ABD at Costco

[Bobo912]

Thanks! We just opened the Amex connected with Costco as well. Some of those rewards aren't bad; 2% for travel and gas is 3% everything else is just 1% but something extra and no fee as long as the costco card is up to date (they make sure they charge it directly!)

I have the Amex too and I love it. Besides all my Costco purchases, I use it for gas, restaurants and any traveling expenses. I charged the Tauck and Linblad trips on it this year too, so I'm going to have a big rebate.

 

[disneyfan55]

I have the Amex too and I love it. Besides all my Costco purchases, I use it for gas, restaurants and any traveling expenses. I charged the Tauck and Linblad trips on it this year too, so I'm going to have a big rebate.

Yes it's a pretty good deal. We just got it. Do they just credit you acct. annually or send a check? My Amex, blue credits the acct. I'm keeping that one since I had it many years in my name alone. Disney Visa (do you get the free 6 months no int. if you use it for the trip?) Sorry all the questions, thinking too much!

 

[sayhello]

Yes they are. That's good to know about booking as well.

People have reported that when you call the number Costco gives you to book it through them, it is answered by ABD.

Yes it's a pretty good deal. We just got it. Do they just credit you acct. annually or send a check? My Amex, blue credits the acct. I'm keeping that one since I had it many years in my name alone. Disney Visa (do you get the free 6 months no int. if you use it for the trip?) Sorry all the questions, thinking too much!

Yes, if you use the Disney Visa to book an ABD, you get the 0% interest for 6 months. The only thing you have to worry about is, if what you're booking is going to be over $10,000, you need to pay for it in multiple transactions, as the 0% interest for 6 months is only good for transactions under $10,000.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

Yes it's a pretty good deal. We just got it. Do they just credit you acct. annually or send a check? My Amex, blue credits the acct. I'm keeping that one since I had it many years in my name alone. Disney Visa (do you get the free 6 months no int. if you use it for the trip?) Sorry all the questions, thinking too much!

They send a check. I think you can just cash it at the service desk. I buy something every time I go in the store, so I usually just pay for my purchase and the cashier gives me back the remaining amount in cash.

You can still use your Disney Visa to pay for the trip even though you called the Costco number. Your call goes directly to ABD and you can pay by any method they accept. I always use the Disney Visa for ABD just to spread the payments out over a longer period of time and give myself the false sense that I'm not really spending that much. When our 2009 trip, which was booked through the Costco number, was cancelled and I called ABD to rebook, the ABD rep made sure we still got the cash card.

 

[disneyfan55]

People have reported that when you call the number Costco gives you to book it through them, it is answered by ABD.

Yes, if you use the Disney Visa to book an ABD, you get the 0% interest for 6 months. The only thing you have to worry about is, if what you're booking is going to be over $10,000, you need to pay for it in multiple transactions, as the 0% interest for 6 months is only good for transactions under $10,000.

Sayhello

Thanks. You can have greater than 10,000 as long as seperate. I always thought it was 10,000 total. Good to know! I don't know which is better 2% cash on the amex or 1% and zero interest for 6 months. Kind of break even maybe. When we do the zero interest, I always make sure I have the total before hand and just keep it in savings (now not much interest) and pay as needed until the expiration date.

 

[marcemch]

I may have missed something in the previous posts, but I assume (?) you can book through Costco AND use the Disney Visa to get the 6 month 0% financing?
It would be nice to have both - I paid for Christmas gifts for my family with the Costco gift card from our ABD Alaska trip!

 

[Bobo912]

I may have missed something in the previous posts, but I assume (?) you can book through Costco AND use the Disney Visa to get the 6 month 0% financing?
It would be nice to have both - I paid for Christmas gifts for my family with the Costco gift card from our ABD Alaska trip!

That's correct. You can book though Costco and pay with your Disney Visa and you will get the Costco cash card and 0% financing. I've done that on both of our ABDs.

 

[tufbuf]

I am just wondering, has anyone made separate bookings for their family? This Costco incentive is so tempting, but we also have enough DVC points to cover at least 1 adult for So. Africa (for example), which requires the highest number of points per person. I am thinking of booking 2 of us (we are a family of 3) using Costco and then 1 with DVC. We probably will be assigned separate rooms? But can ABD arrange it so even if it's 2 separate bookings, we can all be in 1 room? And is there an expiration for the gift card? I don't think we spend 2K in Costco a year so even if it is much less than that for 2 people, it should be okay.

 

[sayhello]

I am just wondering, has anyone made separate bookings for their family? This Costco incentive is so tempting, but we also have enough DVC points to cover at least 1 adult for So. Africa (for example), which requires the highest number of points per person. I am thinking of booking 2 of us (we are a family of 3) using Costco and then 1 with DVC. We probably will be assigned separate rooms? But can ABD arrange it so even if it's 2 separate bookings, we can all be in 1 room? And is there an expiration for the gift card? I don't think we spend 2K in Costco a year so even if it is much less than that for 2 people, it should be okay.

This is what ABD says about accommodations for the South Africa trip:

Note on Accommodations: Subject to availability:

• Parties of three are accommodated in one room with two double beds in Cape Town and Knysna. At Kapama, parties of three are accommodated in one room with one queen bed and one twin bed.

• Parties of four booked as a quad: In Cape Town, quads are accommodated in two connecting rooms with either one queen bed or two double beds. In Knysna, quads are accommodated in two connecting rooms, each with two double beds. At Kapama, quads are accommodated in two connecting rooms with either one queen bed or two twin beds.

• Parties of four booked as two doubles: In Cape Town, quads are accommodated in two connecting rooms with either one queen bed or two double beds. In Knysna, quads are accommodated in connecting rooms, each with two double beds. At Kapama, quads are accommodated in connecting rooms with either one queen bed or two twin beds.

So it seems that even if you booked all four together as one reservation, you'd still be in 2 rooms. They don't offer rooms for four. I'd call ABD and ask them if you can do one reservation through DVC, one reservation through them, and get the 2 reservations linked so that your rooms will be connecting. (ie, consider you a party of 4 booked as 2 doubles).

A *lot* of places outside the US don't offer much in the way of rooms for 4.

ETA: Sorry! I just re-read your post that you are a party of 3! D'oh! Never mind. I still recommend calling ABD and asking them if they'll accommodate you or not. I wouldn't ask DVC, they seem pretty inflexible from what I've seen. Plus, DVC makes you pay for the entire reservation upfront. So if you pay for one person with points, and do the other 2 as cash through DVC, you'll have to pay for the 2 cash reservations at the point that you make the reservation.

Sayhello

 

[Bobo912]

I am just wondering, has anyone made separate bookings for their family? This Costco incentive is so tempting, but we also have enough DVC points to cover at least 1 adult for So. Africa (for example), which requires the highest number of points per person. I am thinking of booking 2 of us (we are a family of 3) using Costco and then 1 with DVC. We probably will be assigned separate rooms? But can ABD arrange it so even if it's 2 separate bookings, we can all be in 1 room? And is there an expiration for the gift card? I don't think we spend 2K in Costco a year so even if it is much less than that for 2 people, it should be okay.

Actually it's not a gift card, but a Costco Cash Card. They don't expire. You can even recharge the card when you use up the funds, if you want to continue to use it. I think the cash card would probably be around $550 for two people on the South Africa trip. I'm sure they wll tell you the exact amount if you call.

 

[tufbuf]

Okay, I called and asked ABD. It can be done BUT we would have to be in 2 separate rooms plus the one booked alone, we will have to pay a single supplement fee (is that alot?). So I guess we will just alternate DVC and Costco, which will work. And yes, I am aware that DVC asks for the whole trip balance upfront.

 

[sayhello]

Okay, I called and asked ABD. It can be done BUT we would have to be in 2 separate rooms plus the one booked alone, we will have to pay a single supplement fee (is that alot?). So I guess we will just alternate DVC and Costco, which will work. And yes, I am aware that DVC asks for the whole trip balance upfront.

In my experience the single supplement has been between 30% and 40%.

Sayhello

 

[beachbunny]

Hijacking the thread back to the original topic, what sort of savings are people getting and with what tour?

Last year, Costco was running a similar promotion. For two adults going to Galapagos, we received a $400 Costco gift card.

They're being very cryptic this year. All the website says is $2000.

 

[Bobo912]

Hijacking the thread back to the original topic, what sort of savings are people getting and with what tour?

Last year, Costco was running a similar promotion. For two adults going to Galapagos, we received a $400 Costco gift card.

They're being very cryptic this year. All the website says is $2000.

Costco has always presented the information that way, although as I recall, a few years ago when the trips weren't as expensive as they are now the maximum was $1000. It's dependent on how much you spend on the trip, so it's different depending on which itinerary you book and how many people are traveling.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Dreams Unlimited Travel is running a similar promotion, but instead of a Costco card, you receive an American Express card good anywhere that accepts American Express.

Also, you receive your Amex card prior to departure.

 

[sayhello]

Dreams Unlimited Travel is running a similar promotion, but instead of a Costco card, you receive an American Express card good anywhere that accepts American Express.

Also, you receive your Amex card prior to departure.

Oooo, good to know!

Sayhello

 

[Sharkbyte]

Seriously! Thank you for this info. Can I go to the costco site for info??