Birthday Gift Card instead of free admission Has anyone done this???

[speechteachri]

If you sign up ahead of time on line through the disney site, then the day of your b-day you bring your license and a copy of the form they e-mail you when you register. You will get a "funcard" not a giftcard, in the amount of $79. There is no expiration date on this, as far as I know, and some people have reported that it is usable at Disney stores as well, since they are now owned by Disney again.

BUT...there are certain restrictions on the card. While at WDW, it is only good at disney owned merchandise stores, and you cannot use it toward food. So there are many stores in DTD and Epcot in particular where it is not good.

I ended up buying a Mickey watch with my card and had a little left over to put toward my Disney Fitflops.

It was nice having the extra $ to spend on me!

[PSL1013]

I just did this at the end of August. It was a gift card for $79 with no restrictions on when I could use it. I did have to get it right on my birthday - I tried to get it the night before, but they wouldn't do it. Also had to remember to take my driver's license with me into the park when I went to Guest Services - normally I just wear a belt pack with not very much stuff in it!

I used the gift card at World of Disney - everything I bought was eligible - T shirts, a polo, socks, night shirt, and a canvas bag. It was one of the best things about my birthday this year!!!!

Great news that you can use it at World of Disney, did you use it the day you received it? Does it have an expiration date on it? I'm picking mine up on Oct. 13 and I have a few days beforehand to scope things out to see what I want to buy.

[nicnik]

As others have said, you can't use the card on food / beverages but it doesn't expire. It is even transferrable between Dland & WDW (I picked mine up in FL & spent part of it in CA). The stores that you can't use it in are the ones that are not actually owned by Disney - which is why DTD has a limited number of places you can use it. The one that made me sad was the Japan pavillion because it's my favorite store! It's actually owned by the Mitsukoshi company rather than Disney so it does not accept the card. If you think about that as a guideline you can likely figure out which places will take the card.

[PSL1013]

As others have said, you can't use the card on food / beverages but it doesn't expire. It is even transferrable between Dland & WDW (I picked mine up in FL & spent part of it in CA). The stores that you can't use it in are the ones that are not actually owned by Disney - which is why DTD has a limited number of places you can use it. The one that made me sad was the Japan pavillion because it's my favorite store! It's actually owned by the Mitsukoshi company rather than Disney so it does not accept the card. If you think about that as a guideline you can likely figure out which places will take the card.

I did know most of those details but just didn't know if you had to spend it all on your actual birthday and at the same park that you picked it up at, thank you for clearing that up for me. hmmm, now what to buy?

[bbangel]

It is even transferrable between Dland & WDW (I picked mine up in FL & spent part of it in CA).

This is so good to know. I will be picking mine up in DL but it is almost the last day of the trip. Since I have a trip to WDW planned for June I'll just use it up there!

[MamaO]

Great news that you can use it at World of Disney, did you use it the day you received it? Does it have an expiration date on it? I'm picking mine up on Oct. 13 and I have a few days beforehand to scope things out to see what I want to buy.

I didn't use it the day I got it and was told it doesn't expire. As far as using it at the Disney Store or online - I got conflicting information. The woman who processed my card for me said I could, but another cast member overheard her answer and told us that she had had feedback that some people had been able to use it at the online Disney Store and others had not had luck with that. I decided not to take a chance and just used it up before we left.

[PSL1013]

I didn't use it the day I got it and was told it doesn't expire. As far as using it at the Disney Store or online - I got conflicting information. The woman who processed my card for me said I could, but another cast member overheard her answer and told us that she had had feedback that some people had been able to use it at the online Disney Store and others had not had luck with that. I decided not to take a chance and just used it up before we left.

Thanks!

[gpp2001]

As others have said, you can't use the card on food / beverages but it doesn't expire. It is even transferrable between Dland & WDW (I picked mine up in FL & spent part of it in CA). The stores that you can't use it in are the ones that are not actually owned by Disney - which is why DTD has a limited number of places you can use it. The one that made me sad was the Japan pavillion because it's my favorite store! It's actually owned by the Mitsukoshi company rather than Disney so it does not accept the card. If you think about that as a guideline you can likely figure out which places will take the card.

Good to know that it is transferrable - got mine at Disneyland and am going to the World in a few days. If I don't spend it at WDW - I will be going back to DL and can spend it there!

Thanks.
Karn

[Pooh's Pal]

Well I think I may have gotten the Disney Deal of the year! Don't exactly know how I did it, but I did! Here goes with my explanation to my confusing birthday card retreival:

I bought a 7 day park hopper with NO expiration...back in July before the price hike ($379.00-from UCT)....I used this pass for 6 days, starting on Oct. 22nd. On my 7th day Oct. 28th (My Birthday) I went to the International Gateway and requested my Birthday Fun Card, valued at a one days admission.

I turned around and asked for an upgrade to an annual pass. Annual Pass current gate Price is $520.79...The CM took the today's gate price of my ticket $427.07 off of the AP price, a difference of: $93.72 ...then took off the birthday card value of $79.00 ...an you guessed right, I had to pay $14.72 out of my pocket @ WDW to upgrade to an AP!!

Sounds confusing right...it was!! But now I can go back twice next year!!

[OhMari]

Well I think I may have gotten the Disney Deal of the year! Don't exactly know how I did it, but I did! Here goes with my explanation to my confusing birthday card retreival:

I bought a 7 day park hopper with NO expiration...back in July before the price hike ($379.00-from UCT)....I used this pass for 6 days, starting on Oct. 22nd. On my 7th day Oct. 28th (My Birthday) I went to the International Gateway and requested my Birthday Fun Card, valued at a one days admission.

I turned around and asked for an upgrade to an annual pass. Annual Pass current gate Price is $520.79...The CM took the today's gate price of my ticket $427.07 off of the AP price, a difference of: $93.72 ...then took off the birthday card value of $79.00 ...an you guessed right, I had to pay $14.72 out of my pocket @ WDW to upgrade to an AP!!

Sounds confusing right...it was!! But now I can go back twice next year!!

Wow, they call it "Fuzzy Disney Math".
I'm glad to know you can upgrade an UCT ticket.
I was reading on the host board on the DIS, that you can't upgrade a ticket if you bought it from somewhere else. I bought a 10 day Fun Ticket, and I want to upgrade it to non-expiring. It was only $264 and I didn't have the other $175 to get the non expiring at the time. I about cried when they said only tickets bought from WDW can be upgraded. I knew I should of challenged the post.

I would do the annual pass, but I know I won't be going to Disney a couple of times of year, that is why I want to stretch out the 10 day.