Using a Disney Vacation Account

[Sparkie]

Does anybody know if it is possible to pay for tips and excursions using a Disney Vacation Account?

I have just opened the account so it hasn't been opened long enough to request a gift card AND we are cruising May 8, 2016. I used a travel agent this time so I was wanting to know if I could give her my Disney Vacation Account number and have her call to pay our tips and excursions.

My other option is to pay with my Disney gift cards after I get onboard but I didnt want to spend that much time at Guest Services if there was another option.

Opinions?

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

I used my Disney vacation account by calling and adding OBC to my account before the cruise in a high enough amount to cover what we had planned for our excursions. I also paid specifically for our prepaid gratuities using this as well. No issues doing so. When we got on board I had the slip waiting in our room verifying the $$ I had as a credit

Even though I use a TA I was able to call directly for this purpose as you do not have to give your vaca account number to your TA

 

[WIFamily]

Even though I use a TA I was able to call directly for this purpose as you do not have to give your vaca account number to your TA

Same here, my TA however requested that I contact them once I've made any payments so they can confirm and enter on their system - since there's no direct tie in between the systems.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I just called to pay off my cruise with my DVA. YOU have to call - your TA can not do it for you. Did your TA give you the number to call?

 

[tink1970]

My former TA would have nothing to do with the DVA, nor assisting me in using it.
So...former. I miss the OBC but not the reluctance to help.

Good to hear some sort of use is possible since I've only heard for the past 3 years "no, no, no."

Thanks!

 

[CM Dad]

I used my Disney vacation account by calling and adding OBC to my account before the cruise in a high enough amount to cover what we had planned for our excursions. I also paid specifically for our prepaid gratuities using this as well. No issues doing so. When we got on board I had the slip waiting in our room verifying the $$ I had as a credit

Even though I use a TA I was able to call directly for this purpose as you do not have to give your vaca account number to your TA

I think what you can do depends on the cast member you get on the phone. The first time I used my DVA, I called the specified cruise line number and said I wanted to pay for my cruise. At first they said I had to make all payments through my TA. After a bit of discussion, and with then consulting a manager, I was able to pay for the cruise, the prepaid gratuities, and enough stateroom credit to cover the excursions I had booked, plus estimated amount for other onboard expenses.

My last cruise I had no problem making the final payment, but when I called back closer to the cruise date to prepay tips and stateroom credit, they would not let me pay for the gratuities and said that my TA had to add the fact that I was prepaying to my reservation. They had no problem adding the stateroom credit. I just went ahead and added the gratuity amount to the stateroom credit, since it would just have been billed to that anyway.

The other glitch I ran into was for a cruise January 2015. I took my wife on a cruise for her 60th birthday. As a surprise, I also booked 3 other staterooms to bring our adult children, two husbands, one long term boy friend and 6 grandkids. I used my DVA to pay for the staterooms and gratuities for all 4 reservations. One of my daughters was in tears at the end of the cruise because their stateroom account showed them being billed gratuities for their family of 5 which was an unexpected expense for them. Guest services said that the prepaid gratuities appeared on all the accounts except theirs. I was able to have the charge added to mine and after the cruise looked at my DVA account and found that for some reason the transaction had been reversed and the money deposited back into my DVA.

 

[Sparkie]

Thank you for the responses. I'll see how it goes.

 

[anricat]

The specific number you need to call at DCL is 800-511-9333.