Hey there, Brianna! Thanks for coming to planDisney with your question today! Using Disney Gift Cards throughout the Walt Disney World Resort is super convenient, and a great way to plan ahead and budget for spending! My family stocks up on gift cards before each trip to use for snacks, meals, souvenirs, and other extras along the way - it certainly feels more magical knowing we have already paid for these items!
Brianna, if you purchase a
Disney Gift Card at a retail store, you will not be able to add funds directly to that card in-store, but there is workaround I can recommend! You can easily combine funds from multiple Disney Gift Cards online, up to $1000 on a single card. To do so, you will add each of your gift cards to your account on the
Disney Gift Card website and then transfer the balance to the primary card you will be using on your vacation. This way, you can have all your funds on one card, meaning fewer physical cards to keep track of and easier access to the funds you have saved!
Another tip I recently learned from my panelist pal
Aena is that if you purchase a digital Disney Gift Card, you can add this to your Apple Wallet and scan the barcode throughout the parks, rather than having to take out the physical card each time.
I'd also love to share that you can use Disney Gift Cards when you
Mobile Order meals or snacks in the
My Disney Experience mobile app! Saving time through a mobile order has become one of my family's favorite tricks to make the most of our days - we often place an order for a meal or snack while in line at a nearby attraction and then head over to pick it up as soon as we are done! This keeps us moving instead of standing in line! Another tip I'll share is that if you do plan to use gift cards when you mobile order, you will have to enter the gift card number each time as the app does not save this information. I usually type the gift card number as a note in my phone so I can quickly copy and paste it without having to take it out and enter the information every single time! I'm all about maximizing magic with these little tricks!
Brianna, I noticed you will be arriving for your vacation during the most magical holiday season! Be sure to keep an eye on the
Disney Parks Blog to learn about all of the holiday fun that will surround you while you are here! From the
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays to my family's favorite special event,
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, to the delightful snacks and treats that bring a little extra merry to the magic, you're visiting during a wonderful season!
Wishing you a wonderful vacation, lots of magical memories, and all the joy in the (Disney) world,
Alison