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I mentioned yesterday that Albertsons (and their affiliate stores: Jewel, Acme, Cub, Farm Fresh & Shaws.) have a *HOT* promo that runs through June 18, 2011, where you will get a $20 Albertson’s Catalina when you buy $100 in gift cards.
I already had about $1000 saved up for our trip, so I am using that money to buy Disney gift cards that I will use to purchase our Disney tickets, food and souvenirs. I also picked up some restaurant gift cards too. I will be using the $20 certificates for our grocery budget for the week, which means I will be able to take the grocery money I would have spent and add it to our Disney fund! Woo Hoo!
I went to Albertsons yesterday to pick up some gift cards for our Disney trip, and here are some things I learned:
UPDATE: Check this post HERE for an update on another type of Disney gift card.
Albertsons sells Disney gift cards in the amount of $25 and $50. If you plan on using these to buy your theme park tickets online, they will allow 3 gift cards per transaction, and the remainder will need to be paid with a credit card. I don’t believe there is a limit in the actual parks though, so you could just pick up your park tickets when you get there. Please call to confirm, if you decide to go this route.
The current prices for Disneyland 3 day Park Hoppers when purchased online are as follows (prices will go up 6/12):
- $165 (ages 3-9)
- $186 (ages 10+)
UPDATE: Just found out Disney prices are going up on 6/12!! You can find all the details on the price increase HERE. If you have the money, you may want to buy your tickets now.
These gift cards can be used at the hotels, restaurants, and shops at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. They can also be used at any Disney Store location and online at DisneyStore.com. You can read all the FAQ pertaining to the Disney Gift Cards to answer any specific question you have.
You DO NOT want to purchase the Disneyland Park Hoppers at Albertsons, because they will not generate the $20 Catalina coupon. Since they are actual park passes, they are not considered gift cards.
Think about any restaurants you may eat at while you are there. We always have a special dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, so I picked up $100 in gift cards for our dinner. Dinner with 7 people gets kind of expensive, if we go out to a nicer restaurant we easily spend $100. OUCH!!
Here are some restaurants in the Anaheim area:
- Cheesecake Factory (Anaheim GardenWalk)
- McDonalds (across from the maingate)
- Jamba Juice (Downtown Disney)
- McCormick & Schmick’s (W Katella Ave) – Maegen from Sounds Fun Mom tipped me off to the fact that they have Happy Hour, where you can get a full size burgers and fries for only 3.00!!
If you plan on flying Southwest Airlines, you could also pick up several $100 Southwest gift cards. Southwest will allow you to use 3 gift cards and one credit card per transaction. (Thanks to Angela from The Coupon Project for the info.)
Will you be driving or have a rental car? There is a Shell Gas station on West Ball Rd, so you can use one of the gift cards to fill your tank.
When purchasing gift cards with this deal, you do need to keep in mind that the $20 Catalina will expire in one week from the time you receive it. This gift card promo runs through 6/18. You can receive up to (5) $20 Catalina’s per transaction, so there is no need to do multiple transactions, unless of course you are buying more than $500 in gift cards.
These ideas will work for anywhere you are vacationing, not just the Disney Theme Parks. Do you plan on picking up some gift cards? If so, which ones?
