Disney gift cards — they can be the perfect gift for the fan who has it all, a great way to help you stick to your budget while in Disney World, and a fun souvenir too!

Gift Cards

You’re probably familiar with physical Disney gift cards (including the ones we typically see with wristbands in EPCOT around festival time). But, have you ever bought a digital Disney gift card and used it in the parks? If you’re thinking of doing that on your next trip, we’ve got some important information you need to know.

During a recent trip to EPCOT, we spotted quite a few signs advising guests that they can purchase a Disney Gift Card eGift (essentially a digital Disney gift card).

Digital Gift Card Sign

The signs were posted in various stores near the cash registers…

Spot the Sign?

…and also near some merchandise.

Signs Here Too

The signs advise guests to go to a particular website (offers.disney.com/FotH21) to purchase their gift cards. We typically see the wristband version of Disney gift cards offered at many EPCOT festivals, but we have not seen one this year for the Festival of the Holidays. It seems this could be a digital replacement for those wristband gift cards (particularly since the website even contains the phrase “FotH21,” seemingly standing for Festival of the Holidays 2021). This could also further Disney’s environmental goals of reducing waste in the parks.

When you’re ready to purchase your digital card, you can visit the website or scan the QR code. Then you’ll put in your information to purchase the gift card, which has a fun holiday design.

©Disney

After you enter that initial information, you’ll be taken to a screen where you’ll fill out your billing information. Then you can pay for and activate your gift card.

©Disney

The activated gift card will then be able to be used at all eligible Disney food booths or other restaurants and stores on property. Be sure to check and see if the spot you’re going to accepts Disney gift cards as a form of payment. The Cast Members will be able to scan the information from your digital gift card on your phone and you won’t need a physical card, which can be a big plus for some.

If you want to buy one of these gift cards during your next trip, however, there’s something you need to know about first. According to a Cast Member we spoke to, it takes about an HOUR from the time of your purchase to the time when you’ll be able to start using that gift card.

It Can Take a While for Your Gift Card to Work

shopDisney notes that their Disney Gift Card eGifts can take up to 24 hours to receive, so perhaps it’s not much of a shock that there would be a bit of delay with these eGift cards when bought in the park, but it can still be surprising for those who are used to using their physical gift cards in the parks immediately.

©Disney

If you were planning on buying this gift card as a budget technique (or just to make your payments easier) and immediately starting to use it throughout EPCOT or the other parks, that’s something to keep in mind. It seems that immediate usage (which is something you CAN do with physical gift cards) might not be possible with the digital gift cards (according to the Cast Member we spoke to).

If a digital gift card is the way you want to go for your next trip (saving you the hassle of having to dig through your bag for a credit card or other form of payment), then consider buying the digital gift card earlier in your day, so you can give the system enough time to process everything and get ready for you to start shopping. If you aren’t willing to wait that long, you can grab a physical gift card in the parks. We spotted some with 50th Anniversary designs, and we’ve also seen the $100 gift cards with the pins available.

Physical Gift Card

What do you think? Are you a fan of digital gift cards, physical gift cards, or no gift cards at all? Tell us in the comments below. And stay tuned for more Disney news.

Click here to check out our Festival of the Holidays Food FACE-OFF!

Digital gift cards, physical gift cards, or no gift cards at all? Tell us what you prefer in the comments below. 

The post The Gift Card Problem You Didn’t Expect to Face in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.