room bill

 

[hakepb]

FYI, you can combine the cards on disneygiftcard.com which makes payment easier than multiple smaller cards.
I typically just combine a few cards each day of a trip, but you can combine up to $1000 on a single card.

(But it is fun paying for a QS with multiple partial cards and getting yards of receipts)

 

[PolyRob]

I do this all the time! If I use my TiW and tip is automatically included I swipe the card. If not, band is definitely easiest!

 

[Smilelea]

I never would have thought to charge the tip to my band and then pay that off with gift cards. That's a great idea! We have been purchasing gift cards through SAMs and then combining them. We will definitely have to remember about charging the tip.

 

[frostymom]

wishing I bought more yesterday!

 

[Figmentmommy]

I was just going to ask the same question. To expand...If I am on the dining plan, can I use the gift cards for tips?

Yes, you can pay for the gratuity directly with the gift card.

 

[Figmentmommy]

I never would have thought to charge the tip to my band and then pay that off with gift cards. That's a great idea! We have been purchasing gift cards through SAMs and then combining them. We will definitely have to remember about charging the tip.

Just be sure to stop at the front desk if your resort every couple of days to pay down your balance with your gift card. Disney has been known to charge a guest's room bill to the credit card on file well before the resort charging limit is reached.

 

[4DisneyWVUfans]

Thanks!

 

[KrazeeK120]

DO NOT, under any circumstances, let a gift card leave your sight. I used a gift card at 'Ohana once and wasn't given back the same card with which I'd paid. I didn't realize it until later, so I was out the $ on my card (of course, the card that was given to me had a zero balance). If you do choose to let the server take your card, check it when they return it to make sure it's the same card.

I will say it was only $5, so I didn't pursue any recourse. The time I would have taken to resolve it was worth more than $5 to me. I'm not sure what could have been done for me though.

Now, I charge to my MB and pay off the balance at the hotel.

 

[PolyRob]

DO NOT, under any circumstances, let a gift card leave your sight. I used a gift card at 'Ohana once and wasn't given back the same card with which I'd paid. I didn't realize it until later, so I was out the $ on my card (of course, the card that was given to me had a zero balance). If you do choose to let the server take your card, check it when they return it to make sure it's the same card.

I will say it was only $5, so I didn't pursue any recourse. The time I would have taken to resolve it was worth more than $5 to me. I'm not sure what could have been done for me though.

Now, I charge to my MB and pay off the balance at the hotel.

Oh, I have done this numerous times. I have more specific patterns than the general Mickey though so I would notice right away if it were not my card. Maybe always make sure its in your Disney Gift Card account with another card at $0.00 so you can quickly transfer its balance? I tend to have large gift card denominations when traveling to Disney and I would be very upset to have one lost without being able to move the funds quickly!

 

[KrazeeK120]

Oh, I have done this numerous times. I have more specific patterns than the general Mickey though so I would notice right away if it were not my card. Maybe always make sure its in your Disney Gift Card account with another card at $0.00 so you can quickly transfer its balance? I tend to have large gift card denominations when traveling to Disney and I would be very upset to have one lost without being able to move the funds quickly!

That's true about moving the balance, but you'd have to have another card to which to move said balance.

Also, at the time it happened to me, the Disney GC website wasn't like it is now...there wasn't a way to move the balance.

At any rate, I'd rather just not take the risk any more.

 

[PolyRob]

That's true about moving the balance, but you'd have to have another card to which to move said balance.

Also, at the time it happened to me, the Disney GC website wasn't like it is now...there wasn't a way to move the balance.

At any rate, I'd rather just not take the risk any more.

Smart, better safe than sorry!

 

[4DisneyWVUfans]

Definitely leaning towards just using the Magic Band and paying with gift card at the resort. It is a shame, but yes, better safe than sorry!!! I guess one less thing to carry with me!

 

[Kjbbach1]

DO NOT, under any circumstances, let a gift card leave your sight. I used a gift card at 'Ohana once and wasn't given back the same card with which I'd paid. I didn't realize it until later, so I was out the $ on my card (of course, the card that was given to me had a zero balance). If you do choose to let the server take your card, check it when they return it to make sure it's the same card.

I will say it was only $5, so I didn't pursue any recourse. The time I would have taken to resolve it was worth more than $5 to me. I'm not sure what could have been done for me though.

Now, I charge to my MB and pay off the balance at the hotel.

Great advice! Thanks