Hi Fran,
Welcome to planDisney and thank you for asking us a question, my fellow Canadian!
I’ve recently become a big fan of purchasing
Disney Gift Cards at home in Canada to help me budget better for my visits to the Disney Parks. I tend to buy them a few at a time, from various retailers, in the months leading up to my trip.
Here’s how the exchange rate is calculated for Disney Gift Cards purchased in Canadian funds: the card’s face value (in CAD) will get automatically converted into USD based on the prevailing exchange rate on the day that the card was first used and not on the date that it was purchased. This means that, if you purchase the card in Canada in January but that you only use it during your March visit to Walt Disney World Resort, the funds on your card will get converted “automagically” at the cash register when you first use it in March. 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.
Don’t forget that you can use your Disney Gift Card at almost all of the
shopping and
Disney Dining locations that can be found in and around Walt Disney World Resort.
Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions. We’re always happy to help!
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne