Don't Forget This Important Starbucks Rule in Disney World

There’s just something special about walking down Main Street, U.S.A. with a cup of Starbucks in hand.

Starbucks

Is it us, or does coffee taste better in front of Cinderella Castle? Whether you’re rope-dropping that seasonal latte or grabbing a mid-day coffee pick-me-up, there’s one thing you have to know about getting your Starbucks in Disney World.

If you’ve ever used the Starbucks app, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a fun way to earn rewards while you get your coffee fix. Every time you make a purchase, you can earn Stars that can be redeemed for discounts or free items at select locations.

©Starbucks

Unfortunately, the full use of this reward system is typically only available at actual Starbucks storefronts (think stand-alone locations, not those inside of Target, grocery stores, or bookstores.) That means that while you can take full advantage of this perk at Starbucks stores inside Disney Springs, it gets a little complicated when you visit the Starbucks locations inside the parks. But, don’t worry! There is still a way for you to earn Stars when you’re on your Disney trip.

Starbucks in Disney Springs

First, make sure you have the Starbucks app, and load up a digital gift card. You can do this by purchasing a physical gift card and transferring it into the app, or by sending yourself a digital gift card through the Starbucks website. Keep in mind that Starbucks locations inside the parks don’t sell gift cards, so you’ll have to have them prepared ahead of time. Once you have an account set up, you can start earning rewards!

Main Street Bakery

The simplest way to use this system is by paying for your Starbucks purchase with a digital gift card in the app, where you will earn 2 Stars for every dollar spent. If you prefer, you can also link a credit or debit card to the app and pay that way. When you use this payment method, you’ll earn 1 Star for every dollar spent. Both methods work in the parks, but you earn double the stars if you use a digital gift card.

©Starbucks

Oftentimes, however, Starbucks will run a challenge where you can earn even more Bonus Stars. For example, here the app gives me a way to earn an additional 50 Stars (on top of the base Stars that I earn for every dollar I spend) by making specific purchases within a certain time frame. At a typical Starbucks, you would “Start” a challenge, and every time you made a qualifying purchase, the app would track it and give you credit toward the challenge.

©Starbucks

Unfortunately, you won’t get credit for challenges with purchases made in the parks. To illustrate, I started off with 50 Stars in my account when I opted for the “Order any Cold Brew 2 times” challenge.

©Starbucks

I then went to Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom and ordered a Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, paying with the digital gift card in my app. This totaled to $5.10, so I should get 10 Bonus Stars (2 for every dollar spent), and also get credit in the challenge for buying a Cold Brew.

©Starbucks

However, since this was inside of the parks, I didn’t get the full credit. While I now have 60 Bonus Stars (an additional 10 Stars from the $5 spent), the app does not recognize that I purchased a Cold Brew.

©Starbucks

Also, if I wanted to redeem these Stars for something, I would not be able to at the Starbucks locations inside of the parks — but I could redeem them at the ones inside of Disney Springs.

Starbucks on the West Side of Disney Springs

So, if you will be heading to a Starbucks location inside the parks, make sure you have your app prepared to start earning rewards! You can still scan and pay that way and earn rewards inside the parks, you just won’t get credit for challenges. But, if you’re buying a coffee every day, you just might save up enough stars to get something for free on your trip home.