how do YOU use disney Gift cards to save money on your trip?

[jbrnhrt]

I'm just starting to research our trip, and I"m intriqued my the idea of saving money by using gift cards, so I'm wondering how do you save money

1) on the purchase of the gift card? I've seen you can save 5% by using your redcard, and another 5% by getting target RX rewards, any other ideas?

2) how do you use your gift cards in the park? can you use them at all shops and restaurants? link them to your room card? anything else?

 

[Rose23]

Mouseketeer, here's what we've done for the last few years and it has worked wonderfully.

Throughout the year before our yearly trip, we purchase Disney gifts from Giant Eagle which in turn gives us 20 cents off per gallon of gas for every $50you spend on gift cards. We purchase Disney gift cards randomly in increments of $25, $50 and sometimes the $100 gift card and use the points toward cheaper gasoline. We split the cards equally among our travel party.

By the time our yearly Disney trip comes around, we have purchased enough gift cards to pay for our food and anything else we will need on Disney property. We have even used a few of the cards for our Disney resort reservation if there is a balance left a few weeks before we go. You can use the Disney gifts anywhere on Disney property to pay for food, clothing, trinkets, character meals, resort reservations, etc.

By purchasing the gift cards throughout the year, it makes it much easier to save the money to have for your vacation. We also purchase one or two other chain restaurant cards (Cracker Barrel) that we will stop at on the way from Ohio to Florida (we drive).

A day or so before we leave for Florida, we also use quite a few of the points we have saved up to get a huge discount on the first gas tank fill-up for our vehicle at the Giant Eagle gasoline station.

The only cash we take is for off-property adventures we may have at outlet centers.

Best wishes to you in planning.

 

[disfanforlife]

I have not used them before. But for our upcoming trip I plan to use them at the resort to be applied to my bill. That way I can have the convenience of charging with the MB throughout our trip but pay it off with the cards I bought at target. I only got 5% off as I don't use the pharmacy.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

I do much the same thing as Rose23 except we buy our Disney gift cards at Kroger when they have the 4xs fuel points. They usually do this 4 times a year. Normally they give 2xs fuel points for gift cards. If I make the purchase with my regular Disney Visa, I get an additional 1% back in Disney Rewards dollars. If you have the Premier Disney Visa you can get 2% back from grocery store purchases.

If you do the math (not my strongest subject)... At 4xs fuel points a $100 gift card will get you .40 cents off 35 gallons of gas. That is a $14 savings. Pay with your Disney Visa and you get an additional $1 back. So a 15% savings.

Can someone confirm this next part. I don't use the Target Pharmacy:
If you had a 5% Target Pharmacy coupon you could buy a Target gift card at Kroger with 4xs fuel points. Then use the card to buy Disney gift cards with your coupon. That would net you a 19% discount. 20% if you paid Kroger for the Target gift card with a Disney Visa. Is this correct?

 

[crisi]

We are DVC members - so there is no hotel booking to pay for. We get the cards when we have the pharmacy reward + redcard discount and then I just pay for food using the cards rather than the room key until I run out of money and am forced to use my Amex. Last trip it was sunscreen on the last day - and I had to use an extra $3 in cash to buy the sunscreen .....

I don't like having to wait at the front desk to apply the card to my room. While one room key would be more convenient, it isn't a big deal to carry the gift cards for the day around.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

Can someone confirm this next part. I don't use the Target Pharmacy:
If you had a 5% Target Pharmacy coupon you could buy a Target gift card at Kroger with 4xs fuel points. Then use the card to buy Disney gift cards with your coupon. That would net you a 19% discount. 20% if you paid Kroger for the Target gift card with a Disney Visa. Is this correct?

I can't confirm, but that is a really good idea! I live near a Kroger now, but I don't understand the fuel points at all - need to read up!

 

[Perditamarie]

We use them to purchase annual passes, food, snacks in the parks, at the hotel gift shop, at park restaurants, at GS to add days to a ticket, as gifts to the kids for their souveniers.

The only place we have experienced that couldn't take them was a snack shack on the Boardwalk that was not owned by Disney. We have had excellent luck at the snack stands in the park.

To purchase them, in addition to Target, I have also been able to use the BJs reward gift card to purchase Disney gift cards.

We also just take our budgeted cards for the day, and use them as we go. It is a bit more inconvenient to us to zip down to the front desk and pay w/cards every few days -- it just cuts into pool time, and seems to be confusing for CMs, since we are not checking out!

 

[Marionnette]

...If you do the math (not my strongest subject)... At 4xs fuel points a $100 gift card will get you .40 cents off 35 gallons of gas. That is a $14 savings. Pay with your Disney Visa and you get an additional $1 back. So a 15% savings.

Can someone confirm this next part. I don't use the Target Pharmacy:
If you had a 5% Target Pharmacy coupon you could buy a Target gift card at Kroger with 4xs fuel points. Then use the card to buy Disney gift cards with your coupon. That would net you a 19% discount. 20% if you paid Kroger for the Target gift card with a Disney Visa. Is this correct?

Your math is correct for the fuel perks. Unfortunately for me, I can only fill the tank of one car when using fuel perks. If I'm running on fumes, I can get 18 gallons into my car. So, 40¢ off on a gallon is only going to save me $7.20.

The other problem would be that I can get my gas cheaper at Costco than I can get it at the grocery store that offers fuel perks - $3.49/gal. vs. $3.63/gal. It would still be a savings to get 40¢ off each gallon at the grocery store but it isn't quite as good (26¢ per gallon better than Costco). That brings it down to only $4.68 saved on 18 gallons of gas.

I guess that I'll stick with the Target REDCard + Target Pharmacy discount. {{sigh}} I thought that maybe the fuel perks might be a better way for me but it doesn't look like it will.

The part in your post about buying Target GCs at the grocery store for the fuel perks and then using it along with a Target Pharmacy Rewards Card to buy the Disney GCs should work. If the fuel perks bonus is better than 5%, then it's a better way to go than using your Target REDCard - even better if you purchase that Target GC using a rewards CC that gives a bonus for grocery store purchases.

 

[SUSIEQ]

Can someone confirm this next part. I don't use the Target Pharmacy:
If you had a 5% Target Pharmacy coupon you could buy a Target gift card at Kroger with 4xs fuel points. Then use the card to buy Disney gift cards with your coupon. That would net you a 19% discount. 20% if you paid Kroger for the Target gift card with a Disney Visa. Is this correct?

That's what I do.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

My neighbor does the 4x fuel perks at Krogers. He takes his car and a bunch of gas cans and maxi's out the total gallons allowable. Just saw him the other day putting gas in his car from a can.

Oh and the nearest Krogers to us is 55 miles away!

 

[crisi]

Your math is correct for the fuel perks. Unfortunately for me, I can only fill the tank of one car when using fuel perks. If I'm running on fumes, I can get 18 gallons into my car. So, 40¢ off on a gallon is only going to save me $7.20.

The other problem would be that I can get my gas cheaper at Costco than I can get it at the grocery store that offers fuel perks - $3.49/gal. vs. $3.63/gal. It would still be a savings to get 40¢ off each gallon at the grocery store but it isn't quite as good (26¢ per gallon better than Costco). That brings it down to only $4.68 saved on 18 gallons of gas.

My tank is ten gallons and I drive a Prius that I fill up maybe every two weeks - at Costco or a gas station close to Costco (Minnesota has a gas price minimum so big companies don't undercut mom and pops - so Costco gas is usually only $.05 cheaper - and the gas stations nearby match). Over the course of a year, I think I can manage MAYBE $50 on Fuelperks (which around here is a Cub Foods thing), but it also means spending a little more on groceries shopping Cub over the Coop/Aldis/Rainbow/Target route I normally go.

If I could get my husband to use them, we'd do a little better, but he wouldn't go through the bother. His tank is bigger, he drives more, and his car needs premium gas.

 

[pjlla]

I only buy the gift cards when I have a 5% off at Target and ONLY if I have a trip pending in the next 6 months. I hate the idea of tying up my money in a way that it cannot be used in case of emergency.

I don't go nuts buying them either. Usually only buy enough to use for spending money and food. I buy my tix through Undercover Tourist, so can't use it there. I can't use it to buy my flights. So the only thing I COULD use it for that I don't, would be my hotel.... and I don't ALWAYS stay onsite.... it depends on if I can get the Hilton at DTD on HH points.

Do not have a Krogers or any other grocery/gas tie-ins around here any more (since Stop and Shop closed.... and they were overpriced anyhow). So I feel like buying them for in-park spending is the best way to go..........P

 

[Marionnette]

I buy enough to cover my DVC dues. If I don't use the GCs to pay for my trip, then I use them to pay for my dues. If I do use them during a trip, then I buy additional discounted GCs right before I pay my dues.

One way or another, Disney is going to get that money from me in less than a year's time. I might as well get a discount on it.

 

[Batgirl67]

Can you use these on the Disney Cruise Line?

 

[SUSIEQ]

Can you use these on the Disney Cruise Line?

Yes.

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Your math is correct for the fuel perks. Unfortunately for me, I can only fill the tank of one car when using fuel perks. If I'm running on fumes, I can get 18 gallons into my car. So, 40¢ off on a gallon is only going to save me $7.20.

The other problem would be that I can get my gas cheaper at Costco than I can get it at the grocery store that offers fuel perks - $3.49/gal. vs. $3.63/gal. It would still be a savings to get 40¢ off each gallon at the grocery store but it isn't quite as good (26¢ per gallon better than Costco). That brings it down to only $4.68 saved on 18 gallons of gas.

I guess that I'll stick with the Target REDCard + Target Pharmacy discount. {{sigh}} I thought that maybe the fuel perks might be a better way for me but it doesn't look like it will.

The part in your post about buying Target GCs at the grocery store for the fuel perks and then using it along with a Target Pharmacy Rewards Card to buy the Disney GCs should work. If the fuel perks bonus is better than 5%, then it's a better way to go than using your Target REDCard - even better if you purchase that Target GC using a rewards CC that gives a bonus for grocery store purchases.

Thanks for confirming my thoughts on the Target Pharmacy coupon. I think I may start using them for our prescriptions now!

With the 35 gallon fill up at Kroger - we always take two cars over and fill up both. We get the whole discounted 35 gallons that way and our Kroger allows it. I know some other grocery stores don't allow it. It is sometimes a pain to coordinate but it's worth it. Our Costco and Kroger gas prices are only differ by a couple of cents these days.

 

[zorbarick]

For those using the Target 5% Px discount, have you been happy with using Target as your pharmacy? I've never used them, but would consider switching it it made sense.

 

[sommergirl25]

I am thinking about trying to Target red card/pharmacy route for our next trip. I started using the pharmacy and I have been very happy. I actually like it better than our CVS/Walgreens except for no drive through option. I love their medicine bottles. They have the easy measure caps so you can just stick the syringe in the hole in the top and tip the bottle over with no spills.

 

[ParrishFamily]

Using Target Redcard along with discounted Target gift cards, you can save even more. You can buy target gift cards online for an average of 6% off the face value.

Follow me here
Disney Gift card = $50
Red Card 5% off = $47.50
Disco Gift card 6% off = $44.65
Total $ Savings = 5.35
Percent Savings = 10.7%

Now, add the pharmacy card for another 5% off, so....
Disney Gift card = $50
Red Card 5% off = $47.50
Pharm 5% off = $45.13
Disco Gift card 6% off = $42.42
Total $ Savings = $7.58
Percent Savings = 15.16%

Enjoy!

 

[Marionnette]

Using Target Redcard along with discounted Target gift cards, you can save even more. You can buy target gift cards online for an average of 6% off the face value.

Follow me here
Disney Gift card = $50
Red Card 5% off = $47.50
Disco Gift card 6% off = $44.65
Total $ Savings = 5.35
Percent Savings = 10.7%

Now, add the pharmacy card for another 5% off, so....
Disney Gift card = $50
Red Card 5% off = $47.50
Pharm 5% off = $45.13
Disco Gift card 6% off = $42.42
Total $ Savings = $7.58
Percent Savings = 15.16%

Enjoy!

It doesn't work that way.

You only get the REDCard discount on the portion of the balance which is actually paid for with the REDCard. When you use GCs to pay for something at Target, the Pharm5 discount is applied (if applicable) and then the GCs are deducted from the total. If there is still a balance left to be paid, you can pay it with your REDCard and you will get 5% off of that.

ETA: I should amend my statement to say that this is how it works at the B&M stores. If you were to make an online purchase, the REDCard discount is applied to the total amount of your purchase prior to the use of any GCs. However, you cannot use the Pharm5 discount online for Disney GC purchases. It won't work.