Welcome to planDisney, Denise!
Denise,
Disney Gift Cards are a wonderful way to help you get the most out of your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. I just love the convenience of charging everything to my MagicBand before I visit the front desk and have it paid off in one go.
Denise, you will not be able to add a Disney Gift Card to your account before you arrive, which means that if you enable charging privileges on your
MagicBand you will be subject to the hold. If you visit the front desk each evening to pay off your balance, this hold should be relatively small.
I spoke to a few Cast Members who said that Disney Gift Cards can only be applied retroactively and not as a credit on your account. However, I also spoke to a few friends who said that they were able to add their entire gift card once they arrived.
My best advice to you would be to visit the front desk of your
Disney Resorts Collection hotel as soon as you arrive and attempt to add your Gift Card; however, I have always found that the holds are reversed relatively quickly so I generally wait until my check-out day to add my Disney Gift Cards.
I hope that this gave you a bit of guidance, Denise.
See you real soon!
Sarah B.