The End for Disney Dollars!

[ariel03]

I just got back from my local Disney Store to buy Disney Dollars and they said that Disney told them that at the end of this year the Disney Dollar will be no more. They said that Disney wants to go strictly gift card. They also said Disney told them this before but continued to sell disney dollars so they are unsure when this will truly take effect but say that this is the last year for them.

[DizneyRox]

I can understand the desire to get away from printing money. Possibly for counterfiet bills would be high on the list I propose.

I've heard rumors of fees, lack of activity penalties, etc with the cards, so I'm not sure if that has any influence. It's nice when you can draw from the card instead of giving the person what they paid for.

Nice, if they get rid of the cards I then have 0 reasons to step foot in a Disney Store!

[Darbylew]

Sorry to hear that news. The children love to
get the Disney dollars. I wonder what they plan
to do at WDW when you turn in your stroller they give you a Disney dollar back with your
reciept.

[Ian]

Hmmm ... I sort of understand the decision, but it disappoints me a little.

We use Disney dollars as a sort of forced savings plan for our trips, buying $40 worth each week.

Somehow doing that with gift cards, doesn't seem like as much fun.

[kaylamag]

We are going in January next year. I've been buying disney dollars every now and then and saving them for our trip. Do you think they will still except the dollars or will i have to take them back to the disney store and exchange them? Is that even allowed, or am i going to be stuck with them?

[DisneyDudet]

Well, why would they stop using them, when just this year they had new versions printed?

I guess people aren't buying them as much as they used to.

[Altair]

I just got back from my local Disney Store to buy Disney Dollars and they said that Disney told them that at the end of this year the Disney Dollar will be no more.

This could mean they just won't be carried by the DIsney Stores. I don't think these are big sellers there.
Considering the number of DD's bought by collectors and never spent, I can't see them ending altogether.

[PirateLover]

I like Disney Dollars better than gift cards because it's just like cash vs. credit cards... it puts things into perspective when I actually dole out the bucks instead of using the card and forces me to think more about each purchase and whether I really want this item or not. Also, I like the different designs.

[tinksmom02]

Jeez, do you think I should take DD5's Disney Dollars away from her to put in a safe deposit box?

I really hope they don't stop making them OR selling them at the Disney Store--that's where I got most of the ones I gave DD! She loves them...she spreads them out on her bed and compares all the different characters...

[Polynesian Dweller]

Have to see whether they do that and whether its permanent. There have been three years in which they did not print any bills, including last year. So a hiatus in making them wouldn't be that unusual.

However, I can also see them stopping for a number of reasons. Each bill that is not redeemed represents outstanding debt for the company and, even though they expect a certain percentage never to be redeemed, each year there are additional bills that people hold onto. In effect, the companies liabilities keep increasing.

It also costs a certain amount to make the bills, destroy old ones, protect against forgery and so on. At some point, those costs will start to outweigh the benefits of the program to the company and they will stop making them.

[CaptainSad]

We are going in January next year. I've been buying disney dollars every now and then and saving them for our trip. Do you think they will still except the dollars or will i have to take them back to the disney store and exchange them? Is that even allowed, or am i going to be stuck with them?

By law they have to honor all Disney dollars to the end of time if need be. If you paid for them and they say you can use them as cash at the parks then they are still good. If they decide later down the line that they will not honor them at future time then they have to let it be known. You can either cash them in by such and such date or keep them as souvenirs.

[Carol]

It was only a matter of time. Gift cards are so much easier.

Remember Geoffrey money at Toys R Us?? That was discontinued when gift cards came out too.

[MsMin]

I can see them discontinuing it but it would be sad I think it offers so much value to children as they can learn the value of "delayed gratification" meaning they have to save it and wait for a trip etc. Gift cards don't have the same effect but then I'm sure Disney's main objective is not to teach the value of money to children.
Parenting Tip: Children who can delay gratification often have better outcomes or are more successful as adults.

[wedway fan]

However, I can also see them stopping for a number of reasons. Each bill that is not redeemed represents outstanding debt for the company and, even though they expect a certain percentage never to be redeemed, each year there are additional bills that people hold onto. In effect, the companies liabilities keep increasing.

i thought it was the opposite- that they made money on unused dollars. there's a term for this in banking and economics- "seigniorage"- where an institution actually gains revenue when money it prints is pulled from circulation. the federal government takes advantage of this all the time with special coins.

to get a disney dollar, you have to give disney a dollar. if you don't use your disney dollar, they still have your dollar.

with gift cards, there will certainly be forgotten balances and unused cards, but no one will likely collect them (except when they're used up), so the benefit of seigniorage will go away.

my only guess as to why they may be switching to gift cards is that they figure the amount of money left unused on cards minus the cost of the system will be more than the unused disney dollars minus the cost of printing.

[McGoofy]

We don't have a Disney store near our area anymore, so Disney Dollars are a treat to our DS when the Disney tooth fairy comes. He looks forward to getting Disney dollars when he loses a tooth!

So I wonder if the Disney dollars get discontinued, should I hold on to what I've got as they may be terrific collector's items in the future?

[TheRustyScupper]

I can understand the desire to get away from printing money. Possibly for counterfiet bills would be high on the list I propose.

. . . I would imagine that this would not happen
. . . can't see it for $1-$5-$10 denominations

I've heard rumors of fees, lack of activity penalties, etc with the cards, so I'm not sure if that has any influence. It's nice when you can draw from the card instead of giving the person what they paid for.

. . . unless mistaken, there is no service charge
. . . many gift cards have charges, but not Disney

NOTE: But, I do go along with others and hope they don't do away with Disney Dollars.

[Figgyluv03]

This could mean they just won't be carried by the DIsney Stores. I don't think these are big sellers there.
Considering the number of DD's bought by collectors and never spent, I can't see them ending altogether.

When I worked at the Disney Store they were still big sellers. We were always selling out. I'm wondering since the take over of the Children's place, they are trying to with away with them in the store. I left a few months after the Childrens Place took over, so I'm not sure how the store is doing business wise now. I purchased a few not long ago, and they didn't say anything about getting rid of them.

[bleukarma]

I will be sad to see Disney Dollars go! I like to give them as Christmas/birthday/graduation presents to anybody I know is making a Disney trip. For some reason the gift cards aren't the same. I can give a gift card to anywhere but Disney Dollars are unique.

I've never used the gift card but I assume it's refillable? Like if I wanted to add $20 every payday (or whatever) I could bring in the same card and have them add it instead of having 100 gift cards laying around when it came time for my trip?

When I worked at the Disney Store over Christmas we sold a lot of them. And I worked at a mall 45 minutes from Disney World. I don't see that these are bad sellers. I also think that Disney makes tons of money on them because there are a lot of people out there that buy them but don't spend them.
It's weird to me that they would stop making them.

[BrerSchultzy]

i thought it was the opposite- that they made money on unused dollars. there's a term for this in banking and economics- "seigniorage"- where an institution actually gains revenue when money it prints is pulled from circulation. the federal government takes advantage of this all the time with special coins.

to get a disney dollar, you have to give disney a dollar. if you don't use your disney dollar, they still have your dollar.

with gift cards, there will certainly be forgotten balances and unused cards, but no one will likely collect them (except when they're used up), so the benefit of seigniorage will go away.

my only guess as to why they may be switching to gift cards is that they figure the amount of money left unused on cards minus the cost of the system will be more than the unused disney dollars minus the cost of printing.

Except that when you give Disney a dollar, and they give you a DD, then they technically OWE you a dollar in goods and services...if you never call that debt in, it goes on their books as an outstanding debt, something shareholders do not like to see.

However, I can't see that being a HUGE number...I would imagine that if the rumor is true, it is for the same reason they pulled all the brochures out of rest stops and pulled the plug on the Ocala welcome center...it wasn't "Necessary", and didn't help the bottom line.

[letsdoitagain]

My kids both used them this past August and thought it was the greatest. I think it helped to build the excitement that they were going to Disney World when we bought them before our trip at the Disney Store.