Anyone use gift cards for hotels? Advice please

[AndrewC]

I'm booking two stays at the Grand and then DLH. The Grand is a 3 night that is coming out to like $3200 or something, obviously the first night (~$850) was charged to my credit card as a deposit. The DLH is going to be like $700 as a deposit and then another $700 or so will be charged on check out.

I'm in the middle of buying a house so I'm trying not to charge TOO much to credit cards between now and closing (actually having the house built so closing isn't until February, but lender is already doing conditional approval on my credit and stuff now with another check at closing). I can't really cancel this trip, or at least it would be costly if I do. A large amount (8 days of Disney tickets, all my flights, etc) have already been purchased from last year when I had to postpone the trip because I spent six months taking care of my mother going through leukemia treatments (seems to have been successful!). So... if I bail this year then a lot of my credits for flights and tickets will expire and I'll be out like $3k+. Because of that my mother has offered (insisted) of tossing three or four grand towards the trip so I can go but also not risk anything with the house purchase. We're trying to figure out the best way to do this... she can't just deposit money to my bank because that can be scrutinized by the lender. She can write a gift note to explain it away, but I would prefer not even opening that can of worms. The lender won't really dig into the credit card statements, just looking at the outstanding debt, and even then possibly not even all the way back to October (likely just Dec/Jan since I'll close in Feb but maybe Nov/Dec/Jan).

We've thought about using Disney gift cards to cover the cost for the hotel (the major expense on this part of the trip). Has anyone used gift cards before? Since you can only load a max of $500/card I would need like 8 gift cards to cover the cost. Has anyone paid with multiple gift cards before, has the resorts given you any fuss with that? Do I just go to the front desk at checking or check out and give them the gift cards to be applied to the bill?

Any tips or guidance would be helpful! I would likely purchase them from Disneygiftcard.com which states "Good for practically all things Disney - Theme Park tickets, Resort stays, merchandise, dining and so much more - at Disney destinations!" but doesn't really go into detail on how to apply them to resort stays. Also... do they sell these gift cards in grocery stores, or are those just single day/multi day tickets? She's got a credit card with extra points for grocery spending so if I knew those cards worked the same we probably would buy them from there.

I just really don't want to be stuck with $3,500 in Disney gift cards or something because the Grand and DLH can't apply them or something silly.

 

[bluecruiser]

We've thought about using Disney gift cards to cover the cost for the hotel (the major expense on this part of the trip). Has anyone used gift cards before? Since you can only load a max of $500/card I would need like 8 gift cards to cover the cost. Has anyone paid with multiple gift cards before, has the resorts given you any fuss with that? Do I just go to the front desk at checking or check out and give them the gift cards to be applied to the bill?

I usually stay DVC at the Grand so I don't have experience paying for the room with gift cards, but you can certainly use them to pay for any room charges. So my guess is you can use them to pay for the room itself. Hopefully someone else will confirm.

The good news is you can load a maximum of $1,000 on each Disney gift card, so you won't have to have quite so many cards. If you buy them in smaller amounts you can combine them on the Disney gift card website. Once you're done, don't leave your card(s) stored on the website. People's accounts have been hacked there before and their balances stolen.

 

[AndrewC]

I usually stay DVC at the Grand so I don't have experience paying for the room with gift cards, but you can certainly used them to pay for any room charges. So my guess is you can use them to pay for the room itself. Hopefully someone else will confirm.

The good news is you can load a maximum of $1,000 on each Disney gift card, so you won't have to have quite so many cards. If you buy them in smaller amounts you can combine them on the Disney gift card website. Once you're done, don't leave your card(s) stored on the website. People's accounts have been hacked there before and their balances stolen.

Very odd, the site mentions you can only buy up to $500... I guess you can *combine* higher than that after the fact?

Can you also use these for dining in the park and at Napa Rose?

 

[bluecruiser]

Very odd, the site mentions you can only buy up to $500... I guess you can *combine* higher than that after the fact?

Yes, according to the FAQ (section under transferring funds between cards):
"Note that only full balance transfers can be processed up until $1,000. The maximum value for a Disney Gift Card is $1,000. Partial balance transfers are not available. Depending on where the cards were originally purchased and activated, some cards may not be eligible for transferring funds."

Can you also use these for dining in the park and at Napa Rose?

Yes, they are good at any Disney-run location on property, except for cash-only locations such as outdoor vending carts.

 

[robinb]

The easiest way to save on gift cards is through Target. Your mom should open up a Target credit or debit card and buy Disney Gift Cards there. She will get an automatic 5% discount on the gift cards and she can buy in person or online. However, I'm not sure if her limit will be enough to get all $4000 in one month.

I use Disney Gift Cards at WDW/DL all the time. You will want to charge everything to your room and go down to the front desk the night before check out to pay off your bill in full. I also keep a Disney Gift Card number in my phone (in Contracts or Notes) and when I cut and paste from there when I buy Genie+ or Mobile Ordering on my phone in the app since both of those default to the credit card on file.

 

[AndrewC]

The easiest way to save on gift cards is through Target. Your mom should open up a Target credit or debit card and buy Disney Gift Cards there. She will get an automatic 5% discount on the gift cards and she can buy in person or online. However, I'm not sure if her limit will be enough to get all $4000 in one month.

I use Disney Gift Cards at WDW/DL all the time. You will want to charge everything to your room and go down to the front desk the night before check out to pay off your bill in full. I also keep a Disney Gift Card number in my phone (in Contracts or Notes) and when I cut and paste from there when I buy Genie+ or Mobile Ordering on my phone in the app since both of those default to the credit card on file.

Perfect! So just swing by the front desk before check out and they can apply multiple gift cards to cover the bill.

Was also going to ask about charging to the room since that would be easier than carrying around gift cards all day long and keeping track of which had which amount left on it.

I didn't know mobile ordering could use gift cards, that's awesome!

 

[robinb]

Perfect! So just swing by the front desk before check out and they can apply multiple gift cards to cover the bill.

Was also going to ask about charging to the room since that would be easier than carrying around gift cards all day long and keeping track of which had which amount left on it.

I didn't know mobile ordering could use gift cards, that's awesome!

I would verify with them when they will charge your credit card when you check in. Sometimes they will charge it every $500 and then they have to reverse the charges when you pay with your gift cards. I'm not sure if a charge and reverse will ding you on your mortgage hunt.

This page explains how to use gift cards for mobile ordering and mobile check out.
https://www.themagicforless.com/tmflblog/how-to-use-disney-gift-cards-to-pay-for-vacation/

Like I said, I keep the number of one of my cards in my phone so I can click on "Add a card" and cut and paste into it. Unfortunately, the app does not remember the card and you have to enter it in every time.

 

[robinb]

If you want to get deeper into the gift card weeds, check out this thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/updated-disney-gift-card-deals-and-more.3784942/

If your mom has a Discover Card and smart phone she can also take advantage of Discover's 5% back on digital wallets. I think the max she can get back is $75, so that's $1500 worth of gift cards.

 

[DizMe]

A couple of questions. First, could your mother pay toward the hotel with her card? That way she could bypass the hassle of gift cards and just pay it off. Second, could you put it on your cc and immediately pay it off? Would that cause an issue with your credit check for some reason?

 

[AndrewC]

A couple of questions. First, could your mother pay toward the hotel with her card? That way she could bypass the hassle of gift cards and just pay it off. Second, could you put it on your cc and immediately pay it off? Would that cause an issue with your credit check for some reason?

I've thought about her just paying the hotel directly... but I want the freedom to cancel and rebook up until a couple days before my trip in case I see lower room category show up or a Disney discount show up for the early October dates... just seems easier if I have it on my card (that way I can quickly do it at work etc if I see something). Like right now I'm booked into the Grand for Sun Oct 8th till the 11th because prices between the Grand and DLH are about the same... but if a standard room at the DLH pops up I'll swap to that in a second. I don't really care which hotel, I just want to be able to use the entrance at the Grand into DCA for the Halloween event on Sun and Tue, lol. I actually kind of like the DLH more since I try to hit Trader Sam's at night and if I can get placed in the Adventure Tower it just all fits the mood more.

I've also debated just paying it off right away... BUT, if for some reason the lender wants to see bank statements between now (when they've already run my credit and done a conditional approval so I could sign the builder contract) and when I close (when the house is built) in Feb of next year... they'll question if they see me deposit $3,000 or $4,000 into my checking account. We can explain it away as a gift from my mother, but she'll have to sign a document and it will have to be documented and everything. I would rather it not raise a question in the first place and we can avoid the documentation. Mainly they want to make sure I haven't run up debt (so leave it sitting on the credit cards) or taken out any loan, official, or unofficial from friends or family. Having it paid off the credit cards the same week it is charged will keep it from showing up on a credit report (because my debt won't increase), and keeping my bank "clean" will keep from any questions on where the money came from.

From my understanding there isn't any rule against family BUYING stuff for you, they just don't want it to appear to be a loan in any way. As I said, I took care of my mother for six months while she went through a bone marrow transplant (actually had to work remote and travel to Seattle with her for six months continuous without leaving her for even a day) for her leukemia treatment and cancelled my trip last year. This year I was going to cancel it when I started getting involved in buying the house, but of course this was the one time I had a couple coworkers make plans to go for Halloween and my mother *really* wants me to do it to make up for last year, as a thanks for caring for her (stupid, I 100% would have done whatever to help her during that time!), and because she wants me to go with my coworkers. So clearly not a loan... just need to make sure there isn't any questions on the financial side of it possibly being one.

 

[RoseColored97]

We have! Last year we did both the Grand Californian in October and Disneyland Hotel Club Level in December. I think the club level trip was something like $6,000ish and the one in October was around $5,000? We went to Sams Club and got $1,000 each day due to the limit on gift card purchases even if they are made in cash (pssst....if you have multiple Sam's Clubs, you can purchase over the daily limit). We combined them on the Disney Gift Card website so only needed around 5-6 gift cards to pay for the room, all paid online. Plus, we saved probably around $150 each trip. Not much in comparison to the actual room/ticket costs, but enough for a Blue Bayou meal or some extra merchandise!

We even ended up getting a partial refund for an issue with one of the rooms in October, but paid for the room in gift cards. They sent us an e-giftcard of $400 because that was what we used to pay for the room. It worked perfect because we used that to pay on our next trip.

Edit: In fact, I was about to submit a payment for our September trip today but remembered at the last minute we wanted to purchase gift cards instead of making a direct payment. Gift cards are the way to go for us!

 

[AndrewC]

We have! Last year we did both the Grand Californian in October and Disneyland Hotel Club Level in December. I think the club level trip was something like $6,000ish and the one in October was around $5,000? We went to Sams Club and got $1,000 each day due to the limit on gift card purchases even if they are made in cash (pssst....if you have multiple Sam's Clubs, you can purchase over the daily limit). We combined them on the Disney Gift Card website so only needed around 5-6 gift cards to pay for the room, all paid online. Plus, we saved probably around $150 each trip. Not much in comparison to the actual room/ticket costs, but enough for a Blue Bayou meal or some extra merchandise!

We even ended up getting a partial refund for an issue with one of the rooms in October, but paid for the room in gift cards. They sent us an e-giftcard of $400 because that was what we used to pay for the room. It worked perfect because we used that to pay on our next trip.

Edit: In fact, I was about to submit a payment for our September trip today but remembered at the last minute we wanted to purchase gift cards instead of making a direct payment. Gift cards are the way to go for us!

How do you pay for the rooms online with the gift card? I see it when you book the hotel... but it looks like you can just add one gift card (unless I'm missing something) and wouldn't that just be for the initial 1st day deposit? (I book room only... so many room + tickets check out differently?)

 

[RoseColored97]

How do you pay for the rooms online with the gift card? I see it when you book the hotel... but it looks like you can just add one gift card (unless I'm missing something) and wouldn't that just be for the initial 1st day deposit? (I book room only... so many room + tickets check out differently?)

We do the initial booking with a credit card (deposit), but you can also do a gift card. Then under your reservations on the Disneyland site you can click on make a payment, then under there it gives you options like credit card, gift card, or paypal I think.

I'm pretty sure you can only add one gift card at a time, but pay multiple times in a row to bring down the balance. There is no limit on how many payments you can make per day.

I think we did room only a few years ago and were still able to do a gift card. Maybe it's changed but I would be surprised if they did not allow gift cards since they seem to be pretty widely accepted across the site (well, except for the World of Color dessert bookings and Tomorrowland Terrace packages).

This is what it looks like under our payment page for an already established reservation:

 

[AndrewC]

We do the initial booking with a credit card (deposit), but you can also do a gift card. Then under your reservations on the Disneyland site you can click on make a payment, then under there it gives you options like credit card, gift card, or paypal I think.

I'm pretty sure you can only add one gift card at a time, but pay multiple times in a row to bring down the balance. There is no limit on how many payments you can make per day.

I think we did room only a few years ago and were still able to do a gift card. Maybe it's changed but I would be surprised if they did not allow gift cards since they seem to be pretty widely accepted across the site (well, except for the World of Color dessert bookings and Tomorrowland Terrace packages).

This is what it looks like under our payment page for an already established reservation:
View attachment 782946

I don't have any area where I can make a payment for the hotel only stay... must be packages only that you can make additional payments on.

 

[Geemo]

Perfect! So just swing by the front desk before check out and they can apply multiple gift cards to cover the bill.

Was also going to ask about charging to the room since that would be easier than carrying around gift cards all day long and keeping track of which had which amount left on it.

I didn't know mobile ordering could use gift cards, that's awesome!

You know the cost of the bill at check-in. What I have done is pay for the stay (with Gift Cards) at check-in and save the hassle of another time in line at the front desk. But we don't usually charge purchases or meals to our room account.

Have a nice trip!!

 

[starry_solo]

BTW, you have to cancel the reservations 5 days before the start of the reservation, not a couple of days before, but almost a week before, in order to get a refund.

You'll also want to pay with the gift cards when you check in, not before check-out because, by that time, they will have already charged to the credit card.

 

[irlandaise]

BTW, you have to cancel the reservations 5 days before the start of the reservation, not a couple of days before, but almost a week before, in order to get a refund.

You'll also want to pay with the gift cards when you check in, not before check-out because, by that time, they will have already charged to the credit card.

Note that if you have to cancel within the five-day period, you can change your reservation to another time period, then later cancel that before the five-day limit. I did that in March 2020 when I cancelled a trip just a day or two in advance. I moved the reservation to September and later cancelled it and got a refund of my deposit.

 

[starry_solo]

Note that if you have to cancel within the five-day period, you can change your reservation to another time period, then later cancel that before the five-day limit. I did that in March 2020 when I cancelled a trip just a day or two in advance. I moved the reservation to September and later cancelled it and got a refund of my deposit.

With disneyland or WDW? Either way, pretty sure both coasts were closing down due to COVID