Paying With Gift Cards??

[petey]

Hello All,
In the past I would pay all my expenses, (meals, souvenirs, anything else not covered) by a Visa Moneycard. You put a predetermined amount of $ on the card, and pay it off the card until funds run out. There are now new required minimums and reloading fees that are ridiculous. Can you pay your Disney expenses (meals, souvenirs, etc) by using say a Visa, Master Charge Gift Card, or with Disney Gift Cards? Has anyone done this? How easy is it? Do you need to set up a PIN? Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. I do not want to carry allot of cash, and am trying to avoid interest rates if I would not end up paying all off at one time. I am going in late January and need enough lead time to set things up. Thanks Again!!!!

 

[DisDadWoz]

We have done two things. Gift cards purchased at most retail locations in the U.S. once purchased we provide them to the front desk at check in (or if checked in online whenever we ge to the resort). The resort will then deduct charges from those gifts cards until they run out then charge the room for any over that amount. We now use our Disney rewards during the year for all purchases (we pay off each month) and then the rewards get put on to a reusable gift card and we go through the same process as the gift card.

 

[RememberWhen]

We like to use Disney Gift Cards. You can register them on their website so if you lose it you can just transfer the funds to another card.
We stay onsite. We charge meals and souvenirs around the resort to our magic bands. These are linked to a credit card, but aren’t charged immediately. We go to the front desk periodically and pay down the charges with a gift card. You can also carry around a gift card and use that to charge things. As far as I know, places that take credit cards should have no trouble taking a DGC.

 

[petey]

Thanks Remember When. So I take it that I should be ok with either Disney Gift Cards or lets say Visa or Mastercard Gift Cards. At least with Visa/Master if I don't use all the funds then I could use them after my trip whereever credit cards are accepted.

 

[Ricky Spanish]

We always take Disney gift cards.
They are a great way to stick to a budget.

 

[SandyToes72]

I like Disney gift cards too. We used a $50.00 one we received as a gift to pay for parking at MK then used the balance to help pay for lunch while there. No PIN required. Swipe and go.

 

[dreamfinder]

Almost everything on property will take gift cards or resort room charge. If you are staying on property they should either be able to pre-load the value on your room account, or stop down periodically to pay off the balance. They won't run it against a credit card unless you approach the limit, or overnight the night before you check out. If you are staying off property, just use the gift card to pay.

 

[MickeyCB]

We take Disney gift cards with us each trip. We use our magic bands to charge everything to our room (we like to travel light), and my husband goes down the last day and they take his gift cards right there and if we don't have enough on them, they charge the balance to our credit card. I like doing this for another reason, all items are itemized on the bill and we can quickly scan to confirm if they are correct charges and then we also have a printed expense record. Warning though, it can make you a little green to see all of the items on one (or two) pages!
We have a grocery store chain here in Western Pa. that we buy them from and receive a discount on gasoline purchases at their local gas stations. The savings really adds up.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

I use Disney cards all the time at Disney. Recently BJ’s had gift cards on sale, got $100 for $94. So I purchased enough to pay for my room over MLK weekend with a little to spare for food. Used my Disney Visa to buy them so it was like getting 7% discount on my trip. A few years ago you could get a gift card and select one of your own pictures so I have a picture of Everest before the seating for rivers of light was built.

 

[John park hopper]

Never had a problem sing gift cards any where or for anything in the parks or resorts. Good way to save some money

 

[ThemedScream]

I'll be using gift cards to pay for my upcoming trip. I got a Target Red Card so that I get 5% off each time I buy one. Every bit counts!

 

[ThatDisneyGuy]

I have heard of people in the past using gift cards to pay for their vacation package. Is this still possible, and why would you do this? I heard it would make the overall price cheaper, but I don't understand how since a $25 Disney Gift card cost $25.

 

[Tuvalu]

I have heard of people in the past using gift cards to pay for their vacation package. Is this still possible, and why would you do this? I heard it would make the overall price cheaper, but I don't understand how since a $25 Disney Gift card cost $25.

If you read the posts above in this thread you will see that yes, it is possible; the reasons for using gift cards; and the potential savings.

 

[ThatDisneyGuy]

If you read the posts above in this thread you will see that yes, it is possible; the reasons for using gift cards; and the potential savings.

I DID read the post above and they all talk about paying for stuff in the parks, noting about paying for the vacation package, and again, the cost of a $25 card is....(wait for it)...$25, so no savings.

Thanks for the rude reply.

 

[Tuvalu]

I DID read the post above and they all talk about paying for stuff in the parks, noting about paying for the vacation package, and again, the cost of a $25 card is....(wait for it)...$25, so no savings.

Thanks for the rude reply.

Forgive me for missing your specific “vacation package” question. Yes, you can pay for your vacation package with gift cards if you call Disney and provide the card numbers (this can be a cumbersome project which is why it cannot be done online.)

But if you read the above replies, you would learn that it is possible to save money on purchasing gift cards (for example, Sam’s Club and BJ’s sell Disney cards at a discount; Target gives a 5% discount when using their Red Card.) So the cost for a $25 gift card isn’t always $25. Other retailers (like Kroger) give bonus “fuel points” when purchasing gift cards ~ a $250 gift card can yield 1,000 fuel points which is $1 off a gallon of gas up to 35 gallons (“saved” money which can be applied towards the vacation.)

Why do people use gift cards (in addition to saving money)? Some don’t have/want to use credit cards. Some people buy gift cards over time leading up to their vacation so the trip is “paid off” without having to incur debt. And in case you missed them, other reasons are listed in the posts above.

You’re welcome.

 

["El Gran Magnifico"]

Disney GC are the way to go. You cannot use them at the Swolphin, and a few outdoor carts at DS (Raglan cart to be specific - a while back HoB patio bar didn't accept them - that may have changed since). Most other places - you're good to go.

The biggest downside with a Disney Gift Card is - you are committed to spending the money at Disney. The biggest upside (if you do it right) is free money.