Paying hotel balance with gift cards

[knlasv]

I know that I can pay off my hotel balance with Disney gift cards, but what about if I did online check-in? It said I would get a text message with my room number and will never have to stand in line at the front desk. If I want to pay off my room balance (we won't be charging back to room on Magic Bands), when does this balance go through to the credit card that I used for online check-in? Should I pay my room balance with the gift cards upon arrival on Day 1? Thanks!

 

[Hopefully]

If you have an outstanding balance due on arrival day it will be charged to the credit card on file early in the morning of arrival day ( likely before you arrive) To avoid this either pay the balance in full beforehand otherwise don’t do online charge in with a credit card on file.

 

[OKWFan88]

Will Disney let you pay the balance off before you arrive to the hotel if you've done online check in? Example, call Disney to pay off the balance using the gift cards?

 

[knlasv]

If you have an outstanding balance due on arrival day it will be charged to the credit card on file early in the morning of arrival day ( likely before you arrive) To avoid this either pay the balance in full beforehand otherwise don’t do online charge in with a credit card on file.

I had to put a credit card on file to do online check in and do room preferences.

 

[Hopefully]

I had to put a credit card on file to do online check in and do room preferences.

Yes. You need a credit card to do online checkin.
You do NOT NEED to do online checkin.
You can make requests by telephone without online checkin or a credit card.
You can pay in full in advance of arrival
Your choice

 

[dansdad]

Will Disney let you pay the balance off before you arrive to the hotel if you've done online check in? Example, call Disney to pay off the balance using the gift cards?

Definitely!

 

[DisneyKoyote]

Not sure if this is the same situation....
But I paid for my Disney resort using my CC- it was not til after that I realized I could save more using Disney Gift Cards. I talked to my travel agency and they checked with a cast member. They said that even though my CC has been charged for the entire portion already, it is okay for them to take any gift cards I have and refund my CC

 

[dansdad]

Not sure if this is the same situation....
But I paid for my Disney resort using my CC- it was not til after that I realized I could save more using Disney Gift Cards. I talked to my travel agency and they checked with a cast member. They said that even though my CC has been charged for the entire portion already, it is okay for them to take any gift cards I have and refund my CC

Yes, they can definitely refund the charges to the credit card. Most guests try to avoid that because, depending on the card/bank, it can take a while to go through.

 

[DisneyKoyote]

Yes, they can definitely refund the charges to the credit card. Most guests try to avoid that because, depending on the card/bank, it can take a while to go through.

But for that GC discount I'm personally okay with waiting for the refund! hahaha

 

[julieb5]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but are you getting a discount on the GC by buying thru Target (and using the 5% red card discount) or where are you finding Disney GC discounted? Thanks in advance

 

[shocker]

Will Disney let you pay the balance off before you arrive to the hotel if you've done online check in? Example, call Disney to pay off the balance using the gift cards?

Yep, I learned on the DIS & did it my last trip. I called about 2 days before arrival & paid off 100% of my room balance with GC's. I still had a CC on file & I still did online check in & did not visit the front desk.

FYI, you do need to hold GC's after making payments, if there's any reimbursement it will go back to THAT form of payment. Not just back in the form of a GC but the exact same GC # that made the payment. I learned this the hard way. You never think you'll need reimbursed & then you do.

I'm not big on combing GC's & carrying a large balance card to get lost or stolen. But, for room payment I really would. This will reduce time on phone reading all those #'s and only need to hold one card for reimbursement. There's a website on back of card to use for combining.

 

[DisneyKoyote]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but are you getting a discount on the GC by buying thru Target (and using the 5% red card discount) or where are you finding Disney GC discounted? Thanks in advance

I’m actually using my chase freedom card (both me and my bf have one) bc they have 5% cash back this quarter if you use chase pay (up to 1500). I’m using it to buy sams club gift cards, and then using those to buy the discounted Disney gift cards at sams club LOL. So probably a total of 7-8% discount.
My discover card has a 5% cash back on target and Walmart this quarter so I’m picking up more Disney gift cards w that one too (I don’t have a target cc)

 

[knlasv]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but are you getting a discount on the GC by buying thru Target (and using the 5% red card discount) or where are you finding Disney GC discounted? Thanks in advance

Sam's Club sells them at a discounted rate of about 4% off. Or Target with a red card 5% discount.

 

[sbnuggie]

Since we have two rooms booked for our upcoming stay at POFQ I would like to make payments before arrival to lessen the financial burden............ So it sounds like the best bet, if you want to pay off hotel (room only reservation) early:

1. For months before your vacation, obtain your gift cards however you do (Target Red Card, Mierl, Chase Freedom buy back etc..etc...etc....) for appropriate discounts.

2. Create and Log on to the disney gift card website.

3. For all of the Gift Cards you've obtained over time specifically for your hotel stay, consolidate them under one card #.

4. About two days or so before trip, call WDW Reservations, advise them your going to pay off the hotel reservation and provide the one or possibly two gift Card #'s that you have consolidated all of your "hotel only" gift card purchases as it makes it easier then trying to read off a bunch of card numbers and easier to track.

5. Keep Credit Card on file for incidentals, purchases in park, tied to Magic Band and for Online Check in.

 

[wilbret]

Not sure if this is the same situation....
But I paid for my Disney resort using my CC- it was not til after that I realized I could save more using Disney Gift Cards. I talked to my travel agency and they checked with a cast member. They said that even though my CC has been charged for the entire portion already, it is okay for them to take any gift cards I have and refund my CC

We did this at Aulani. The room was DVC, but all the meals and drinks went on the room. We were gifted gift cards for our anniversary trip, and when we checked out, I simply settled up using those gift cards, our Disney Visa rewards card, and the rest stayed on the credit card attached to the room. Seemed pretty easy, and we had like 4 total cards to use.

 

[Turksmom]

You can only combine up to $1000 per card and you can't transfer just part of a card balance to another card. For example, if you have a $100 balance on a card, you can't transfer just $30 of it.

3. For all of the Gift Cards you've obtained over time specifically for your hotel stay, consolidate them under one card #.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Sorry if this is a stupid question but are you getting a discount on the GC by buying thru Target (and using the 5% red card discount) or where are you finding Disney GC discounted? Thanks in advance

Target and Sam's Club.

 

[bootlord9000]

I had the same question for a RO reservation a few weeks ago. I called in and you can go through an automated system to pay the balance with GCs. So no need to wait for a CM to answer.

 

[sbnuggie]

Okay just wanted to circle back on this thread... our trip was cancelled for June 2020 due to covid. We rebooked for June of this year. At the time of cancellation last year we only had our deposit which was only about $250 for each room and they put it on the our credit card.. no biggie,

BUT

I had purchased a lot of Disney GC via Target Red Card %5 discount and had them on 5 different Gift Card numbers via the Disney Gift Card Website (which was closed 1/2021). We rebooked our vacation in 11/2020 to be at WDW on 6/1/21. I applied all of the GC that I had previously purchased to the two room reservations we now have with ZERO issues. Then as I continued to purchase GC via target red card and sent to me via email. Once received, I just went into Disney My Experience app and paid down the room directly (YOu can make payments on your room up to the deadline date.) WORKED PERFECTLY with ZERO issues. Great way to spread out the costs and realize an additional %5 discount on your room. You have to be methodical and well planned out, initially sounds like a hassle but really was easy.

 

[HollyW00d]

Okay just wanted to circle back on this thread... our trip was cancelled for June 2020 due to covid. We rebooked for June of this year. At the time of cancellation last year we only had our deposit which was only about $250 for each room and they put it on the our credit card.. no biggie,

BUT

I had purchased a lot of Disney GC via Target Red Card %5 discount and had them on 5 different Gift Card numbers via the Disney Gift Card Website (which was closed 1/2021). We rebooked our vacation in 11/2020 to be at WDW on 6/1/21. I applied all of the GC that I had previously purchased to the two room reservations we now have with ZERO issues. Then as I continued to purchase GC via target red card and sent to me via email. Once received, I just went into Disney My Experience app and paid down the room directly (YOu can make payments on your room up to the deadline date.) WORKED PERFECTLY with ZERO issues. Great way to spread out the costs and realize an additional %5 discount on your room. You have to be methodical and well planned out, initially sounds like a hassle but really was easy.

I do not see a way to "pay down" the resort balance on the app or on the site. Only the Online Checkin option with the "add card" for when you are at the resort. In that section, you can't add a gift card. Care to explain how you were able to make custom payments to your hotel balance?