Disney gift cards can be a smart way to save money on your Disney Cruise, but there are a few important things to know before you start. First, make sure you are buying regular Disney gift cards. Disney Plus television or streaming gift cards will not work for cruises, onboard spending, or Disney travel.
Disney gift card discounts
Many people buy Disney gift cards at grocery stores, warehouse clubs, or big box retailers because they often offer incentives. Sometimes this is a percentage off the card, and other times it might be a deal like buying a $100 card and getting $20 off your next grocery purchase. These offers effectively discount the cost of your cruise or onboard activities.
Use Disney gift cards for onboard cruise credit
You can use Disney gift cards to add onboard credit before your cruise. Log into your reservation, go to Onboard Gifts, and select onboard credit. At checkout, choose Disney gift card as your payment method. If you do not add the credit ahead of time, you can visit Guest Services once you are on board and have them apply the gift cards to your account.
Timing matters. You should load your onboard credit by the first day of your cruise. Disney charges the credit card on file periodically throughout the sailing once you reach a spending threshold, not just on the final day. Having your gift cards applied early helps ensure they are used before any charges hit your card.
If you have money left over at the end of the cruise, it is not lost. Any remaining onboard credit is refunded back to your Disney gift card after the trip.
Can I pay for the whole cruise with Disney gift cards?
Disney gift cards can also be used to pay for the cruise fare itself. On the Disney website, you may need to consolidate smaller gift cards into larger denominations. The maximum balance on a single Disney gift card is $1,000. If you have multiple cards, you can call Disney at 1-866-784-1628 and have them apply several cards directly to your reservation balance.
Don’t throw away your Disney gift cards!
One final tip is to keep your gift cards and record the card numbers. If your cruise is canceled for any reason, refunds are issued back to the original gift cards. Do not throw them away until your cruise is completed and fully settled.
Used correctly, Disney gift cards are an easy way to reduce the overall cost of your Disney Cruise while still enjoying all the onboard extras.
