Disney VISA card experience

[HeelMD]

We are thinking about changing to a Disney Rewards VISA and getting rid of our current airline miles card. I would love any comments any of you would have; good or bad. I know there is a $750 rewards dollars limit each year and you have to use them within five years.

I think this would work better for us than our current card given we can get such cheap airfares through the internet and we purchase Disney merchandise/trips quite often.

Would love any advice you would have. Thanks.

 

[lindakmonty]

I love it, I personally spent about 9k last year on Disney stuff alone, so I used the rewards and paid my tab at the end of the cruise

 

[jrabbit]

There are a couple of "gotcha's" that have gotten some posters here.

1) Yes, the points are good for 5 years, as long as you leave them on your account. Once you transfer the points to your "Reward Card" you have to use them before the card expires (maximum of two years)

2) Disney vacations can be paid off in 6 months interest free. However many people have reported that they have had to call and deal with frustraing customer service in order to get this to work, and they have to call EVERY month. For example, you charge $3,000 on a Disney vacation and in the same month you charge $2,000 and when the statement comes you pay the $2,000. The CC company applies the $$ to the 3k vacation first (because it's interest free). And then the interest meter starts running on the normal expenses of 2,000.

There is a third gotcha. If you do work out the interest free Disney vacations you have to make the final payment within the 6 months. THis means that you have to make the payment on the 5th statement after the charge because the 6th statement is beyond the 6 month limit and then you get to pay ALL of the accrued interest since the date if purchase.

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I have not personally experienced any of these problems. We haven't had any problems with the Disney Visa. Others have.

 

[mmouse37]

WE have had the card since day one and never had a problem...we always pay off each month so had no problems with interest free thing that some people do.

We have already earned almost $400 points (dollars) to use onboard for our cruise in August!!

 

[ash&abby'smom]

Also, the 6 month interest free is on disney packages only. I use my card all the time accumulating points towards her next trip which will hopefully be 3 or 4 day in 2007. I figure might as well earn towards something we would use.

 

[myboysmom]

We don't fly enough to warrent an airline type card, so this one is our first "rewards" card. We had earned enough for our 2004 trip to enjoy it on extras like pins for our boys (they really got into it!). We have also not had any issues with the card. Of course, both my husband and I tend to read over everything and if we don't get it we call.

It also gets lots of comments- our new card has the retro Mickey on it.

Our plans to use our rewards on our cruise for an excursion or two on our upcoming cruise.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

There are a couple of "gotcha's" that have gotten some posters here.

1) Yes, the points are good for 5 years, as long as you leave them on your account. Once you transfer the points to your "Reward Card" you have to use them before the card expires (maximum of two years)

2) Disney vacations can be paid off in 6 months interest free. However many people have reported that they have had to call and deal with frustraing customer service in order to get this to work, and they have to call EVERY month. For example, you charge $3,000 on a Disney vacation and in the same month you charge $2,000 and when the statement comes you pay the $2,000. The CC company applies the $$ to the 3k vacation first (because it's interest free). And then the interest meter starts running on the normal expenses of 2,000.

There is a third gotcha. If you do work out the interest free Disney vacations you have to make the final payment within the 6 months. THis means that you have to make the payment on the 5th statement after the charge because the 6th statement is beyond the 6 month limit and then you get to pay ALL of the accrued interest since the date if purchase.

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I have not personally experienced any of these problems. We haven't had any problems with the Disney Visa. Others have.

Pretty much sums up our experience with Disney Visa. So far, every "gotcha" they've thrown at us, we've gotton corrected... but it's taken alot of phone calls.


And one more "gotcha" we encountered this month... If you rebook on-board and get the 10% discount and stateroom credit, you DO NOT get the 6 months interest free (Disney considers that a double discount and doesn't allow it).

 

[kmermaid]

And one more "gotcha" we encountered this month... If you rebook on-board and get the 10% discount and stateroom credit, you DO NOT get the 6 months interest free (Disney considers that a double discount and doesn't allow it).[/QUOTE]


If you don't mind telling how much was your stateroom credit? I wonder if it is a better deal to book when the 2007 dates come out in Sept/Oct or wait until I do my Wonder trip in 4/06 to book a 6/07 Magic cruise?

 

[skibum]

We got the card when it first came out (Charter Cardmember), and have had a problem continuously, as stated with all the "gotcha's" posted previously.
No longer use it except for Disney items, so there is less confusion. Even just using it for Disney, things get messed up with no interest.
Granted, every time we call, things get straightened out, but I don't need the frustration, when other banks take care of us with no problem at all.
Some misleading stuff as well - double points they don't credit...
There are other credit cards that offer more - GM offers 5% which you can use towards a new car, Costco 2%...
Personally, I recommend you don't get it. I have stated on numerous posts before that Bank One (maybe it is better now that it is Chase) is terrible to deal with, and is not the sort of company that Disney should be affiliated with.

 

[NotSoLittleMermaid]

I got my Disney Visa after my first cruise last Aug. We did not rebook on board, and I had yet to get it when I made my deposit for my 6/11 cruise, so I charged that on a different card. However, I was able to charge my balance when it came due in April and am using the 6 mo. free int. to pay it off now. I called the CC co. at that time to make sure there would be no glitches (because I'd read on the boards about people having some problems), but it's all gone smoothly for me.

We booked onboard for next June and this time charged the dep. on my Disney card. Checked with co. just the other day and according to them I can get 0% int. on my dep. HooKooDooKu, maybe you should try again?

If anyone is thinking of getting the Disney card, be sure to check what promotion they're running. When I got mine, it was $25 Disney dollar credit for applying, but it seems to change.

 

[DisneyMom&Fan]

We have also had the card "since Day One" and we love it! I have used my points in the past to order matching sweat shirts from Disney Online for our family's Disneyland trip, and now I'm saving (over 500 at this point) to spend on our cruise in Sept. 2006.

I haven't had any problems with any of the "gotcha"s, and I have even been credited with my double rewards as promised.

We do pay our balance off every month, but I'm not sure if that makes any difference.

I say -- got for it!! Especially since you have 5 different Disney styles to choose from.

 

[HooKooDooKu]

If you don't mind telling how much was your stateroom credit? I wonder if it is a better deal to book when the 2007 dates come out in Sept/Oct or wait until I do my Wonder trip in 4/06 to book a 6/07 Magic cruise?

The current "on-board booking" offer I believe is 10% discount on current rates and a $200 on-board credit for any 7-night cruise.

 

[kcashner]

I'm also a "day one" card holder. The only problem I've ever had is not being credited as many points as I expected when they had a "bonus" or "double" points promotion. Yes, I use it for everything and am planning on it for my tip money for the next cruise!

 

[Jsme]

I use my every month for something or another and pay it off. Two weeks ago we went to Disney and I was able to "buy" every snack and drink and even breakfast right before we left with this card.
I already have 15 more points for the month of Juen another 19 coming (at least) for the month of July. I figure we canuse it again in November of 2006 for the F & W Festival.
I have not tried to use it for a Disney trip simply because I do not buy by trips with Disney. I was told you only get the 6 months free interest if your purchase your trip with Disney. I have read about lots of problems with the interest on a vacation. If I am correct there is lawsuit in process about this.

 

[pppiglet]

I have had no problems either and love the card. We had enough $ on it to pay for all our excursions and some onboard shopping!

 

[jenpan]

My least favorite thing about my Disney Visa is that I only get 1 point for every $100 I charge to the card. I have another Visa with Bank One and I earn 1 point for every $1 charged, so I build up points toward hotel stays much faster on that card than if I used the Disney Visa. Seems they could give a few more points that a ratio of 1 to 100.

 

[sln88]

My least favorite thing about my Disney Visa is that I only get 1 point for every $100 I charge to the card. I have another Visa with Bank One and I earn 1 point for every $1 charged, so I build up points toward hotel stays much faster on that card than if I used the Disney Visa. Seems they could give a few more points that a ratio of 1 to 100.

I agree. I get 5% on gas, groceries and drugstore purchases(and I get cash, so I can buy what I want), so I fail to see what is so great about this card. I do have one and will take advantage of any special I get from it(movie screenings, etc), but use my other card 99.9% of the time.

 

[buster478]

The payment being applied to the interest free portion of your card is correct. I had that happen to me and it was frustrating. They want you to pay the interest. The only way it works is if you start with a 0 balance make the vacation purchase and not charge anything else after that.

They did run a promotion the first part of the year where they doubled all points based on some requirements. It added up fast. Otherwise I have not had any problems.

 

[arlenesp]

My least favorite thing about my Disney Visa is that I only get 1 point for every $100 I charge to the card. I have another Visa with Bank One and I earn 1 point for every $1 charged, so I build up points toward hotel stays much faster on that card than if I used the Disney Visa. Seems they could give a few more points that a ratio of 1 to 100.

If you think about it for awhile you will realize they are the same 1% cash back programs.
Disney Visa is 1 dollar for every 100 spent each month and the other rewards program does give you 1 for 1 but the redemption is 2500 pts which is for the same $25.00. It just looks like you have accumulated more.

 

[dizneykids]

...my DH paid off the balance, but they held up our ability to use the card for 10 days. There was no reason to do this as we've always paid on-time, etc. When he questioned this, he was told that if he had paid even a dollar less than the balance (about $3K as we'd put our final payment on the card), that would not have happened. Figure that one!

One thing we learned just before our 6/4 cruise where we'd planned to use our points (but I forgot the card) is that you can get a replacement card at City Hall (we did this at DL, but it can be done at WDW as well...and there are more places at WDW to get the card). Then you have to call the bank back to have them load the card. DH said it couldn't be done, so I had to prove him wrong