I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[CyndiLouWho]

This is where GE or TSA pre-check come in handy. No shoe removal

Yeah thanks to government shutdown, I’m still waiting on our appointments

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Oh Wow..stay dry.....what park are you going to with the rain...

Definitely try to stay as dry as possible. At least with the rain, you will probably have shorter waits for the rides! Have fun!!

Aw, you're making me want to come down now. I kind of love it at WDW when it rains. There's something so peaceful.

We'll be there in about 4 weeks, anyhow.

Having a GREAT day at DHS. I have a detailed play by play plan that has limited walking and rain time.

Toy story land was very chill this morning. 2x TSM, 2x Saucers and a FP on slink by 9:15. Then Sulley meet, Starbucks, Frozen show, Star Tours and now eating at SciFi. I’m really enjoying following a written touring plan that I developed a month ago. It’s a new strategy we’re trying for this trip It’s really allowing me to be “in the moment” vs worrying about what’s next

 

[platamama]

I'm guessing I haven't spent enough on her cards. Compared to the several thousand $/month we put on her two cards during MSR, the uptick since dropping off has been only a few hundred $/month. I wish I could throw some VGCs/MCGCs on her Amex cards to boost her spend, but stores around here card me (make sure ID and CC match) when I try to buy VGCs/MCGCs, and it'd be hard to give up 4x MR at supermarkets on the Gold and 5x UR at office supply stores on the CIC to use my wife's Hilton Biz or SPG Biz anyway.

Does using Apple Pay or the self-checkout kiosks bypass ID checking?

 

[Haley R]

I'm sure it's @Haley R who has the Heritage Bank account. (Ironically, even though I posted about the bank, I don't have a Heritage account myself but have been meaning to open one for months!) I believe she's on vacation right now since she posted about HP Live recently.

ETA: Nvm I see she's replied!

We love our heritage account. It’s sometimes hard to remember to get the 10 transactions with all of our other cards (MSRs, discover cashback). Dh does a great job of keeping track of our transactions

 

[Haley R]

Having a GREAT day at DHS. I have a detailed play by play plan that has limited walking and rain time.

Toy story land was very chill this morning. 2x TSM, 2x Saucers and a FP on slink by 9:15. Then Sulley meet, Starbucks, Frozen show, Star Tours and now eating at SciFi. I’m really enjoying following a written touring plan that I developed a month ago. It’s a new strategy we’re trying for this trip It’s really allowing me to be “in the moment” vs worrying about what’s next

I’m glad you’re having a good time despite the rain!! We’ve eaten at sci-fi once and thought it was a neat experience. I’m kind of ocd so I always have google docs with our plans laid out: FPS in red and dining in purple. I’m a loser, but we almost always get to do what we want during our trips lol

 

[platamama]

DH got the CSR, downgraded after a year, then upgraded this year since we have 2 vacations planned and we easily used the credit.

Can you comment on what happened with his AF after the downgrade, and after the subsequent upgrade? I have a theory percolating in my head and would love to know if your DPs support it.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@Lain @calypso726 I have to PIF my ABD Japan trip on February 2nd.

Would I have time to get the Hilton Business Card to use to pay the balance owing? Also want to make sure that it won't count towards my /24! Am I okay with my SSN and Fictitious Name certificate for my business?

 

[platamama]

We love our heritage account. It’s sometimes hard to remember to get the 10 transactions with all of our other cards (MSRs, discover cashback). Dh does a great job of keeping track of our transactions

I think that's the part that has held me back. I've had rewards checkings accounts in the past and have dreaded that part of the requirements.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Can you comment on what happened with his AF after the downgrade, and after the subsequent upgrade? I have a theory percolating in my head and would love to know if your DPs support it.

DH had the CSP & CSR. He downgraded the CSR after paying the AF once, and receiving the travel credit x3. The AF had posted but was entirely refunded ($450) He downgraded to CFU. In September 2018, he upgraded CSP to CSR. In October, he received $71 credit for AF on CSP (paid 6/2018) and used the travel credit and GE credit. I was also sent a CSR AU Card (was apparently AU on CSP but forgot). No AF or AU fee has yet posted. Shhh

 

[platamama]

DH had the CSP & CSR. He downgraded the CSR after paying the AF once, and receiving the travel credit x3. The AF had posted but was entirely refunded ($450) He downgraded to CFU. In September 2018, he upgraded CSP to CSR. In October, he received $71 credit for AF on CSP (paid 6/2018) and used the travel credit and GE credit. I was also sent a CSR AU Card (was apparently AU on CSP but forgot). No AF or AU fee has yet posted. Shhh

Awesome, that supports my theory. Thanks!

P.S. Nicely played on the 3x travel credit!

 

[AmyAnne]

Ok, I am a self proclaimed over-packer and thanks to different airline credit cards and flying up font on points generally don't worry about checked bag allowances. But, when I've booked something with a tight connection, I don't want to risk checked bags not making it, so I have done carry on only on a couple of trips. Once was for 4 days in Scotland which can be just as cold as Alaska in the summer too. Once was last year for Dapper Days in DLR and you guys saw what I was wearing. Yup, fit that whole ensemble and then some in a carry on.

Most airlines allow a carry on and a personal item. The carry on has to fit in the overhead and the personal item under the seat in front of you. I will bring my carry on that fits an amazing amount of stuff and also a back pack to go in the seat in front. I don't like hard sided carry ons and find I fit more with soft sided. I chose a brand and style that most flight attendants and pilots recommend and have been so impressed with the carry on that I now have the checked size, international carry on size and domestic carry on size and so does PlanePrincess. It's the Travel Pro Platinum Magna 2 line. It has been discontinued so may be available for a little less now as the new line is the Elite. I am beyond thrilled with mine and don't see it getting replaced any time soon.

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If you aren't picky about toiletries then use whatever is in the hotel or on the ship and don't pack shampoo, conditioner, lotion etc. Unfortunately, I need to pack those things or my hair will be a disaster LOL I will pack my shampoo, conditioner and body wash gel in TSA approved, BPA free leak proof silicone travel containers. I have super dry and sensitive skin so my face cream goes in a travel container for cream. Hair product to keep the curls from frizzing goes in another of those cream containers. Toothpaste, deodorant and hair spray are all travel sized so I can take up less room.

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If I'm bringing bulkier clothes like jeans, I wear them on the plane. If I am bringing bulky shoes like sneakers or boots then I wear those on the plane too. If I do pack an extra pair of sneakers, I fill the inside with socks and anything else that will fit to maximize the space. If I want shoes to dress up an outfit, I bring Tieks style ballet flats because they are travel friendly. Tieks are way too expensive as far as I'm concerned so I just want them to be flexible and fold-able like a pair of Tieks. Payless has a line of fold-able flats that are cute. My favorites are a brand I found at DSW called Me Too. These are fold-able, pack super easy, there are a lot of cute styles and they are pretty durable. I've have mine for years. The 3 pairs I have run small, so I did have to go up a full size. I bring enough bras, panties and socks for 2 - 3 days and do sink laundry and use the shampoo at the hotel or ship as detergent. If I'm hopping from one B&B to another, then I will bring travel size laundry detergent packets.

I have learned the hard way that layers are the name of the game for cold places. Hot Chilis base layers are nice but very pricey. The Heat Tech base layers from Uniqlo work just as well, are less spendy and pack really nice too. You can roll them up lengthwise and fill the interior space between and around the handles of the carry on that protrude and maximize your space as well as make a flat layer for packing cubes. I'm a big fan of packing cubes. I can always fit more stuff using packing cubes than I can without using them. I try to make sure that whatever I pack matches and coordinates with everything else so I can mix anything up.

Rather than pack a big heavy parka that takes up way too much room, we now bring a wind proof, water resistant or water proof outer shell that packs easier and a mid layer. This will go in the back pack along with a smaller travel purse, chargers and cables for electronics, my iPad and my Kindle. As a clueless about cold weather Florida couple, it has taken us numerous trips to cold places to figure out how to pack efficiently and effectively for cold weather.

Hope this helps

Having sent several kids overseas for 3-4 months with one checked bag, I will say that rolling everything really does take up less space than folding.

 

[*WDW*Groupie*]

@Lain and @calypso726 I went ahead and applied for the Bus. Hilton AmEx (accumulating points for our Spring, 2020 trip to the Conrad Maldives) and was approved instantly. I then chatted with a rep who said to call CS and have the card expedited. Yay! I think another 48,000 points and I'll have enough for 4 nights + 1 night free

 

[StephPlum]

I hate wearing on the plane because they are a pain taking off, sitting down to put on, tie shoes after TSA.

Now with pre-check, that is not a big deal for me. I think even if I had to wait in long lines and pull out liquids, I would pay for pre-check just to keep my shoes on

 

[disprincessbear]

Oh, you all are so wonderful and generous with your knowledge!! Thank you so much. I'm trying out the multi quote feature, so forgive me if I miss replying directly to one of you!

It looks like you could spend about $4,000 in 3 months, which is great.
You said our, I’m going to assume there are 2 of you.
I would start with with Chase sapphire preferred (CSP) - 50,000 Chase points (UR) for spending $4,000 in 3 months. Then you refer your spouse, you earn 10,000 points. They earn 50,000. You are now up 208,000 UR. You can’t book Disney hotels directly through chase. I’ve been buying discounted Disney gift cards (follow that thread too), and cashing out those purchases. I’ll go to staples buy $50 (chase had a promotion for 30% off) for $35 then cashed out chase points.
You can also request to be added to our Reddit group, there you can find support link to apply for your first CSP. We are all about supporting each other.
Welcome to the group! You’ll get lots of great advice here, the most important one will be to stay away from TPG! He will recommend cards that benefit him more than you.

Now that is a fantastic idea. I have just started to notice the discount offers from Chase, it never occurred to me to buy gift cards at any of those locations. Thanks for the idea! It sure would be nice if Disney hotels or tickets showed up in their UR portal.

I agree with the others that recommend getting the CSP. Get one for yourself, then refer P2. That would allow you to use your CF points for travel.
Like others have said, who knows if Disney properties will come back into the Chase portal. They might! Chase UR are very versatile and valuable.

Usually, the train of thought is to hit Chase first due to 5/24. But maybe these aren't the best options for you. Looks into cards like Barclay Arrival +, Capital One Venture and BOA Premium Travel. With these cards, you could "erase" (ie. take a statement credit) on travel charges. That might also help with your Disney hotels, tickets and even your campgrounds.

Thank you! I suppose I need to weigh the UR points versus just straight cash back for us. At this time, our two most likely upcoming big trips are Disney and Wyoming/Montana to hit the parks (and camp, more than likely), so it may be useful for our more immediate future to build up simple cashback type travel credits. That was my original interest in the Barclay Arrival +, due to the versatility of the credit.

I think someone else mentioned, you can upgrade to CSR later when you need it. You won’t get the bonus, but you will get the travel credit. DH got the CSR, downgraded after a year, then upgraded this year since we have 2 vacations planned and we easily used the credit.

.

That's really good to know. If we do get the CSP, I will definitely look into upgrading the year we travel.

Having a GREAT day at DHS. I have a detailed play by play plan that has limited walking and rain time.

Toy story land was very chill this morning. 2x TSM, 2x Saucers and a FP on slink by 9:15. Then Sulley meet, Starbucks, Frozen show, Star Tours and now eating at SciFi. I’m really enjoying following a written touring plan that I developed a month ago. It’s a new strategy we’re trying for this trip It’s really allowing me to be “in the moment” vs worrying about what’s next

I managed to quote the wrong post for you, but I believe you are the one who mentioned reddit. I will dig up my log in. I haven't used reddit very much! Also wanted to say I always feel like I can be more in the moment when I've created a bit of a plan ahead of time for EVERY trip!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Awesome, that supports my theory. Thanks!

P.S. Nicely played on the 3x travel credit!

I’m pretty happy to have paid one $450 fee for 4x travel credit + GE= $1300

 

[wanderlust7]

Now that is a fantastic idea. I have just started to notice the discount offers from Chase, it never occurred to me to buy gift cards at any of those locations. Thanks for the idea! It sure would be nice if Disney hotels or tickets showed up in their UR portal.

Park tickets are available through the portal (only certain types though). But they're buried somewhere on the portal making them extremely hard to find. I'm glad I bookmarked this page with a link that still works:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/i-love-credit-cards-so-much.3528202/page-3404#post-60104055

The no Disney hotel is a fairly recent change (half a year maybe?). So really - hard to say what things will look like a year or two later. This game changes so fast!

 

[disprincessbear]

Park tickets are available through the portal (only certain types though). But they're buried somewhere on the portal making them extremely hard to find. I'm glad I bookmarked this

The no Disney hotel is a fairly recent change (half a year maybe?). So really - hard to say what things will look like a year or two later. This game changes so fast!

Ah! So if I'm trying to plan about 2 years into the future, it complicates things a little bit! I suppose we could do both. I could get a non Chase and DH could get CSP.

What does it do to a credit score to open a card and then close it 1-2 years later? Does it really make much of a difference? We never carry a balance on our cards and always pay our mortgage on time, so we both have pretty healthy scores, as I'm sure most people who are playing the rewards game do. I just always have wondered how someone maintains a good score while card hopping.

 

[Albort]

I think that's the part that has held me back. I've had rewards checkings accounts in the past and have dreaded that part of the requirements.

i used to manually do $.50 reloads on amazon. x12 times every month.

 

[mmmears]

Do, or will, you do laundry or are you guys tiny and just have smaller clothes. I know DW has tiny clothes compared to me. Not sure how you do it.

We aren't tiny. I promise. I do choose thinner layers (like my thinner Tshirts instead of the ones that are thicker when folded). Same with pants. And I'll wear jeans on the plane since they tend to be bulkier. DH has started wearing (daily) button down shirts from VV's performance line. We were really surprised when we discovered that they packed into nothing. 6 shirts, all folded in his envelope, and it was almost empty.

Yes we do laundry. Our last long trip was DCL so that was easy since they have it on the ship. We did it twice - once soon after boarding (since we had 3 days in Copenhagen plus a travel day before we even got to the Magic) and once soon before the cruise ended (since we still had 3 days in London). Once is enough for most trips. And we have been known to do some hand washing when necessary.

When you layer you can also wear things more than once. There were days when I had 4 layers on - they didn't all need to be washed each time I wore them.

With Southwest, its been easy as they offer free checked luggage. I tried last year on our trip to DC, just DW and I, to use checked baggage but she didn't want to go to target to get the 3oz bottles to move her shampoo into so we paid $50 RT for checked baggage. I have gone to the airport in the middle of winter in shorts and a light coat because I didn't want to deal with the bulk once in Florida. Plus, I like to bring extra shoes because parks and soaked sneakers are terrible.

ETA: DC trip was on AA

So I think it's important to say that we aren't doing this to save money. We can generally have free bags when we fly domestically (thanks to a ccard) and internationally (since we don't fly coach on those 10-13 hour flights, also thanks to Ccards). I think it's a lot of work to save $25-$50. We do this because we just hate lost luggage, waiting for luggage, worrying about luggage, etc. (DD returned to college in August and her luggage took an extra THREE days to get to her - it was a direct domestic flight, too).

We do bring tiny liquids, nothing full sized. We always wear our heaviest clothes on the plane, so no need to wear shorts, even to FL. If it's warm at WDW the only pair of jeans we bring are the ones we are wearing on the plane. I always bring extra shoes for WDW, too.

I did it...fam of 4, we just packed layers to add/subtract to outfits needed, and reused as needed(we didn't need to have laundry done after all) we didn't need much anyway- we do carryon all the time everywhere. I can't imagine packing bigger now.

Yes! I can't imagine having to deal with huge suitcases anymore.

I swore I could have written this. Sometimes I go out without brushing my hair my hair is naturally straight and pretty manageable though. SO on the other hand needs his hair to be perfect lol he combs his hair before and after a shower. And then just before walking out the door. if he didn’t pack his comb I think he would die. I don’t think he would use just any comb lol

LOL, DH and I can get by with a good comb or tiny travel brush. DD, on the other hand, has really long hair so she bring some product along in one of those GooTubes plus a huge full sized brush. I tell her it takes too much space, but she always manages to fit it into her carryon. She really does need it.

 

[calypso726]

@Lain and @calypso726 I went ahead and applied for the Bus. Hilton AmEx (accumulating points for our Spring, 2020 trip to the Conrad Maldives) and was approved instantly. I then chatted with a rep who said to call CS and have the card expedited. Yay! I think another 48,000 points and I'll have enough for 4 nights + 1 night free

Congrats on the approval!!