Disney Visa Card - are you using it?

[sparkspeak]

There have been quite a few posts about the new credit card and various strategies about when to use it. Have you changed your credit card use since receiving the Disney card?

 

[larry_poppins]

I still use my United Airlines Visa the most, but I am finding I use the Disney Visa a couple of times a month to generate a bill and a Reward Dollar.

 

[RoutemanDan]

I used it on our last trip.I seriously think I am going to cancel this card,the benefits aren't really there.The old MKC was the best,The Disney Club was so-so but this really doesn't seem worth it .

 

[lenshanem]

I ahve been using it instead of my check card. Whenever I use it I just go ahead and treat it like the check card and debit it from my check book. Then when the bill comes I just add it all up to make sure I match and write the check out. No surprises and the money is already deducted from my checking account. I'm up to about 70 reward dollars? I figure we'll at least have a nice meal for our next trip or even apply it towards one of our tickets.

 

[bnlbebes]

I was excited about the $30 I just cashed out to help pay for our Park Hoppers in a couple weeks. I know that the 1% is nothing compared to the 5% of a GM Card, but which is more fun to use?

I never really used the Disney Club or MKC before so the loss of other benefits doesn't matter much to me. I'll keep on charging, and maybe earn free tickets by my next trip.

 

[Caskbill]

I use it but it's my 3rd level card. By that I mean I use our GM card alsmost exclusively for most purchases. At 5% it's the best. However it has a maximum of $500 rebate earnings per year, so after $10,000 in charges it doesn't make sense to use it. So when we hit the $500 max rebate, we'll use a different card for the rest of the year. At this point I'm think that will probably be Disney.

Our 2nd card is a gas card which gives 3% rebate at the branded station, and 1% elsewhere. So we use that card exclusively for the local gas station we frequent, and try to stay with that brand of gas while traveling.

We charge absolutely everything to maximize the rebates. Groceries, gas, etc. Of course we also pay the full amount due each month. That's a must.

 

[JimC]

My wife uses it often. I use an Amex Rewards card and a 2% auto rebate Citicard. I use the Citicard until the max on the rebates (max is $500 each year), then the Amex for everything else. The Citicard is no fee and we don't incur finance charges so there is no cost to the cards. Hardly know what cash is anymore

Disney used to offer great discounts. It's shareholders got such fabulous discounts that Disney had a significant cadre of single share shareholders. Then came the early 1990s or there about and shareholders got not much more than a discount on the MKC -- but back then the stock price appreciation was enough to force management to split the stock, what two or three times in the 1990s). Not so now, mostly since the ABC purchase.

I wonder what Walt would think -- the company that funded DL and was a part owner of the project and gave Walt his entree into the TV medium which catapaulted him into the nation's living rooms would one day be owned by his company.

Anyway, the MKC had a real nice package of benefits but they did not last. The Disney club came about and the MKC benefits slowly were whittled away, yet the ticket, store and park food discounts still more than paid for the DC card if you were a significant Disney consumer.

Throughout Amex had a relationship with Disney and offered good travel packages and other discounts that easily paid for an Amex membership.

Then Disney Club and Amex relationship end and the Visa program is announced. All in all not a very impressive package, but we got a nice pin out of it. The 1% is nothing special but the maximum annual rebate is quite high. We will probably keep it as we frequent Disney enough to use the rebates without incurring additional expenditures and the card is fee free.

There seems to be a modern Disney patten here (like the DVC park ticket perk, AAA perks, AP perks and other preferred relationships). Start with something of real value, limit its duration or replace with something less (not the plussing of Walt's days). So I suspect that someday we will find a statement stuffer that reduces the maximum annual rebate, shortens the life of unused rebates, limits how they can be used or some other reduction of incentive. It is a fluid situation with Disney. One must constantly react to corporate initiatives and reassess how to interact with the company in the most cost effective manner.

At least the core offering -- entertainment. theming, great CMs and DVC resort value remain first class.

 

[CarolMN]

Never applied for it. Haven't yet seen any reason to regret that decision.

 

[DebbieB]

I've earned 30 reward dollars so far. It's the same as the 1% I get with my AOL Visa & Sears MasterCard. Even if you are not using it regularly, I would keep it in case they do come out with better discounts. I'm thinking maybe it will get better after the Disney Club ends in December. I'm mainly looking for a ticket discount (other than the rewards).

 

[MinnieGi]

I got the card b/c I was hoping for DS discounts to replace DC DS discounts that will be ending in Dec. If after the Dec. DC experiation no meaningful discounts are offered from the Disney Card then I will most likely be cancelling the card. For the majority of our credit card purchases we use our StockBack card. It has a standard 1% for everything but many major store chains that it has linked up with offer 2% or higher rewards.

 

[msdis]

We used our GM card too till we maxed it out and then started on our Disney Visa. Every year we would get the max then had about 6 mos with no earnings benefit so we are glad to have a back up card. Most other earnings card were not for us but will never have a problem spending our Disney rewards. I think we are up to 120-150 since March. The discounts are also a good benefit but have not been able to use any just yet. Towards the end we were not using our DC card for much and since with DVC we get 10% at the Disney stores that was a duplicate benefit. The one we miss most like everyone else were the pass discounts. But if you buy them early Disney offers a discount now so that is not as great a benefit as before. It's hard to keep up with every program and every benefit.

 

[buzz5985]

GM Credit card users - I'm curious. When you go to buy a car, are you still able to negotiate? Example. I want to buy a car. We settle on a price, and then do you tell the salesperson I have this rebate from the credit card. Or do you need to tell of the rebate first?

The Disney Card is the first rewards card I ever had. Also I would love to hear from people with credit cards linked to frequent flyer miles - but I don't think a fly enough for it to work out for me.

 

[sparkspeak]

Originally posted by buzz5985
The Disney Card is the first rewards card I ever had. Also I would love to hear from people with credit cards linked to frequent flyer miles - but I don't think a fly enough for it to work out for me.

Frequent flyer programs are now just called mileage programs and earn miles (usually 1 mile per dollar charged) through credit card purchases and other promotions as well as for miles flown. Airline affiliated cards usually have an annual fee and a generous mileage bonus for initial enrollment. [The value of miles using today's airfare costs is usually estimated at a minimum of $.01 per mile, but could be several times higher depending on how and when they are used. The value of Disney rewards is currently fixed at $.01 per dollar charged but there is no annual fee.]

 

[todsue99]

GM Credit card users - I'm curious. When you go to buy a car, are you still able to negotiate? Example. I want to buy a car. We settle on a price, and then do you tell the salesperson I have this rebate from the credit card

Buzz, Yes you can still negotiate. The money from the card comes from GMAC and really has nothing to do with the dealer itself. The money just gets deducted of the price like a rebate would. I bet that I have saved (guessing) 5-6 thousand on cars, because of the card. It is a good deal, but the max now $500/year. It used to be more, but I do not remember what is was.

I do use the Disney card quite often, even used it for a add-on a couple of months ago. Best of both worlds 100 more points and 74 disney dollars.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I've been using it for our home improvement costs lately (paint, new AC, etc. etc.) So far I have about $200 in Disney Dollars coming to me! That will pay for a nice park hopper for a few days.

(I pay my cc off each month, fyi.)

BTW, this post will probably be moved as it's off topic. If it's not moved, I'll be confused as my post last week regarding Osbourne lights being canceled (and could it be the reason there is availability at the DVC resorts this year in December). My post was removed and it made little sense on the rumors board as most people there are not DVC'ers, lol. I had to edit it, so they wouldn't think I was a (complete) idiot.

 

[sheryl0521]

We use it exclusively and we have $47 disney rewards so far. Planning on cashing them in soon for our August trip. We get quite a few comments on how cute the card is from the cashiers.

At least we brought a smile to someone's face in the grocery line!

Anyone have any experience on getting the dollar coupons from Bank One? Timeframe for delivery?

How about any experience in using the coupons at WDW. Any problems?

 

[sgtdilbert]

The major drawback of the GM card is that you need to purchase a GM vehicle!

I'm sure all that money you save will just go back into maintaining the car.

s.

 

[KNWVIKING]

"The major drawback of the GM card is that you need to purchase a GM vehicle! "

I operate a dealership service department. Those repairs are my breadand butter

I've redemed almost 10k in gm rebates over the years,but now i'm canceling the card because gm won't allow me to combine my card rebate with my gm employee discount. The higher selliing price basically cancels any rebate benifits.

So now my dis card is all I use. 1% is still better then nothing.

 

[Kelly&John]

I use the Disney VISA card almost exclusively. I changed from my Continental VISA card. I was planning on changing anyway. I wasn't going to pay the annual fee again.

I got my frequent flyer tickets and it would take too long to get another. I like the Disney VISA card because there is no annual fee and the redemption amounts are MUCH lower than airline cards.

Kelly

 

[RatherBeGolfing]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Discover card in this thread. We use it almost exclusively for purchases and get 1% on everything - if there is a max, we haven't hit it yet - charging $15000 or more per year.

The beauty of the Discover "rebate" is that I have choices about what to do with it. I can just get cash back. I can double my reward to buying "DiscoverCard member" gift cards. For example, last month I paid $20 for a $40 gift card to Red Lobster, paid $20 for a $40 gift card to Staples, did the same for a gift card at Borders.com (linked with Amazon, who honors the Borders cards) and got a 500 minute Sprint calling card for $20.

Now, to me, I'm doubling my cash back bonus each time I do this. Sure there is a wait sometimes for the gift cards (longest was about 4 weeks, shortest was 4 days) and there are some limitations (like you have to spend the whole $40 at Staples at one time - usually not a problem for me!).

Geez, it sounds like I'm a Discover employee, doesn't it? I'm not.

We've used the Disney VISA for a few things - I think I have $8.00 in Disney bucks. But, with no incentives above what I can get with Discover, I have no reason to use it, except where Discover is not accepted.

Of course, then I have an L.L. Bean card that gives me 1% in "Bean Bucks" toward merchandise, also free shipping and free monogramming (at least it used to). And, if you use the card to buy stuff at Bean, they used to give you 5% toward future Bean purchases - that may have dropped to 2%.....

Just my $.02,
Larry