I love credit cards so much! v7.0 - 2025 (see first page for add'l details)

[CyndiLouWho]

For the person whose husband lost his job (earlier in the week, I'm just catching up here):

Regarding LinkedIn:

If your husband has an account, I'm pretty sure there is a setting where he can show that he is interested in hearing about job opportunities.

The thing about LinkedIn is, it's mentally helpful if you don't really have the energy to pursue a new job, but you want to feel like you're doing something useful. I think of it as "constructive procrastination." If he has an account, he can try to increase his followers. Has he sent invites to everybody he knows? Also, does he need to update it? (It's like updating a resume.) And if he doesn't have an account, he can set one up and then start sending out invites. Some people also make a post explaining that they were laid off, and what they are looking for.

Thanks for the tips. DH is not “tech savvy” or maybe tech interested. He refused to have his own personal email until I forced him this week. He knows LinkedIn exists but has never used it. I am giving him a week to recover then will be making him a list of things to work on.

 

[becauseimnew]

Has anyone narrowed it down to when is a low cost time to go? September was the slow time of year way back when. I'm not sure if there even is one now. I desperately need a Disney trip. Even if it's a last minute Disney trip.

I feel like summer has been the slower season. Disney is offering their big discount June-August. Military discounts are higher those 3 months (this is the first year they’ve had different discount rates) and they are offering free dining during those months. I assume they are preparing for the 3rd UO park.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

Labor Day, first half Sept has lowish crowds and cheapish prices. It’s been a go-to time for me for a few years now. Hot, stormy, peak hurricane season though. Weather combined with so many kids going back to school seems to have kept this time a bit quieter. (Seriously on the weather though- my MNSSHP got so rained/thunder-stormed out last year Disney gave everyone refunds, or a 1 day park ticket if they didn’t buy party tickets direct, automatically around 11pm party night.)

I live in the Houston region of Texas. Peak hurricane season doesn't scare me one bit any longer! Especially if it's not near my home! I'd sit out a hurricane on a Disney property any day (although my husband is a weenie when it comes to trekking Disney in the rain) so September sounds okay with me.

When I finally I recovered from a flooded home during hurricane Harvey I became hardened to the fear of hurricanes and turned that into being as prepared as I could be for any Texas weather event that comes my way. And man, we have had some crazy weather. It snowed here just last week - can you believe it?

 

[Judique]

I live in the Houston region of Texas. Peak hurricane season doesn't scare me one bit any longer! Especially if it's not near my home! I'd sit out a hurricane on a Disney property any day (although my husband is a weenie when it comes to trekking Disney in the rain) so September sounds okay with me.

When I finally I recovered from a flooded home during hurricane Harvey I became hardened to the fear of hurricanes and turned that into being as prepared as I could be for any Texas weather event that comes my way. And man, we have had some crazy weather. It snowed here just last week - can you believe it?

Yes. I lived in Texas many, many years ago and know what can come out of those skies. Baseball sized hail was one, hitting my two vehicles and roof of house.

I was in Bishop, Texas south of Corpus for 4 long years.

 

[hsmamato2]

Ahhhh now we're finally talking about actual Disney trips on our disboard thread You're all kind of making me think... We just returned from 2 weeks at WDW.(sorry long ramble,ignore if you wish lol)
Cost breakdown-Hotel room -Holiday Inn Disney springs-$0 (used points+a couple free nights) Love this location,it's always a solid basic stay I can count on. (and I know how to use the h#@* out of the transport options!)
Park tix - bought the "non u.s." tickets (see other thread on budget board for info) and just erased the cost using my UR so 14 day hopper ticket was $680/$0 oop
Bought dis gc on discount over the past 6 months (see other thread here) for about 10% discount, spent around $700- 800 total on food + other stuff I bought.
SO all in all a great deal for 2 weeks of vacation (went with extended fam) buuuuuuuttttt..... here's the thing- I think I'm done for a while. I've visited WDW almost yearly for close to 30 years - it's been great- I'm part of a large family,some of them are still OBSESSED with anything Disney (hence this long trip together) At this point, I still love the property in general, I love the vibe of resorts and shopping and restaurants,it's like it's own pleasant city! But the parks? Being there a lot over the years, like some of you,I've seen the changes,both good and not so great. I think I'll take a break, and try to steer my fam to some other fun meetup spots. I know I haven't been to that big place down the road in a long while,and they're def. upping their game compared to a lot of what I saw the past couple of weeks at WDW. I know what I personally truly dislike about the "Disney experience" right now. I also know what I like, but for me,in my stage of life,the 'dislikes' about certain things are outweighing the 'likes'.

 

[Judique]

Ahhhh now we're finally talking about actual Disney trips on our disboard thread You're all kind of making me think... We just returned from 2 weeks at WDW.(sorry long ramble,ignore if you wish lol)
Cost breakdown-Hotel room -Holiday Inn Disney springs-$0 (used points+a couple free nights) Love this location,it's always a solid basic stay I can count on. (and I know how to use the h#@* out of the transport options!)
Park tix - bought the "non u.s." tickets (see other thread on budget board for info) and just erased the cost using my UR so 14 day hopper ticket was $680/$0 oop
Bought dis gc on discount over the past 6 months (see other thread here) for about 10% discount, spent around $700- 800 total on food + other stuff I bought.
SO all in all a great deal for 2 weeks of vacation (went with extended fam) buuuuuuuttttt..... here's the thing- I think I'm done for a while. I've visited WDW almost yearly for close to 30 years - it's been great- I'm part of a large family,some of them are still OBSESSED with anything Disney (hence this long trip together) At this point, I still love the property in general, I love the vibe of resorts and shopping and restaurants,it's like it's own pleasant city! But the parks? Being there a lot over the years, like some of you,I've seen the changes,both good and not so great. I think I'll take a break, and try to steer my fam to some other fun meetup spots. I know I haven't been to that big place down the road in a long while,and they're def. upping their game compared to a lot of what I saw the past couple of weeks at WDW. I know what I personally truly dislike about the "Disney experience" right now. I also know what I like, but for me,in my stage of life,the 'dislikes' about certain things are outweighing the 'likes'.

Glad you and family had a great trip! I've never looked at points for the Disney Springs HI. I have a bunch of points so maybe I'll check it out for March- May 2026. Or look at doing a day of arrival before DVC when I get there later in the afternoon/evening.

editing already: forgot to say but Universal has very little for me. I don't do high, swirley or fast.

Also, the parks are a 'if I feel like it' for me although I've got lots of old tickets. Reality is my DVC is cheaper for me at BWV than most deluxe resorts in the area so I can stay there and forget parks.

 

[ahself]

It depends on your usage. Are any of the Hiltons you're staying at part of the resort credit list? If so, the Aspire has $200 resort credit per half year. The FNC alone is usually worth it for me to keep the card. Is there wide availability where you're using to use the cert? It takes about 8 weeks after approval to get so may be cutting it close if you're staying in May. There's also a $200 flight credit (in $50/quarter increments). If you won't use these then the Amex biz card is probably better for your usage.

Thanks for the response and considerations.

Yes, both hotels appear on the resort credit list. I'm just not sure how much time we'll spend since we'll only stay two nights at each one. That said, it might be worth using the credit for F&B (e.g. a dinner) at the resort vs. a dinner out, which can be very expensive anyway.

While I've already got the hotels booked with points, factoring in the FNC and SUB points for a future stay is definitely worthwhile.

I'm sure I can use the flight credits, and I found a FT thread that shows that the credit options are more flexible than booking just airline fares.

And, of course, there's the Diamond status, which should provide a little more benefit than Gold with the biz card.

 

[gottalovepluto]

And, of course, there's the Diamond status, which should provide a little more benefit than Gold with the biz card.

Key difference between Diamond and Gold to me is club access. Diamonds get club access, golds only get club access if upgraded to a club room. But, that only matters if the hotels you're at actually have clubs.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

I know what I personally truly dislike about the "Disney experience" right now. I also know what I like, but for me,in my stage of life,the 'dislikes' about certain things are outweighing the 'likes'.

This is why we haven't been to WDW or DL Cali in a minute, but have literally been everywhere else. When we're traveling internationally we are on our phones for things such as directions, guidance, etc.
I don't want to constantly be on my phone at Disney. It takes away from my magical experience. I saw a new Disney commercial just the other night that said something like -- no need to be on phones or you can put your phones down or something like that ... and that's just not true for us.

I don't want to be in Disney with my spouse, kids, grands, siblings, etc., and have to use my phone all.of.the.time. And to me, that's been my last two-three experiences. Maybe just the hubs and myself on a quick weekend it wouldn't be that way (?) ... I'm not sure.

I am desperate for a WDW trip, but dread being tied to my cell phone. I've got cc points to spend, but Disney needs to give me more motivation to get me there.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

This is why we haven't been to WDW or DL Cali in a minute, but have literally been everywhere else. When we're traveling internationally we are on our phones for things such as directions, guidance, etc.
I don't want to constantly be on my phone at Disney. It takes away from my magical experience. I saw a new Disney commercial just the other night that said something like -- no need to be on phones or you can put your phones down or something like that ... and that's just not true for us.

I don't want to be in Disney with my spouse, kids, grands, siblings, etc., and have to use my phone all.of.the.time. And to me, that's been my last two-three experiences. Maybe just the hubs and myself on a quick weekend it wouldn't be that way (?) ... I'm not sure.

I am desperate for a WDW trip, but dread being tied to my cell phone. I've got cc points to spend, but Disney needs to give me more motivation to get me there.

IMO, even for a quick weekend trip with just DH, I am still on my phone a lot checking wait times. If it's not wait times, it refreshing lightning lanes. I'm on my phone SO MUCH at Disney that I carry two extra battery packs. It is sad and does take away from the magical experience. I miss the old "run to the fastpass machine" days

I will say, however, that DH and I had the GREATEST Disney day we've had in a long, long time when we went last April. It was the day after we did a HS/MK park hop day, and I was on my phone ALL DAY making Genie selections. I was burnt out from checking the app. We went to Epcot on a Saturday, no park hopping, no lightning lane, and no expectations. The only things I wanted to do was get VQ for Guardians (which I secured at 7am before leaving the hotel), and see some topiaries. We wound up having the most chill, relaxing day, walking around leisurely looking at flowers, eating a bunch of yummy things from the food booths, we got to ride Guardians AND everything else by just showing up and waiting (not even checking wait times beforehand), and we didn't wait longer than 70 minutes max, which was for Remy. I kept telling my hubby over and over that this was the best Disney day in recent memory. I thought wow, maybe this is how passholders that get to visit all the time with no expectations and no time crunch must feel! LOL

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

This is why we haven't been to WDW or DL Cali in a minute, but have literally been everywhere else. When we're traveling internationally we are on our phones for things such as directions, guidance, etc.
I don't want to constantly be on my phone at Disney. It takes away from my magical experience. I saw a new Disney commercial just the other night that said something like -- no need to be on phones or you can put your phones down or something like that ... and that's just not true for us.

I don't want to be in Disney with my spouse, kids, grands, siblings, etc., and have to use my phone all.of.the.time. And to me, that's been my last two-three experiences. Maybe just the hubs and myself on a quick weekend it wouldn't be that way (?) ... I'm not sure.

I am desperate for a WDW trip, but dread being tied to my cell phone. I've got cc points to spend, but Disney needs to give me more motivation to get me there.

I went with just my mom in early December, DH had to work. Didn't buy any kinds of line-skipping service and that made a huge difference. we've been on everything many times so it was nice to just take things slow. We got up late, went a park and just strolled, snacked, and did rides if we the waits weren't too bad, otherwise skipped. Lots of character photos this time as my mom loves that. It was only a 4 day trip but it was so much more relaxing than usual when we bought G+ and felt like we needed to get a lot of use out of it. We've also been trying to experience the international parks some more since there's more newness to them for us.

Also, another nice way we've been getting Disney fixes without the hassle of the parks: Disney Cruise Line!

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

We wound up having the most chill, relaxing day, walking around leisurely looking at flowers, eating a bunch of yummy things from the food booths, we got to ride Guardians AND everything else by just showing up and waiting (not even checking wait times beforehand), and we didn't wait longer than 70 minutes max, which was for Remy. I kept telling my hubby over at over that this was the best Disney day in recent memory. I thought wow, maybe this is how passholders that get to visit all the time with no expectations and no time crunch must feel! LOL

This is basically what I just posted about, too! Yes, if one manages to let go of the need to get on as many rides as possible, it's so freeing and the experience much more enjoyable! Of course, folks who haven't been as much won't be able to, but for Disney parks pros it can work

 

[afan]

This is why we haven't been to WDW or DL Cali in a minute, but have literally been everywhere else. When we're traveling internationally we are on our phones for things such as directions, guidance, etc.
I don't want to constantly be on my phone at Disney. It takes away from my magical experience. I saw a new Disney commercial just the other night that said something like -- no need to be on phones or you can put your phones down or something like that ... and that's just not true for us.

I don't want to be in Disney with my spouse, kids, grands, siblings, etc., and have to use my phone all.of.the.time. And to me, that's been my last two-three experiences. Maybe just the hubs and myself on a quick weekend it wouldn't be that way (?) ... I'm not sure.

I am desperate for a WDW trip, but dread being tied to my cell phone. I've got cc points to spend, but Disney needs to give me more motivation to get me there.

I find that you're only as tied to your phone as you allow yourself to be. If you aren't using LL then just check wait times and mobile order on your phone, or don't and just see what signs say and stand in line to order.

If you are using LL, then you prebook your 3, for wdw, and if you are good with those times you book them as you use them. If you don't like the times and want to refresh for a different time or attraction, then it's about when/where you decide to do it. I tend to do that stuff when I'm in line.

At DLR I set an alarm for when I can make my next LL if the time is up before I use my next LL. Either park I'm trying to roll through them as much as I can but I also try to only worry about it when I'm standing in line for an attraction. If I'm with a friend it doesn't stop us from talking. If I'm alone, then I'm on my phone reading something or playing a game when I'm in line because it helps time go by faster.

I never come away from a Disney trip feeling like I spent all my time on the phone. I use my phone way more for city trips because of needing directions.

 

[Haley R]

Agree with @Haley R, I don't think there's really a "slow" time anymore, just a slower time in relation to the busier times, which can still be pretty busy LOL!

We went the last week of April last year, and I felt it was a pretty good time, crowds weren't bad at all, Flower & Garden was going on, and the weather was beautiful. I would go again at that time in a heartbeat!
We'll be there this weekend for Festival of the Arts... hoping crowds aren't terrible. At least the weather is better this week though!
And then we'll be there the first week of September as well. We try to pick times when kids are in school, not too many events going on that'll draw crowds, etc.

Easter is at the end of April this year so that might make it busier

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

Easter is at the end of April this year so that might make it busier

Oh yeah definitely! Last year it was end of March I think, so end of April was like this perfect lull.

 

[reliev]

Has anyone narrowed it down to when is a low cost time to go? September was the slow time of year way back when. I'm not sure if there even is one now. I desperately need a Disney trip. Even if it's a last minute Disney trip.

it used to be after the holidays in February being local that's the only time it kinda slows down those 2 weeks, I don't think the prices reflect that anymore though.

 

[hsmamato2]

This is basically what I just posted about, too! Yes, if one manages to let go of the need to get on as many rides as possible, it's so freeing and the experience much more enjoyable! Of course, folks who haven't been as much won't be able to, but for Disney parks pros it can work

Agreed

 

[gottalovepluto]

IMO, even for a quick weekend trip with just DH, I am still on my phone a lot checking wait times. If it's not wait times, it refreshing lightning lanes. I'm on my phone SO MUCH at Disney that I carry two extra battery packs. It is sad and does take away from the magical experience. I miss the old "run to the fastpass machine" days

I will say, however, that DH and I had the GREATEST Disney day we've had in a long, long time when we went last April. It was the day after we did a HS/MK park hop day, and I was on my phone ALL DAY making Genie selections. I was burnt out from checking the app. We went to Epcot on a Saturday, no park hopping, no lightning lane, and no expectations. The only things I wanted to do was get VQ for Guardians (which I secured at 7am before leaving the hotel), and see some topiaries. We wound up having the most chill, relaxing day, walking around leisurely looking at flowers, eating a bunch of yummy things from the food booths, we got to ride Guardians AND everything else by just showing up and waiting (not even checking wait times beforehand), and we didn't wait longer than 70 minutes max, which was for Remy. I kept telling my hubby over and over that this was the best Disney day in recent memory. I thought wow, maybe this is how passholders that get to visit all the time with no expectations and no time crunch must feel! LOL

LOVE a day of just being in EP with GOTG as the only ride and strolling Flower & Garden. So fun, so relaxing.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

LOVE a day of just being in EP with GOTG as the only ride and strolling Flower & Garden. So fun, so relaxing.

Yes! Honestly, probably most relaxed I've ever been in Disney, tbh, lol! It's also why we booked more festivals this year though, since we had such a good time.
This will be my first time to Festival of the Arts, and my sister's first time to Disney since she was a kid (so it's been over 20 years!), and I know it won't be as easy going because we have a lot to get done in a short amount of time! But the festival vibes with art and yummy food drew me in. And in September for Food & Wine with hubby, I'm hoping for another relaxing time wandering, eating, and listening to music! Epcot is truly becoming my favorite park!!

 

[leeniewdw]

My cvs in store purchases of Disney gift cards are still pending in Rakuten. Does anyone have these marked “confirmed?”

Mine from 12/2 is still pending. I have a couple others from that time that are still pending as well, including a referral bonus.

Mine is still pending and says 3-14 weeks to go to confirm. It's been about 2 weeks since my purchase.

I've also got almost all of my pre-xmas purchases pending still. In fact, only 1 purchase since November has been confirmed (Beekman 1802). The others are all different and from Nov or Dec (Sur La Table, Saks, Macy's, CVS). Never has taken this long.

They aren't TON of pts (maybe 1700) but I won't even get a Feb payout if they stay pending.