What's the easiest way to use gift cards?

[jo-jo]

Since we will be spending at least $800 on a few TS meals with my family, I thought getting getting gift cards with a discount would be a no brainer. Between the 4% with BJs and 5% with discover card, it can add up.

Do you take a few cards to the front desk every few days or just carry them to the meals to use? Can you carry a credit on your resort account?? Could I just give $500 to the front desk on day 1?

 

[mrzrich]

You can't load the gift card onto your account day one, but you can go down to the front desk and pay off your account with the gift cards before they charge your credit card.

If you choose to carry your cards around and pay directly with them, I suggest consolidation on the Disney Gift card website so that you aren't traveling with a stack of cards 30 cards. I also suggest marking your cards with permanent marker. That way if you pay at a restaurant, you know for sure the server has given you back your card. (Have heard of cards getting switched on more than one occasion)

 

[jo-jo]

You can't load the gift card onto your account day one, but you can go down to the front desk and pay off your account with the gift cards before they charge your credit card.

If you choose to carry your cards around and pay directly with them, I suggest consolidation on the Disney Gift card website so that you aren't traveling with a stack of cards 30 cards. I also suggest marking your cards with permanent marker. That way if you pay at a restaurant, you know for sure the server has given you back your card. (Have heard of cards getting switched on more than one occasion)

Thanks for the tips.

I remember once we had given our DS a gift card for Texas Road house. He went to pay , gave them the cards...server came back and said one was empty. DS asked for it back but server said he had already thrown it away. In the end it got fixed but grrrrrrrrrrr.

 

[Nancyg56]

I use some gift cards and use them at the point of sale. If you do not want to carry them around I would link a CC to my account, charge to the room and pay the bill with the gift cards every few days. I do this anyway, check my bill every few days and pay it off.

 

[cigar95]

Can also use one at check-in if you have a balance due on the room.
And if you buy online at BJs rather than in-store, it's an additional 1%. Every little bit adds up. (I just wish they'd sell the $500 cards, instead of having to consolidate all those smaller ones.)

 

[MichelleWDWfan]

I always use Disney Gift Cards!
As previous poster has said...go to Disneygiftcard.com make an account and save one as your primary card,
Then transfer the balance of all the others to that one primary gift card.
Any Disney gift card no matter what denomination it is when you buy it, can hold up to $1000

I always have 1 loaded with all the combined cards and leave 1 empty gift card on my account.
I carry the empty one as a precaution.
If You lose the one with all the money on it you can quickly go back to the site, login and transfer all the money from one card to the other empty one.

You can either carry the card with you and pay as you go, or charge everything to your room and go every couple days to the desk and pay down your balance,
before they charge your credit card. Each hotel has a specified limit that when you reach it, they will charge your card.
You can ask at checkin what the amount is so that you can be sure to pay down your balance before they charge your credit card.

 

[sarahothomas]

So sorry if these are silly questions, but when someone says "charge to your room", do they mean using your magic band to pay for purchases? And if so, can you do this everywhere in the parks - restaurants, souvenir shops, etc? Thanks!

 

[alliecat523]

Yes. You can use your MB at restaurants, shops, resorts, etc and the cost is charged to your room account if you're staying on property.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I would recommend not letting the gift card leave your sight. I once paid with a gift card at 'Ohana and was not given back the card I had used to pay. The card I had in my possession of course had a 0 balance. My real card only had like $5 on it, and I decided my time was with more than $5, so I didn't pursue the matter.

I would highly recommend charging to the room and stopping at the front desk to pay off the balance when using gift cards at table service restaurants. For quick service or kiosk purchases where you'll be able to see the card at all times, it's up to you.