Hi Rebecca,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you so much for asking me a question, my fellow Canadian!
I love the convenience of being able to purchase
Disney Gift Cards in Canada and then to use them during my travels to the United States. As you may already know, gift cards purchased in Canadian funds have their balance automatically converted into the USD based on the current exchange rate on the day that the card was first used and not on the date that it was purchased. This means that, the first time you use your card, your CAD balance will get “automagically” converted at the point of sale where it’s first used. After that, the amount you’ll have left in USD is set and you won’t need to worry about exchange rate issues for any subsequent transactions with that card. You’ll be able to see your gift card’s remaining balance, in USD, at the bottom of your receipt whenever you use it.
I’ll confess that I’ve had mixed success with adding plastic “physical” gift cards to my smartphone’s digital wallet, regardless of the platform. It’s been much easier to add them when I purchased an electronic version (only available in USD, for the moment), at the outset. That said, if you are able to add your Canadian Disney Gift Cards to your phone’s wallet, then you should be able to use that digital card to pay for most of your purchases at Walt Disney World Resort. That said, there can always be system issues, so I’d recommend having the plastic card(s) that you intend to use with you, in any event, or that you have an alternate form of payment as backup.
Don’t forget that, if the transaction doesn’t work and you’re staying at a
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, you can always have your purchases charged “to your room” and then you can visit the
Front Desk to apply your Disney Gift Cards to your guest folio balance.
I hope my answer helps you travel with ease during your upcoming vacation, Rebecca! Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions!
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne