Disney gift card as payment

[Napuaoalani]

Are you able to use a Disney gift card to pay for dining at any Disney hotel?

 

[Bjkandma]

Yes!!! You can also use them at most Disney Springs restaurants. (I've honestly haven't found a restaurant that doesn't accept them, but haven't been to a lot in the Springs).

 

[Leigh L]

Yup!! We've used Disney gift cards in several restaurant locations both in and out of the parks

 

[CraigInPA]

Often. We buy our gift cards discounted at Target and BJ's.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Do you all still charge to the room and then pay off the balance at the front desk the night before? I remember reading something on here about various credit card holding charges that show up each day that will eventually fall off, but wondered about if this is still happening.

 

[RealBlast3]

Do you all still charge to the room and then pay off the balance at the front desk the night before? I remember reading something on here about various credit card holding charges that show up each day that will eventually fall off, but wondered about if this is still happening.

I haven't gone since the changes they have implemented, which I understand is standard hotel/resort practice most places you go on vacation, but well, for some of us, we only go on vacation at Disney and on a Disney vacation you just spend differently than most anywhere else, so I know I cant get used to this new practice, so I won't be having a card on file anymore the way I have for my previous 7 trips.

But yeah, people used to charge back to their room and unless you reached your resort limit (which varied depending on if you were staying at value, moderate, or deluxe) you could wait until the night before check out when they charged your account.

But no more. Perhaps because people kept on stiffing Disney and forcing them to go to collection, but now, essentially, for every charge you make, say you "charge" something for $10, Disney automatically puts a $100 hold on your card you have on file. Every time you exceed $100 charged, they put a hold for another $100. So if you charge $110 in one day, you can also have 2 "hold authorizations" for $100 placed on your card, and the problem is that depending on your financial institution, it can possibly take days for these authorization holds to clear, so in essence you can briefly be "charged" for double of what you are actually spending on your card before it clears.

For those who have counted money in their bank or debit card accounts, that is unacceptable. Also unacceptable is that due to all these extra, however brief, authorization charges accumulating so quickly on your debit or credit cards, your bank my suspect fraud is at play and elect to freeze your account as a precaution. That has been some DIS-er's experiences who had to spend hours on the phone with their banks and at guest services when they should have been enjoying their vacations.

Anyway, due to all that, I got myself a few Disney gift cards and will be paying for all incidentals and dining tips, ect. using them and will not be using the once convenient perk of paying for things with my magic band.

That is the long story of it LOL.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

I haven't gone since the changes they have implemented, which I understand is standard hotel/resort practice most places you go on vacation, but well, for some of us, we only go on vacation at Disney and on a Disney vacation you just spend differently than most anywhere else, so I know I cant get used to this new practice, so I won't be having a card on file anymore the way I have for my previous 7 trips.

But yeah, people used to charge back to their room and unless you reached your resort limit (which varied depending on if you were staying at value, moderate, or deluxe) you could wait until the night before check out when they charged your account.

But no more. Perhaps because people kept on stiffing Disney and forcing them to go to collection, but now, essentially, for every charge you make, say you "charge" something for $10, Disney automatically puts a $100 hold on your card you have on file. Every time you exceed $100 charged, they put a hold for another $100. So if you charge $110 in one day, you can also have 2 "hold authorizations" for $100 placed on your card, and the problem is that depending on your financial institution, it can possibly take days for these authorization holds to clear, so in essence you can briefly be "charged" for double of what you are actually spending on your card before it clears.

For those who have counted money in their bank or debit card accounts, that is unacceptable. Also unacceptable is that due to all these extra, however brief, authorization charges accumulating so quickly on your debit or credit cards, your bank my suspect fraud is at play and elect to freeze your account as a precaution. That has been some DIS-er's experiences who had to spend hours on the phone with their banks and at guest services when they should have been enjoying their vacations.

Anyway, due to all that, I got myself a few Disney gift cards and will be paying for all incidentals and dining tips, ect. using them and will not be using the once convenient perk of paying for things with my magic band.

That is the long story of it LOL.

Thanks for the info. So I have a question about paying directly with a Disney GC as I have always charged and then paid my balance off with a GC. If you pay directly with the GC at the restaurant can you place a tip on it, too?

 

[RealBlast3]

Thanks for the info. So I have a question about paying directly with a Disney GC as I have always charged and then paid my balance off with a GC. If you pay directly with the GC at the restaurant can you place a tip on it, too?

Yes, absolutely. You can use the gift card to pay your tip.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

Yes, absolutely. You can use the gift card to pay your tip.

So how does that work? You leave the card for them to run, and then once it comes back you add the tip, sign, and leave--just like a credit card? The servers can take the tip off the card at that time? Would it update in disneygiftcard.com immediately?

 

[RealBlast3]

So how does that work? You leave the card for them to run, and then once it comes back you add the tip, sign, and leave--just like a credit card? The servers can take the tip off the card at that time? Would it update in disneygiftcard.com immediately?

Yes, they run a Disney Gift card the same way they run a credit card with the same procedure. I don't know how fast the website updates it, though, for the tip. I would guess it's immediate unlike the typical delay there is with tips being applied to credit cards only because a gift card is more like "money", it's really another form of currency, so I wouldn't expect a delay for a tip to be applied, but I am not sure.

 

[NYCgrrl]

No delay for adding the tip. You receive another receipt as soon as the tip is processed with the tip amt reduced from the card's balance.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

No delay for adding the tip. You receive another receipt as soon as the tip is processed with the tip amt reduced from the card's balance.

Ok, so let me make sure I have this clear since I may do this in a few weeks: (Please don't think I'm dumb. I've just never done it this way.)
1) You receive your check.
2) You give them your GC.
3) They bring you a transaction receipt for you to sign.
4) You add a tip, sign, and give back.
5) They bring another receipt showing the total amount deducted from the GC.
Is this correct?

If so, it sounds like it's a lot more steps than charging your MB. I can see it making for some uncomfortable situations if you have felt the need to leave a lower tip since you have to face your server again. LOL!

But the advantage is not having the holding charges on your cc.

Also, does anyone feel a little worried carrying around GCs with large balances in the parks?

 

[shocker]

GC not accepted at swan or dolphin.

Tips added & run just like a CC. You write it in & sign & walk away. No need to run card twice or for you to wait on new receipt, just like you would when using a CC.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

GC not accepted at swan or dolphin.

Tips added & run just like a CC. You write it in & sign & walk away. No need to run card twice or for you to wait on new receipt, just like you would when using a CC.

I figured it would work that way. So I guess you check your balance online just like you would a CC to make sure it was put in correctly. Thanks!

ETA--Yes, I knew about the Swan and Dolphin. We eat at Shula's regularly and always charge to my CC. This year, my family is planning on Kimonos, so I know to not add that into my Disney GC estimate.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Ok, so let me make sure I have this clear since I may do this in a few weeks: (Please don't think I'm dumb. I've just never done it this way.)
1) You receive your check.
2) You give them your GC.
3) They bring you a transaction receipt for you to sign.
4) You add a tip, sign, and give back.
5) They bring another receipt showing the total amount deducted from the GC.
Is this correct?

If so, it sounds like it's a lot more steps than charging your MB. I can see it making for some uncomfortable situations if you have felt the need to leave a lower tip since you have to face your server again. LOL!

But the advantage is not having the holding charges on your cc.

Also, does anyone feel a little worried carrying around GCs with large balances in the parks?

You got it fine and yes it's a lot of paper, LOL.
I think it's the same steps for charging via c/c, MB, or cash if you haven't decided what your tip amount is yet. As for losing my gift card I carry a minimum of stuff into the park with all my belongings in a small wristlet. I guard/secure it the same way I do cash or credit cards. Doesn't mean I can't lose it but not very likely. You can also just leave a cash tip if you are running late.

HTH!

 

[RealBlast3]

Ok, so let me make sure I have this clear since I may do this in a few weeks: (Please don't think I'm dumb. I've just never done it this way.)
1) You receive your check.
2) You give them your GC.
3) They bring you a transaction receipt for you to sign.
4) You add a tip, sign, and give back.
5) They bring another receipt showing the total amount deducted from the GC.
Is this correct?

If so, it sounds like it's a lot more steps than charging your MB. I can see it making for some uncomfortable situations if you have felt the need to leave a lower tip since you have to face your server again. LOL!

But the advantage is not having the holding charges on your cc.

Also, does anyone feel a little worried carrying around GCs with large balances in the parks?

Actually, I do believe the last several years or so, not sure when Disney started transitioning most of their sit-downs to this procedure, but I have definitely noticed it on my last few trips the last few years, you do end up filling the tip section of your receipt early on in the process and then the server comes back and takes that portion of the paper and returns later to finalize the process.

Not every restaurant but I recall many doing it for me that way. I have been on the Deluxe Dining plan and charging extras back to the room on these occasions using the magic band, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but yeah, I have to "face" my server with them seeing how much tip I give them LOL.

Which is not an issue for me, personally, as regardless of the quality of the meal or service, I always at least give the minimum of 18%, which is simply my choice, as I never choose to hold the server responsible for things that can go wrong that are very often out of their control and to be honest, I have never even felt the urge to give less than the standard 18% tip at Disney World or anywhere else but ONCE, and even then I chose to forgive my waiter's incompetence and surly attitude as he looked very tired and was elderly.

But I agree most don't want a possible "confrontation" with wait-staff over the size of the tip, and the truth is, I have heard stories of such confrontations manifesting themselves after wait-staff was displeased with the size of their tips, though not at Disney World, in NYC where I am from. But you know us crazy New Yorkers!

 

[JoJoGirl]

Ok, so let me make sure I have this clear since I may do this in a few weeks: (Please don't think I'm dumb. I've just never done it this way.)
1) You receive your check.
2) You give them your GC.
3) They bring you a transaction receipt for you to sign.
4) You add a tip, sign, and give back.
5) They bring another receipt showing the total amount deducted from the GC.
Is this correct?
...

Also, does anyone feel a little worried carrying around GCs with large balances in the parks?

I have paid almost exclusively with GCs for my last few trips. At restaurants, it works just like a credit card. I have never received a second, final receipt after writing in the tip on the transaction receipt (your step #5). I just leave the merchant copy on the table and leave. However, I keep the guest copy and write the tip on that for my own records.

I am very conscious about carrying around a large balance card, and keep it in a zipped compartment inside my park bag. To be sure, I keep a close hold on my bag at all times! I also register all my cards online so that if anything gets lost, I can transfer the balance ASAP. Luckily, that has never been necessary!

 

[Pawpsicle]

Anyone know if I can use an e-gift card at a restaurant? Works great for merch (they just scan my phone) but they would not take it at ticketing.

 

[jthornton94]

Has anyone tried this, pre-loading the gift cards to your room?

https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney...ney-app-pay-food-dont-stand-line-dont-382436/

 

[Halle]

Has anyone tried this, pre-loading the gift cards to your room?

https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney...ney-app-pay-food-dont-stand-line-dont-382436/