Disney Visa --Good Idea

[WendyisDarling]

I am planning a trip for summer '09. I have a CC I pay off each month and enjoy the reward points.
However, I am wondering if getting a Disney Visa would be a better way to go with an upcoming trip.
I have been reading threads on here and read the information online. I still don't understand a few things. Maybe someone can clear things up?

You get one dream dollar per $100 spent. This one point is like one Disney Reward Dollar? Can someone clarify? "You must transfer to a valid redemption instrument" -- what is that? Do they put your rewards on a GC or something? How often does that happen--once a year, when you ask?

If I pay for my trip with the Disney Visa far enough ahead to get the redemption instrument, I am guessing I can use it in the Parks? Could I use it at the end of my stay to pay toward balance of misc. items charged to the room?

If reports are good, I will use it in place of my other CC reward program. Not sure if anyone can answer this...I have a Chase card with a 0 balance that has been in my name for 20 years. I haven't cancelled it because I've had it for so long. Do you think they can just switch it to a Disney Visa? I hate getting ANOTHER card.

Thank you for answering any of my questions.

 

[pfp258]

I have a Disney Visa plus a Chase that I have had in my own name-not in my husbands- for about 25 years. I rarely use the Chase but keep it as it was established by me and is independent of the credit my husband and I share.
The Disney Visa I have had for about 4 years. I have used it on four or five Disney trips. This summer I used about $220 in points on our Disney Cruise. I went to Guest Services and linked it to our room total. If I use it in Disney World, I generally just carry it with me and use it for dinners, snacks, souvenirs etc. Once I did apply it to our balance on our KttW card.
After you accumulate points they do require you to obtain a card (very easy to do over the phone) After they send it to you, you put your points on it right before your trip. (another phone call) There is an expiration date for any points uploaded.
Because we travel to Disney once or twice a year or do the Disney Cruise I have never had a problem with expiration dates.
Just be wise and always pay your credit card off each month or there is no advantage to this card.

 

[amcnj]

Hi. I have the Disney Visa and have used it. We basically charged everything to the room and then used the rewards card to pay the final bill. The only caution I have is that the rewards are basiaclly a 1% credit of what you spend. So if you have other cards that return higher percentages, use those first. For example I have a cash back card that earns 2% on gas, groceries and drug store purchases. You can earn up to $300 a year. I make sure to make all those sorts of charges to that card first, as you are earning twice as much as the Disney card would give you, and since the payout is in cash (a check) it can be used towards Disney if you wish. I actually use the Disney Visa as my card of last resort, only if I have maxed out the benefits on other more generous cards, and am waiting for a new earning period to begin. Of course any rewards are only worth it if you pay off the balances each month.

As stated above, the points need to be put onto a rewards card to utilize them. The card can be ordered by phone or I do it online. The card may be good for say 2 years, and then you can call or go online and move points to it as you accumulate them during its life. So that is another caution, to hang onto the card even after you have exhausted the points from it, as the card has a life span and can be reloaded.

 

[WendyisDarling]

Thanks for the help . The reward card I use currently is Hilton Am Ex. The last two years we have had enough points to go for a long Labor Day weekend that would cost OOP close to $1000 (other ways to get points than just spending $, but we put a lot of purchases on it -- and the hotel should be a more expensive category compared to what they charge, anyway). We would go on the Labor Day trip and pay OOP if we didn't have points.
I haven't found another card that gives me that big of a bang for my buck. I would have to get $1000 cash back to equal this one.

I don't know if Disney Visa would be the best plan, I will have to think it all the way through. Thanks for the help explaining, though.

Oh, yes, I definitely agree that no reward card is of any value if you don't pay it off each month.

ETA: Didn't take long to think it through. I would have to spend $100,000 to realize the same pay off. We don't put THAT much on the card. lol

 

[Golf4food]

It depends - if your card gives you more than 1% back then switching to a DV is probably not a great idea unless your reward is something useless (like airline miles these days, haha). If you get 1% on your card then the DV would be equal and it would just matter which type of reward would be more usefull.

 

[WendyisDarling]

OK, but what about the threads I have read about that give bonus dollars for groceries or gas (whatever, can't quite remember). There always seems to be some sort of conflict. But, if they do that often, that could add up.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

OK, but what about the threads I have read about that give bonus dollars for groceries or gas (whatever, can't quite remember). There always seems to be some sort of conflict. But, if they do that often, that could add up.

Where that gets squirrelly is here:

We buy almost ALL of our groceries at Super Target but Chase does not categorize Super Target as a grocery store, so no bonus.
Also, they put a minimum amount on each category and you have to EXCEED that minimum to get the bonus.
It is just a little trickier than it looks on the surface.

 

[WendyisDarling]

Where that gets squirrelly is here:

We buy almost ALL of our groceries at Super Target but Chase does not categorize Super Target as a grocery store, so no bonus.
Also, they put a minimum amount on each category and you have to EXCEED that minimum to get the bonus.
It is just a little trickier than it looks on the surface.

Thanks. I don't like that at all. I sort of see how it would be hard for them to say this amount was groceries and this amount wasn't to give proper credit. Still...I see where that would be frustrating. I don't like the idea of meeting the minimum first. I don't like playing games, kwim?

 

[mana_liz]

We use this card to charge everything. We've used the rewards points to pay for souviners and excursions on 3 Disney vacations and cruises. - usually at least $1000 Disney dollars each time. I also charge our vacations on it and get 6 months NO INTEREST to pay it off. It works out that I pay for the vacation after I've already been home. You also get special offers from through the card _ right you can get a free dining and a room discount on most dates through 2008.

 

[JCMHutch]

A friend of mine used her Dream Dollars and it payed for her stay at the Boardwalk and didn't pay for hotel. Now that my DH and I have a 10 day trip planned (1/2 of it off-site) we are going to accrue as many points as possible to help cover meals when we are not on the dining plan.

 

[akcire]

Hi
I have had my Disney Chase card for about 7 years. I have had no problems with the card, and used many reward dollars over the years.

My husband has been thinking about getting a card in his name only....because we use my card for all our recurring purchases telephone, internet, groceries, we never get any of the special offers such as 5X (since my card is used nearly daily--Chase doesn't feel the need to encourage me to spend more--it is paid in full monthly)

I have heard of an offer some people were getting with a $200 reward bonus upon first use, I think that is an offer that Chase is targeting to specific people.

I did find this offer I think on the Dis for a $100, I did not read the fine print so I don't know when it expires....hope this helps

http://www.firstusa.com/cgi-bin/web..._mickymont_100gc_altmed&page=cont&mkid=6HYQ01

 

[disneyfan55]

OK, but what about the threads I have read about that give bonus dollars for groceries or gas (whatever, can't quite remember). There always seems to be some sort of conflict. But, if they do that often, that could add up.

Some grocery stores and gas stations aren't coded with Disney Visa as such and that seems to have been the problem with the bonus dollars for some. Sometimes thresholds (the amount in the category you must spend each month prior to receiving the extra dollars) I received an offer for Oct - Dec with a 250 per month threahold but on ALL purchases. That's the best one I've ever received.

 

[jennyerin]

When we were in WDW in the end of August I learned that most of the stores in the parks and resorts now gave a 10% discount if you used your Disney VISA and spent more than $50. It used to be just World of Disney in DTD. The one thing I was told was that you had to ask for it. It was a nice perk. Does anyone know if it was a limited time deal or if that is the new policy?
Lynn

 

[disneyfan55]

When we were in WDW in the end of August I learned that most of the stores in the parks and resorts now gave a 10% discount if you used your Disney VISA and spent more than $50. It used to be just World of Disney in DTD. The one thing I was told was that you had to ask for it. It was a nice perk. Does anyone know if it was a limited time deal or if that is the new policy?
Lynn

I don't know if it's all the stores there but, yes, it's been a while for the 10% off.

 

[auralia]

they are being very difficult w/ who they give these to we have a Great credit score, well well above average (well above 700) only debt is morgage car. DH makes plenty of money for where we live, we pay our CC off every month w/o aproblem and have an emergencey fund and what I call a "funny money" account and chase denied us a disney visa for our upcomming trip and they hold our car loan!!!! so they gave us a car loan but (we purchased a modest car nothing too flasy/expensive) but the wouldn't give us a credit card ?

 

[disneyfan55]

they are being very difficult w/ who they give these to we have a Great credit score, well well above average (well above 700) only debt is morgage car. DH makes plenty of money for where we live, we pay our CC off every month w/o aproblem and have an emergencey fund and what I call a "funny money" account and chase denied us a disney visa for our upcomming trip and they hold our car loan!!!! so they gave us a car loan but (we purchased a modest car nothing too flasy/expensive) but the wouldn't give us a credit card ?

Who knows how they operate anymore or Amex for that matter. They try to get others to apply with all the free gift cards etc and deny and close out accouts-raise rates on GOOD customers and raise interest rates. There was a thread on how Chase frist raised rates for WaMu customers (they bought out Washington Mutual) and then after customers accepted the increased rate - they closed them anyway!!! Really not right. My daughter had one of these accounts with zero bal and they closed it and never even told her!!! She wrote about a month ago and no response yet.

 

[mrsklamc]

they are being very difficult w/ who they give these to we have a Great credit score, well well above average (well above 700) only debt is morgage car. DH makes plenty of money for where we live, we pay our CC off every month w/o aproblem and have an emergencey fund and what I call a "funny money" account and chase denied us a disney visa for our upcomming trip and they hold our car loan!!!! so they gave us a car loan but (we purchased a modest car nothing too flasy/expensive) but the wouldn't give us a credit card ?

What did your denial letter list as a reason? They have to give one even if sometimes they are BS.

(my last credit report said 'too many recent inquiries.' There was exactly one.So you're telling me, if anyone uses your service it becomes useless?)

OP the other thing to know about bonus rewards is that there's no way to know if or when you're going to be offered them. We've had ours about a year and have used it as a secondary card, a couple hundred dollars each month. I think next month I will stick them in the safe for awhile and see if we get any offers.