Best savings tips for Disney/DVC expenses?

[noisykid]

Most of us with DVC contracts have a decent amount of Disney expenses - Dues, APs or tickets, Food, merch, never mind flights for those that aren't local. So what are your favorite methods to save a bit more? Gift Card sales seem the most obvious, though for many of us with cash outlays in the many thousands a year, buying and managing all of the gift cards can be tedious. Any other tips?

 

[RuntheMouse]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/new-disney-visa-inspire-card.3978220/
Check out the new Disney Visa card. Lots of savings with that one!
https://disneyrewards.com/compare-credit-cards/

 

[byurick]

We don't buy LLs and try to limit meals when we're there. We often will just have a snack instead of a full lunch for example. My wife and I will share a soda and QS food. Little things like that, but they add up when you go often.

 

[noisykid]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/new-disney-visa-inspire-card.3978220/
Check out the new Disney Visa card. Lots of savings with that one!
https://disneyrewards.com/compare-credit-cards/

The problem with that new card is that most of its perks are redundant, non-existent, or insignificant in regards to the major costs of being a DVC owner (dues, AP, flights, Food & Merchandise discounts). It seems more directed at people who are not yet DVC members but visit often on a cash-basis.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I do what you do. I buy as many gift cards as I can without it being tedious. I use whatever credit card gives me the best rewards which means often using 2 or 3 different cards in a single trip.

I like the idea of the new Inspire card, but my spends are a lot more than $2k/year. So, I might have to still use more than one card per trip.

 

[RuntheMouse]

The problem with that new card is that most of its perks are redundant, non-existent, or insignificant in regards to the major costs of being a DVC owner (dues, AP, flights, Food & Merchandise discounts). It seems more directed at people who are not yet DVC members but visit often on a cash-basis.

I consider the $100 back on $200 tickets as well as the $200 back on $2000 in folio charges significant. $10 monthly Disney+ credit and 3% at Disney. The sign up bonus is solid as well.

 

[noisykid]

I do what you do. I buy as many gift cards as I can without it being tedious. I use whatever credit card gives me the best rewards which means often using 2 or 3 different cards in a single trip.

I like the idea of the new Inspire card, but my spends are a lot more than $2k/year. So, I might have to still use more than one card per trip.

Yeah, the gift cards' savings are hardly worth it though. Even at 10% off, if you buy $1000 worth of GCs you only save $100.

 

[wnielsen1]

The problem with that new card is that most of its perks are redundant, non-existent, or insignificant in regards to the major costs of being a DVC owner (dues, AP, flights, Food & Merchandise discounts). It seems more directed at people who are not yet DVC members but visit often on a cash-basis.

There's no problem with the new card as long as you get the signup bonus. After a year, downgrade or get rid of it if it isn't working for you. If you are a Disney+ subscriber and you are not getting a credit from one of the AmEx cards that offer it, the value equation becomes that much better for this new card especially in the first year.

 

[Orbiter_Fan]

This isn't Disney specific, but the Companion Pass with the Southwest card has saved us at least 5 figures since covid on flights.

But as with most things, it comes with caveats. The main one being, you either need to fly a lot each year or spend a lot more on the card to earn it. We have a large household and put everything we can on the card; for us, it makes sense bc it's money we are spending anyways. If you had to spend extra on things you may not normally buy to earn enough CP points, it kinda defeats the purpose.

Also, your airport needs to have good SW routes and times, which ours does.

Since covid, I have been to Hawaii, Vegas (x5), Cancun (x2), Punta Cana, Orlando (x9), Tampa (x2), Ft Lauderdale, and Savannah (x3). 2 or 3 of the domestic flights I flew Allegiant (don't remember which ones) the rest I was on SW as a free companion.

Additionally my wife (the primary) has always paid with points and most of my kids' flights were on points too.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I consider the $100 back on $200 tickets as well as the $200 back on $2000 in folio charges significant. $10 monthly Disney+ credit and 3% at Disney. The sign up bonus is solid as well.

Those are good in their own right. With the sign up bonus, it's hard to imagine it not being a good deal for someone who spends a lot on Disney vacations.

If my husband applies in the next month, we'll save $650. within about 2 months between the sign up bonus, the money back on the folio minus the annual fee.

 

[samsp99]

I consider the $100 back on $200 tickets as well as the $200 back on $2000 in folio charges significant. $10 monthly Disney+ credit and 3% at Disney. The sign up bonus is solid as well.

I was questioning the value of the card for a DVC owner with an Amex (which covers Disney+). There is not going to be much benefit for annual dues. I generally route those through giftcards.com with their black friday offers that get you 10% off. Chase usually has another offer that can be stacked with it for an additional 5%/1000 which is $50.

As a DVC member, I don't usually have hotel charges, but if you can charge everything to the room, and then pay for that with the card, then you can probably hit the $2000 threshold, especially with dining over a couple of trips. Has anyone verified if that counts?

 

[buzzandzurg]

My best investment over the years has been a good cooler backpack. I get up early and make sandwiches for everyone for lunch (after my morning run around the Boardwalk) and pack drinks as well as grapes and pringles (can is so helpful so they don’t get smashed). Minimal expense for lunch and we are also not caught up in a long line ordering or deciding where to eat. Then we always do a table service dinner. Breakfast in the room and bringing in lunch as well as drinks and snacks is a huge money savings if you are up for it.

 

[zackiedawg]

I consider DVC a savings in its own right, since it saves me considerably on my 4-5 stays a year vs if I paid cash for 1-bedroom villas...and the annual pass is also a savings since I hit the parks 20-30 days a year, often switching between parks, so buying individual or trip passes with park hoppers would be more expensive than the AP.

But in general, my biggest 'savings' when traveling to Disney is probably breakfast. I never eat breakfast at restaurants - I take advantage of the full kitchen in the villa to make my own breakfast, which I enjoy more because I don't have to change or get dressed up, can lounge around my villa or the balcony with some coffee, make eggs or waffles and bacon and toast and have a good, hearty breakfast before heading out. I also don't do table serve lunches - I generally do quick serve or booths and do a small lunch - and I splurge on dinner where I tend to do some signature dining or hearty meals with appetizers and cocktails. In the end, I'm not technically saving money since those dinners come to as much as a cheaper table service would be for lunch AND dinner, but skipping breakfasts out and light cheaper lunches gives me the space to spend on the dinners, as well as evening alcoholic cocktails with friends.

I also stick to Disney transportation 98% of the time, even though I have my own car while there - saves worrying about parking fees, Minnie Vans or Lyft costs, etc.

I never do Lightning Lanes, MMBs, and other upcharge items. They're not worth it to me in general, and also bother me on principle (once free stuff that's no longer free, and the pay more to get slightly faster or priority access to things that used to come as first-come-first-serve).

 

[DanCali]

Gift Card sales seem the most obvious, though for many of us with cash outlays in the many thousands a year, buying and managing all of the gift cards can be tedious. Any other tips?

You can manage it pretty easily.

First, you can just prepay dues as you buy gift cards (we don't pay monthly). By the time I get the annual dues bill, I've prepaid most of them at last year's rate so I don't have a lot due, which is actually nice.

Second, you can transfer funds between gift cards on the Disney gift card website, and manage up to 6 cards there. So that way, you can put aside up to $5000 (up to $1000 per card, keeping 1 "slot" temporarily open for new cards you purchase), and it's easy to keep track of as long as you keep those 5 physical cards so you can use them when needed.

So (i) buy a new card, (ii) add it to the website, (iii) transfer the funds to one of those 5 cards you actually keep, and (iv) delete the new card from the website to keep a "slot" open. You can use the cards from the website when you need - pay dues, pay for a trip, pay for a cruise (even if purchased via Costco), onboard credit for a cruise, etc.

Once you transfer the funds via the website to one of your "permanent" cards, you can dispose of it. Or just keep all of them and see how high they pile up over time