Is a Disney Credit Card worth it?

[GunnarCharles]

Hi Everyone,

I have been looking into getting a credit card sometime in the near future and I have been looking at some options. I want to travel as much as I can, and specifically would like to travel to Disney when I have the opportunity. My dad has the Disney Visa card and seems to get along fine but when doing research the perks don't seem too great. This is especially the case when I look into some other credit cards that seem to offer fairly decent airline travel rewards. If I go to any Disney park it requires an airline flight (which can be a large part of the trips expense) and I'm wondering if the money saved on airfare with a travel card would outweigh the benefits of using the Disney Visa. Any thoughts? Thanks!

 

[MillauFr]

I would just get a credit card that gives you 2% cash back on everything you spend.

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

Hi Everyone,

I have been looking into getting a credit card sometime in the near future and I have been looking at some options. I want to travel as much as I can, and specifically would like to travel to Disney when I have the opportunity. My dad has the Disney Visa card and seems to get along fine but when doing research the perks don't seem too great. This is especially the case when I look into some other credit cards that seem to offer fairly decent airline travel rewards. If I go to any Disney park it requires an airline flight (which can be a large part of the trips expense) and I'm wondering if the money saved on airfare with a travel card would outweigh the benefits of using the Disney Visa. Any thoughts? Thanks!

You are right in that it won't be the best bang for your buck. Which airline do you travel most often? That will be a huge factor in figuring out which card suits you best. If you don't fly any one airline more than another I would suggest the Barclays Arrival+ card. 40,000 introductory point offer that will be awarded after $3,000 spent in 3 months which is equal to $400. You then get 2 points for every dollar and 10% points back when you use your points towards travel. You can use it for ANY type of travel (Any hotel brand, airline or car rental).

Chase Sapphire is another good card that has similar perks/rewards as Barclay except is limited to certain airlines and hotel brands.

If you fly Southwest frequently that is a great card to look into for the introductory offer.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

If you can find a referral, the no annual fee card offers a $200 GC after $500 spend. After that, stick it in your safe and take it with you on Disney trips. There are many other airline and cash back cards that are far better for everyday use. Besides the sign up bonus, the Disney card is only good for Epcot meet and greet, small discount at some restaurants, chase lounge/illuminations viewing during FW, and small discount on some tours. Some Disney promotions like free dining or room only discounts will sometimes open up to cardholders prior to general public. The referral I mentioned above is only good till end of March.

 

[CookieGVB]

Is this a regular offer in the cardholder's bill to get someone else to sign up? I have a friend with a card - I should ask if she got that offer in the mail

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

No, it was a targeted offer given to certain cardholders. It won't hurt to ask your friend though.

 

[uccats97]

Another nice perk is 6 months with no interest on Disney vacation packages paid for with the Disney card.

 

[sunshinehighway]

If you can find a referral, the no annual fee card offers a $200 GC after $500 spend. After that, stick it in your safe and take it with you on Disney trips. There are many other airline and cash back cards that are far better for everyday use. Besides the sign up bonus, the Disney card is only good for Epcot meet and greet, small discount at some restaurants, chase lounge/illuminations viewing during FW, and small discount on some tours. Some Disney promotions like free dining or room only discounts will sometimes open up to cardholders prior to general public. The referral I mentioned above is only good till end of March.

Any Chase card will get you into the Food&Wine lounge.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

Yes, but not the illuminations viewing which is why I listed with the "/".

 

[leebee]

What I like best about having the Disney VISA card is that the rewards dollars are specifically FOR Disney. I know that there might be cards that make more sense financially (i.e., higher percentage back), but a reward is only beneficial for me if it's THERE when I need it. If I got 2% cash back on each credit card statement (on a non-Disney card), I know I wouldn't deposit it to a separate account and then not touch it. It just wouldn't happen that way for me. It's like when I get a $50 check as a Christmas present. It's nice to think I am going to spend it on something just for me, but in the long run it goes in the checking account and then is used for every-day things… groceries, gas… and I don't actually purchase that nice sweater for myself. At least with the Disney card, the rewards are earmarked specifically FOR Disney. We get about $350-$500 a year in rewards, depending on what we are doing here at home, and we travel to Disney every other year, so it's nice to know that we'll have the park tickets or food or hotel bill pretty much covered in advance. Yes, I UNDERSTAND that there are better ways to do it, theoretically, but having the Disney Visa forces us to save/use the "money" specifically FOR Disney- not bills, not grocery or oil, not a trip to the beach, but for DISNEY.

 

[bond24seven]

I use my Southwest card for just about everything for the points... I got the Disney card just in case there is an offer that comes out a few days earlier for only card members. Have never used it yet though. I got the card last year after free dining was offered first to card members. When it was available to the public, it was total mayhem!! I got a free dining bounce back last year for Oct this year.

 

[threeboysmom]

the Disney card is only good for Epcot meet and greet, small discount at some restaurants, chase lounge/illuminations viewing during FW, and small discount on some tours.

There's a special viewing area for Illuminations for Disney Visa cardholders? How did I not know this all these years? Where is this located?

 

[nalajms]

If you can get the $200 referral thing, and be able to spend the $500 in the time allotted, I would get the Disney Visa. After that, put it in your wallet when you go down to FL. The Meet & Greet is great. It forces my family to take a picture together on each trip... if we make it to Epcot in the afternoon.

If you're serious about Disney, I'd also apply for a Target card. I have the debit, only used at Target. You get 5% off Disney gift cards.

I'm currently using the SW card. The points come out to about 1.6 cents per dollar, better than the 1% back on Disney Visa. But this only works if SW is the cheaper airfare for you.

 

[HM]

The Disney card I have is the least used one. It has the worst return of rewards. 1% on purchases is terrible.

 

[hsmamato2]

another vote for NOT getting the Dis visa.... you can get a far better rewards card than that- the rewards are pretty pitiful compared to just about any other card. and stash away any extra rewards/cashback for any trip you want to take.... I like the new American Express everyday cash card for rewards right now- If you fly where Southwest flies, get a SW cc, with the bonus of 50000 points, it's a great card. Unless you have specific travel goal, you may not want a specific travel rewards card- just a cashback. If you have a swa card, you can get free/cheap flights, if you do a capitol one or barclays, you can use that to book travel and get $$ off your travel purchases.

 

[Friendlyadvice2]

There's a special viewing area for Illuminations for Disney Visa cardholders? How did I not know this all these years? Where is this located?

On certain nights during FW and if the space isn't rented out or being utilized for a different function, they will offer wristbands in the Chase Lounge for Disney Visa cardholders (and occassionally any Chase cardholder if the supply exceeds demand from the Disney cardholders-we've obtained them both ways, but any Chase card is not guaranteed) to return later that evening for the reserved viewing area for Illuminations. The area is typically located by Italy.

 

[MrsDuck]

It's great for us BUT I don't think it would be worth it in your situation. DH and I are live about 2.5 hours from WDW and we get there usually every other month. We are also DVC members so the rewards we get from the card are usually used for meals.

If I were in your shoes, I'd look for a card that simply gives a % back OR one that does airline miles.

 

[AZMermaid]

What I like best about having the Disney VISA card is that the rewards dollars are specifically FOR Disney.

Yes, I UNDERSTAND that there are better ways to do it, theoretically, but having the Disney Visa forces us to save/use the "money" specifically FOR Disney- not bills, not grocery or oil, not a trip to the beach, but for DISNEY.

I totally agree with this. I know there are "better" cards out there, but for me, I like getting the Disney rewards and knowing this is specific for Disney vacations. We usually have $300-$500 in rewards for our trip every 18 months or so. It works for us even if it isn't the "best" option.

 

[nkereina]

I have a Disney Visa and never used it. I used to use it religiously for about two years and the most I ever earned in Disney Reward Dollars was $50. It also has a relatively high interest rate. The one thing it's good for is no interest for 6 months on a Disney package, but I think you have to book a package in order for it to be effective.

I now exclusively use the Capital One Venture Card. The interest rate is on the high side, so I make sure to pay it off each month. You earn points much faster and it can be used for ANY travel anywhere with no blackout dates - use it for flights, hotel, car. After three months of use, I earned the equivalent of $150 so I booked a flight on Southwest, (and earned more points for the cost of othe flight) and then was able to "erase" the purchase from my statement by redeeming all my points, including the ones I just earned for the cost of the flight. Easy peasy, no restrictions. Capital One customer service is also phenomenal to deal with. Highly recommend.

 

[bsbrady]

I have had the disney Visa for a while now. Its my primary card, I put everything on it. I just was able to purchase annual passes with the reward dollars. So it depends on how much you use it. Cards with point will earn you a higher rate but points are varied. you might get a 50,000 mile bonus but that might only get you one plane ticket that you could have purchased for $250. And the rate on the disney visa for me is pretty low