We just joined the club and now I need to know how to work the system. Any pros out there?
Carrying the card in the parks: We want to connect our card to our resort account so that all we need to pay for meals and merchandise is our Magic Bands, but it occurs to me that a cast member would have to know that I’m a card holder to apply a discount at time of purchase. I spoke to 2 cast members so far and one said I have to have the card on me to validate the discount and the other said it’s all tied to the Magic Band so there’s no need to bring the card with me. Not wanting to be caught out in the cold (and without a well-earned discount) do I have to keep the card on me or can I leave it in the safe?
Purchases that earn the discounts: I see that my purchases need to be $50 or more to get the 10% cardholder discount. But I doubt my family will spend $50 per store they shop in - and, due to tastes, I doubt we’ll all buy all our merch in the same stores. So 2 questions come to mind:
Do all purchases on the property count together to earn the 10% discount? (I doubt it, so…)
Is there a way to shop the park, note the items we want to buy, and then do one big purchase order from our room at the resort? I know you can do something like this at Disneyland, but wonder if it’s possible at WDW.
Oh, and are the Disney Visa Character Meet and Greets a good use of time? Are they top tier characters at these or will be stuck with Smelly the dwarf?
We met Mickey, Minnie, and Donald at Epcot at the VISA M&G and it was a good use of 10 minutes as there was no wait at all. You get a free print as well if it has not changes since last year (although you have to go pick it up elsewhere).
At the Visa meet and greet we met Minnie and Pluto both times. They won’t tell you ahead of time which characters are there. The first time we went we waited 5 min, the second time we had no wait. You will need to show your card.
I have used the 10% discount just about every time I shop at the World of Disney Store in DTD. Usually we will see things we like throughout our stay and then purchase everything there.
The purchases aren’t accumulated. For purchases that qualify for the 10% (over $50), you must charge to your Visa and you must present it.
Room charges are not subject to the 10%, regardless of amount.
Ok, good info. @PrincipalTinker, DTD is a great idea, but I know we won’t have time to hit that on our trip. And thanks @Elaine5715 for the info about room charges. That makes sense. But maybe my mentioning ordering from the resort misdirected my question. Permission to rephrase?
Is it possible to go to somewhere in WDW, possibly the Emporium on Main Street (or the comparable headline store in each of the parks), possibly guest services at your hotel, and request items found elsewhere in the park. I imagine the request goes something like this: “My daughter found a cute Ariel headband at Fantasyland store x. She wanted to keep shopping to make sure it’s what she wanted, but we never made it back to the store. Could we purchase it here and wait for it, pick it up later or have it sent to our room?”
I know that at Disneyland, there’s a store at the very front of the park, outside the berm, but inside the park for last minute souvenir purchases. You can ask them for any item you saw in the park and they’ll get it for you.
They don’t do that at WDW because they have a much better way.
All park and DTD stores will send any item you purchase to your resort gift shop for you to pick up there. When you see something, buy it. The prices are the same where ever an item is so you never see a lower price.
Just tell them you want your items sent to your resort. They have you will out a form and the next day about 2pm, your items will be waiting for you at your resort gift store. Just take your receipt and ID to collect.
Since it takes a day, this free service is good until the day before you check out and your last day.
Sometimes we have gotten a coupon on the bottom of a receipt for a percentage off a purchase that I think is in the morning only. I can’t remember for sure.
I just wanted to add that it is shockingly easy to spend $50 at any given gift shop, and many of them offer a great variety that may appeal to different family members. Don’t count that out as a possibility.
We have loved the Epcot meets–seem to have Minnie and Pluto almost every time, but it’s still fun interaction with them and we’ve gotten great pictures!
I have always had to pay directly with my Disney Visa (not magic band or before them, KTTW) to get the 10% discount in a store. I always carry it with me anyway because I have had glitches with MB payment every trip & I didn’t want to interrupt touring to go to GS to straighten it out
If you go to the Disney Visa website, they list all the perks there. The one I love is the early presale for buying tickets to the traveling Broadway shows. I did it for Mary Poppins and Lion King when they came to town.
Incidentally, I found this on the Disney VISA FAQ:
Q - If I have a MagicBand or RF-enabled card while staying at a Walt Disney World® Resort Hotel, will I need to bring my Disney Visa Card in order to access Cardmember perks?
A - Yes, you will need to carry and present your Disney Visa Card to access your Cardmember perks. Using a MagicBand or RF-enabled card alone will not identify you as a Disney Visa Cardmember, even if you have set up your Disney Visa Card as your payment method.
Yes, it is simple. You can do it online or call Customer Service. Ask to transfer your Disney Award Dream Dollars to a redemption card. The redemption card is fancy name for a gift card. If you don’t have a Redemption Card, you need to order one a couple of weeks before you want to use it. Once you have one, keep it and reload it with Dream Dollars until it expires then order another one. If you have a Redemption Card, the transfer is immediate. You need to transfer a minimum of $10 each time.
