Disney Vacation Account

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Mawg

Mawg

Well-Known Member
I saw this on yahoo news this morning. I'm curious, can you load the account with all your Disney Gift Cards? If so, it might be better than trying to pay for a vacation with 30 Gift Cards. Just deposit a Gift Card when you get one and then they are all consolidated. In addition you can get 5% off of Gift Cards at Target using your Target Red Card plus the extra 2% from the Disney Account. An extra 7% off of a $5000 vacation is $350.
 
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ExtinctJenn

ExtinctJenn

Well-Known Member
Mawg said:
I saw this on yahoo news this morning. I'm curious, can you load the account with all your Disney Gift Cards? If so, it might be better than trying to pay for a vacation with 30 Gift Cards. Just deposit a Gift Card when you get one and then they are all consolidated. In addition you can get 5% off of Gift Cards at Target using your Target Red Card plus the extra 2% from the Disney Account. An extra 7% off of a $5000 vacation is $350.
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As per the FAQ on the site: Contributions can be made with a debit card, credit card or Disney Gift Card.
 
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SDisney90

SDisney90

Well-Known Member
Mawg said:
I saw this on yahoo news this morning. I'm curious, can you load the account with all your Disney Gift Cards? If so, it might be better than trying to pay for a vacation with 30 Gift Cards. Just deposit a Gift Card when you get one and then they are all consolidated. In addition you can get 5% off of Gift Cards at Target using your Target Red Card plus the extra 2% from the Disney Account. An extra 7% off of a $5000 vacation is $350.
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From the FAQ on the website.


"What is a contribution?
A contribution is a deposit made to your Disney Vacation Account. Contributions can be made with a debit card, credit card or Disney Gift Card. Making contributions is how you save for your vacation!"
 
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SDisney90

SDisney90

Well-Known Member
DisDadWoz said:
Just wondering. Can you use the account for just park tickets?
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"Can I use my Disney Vacation Account to purchase theme park tickets?
Yes, you can use your Disney Vacation Account to purchase theme park tickets in advance. Purchase online through the official Disney website for your selected Disney vacation destination. Be sure to have your Disney Vacation Account number available when purchasing theme park tickets."
 
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SamandChel

SamandChel

Active Member
You can use the account for any Disney Reservation. park tickets, memory maker, hotel, dining. Anything you reserve for your trip. Gift cards work for deposits and there is no limit. I don't think however gift cards count towards your $1000 to get a $20 gift card.

I have never used it but have set up a few for family and friends. Makes planning a lot easier especially since it can come right out of your bank account when your pay comes. I still prefer my normal savings account though since I have full access to my money. There are however no fees and the deposits are fully refundable at any time.
 
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Lucky

Lucky

Well-Known Member
SamandChel said:
You can use the account for any Disney Reservation. park tickets, memory maker, hotel, dining. Anything you reserve for your trip. Gift cards work for deposits and there is no limit. I don't think however gift cards count towards your $1000 to get a $20 gift card.
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I think what that restriction means is that your purchase of the gift cards from Target or wherever doesn't qualify as a vacation expense towards the $1000. But you can use them to pay off the $1000 (or more) expenses you incur on park tickets, rooms, etc. You can't double-count the cards, and what you buy with them, as separate expenses.
 
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T

tk924

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
The last trip I saved for I just kept going to the bank once per month and making a withdrawal...keeping the money in our safe. Using the Disney Vacation Account and having emergency access to the money without penalty makes me feel a little better about trip saving this way. So, if i'm right...

- monthly cash withdrawals = 0% interest
- bank savings = 0.6% interest ($6 for every $1000) :confused:
- DVA = 2% interest for every $1000 saved ($20 in the form of a Disney Gift Card)​

This sounds like an easy and safe way to save for a future trip. :)
 
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SamandChel

SamandChel

Active Member
You are right. The only downside is the delay in getting the money back in an emergency. No fees but up to two weeks for a refund. But in all honesty your Disney money shouldn't be emergency money anyway.
 
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T

tk924

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
SamandChel said:
You are right. The only downside is the delay in getting the money back in an emergency. No fees but up to two weeks for a refund. But in all honesty your Disney money shouldn't be emergency money anyway.
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Emergencies do happen and it's nice to know if I need it, it's available in 3-4 days.
I sometimes forget that these boards are also used by those that have money to burn.


officialtom said:
Just like Canadians can't get a Disney Visa, we can't get a vacation account. Grrrrr.
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Sorry. Maybe it will be offered outside the US at some point in the future.
 
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Lord_Vader

Lord_Vader

Join me, together we can rule the galaxy.
tk924 said:
The last trip I saved for I just kept going to the bank once per month and making a withdrawal...keeping the money in our safe. Using the Disney Vacation Account and having emergency access to the money without penalty makes me feel a little better about trip saving this way. So, if i'm right...

- monthly cash withdrawals = 0% interest
- bank savings = 0.6% interest ($6 for every $1000) :confused:
- DVA = 2% interest for every $1000 saved ($20 in the form of a Disney Gift Card)​

This sounds like an easy and safe way to save for a future trip. :)
Click to expand...

Your calculations assume that the money sits there for a full year in savings. You can put $1000 into the DVA today and "use" it tomorrow earning $20 almost immediately. You could effectively transfer the savings account into the DVA account right before applying it to your vacation earning even more money back.
 
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H

Hisgal2

New Member
Until now, I've lurked on these forums (lots of GREAT info, btw! Thanks!). Tonight I was researching the DVA and in order to get the $20 per $1000, the DVA has to be active for a minimum of 120 days and you need to allow 4-6 weeks to get the gift cards from the account. Also, it seems like you can only save into the DVA for a total of 5 years:
from the "how it works" page: "start saving at your own pace, up to 5 years in advance of your vacation date"
 
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ExtinctJenn

ExtinctJenn

Well-Known Member
officialtom said:
Just like Canadians can't get a Disney Visa, we can't get a vacation account. Grrrrr.
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Unfortunately that's because, like the Disney Visa, this is essentially a bank account. It is thus subject to a whole host of Federal regulations etc. and the effort to properly track and report information related to it for non-citizens wouldn't be worth it (to Disney). Take it from a girl who is a project manager in the regulatory risk area of one of the biggest banks in this country... anything related to foreign accounts or non-citizens with domestic accounts is a regulatory nightmare. LOL! :D
 
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sgtmgd

sgtmgd

Well-Known Member
SamandChel said:
You are right. The only downside is the delay in getting the money back in an emergency. No fees but up to two weeks for a refund. But in all honesty your Disney money shouldn't be emergency money anyway.
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Blasphemer Disney money is an emergency..lol keeps me sane! But you point is well taken;)
 
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Mawg

Mawg

Well-Known Member
I decided to open one of these for my Oct Disneyland trip just last night. We have been buying gift cards at Target and it seemed like a great place to consolidate them as we buy them instead of entering them all later when we book the trip or read them off over the phone if I don't do it online. I figure I could be looking at over 20 gift cards. I could not open the account with a gift card, you had to use some kind of credit card or debit card to open it. I choose to do a one time deposit of $50 from my Disney Visa Card, and then was able enter my gift cards after that. Now, I'm waiting to see two things: Will my gift cards count towards the $20 back and how will the deposit be treated by my Disney Visa Card. Will Chase treat it as a withdraw of cash or will they see it as a Disney Purchase gaining me 2% in rewards.
 
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