Would I get any benefit out of Disney Visa card?

[Klayfish]

I don't know why we haven't switched yet, but my current card of choice is an Amex that gets us hotel points. It was useful years ago, but now is nearly useless as the only person who stays in hotels is me when I go racing.

We got an offer in the mail yesterday for the Disney Visa. But I'm not sure it'd be worth it for us. We have a trip coming up...we leave 5 weeks from today. We already have 7 days passes from UT, but will be converting them to APs as soon as we get there. So we wouldn't really get anything out of the rewards that we could use toward buying tickets. We always stay off site and very rarely eat in the restaurants. For example, our upcoming trip is 17 park days, and I'd guess that we'll eat in a restaurant maybe 4 or 5 times at the most (we have one reservation at BoG, DW and I will go out to dinner once, and maybe let the kids order from QS a couple times).

So I'm not sure if we'd get a lot of use/benefits out of the card. What do you guys who have them use them for most? How much value per year would you estimate you get out of it?

 

[rwdavis2]

I would stick with a card that give you more cash back and where you can spend accrued points anywhere. The Disney card is 1% for the no-fee version and the $50/year version gives you 2% on groceries, gasoline, and restaurants. You can do better with a letter research.

We're going to drop ours this year and go with something else.

But, it is really cool to have a Darth Vader Visa card. I'll miss it.

 

[pitpat]

We mainly got it for the $250 sign on bonus.

 

[dwbrewster]

If you go to Disney often it is my understanding that you get some decent benefits (special M&G, some discounts I believe, and a couple other things) but when I compared the benefits for the average user that doesn't live at Disney, the comparison wasn't even close especially with the 1 or 2% back that you get for the Disney card comes in the form of Disney credit...

 

[dreiwhit]

We mainly got it for the $250 sign on bonus.

We did too. It also gives you a discount for purchasing in park merchandise.

 

[tinkerbell1112]

I'm a big fan of getting free money. We pay our cards off each month, so to me it is free money after I net out the yearly fee. We have the card that gives us 2% back at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations. the 3 places we use our cards the most.

I always look at what I'm getting back from a company. We have this card and Discover. If Discover is giving us 5% at grocery stores, I use Discover. If they are only giving 1%, I use my Disney card. Once we have a trip planned, I switch to using my Disney card everywhere, except for if I'm getting 5% at somewhere with Discover. The extra money always pays for our the extras at Disney. This trip in November, it will pay for both Akershus, Ohana breakfast and probably even some souveniers.

I play the credit card games gladly. I look at what they want to pay me to use it. The other perks are bonus (such as the 10% discount I got yesterday at disneystore .com for my new bracelets, a birthday gift, and 2 tshirts for my daughter )

 

[tinkerbell1112]

as a side note, if you have a trip coming up, and they want to pay you $ to get the card (I think we got $200 when we joined), would that $ help pay for something for your trip? Ours paid for Memory maker and a couple things for the kids at the park

If they aren't paying you anything to get it, I personally won't ever take the hit on my credit. I want something for that. hahaha

 

[North of Mouse]

A few years ago, dh & I both got apps for the no fee Disney cards with $200 ea. (Disney GC's) signing bonus. That was 'before' you had to spend X amt. to get the bonus - truly was just for signing up. We had $400 extra for the next Disney trip! Will 'not' do 'fee' cards! Pay in full each month. Dh has since dropped his, I keep mine for the few perks of dining and Disney reward points, as we usually have AP's and can only use one discount.

(Discounts (with AP's) at restaurants and some stores are 20% until end of Sept. this yr.) Saved us a good bit on our recent 10 day trip.

We don't do card 'hopping' as that really shows up on credit reports - not that we use much credit now as we are retirees and don't have any debt.
Just like to keep an A-1 credit.

 

[Klayfish]

We don't do card 'hopping' as that really shows up on credit reports - not that we use much credit now as we are retirees and don't have any debt.
Just like to keep an A-1 credit.

This is why I'm pretty cautious about signing up for a credit card. We only have two currently, and I want to keep it that way. But I certainly want to get the most out of the cards I do have.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I like the Disney Visa, because that money back is designated to Disney. It's the only card we use and we put everything we can on it. Are there better cards out there? Sure. I will use this one until we take a break from Disney trips. Then I might look into something that works better for us.

It's not a ton of money back, but by the time I have to pay the TA it will be at least half of what I owe her. I like that

 

[Cotillard]

I have it for the 6 months interest-free on Disney vacation packages and use the rewards toward a meal or two during my trip.

 

[JerseyJanice]

It's been a few years since I purchased a vacation package, but when I last did, I got 6 months free financing with Disney Visa.

It had to be a package to qualify--room plus tickets and/or Dining Plan.

 

[amcnj]

There are cards that give 2% back on everything with no fees. So to me unless there is a bonus or the discounts are appealing, and you cannot get them another way, there might be better choices out there for you.

 

[Accident]

I have the card which I rarely use. It's more a discount card when disney discounts are better with the card than other discounts. It's also the entrance card for the lounges they sometimes have available and meet and greets.

I have one of my monthly bills that go to it just to keep it active but I find other cards are usually more fruitful but they don't get you into the lounges or meet and greets if that is of interest..

I think they may have a debit version if you google about it if you just want it for the extras around property. Never tried but debit will not appear on the disney visa site.

 

[kwdw]

The signing bonus is nice - that draws folks in. But for the OP - your timeline is probably too short to get the $200 gift card before the trip.

As for long-term - lots of cards have similar or better terms - depending on how you use your card. I have kept it because I view the 1% back as my totally frivolous Disney money to spend when I go. Has no fee, I use it for everything, pay it off each month - and get 1% back. Sure - I could do better and get 2% back without a fee - but hey - that money doesn't get earmarked for Disney. So - for me - it's "for fun."

So - this all really depends on your goals. I keep a hotel branded card, for example, for the one free night per year. Yes - I pay a fee for the card - but the free night - given I can use it at some high end hotels in NYC, serves me well. For someone who isn't going to have the $200+ bonus off that free night because where they use that free night won't offset the yearly fee by much - that card would be a bad choice for them.

 

[johnykbr]

We used it for the year and a half since we decided to make a trip and we will have most of our trip paid for (not staying at a resort). Of course I will switch to a different card afterwards

 

[scard192]

I signed up for the sign on bonus for both the regular and premiere card; have since cancelled the premier card. Anything that would only get 1% cash back on from my other cards goes on the Disney Visa. Recently an offer went out for 4% cash back if you pay cellphone, cable or insurance bills on the Dis Visa so I have been earning extra bonus on that. We only are able to go to WDW every 3-4 years so usually have a few hundred dollars that we can use for TS meals or souvenirs. I have a co-worker who uses her rewards for movie tickets

 

[HaveKidsWillTravel]

I'm a big fan of getting free money. We pay our cards off each month, so to me it is free money after I net out the yearly fee. We have the card that gives us 2% back at restaurants, grocery stores, and gas stations. the 3 places we use our cards the most.

I always look at what I'm getting back from a company. We have this card and Discover. If Discover is giving us 5% at grocery stores, I use Discover. If they are only giving 1%, I use my Disney card. Once we have a trip planned, I switch to using my Disney card everywhere, except for if I'm getting 5% at somewhere with Discover. The extra money always pays for our the extras at Disney. This trip in November, it will pay for both Akershus, Ohana breakfast and probably even some souveniers.

I play the credit card games gladly. I look at what they want to pay me to use it. The other perks are bonus (such as the 10% discount I got yesterday at disneystore .com for my new bracelets, a birthday gift, and 2 tshirts for my daughter )

This is EXACTLY what we do too! We just have the two cards. We primarily use Disney to get the 2% back on groceries and gas, but if discover is offering 5% we use that. Disney visa just offered 4% back on 'utilities' which is a nice bump. Pay them off every month. Either way, it's some 'free' money. We will use the Disney for 'fun money' while there and the discover cash back we usually use on Amazon for Christmas gifts.

 

[tinkerbell1112]

This is EXACTLY what we do too! We just have the two cards. We primarily use Disney to get the 2% back on groceries and gas, but if discover is offering 5% we use that. Disney visa just offered 4% back on 'utilities' which is a nice bump. Pay them off every month. Either way, it's some 'free' money. We will use the Disney for 'fun money' while there and the discover cash back we usually use on Amazon for Christmas gifts.

LOL. we use our discover for amazon too. that's hilarious.

 

[tlmadden73]

I investigated it before my last trip.

I felt it was just too restrictive. While the sign up bonus is nice, I just figured using my regular credit cards and earning points on them exclusively is better because those points are not just LIMITED to Disney stuff. I can use them for anything (like just straight up cashback, which to me is a better reward than anything).

My current card (Costco VISA) offers better return than the Disney Visa anway.

I also didn't find the perks enticing either (two "exclusive" meet and greets that we wouldn't go to probably .. and I found the meal discounts too restrictive to be worth it).