I love credit cards so much!

[wendow]

Thanks. I’m really sorry for my daughter. Halloween is her favorite holiday and time of year and those CMs’ downer attitudes really rubbed off on her the wrong way.

Sorry, that makes me sad for your LO too. Hopefully your trip back in 3 weeks is completely magical and helps erase any bad memories from this one.

 

[Lain]

Sorry, that makes me sad for your LO too. Hopefully your trip back in 3 weeks is completely magical and helps erase any bad memories from this one.

Thanks! Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year to visit Disneyland so here’s hoping!

 

[Albort]

Discover 2018 Categories are out!

Q1 Gas Stations & Wholesale Clubs
Q2 Grocery Stores
Q3 Restaurants
Q4 Amazon & Wholesale Clubs

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Discover 2018 Categories are out!

Q1 Gas Stations & Wholesale Clubs
Q2 Grocery Stores
Q3 Restaurants
Q4 Amazon & Wholesale Clubs

Ooh. Time to get a new Discover It Card.

 

[DisneyMandC]

Just curious about the "Delta Hostages" comment and why they're hostages? Delta is the main airline out of my home airport unless we fly to Disney and then we use JetBlue. Didn't know if I was missing something about Delta (haven't delved too deep into their points).

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I've posted several times that I'm saving towards a 2019 Alaskan cruise. Prices aren't out yet but the winter cruises are now being released with lots of people mentioning large price increases. If Alaska goes up significantly we will be priced out. Knowing that Alaskan cruise prices won't be released until March-April, how would you continue to save towards a possible cruise? I've been collecting a few cash back bonuses and was planning another Disney Visa and more Disney GCs

 

[havaneselover]

I've posted several times that I'm saving towards a 2019 Alaskan cruise. Prices aren't out yet but the winter cruises are now being released with lots of people mentioning large price increases. If Alaska goes up significantly we will be priced out. Knowing that Alaskan cruise prices won't be released until March-April, how would you continue to save towards a possible cruise? I've been collecting a few cash back bonuses and was planning another Disney Visa and more Disney GCs

Last year Alaska was released 2/22 I believe. I'd be prepared for at least 10% higher than last year's opening day prices. I know my cruise is already up 28%--when DCL sees they can still raise prices even after starting higher, it's just going to keep getting more expensive

I'd just keep buying gift cards.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Last year Alaska was released 2/22 I believe. I'd be prepared for at least 10% higher than last year's opening day prices. I know my cruise is already up 28%--when DCL sees they can still raise prices even after starting higher, it's just going to keep getting more expensive

I'd just keep buying gift cards.

5-6k is top of what I can spend. If more, I'm out and the Disney GCs would not be as useful.

 

[havaneselover]

5-6k is top of what I can spend. If more, I'm out and the Disney GCs would not be as useful.

Do you have an OBB to get 10% off? And do you need 2A2C? I had 2A1C in a 10A (secret porthole) booked for $5,300 with OBB on opening day for gold. And this was for the third August cruise (one of the cheaper Alaska cruises). We ended up doing an 11B and a 7A (my mom's coming and doesn't want to share a room with us) and it's way more expensive than I wanted to spend, but my kids are getting older and it feels like now or never for me. I did think about sailing another line (my mom prefers Celebrity) but the price wasn't that much different when I figured in the OBB and gift card savings.

 

[GlamMistress]

You guys see the news on the new Hilton Amex cards coming in early 2018? Looks promising!

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/7a1dy9/american_express_to_launch_new_hilton_cards_450/

 

[ZellyB]

Ooh. Time to get a new Discover It Card.

I'm thinking about that one too. Those bonus categories look good for me. Waiting a bit and then first want to try for Chase Ink and then probably get Discover It.

 

[havaneselover]

You guys see the news on the new Hilton Amex cards coming in early 2018? Looks promising!

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/7a1dy9/american_express_to_launch_new_hilton_cards_450/

I love the first comment about Priority Pass. Pretty soon the lounges are going to be more crowded than the terminals

 

[gottalovepluto]

I've posted several times that I'm saving towards a 2019 Alaskan cruise. Prices aren't out yet but the winter cruises are now being released with lots of people mentioning large price increases. If Alaska goes up significantly we will be priced out. Knowing that Alaskan cruise prices won't be released until March-April, how would you continue to save towards a possible cruise? I've been collecting a few cash back bonuses and was planning another Disney Visa and more Disney GCs

If I didn't have alternate plans for that amount of Disney gift cards I'd pause the Disney gift card collecting for now.

 

[Lain]

You guys see the news on the new Hilton Amex cards coming in early 2018? Looks promising!

https://www.reddit.com/r/churning/comments/7a1dy9/american_express_to_launch_new_hilton_cards_450/

I agree, if you stay at Hilton hotels, there's a lot of value there that justifies the high AF. I had to laugh at the bonus multipliers, though; Hilton Honors points are worth so little in redemption value that the 3x bonus on all other eligible purchases makes this basically a 1x card.

 

[calypso726]

@calypso726

which SQ F class u flying? The new design looks amazing!

like Eithad but maybe better?

I am hoping that they expand the route to JFK-FRA-SIN-HKG when we fly in May. Sydney is the only route for the new design that I’ve read about. Crossing fingers!

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Do you have an OBB to get 10% off? And do you need 2A2C? I had 2A1C in a 10A (secret porthole) booked for $5,300 with OBB on opening day for gold. And this was for the third August cruise (one of the cheaper Alaska cruises). We ended up doing an 11B and a 7A (my mom's coming and doesn't want to share a room with us) and it's way more expensive than I wanted to spend, but my kids are getting older and it feels like now or never for me. I did think about sailing another line (my mom prefers Celebrity) but the price wasn't that much different when I figured in the OBB and gift card savings.

School starts mid August here but is out by Memorial Day so was looking June. There was one 5 day cruise that looked like an option if 7 day doesn't work. We have never cruised before, so no discount but was planning on using Costco. We have 2A1C

 

[gottalovepluto]

Hi all, we're back from our Halloweentime trip to Disneyland! We actually came back Sunday night, but it's amazing what four days away can do to throw off everyone's schedules. Still trying to catch up with everything right now.

We stayed at the Hilton Anaheim on a combination of points (mostly from my wife's business travels) and cash (a little over $250, enough to trigger the Amex Offer for a $50 statement credit. As a Hilton Honors Gold member through Amex Platinum, we were upgraded to a high level room with a pool and partial Disney view. We even watched the fireworks from our room one night. I made sure to sign up for every Hilton bonus before our trip and earned about 17k Hilton Honors points and some United miles from our stay.

We renewed DW's and my APs, got a 2-day park hopper for our LO, had Mickey's Halloween Party tickets, all paid for with Disney Gift Cards bought with at the very least a 10% discount. This was our second year doing a Halloween party, but I'm not sure we'll do Halloweentime again next year. The CMs passing out treats were so ho-hum — some were busy chatting among themselves and mechanically dropping a few pieces of candy into everyone’s buckets or bags, and others just mumbled a disinterested “Happy Halloween.” It didn’t make us feel very festive. But there was a great CM minding the parade crowds near Plaza Inn who spoke to our daughter in an unexpectedly perfect Mickey Mouse voice! So there are still good people keeping the magic alive! And October is too hot! Thankfully, we avoided the 100º+ weather a week or two ago, but it was still 87-89º the few days we were there. I recall it was about as hot last year. And yet the parks were packed last weekend — especially on Saturday — even though SoCal APs were blocked (we assumed because it's the weekend before Halloween). We were all recovering from colds so the heat and crowds only added to our misery.

Good news is we did some shopping and scored! My wife got several poison apple ice cubes and was lucky enough to be there when the Emporium restocked the rose gold Minnie Mouse ears on Saturday. I got two Haunted Mansion tiki mugs from Trader Sam's and the new Starbucks You Are Here coffee mugs for Disneyland and California Adventure to add to my collection.

We're going back again in about 3 weeks for Thanksgiving. Next time we'll be staying at the Disneyland Hotel, which I burned quite a good amount of UR points to book. But it'll be nice to be in the Disney bubble and just upstairs of the Thanksgiving Dinner in the Grand Ballroom, which is something we do every year.

CMs can be so hit or miss but this sounds like a supervision problem if they're chatting amongst themselves like that. I'm glad your daughter got a magical Mickey moment though! That CM must have worked so hard on perfecting that voice, those really are the moments that make a trip.

A lot could change for Halloweentime at DLR next year so with this year's ho-hum experience and chances of who knows what I can definitely see you being not sure about it, especially with annual Thanksgiving plans. That DLH ballroom Thanksgiving feast always looks so neat, what a great tradition! Hope you all are not recovering from colds for that trip and get to have a blast!

 

[gottalovepluto]

@calypso726

which SQ F class u flying? The new design looks amazing!

like Eithad but maybe better?

I swear I've had cruise cabins smaller than that!

 

[gottalovepluto]

School starts mid August here but is out by Memorial Day so was looking June. There was one 5 day cruise that looked like an option if 7 day doesn't work. We have never cruised before, so no discount but was planning on using Costco. We have 2A1C

Don't be afraid to look into what the other lines have to offer if Disney prices you out and your fam still wants to try an Alaska cruise Lots of wonderful family memories can be made on those lines as well!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

School starts mid August here but is out by Memorial Day so was looking June. There was one 5 day cruise that looked like an option if 7 day doesn't work. We have never cruised before, so no discount but was planning on using Costco. We have 2A1C

If you get priced out, look into other cruise lines. I took a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska and it was great. They have tons of activities for kids and the adult experience on RC is great. The price was also reasonable enough that I went as my "I took the bar exam" trip right after law school. I was pretty broke back then, but still made it work with some credit card rewards and airline miles to supplement the cost.