Disney VISA vs Costco credit card

[Doingitagain]

I am trying to decide whether to use my Disney VISA on my shipboard account to get the shopping discount, but then I would miss the 3% back from our Costco card. We are platinum cruisers, would the Disney VISA discount be in addition to the platinum discount? If not, then I might as well use our Costco card.

We are not planing on Spa services or the Castaway Cay.package, so the shopping discount is the only one I would be getting with the Disney VISA.

 

[GatorMomInNC]

No, the platinum and the Visa discount are not stackable. If you already have the Platinum discount, the benefits of using the Disney Visa is that you can give yourself an on board credit before you cruise - so if you think you are going to spend, say $500, on board, you call DCL before the cruise and give yourself that as a credit. You will get 2% back as this is a Disney purchase (so less than Costco Credit Card 3% - I don't have a Costco card so I am going on what you say) but you have 6 mos. to pay off any Disney purchases over $100 that you put on the Disney card with no interest no payments (if this is important to you).

I, personally, usually buy Disney Gift Cards at a discount before the cruise (from BJ's or Sam's or even Target if you have a Target Red Card). I then use my DCL card as the card on account with DCL, but add the gift cards to my account at guest services. I can get Disney Gift Cards discounted at 5-8%, so when I spend money on the ship with my 10% Platinum discount, I really am getting in excess of 15% off in the shops and 5-8% off on drinks, etc. This doesn't include the 1-5% back I get on the credit card I used to buy the gift cards.

If I don't spend more than I anticipated -and brought in gift cards - I don't have any money go on the DCL card anyway. I will say if i do an on board booking it is nice for it to go on the DCL card because I get 2% back and 6 mos. to pay -- which is nice if I decide not to use the OBB and cancel within 6 mos. I get that money credited back and I actually never had pay it out of pocket.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[Doingitagain]

No, the platinum and the Visa discount are not stackable. If you already have the Platinum discount, the benefits of using the Disney Visa is that you can give yourself an on board credit before you cruise - so if you think you are going to spend, say $500, on board, you call DCL before the cruise and give yourself that as a credit. You will get 2% back as this is a Disney purchase (so less than Costco Credit Card 3% - I don't have a Costco card so I am going on what you say) but you have 6 mos. to pay off any Disney purchases over $100 that you put on the Disney card with no interest no payments (if this is important to you).

I, personally, usually buy Disney Gift Cards at a discount before the cruise (from BJ's or Sam's or even Target if you have a Target Red Card). I then use my DCL card as the card on account with DCL, but add the gift cards to my account at guest services. I can get Disney Gift Cards discounted at 5-8%, so when I spend money on the ship with my 10% Platinum discount, I really am getting in excess of 15% off in the shops and 5-8% off on drinks, etc. This doesn't include the 1-5% back I get on the credit card I used to buy the gift cards.

If I don't spend more than I anticipated -and brought in gift cards - I don't have any money go on the DCL card anyway. I will say if i do an on board booking it is nice for it to go on the DCL card because I get 2% back and 6 mos. to pay -- which is nice if I decide not to use the OBB and cancel within 6 mos. I get that money credited back and I actually never had pay it out of pocket.

Hope this makes sense.

Very helpful, exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much!

 

[DahliaRW]

I am trying to decide whether to use my Disney VISA on my shipboard account to get the shopping discount, but then I would miss the 3% back from our Costco card. We are platinum cruisers, would the Disney VISA discount be in addition to the platinum discount? If not, then I might as well use our Costco card.

We are not planing on Spa services or the Castaway Cay.package, so the shopping discount is the only one I would be getting with the Disney VISA.

For anyone who is not platinum but wants both the shopping discount and Costco Visa perks, we were able to do that. We put our Disney visa on our shipboard account at online check in. Because of that they marked our keycards as using Disney visa which is what gets you the shopping discount. Once on board, we went to guest services and changed our account to our Costco Visa. Still got the discount shopping on ship after that.

 

[Doingitagain]

For anyone who is not platinum but wants both the shopping discount and Costco Visa perks, we were able to do that. We put our Disney visa on our shipboard account at online check in. Because of that they marked our keycards as using Disney visa which is what gets you the shopping discount. Once on board, we went to guest services and changed our account to our Costco Visa. Still got the discount shopping on ship after that.

Would it also work to estimate expenses and buy onboard credits with the Costco VISA before the cruise?

 

[SamFaniam]

For anyone who is not platinum but wants both the shopping discount and Costco Visa perks, we were able to do that. We put our Disney visa on our shipboard account at online check in. Because of that they marked our keycards as using Disney visa which is what gets you the shopping discount. Once on board, we went to guest services and changed our account to our Costco Visa. Still got the discount shopping on ship after that.

This may have worked for you, but it shouldn't have. The Disney Visa page states -

"In order to receive special Disney Cruise Line perks, Disney Visa Card must be used to pay for onboard purchases for sailings through 12/31/19". So, by changing the method of payment, you were not really entitled to the discount.

 

[Husker Mike]

Would it also work to estimate expenses and buy onboard credits with the Costco VISA before the cruise?

I was thinking the same thing. Prepay your tips and guestimate any onboard expenses with the Costco Visa, and then let the Disney Visa handle the rest. (I consider the Disney 1% cash back to be worthless, because I doubt I'll ever amass enough to redeem...)