I love credit cards so much!

[babyready]

So looking for a way to stay at universal studios with credit card rewards for dec 2019. What’s the best option? Also is there a way to do food at a discount there? So used to Disney.
At 3/24 with chase as long as the two business cards don’t count. Dh has 0/24 so we have options. Just not sure what the best Card would be for this trip plan.

I am working toward a Universal Trip myself. So, definitely not an expert, just muddling my way through.

We are focusing on UR now that we both at 4/24. I just applied for the CIP yesterday (got 30 day message) and then DH will also apply. I think we will go for CSP after that since it should be two years since our last bonus by the time we spend on the CIPs.

Anyway, you can book any Universal hotel through UR. If we get enough UR, I am even considering getting a few tickets through that (but the redemption value isn't as good) and then upgrading them to APs for not much more $ when we get there (still researching this piece).

We have a family of 6 and we are leaning toward a Cabana Bay suite. That will get us into the parks an hour early but no express passes. Since we are going to be there for several days, I think we'll be fine without. But I could potentially change my mind on that again! It is just that getting enough room for us at one of the nicer hotels is a LOT of $/points!

 

[tink1970]

I saw this on DoC today.

So I checked, and I got First Stay Earns One Free Night Award + Second Stay Earns One Free Night Award (in Category 1-5 hotels and resorts).

I can’t decide if this is any good. There aren’t any Category 1-5 resorts where we tend to travel...

I hear you! One reason why I'm canceling my Marriott card...this year we're using the free night in Newark prior to our flight to BCN (on points who hoo on BA, traveling in @calypso726 style...) but it was a lesson in creativity to find a use for it. Of course this could be b/c this hobby has turned DH into a hotel snob

 

[Alexle2007]

Orlando purchased the tickets three years ago. Family decided not to join us so we did just disney as that was my original plan now to use them

Thanks 2 adults 3 kids 4 day tickets but just looked and we will miss the hogwarts express that goes between :-( unless there’s a way to upgrade. Is it really worth it? Do their hotels cost different amounts of UR or are they the same value?

I booked the Royal Pacific via the UR portal in Dec and for the two nights it would have cost $660 OOP but using points it was 42k. The prices were exactly the same via the portal as they were through the Universal website.

You can upgrade your tickets at Universal. You need park-to-park tickets to ride the Hogswarts Express. It is pretty neat since the ride is different both ways. But that is the only thing you won't be able to do if you have one park only tickets.

 

[brownhaired_girl]

Will your DH do business cards? That would give you 80k ur over the possible 50k ur for the csp. Although I don’t believe he will qualify for a sapphire bonus since it hasn’t been two years.

We both got the business card this past year. I wasn’t sure if the rule was only 1 Sapphire bonus in two years or only one card at a time. Either way I will PC his card to get the bonus catagories and keep my CSR for travel.

 

[WVMomof3]

Thanks 2 adults 3 kids 4 day tickets but just looked and we will miss the hogwarts express that goes between :-( unless there’s a way to upgrade. Is it really worth it? Do their hotels cost different amounts of UR or are they the same value?

I personally would not do Universal without park to park tickets. The parks are not as big and it is so easy to go from one to the other. The hotels will all be different prices, with the 3 with express passes, Hard Rock, Portofino and Royal Pacific being the most, but totally worth it. We actually upgraded our tickets to AP while there and booked our hotel with the AP hotel discount before we had the AP in hand. At the time, it was cheaper with the discount than using URs with the CSR so we did that and just paid OOP. We have loved Universal so much, we have not been back to Disney in years. It is so relaxing and no work at all! Just go and have fun. No planning ahead, no worrying about fast passes or meals months in advance! We are trying to go back to Disney this year and I always loved planning our trip, but now it just seems like so much work. We have not been since the Magic bands have started but we loved the old paper Fast passes, we had our system down so we never waited in any lines. Just doesn't seem like that is possible now.

 

[havaneselover]

GOC redemption hit 24 days after redeeming it!

I’m thinking of going for spg biz next. I’m hoping if I buy $2,000 or so of these, Amex will count it toward my minimum spend. Otherwise I’d have a hard time with $5000 in 3 months.

 

[havaneselover]

We did Universal in August on UR points for jet blue flights and 7 nights at cabana bay. I got 14 day 3 park park to park tickets for all three of us for $800. It was a fabulous vacation and we loved CB. No issues not having Express pass but it wasn’t a super busy time. We loved the new water park.

 

[pillow]

I got my 1,500 Marriott points!

Yay!!! Me too!

 

[miztressuz]

I'm still seeing a GC on my link. Did it only change after he generated a new link?

No, when I click my existing link I get a message that said the offer changed. When I read it I realized it changed to the statement credit. So I had hubby generate a link from his card and the little text that gets copied with it for sharing still reads GC, but when I click his link it just goes to the statement credit offer.

 

[vanjust14]

Thanks 2 adults 3 kids 4 day tickets but just looked and we will miss the hogwarts express that goes between :-( unless there’s a way to upgrade. Is it really worth it? Do their hotels cost different amounts of UR or are they the same value?

You've already gotten some great responses but to answer your question the hotels do cost different amounts. Of those three, Royal Pacific is normally the cheaper one (still a fabulous hotel) and Portofino is the most expensive (haven't stayed there myself). I loved both Hard Rock and Royal Pacific. They do have cheaper hotels onsite but they do not include free express pass. My family loves to have express pass but if that isn't a necessity to you then you may want to consider Cabana Bay or Sapphire Falls.

We normally do get park to park tickets but I wouldn't get them just to ride Hogwart's. That's just my opinion, but I'm not a diehard Potter fan. Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are definitely worth seeing even if not a Potter fan..they did a great job with these areas.

We ended up upgrading our park tickets to AP's for only $10 per ticket by price bridging last time we were there. Might be worth looking into depending on when you might go again.

 

[vanjust14]

GOC redemption hit 24 days after redeeming it!

I’m thinking of going for spg biz next. I’m hoping if I buy $2,000 or so of these, Amex will count it toward my minimum spend. Otherwise I’d have a hard time with $5000 in 3 months.

My son is in college now and I'm already paying a student loan for him. I'm interested in these Gift of College cards but don't know much about them. I believe there is a fee, correct? Do you feel the fee is worth it if you need to meet MS?

 

[havaneselover]

My son is in college now and I'm already paying a student loan for him. I'm interested in these Gift of College cards but don't know much about them. I believe there is a fee, correct? Do you feel the fee is worth it if you need to meet MS?

Yes. Fee is only 1.19% if you buy a $500 card. So even for regular spend on something like SPG Amex I think it's worth it.

First time it was nerve racking that it took so long. And their website is odd and doesn't seem to ever want to let me log in. But otherwise it's great

 

[Lain]

Just checked and got my Marriott points 2000

Congratulations on getting an extra 500 points!

 

[hsmamato2]

Just to add to this, Marriott Rewards MORE shopping portal (and app) don’t have many merchants, but points earned shopping are treated as “qualifying activity” that keeps your points alive. (By contrast, points earned answering twitter questions aren’t qualifying.)

Also, I shopped at Apple through the Marriott MORE portal a few months back, had to make some returns, but Marriott never clawed back the points. That was interesting.

good luck with that.... when I tried that last year the points never posted for a shop, it was a waste of my time to try getting them but it was only a small bit so oh well- oh also on the Uni tix, you can buy them using SWA points also pretty easily tho not sure about redemption value (I did it in the past,having more of those to burn than UR at the time) loved the HrH and the whole onsite experience there! (got the HrH on points too,that was one of our stellar cheap trips onsite at both Uni and Disney using a combo of cc points,it was amazing)

 

[tink1970]

My son is in college now and I'm already paying a student loan for him. I'm interested in these Gift of College cards but don't know much about them. I believe there is a fee, correct? Do you feel the fee is worth it if you need to meet MS?

The GOC website has a list of 529 plans and loans that are eligible, so I'd check on the owner of the loan before I would buy any GOC cards, just to ensure the loan issuer is on it.

Yes. Fee is only 1.19% if you buy a $500 card. So even for regular spend on something like SPG Amex I think it's worth it.

$5.95 per gift card, I'm using mine with the 5% for freedom (via apple pay) so it's worth it for me

First time it was nerve racking that it took so long. And their website is odd and doesn't seem to ever want to let me log in. But otherwise it's great

It definitely takes some time to post...and their website isn't the best but still, getting 5x UR (or meeting ms) is worth it to me! I haven't used it to meet MS but might consider it if I had the need on a non Amex card (my MR points are worth too much to me to risk it, but I'm quite risk adverse ).

 

[marsh0013]

Just checked and got my Marriott points 2000

Me too! My husband only got 1500. Wonder if they'll take the extras back? Or if there was s reason we got them?

 

[amalone1013]

Was checking my links on Dischurners and see that my Disney card is sending to a page for $200 statement credit now. Also my Marriott personal link sends to the new 75k points and waived fee offer.

I had a thought yesterday that perhaps I am thinking small for an anniversary trip... why go to Disney World again when we could try Disneyland Paris...?

 

[wendow]

GOC redemption hit 24 days after redeeming it!

I’m thinking of going for spg biz next. I’m hoping if I buy $2,000 or so of these, Amex will count it toward my minimum spend. Otherwise I’d have a hard time with $5000 in 3 months.

I can pay my dd's tuition with a CC and no fees. Is there any reason then to do these GOC cards other than just using them to meet MSR's?

 

[NinaBella]

Gift of College Card? Ha Ha. I don't get it. My kids 529 allows friends and family to contribute directly (no extra fees). What's the benefit of the card?

I looked at the website: https://www.giftofcollege.com/

I still don't see the benefit.

Another target for teens is the Teen Debit Card called CURRENT. I have been looking at that joke as well.

With the right financial institution, there is no need for these type of accounts.

ETA: I see some are buying the Gift of College to meet minimum spend limits on a new credit card. Okay, I get that, but you are still paying extra to put money into a 529, but to each their own.

 

[wendow]

Only got 1000 pts from Marriott