Hi, Tracy!
Congratulations on your first Disney cruise aboard the beautiful
Disney Magic! I think Disney Gift Cards are a great way to budget a family vacation, and it's easy to apply them to your shipboard account through Guest Services. You may even want your children to go through the process of paying so that they know that their purchases aren't "free."
It's really difficult
not to spend all you have on a Disney Gift Card while on a Disney Cruise Line vacation -- the little extras are hard to resist knowing that you've got Mickey Money at your disposal! However, if you do have a credit remaining on your Disney Gift Card, it simply won't be applied, and you'll have that balance to spend elsewhere -- such as at other Disney parks, resorts, destinations, stores or online.
And Tracy...I saw where you have asked something of me in the past, but your question timed out before I could get to it. (Disney cruises are
really popular vacations, and sometimes I have more guest questions than there are hours in the day!) So, I thought I would answer you now, and give you a "two for one!" You asked about pin trading onboard. This is a popular pastime, and there are even scheduled times when you can trade with the ship's officers and crew members. Simply be on the lookout in your daily Personal Navigator for times and locations once you arrive in your stateroom. Plus, you may want to purchase limited-edition pins which are only available on the ship or on Castaway Cay. All six of our family members have Disney pin collections, and since they can get heavy altogether, we usually pick about 6-8 to bring on a lanyard for trading onboard with guests and crew.
I hope this helps you plan, and please let me know if you think of anything else. I'm here to help! Have a wonderful day and a magical vacation. Bon voyage!
Andi