Using Disney Gift Cards in the World

[libinatorsmom]

So working on saving and planning for our now booked Disney Trip in December I was thinking about buying a Disney Gift Card every pay check to save for the trip. The Disney Cards I can buy at Walgreens, Walmart, or Target.... If I do this we can use the gift cards pretty much anywhere in the "World" ie for eating, activities, things, etc? Just thought it would be a fun way to save but not really think about it! Then I was also thinking about giving my DD one or two for her "spending" money so she feels super special while there and tell her she can get whatever she wants with it.

Thanks for the help

 

[Marionnette]

So working on saving and planning for our now booked Disney Trip in December I was thinking about buying a Disney Gift Card every pay check to save for the trip. The Disney Cards I can buy at Walgreens, Walmart, or Target.... If I do this we can use the gift cards pretty much anywhere in the "World" ie for eating, activities, things, etc? Just thought it would be a fun way to save but not really think about it! Then I was also thinking about giving my DD one or two for her "spending" money so she feels super special while there and tell her she can get whatever she wants with it.

Thanks for the help

Yes, you can use them pretty much everywhere in the World with very few exceptions. If you're staying onsite, just use your Magic Bands to charge back to your room and then visit the lobby concierge every few days with a stack of GCs. They can apply the GCs to your room account rather than billing it to the credit card you left on file.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I put money into a separate savings account at my job credit union every pay period.

I'm also planning on buying a Disney GC on my weekly or biweekly Target/Walmart run. $25 here and there will surely add up!

My plan is to use my MB for everything and pay at the lobby every few days.

 

[libinatorsmom]

THANKS SO MUCH! That is a great idea! I am going to start stocking up! now where oh where am I going to hide them... LOL

Do you have to wait till the charges are on the card - for example go to Magic Kingdom spend $100 - then I go to the lobby when we return that night and then the CC will not be charged. I don't put them on the account the day we get there?

 

[Halle]

I always charge to the room and bring Visa or Disney gift cards and use them at the front desk. The CM will credit your charge card if it's already been settled with the credit card company.

 

[DisneyDenis]

If you use your Target credit card, you save 5% on your Disney Gift Card purchase. Buy $1000 over 5 months and save $50.

I do this trick to pay and save on my DVC membership fees.

 

[SashaFarce]

We used to do this. We did not buy a new card every paycheck, though, but would instead add on to 2 existing gift cards we had at the Disney Store and tracked our amounts and spending with an iPhone app.

 

[msmileyface]

I am going to be travelling as a "tag-along" with a friend of mine (it's her, her sister, and her daughter, and me). We are all staying in the same room, so I don't want to charge anything to the room. I was thinking of bringing some gift cards to use for my souvenirs and other in-park purchases (but not dinners, which I'll just kick in cash for). Will I be able to use the gift cards at all of the counter service restaurants? What about the vendors- popcorn, Mickey ice cream carts, etc.? I am assuming so, since they all seem to have credit card readers, but I want to be certain.

Thanks in advance!

 

[xie]

THANKS SO MUCH! That is a great idea! I am going to start stocking up! now where oh where am I going to hide them... LOL

Do you have to wait till the charges are on the card - for example go to Magic Kingdom spend $100 - then I go to the lobby when we return that night and then the CC will not be charged. I don't put them on the account the day we get there?

Nope, you can't pile them up "in advance" on your room charge. You can only use them to pay down what you have already charged to the room.

When you check in, ask what your room charge limit is. You will need to make sure you go to the front desk and pay down your balance before you hit the room charge limit, or they will charge your debit/credit card on file. If you accidentally forget, they can credit the card back and then you can use the gift cards on the balance, it just takes longer and ties up your account balance until the credit goes back through.

Be aware that if you do online check-in and you want to pay your room with gift cards, you need to call ahead and do that. On our last trip a few weeks ago, instead of waiting until we arrived, they charged our room (in full) to the card on file the day before our check-in date. I had them credit it back and apply my gift cards, but it took 20 minutes I'd have rather spent doing something else.

 

[xie]

I am going to be travelling as a "tag-along" with a friend of mine (it's her, her sister, and her daughter, and me). We are all staying in the same room, so I don't want to charge anything to the room. I was thinking of bringing some gift cards to use for my souvenirs and other in-park purchases (but not dinners, which I'll just kick in cash for). Will I be able to use the gift cards at all of the counter service restaurants? What about the vendors- popcorn, Mickey ice cream carts, etc.? I am assuming so, since they all seem to have credit card readers, but I want to be certain.

Thanks in advance!

I have successfully used gift cards at all of those places. You should be fine. Anything Disney-owned is guaranteed to work.

 

[msmileyface]

Thanks Xie!

 

[princessluvsapirate]

If you have a bJS wholesale club by you and your a member, you can get Disney gift cards a little cheaper . Mine has the $100.00 Disney gift card for $95.99 .I know its not much but I am picking them up a few at a time to help pay off the trip .

 

[GAGirlInVA]

We do this all the time. I'm having trouble thinking of ANYWHERE we couldn't use a giftcard, but if there was, we just charged it to the room and paid it with a giftcard that way.

We like buying our giftcards discounted and using it as a method of feeling "all inclusive."