Any Advice for Getting the most bang for my buck?

[KarenP64]

I'm wondering how best to spend the least on our upcoming trip.

We currently have a Citi card that gives us 2% back on purchases/payments.
I see the Disney Premiere Visa card gives 2% Disney rewards on some specific purchases & only 1% on others, but the $200 credit sounds nice (minus the $49 annual fee).
We have a Target card that gives 5% back & I'm assuming I can still purchase Disney gift cards & have the 5% back.??

We want to:
1) Reserve Disney resort (ideally, I would like to use my Citi card for this so we get the Travel Insurance that comes with its purchases
2) Tickets from Undercover Tourist or our local credit union or other 3rd party seller (whichever is less)
3) Disney gift cards for food/souvenir purchases

My feeling is that I could use the Citi card for our reservation & tickets & the Target card for the Disney gift cards, but I'm wondering how I would use the Disney Visa card to purchase $500's worth with something that gets us the 2% (instead of just 1%) & make this all work out in the best way.

Any advice would be much appreciated!! TIA!

 

[verleniahall]

using the target card to get a discount has been carrying marely - sometimes u will get it, sometimes you wont - just a heads up

 

[Klayfish]

Getting the most bang for your buck is all about your wants and desires. There's no right or wrong to it. We do a lot of things that others may not, but it not only saves us money, it's what we want to do.

We buy our tickets from UT and then convert them to APs. Plenty of people do that, so nothing unusual there.

We stay off property. Money aside, it's the only way we'd go to WDW. Staying on property would be horrible for us. From a money perspective, for the price of a "Value" resort on property, we get a 4 bedroom, 2-3 bath condo townhouse with full amenities. We just stayed there for 17 nights and spent something like $1600 all in...taxes and all.

We pack all of our food. We literally spend between 50-80% less than those who buy their food at table service or quick service. I didn't track it exactly, but I'll bet we spent less than $750 total in food for that 17 day trip...and that's to feed our family of 5, including 2 ravenous boys. That includes buying treats and a few meals at restaurants.

We don't buy many souvenirs on property. Gift shops off property have stuff far cheaper.

 

[Marionnette]

I'm wondering how best to spend the least on our upcoming trip.

We currently have a Citi card that gives us 2% back on purchases/payments.
I see the Disney Premiere Visa card gives 2% Disney rewards on some specific purchases & only 1% on others, but the $200 credit sounds nice (minus the $49 annual fee).
We have a Target card that gives 5% back & I'm assuming I can still purchase Disney gift cards & have the 5% back.??

We want to:
1) Reserve Disney resort (ideally, I would like to use my Citi card for this so we get the Travel Insurance that comes with its purchases
2) Tickets from Undercover Tourist or our local credit union or other 3rd party seller (whichever is less)
3) Disney gift cards for food/souvenir purchases

My feeling is that I could use the Citi card for our reservation & tickets & the Target card for the Disney gift cards, but I'm wondering how I would use the Disney Visa card to purchase $500's worth with something that gets us the 2% (instead of just 1%) & make this all work out in the best way.

Any advice would be much appreciated!! TIA!

The Premier Disney Visa earns 2% at grocery stores. Use the card for your groceries. If you need to "pad" your spending to meet the minimum spend, buy a Visa gift card if the store puts them on sale where they either waive the activation fee or offer an incentive like double fuel points or a coupon for $ off your next grocery order. The Visa GC can be used for whatever purpose you deem fit.

Think about the % savings on tickets from the 3rd party sellers. If it doesn't exceed 5%, you are better off using your Target REDCard to purchase Disney GCs for the 5% discount and then buying the tickets directly from Disney.

Another possibility, if you're a Sam's Club member, would be to order 3-packs of $50 Disney GCs and pay with the Disney Visa. You will only get 1% back but it will help toward the minimum spend. The price for the Disney GCs would be $142.98, which is a 4.68% saving. Not quite the 5% the Target REDCard gets but when you factor in the 1% back with your Disney Visa, it's actually a better deal.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

using the target card to get a discount has been carrying marely - sometimes u will get it, sometimes you wont - just a heads up

I've always received 5% off buying Disney GC at Target using my RedCard (most recently as last week). This discount still stands. Although it could be revoked/changed at any time.

 

[disneedee]

before getting the disney visa you should check out the i love credit cards thread. just read the last 10 pages to get an idea of the possiblities.

 

[Marionnette]

before getting the disney visa you should check out the i love credit cards thread. just read the last 10 pages to get an idea of the possiblities.

I totally agree! The Disney Visa, especially the premier version, is a lousy rewards card. There are much better ones out there. I second the suggestion to check out that thread if the OP has not already jumped on the Disney Visa offer.

 

[KarenP64]

I totally agree! The Disney Visa, especially the premier version, is a lousy rewards card. There are much better ones out there. I second the suggestion to check out that thread if the OP has not already jumped on the Disney Visa offer.

Great tips everyone & I really appreciate you taking time to give them! I haven't applied for the Disney Visa card yet; I was just thinking the $200 Disney rewards ($150 after annual fee) would be a nice big chunk & then I could close it out after a year so I don't continue getting the annual fee. But, I do see that the Disney gift cards at Target would be best. (When I put them in my cart online, they are giving the 5% off on my account.)

Here's my next concern though. If I pay for everything with Disney gift cards, I'll have no way to get my money back if necessary, right? I could only get Disney gift cards in return if something comes up & we have to cancel our trip. If I have to buy travel insurance, it almost negates our gift card savings. (We're looking at a $4000-4500 trip for the 2 of us & we have some health issues that makes me lean toward using the Citi card for the free travel insurance; also, if we bought paper tickets through Undercover Tourist, they have the money back guarantee.) So, trying to weigh out saving the most while protecting ourselves too...

 

[Marionnette]

Great tips everyone & I really appreciate you taking time to give them! I haven't applied for the Disney Visa card yet; I was just thinking the $200 Disney rewards ($150 after annual fee) would be a nice big chunk & then I could close it out after a year so I don't continue getting the annual fee. But, I do see that the Disney gift cards at Target would be best. (When I put them in my cart online, they are giving the 5% off on my account.)

Here's my next concern though. If I pay for everything with Disney gift cards, I'll have no way to get my money back if necessary, right? I could only get Disney gift cards in return if something comes up & we have to cancel our trip. If I have to buy travel insurance, it almost negates our gift card savings. (We're looking at a $4000-4500 trip for the 2 of us & we have some health issues that makes me lean toward using the Citi card for the free travel insurance; also, if we bought paper tickets through Undercover Tourist, they have the money back guarantee.) So, trying to weigh out saving the most while protecting ourselves too...

IIRC, there is a restocking fee for returning tickets to UT. They are also nonreturnable if you have linked them in MDE. I'm guessing that you would want to be able to link them at least 60 days in advance to take advantage of FP+ reservations. So, while the UT guarantee is good to have, it does have its pitfalls.

Since you're talking about getting your tickets from UT, that tells me that you are expecting to make a room-only reservation. Room-only reservations can be cancelled with 6 days or more remaining until check in with no loss of your deposit. The balance of a room-only reservation can be paid on check in using a credit card or GCs. You can weigh the risks vs the cost as to whether the chances of having to cancel 5 days or less prior to arrival can be a real possibility.

However, you are correct that sinking your money into Disney GCs is a one-way street. You cannot get cash back for canceling a trip paid for with GCs. You get the funds refunded to the GCs they came from. For some people, that's not an issue. They know that if a trip gets cancelled, there will soon be another one to pay for. But if you think that there's a very strong possibility that you will have to cancel and not plan another trip, then don't invest in Disney GCs.

 

[KarenP64]

However, you are correct that sinking your money into Disney GCs is a one-way street. You cannot get cash back for canceling a trip paid for with GCs. You get the funds refunded to the GCs they came from. For some people, that's not an issue. They know that if a trip gets cancelled, there will soon be another one to pay for. But if you think that there's a very strong possibility that you will have to cancel and not plan another trip, then don't invest in Disney GCs.

I just had a thought/question: If I purchase trip insurance, then if something comes up & I've paid for the trip (through Disney) with Disney GCs, wouldn't we get cash back from the insurance?

 

[kaytieeldr]

That's a question you need to address with the insurance company.

 

[Marionnette]

I just had a thought/question: If I purchase trip insurance, then if something comes up & I've paid for the trip (through Disney) with Disney GCs, wouldn't we get cash back from the insurance?

If you cancel and get your funds back (on a credit card, debit account or gift cards), then your insurance considers you to have been made whole. You can't get money back on your gift cards AND get cash from your insurance company.

 

[leebee]

Disney VISA (the premier one, $99 a year annual fee) will give you 2% back for groceries, gas, and restaurants, and 1% for everything else. I like using my Disney VISA for everything. Points are there, earmarked for Disney (although you can also use them for airfare- haven't looked into that because we have Southwest rapid rewards points), and I can use them for anything at Disney (including hotel, tickets, food, souvenirs, etc), as well as at restaurants at Disney Springs, and also through specific travel agencies. It's "free" money, as I would be making the everyday purchases anyhow. With buying Disney gift cards, you are still spending your own money just for Disney, even if you get the 5% off using the Target card, and of course it's a one-way street. Between incentive gift cards (when I opened our accounts Chase was giving a $200 Disney gift card, not a statement credit) and rewards money, I had about $1800 in free money to put towards our last trip (took me about 30 months to save up this many rewards dollars). I was pretty happy with that!

 

[Livelovedance]

I second directing your questions to the credit cards thread (if you haven't already). Everyone there is extremely helpful. If you are willing to share your travel goals and the dates you opened your current credit card(s), they will give you specific advice on how to maximize your earnings! I consider them to be "credit card professionals!"

It honestly could seem overwhelming, but you can take their advice or choose not to either way. That thread moves VERY quickly, but I check it regularly and have gained so much helpful information. Everyone there is at a different level of credit card usage, and values rewards for different needs. Good luck with your decision!

 

[KarenP64]

If you cancel and get your funds back (on a credit card, debit account or gift cards), then your insurance considers you to have been made whole. You can't get money back on your gift cards AND get cash from your insurance company.

No, I didn't mean to get double back, I only meant that the insurance company would make me whole with cash back & I wouldn't need to worry I'd get Disney gift cards back which I may not be able to use in the future. Wasn't trying to cheat anyone.

 

[Marionnette]

No, I didn't mean to get double back, I only meant that the insurance company would make me whole with cash back & I wouldn't need to worry I'd get Disney gift cards back which I may not be able to use in the future. Wasn't trying to cheat anyone.

If you cancel, Disney is going to refund your money minus any cancellation fees. The refund goes back to the original method of payment. You're not going to be given the option to refuse the refund just so that you can make an insurance claim. You would only be able to claim the non-refundable portion of your trip.

 

[KarenP64]

If you cancel, Disney is going to refund your money minus any cancellation fees. The refund goes back to the original method of payment. You're not going to be given the option to refuse the refund just so that you can make an insurance claim. You would only be able to claim the non-refundable portion of your trip.

The scenario I worry over is that we'd have medical issues at the last minute or soon after arriving & we've already paid Disney (whether before the trip for a package or after arriving with RO) & we can't take our vacation (or only a partial one) for medical reasons. It's my understanding this is what insurance is for. I also thought, once Disney gets their money (whether paid with GC or cash or CC), they keep their money & you have to go through insurance to get it back. So, my goal is to figure out how best to protect ourselves worst case scenario. I have no goal of getting double money back & I wouldn't necessarily be able to use Disney GCs at another time.

 

[Livelovedance]

The scenario I worry over is that we'd have medical issues at the last minute or soon after arriving & we've already paid Disney (whether before the trip for a package or after arriving with RO) & we can't take our vacation (or only a partial one) for medical reasons. It's my understanding this is what insurance is for. I also thought, once Disney gets their money (whether paid with GC or cash or CC), they keep their money & you have to go through insurance to get it back. So, my goal is to figure out how best to protect ourselves worst case scenario. I have no goal of getting double money back & I wouldn't necessarily be able to use Disney GCs at another time.

I don’t know how getting refunds through Disney works, but I have heard that if/when you get a refund, it’s always back to whatever method of payment you used. Hopefully someone can comment on that.

If you can’t get a refund from Disney, it sounds like you have to decide between whether you want to use the credit card for the insurance, or use other methods to save more money. Then determine if using the second option and buying insurance would be cheaper. You might find opening another credit card that also includes insurance might be a better option too. I think you have to take some time and explore different scenarios, and compare the cost and benefits to each one.

Last week I was set to open the Disney Premier card, but I gave myself a week before applying. During that week I realized the benefits of the card weren’t worth the annual fee for me personally, and I’ve decided on another plan. Sometimes time can be your friend!

 

[KarenP64]

I don’t know how getting refunds through Disney works, but I have heard that if/when you get a refund, it’s always back to whatever method of payment you used. Hopefully someone can comment on that.

If you can’t get a refund from Disney, it sounds like you have to decide between whether you want to use the credit card for the insurance, or use other methods to save more money. Then determine if using the second option and buying insurance would be cheaper. You might find opening another credit card that also includes insurance might be a better option too. I think you have to take some time and explore different scenarios, and compare the cost and benefits to each one.

Last week I was set to open the Disney Premier card, but I gave myself a week before applying. During that week I realized the benefits of the card weren’t worth the annual fee for me personally, and I’ve decided on another plan. Sometimes time can be your friend!

Yes, I'm not sure if you read my original post or not, but that's exactly why I asked for advice here first, to explore all the options. And I also mentioned my current Citi card (which offers 2% cash for payments/purchases) has $1500 worth of travel insurance I can use toward my trip. The trip will be $4000-4500 total, so just considering best options. Thank you for your input!

 

[Livelovedance]

Yes, I'm not sure if you read my original post or not, but that's exactly why I asked for advice here first, to explore all the options. And I also mentioned my current Citi card (which offers 2% cash for payments/purchases) has $1500 worth of travel insurance I can use toward my trip. The trip will be $4000-4500 total, so just considering best options. Thank you for your input!

I did; to me it sounded like your last post was deciding between gift cards or your citi card, but there are so many more options than just those two.

If you open another card that has travel insurance you’re probably looking at a sign on bonus that could save you money and a 0% apr period so you have more time to pay it off without incurring fees. For example, I have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card. It has travel insurance and earns Chase Ultimate Rewards (which can be redeemed for travel expenses or other things as well). Every travel and dining expense earns 2x points. When purchasing travel through the Chase portal, the points are worth I think 1.25 instead of just 1 with a regular Chase card (I haven’t used it for that yet so don’t quote me!). The card has a $95 annual fee, but it’s waived the first year. There’s also the Chase Sapphire Reserved that has higher fee but also has a yearly travel credit and earns better rewards points.

I don’t have as much information on credit cards as the people on the credit cards thread, but I think there are many options to be explored!

ETA: I also think you need to explore exactly what the Disney refund policy is and compare the value of travel insurance for your trip.