Yet another Disney Gift card question/Target

[ktrask]

So first off...THANK YOU for the tip on the Target Debit card. I shop at Target all of the time, and it's become a great savings tool for our family in general.

That being said...we are saving to go to Disney in Dec 2013. Would I be nuts to start buying gift cards here and there leading up to the purchase of our trip? We are hoping to book around March of 2013. Do you think it's too much of a risk to start buying some now? I feel like buying them makes it impossible for us to spend the money elsewhere as we save.

Right now we are thinking we will get the dining plan with our trip. It will not be the first time for my husband and I, but we are taking our daughter for the first time...it will also be her 5th birthday!!

Thanks again!

 

[Disfamily0405]

I think it is a matter of how comfortable you are with having the money tied up this way. I don't start buying until I have an absolute I am going if it kills me idea on a date. I realize that emergencies come up and I will be out that money essentially so I am always sure that I have another savings cushion to make up for the "lack" of funds, but I also don't wait too long because I have to buy a LOT of the $50 cards to pay off my vacation and my Target is INCREDIBLY slow at restocking the cards, I paid off my cruise not too long ago and it took a month for my Target to restock the cards (I bought all of them)

 

[mistysue]

I do it. If you get prescriptions AT ALL- get them at Target so you can buy all your gift cards for 10% off with your register rewards!

I buy the Disney ones and then get some random places like Subway that I know we will eat at anyways.

 

[FoundMyPrince]

We are planning a trip for May 2014 (not really planning, but have said we're going). I am buying a $50 gift card each payday. For me, it's an easy way to save for a vacation; we'll have it paid off by the time we take our trip!

 

[ilovemk76]

I do it. If you get prescriptions AT ALL- get them at Target so you can buy all your gift cards for 10% off with your register rewards!

I buy the Disney ones and then get some random places like Subway that I know we will eat at anyways.

It is not really 10%. The two 5% do not add up. If you buy $100, the first 5% lowers you total to $95. The next 5% lowers it again to $90.25. That is a discount of 9.75%. Not a real big difference but it just needs to be noted that the total is not $90.

OP, I think it is too soon to stat tying up your money. If you have an account, start moving the $50 into it each payday, month, trip to Target or other time. Once you are ready to book your trip, take the money out then and get the GCs. Remember to keep the GCs, just in case you need to cancel, because they will put the money back on the GC.

 

[lizerbug]

I didn't think that the discount counted when you purchased gift cards. I hope I'm wrong. Anyone who received the discount when purchasing Disney gift cards, please comment

 

[mommy2twingles]

We are going in November 2013 and I have started buying them. We are a family of 5 staying deluxe club level for 2 weeks. We also buy all of our prescriptions at Target so I get a bonus 5% coupon at least every other month. I just started doing this in January and each time I get a bonus coupon I buy $500 worth of gift cards. I am planning to book as soon as the rates come out so right now I have enough for our deposit on both a package and room only since we are doing a split stay. Of course as we get closer I will be buying larger quantities but I do what I can now

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

Yes you are wrong. Both of the % will work on Disney GC. I have been doing a little at a time for our trip and it works just fine. You can also use a Target GC to buy a Disney GC.

 

[eyor44]

I didn't think that the discount counted when you purchased gift cards. I hope I'm wrong. Anyone who received the discount when purchasing Disney gift cards, please comment

Yes, you get the discount on the Disney Gift Cards at Target. And many others gift cards, just NOT on Target or Visa gift cards.

 

[Wanna be Ariel]

We are going in November 2013 and I have started buying them. We are a family of 5 staying deluxe club level for 2 weeks. We also buy all of our prescriptions at Target so I get a bonus 5% coupon at least every other month. I just started doing this in January and each time I get a bonus coupon I buy $500 worth of gift cards. I am planning to book as soon as the rates come out so right now I have enough for our deposit on both a package and room only since we are doing a split stay. Of course as we get closer I will be buying larger quantities but I do what I can now

Looks like we are both planning to go next year at the same time. I am also hopping to get a good deal on the deluxe club level. Hope we both get something good for that time frame

 

[serene56]

we are planning for nov/dec 2013 (cant seem to lock when we want to go.

but we have been saving for our deposit etc for when prices come out in August.

I have been using https://www.disneygiftcard.com/home/ to buy our gift cards once each pay.

I have no problem earmarking my money and tying it up- we are going. if something comes up then I will have it for a later trip

 

[extremesoccermom]

If we were getting any worth while interest in the bank I would say save it. But we are not. Now personally we are DVC owners and always borrowing our points or paying cash to go every year. I would be buying while I can get the discount and saving the GC for the next trip. We have 78 days until the next one and I think DS and I are starting to plan a sisters and kids only trip for next year. Looks like I need to buy a few more.

 

[starry_solo]

I didn't think that the discount counted when you purchased gift cards. I hope I'm wrong. Anyone who received the discount when purchasing Disney gift cards, please comment

It counts, but I've only gotten 4% off. But this was when I was combining it with the FB, buy $50, get $10 Target GC, so I didn't push the extra 50-cents.

 

[Disfamily0405]

It counts, but I've only gotten 4% off. But this was when I was combining it with the FB, buy $50, get $10 Target GC, so I didn't push the extra 50-cents.

just to let you know the reason it only gave you 4% is because of the way Target handles free gift cards with purchase and coupons. In the case of spend $50 get a $10 Target GC the computer reads it as deducting the $10 gift card from your purchase prior to the 5% off is taken so it reads it as you are only getting 5% off of $40 not $50...I know stupid huh either way I figured I could pay .50 for a $10 gift card when I took advantage of the coupon around christmas. So be aware that it works the same way with free $5 gift card with special purchases they have every week or so (ie buy 2 Charmin products get a $5 gift card). That is why if I am purchasing something with a free gift card attached I purchase it seperatly from my disney gift cards, unless obviously it is the spend $50 get a $10 gift card.

 

[starry_solo]

just to let you know the reason it only gave you 4% is because of the way Target handles free gift cards with purchase and coupons. In the case of spend $50 get a $10 Target GC the computer reads it as deducting the $10 gift card from your purchase prior to the 5% off is taken so it reads it as you are only getting 5% off of $40 not $50...I know stupid huh either way I figured I could pay .50 for a $10 gift card when I took advantage of the coupon around christmas. So be aware that it works the same way with free $5 gift card with special purchases they have every week or so (ie buy 2 Charmin products get a $5 gift card). That is why if I am purchasing something with a free gift card attached I purchase it seperatly from my disney gift cards, unless obviously it is the spend $50 get a $10 gift card.

Good to know! I was wondering about it. But as you said, it was only 50-cents Now, I'm regretting that I should have bought another $500 in GCs (and gotten $100 in Target GCs) but I didn't want to have that big of a CC bill at Christmas!

 

[madelyn]

I was planning to stock up on these cards and got up to $200 worth but already spent them on a Photopass pre-buy and on a Rapunzel costume at the Disney store for my dd. So now I need to buy another $500 to $1K worth before our upcoming trip in about 4 weeks! Is it possible to take these cards after purchase to the Disney store and can they consolidate them into one gift card? I might use about $600 worth to pay for our dining plan. Since our reservation is through DVC, we pre-pay the plan at the time the plan is added through DVC member services. I verified that they will allow me to pay for the plan with multiple gift cards but I'm not sure if saving about $30 is worth the time to sit on the phone and give 12 or so gift card numbers over the phone. I thought that we paid for our dining plan at check in and that would be easier since the gift cards could be swiped.

 

[mommy2twingles]

I was planning to stock up on these cards and got up to $200 worth but already spent them on a Photopass pre-buy and on a Rapunzel costume at the Disney store for my dd. So now I need to buy another $500 to $1K worth before our upcoming trip in about 4 weeks! Is it possible to take these cards after purchase to the Disney store and can they consolidate them into one gift card? I might use about $600 worth to pay for our dining plan. Since our reservation is through DVC, we pre-pay the plan at the time the plan is added through DVC member services. I verified that they will allow me to pay for the plan with multiple gift cards but I'm not sure if saving about $30 is worth the time to sit on the phone and give 12 or so gift card numbers over the phone. I thought that we paid for our dining plan at check in and that would be easier since the gift cards could be swiped.

Unfortunatly no there is no way to combine multiple cards into one. I have asked several times at the Disney Store and also checked the website with the same reply. Sure would help when you have large amounts.