kings&giants
Active Member
I was thinking of picking up a few gift cards for my upcoming trip but I am a little concerned. Is there anywhere the you CAN'T use them (other than the obvious tips)? Has anyone used them? What were your experiences?
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Gift Card Question...
- Thread starter kings&giants
- Start date
Tinkerkell
Active Member
You mentioned tips---I use them for tips in restaurants. What I do is charge the tip to the room, and then I pay off that amount with a gift card back at the resort.
I've used gift cards nearly everywhere at WDW, including the Lego Store at DTD.
I've used gift cards nearly everywhere at WDW, including the Lego Store at DTD.
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dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
Pretty much any place on property that you could use a room charge for, you can use a gift card as well. So I think some of the ODV locations, balloons, some of the smaller pre-parade food carts, etc won't accept them. Tips are only a problem if you are trying to tip valet, housekeeping, etc.
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minniemickeyfan
Well-Known Member
Use them all the time for our food and purchases. I actually get quite a few of them in smaller amounts instead of one card incase I were to lose it. I number the cards on the back and use them in order. I bring just what I think I will use for the day and leave the others in the safe. I know there's always the option of using the KTTW card if I need and then I can pay it off with the gift cards too. I just find it much easier using the gift cards than worrying about carrying cash or a credit card and then I don't come home with a bill either.
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WDW_Princess24
Active Member
I used one on my last trip. We put most of the trip money on that card and kept some cash on us just for emergencies. We found it to be really helpful, we were able to use it everywhere we went and didn't have to worry about carrying around cash and credit cards.
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Rob562
Well-Known Member
Most of the exceptions happen in Downtown Disney at the non-Disney locations. There *might* also be a couple stores and restaurants in World Showcase that don't take them. I'd also think that few places at the Swan & Dolphin would take them.
But in those instances (except the Swan & Dolphin), they most likely will take a room charge, and then you can use the gift card to pay down the balance on the room charge. (I seem to recall having to do this at the Ghiradelli soda fountain in the Marketplace)
-Rob
But in those instances (except the Swan & Dolphin), they most likely will take a room charge, and then you can use the gift card to pay down the balance on the room charge. (I seem to recall having to do this at the Ghiradelli soda fountain in the Marketplace)
-Rob
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kimberlymautz
Well-Known Member
My assumption is that almost everywhere will take them. I'm buying gift cards from work (BJ's Wholesale; $100 gift card is only $96.99) to use for my trip. It's my way to save since I can't spend them before I go. 
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Mori Anne
Active Member
- In the Parks
- No
Last time I used a gift card at a sit-down, they did a pre-authorization for the meal and tip (even though we planned on leaving cash), it took 4 days for that pre-authorization to drop off and allow me to use the remainder of the money that was "frozen" on the gift card for a possible tip. Not sure if this is still the case as this happened last year, but it was a huge inconvenience for us. So, just beware when you pay for meals
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KCheatle
Well-Known Member
I think it's a great idea to get Gift Cards!! We do that every year so we keep ourselves in check! For what it's worth, we have never had one NOT accepted. But, I do know there are some places that don't accept them. I've just never run into any of those places? Possibly some of the restaurants that are not "Disney?" Like some of the Boardwalk restaurants or DTD restaurants? Or like non-Disney shops in DTD? Those are the only places I could think of that might not take them?
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Tinkerkell
Active Member
I had just one place that didn't accept a gift card, but I was send to a neighboring place for my purchase. There is a small stand of handmade paper beaded jewelry near Germany and the African outpost. They cannot ring a gift card at that location, but they send you to the African Outpost (right next door--all outside) to ring the purchase. You CAN use the gift card there, but have to use the regular cash register to do so. That was the only time we were told a specific register (at the Beads for Life place) couldn't ring up a gift card.
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dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
I believe this is because they simply don't have a full register there. Not sure if they have a credit card swipe machine for CC transactions, but even if they do, there is no way to get the impression off a gift card.
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popcenturylover
Well-Known Member
We had about $400 worth of gift cards that we purchased at Giant Eagle (to get gas rewards) before our trip. (a couple of weeks ago) We didn't have any trouble using them at all.
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RonAnnArbor
Well-Known Member
I use gift cards all the time -- they are accepted basically everywhere. Unlike using a credit card, by the way, there is no "hold" placed on a gift card in the Disney restaurants -- they are instantly charged through, and if you add a tip to it, they instantly charge that through as soon as your depart. Within minutes it will be reflected on your card. Every receipt you get also lists your remaining balance on the bottom with every purchase, dinner, etc. I love using the gift cards because I don't need to carry around any cash and can just throw it along with my room key into my iPhone case, and go....
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Mikester71
Well-Known Member
We used them quite a bit during our trip last March. Bought a bunch at Sam's Club over in Michigan before we headed down and actually ended up buying some more while down there at a Sam's Club just off property. Not only were they a couple bucks cheaper than the actual amount on each card, at the time we purchased them, you received a $10 Disney Store card with each $100 gift card, which we used to buy some Disney towels and clothes to take down with us. The kids each had their own too so that they could budget their money accordingly for the duration of the trip.
Like others have already stated, easier than carrying cash on you all the time while down there and we never personally had trouble using them anywhere that I can think of. What we did most often with them was used them each night to pay off our room balance. One of us would go to the front desk at Pop Century on our way back to our room each night and get a room printout with all of our charges for the day (we mostly put everything on our room cards while shopping in the parks or when buying meals) and then one of us would take back the appropriate amount of gift cards to pay off the balance a few minutes later or else the next morning before heading out to the parks.
Like others have already stated, easier than carrying cash on you all the time while down there and we never personally had trouble using them anywhere that I can think of. What we did most often with them was used them each night to pay off our room balance. One of us would go to the front desk at Pop Century on our way back to our room each night and get a room printout with all of our charges for the day (we mostly put everything on our room cards while shopping in the parks or when buying meals) and then one of us would take back the appropriate amount of gift cards to pay off the balance a few minutes later or else the next morning before heading out to the parks.
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Mori Anne
Active Member
- In the Parks
- No
With your experience, I assume they no longer do that at the restaurants. They did do it to us - last year
They said the card is treated like a credit/debit card and Pre-authorization is automatic in their system and not something they can control. According to the gift card customer service rep, it was something they were trying to work on fixing, but she said it happened all the time to people (at the time when we called - last year).Maybe we will give the giftcards another whirl this year, if they no longer do that with the tip.
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