Hi Sara!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, and thank you so much for asking this great Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning question to us hEAR!
This is not only a great question, this is a terrific souvenEAR spending strategy! I not only do this with my son, I actually ask for
Disney Gift Cards from my own parents as birthday and holiday gifts. You'll be so happy to know that Disney Gift Cards can be used almost anywhere at Walt Disney World Resort, on everything from
snacks to
shirts to stuffed animals, to paying off the balance of your total vacation package. These cards are accepted in all four theme parks, both water parks, all Disney Resort Hotels and even in
Disney Springs!
I will say that the only places I've ever had an issue trying to redeem a Disney Gift Card were at the AMC Dine-In Movie Theatre in Disney Springs, and you might encounter a cart-style vendor who is cash-only. But, one super cool "hack" should you find a location that doesn't accept a Disney Gift Card
and you're staying at a
Disney Resort Hotel, you can actually charge that purchase to your
MagicBand and then later pay off those charges with your Disney Gift Cards. (When paying with a credit or debit card, the purchase hits your account right away. But there is a small window of time between using your MagicBand and those charges officially hitting the card on file linked to your band. To pay off a MagicBand charge with a Disney Gift Card, stop by the front desk of your Disney Resort Hotel the same day the charge was made and they can make this swap for you. I usually do this at night after I get back from the parks but before I go to sleep.)
Disney Gift Cards can be found at a wide variety of retailers in your hometown, like at grocery stores, drug stores, gas stations, big box stores and more. You might even be able to find a deal on Disney Gift Cards at warehouse club stores where these cards come loaded with slightly more value than what you end up paying. (My favorite location is Target because RedCard holders save 5%.) But there are also tons of super cute designs available on the Disney Gift Card website as well as
ShopDisney.com.I hope this helped to plan your purchases a bit, Sara. And if you have any more Walt Disney World Resort vacation planning questions, We're All Ears!
~Kristen