Considering Disney Vacation Account

[LullabeeDisney]

I believe that if you open the account, deposit say $2000 and then us that $2000 to pay for a cruise on day 119, I believe you would not get any bonus. If you open the account with a minimal amount (I think you can open with $10), don't deposit any more until after 120 days, then deposit $2000 and spend it the next day, I think you would get $40 in bonus gift cards. Please note, that DVA may not make newly deposited funds available immediately. I know that just recently, I deposited over $4000 in discounted gift cards one day, then used the money the next day to pay for a cruise.

Yeah I definitely won't wait 120 days to book - I'm hoping to book day of/next day of release for the winter dates, so next month.

 

[OffToDWD]

Lanejudy is correct, you can use the account to fund your onboard account, but you must do this before the cruise. I did it about two weeks before. In the FAQ section of the DVA, it tells how to use the funds. You would call the Disney Reservations Call Center at (407) 939-7734 and provide them with your Disney Vacation Account number and your cruise reservation number. In my case it took about 20 - 25 minutes. The DVA CM called DCL and between the two the transfer of funds was accomplished. Alternatively, you could request your funds in the form of Disney gift cards. This must be done 4 - 6 weeks in advance and the FAQ says that there is a maximum limit of $500 over the life of the account.

If you fund your onboard account with $1000 and only used $750 while onboard... do you get the $250 back?

And if you request the funds in the form of Disney gift cards, do you still get the $20 per $1000 bonus? I thought you only get that if you spend the money on a vacation.

Thanks!!

 

[CM Dad]

If you fund your onboard account with $1000 and only used $750 while onboard... do you get the $250 back?

And if you request the funds in the form of Disney gift cards, do you still get the $20 per $1000 bonus? I thought you only get that if you spend the money on a vacation.

I know from experience that if you fund your onboard account from your DVA and have a balance left at the end of the cruise, they automatically refund the balance to the DVA. I had booked 2 cabanas on Castaway Cay for a family cruise to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday and had added credit to my account to cover those plus other excursions/anticipated expenses. Seas were too rough and we were unable to dock at Castaway, so I had a balance at the end of the cruise. I think the money showed back up in the DVA within a couple of days.

I'm pretty sure that if you request funds in the form of Disney gift cards that it does NOT count towards the bonus, but I have never done that so I don't have first hand knowledge of this.

 

[CM Dad]

Just a possible warning about the DVA. I have been mostly happy with my DVA and have used it to pay for multiple cruises. Just recently, I paid off an upcoming cruise, which used up most, but not all of my DVA balance. When I tried to log into my DVA after that I now get and error message that says "You have a Disney online account, but no Disney Vacation Account. Create your Disney Vacation Account here." Not sure what happened to my existing account, or the money that was in it. I haven't heard back from DVA yet. If I get some free time between meetings at work, I'll see if I can get them on the phone to ask.

 

[LAX]

So for clarification. Say you open it and put in 3 or 4K of disney gift cards but
you dont plan on spending them until next year....Do you get bonus gift cards at all?
Since the program is ending in December?

No one knows for sure whether the program will actually end in December. However, if you have a DCL cruise booked for next year, you can make a partial payment in December (or full if you have that much by then) just before the program ends (if it doesn't get extended) to take advantage of the bonus.

For those that have redeemed for the bonus GC, is there a tracker some where that show how much bonus is available for redemption? Or do you just call and a CM will tell you how much you are eligible?

LAX

 

[OffToDWD]

I know from experience that if you fund your onboard account from your DVA and have a balance left at the end of the cruise, they automatically refund the balance to the DVA. I had booked 2 cabanas on Castaway Cay for a family cruise to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday and had added credit to my account to cover those plus other excursions/anticipated expenses. Seas were too rough and we were unable to dock at Castaway, so I had a balance at the end of the cruise. I think the money showed back up in the DVA within a couple of days.

I'm pretty sure that if you request funds in the form of Disney gift cards that it does NOT count towards the bonus, but I have never done that so I don't have first hand knowledge of this.

Thank you!

 

[lbus42]

I cruised last April. I got the bonus for the money in my DVA that I SPENT on the cruise. The money that I transferred to my on-board account did not get the $20 bonus (and that was $1000).

According to the DVA website, it says that for every $1000 spent, you will get a $20 gift card, up until Dec 31, 2017. It does not say that the account program will end, or that I have to spend all of my funds, or that I have to remove my funds by that date.

 

[loriandmatt]

can funds in my DVA be used for dining and other purchases once I am onsite, or can they only be used for making a resort reservation and ticket purchases on line in advance of my arrival? if so, how....is the DVA linked to my room reservation and therefore my magic band for payment? or can I "withdraw" funds from my DVA before or when I arrive and have them on a Disney gift card that I can use to pay for food, snacks, souvies, etc?

 

[lanejudy]

can funds in my DVA be used for dining and other purchases once I am onsite, or can they only be used for making a resort reservation and ticket purchases on line in advance of my arrival? if so, how....is the DVA linked to my room reservation and therefore my magic band for payment? or can I "withdraw" funds from my DVA before or when I arrive and have them on a Disney gift card that I can use to pay for food, snacks, souvies, etc?

I think you are asking about a WDW parks vacation. The short answer is no, the DVA cannot be used for onsite purchases just reservations/packages or tickets in advance. I think you can "withdraw" funds to a gift card, but I don't know if that counts towards the $1000 for the extra $20 gift card.

I suggest you check the Budget Board and ask there.

Enjoy your vacation!