When purchasing Disneyland or Disney World tickets through Undercover Tourist, you now receive a $20 Dining Dollars promo code (per eligible ticket purchased) that you can redeem to get 15% off retail Disney gift cards (and sometimes even more off of restaurant gift cards). First of all, what are Dining Dollars? We explain the basics and how to redeem in our separate Dining Dollars post, which is important to check out if you're not familiar with DiningDollars.com. But we know most of you will want to use the promo codes for your Disney vacations, so we're here to help you maximize the most out of your Dining Dollars while you're on your trip!
Using Dining Dollars Toward Disney Gift Cards
DiningDollars.com has many gift card options to select from, including nationwide chain restaurants and Disney gift cards. Instead of choosing a specific restaurant gift card, you can opt to use your Dining Dollars promo codes to buy Disney gift cards. Then, you can use the Disney gift cards to dine at theme park restaurants or make retail purchases. It's one way to save on souvenirs or meals! You can even use the Disney gift cards for online purchases or a Disney cruise. You can use the Disney gift cards at the following locations:
- Walt Disney World Resort
- Disneyland Resort
- Disney Cruise Line
- DisneyStore.com
- Disney Store locations in the U.S.
The only downside to purchasing a Disney gift card with Dining Dollars is that your percentage of savings is less than for other specific chain restaurants found on DiningDollars.com. The Disney gift card is 15% versus 20% or more. However, Dining Dollars still beats other gift card savings, such as Target (5% off Disney gift cards with a Red card) or Sam's Club deals ($180 for a $200 Disney gift card). Plus, you don't need a special membership or credit card — just the free Dining Dollars account!
The advantage (besides the savings) is that you have a lot of flexibility with using the Disney gift cards to purchase food or souvenirs in the theme parks or buy items online or at Disney Stores. You can even save them to use on a Disney Cruise! All those churros and Mickey bars add up, so it's nice to swipe a gift card and not have to think about money on your vacation.
Using Dining Dollars During Your Disney Vacation
Let's say you're a family of four who just bought Disney World tickets from Undercover Tourist. Each eligible ticket purchased comes with a $20 Dining Dollars promo code, totaling $80. (Note: Dining Dollars promo codes do not apply to Disney World Vacation Packages that include theme park tickets.) All eligible tickets have the following message in green text: "Free $20 DiningDollars.com Promo Code Included."
On DiningDollars.com, you can purchase a $100 Disney gift card using $15 worth of Dining Dollars. So, you'd pay $85 out of pocket and apply $15 of Dining Dollars to save 15% on the gift card purchase. You can easily spend $100 per person at the theme parks on food and merchandise, so this can be a practical use of the Dining Dollars, especially if you have no interest in leaving Disney property to eat or if you want a souvenir. If you only purchase one Disney gift card, that leaves you with $65 remaining Dining Dollars.
To maximize your Dining Dollars credits, we would suggest getting a $100 Disney gift card for each person. That means you would get $15 off each gift card purchase, so you'd be paying $340 for a $400 total value, ultimately saving $60! While it does mean paying out of pocket for these gift cards in advance, you can use them at most Disney dining and retail locations. Find out all the locations where the card can be used at DisneyGiftCard.com.
You have to eat anyway (these gift cards can help you stick to a budget!). And you know the tadpoles will each want a stuffy or a bubble wand. You could also apply gift cards to bigger purchases that may otherwise be splurges, such as a character dining meal, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or a lightsaber from Savi's Workshop. You can even use them before your trip to purchase Disney shirts and ears online at DisneyStore.com to wear in the parks.
But you're still not done — you have $20 Dining Dollars credits remaining. You could use another $15 Dining Dollars for an extra $100 Disney gift card with $5 Dining Dollars left over. That would bring you to paying $425 for a $500 total value of Disney gift cards. Then you can apply that remaining $5 toward a $25 Krispy Kreme gift card to surprise your family with doughnuts one day.
You can check your Dining Dollars balance in the "My Wallet" section or by clicking "Account." Both are in the upper right-hand corner of the Dining Dollars site. Once you use your Dining Dollars to purchase gift cards, the total will go down. You will receive an email with your e-card. Save that in your digital wallet for easy use.
Other Theme Park Restaurant Gift Card Options
If you don't want to spend as much out of pocket for Disney gift cards (like in the example above) but you still want to maximize your Dining Dollars credit, you can use them toward other gift cards for specific restaurants that can be found at or near the theme parks. These are also good options if you have any remaining Dining Dollars after purchasing Disney gift cards.
Yak & Yeti Restaurant (Disney World)
Yak & Yeti is a dining location at Disney's Animal Kingdom. If you plan to eat there, you can apply $25 of Dining Dollars to your $100 purchase and save more than by using a Disney gift card. Yak & Yeti also accepts Disney gift cards. But if you think you'll spend over $50 or $100, you might want to get the better value by buying Yak & Yeti cards specifically. If you still have any money left over on your Yak & Yeti card, we have hoppin' news! You can use it at one of the many participating restaurants across the country in the Landry's Inc. group (except at Catch, Mastro's and Houlihan's restaurants).
Disney Springs (Disney World)
Disney Springs is a shopping and dining district at Walt Disney World. You can buy gift cards for select locations. There are a few Disney Springs locations that allow you to apply more Dining Dollars to the gift card purchase, which translates to less money coming out of your own pocket.
For example, if you want to take the tadpoles to Rainforest Cafe, you can apply $25 Dining Dollars and pay $75 of your own money for a $100 gift card. That's like getting a free adult entree! Just look at menus online to estimate how much you think you'll spend. That way, you can use the full value of the gift card. But if you do end up with a balance on your card, there are other locations that accept it across the country.
If any of these restaurants are on your must-try list, then getting a restaurant-specific gift card will help you stretch your Dining Dollars a little further.
- Earl of Sandwich (save up to 35%)
- T-Rex Cafe (save up to 20%)
- Chicken Guy! (save up to 35%)
- Rainforest Cafe at Disney Springs and Animal Kingdom (save up to 25%)
- Planet Hollywood (save up to 35%)
Downtown Disney District (Disneyland) and Nearby Off-Site Locations
The same applies to one Downtown Disney District location:
- Earl of Sandwich (save up to 35%)
Apply $35 Dining Dollars to your $100 purchase and spend only $65 of your own money for a $100 value! For Earl of Sandwich, you do have to use that gift card within 90 days of purchase to get the full value. The amount you pay never expires. You can buy in increments of $25, $50 and $100. You may want to stick to lower increments so you can use it all within 90 days. All options are 35% off!
There is another shopping and dining district about a 10-minute walk from Disneyland — the Anaheim Garden Walk. It has a lot of options from the Dining Dollars site, such as McCormick & Schmick's, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. and California Pizza Kitchen. Morton's and Papa Johns Pizza are also located nearby. So, if you want to walk off Disney property or if you're staying at a hotel off Harbor or Katella, you do have some additional options within walking distance.
Universal Orlando
Are you heading to Universal Orlando on your trip? There's a hoppin' good deal at Hard Rock Cafe at CityWalk. You can get up to 40% off the Acoustic Package that includes a main course, dessert and a soft drink.
National Chain Restaurants Near You
You can also apply any remaining Dining Dollars to a gift card purchase toward a specific restaurant that's closer to home. Many of the e-cards can be used at locations across the nation. Chances are there's an Applebee's, Domino's Pizza, El Pollo Loco or California Pizza Kitchen near you. There are several locations in the Landry's group, and you can use the e-card for most of them. Just set the search bar to your current location to see what deals are in your own hometown and surrounding area.
Read the Fine Print
No matter what type of e-card you choose to get with your Dining Dollars, always read the fine print before you purchase. It will tell you of any restrictions and if you must use it within a certain number of days.
Do you have any additional questions about using Dining Dollars toward your Disney vacation? Ask away in the comments, and we're hoppy to help!
Related: What Are Dining Dollars, And How Do You Use Them?
Keep hopping!
