Hey there Laura, and welcome to planDisney!
When it comes to smart spending, you'll often hear a lot of different advice from folks on the best way to make purchases while you're here at Walt Disney World Resort and I truly think it really depends on each person's situation. Whether they're looking to earn points by using payment methods like the
Disney Visa Credit Cards from Chase or are more comfortable with using a debit card throughout their stay, it's important to be able to track everything you charge to your cards both during and after your trip to gain a good sense of your daily expenditure.
You'll be happy to hear that a lot of guests take advantage of using
Disney Gift Cards around the world, but it's also important to note that they
aren't necessarily accepted everywhere. A good rule of thumb is to confirm whether a location is Disney owned and operated first before attempting to make a payment, as there are even locations scattered around Walt Disney World Resort itself that will unfortunately not accept Disney Gift Cards as payment; a great example of this is at various
merchandise and dining locations at Disney Springs. That said, I've been surprised insofar as the relative versatility of being able to use these cards for various Disney experiences like
watching Broadway productions, making a payment for one of my
Disney Cruise Line voyages or even using them towards
the cost of my Disney Fairy Tale Wedding! I find the greatest asset to Disney Gift Cards is that you can
register them online and transfer funds between cards attached to your Disney account, which is a great way for families to set budgets and allowances between each member with the reassurance that someone isn't about to go wild on any given day of your vacation.
Personally, I'd keep an eye out for any Disney Gift Card deals to be had at your local wholesale or warehouse stores whenever they pop up! Just be aware not to be confused with other card offerings out there that may come with promotional packages, like the
Disney Dining Promo Card which has a more limited scope of what you can use it towards. Generally speaking however, I find that so many fellow Disney folks find huge benefits to sticking with credit cards and even using their devices to make purchases like
Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering or
Merchandise Mobile Checkout just for the extra bit of efficiency and the possibility of points or discounts, depending on the card you use.
I hope that this was a bit of handy information Laura, in the hope that it'll help you decide what will work out for you best on your visit next year! Be sure to
pop on back to planDisney for any other tips or advice in the meantime.
Here's to smart spending on your next Disney adventure!
Prince