Renewing AP using GC's

[flyingdumbo127]

Hi everyone and happy weekend. I remember reading a few days ago on here someone shared that when ordering an AP online, you are only able to use 2 GC codes. I will be renewing my AP in December and have saved to do so by purchasing the GC's at Target. I wanted to double check that in person (at DL) there is no GC limit to do this. Thank you!

 

[SMD]

I used 4 to put the initial deposit at the ticket booth last year. They do run each one as a transaction with it's own receipt, so plan for it to take awhile.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thanks, SMD, very much. I take it each $50 GC will be a credit to my account? Eventually when that reaches the amount needed the pass will be renewed? I may have more like twice that number but don't mind the wait. I'll be renewing on a Saturday morning where my only true commitment will be waiting on the Main Street for the Candlelight Processional that evening. I appreciate the time heads up and your reply.

 

[Serial]

Yes, I've done this on my wife and my Premium APs. Buy a stack of $50 Disney GCs at a discount from Target, bring them to a ticket booth in the Esplanade, and they'll apply each GC to your purchase -- no limits. Good news is Target now carries $100 Disney GCs, so the CM will have less cards to swipe through. It will take some time, so allow for that.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Quick additional ?'s The Deluxe Renewal Discount is $40? So as long as I renew within the 40 or 45 (forgot which) window, the pass will cost $509 instead of $549? I have not seen any $100 GC's at Target yet just the $50. I will look today though. I THINK I may have seen a $25 one but that also could have been at Wal-Mart. Does anyone know if Sam's Club offers a Disney GC discount? I just thought of that. I have a free trial membership there for one more month. Thank you!

 

[bumbershoot]

The Disney gift card site now gives the ability to combine gift cards, FYI.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

^That would be awesome! I could do that online or at a Disney Store (or even at DL)? I would love to be able to do that for GC's intended to be used for AP Renewal, would make that much easier! Thank you!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We renewed APs using GCs at the ticket booths. No problem and not too long a transaction if you go at the end of the day when the booths aren't crowded. We've been told (not recently) that we couldn't combine all our GCs onto one at the ticket booths. Don't know if that has changed recently.

 

[Angrose]

Yes, at disneygiftcard.com you can now combine gift cards. You can have 5 with up to $1,000 on each of card. You will need to create an account, then choose one of the GCs to be the main one and enter that card info. Select Manage Cards to add your main card, then select Transfer Balance to enter another card and add that balance to the main card. Repeat the Transfer Balance step until all your cards are added to the main card! So easy!

No, you cannot do this at a Disney Store.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you, the luckyrabbit. Last time I asked about combining was I think back in March and at City Hall. I'm glad you were able to smoothly use multiple cards. Great reminder to do so at the end of the day when less crowded. I did go to Target today and they only had the $50 GC's no $100 ones.

Thank you so much Angrose for that info! It does sound very easy indeed and so handy too.

 

[LisaT91403]

I just renewed our AP's using gift cards. Here are some things that I found:

1. I was not able to use ANY gift cards to renew our passes. I'm sure buying new ones is a different process, but I can tell you that for referral, there was no option to enter a gift card.

2. I bought a dozen $100 gift cards to renew our AP's. I bought them at a discount (using Raise and/or Cardpool to buy Target GC's, then using the cards on Target...getting a RedCard discount on the Disney GC's while I was at it.) Saved a lot this way. Once I had the (12) $100 Disney GC's, I combined them into (3) $400 gift cards.

3. I then had to call to renew my AP's, and was able to use the gift cards over the phone.

Hope this helps.

 

[rwhistler92]

My Target keeps the $100 GC by the greeting cards while the $50 are near checkout and back by electronics.
I am so glad we can combine them to a single card now. It will make our upcoming trips to much simpler.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Hi LisaT91403, thanks for taking time to share your experience. I appreciate it. I would renew in person at DL so not going to try the online renewal. (I am local and blessed to live within an hour to the park so will be able to go ahead of my bigger December trip time to renew).

I have heard of Raise but have never used it, same with Cardpool, will look into it.

As an FYI for all, last year on Black Friday from 8am-12pm, Target was selling Target gift cards for 10% off. I was able to buy one and then use that to purchase a Disney Gift Card. I have no clue if Target will do the same this year and/or if they will allow buying a Disney Gift Card with a Target GC, just wanted to put that out there as something to keep an eye out for.

ETA: You posted just ahead of me, Rwhistler92. I did look by the greeting cards and lol there were not any Disney Gift Cards over there, not one! They were all at the check stands. I did find a small stack hanging in the back of the Electronics Section. All $50 no $100. I had actually Google-d Target $100 Disney GC and that allowed me to on target's site do a search for which store sold them. That said the store I was at had them but no where that I saw. I didn't ask either. I will next time.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Double post to say thank you again everyone. I just did create a Disney Gift Card account. I was able to transfer balances from a bunch of $50 Target GC's onto one Target GCs so that I now have all but $9 on one GC for my AP Renewal in November. So much easier! I also had under $5 balance on an already used GC. I was able to transfer that onto a different $50 Target GC. I decided since I may go to DL before I want to renew, it was easier to have the bulk of money intended for AP renewal on one card and then extras on a different card. Lol, I have written down which is which

Two perhaps silly questions, as I was going through the transfer process, I deleted each card after I transferred. (a card that then had $0 Balance). That was okay to do right? Second question, is do I need to hold onto all the $0 Balance GC's?

Thanks!

ETA: As an FYI I did call the 800# on the back of one of the GC's. 877-650-4327 The lady I spoke with said if I had a GC purchased from a Disney Store and then one from Target, those could not be combined. all my GC's were from Target so that didn't matter. I just wanted to put this info out there. I am not sure if she meant Disney Store GC's that are only intended for Disney Store merchandise or if she meant ALL Disney Store sold cards.

 

[Ryan120420]

I just renewed our AP's using gift cards. Here are some things that I found:

1. I was not able to use ANY gift cards to renew our passes. I'm sure buying new ones is a different process, but I can tell you that for referral, there was no option to enter a gift card.

2. I bought a dozen $100 gift cards to renew our AP's. I bought them at a discount (using Raise and/or Cardpool to buy Target GC's, then using the cards on Target...getting a RedCard discount on the Disney GC's while I was at it.) Saved a lot this way. Once I had the (12) $100 Disney GC's, I combined them into (3) $400 gift cards.

3. I then had to call to renew my AP's, and was able to use the gift cards over the phone.

Hope this helps.

You can use Gift Cards to renew your pass, it just has to be done in person at a ticket booth. The online store dose not accept Gift Cards for Annual Pass purchases.

 

[LisaT91403]

You can use Gift Cards to renew your pass, it just has to be done in person at a ticket booth. The online store dose not accept Gift Cards for Annual Pass purchases.

Or over the phone...that works too.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thank you both! I plan to renew at the ticket booth. My AP expires first Friday in December. I will be there then but want to renew ahead of time so it is taken care of.

 

[Angrose]

Double post to say thank you again everyone. I just did create a Disney Gift Card account. I was able to transfer balances from a bunch of $50 Target GC's onto one Target GCs so that I now have all but $9 on one GC for my AP Renewal in November. So much easier! I also had under $5 balance on an already used GC. I was able to transfer that onto a different $50 Target GC. I decided since I may go to DL before I want to renew, it was easier to have the bulk of money intended for AP renewal on one card and then extras on a different card. Lol, I have written down which is which

Two perhaps silly questions, as I was going through the transfer process, I deleted each card after I transferred. (a card that then had $0 Balance). That was okay to do right? Second question, is do I need to hold onto all the $0 Balance GC's?

Thanks!

ETA: As an FYI I did call the 800# on the back of one of the GC's. 877-650-4327 The lady I spoke with said if I had a GC purchased from a Disney Store and then one from Target, those could not be combined. all my GC's were from Target so that didn't matter. I just wanted to put this info out there. I am not sure if she meant Disney Store GC's that are only intended for Disney Store merchandise or if she meant ALL Disney Store sold cards.

Totally OK to delete the zero balance cards. It doesn't inactivate them, it just removes them from your account. You only need to hold onto them if you think you would ever transfer any money back onto them. I would hold onto one or two just in case. For instance, what if you lost your wallet or it was stolen and your gift cards were in there? If you had some extra zero balance cards then you could login and transfer the balances from the stolen cards onto the zero balance cards. It's like having a safety net!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Thanks Angrose, I feel better about that. I don't plan to transfer money back onto them. As I said I purposely transferred over from a bunch of GC's onto one GC intended for AP renewal, so one time deal. That is a smart point on a reason to keep them. I have them all in a bag right now and I will just mark the bag as Zero Balance and have with me when I go to renew. Then I will toss 'em

 

[bumbershoot]

The lady I spoke with said if I had a GC purchased from a Disney Store and then one from Target, those could not be combined. all my GC's were from Target so that didn't matter. I just wanted to put this info out there. I am not sure if she meant Disney Store GC's that are only intended for Disney Store merchandise or if she meant ALL Disney Store sold cards.

It's good info. I had seen similar but didn't pay enough attention at the time to recreate the info for you here.

Somehow the Target cards are a bit different from GCs purchased at the Disney stores, etc, so they can't combine together. Target DGC with Target DGC, non-Target with non-Target, it seems.