Is getting a Disney Visa card worth it...

[Joshua&CalebDad]

So I am wondering if getting a Disney Visa card is worth trying to get. Is it easy to rack up points and then redeem them on your Disney trip? I have a trip planned for the end of November and I was thinking about getting one. Does anyone have the card and what do you do to try and rack up the points? Can you get points for anything you purchase or use the card for (i.e. bill/mortgage)? Thanks for taking the time to read this and reply. I look forward to hearing back from everyone. :wave:

 

[LAKid53]

I have the regular (no fee) Disney Visa card. Use it for everything Disney related, including annual DVC dues. Used it to pay for my daughter's wedding at Disney. And I pay it off every month. We visit 5-6 times a year, so I rack up points quickly. Use the rewards for meals and shopping at Disney. I have a couple of rewards cards and which I use depends upon the rewards % for the type of purchase. Other than my mortgage, all monthly expenses are paid via a rewards credit card. I estimate the amount to be charged each month and then transfer those funds into my savings account to earn a little interest (and keep me from spending the funds). However, if you maintain a balance, the 1% rewards earned really don't justify the 19-23% interest paid. But if you have good credit (FICO score of at least 700), try negotiating a lower interest rate.

 

[ninjaprincesst]

I personally love it we use it for just about everything we can but pay it off at the end of the month. And since you can put your Disney trip on there for 0% for 6 months that's nice too. It is only the end of January and we already have almost 90 dollars in reward dollars for our November trip.

 

[DManRightHere]

I have the regular (no fee) Disney Visa card. Use it for everything Disney related, including annual DVC dues. Used it to pay for my daughter's wedding at Disney. And I pay it off every month. We visit 5-6 times a year, so I rack up points quickly. Use the rewards for meals and shopping at Disney. I have a couple of rewards cards and which I use depends upon the rewards % for the type of purchase. Other than my mortgage, all monthly expenses are paid via a rewards credit card. I estimate the amount to be charged each month and then transfer those funds into my savings account to earn a little interest (and keep me from spending the funds). However, if you maintain a balance, the 1% rewards earned really don't justify the 19-23% interest paid. But if you have good credit (FICO score of at least 700), try negotiating a lower interest rate.

With that kind of money spent on the card the annual fee and 2% may be better for you. If you call to cancel your card before the annual fee they will usually tell you if you spend $xxxx.xx in xx amount of time, they will waive the fees

 

[KDM31091]

Financially, it doesn't make sense. There are free cards out there that give you 1% cash on purchases. Cash back can be used on anything, including a Disney vacation, so you don't really gain anything with the card that limits you to Disney-only perks. I'm a big believer in my BankAmericard Travel Rewards card. 1.5% travel points (which can be redeemed towards flights and resort stays), no annual fee, and no foreign transaction fee.


You can do better than 1% / 2% with several different cash rewards cards out there, and without an annual fee.

With the Bank of America card though, it's still not really cash and still has some restriction (i.e. travel redemptions). While it's certainly a broader scope for redemption vs just Disney stuff, it's also not completely unrestricted.

I see the allure of the Disney cards, personally. I always look at it this way. If one uses a cash back credit card and gains $20 a month and redeems for their everyday spending, it's not going to feel like much, since $20 doesn't go very far these days. But $20 on a Disney GC for later use in the parks towards something feels more "special" or "rewarding" to many people. I could be off base, but I see the logic of it, even if you can get a better deal in plain cash elsewhere. You can just use your cash back towards Disney, of course, but then there's the temptation to use it for something else.

The Disney cards, to me, are no worse than airline/hotel cards, where you are also tying your rewards up to that brand. I have seen people argue that it's better to have the cash back to use for an emergency but realistically, $20 a month sure isn't paying for any kind of emergency I've ever had, so I'd rather have the rewards for something special. YMMV.

As far as the annual fee, I agree that at this point, the Disney Premier shouldn't have an annual fee since you can get equal rewards elsewhere for free. Having said that many people report getting the fee waived or extra Disney dollars if they call and complain.

 

[DManRightHere]

With the Bank of America card though, it's still not really cash and still has some restriction (i.e. travel redemptions). While it's certainly a broader scope for redemption vs just Disney stuff, it's also not completely unrestricted.

I see the allure of the Disney cards, personally. I always look at it this way. If one uses a cash back credit card and gains $20 a month and redeems for their everyday spending, it's not going to feel like much, since $20 doesn't go very far these days. But $20 on a Disney GC for later use in the parks towards something feels more "special" or "rewarding" to many people. I could be off base, but I see the logic of it, even if you can get a better deal in plain cash elsewhere. You can just use your cash back towards Disney, of course, but then there's the temptation to use it for something else.

The Disney cards, to me, are no worse than airline/hotel cards, where you are also tying your rewards up to that brand. I have seen people argue that it's better to have the cash back to use for an emergency but realistically, $20 a month sure isn't paying for any kind of emergency I've ever had, so I'd rather have the rewards for something special. YMMV.

As far as the annual fee, I agree that at this point, the Disney Premier shouldn't have an annual fee since you can get equal rewards elsewhere for free. Having said that many people report getting the fee waived or extra Disney dollars if they call and complain.

I agree, i just used the Disney cards to get the $200 gift cards. I use 2 BOA cards, one is 3% gas, 2% grocery, 1% everything. The other pays me $100 a year just for paying on time and more than the min balance (I just charge my internet bill on that card). I use Amazon and get 3-5% back on Amazon.com.

As far as how good the credit card offers are, such as why there is a annual fee for premier, I believe that has to fo with negotiations with Disney. They just want to offer the bare minimum to get customers that may choose vacations based on available reward programs.

 

[Mark Gorrin]

Hello,

Does anyone know if the reward dollars are worth 1 to 1 for park entrance tickets? In other words if the ticket costs $95, would $95 in reward dollars allow you to purchase one?

I have read different feedback from different web sites, some claim reward dollars are worth more than $1.

I will greatly appreciate your response. My wife has Chase Disney Rewards card and we are trying to save to go to Disneyland.

Mark.

 

[Tuvalu]

@Mark Gorrin
Yes, redemption reward dollars are 1 for 1. We have used reward dollars for years now.

Perhaps the confusion stems from accruing the reward points. The Premier Visa gives 2 points for every dollar spent in certain categories.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Hello,

Does anyone know if the reward dollars are worth 1 to 1 for park entrance tickets? In other words if the ticket costs $95, would $95 in reward dollars allow you to purchase one?

I have read different feedback from different web sites, some claim reward dollars are worth more than $1.

I will greatly appreciate your response. My wife has Chase Disney Rewards card and we are trying to save to go to Disneyland.

Mark.

Yes, reward dollars are 1 for 1. Have used reward dollars for years now.

I think the confusion might be that you earn points at faster than a 1:1 rate with the premier card. So if you spend $95 on a park ticket, you earn 190 points, worth $1.90.

 

[Tuvalu]

I think the confusion might be that you earn points at faster than a 1:1 rate with the premier card. So if you spend $95 on a park ticket, you earn 190 points, worth $1.90.

Agree. I was editing my post when you were writing yours.