Disney Gift Cards are a great way to give the gift of Disney, pay for your vacation, and even save on your vacation. Because these cards are readily available in a variety of locations, I often add them to my Christmas and Birthday lists—who couldn’t use more Disney money, right? But, do you know all of the ins and outs of how to get them and where to use them?
6. Where can I get a Disney Gift Card?
Any retailer who has one of the gift card “walls” will likely have a selection of Disney Gift Cards. Most of these will have the generic Mickey on a blue background design, but sometimes stores (like my local Walgreens) will have Christmas designs, princesses or Toy Story. At these locations there are two types of cards—those in preset amounts like $25 or $50 (and up) and those that can be loaded for any amount between $15-$200 or so. The Gift Cards are also available online at DisneyStore.com or DisneyGiftCard.com (which links you back to Disney Store for the purchase). There are hundreds of designs and custom options here and the cards can be loaded with $25-$500 at varying increments. These gift cards are hard plastic like a credit card and are mailed to you—the email option can only be redeemed at DisneyStore.com. You can also find the gift cards in packs at some wholesale/warehouse clubs. And, of course, they can be purchased at Walt Disney World.
5. What kinds of designs can I find?
As I mentioned, most retail stores carry the one design of Mickey on a blue background—occasionally you will find a limited number of other designs. If you really want to get a special card visit DisneyGiftCard.com or DisneyStore.com where there are many designs featuring your favorite characters, holidays, celebrations, movies, etc. You can even personalize a gift card with a photo of your own if you like. All of the gift cards from DisneyStore.com include a half fold greeting card style mailer that can include personalized wording. If you opt for the custom gift card (for an added fee) you have more options for the greeting card. If you are looking to give a gift card as a gift I think the online option is the way to go for the best presentation.
4. Do they expire?
No, Disney Gift cards do not expire.
3. Can I get a discount?
Believe it or not, yes you can. Several of the wholesale/warehouse clubs sell a pack of Disney gift cards below face value. For instance, I have seen a pack of three $50 gift cards at Sam’s Club for $142 and some change. And a well know “secret” is that if you use your Red Card at Target the Disney Gift Cards count as an “entertainment” card so the 5% off applies to them. Yes, I am guilty of purchasing enough $50 gift cards (because that is the maximum amount at my store) to pay off my vacation for the savings. That’s a lot of Mickey bars in savings. You may hear about being able to stack your Red Card 5% off with the Pharmacy Rewards 5% off for the Disney Cards, but that is NO LONGER valid. The 5% Pharmacy Rewards shopping pass DOES NOT apply to Disney Gift Cards. There are also some grocery store chains that give you gas rewards for purchasing gift cards, so there are several ways to “save” on your gift cards.
2. How and where can I use them?
The Disney Gift Card can be used at many Disney locations—Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Store retail locations and DisneyStore.com. At Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line you may find a handful of spots that do not accept them because they are not owned by Disney or because they accept cash only—but the majority of restaurants and shops do accept them as payment. I have two ways that I prefer to use my gift cards that I purchase or that I use as gifts.
First, I will use them to pay off my package or room—not as exciting as using them to buy a souvenir or nice dinner, but I prefer not to take them with me if I can use them ahead of time. The other way is to apply them to my room balance. You will have to leave a credit card on file for charging privileges at your Disney resort, but you can go to the desk and have them apply your gift cards to your balance. One word of caution—there is a ceiling for charges (and each resort category is different), and once you hit that maximum they run your credit card to cover the charges. If you think you are anywhere near that mark (and you can ask the front desk what it is when you check in) then you need to go apply your gift cards before it goes on your credit card. I usually go down every few days and add them to my balance if I have a lot of them. This way I don’t have to remember to take them to the parks with me each day or worry about losing them (they are like any other gift card or cash—they cannot be replaced if you lose them).
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1. What about Disney Dollars?
Several years ago before the Disney Gift Card you could purchase Disney Dollars for your trip. These were available at retail Disney Stores and had the most fantastic designs on them—they were really too pretty to spend (which is what Disney was banking on). Unfortunately, these are no longer available.
Do you know any tips and tricks for getting or using Disney Gift Cards?
