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

[MdCaterer]

We will actually be traveling past Oralndo on my birthday this year. I already have an annual pass so I do not need free admission, but I read that they will give you a gift card for the amount of one day's free admission. It is good for limited merchandise so I am wondering if it is worth it to drive about 25 minutes out of our way to pick this up? Has anyone gotten the gift card, is it worth it or is it too limited?

Thanks!

[gpp2001]

I'm going on Friday and will let you know.

Karn

[PSL1013]

I won't be able to give you my opinion until October 13th :angel:

[faithhope]

I heard from my father... that it is only good that day...and only for certain things.

He called me long distance to see if there was anything his grandkids wanted/needed from the store...

I'm sure if he could have used it for food and/or drink that the $75 gift card they gave him would have been gone easily...

This was back in February...so I'm sorry I can only give you vague info... hopefully someone else can verify.

[MdCaterer]

Was it because he was only going to be there that day??? I thought I had read somewhere that the gift card was good for longer than 1 day!
Thanks for the information!!

[bbangel]

Somewhere on their website it details the stores that accept the gift card and all the rules around it. You can't use it for food or drinks only merchandise. I know the DL card is good for more than one day but I'm not sure if that change happened at WDW as well.

[disney_girl]

We were there in late May and got one for my son's birthday as we all have annual passes. It is good for merchandise only- no food or drinks. But we didn't have any problem spending it on merchandise. They give you a handout with the restrictions. Also, there wasn't a stipulation that it had to be used that day.

[mjjmbnmm]

Disney used to say that you had to use it the day of your birthday, but they chaged the rules and can now use it anytime.

[MdCaterer]

Thank you all for the replies!! We will pick up the gift card on our way to Port Canaveral and I am certain. I can find plenty of pins to buy at the MNSSHP party we will attend when we get back to WDW!! I just wanted to make sure it wasn't real restricted or only good for 24 hours. I am very happy that will be a nice birthday present : )

[MamaO]

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!!!!

[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! :sunshine:

[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. :D

[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. :D

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.

[PSL1013]

I ended up using my Birthday Fun Pass towards the purchase of a Mickey Citizen Eco-drive watch....minus savings of $25.00 with the Disney Visa Card Promotion and my $79.00 fun pass = $250.00 watch for $160.63! Love it! :heart:

[shades99]

I picked up my card last week at Epcot. To clarify and as of last week, the card doesn't have to be used at the park it was issued. It doesn't expire, either. You can use it at Disney owned stores (rules out all of the World Showcase in Epcot, and easier to say that you can use it in the World of Disney store at DTD, and most of the park's mainstreet stores). You cannot recharge or add funds to the card. Unlike your Disney park tickets, if you lose your birthday fun card, Disney will not replace it.

I took mine to the World of Disney Store in DTD so we could also get the 10%annual pass discount. With the $79 fun card and my $60 Sunshine Rewards dollars I had earned (thanks! Sunshine Rewards:clap:), we saved$539.00 off the $4000.00 Disney Dream Collection diamond earrings I got for my birthday. The earrings are very pretty however it would have been nice to be a Disney employee for just one day to get their 40% employee discount.

[PSL1013]

I picked up my card last week at Epcot. To clarify and as of last week, the card doesn't have to be used at the park it was issued. It doesn't expire, either. You can use it at Disney owned stores (rules out all of the World Showcase in Epcot, and easier to say that you can use it in the World of Disney store at DTD, and most of the park's mainstreet stores). You cannot recharge or add funds to the card. Unlike your Disney park tickets, if you lose your birthday fun card, Disney will not replace it.

I took mine to the World of Disney Store in DTD so we could also get the 10%annual pass discount. With the $79 fun card and my $60 Sunshine Rewards dollars I had earned (thanks! Sunshine Rewards:clap:), we saved$539.00 off the $4000.00 Disney Dream Collection diamond earrings I got for my birthday. The earrings are very pretty however it would have been nice to be a Disney employee for just one day to get their 40% employee discount.

Wow, what a nice birthday gift!

[shades99]

Wow, what a nice birthday gift!

Thanks! The "Dream Collection" is crazy overpriced and clearly we paid a huge amount of $$ for the Disney Dream collection name. We could have got a lot more diamond carat weight at a local jewelry store - but, they wouldn't be Mickey Dream earrings. Dh tried negotiating a better price with the store manager at DTD/World of Disney, who then connected him with the concierge and they wouldn't budge at all.

He then turned to negotiating with me to get credit for every single gift-giving holiday for the next year. :rotfl: I agreed to a combined birthday & 10th anniversary gift - but he is still going to have to shop for Christmas and Valentine's Day.:angel:

[PSL1013]

Thanks! The "Dream Collection" is crazy overpriced and clearly we paid a huge amount of $$ for the Disney Dream collection name. We could have got a lot more diamond carat weight at a local jewelry store - but, they wouldn't be Mickey Dream earrings. Dh tried negotiating a better price with the store manager at DTD/World of Disney, who then connected him with the concierge and they wouldn't budge at all.

He then turned to negotiating with me to get credit for every single gift-giving holiday for the next year. :rotfl: I agreed to a combined birthday & 10th anniversary gift - but he is still going to have to shop for Christmas and Valentine's Day.:angel:

I've made those kind of husband deals in the past myself! :rotfl: Would love to see a picture of them if possible?

[Pooh's Pal]

Would love to see a picture of them if possible?


Yes, would LOVE to see them!

[shades99]

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz186/shadesofblue2004/DSC00971.jpg

This is not a great photo, will try again later using macro zoom (thanks PSL1013 for the suggestion!). There are 3 diamonds in each earring and they are bezel set in yellow gold. The total weight is .90ct - so I'm guessing about .30 for the 2 larger stones and .15 for each of the 4 smaller stones.

There are 2 other sets of Mickey icon diamond earrings currently offered in the Dream Collection. The others are set in white gold. One set is $1000 with .20ct total diamond weight. Another is $1500, tiny bit larger stones (not sure of carat weight).

We are usually at WDW at least once each week. If anybody has any questions about the rest of the Dream Collection, feel free to ask. I usually keep a pretty close eye on the Disney fine jewelry collection.:clap:

[shades99]

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz186/shadesofblue2004/DSC00977.jpg

This photo shows the details a little better.