Some Disney Springs Stores No Longer Take Disney Gift Cards, Including Zara and Vera Bradley, and Neither Report Includes a Full List

A popular money-saving move at Walt Disney World is a simple one: buy Disney Gift Cards somewhere they go on sale, then spend them on property like cash. At Disney Springs, some stores have stopped taking the cards.

WDW News Today reported Monday afternoon that "Disney Gift Cards are no longer accepted at select third-party locations in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World." The outlet says it went to Guest Relations for an explanation and came back with a contractual one rather than a policy one: "We spoke to Guest Relations and learned that some third-party contracts changed. Zara, Vera Bradley, and more stores no longer take Disney Gift Cards."

Two outlets, one store in common

KennyThePirate published its own account on Tuesday morning and arrived at the same place from a different direction. Writer Donna Farmer points to guest reports rather than an announcement: "For several weeks, we heard reports from Guests that this has now changed for select stores at Disney Springs." The site also reported a first-hand visit. "On a recent trip to Disney Springs, we discovered that the Vera Bradley store no longer accepts Disney gift cards," Farmer wrote, adding that according to staff, the change "affects some but not all Disney Springs locations."

So Vera Bradley is the one store both outlets put on the record independently. Zara comes from WDW News Today's conversation with Guest Relations. Neither outlet published a complete list.

What still works

Quite a lot, as it turns out. WDW News Today reports that "Other locations, including Sephora, are still taking gift cards," and that "Disney Gift Cards continue to be accepted at all Disney-owned and operated locations, including Disney Stores and World of Disney." KennyThePirate puts the Disney-owned side slightly more narrowly, "All Disney owned retail locations still accept Disney gift cards," and adds that the theme parks look untouched so far: "At this time all locations, even third party vendors, inside the Walt Disney World Theme Parks still accept Disney gift cards."

WDW News Today draws the boundary the same way: "For now, this seems to only apply to shops at Disney Springs, not third-party locations at theme parks or resorts."

Why gift cards matter here

At Walt Disney World, gift cards are often as much a budgeting tool as a gift. As KennyThePirate puts it, "Some Disney Parks Guests love to save money by using discounted Disney gift cards to pay for their vacations," stretching that discount across everything "from hotel rooms in the Disney Resort Collection to Disney World or Disneyland tickets to food to souvenirs." The same piece notes that Disney recently made the cards easier to use in the parks by letting guests store them in the My Disney Experience app. That change came from Disney. The Disney Springs change, according to what Guest Relations told WDW News Today, is a third-party contract matter.

The practical problem is the missing list. KennyThePirate calls it "frustrating to Guests visiting Disney Springs trying to discover which locations will or will not accept Disney gift cards," and for now the surest way to find out is to ask the store before you get to the register.

What we do not know yet

Neither outlet obtained an official statement from Disney about the change. The "third-party contracts changed" explanation traces to a single Guest Relations conversation reported by WDW News Today, and "and more stores" is as specific as that got. The outlet says it will keep reporting: "We will continue to share updates about which stores do and do not take the gift cards as we learn more."

Until somebody produces a list, the move is simple. If you were planning to walk a discounted gift card balance into a Disney Springs store, ask before you shop.

Sources

• WDW News Today, "Disney Gift Cards No Longer Accepted at Some Third-Party Disney Springs Stores" (August 10, 2026)
• KennyThePirate, "Major Change to Using Disney Gift Cards at Disney World" by Donna Farmer (August 11, 2026)

Image credits: Vera Bradley storefront file photo (June 2026) by WDW News Today. Disney Gift Card photo credited to Disney by KennyThePirate. Disney Springs welcome sign photo by Chip and Company.