Disney Visa - ?s - Points, Rewards, Dream Dollars, Disney Dollars

[MomlovesDad]

I have read SO many posts about the Disney Visa. Don't laugh, but I'm beginning to plan our next trip to WDW in Feb/March of 2006. (We've got a wedding next spring/summer, so no Disney then ).

I'm thinking I may apply for the Disney Visa, but have questions about the rewards. I've read that there is a point system, then reward dollars, possibly Disney Dollars, then Dream Dollars or something like that. I'm SO CONFUSED! Could someone let me know how you are using your Disney Visa to earn money for your next vacation and what exactly these different terms are and how you get them.

So grateful to whoever can help me out.
MomlovesDad

 

[lkohawaii]

I'm not laughing. About 8 months ago I started planning our WDW trip for X-Mas 2007. Everybody around me thought I was a nut case. Well, luckily for my reputation the West Coast Disney cruise came up and I have something to plan in between. From what I understand the Disney Visa earns you 1 Disney reward dollar for each $100. There is a catch. At the end of each month they award the reward dollars. They round it up or down according to your months activity. So if you spend $345 they'll give you 3 disney reward dollars but if you spend $355 they'll award you 5 dollars. You can use them at the Disney store, in the parks, or on the ships. Someone else may be able to tell you more maybe you can even use them on the hotels. Disney Dollars are dollars you buy from the Disney store. They are like currency to use in Disney. I hope this helps and that I'm accurate. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm not.

 

[MomlovesDad]

Thanks lkohawaii!! You have cleared up some of this for me at least. And thanks for not laughing! We just got back week before last and now we've got the bug. Well, at least the kids and I do. DH kinda missed our usual lazy vacation. I do Disney commando style - hehee.

Do you have any idea what people are talking about when they refer to the "points"? I wondered if they are the same as dollars?

Thanks so much
MomlovesDad

 

[MickeyMamma]

Points are reward dollars. You get a card (separate from your Visa card) that you can add points to.

You order the card from BankOne (no charge) and then you can keep adding points to it either by calling them and asking for them to be added or just logging in to your account and transferring them over.

The reward $$ is accepted at most (but not all) places that can take credit cards around the parks. You can also use them in the Disney stores. I think you can also use them at Disneyland and on the cruises, but I haven't done that yet.

Basically, we use it for day-to-day expenses that we pay off each month because that interest charge is a little high.

 

[MomlovesDad]

Thanks MickiMamma! That clears up the "points" question.
Now do you know if they acrue from year to year, or do you have to use them up by the end of the calendar year?

I see where people have $200+ on their DVC. WOW! That's $200,000 worth of charging, unless they got the double points. I wonder if I signed up I could get the double points for the next year? This may be the good thing about interest rates going up - if you pay off your DVC every year that is.

Thanks - MomlovesDad

 

[lkohawaii]

I've been studying this Visa thing so I can answer some of those questions. Your points expire 5 years from the date you earn them. I have 2 conflicting reports about the points/dollars once you request a card. One says the card and it's points that are on the card expire one year from it's original issue date another one says that they will expire in Dec. of the following year. Don't know which one is true. I do know you can use your points on the cruises that's what I'm using mine for. If you apply for the Disney visa call this number. They are offering 50 Disney reward dollars upon approval and using your cards once. Be forwarned they ramble off this looooong disclaimer so call when you don't have kids that need your attention. Call 1-888-215-3051 and use code 6Y7911 Thre have been some people on here who have been told this is 50 shipboard dollars but it's not. There is a 50 shipboard dollars deal out but this is for 50 reward dollars. Also there's an offer out for 20 or 25 dollars out but this one is for 50. Thre's a thread on the budget board about this. I don't know how to paste the link here but it's on the second page title $50 Disney dollars for opening a Disney Visa.

If you read the boards it seems like sometimes post cards come out to earn double points and it's after you've hit a certain limit. People are trying to figure out if it's how much they charge or where they live. I don't know if anyone has figured it out yet. Just gotta hope and wait for the post card. Hope this helps. People on these boards have taught me so much it's good to finally be able to contribute something here.

 

[lkohawaii]

I've been studying this Visa thing so I can answer some of those questions. Your points expire 5 years from the date you earn them. I have 2 conflicting reports about the points/dollars once you request a card. One says the card and it's points that are on the card expire one year from it's original issue date another one says that they will expire in Dec. of the following year. Don't know which one is true. I do know you can use your points on the cruises that's what I'm using mine for. If you apply for the Disney visa call this number. They are offering 50 Disney reward dollars upon approval and using your cards once. Be forwarned they ramble off this looooong disclaimer so call when you don't have kids that need your attention. Call 1-888-215-3051 and use code 6Y7911 Thre have been some people on here who have been told this is 50 shipboard dollars but it's not. There is a 50 shipboard dollars deal out but this is for 50 reward dollars. Also there's an offer out for 20 or 25 dollars out but this one is for 50. Thre's a thread on the budget board about this. I don't know how to paste the link here but it's on the second page title $50 Disney dollars for opening a Disney Visa.



If you read the boards it seems like sometimes post cards come out to earn double points and it's after you've hit a certain limit. People are trying to figure out if it's how much they charge or where they live. I don't know if anyone has figured it out yet. Just gotta hope and wait for the post card. Hope this helps. People on these boards have taught me so much it's good to finally be able to contribute something here.

P.S. on my origianal post I caught a mistake if you spensd $355 they'll reward you 4 disney dollars not 5..maybe I was wishing it was 5 instead of 4.

 

[MomlovesDad]

You are SO much more knowledgable lkohawaii than I! Thanks for all the great info! I've been following the post also about the 50 reward dollars after the first use.

I really wonder when these cards expire. I can't imagine just being issued a card for one year. I wonder if you can use your reward dollar card against an over the phone purchase? I ask this because we won't be able to go back to WDW until Feb/March of 2006, but I would LOVE to try to start saving right now, or earning rewards, or SOMETHING! It's just SO much fun planning - and a real downer when your back home! Thus I'm once again on a mission to find more ways to save money. DH is about to buy a good bit of lumber and I'm just dying to ask him to wait until I can find out if the purchase could count toward Disney Dollars. If I can use the rewards next summer towards a PHP or something that I can order over the phone, that would be GREAT!
I wonder if anyone has ever done that.

Thanks again Ikohawaii. Sounds like you've done a lot of reading!
I'm trying to catch up with you.
MomlovesDad

 

[lkohawaii]

Momlovesdad- you don't have to put your points onto the reward card ( I think that's what you call it) until you're ready. The points you earn are good for 5 years. When you're ready to use them you call the number and ask for a reward card ( I think it's like a debit card). That card once issued is only good for one year or the Dec. in the year after you receive it. So, you'll be o.k. with your points because you wouldn't have to ask for the card until like 2 months before you go which would be in March 2006. Sorry to have confused you. Yes, I woudl ask DH not to purchase his lumber until you get your card. I think I applied and received my card in about a week. I also thought of having my DH sign up for his own card. Then I'd get 2 sets of 50 reward dollars. Haven't gotten him to sit through another one of those disclaimers. I just made him sit through a United Airlines one through Bank One also.

P.S. The credit card is good until you close it. O.K. now that I think I clarified all my misclarifications I hope I didn't worry you.

 

[MomlovesDad]

WHEW!! Boy did that make me feel better! If you can acrue reward points, then that IS a great deal! Okay, I may just call today for mine.....
Thanks so much for the info!
MomlovesDad

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by MomlovesDad
...(snip).....I see where people have $200+ on their DVC. WOW! That's $200,000 worth of charging, unless they got the double points. ......

Actually, 200 reward dollars would mean $20,000 charged. (It's 1 reward dollar for every $100 charged). That's less than $2000/month - very doable for those who charge just about everything.

Hopefully, those who charge that much pay off the balance every month and have a good system for keeping track of all the charges. DV interest rates are high!

Best wishes -

 

[MomlovesDad]

Thank you for clearing that up CarolMN!! You are SO right - much more doable. I was about to stroke thinking I had to spend $200,000 to get $200. Another big "WHEW!" I could do that!
Thanks,
MomlovesDad

 

[swilphil]

I'm considering getting a Disney Visa for a trip in a couple of years. I think I understand how the points accumulate thanks to the explanations here. But I have a few questions and they may seem pretty obvious:

What exactly can you spend your rewards on once you get the card? It sounds like you can pay for your hotel/cruise. We have stayed at the swan/dolphin on our last two trips and we are using Dreams Unlimited for our upcoming trip. I may rent points at a DVC studio for our next trip, too.

Can you use the rewards card to buy park tickets from the Disney Store?

Can you use it to buy Disney Dollars from the Disney Store?

Can you use it to buy food anywhere in the parks or resort restaurants?

What are Dream Dollars?

Can you go 3-4 years before you call to add the points onto your card? Do I need to call more often to avoid having points expire?

 

[janie91]

The reward points just sit there and are shown on your statement and you can look them up online as well. You can transfer them when you get up to $20 or $25 but you don't have to you can wait until it's closer to time for your trip. They look like a gift card basically and once they are transferred they expire sooner than if you just leave them in your account. You can use them almost anywhere in the park.

Here is the way it reads in my brochure that came with my dvisa. Disney dream reward dollars are good for most disney merch, park tickets, hotel nights, food and more at disneyland and WDW resorts including theme parks, dis. cruise line, dis. store, dis. catalog, disneystore.com, disn. interactive, dis. magazine and familyfun, disney movie club by mail, WD collectors society, disney on ice (merchandise locations only), they can even be used in combination with special offers and discounts. they have no blackout dates.

another code you can use for the $50 is 6HJV11

 

[MomlovesDad]

Thank you so much for the info and the code number. I'm going to try to sign up today I think.
MomlovesDad

 

[Magix]

Originally posted by swilphil
I'm considering getting a Disney Visa for a trip in a couple of years. I think I understand how the points accumulate thanks to the explanations here. But I have a few questions and they may seem pretty obvious:

What exactly can you spend your rewards on once you get the card? It sounds like you can pay for your hotel/cruise. We have stayed at the swan/dolphin on our last two trips and we are using Dreams Unlimited for our upcoming trip. I may rent points at a DVC studio for our next trip, too. You can't use the points at Swan/Dolphin, since they're not technically Disney owned. You can use rewards for DVC membership, etc.

Can you use the rewards card to buy park tickets from the Disney Store? Yes

Can you use it to buy Disney Dollars from the Disney Store? No - can't use rewards to buy a cash equivalent

Can you use it to buy food anywhere in the parks or resort restaurants? Yes - except places that don't take credit cards (like drink carts)

What are Dream Dollars? Same as rewards. Full name: Disney Dream Reward Dollars

Can you go 3-4 years before you call to add the points onto your card? Do I need to call more often to avoid having points expire? Yes. Rewards can accrue in your acct for five years, so putting them on a card 3-4 years after you earn them would be okay.

Hope the answers in red, above, help you, swilphil!

 

[MomlovesDad]

Swil Phil! Great information!! But now again, I have one question: Points vs Rewards.

You wrote: >>"You can't use the points at Swan/Dolphin, since they're not technically Disney owned. You can use rewards for DVC membership, etc."<<

So, am I right in that rewards are like discounts and points are monetary amounts-$1 per $100 charged, or the double deal of $2 for every $100 charged on a qualified purchase?

Thanks!
MomlovesDad

 

[mom2cobysyd]

momlovedad-

We have the Disney Visa and not only do we get 1% back on purchases, they also have promotional periods which earn extra dream dollar rewards. One of these just ended and we earned 2% dream dollar rewards on all purchases over a 2 month period. We specifically charged everything we could to earn the extra dream dollar rewards to save for our December trip! We have already earned over $125 that can be transferred at any time to the Dream Dollars Card and our account has only been opened for a short time.

It's a good way to save for Disney!

 

[Magix]

Originally posted by MomlovesDad
Swil Phil! Great information!! But now again, I have one question: Points vs Rewards.

You wrote: >>"You can't use the points at Swan/Dolphin, since they're not technically Disney owned. You can use rewards for DVC membership, etc."<<

So, am I right in that rewards are like discounts and points are monetary amounts-$1 per $100 charged, or the double deal of $2 for every $100 charged on a qualified purchase?

Thanks!
MomlovesDad

I was the one who posted the answers to swilphil's questions. Rewards and points are the same thing, just different ways of saying it. Yes, you earn $1 for each $100 spent on your visa. Each reward dollar is a dollar you can spend at Disney. Does that make sense? Hope so.

 

[skoba-nelson]

How fast has anyone out there recceived their Disney Rewards card once it was requested? We are going in early September. Should I have done this already?