Do the rewards programs really help pay for your Disney vacation?

[diznee25]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the Disney rewards programs board, but stumbled across it as I'm looking for ways to save for a Disney World trip.

What types of rewards do you get? (ie, money, gift certificates, coupons, frequent air miles, etc.) And how much of the rewards you earn go towards your Disney World vacation? I'd be getting into this for the sole purpose of saving for a Disney trip. Is it worth it?

Look forward to your responses, plus any tips and info you can offer regarding these programs!

Thanks,
Michelle

 

[Belle0101]

First off - from one Michelle to another ... welcome to the Rewards Board!!

I've had to accept that I'm just not disciplined enough to actually do any program on any regular sort of basis. With dial-up, at least our ISP, I've found that at times it can be really slow and I get too frustrated waiting for pages to open. And then there's my DS4 who becomes instantly helpless anytime I go near my computer. So my computer time is at night and by then I don't feel like "working". I'd rather goof off.

That being said, in my more disciplined days I did earn gift certificates (Tupperware and Amazon), webcertificates and Disney Dollars.

So it can be done. You just have to want to do it. Kinda like me and losing weight - I say I want to lose weight but then I grab a doughnut for lunch ... cookies for supper ... no discipline

If you do sign-up for any programs be sure and check this board as someone almost always posts the trivia answers for the different programs.

 

[dtuleya]

Welcome Michelle! There's no real definite answer to your question. It depends on many things....how much time a day do you have a day to reward, if you shop online, and how much time you have before your trip to reward. You won't pay for your trip, but you might be able to save for extras like eating out and souvenirs.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

 

[Eilonwy]

I'm bumping this thread in hopes that it will help answer your question.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=545208&highlight=+how++much++earn


Since my brother is a DVC member, we don't have to pay for our room at Disney (it's nice to have a generous brother!). But I did save enough to pay for all my food at WDW and some extras. I think we only spent about $500-600 out of pocket for our trip. It depends how dedicated you are to shopping online and doing trivia and finding surveys that pay. But it can pay off.

 

[mad4themouse]

Hi Michelle and welcome to the Rewards Board!

I've been doing rewards for quite a few years now. They are not as lucrative as they were during the "dot-com" era but they still pay off. And while you cannot pay for your entire trip using rewards, you can shave a little off the cost.

For instance, because of rewards programs, my family of 4 is flying free from PHL to MCO this summer by using frequent flier miles on USAirways.

I have over $300 in Disney Dollars from programs like CTTM and CR just for shopping thru them and doing the click-thru banners. I also participated in the Wishlist exchange at CTTM that earned me quite a few points!

I have enough restaurant GCs from LuckyPoints and PCHpoints to pay for a meal for the family at Bahama Breeze.

I had enough money in Webcertificates from MyPoints and my Chase-i Mastercard to pay for two 5-day park hopper passes. Plus there's still a little extra left on my WC account.

I earned enough from doing surveys to pay for my cabana rental at the Hard Rock Hotel for one day ($150).

I bought some new vacation clothes with the GAP GC that I got from MileSource last fall.

Using my Disney VISA, I have acrued over $200 in Disney Dream Dollars to apply towards my stay.

I've got a $150 Supercertificate from Points.com that I'm not sure WHAT I'll do with yet. I could exchange it for a Marriott Gift Cheque but we're not staying at a Marriott during this trip.

Most of these rewards were earned in an 18-month period. There have been a few other rewards (Wal-Mart GCs, eBates checks) that I haven't included in the total. So, as you can see, you can make a considerable dent in your WDW budget by doing rewards.

 

[eller]

Welcome to the Rewards Board!!!

I'd say I "make" about $250 a year doing rewards, surveys and shopping online. If I shopped more online, I'd have more rewards, but since most of my rewards are made from only clicking, I don't think I do too bad.

Good luck and as Denise said, this is the place to ask questions!

Lori

 

[diznee25]

Thanks for all the info everyone! Eilonwy, thanks for the link. It's given me a good idea of how much rewards everyone can ecumilate.

I've noticed some of you get Disney Dollars and gift certificates to Rain Forest Cafe as rewards. Can you please give me a link to the companies who offers this?

Do the gift certificates that companies give as rewards ever expire?
Like the Rain Forest one? I'm saving for a Disney trip that's not until 2006, so I'm still a couple years off.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the Rewards Board! I'll keep everyone updated on my progress.

Diznee25

 

[Luvdancink]

Some gift certificates are only good for a year. However, I would not recommend necessarily waiting until less than a year to cash in, because some reward sites have been known to come and go and you want to get everything out of it that you can.

~Kristy

 

[wdwdreamin]

My next trip isn't until 2006 also. I use any restaurant and store gift cards I get now to help pay for things and free up a little money to put in my "Disney Fund" for later. Every little bit helps!!

 

[eller]

www.creationsrewards.net and www.quickrewards.net have Disney Dollars.

www.mypoints.com has RFC gift certificates.

Good luck!

Lori

 

[diznee25]

Thanks for the websites eller!

I mentioned in the above post that my next trip wasn't for a few more years, but my husband surprised me with a quick trip this August for my birthday!

Of course I won't have any rewards to use in two months, but I'm still planning on a trip in late 06', so I need to start these programs!!

Thanks everyone,
Michelle

 

[eller]

Woo hoo! August isn't that far off!

By '06 you should have many rewards!

Lori

 

[barbeml]

Yes, my rewards programs are definitely helping pay for WDW vacations.

1. On Saturday I used $3400 in GM Credit Card rewards to buy a new car that I will be driving to WDW (plus I got another $4,000 off for being a GM owner).

2. MyPoints can earn me lots of gas and Starbucks cards--fuel for the car and me for the drive down, or Rainforest Cafe gift cards..

3. My AAA Diamond Advantage Credit Card gets me 5% back on gas purchases (really helps these days), and I can use the $50 AAA vouchers I earn from them to purchase tickets to Universal, Space Center or Sea World (we got WDW APs so don't need Hoppers).

4. My Marriott Rewards card earns me free hotel nights for the drive down and back.

5. Any money I get for surveys and product tests (around $200 per year) goes into the WDW savings bank.

It really adds up!

Barbe

 

[barbeml]

Almost forgot--you asked for tips.

We limit ourselves to two rewards credit cards and then charge everything--but the key is we PAY THE BALANCE IN FULL every month, so the rewards are truly free. Also, we only pick cards with no annual fee or a fee that is credited to the rewards account.

I stick with the survey and points-earning sites that really pay, bookmark the sites and check them regularly.

If you can't use a particular gift card for your trip, use it for something you need and deposit the money you would have spent into your WDW savings jar/account.

Good luck and congrats on the upcoming trip!

 

[Baileymouse]

MyPoints has helped me the most. I get the webbies and redeem them for disney dollars.