Question about Disney Visa - to apply or not to apply

[khaoskat]

Ok, for some reason search says disabbled for me...so I am asking and not sure if the right place.

We are using a combination of tax refund and settlement for a car accident to pay for our upcoming Disney trip (we are still planning phase and have not set reservations or dates).

So, we have tried to shy away from credit and only do it when absolutely needed.

With that in mind....I here a lot about special deals/offers for Disney Visa members. Including first shot at getting specials before released to general public; earning points; etc.

I know there are two types of Disney Visa - one with an annual fee and one without. So, I have some general questions:
1) Are there differences in benefits between the two? I know one offers a $50 GC and one offers a $100 GC...
2) Is it worth it for the special Disney Visa meet and great with the characters?
3) Are there any other benefits that make it worth while?
4) Do you earn points for putting your vacation on it? I know they offer financing, but I am considering either paying the entire bill when we get our first statement or making the payments (whichever will look better for credit score).
5) What can you use your Disney Visa reward points for?
6) I keep hearing people talking about a Target Red Card, while I am not happy with Target, if I can get 5% discount on GC's, can I use said GC's to pay my Disney Visa Bill and therefore my vacation? To that end, if Target's card will not give the discount, I know our Sam's Club sells Disney Giftcards and it is about a $2 or $3 savings (like a $100 card sells for like $97-$98).

Just looking at this as a way to save a bit of money/help cut costs and be frugal, as I would really love to be able to go back a 2nd or 3rd time with my kids and family.

And trust me, we do our two local amusement parks and are very frugal...The one we have to having lodgings for, I can do a 3-4 day weekend with food, gas, lodgings for a family of $6 for less than $400-$500.

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, for some reason search says disabbled for me...so I am asking and not sure if the right place.

We are using a combination of tax refund and settlement for a car accident to pay for our upcoming Disney trip (we are still planning phase and have not set reservations or dates).

So, we have tried to shy away from credit and only do it when absolutely needed.

With that in mind....I here a lot about special deals/offers for Disney Visa members. Including first shot at getting specials before released to general public; earning points; etc.

I know there are two types of Disney Visa - one with an annual fee and one without. So, I have some general questions:
1) Are there differences in benefits between the two? I know one offers a $50 GC and one offers a $100 GC...
2) Is it worth it for the special Disney Visa meet and great with the characters?
3) Are there any other benefits that make it worth while?
4) Do you earn points for putting your vacation on it? I know they offer financing, but I am considering either paying the entire bill when we get our first statement or making the payments (whichever will look better for credit score).
5) What can you use your Disney Visa reward points for?
6) I keep hearing people talking about a Target Red Card, while I am not happy with Target, if I can get 5% discount on GC's, can I use said GC's to pay my Disney Visa Bill and therefore my vacation? To that end, if Target's card will not give the discount, I know our Sam's Club sells Disney Giftcards and it is about a $2 or $3 savings (like a $100 card sells for like $97-$98).

Just looking at this as a way to save a bit of money/help cut costs and be frugal, as I would really love to be able to go back a 2nd or 3rd time with my kids and family.

And trust me, we do our two local amusement parks and are very frugal...The one we have to having lodgings for, I can do a 3-4 day weekend with food, gas, lodgings for a family of $6 for less than $400-$500.

1. The card benefits are identical. The only difference is the percent you get back in rewards dollars for specific purchases. The regular Disney Visa is 1% back on all purchases. The Premier Disney Visa is 2% back on select categories including most Disney locations and 1% on all others.
2. The value of the meet and greet is subjective. The lines can get pretty long and you would need to decide whether it's worth it to you to wait in line for a free photo with whatever character they have greeting guests.
3. Again, it's all a matter of what you think makes a card "worth it". There certainly are other rewards cards with better benefits and more cash back. But if you get the card with no annual fee, then it doesn't hurt to have it in your wallet alongside those others.
4. You get points for all of your purchases. For the regular Disney Visa, it would be 1% in rewards dollars regardless of whether the vacation is at Disney or at Las Vegas. For the Premier Disney Visa, you will get 2% back on your vacation IF it is booked through Disney and not through a third party like Expedia or one of the airline vacation websites.
5. The points can be used pretty much at any place in the US owned by Disney. There are some smaller vendors that deal only in cash (like some of the food and gizmo vendors you see during night time parades and shows). But for the most part, if Disney owns the venue then you can use the rewards there.
6. You cannot use a gift card to pay your balance on your Visa credit card.

 

[khaoskat]

Thanks just did the quick math...even with the 2% cash back card vs the Target Red Card (supposedly 5% off even Gift Cards), by the time you take into consideration the annual fee and the free gift card...the Target deal is almost $100 more savings.

But I might consider getting the no annual fee card for making purchases. Don't really want to carry around our debit cards in case it would get lost/stolen.

 

[DOREEN1779]

I would double check your offers. If you are a Chase customer you can get $200.00.

 

[ICF]

I would double check your offers. If you are a Chase customer you can get $200.00.

Do you have a link for that version of the offer?

 

[carebee21]

Most of your questions were already answered above, but I thought I'd throw out a couple of things.

1. The biggest benefit, IMO, is the 10 percent discount at Disney Store, Disneystore.com, and many of the disney world shops when you spend over $50.

2. There are a few restaurants that also give a 10 percent discount (you can look here to see that list: http://disneyrewards.com/perks/wdw-perks)

3. Last, if you decide that the Disney Visa isn't the best option for you (which personally, I don't think it is. I get better rewards (though not Disney) with a different credit card) you can always open a Chase checking account and get a Disney debit card. You get the same perks minus the cash back and the vacation booking financing. It's a great option for someone like me that primarily wants the discount and perks, but gets better rewards making my household purchases on a different type of card.