Amex Rewards and Disneyworld trip....best way to use/redeem points?????

[58cognac]

I know that Disney and Amex severed ties in '02, but I'm just wondering if anyone has ever redeemed their points for gift cards/travelers cheques for their trips. We don't need airfare or hotel, so I'm just curious how others may have gotten the most "bang" for their reward dollars since I have so many accumulating. TIA

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

The point ratio for AMEX checques and AMEX gift cards is miserable, the rate is much better on merchant gift cards like restaurants (olive garden, red lobster, bonefish grill) or stores like Gap and Land's End. They also have Home Depot. The only time I have gotten gift cards for Disney is when we are eating off site and then I got restaurants.

Honestly, I would use them at Home Depot and take the money you were planning on spending at Home Depot for WDW, or for things like clothes for summer or fall (or for your next trip! )

If you spend a lot on AMEX, you may want to change to the Blue Sky card. You get 1.3 points per dollar and it can be used on any travel- I have used it on a rental car and timeshare exchange so far. When you get the statement you just go online and tell it you want to apply rewards to the bill and it will show you what charges are travel related.

 

[58cognac]

I noticed that not so great ratio for the cheques, etc. We use the AMex for everything and will be moving just enough rewards to onepass to get our roundtrip tix to Europe. I'll still collect the rewards, but won't send anymore to onepass after Sept. Sounds like my best move is to use the Gap/Kohls/Home Depot plan. Then I'll have to check out the Blue Sky card since we collect points quickly, might as well get more points! Thanks for the info

 

[HeatherC]

We always stay offsite as a family of five. I redeem the points for restaurant cards. We usually have about 5 or 6 nights of dinners paid for when we go.

 

[58cognac]

That sounds like the best plan for the points, then at least the meals are covered We're staying at the Fort, so we're going to make our own meals for the most part while there, though. So it sounds like we'll use the points for home purchases and then save the money we would've spent toward Disney.