Disney Vacation Account Tips

[BigHero4]

So, the Disney Vacation Account has been around for several months now. I've seen a couple threads about using this in conjunction with Target gift cards via the Red Card for additional savings. I'm on board with the logic, but does anyone have any tips to getting even more out of this? If I use it, I would definitely have it hit my rewards credit card monthly to get even more benefit from it... rewards points that I can use later when our trip rolls around (yes - credit card is paid in full monthly).

Let's hear it - What are your experiences with the DVA? Anything you would do different? Anyway to get even more bang for your buck? What are the draw backs? Any other tips that might be helpful?

https://disneyvacationaccount.disney.go.com/

 

[mavlax20]

While I haven't gotten any money out of the account yet, I am using it currently to save, and it has worked great for me. I'm one that I always had trouble saving money, and with this, I have been able to put the money in, and not see it, therefore I don't mess with it. It is great seeing the amount saved go up, and knowing that I am almost 1/4 of the way towards my minimum goal, and the trip I am going to plan isn't going to be until 2017, which makes me look and see that I may be able to go for a longer trip with my wife than the original week I was planning.

 

[BigHero4]

Thanks for the feedback @mavlax20! I can only hope to have a surplus, or extra surprise when our trip rolls around in 2017 as well.

My initial thought is to use some tax refund money (which I shouldn't let the government have in the first place - shame on me) and deposit the sum into a DVA account after initially signing up for a low monthly contribution on my credit card. Then I immediately make a payment on my credit card with my debit card. Then I can get the extra $20 per $1k, and still get the points on my credit card, which should be about $50. Total credit of about $130.

If I go the route of gift cards with the Target Red Card, I could save an additional $150-200, for a total savings of nearly $330!

Any thoughts on this plan everyone? Anything to add or be cautious of?

EDIT: I found this link helpful as well to save a little more using raise.com to purchase Target gift cards, which can then be used to buy Disney gift cards through Target: http://www.disboards.com/threads/12-off-disney-gift-cards-target.3364853/

 

[taz0162]

You do not have to sign up as a monthly contributor. sign up as a one time minimum payment of $10.00 from a bank credit card account and then you can make all future payments as "One time contributions" Head over to Target with the red card and stock up and load them as one time payments into the account. YES ONE AT A TIME PER TRANSACTION (in the DVA) UGH... Now you have to wait the 120 days min to move the funds to an actual vacation package so you can get the $20.00 for each $1,000.00 applied. I know I've had my 2 week Christmas vacation funds sitting there for 2 months waiting to be moved over to pay off the booking reserved with Disney. They did tell me on the phone when I booked that they could load the gift cards onto the vacation account but that would have me reading each card off one by one while they enter them.

If you did your taxes through H&R Block there was an option to have the refund distributed in a retail giftcard for Target and a couple other places and you get an additional 10% back (Example $3,000.00 refund you get a $3,300.00 gift card) when you get that in the mail you can convert it into a e-gift card for target and go purchase your gift cards at full value $3,300.00 worth which is better than the $3,150.00 worth where you paid $2,992.50.

We had to go to Target twice to get all the gift cards needed (Long lines of people forming behind us thinking we are crazy with bricks of gift cards being purchased) but it was worth it.

 

[taz0162]

The Disney Vacation Account cannot be opened with a gift card and the option to load gift cards is only available to users after the account is opened.