you found the right thread for sure! Since you're just dipping your feet in right now I would keep it simple. Things to remember when evaluating a card: when will the bonus post (will it be soon enough for your trip) and can you meet the minimum spend and pay the card off 100% each month. Don't forget to stay discipline and only buy what you normally would have bought, it's easy to be like "ooh, I'm going to buy that because I'm meeting this min spend anyway" and then before you know it the savings you get from the bonus goes out the window with those extra purchases.
I'd chose something versatile and easy to redeem instead of straight up airline miles since finding the right flights available with miles with Delta, American, United can tough. No fun to work for the bonus and then be unable to use it.
Ok, all that out of the way- what to get?! Along the keeping it simply lines I recommend Chase as well.
BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CREDIT HISTORY OF AT LEAST 6 MONTHS, PREFERABLY 1 YEAR, TO GET A CARD WITH CHASE.
-Chase Sapphire Preferred has a $95 AF waived the first year and a 50,000 point bonus right now (worth $625 due to 1.25x redemption rate on travel booked through Chase's portal which for you could be flights or hotels) after you spend $4K in 3 months.
---Bottom line: $625 bonus for $4K spend
-Chase Sapphire Reserve -a little more complicated- has a $450 AF not waived the first year and will be charged on the first of the month following your approval. 50,000 point bonus after $4K spend in 3 months (worth $750 on travel booked through Chase's portal due to 1.5x redemption rate). This card also comes with 1 statement credit for TSA pre-check or global entry and a $300 travel credit that will be automatically applied anytime you have a travel charge (including Disney RESORT charges- not in park dining charges, for those to count you must charge them to the room for them to be deemed "travel").
---Bottom line: $695 bonus (if you get TSA pre-check or global entry, otherwise it's $600) for $4K spend
-The Double Dip. Can you handle $8K in spend in 3 months? If not, move on. If yes, check into it. You could net $1,445 for $8K spend (you transfer the CSP bonus to the CSR to redeem the points at 1.5x). The idea is apply for them on the same day, start early in the day on a business day. Get approved for the one you want the most, if you aren't approved immediately call reconsideration and try to get it approved asap (why it must be a biz day). After approval apply for the 2nd card in the same day. The system won't deny you for already having a sapphire because it doesn't fully process through the system. So far everyone has gotten both bonuses, obviously this could change any day but it's worked so far. Do you have the cash to meet a $8K spend but not the expenses? Prepay utility bills, internet bills, phone bills, look into plastiq, pay taxes, donate to charities you already had on tap to donate to this year (a number of them take cc these days), etc. If you don't have the cash for this, that's fine! It's too much for a number of people to take on so you're better off just concentrating on one cc.
These strategies are if you are just one person applying for a credit card. If you have an SO and can do "2 player mode" rock on, here's what you can do: refer them! Both of these cards have referrals of 10,000 points. So, you could get a CSP netting $625, refer SO and they get the same offer as you and net $625 plus you get the 10,000 point bonus which is $125 with CSP so at the end of the day you net $1,375 for $8K spend. The nice part about this is you can spread the spending out. CSR works the same way! Along those lines if you know someone with one of these cards already they can refer you or if you want come join our closed DIS churners group and use someone's link there to spread the chase love, they get 10K points and you get the same offer as if you had applied through the public Chase link. DM
@SouthFayetteFan or
@Albort to get hooked up. (We're nice over there, it's a closed group so no trolls, no reddit experience needed just an account.)
And I sent another card payment the same day and it was credited by the 12th. 
