What can Disney gift cards be used for?

[andee2000]

There is mention of gift cards in many threads so my search is bringing up too many threads. We will likely be staying off site and, if still offered when we go, we will be getting our park tickets through the military recreation department. I thought I might start buying and saving Disney gift cards as a way to save for meals and stuff in the parks. I like the thought of this rather than a savings account for the trip because it would be truly set aside and wouldn't tempt me for new furniture or something! Hahahaha

Has anyone gone this route before? If so, did you think it works well for you? I kind of like the thought of prepayment in things rather than a large bill when I return. Since I am not staying on Disney property and will already have park tickets where can these be used? More importantly, where can they not be used?

Thanks!

 

[crl]

Great question.

You can certainly use Disney gift cards when buying anything from the stores in the parks as well as most food. There may be a few food carts that won't accept them. Also a few of the specialty places in the countries of Epcot may not be able to accept them. Disney dining at the resorts as well as the resort stores will accept your gift cards. And some stores, but not all in Downtown Disney will accept them. Though I don't know how to find out which stores in the DTD area will accept them.

Hope someone with more extensive (and recent) knowledge can help you out more.

 

[andee2000]

Great question.

You can certainly use Disney gift cards when buying anything from the stores in the parks as well as most food. There may be a few food carts that won't accept them. Also a few of the specialty places in the countries of Epcot may not be able to accept them. Disney dining at the resorts as well as the resort stores will accept your gift cards. And some stores, but not all in Downtown Disney will accept them. Though I don't know how to find out which stores in the DTD area will accept them.

Hope someone with more extensive (and recent) knowledge can help you out more.

Thank you for your response. This board is fun, the thought if gift cards as a way to pay for me a few things kind of in advance is a pretty cool idea. That way I dont have to wait for the bill when I get back.

 

[mommycrawford]

Be careful when buying because there are two kinds of gift cards!...Disney store giftcards and Disney Parks giftcards!...it is the Disney Parks gift cards that can be used for dining, paying off a vacation package, etc! Some cards are only for merchandice at stores! Read the details on the card itself to be sure!

 

[Mouse3Dad]

There is mention of gift cards in many threads so my search is bringing up too many threads. We will likely be staying off site and, if still offered when we go, we will be getting our park tickets through the military recreation department. I thought I might start buying and saving Disney gift cards as a way to save for meals and stuff in the parks. I like the thought of this rather than a savings account for the trip because it would be truly set aside and wouldn't tempt me for new furniture or something! Hahahaha

Has anyone gone this route before? If so, did you think it works well for you? I kind of like the thought of prepayment in things rather than a large bill when I return. Since I am not staying on Disney property and will already have park tickets where can these be used? More importantly, where can they not be used?

Thanks!

I have used this to an extent. While I do stay onsite so the gift cards I use are mostly Disney, I collect other gift cards for the way down, prepay for the hotel before we leave, and then take additional gift cards to pay for anything while in the park.

If you know you are staying offsite, and know you are eating offsite, use that to your advantage.

This trip coming up for us we have the following gift cards we have collected over the last year. While this won't completely pay for our trip, it definitely cuts down on the bill when we return

$100 Gas Gift cards (Mostly Shell)
$200 Disney
$100 Visa
$20 Starbucks - saved from various gifts, or credit card rewards.

 

[andee2000]

I have used this to an extent. While I do stay onsite so the gift cards I use are mostly Disney, I collect other gift cards for the way down, prepay for the hotel before we leave, and then take additional gift cards to pay for anything while in the park.

If you know you are staying offsite, and know you are eating offsite, use that to your advantage.

This trip coming up for us we have the following gift cards we have collected over the last year. While this won't completely pay for our trip, it definitely cuts down on the bill when we return

$100 Gas Gift cards (Mostly Shell)
$200 Disney
$100 Visa
$20 Starbucks - saved from various gifts, or credit card rewards.

Starbucks is brilliant. I wonder if you can use that at the in park Starbucks.

We will eat a lot of snacks and stuff min the park. I will need to research those options.

 

[StitchBuddy]

Yes, you can use Starbucks.

 

[AlexaDeParis]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a dumb question but why ARE there so many threads about gift cards? I get that you can save a little by getting them from sams club or target. But it seems like a lot of hassle for not much savings. I have to waste time and money going to the store, to save $40 on $1000? And then i have to carry around 50 or so gift cards with me instead of cash? To what end? Or am I missing something important here? It seems like a waste of time to me.

 

[kjs1976]

If I could save $40, which is a meal for my family or souvenirs, I would. I don't feel it is a hassle to have that many gift cards because when we're done with them, we toss them, and any we have left over, I write the balance in permanent marker on so we can use them for the next trip. We take the amount of what we need for that day and then put back any we don't use. Like one posters said, if it's in disney cards, she can't be tempted to use it on something else, say, like with cash.

One can get discounts/deals on rooms, airfare, and rental cars. Tickets, souviniers, and food discounts are hard to come by or aren't that deep. So I think for people like me, I can save by buying them at Target with my target card or on a handful of other discount sites. I also think part of the thrill for a lot of us is the trip planning and how we can save on our trips. For some of us, the only way we can go is because we look for deals everywhere.

 

[Mouse3Dad]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a dumb question but why ARE there so many threads about gift cards? I get that you can save a little by getting them from sams club or target. But it seems like a lot of hassle for not much savings. I have to waste time and money going to the store, to save $40 on $1000? And then i have to carry around 50 or so gift cards with me instead of cash? To what end? Or am I missing something important here? It seems like a waste of time to me.

Not a dumb question. Most of the questions on the budget board is about saving a $$. Often times gift cards you can be purchased at a discount of anywhere from 3-5%. I purchased $4000 in gift cards for our upcoming trip and paid for the vacation with all gift cards. At 5% why not save the $200 and keep it for some souvenirs. No reason to give money away if you are already going to the store. Your statement seems to assume we make an extra trip, and we also carry around all the gift cards. The Disney gift cards and Visa cards can be used to pay up your balance at the end of the trip. The gas gift cards can be used if you drive down. I see no difference in carrying a credit card into the park, or a gift card. It spends the same.

 

[disneysteve]

I get that you can save a little by getting them from sams club or target. But it seems like a lot of hassle for not much savings.

I'll add a slightly different angle here. Our synagogue has a gift card fundraising program. They sell gift cards at face value but they get a percentage of each sale as profit. So by buying Disney gift cards, we essentially make a donation without it actually costing us anything. Every year, we buy $300 or $400 worth of Disney cards to use on our trip. The synagogue gets $6 or $8. I know that doesnt sound like much but we're not the only ones buying gift cards. They actually earn about $500/month from our members buying gift cards and we like to do our part.

Personally, we don't need to do it as a form of forced savings and it does mean we're forgoing credit card rewards but it's only for a small amount so it isn't a big deal to us to lose the $3 in rewards.

 

[Boy Mom x3]

Not sure if this is correct or not.... but I asked the other day and I can use my Red Card at Target AND my Pharmacy rewards to purchase Disney gift cards... making it almost 10% off! Are these cards good for restaurants too? Thinking of paying for all of our meals on property that way.

 

[disneysteve]

Are these cards good for restaurants too? Thinking of paying for all of our meals on property that way.

Yes they are. All Disney restaurants in the parks, hotels, and DTD.

 

[Disneyaddict1973]

Another good thing about gift cards...make sure you save the receipts for the cards at purchase. If a card is lost, it can be replaced minus the value used. If you lose your cash, it's just plain gone

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a dumb question but why ARE there so many threads about gift cards? I get that you can save a little by getting them from sams club or target. But it seems like a lot of hassle for not much savings. I have to waste time and money going to the store, to save $40 on $1000? And then i have to carry around 50 or so gift cards with me instead of cash? To what end? Or am I missing something important here? It seems like a waste of time to me.

Not a dumb question but when all is said and done, some have managed to save more than 10% on their gift cards. Buying discounted Target Gift cards (also getting 1% back with your credit card) and then turning around and combining your Target Gift card with your 5% off from your Red Card to me is worth it if you plan on spending a few thousand dollars with Disney. No need to carry them around - you can apply them towards your bill every couple of days if you want and leave them in your room the entire time. If you don't stay at Disney, only take what you'll need daily.

Not sure if this is correct or not.... but I asked the other day and I can use my Red Card at Target AND my Pharmacy rewards to purchase Disney gift cards... making it almost 10% off! Are these cards good for restaurants too? Thinking of paying for all of our meals on property that way.

You can no longer use your Target Pharmacy Rewards to get the additional 5% off.

 

[eliza61]

I'm sorry to ask what may be a dumb question but why ARE there so many threads about gift cards? I get that you can save a little by getting them from sams club or target. But it seems like a lot of hassle for not much savings. I have to waste time and money going to the store, to save $40 on $1000? And then i have to carry around 50 or so gift cards with me instead of cash? To what end? Or am I missing something important here? It seems like a waste of time to me.

Not a dumb question at all Alexa, it just depends on your situation.

I am so with you. LOL I will pay for convenience. for example the nearest target to me is a pain to get to, so I don't shop there. In order for me to get a target redcard to get the 5% off on Disney giftcards, I would probably waste 10% in time and gas, going there not to mention the frustration of it being out of my way.

I tried all those "giftcard" sites and once again, with my busy schedule the hassle of trying to keep track of what site has what deal then meeting the obligations of that site, is simply not worth my time. LOL, I read some of the gc threads and can't even keep up with all the rules and regulations and I have no desire to try.

Now when I make a vacation budget, I budget for what I can afford at that time. If I can save money great but if I don't save a dime, my vacations are not affected.

I use my chase visa and get the points but 1/2 of the time I wouldn't turn them into target gift cards anyway because once again, it's not worth me having to go to target.

Now I have a dvc so I don't have a room bill, so the only thing I could use the cards on are meals. I have to ask myself, the most I'll get is probably 100 maybe 150 dollars saved in gc. So that's one signature meal for us. Is all that time and effort worth 1 dinner out? for me the answer is no. for others it maybe yes.
it's an individual thing.

I prefer my credit card points, don't have to carry a thing on site. I get the rewards points while using it at Disney (gc, don't give you any thing) and its a nice neat way to keep track of how much we're spending.

 

[Judique]

Not a dumb question at all Alexa, it just depends on your situation.

I am so with you. LOL I will pay for convenience. for example the nearest target to me is a pain to get to, so I don't shop there. In order for me to get a target redcard to get the 5% off on Disney giftcards, I would probably waste 10% in time and gas, going there not to mention the frustration of it being out of my way.

As you stated it just depends on your situation.

For me it is/was very convenient to collect gift cards.

Target (near me) is right next to Costco, can actually park at either and walk a few feet to the other, so buying discounted gift cards at Costco - 20% for Wolfgang Puck and Einsteins and McCormick & Schmicks, two of which can be used at Disney, the other out in town, is a no brainer.

Then off to Target where I may only now save $5 on a hundred, but since I'm in the store any way and they are hanging up by the cash register, the effort to toss them in with my order is not substantial. And - I have a stockpile from back when you could get them at as high as 30% off (son worked at target but not now).

Now, when I retire, I may actually take the time to do many of the things that are written about. My time will have a different value. But right now, I don't go out of my way.

As far as using them, I prefer to use gift cards directly at Disney. It's the only place I have an uncomfortable ping when I hand them my credit card.

 

[kcengle]

Be careful when buying because there are two kinds of gift cards!...Disney store giftcards and Disney Parks giftcards!...it is the Disney Parks gift cards that can be used for dining, paying off a vacation package, etc! Some cards are only for merchandice at stores! Read the details on the card itself to be sure!

Ahhh good to know before I start stocking up on GCs!

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Not a dumb question at all Alexa, it just depends on your situation.

I am so with you. LOL I will pay for convenience. for example the nearest target to me is a pain to get to, so I don't shop there. In order for me to get a target redcard to get the 5% off on Disney giftcards, I would probably waste 10% in time and gas, going there not to mention the frustration of it being out of my way.

I tried all those "giftcard" sites and once again, with my busy schedule the hassle of trying to keep track of what site has what deal then meeting the obligations of that site, is simply not worth my time. LOL, I read some of the gc threads and can't even keep up with all the rules and regulations and I have no desire to try.

Now when I make a vacation budget, I budget for what I can afford at that time. If I can save money great but if I don't save a dime, my vacations are not affected.

I use my chase visa and get the points but 1/2 of the time I wouldn't turn them into target gift cards anyway because once again, it's not worth me having to go to target.

Now I have a dvc so I don't have a room bill, so the only thing I could use the cards on are meals. I have to ask myself, the most I'll get is probably 100 maybe 150 dollars saved in gc. So that's one signature meal for us. Is all that time and effort worth 1 dinner out? for me the answer is no. for others it maybe yes.
it's an individual thing.

I prefer my credit card points, don't have to carry a thing on site. I get the rewards points while using it at Disney (gc, don't give you any thing) and its a nice neat way to keep track of how much we're spending.

This is not how you get deeply discounted gift cards. By gong to Target you are only getting 5% off. By purchasing them online or with fuel rewards like others do, you can save 10-15%. I'll take that for 3 minutes of sitting on my butt any day.

 

[SUSIEQ]

This is not how you get deeply discounted gift cards. By gong to Target you are only getting 5% off. By purchasing them online or with fuel rewards like others do, you can save 10-15%. I'll take that for 3 minutes of sitting on my butt any day.

Me too!!