Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it?

Disney Gift Cards in Canada

You have probably seen Disney Gift Cards at your local grocery and drug store.

When planning a trip to Disney World, they can be an effective means to save on this magical trip.

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - Disney gift card canada

Disney Gift Card – How do they work?

Disney gift cards are prepaid cards that can be used in various ways:

Any purchases at US Disney theme parks
Purchases at North American Disney Stores
Paying for a Disney Vacation or a Disney Cruise (and onboard purchases)

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - disney gift card 1

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - disney gift card 2

You can combine your Disney Gift Card balances onto a digital card on their website if you don’t want to manage a fat wallet or risk losing them.

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - disney gift card website

The main pro of using them is to save on foreign exchange fees since you buy them with Canadian dollars and will be billed with the rate of the day, without any surcharge, for your US dollars spent.

Indeed, most Canadian credit cards add a 2.5% fee on top of the exchange rate on transactions made in foreign currency. There are a few exceptions, so if you are interested in subscribing to one of those credit cards that don’t charge it, here are the best:

Our credit card selection
Credit card	Annual fee	Welcome offer
Scotiabank Passport^® Visa Infinite +* Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$150	Welcome offerAfter $2,000 in 3 months Up to 35,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $2,000 in 3 months	Apply NowCompare
Scotiabank Gold American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$120	Welcome offerAfter $7,500 in 12 months Up to 50,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $7,500 in 12 months	Apply NowCompare
Scotiabank^®* Platinum American Express^® Card Apply NowCompare	Annual fee$399	Welcome offerAfter $10,000 in 6 months Up to 100,000 pointsEnds Nov 1, 2026 After $10,000 in 6 months	Apply NowCompare

Disney Gift Card – Strategy for Canada

Travel hackers in our community used to collect them by redeeming AIR MILES Cash in the past. While that strategy is long over, there are still good reasons to obtain Disney gift cards, such as the savings you’ll get on foreign currency purchases.

But what if you already have a credit card without foreign exchange fees?

If you hold one of those credit cards, hoarding Disney gift cards might not make much sense because you are already avoiding the 2.5% conversion fees. In addition, you can also earn rewards on your purchases when you employ them to pay.

However, it all comes down to how you acquire your Disney gift cards.

Since Disney gift cards are sold at grocery stores, you can use a card with a strong return or point accelerator in that category.

Here are a few examples of credit cards that give high returns in that category.

Credit Card	Rewards per dollar
American Express Cobalt^® Card	5 Membership Rewards
BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*	5%
CIBC Dividend^® Visa Infinite* Card	4%
Scotia Momentum^® VISA Infinite +* Card	4%

The easiest way to illustrate this would be to take the BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®* with its 5% return: you will obtain 5% in cash back on your Disney gift card purchase since it will code the same way as any food you buy at the grocery stores.

In addition, you will save 2.5% at Disney World, bringing your net savings to 7.5%.

If you use the Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card, you will save the same 2.5%, but you will only earn 1 or 2 Scene+ points per dollar during your time in the parks (depending on how your transaction is coded). You may get 2 Scene+ points for your restaurant purchases at Disney World, but you might not since it depends on the merchant code. Those points are worth 1 cent each, which means you are getting a 1% value in return.

Credit Card	Rewards per dollar	FX Savings	Net Savings
BMO CashBack^® World Elite^®* Mastercard^®*	5%	2.5%	7.5%
Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite +* Card	1 Scene+ (1%)	2.5%	3.5%

Taking the next step further with Disney gift card: what if buying them can get you enough points for a free (or almost) flight to Orlando?

The American Express Cobalt^® Card has a 5 Membership Rewards earned per dollar at grocery stores. That translates to a 5% return if you use Membership Rewards as cash back.

What we need to know is that those points are very versatile because you can redeem them as cash back where they have a fixed value (meaning, you can never go under a 5% return), but you can transfer them to many partner programs (airlines or hotel chains) where you can optimize their value.

For example, if you buy $4,000 worth of Disney gift cards with the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you will earn 20,000 Membership Rewards ($4,000 x 5). That amount equals $200 in cash back or 20,000 Aeroplan points since the transfer ratio is 1:1.

20,000 Aeroplan points is a standard cost for a flight from Montreal to Orlando, and, as seen below, fares can drop lower since Air Canada’s flights are dynamically priced.

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - Disney gift cards flight strategy

Google Flights listed the same itinerary and dates for $661 when this example was written; if you subtract the $150 taxes you need to pay on the Aeroplan fare, your $4,000 worth of Disney gift card purchases gave you enough points to save you $511 (which translates to a 12% return). This kind of savings is significant for a family since airplane tickets are rising.

Disney Gift Card in Canada : Is it worth it? - Disney gift cards flight strategy 2

Disney Gift Cards – One step further

While we probably convinced you that buying Disney Gift Cards with the American Express Cobalt^® Card is a good idea, if you never held that card, you are eligible for a generous welcome bonus!

For the first 12 months, the welcome bonus is distributed monthly. For example, for every $ 750 in purchases charged to your card during the month (whether in the 1X, 2X, 3X, or 5X category), you earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points.

It is best to shop in the 5X categories (groceries, restaurants) for the monthly welcome bonus:

1,250 points as a monthly welcome bonus
3,750 points for 5x category purchases

That is a 10% minimum return on your first $ 750 in Card purchases in 5x categories like groceries during the first year.

Here’s how to maximize your purchases in the 5x the points spending categories earning 60,000 points in your first year:

MONTH	PURCHASES	5X CATEGORY	BONUS	TOTAL
1	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
2	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
3	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5 000 points
4	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
5	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
6	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
7	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
8	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
9	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
10	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
11	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
12	$750	3,750 points	1,250 points	5,000 points
Total	$9,000	45,000 points	15,000 points	60,000 points

Earning 60,000 points against $9,000 in purchases in 12 months is a 6,67 % minimum return if you use yours as cashback (a $600 value) or 60,000 Aeroplan points.

With airfares to Orlando averaging around 20,000 Aeroplan points, as I explained earlier, you could get up to 3 tickets for your family trip to Orlando with the signup bonus from the American Express Cobalt^® Card!

You don’t even have to buy $9,000 worth of Disney gift cards to unlock the points if you only need a third of that for your holiday; your standard groceries can do the trick, especially if you have a large household.

After speaking of buying Disney gift cards at 5X the points, think about all the other gift cards you can find at your groceries to earn 5X on many usual expenses such as fuel, Amazon or Netflix!

Bottom Line

Using a Disney gift card is a great way to save on foreign exchange fees when your credit card charges for them, and even then, your net savings could be even better if you acquire them with the right credit card at the right place.

In addition, opting for flexible transferable rewards instead of cash back opens the door to even more savings, as you can get free flights or accommodation with this strategy.

Ready to plan your trip to Disney? Make sure to read our guides to get the most out of this experience :

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuationMilesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.: $255
Welcome offerGet 1,250 points after $750 in purchases per month for 12 months: Up to 15,000 points

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is a versatile American Express card, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer valued at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, and home food delivery. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers three kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores (Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven): not part of 5X, 1 point per dollar.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	1
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,675

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Where to find and buy a Disney gift cards in Canada?

Several businesses sell Disney gift cards including:

IGA
Jean Coutu
Dollarama
Walmart
Giant Tiger
Metro and Super C
Best Buy
Maxi
Shoppers Drug Mart
Canadian Tire, Home Depot and Lowes

Availability may vary by region and store.

Where to use a Walt Disney gift card?

Disney gift cards can be used for:

Disney theme parks in the United States as well as their restaurants and shops;
Shop at Disney Stores in North America;
Pay for Lightning Lane;
The Disney Aulani Resort Hotel;
Pay for a Disney vacation or Disney cruise (and onboard purchases).

How do I convert or combine my all-in-one Disney gift cards on Disney Gift Card.com?

Go to the Disney Gift Card website and create your account, if you haven’t already. Go to the My Cards section.

Then, click Add a Card and enter the Disney gift cards one by one. Choose a card that will be the primary card and to which all balances will be transferred. Then, in Merge Cards, click Confirm Transfer.

You can do the process for 6 Disney gift cards at once.

Where to buy a gift card for Disney+ subscription ?

There are no physical (in plastic) Disney+ gift cards in Canada.

Please note that a standard Disney gift card cannot pay for a Disney+ subscription, if payment is made via Google Pay or App Store.

There are different ways to pay for a Disney Plus subscription in Canada:

Make a gift by giving the Disney+ subscription as a gift to someone else
Buy Apple and Google Play gift cards and add them to the App Store or Google Play account balance to apply them to the Disney Plus payment afterwards

How to use a Disney Plus gift card?

The Disney+ gift card for a Disney+ subscription is electronic, in the form of a code sent by email.

When you have received the link to subscribe to Disney+, enter the code on this page and follow the instructions to check the balance.

Then, continue the process and create your Disney+ account. Select the subscription you want and confirm your order.

Go further with American Express Membership Rewards

To maximize your Membership Rewards earning, check our complete American Express Membership Rewards program guide and our best American Express Membership Rewards credit cards ranking, updated monthly by the Milesopedia team.