Disney Visa Card

[ganggreen4jc]

For the past several years I've been getting the junk mail to get a "Disney Visa Card," along with every other banks great deals on a new credit card. I've already got my longtime Visa card through my bank (which shall remain nameless, but it's a "bank" and it's in "America") and an AMEX card, so what do I need another credit card for?

Now I'm going to WDW (July 05') for the first time and, most probably, the last time. I am, however, a Disneyland AP holder here in so Cal.

Are there any benefits to having a Disney Visa Card for my situation? If I got one now, how could it help me on my July trip or maybe for the next year at Disneyland.

 

[DisneyMama629]

The only thing that the Disney Visa is good for right now is 6 months no interest on vacation packages. They used to send out discount codes but I haven't gotten one in ages.

 

[LucyStorm]

I use mine for everything and pay it off at the end of the month. I currently have about $500 in credits to use for my next Disney trip. So for me, it is worth it. But I would say no unless you pay it off each month, and have plans for a trip.

 

[Ilovestitch]

Now I'm going to WDW (July 05') for the first time and, most probably, the last time.

That makes me so sad.... maybe once you see how awesome WDW is, it won't be your last trip

 

[kirbsam]

the card gives you 1% return. totally useless without discounts on wdw. every other reward card gives you more. at this point it is a gimmick.

 

[4theloveofdisney]

IMHO, if you are going in July, you really will not have time to accumulate many points.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Count me in among the disgruntled. I'm a "charter member" . Never used a single discount. Once they had a double point month but good grief! Yes, I've racked up some points but nothing better than my Discover card can do with much more hassle.

 

[TBBUCS1]

IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU LOOK AT IT, FOR US WE HAVE ALWAYS PAID OUR BILL OFF AT THE END OF THE MONTH SO WE LOOK AT THE $300 WE ACCUMULATED AS A FREE PASS FOR ONE OF US FOR 7 DAYS FOR REALLY NO EFFORT ON OUR PART. SURE THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHER CARDS OUT THERE THAT OFFER MORE BUT WE LOOK IT AS A WAY TO SAVE FOR SOMETHING WE REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO. ALSO JUST THIS PAST JAN THEY OFFERED US A CHANCE FOR OUR FAMILY OF FOUR TO SEE DISNEY ON ICE FOR $20 INSTEAD OF $60. THIS MAY NOT BE GOOD FOR YOU RIGHT NOW BUT DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU SPEND EACH MONTH IT MAY GET YOU A FREE AP SOME DAY FOR DISNEYLAND.

 

[cinderkellee]

I would have to agree, for me the card is pretty much useless. I don't use my credit card a lot so I don't accumulate points. If you were going to be charging a lot of items then maybe it would be worth it.

 

[joliesmom]

Keep an eye on the status of your card. I was a charter member, didn't have too many points but had enough. When I called about redemption they told me my account was closed so I couldn't redeem my points. Honestly I never received any notification, and they told me that they don't have to notify me. I recommend using your card to keep it active. I later found out that the same thing happened to a frien of mine that was keeping the card for a trip.

 

[kirbsam]

hey jolies mom, thanks for the advice. That is good to know.

 

[miste76]

I agree with some of the above responses.... I use my Disney Visa for everything... gas, groceries, wal-mart, I even had to have my roof done this week and put the charges on the card... EVERYTHING -and then at the end of the month, I pay it off in full. I'm never charged any interest. So now I've earned some extra spending money for my trip this summer.
I never had a credit card before this... only a checking card - so to me, this was free money.

 

[disney1990]

We use our Disney Visa Card for everything too. It was nice to be able to buy advance tickets for the Lion King (Baltimore, Maryland) because we had the card.

 

[disney junky]

I have to agree with some of the above posters. I am also a charter member. We charged our DVC purchase with the card....lots of points. Since we only travel to our home resort every two years or so, we have a good bit of time to accumulate points, and every so often, as in right now, they are giving bonus points for purchases of a certain category over $350 per month (I understand from others that this varies from individual to individual). I also channel pretty much everything I can through the card, and I figured I'd have a whole lot more than I currently do for our trip this summer. We'll have over $500 to spend, nothing to sneeze at, but as someone else mentioned, I would have done better with my Discover Card just in cash back bonuses. When the initial offering came out, I was enticed by the novelty of it being Disney, knowing we travel there at least every couple years, but the promise of specials and bonuses hasn't proven to be as advertised (perhaps I was overly optimistic).
After this trip, I will take a closer look at what I have gained and whether or not to continue using it the way I do now. If your trip is in July, unless you charge mega bucks, it's unlikely that you will rack up too many points.
On another note, a few years ago I was standing in line with some first timers from the west coast. We struck up a converation. Family of four. They had been to DL often and were leaving MK. There comments were, this is nice, but it's just like DL. Later in the week, I ran into them again after they had visited Epcot and MGM (AK wasn't open yet) and they were thrilled. This is sooooo much bigger and there is soooo much more to do, they found. Hope the OP finds the same experience. There's nothing quite like it!!!!

 

[Barbday62]

We have one too and I see it as free oney too but beware. If you dont pay off the balance each month the interest rate is outrageous!! If it werent for the free money I would cancell because we have the ighest credit and certainly qualify for a better rate else where. I do pay off my balance every month.

 

[rigsby25]

If you pay by cash or check for anything you should rethink this. We have been doing this for years. We just accumulated enough points on our Bank One Six Flags card to get a family pass. 15,000 points. It would have cost us about 280.00 without the points. We recently got a Disney card. I think about a month or so before our trip. We only had 28 points, but that was a round of frozen margaritas at the cantina in Epcot while we watched illuminations. Pay off the balance each month and it is the same as using cash - only you get money back or free stuff. If you put all your groceries, your clothes, your doctor/dentist bills, your cable bill, etc. you will have a lot of points before July. If you spend 2500 a month on household expenses, use the card and you will have 125.00. Enough for some counter meals or refreshments at the least.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

I use my card like a lot of the others here, I charge all of my groceries, gas, etc. on the card and then pay it off every month. I believe I'm at the $300+ level right now. Beware, once you transfer reward money to the redemption card, it DOES expire at the end of that year. I ended up with $80 that I had to spend by December 31st. Fortunately, I checked the date on the card right before I left for WDW on December 3rd. I didn't have any trouble spending the eighty bucks at the park!

One big beef about the card: when it first came out, the Disney people made it sound like it would be a replacement for the Magic Kingdom Gold Club Card. It has nowhere NEAR the benefits. I used to save a frikking fortune with the MKGCC, something like $500 off our trip each year, not to mention the 10% discount from the Disney Store. There is no way I could charge enough on the card to earn $500 worth of points with the Visa card.

 

[mikewdw]

i have heard that if you charge your wdw package on the card you get $250 in reward dollars? any truth to this.
thanks,
mikewdw

 

[mommiechewie]

we got the care basically for the extra disney dollars and the free interest thing. we are cancelling it after the trip. (after we get our rewards settled)

 

[rarrington]

I haven't received any informatoin about $250 reward dollars for charging a trip - but that would be a great thing! I'm also interested to see if anyone else has heard of that.

CT May 3-10, 2005