Did you know that there are some ways to save money at Disney before you even get there?

One of the best ways to do this is by setting a budget for yourself for different things like dining, souvenirs, and more. This way, you don’t spend more than you anticipated, and it keeps saving money at the forefront of your mind during your trip. If you don’t want to watch the money go out of your bank account while on vacation, you can use one of our favorite hacks — grab some Disney gift cards from Target (thanks to getting 5% cashback as a Target Red Card member) and use them in some of the best ways we know how.

Food Booths At EPCOT Festivals

If hitting up an EPCOT festival is at the top of your Disney to-do list, it can be really easy to accidentally go overboard and buy more than you intended to. That’s why using a pre-loaded gift card is a great way to budget!

You can keep track of your receipts to see how much is left on the card after each stop, and you can check out all the menus before you go (we always talk about each one on our blog to help you prepare) and make a list of what you’d like to get. Be sure to allow yourself some wiggle room, but be firm with that budget if you really want to save some money!

Snack Budget

Now hear us out real quick — we’re making a distinction between a snack budget and a dining budget here because meals are ALWAYS important to eat, whether you’re at a theme park or at home! We wouldn’t want a gift card budget limit to keep you from eating a meal, but if you’re someone who always regrets spending money on one too many snacks at the parks when you get home, then maybe a gift card budget can help with that.

For example, we’re ALWAYS tempted by Dole Whips and churros and Mickey Ice Cream Bars just because hey, it’s Disney, but having a budget for snacks in place reminds us that we have to choose which ones we’d like carefully. 

Souvenir Budget

Using a gift card as a souvenir budget for yourself can be highly helpful, but it’s also a great way to teach older kids about money responsibilities.

If you’ve got a child old enough to understand, give them a gift card with a pre-loaded balance and tell them that’s their souvenir budget. Once they spend it, that’s that! Now, if your child would like to replace the unused toy with something else they see later, most stores in Disney World can take back something that hasn’t been used and give a refund if absolutely necessary, but that’s a last-resort plan that we don’t necessarily recommend.

We’re always here to give you the latest tips and tricks on saving money in Disney, so stay tuned to DFB!

What else would you use the gift card for? Tell us in the comments!

The post 3 BEST Ways to Use a Disney Gift Card from Target first appeared on the disney food blog.