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:

 

[rsoxguy]

Credit Card perks are best judged according to individual preference and use. In the case of a Disney Visa, it really depends on your lifestyle. If trips to WDW are a big priority to you and your family, then it can make a lot of sense to get the card and use with with regularity. The issue of earning points for a purpose (e.g. free air flights, car purchases, etc.) is really something that depends on your personal goals and lifestyle. Pertaining to the card in question, I can tell you that it works for me. The last time that I took an "extended" trip to WDW, we purchased every counter-service meal with the points from our card. We ate free breakfast and lunch every day on a five day trip. I don't carry a balance on cards, so the meals were truly free. The Disney Visa can be a good card if your goals align with the use of the points.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We are Day one Charter Cardmembers also. Our card is red with Mickey head and dazzling stars as the design. Gets a lot of attention when we use it. Starts Disney conversations with the waitresses. We always pay off the balance, never paid a finance charge. Because we use it so much, we have received enough points that pay for all our souvenir purchases and other purchases and special dining that we ordinarily might not do every trip. We have found it to be well worth it.

 

[pluto77]

In addition, this particular rep told me that Walmart is classified as a grocery store for the purposes of this card so, if she gave me correct information, then I will get the 2% on our grocery shopping at Walmart.

Someone also said this on a couple other sites I've been to. The same thing is true for Target. They said that since some Target/Walmart stores classify themselves as discount stores and some classify themselves as grocery stores they are classifying all as grocery stores for this card. I haven't upgraded yet, but I hope that's true!

Edit: I wonder if the difference is between the regular Walmart/Target vs. the Super Walmart/Target?

 

[sbkline]

Someone also said this on a couple other sites I've been to. The same thing is true for Target. They said that since some Target/Walmart stores classify themselves as discount stores and some classify themselves as grocery stores they are classifying all as grocery stores for this card. I haven't upgraded yet, but I hope that's true!

Edit: I wonder if the difference is between the regular Walmart/Target vs. the Super Walmart/Target?

Someone in this thread posted a link to questions and answers regarding this new card. When I clicked on the link, it was different people asking questions, and a rep from the Visa Card giving the answers. He, too, said that Walmart Supercenters do classify as grocery stores for the purpose of this card.

So that brings me to the next question...assuming that the info is true, and hopefully it is since that makes two sources yesterday that say the same thing, as well as the sources you mention. The question is, do the stores themselves classify as "grocery stores" such that any purchases whatsoever made at that store will get the 2%? In other words, if you go to a Walmart Supercenter and spend $1500 on a huge flat screen plasma TV, are you going to get 2% rewards points on that non-grocery purchase since it was purchased at a "grocery store"? Or does it only apply to grocery items purchased at Walmart? When we get groceries, I notice that there are letters or characters next to some of the items on the receipt. Grocery items have the letter "F" (presumbly for "food") next to them. Does the 2% rewards points only apply to items coded on the receipt as grocery items?

 

[ghanz]

Just an FYI to anyone who is thinking about getting this card, make sure that the place where you get your groceries at is coded as a grocery store. My wife and I work at a Walmart Supercenter and we do 99% of our grocery shopping at Walmart. I asked the Disney Visa rep on the phone if that would qualify as a grocery store for the purposes of the 2% rebate and she said she doesn't think so because Walmart is considered a "general retailer". I then asked one of my managers at work last night and he said the same thing. So if you do your grocery shopping at Walmart, you will NOT get the extra 1% in rebate.

I also do most of my grocery shopping at Walmart so I wasn't going to upgrade myself. But when I was bored one night I read the FAQ's on this card and came across this regarding what merchants are is considered grocery.

Merchants in the grocery store category include supermarkets as well as smaller grocery stores and most convenience stores. Some larger merchants that sell a wide variety of goods, including groceries, may be assigned warehouse club or discount store merchant codes and would not be included in the grocery store category; however, Wal-Mart and Target will earn 2% in this category. Also, some smaller merchants that specialize in only a few grocery items may be assigned a specialty store merchant code and would not be included.

Here is the link for other info on 2%: http://www.disneyrewards.com/faq/premier/earning

Also if I upgrade before April 30th I get 5% cash back on these categories for 3 months from the date I upgrade. Which I figure I will get my annual fee back plus some.:sohappy:

 

[lebeau]

Someone in this thread posted a link to questions and answers regarding this new card. When I clicked on the link, it was different people asking questions, and a rep from the Visa Card giving the answers. He, too, said that Walmart Supercenters do classify as grocery stores for the purpose of this card.

So that brings me to the next question...assuming that the info is true, and hopefully it is since that makes two sources yesterday that say the same thing, as well as the sources you mention. The question is, do the stores themselves classify as "grocery stores" such that any purchases whatsoever made at that store will get the 2%? In other words, if you go to a Walmart Supercenter and spend $1500 on a huge flat screen plasma TV, are you going to get 2% rewards points on that non-grocery purchase since it was purchased at a "grocery store"? Or does it only apply to grocery items purchased at Walmart? When we get groceries, I notice that there are letters or characters next to some of the items on the receipt. Grocery items have the letter "F" (presumbly for "food") next to them. Does the 2% rewards points only apply to items coded on the receipt as grocery items?

Yes, the 2% only applies to purchases classified as groceries. That would be a pretty huge loophole, would it not.

Here's one I wondered about. Currently, I am under the 5% promotion. Could I book a trip for like 15K, get the 5% points and then cancel my trip? I think that would work. The downside is I'm sure I'd get a 15K credit on my statement as opposed to getting 15K back in cash. But if you had a lot of money laying around, you could probably score some pretty big points that way.

Of course the downside is you wouldn't get credit for any points while you paid down that credit. So really, I guess that would merely be an advance on future points. But you could do it just before th 5% expires to maximize the number of points earned during the promotional period.

We're planning a trip in the fall and I'll definitely pay off as much as I can before that promotional period ends. I'm guessing the income tax return will go towards that - which should pay for the trip. That will give us a lot of points to use towards air fare or what have you.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

Yes, the 2% only applies to purchases classified as groceries. That would be a pretty huge loophole, would it not.

Here's one I wondered about. Currently, I am under the 5% promotion. Could I book a trip for like 15K, get the 5% points and then cancel my trip? I think that would work. The downside is I'm sure I'd get a 15K credit on my statement as opposed to getting 15K back in cash. But if you had a lot of money laying around, you could probably score some pretty big points that way.

Of course the downside is you wouldn't get credit for any points while you paid down that credit. So really, I guess that would merely be an advance on future points. But you could do it just before th 5% expires to maximize the number of points earned during the promotional period.

We're planning a trip in the fall and I'll definitely pay off as much as I can before that promotional period ends. I'm guessing the income tax return will go towards that - which should pay for the trip. That will give us a lot of points to use towards air fare or what have you.

Usually credit card companies have stipulations to prevent you from doing that sort of thing. Often times returning something would make you forfeit the points that you got from that as well. If they didn't have some sort of way of preventing it, people would be gaming the system all the time.

 

[Disneydreamer23]

I enjoy it! And you can book your Disney trip and pay NO interest , get 10% off at the parks and disneystore.com get to go the pictures at Epcot for free with the characters! I have had my card 1 yr now and earned 90.00 in money that i use directly when I go to Disney

 

[DrummerAlly]

Yes, the 2% only applies to purchases classified as groceries. That would be a pretty huge loophole, would it not.

Here's one I wondered about. Currently, I am under the 5% promotion. Could I book a trip for like 15K, get the 5% points and then cancel my trip? I think that would work. The downside is I'm sure I'd get a 15K credit on my statement as opposed to getting 15K back in cash. But if you had a lot of money laying around, you could probably score some pretty big points that way.

You will notice that in the credit card reward descriptions it always says points earned on "net" purchases (or something like that). If you buy something and then return or cancel it, that amount is returned to your card and you will not get the points on it.

 

[DrummerAlly]

I just called and talked to a Rep at the Disney Visa card and she said that stays at WDW owned and operated resorts DO qualify for the 2% points, including the remaining balance that I owe for our upcoming April stay at CBR. And for the first 3 months after upgrading, anything that would qualify for the 2% will actually get 5% points. So since we go to WDW every year and spend around 4 or 5 thousand dollars, the extra points from that would be enough to offset the $49 annual fee and thus, make it worth it for me to have the card.

What I want to know is if this will work if you booked your tip through AAA or some other travel agency. I am also currently under the 5% bonus promotion and would love to pay off the remainder of our balance and get the 5% bonus. The problem is that we booked through AAA and I'm fairly certain that we pay AAA directly.

 

[sbkline]

Yes, the 2% only applies to purchases classified as groceries. That would be a pretty huge loophole, would it not.

Here's one I wondered about. Currently, I am under the 5% promotion. Could I book a trip for like 15K, get the 5% points and then cancel my trip? I think that would work. The downside is I'm sure I'd get a 15K credit on my statement as opposed to getting 15K back in cash. But if you had a lot of money laying around, you could probably score some pretty big points that way.

Of course the downside is you wouldn't get credit for any points while you paid down that credit. So really, I guess that would merely be an advance on future points. But you could do it just before th 5% expires to maximize the number of points earned during the promotional period.

We're planning a trip in the fall and I'll definitely pay off as much as I can before that promotional period ends. I'm guessing the income tax return will go towards that - which should pay for the trip. That will give us a lot of points to use towards air fare or what have you.

We had a trip planned to Pigeon Forge, TN in October 2010, and I had prepaid around $1100 on my Disney Visa, so had around 11 points. We ended up deciding to cancel the trip and when the amount was credited back to our card, I noticed on the next statement that we had lost the 11 points.

Here is another thing to consider along those lines as well. We go every April and next year, we plan to do a split stay: 5 nights at Coronado and 5 nights at the Grand Floridian. I just signed up for the Premiere card on Friday, so for the first 3 months, I get 5% rewards points on anything that would otherwise qualify for the 2%. So between now and May (when my 3 month window ends) I had thought about booking our split stay for 2013. I know that official rates won't be released until later in the year, but I thought about paying the bulk of the estimated rate, so as to get the 5% points on our 2013 stay and have it mostly paid in advance. But then I got to wondering how much interest I would accumulate in the bank on that money over the next year. I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that the interest I would lose by taking out around 4K from the bank right now, would wipe out a good portion of the points I would gain by getting the extra 3%.

Let's see...I'm estimating that 5 nights at each resort would come up to around 4 grand, give or take. 2% of 4K would be $80. 5% of 4K would be $200. So the 5% would gain me an extra $120 of points. How much interest would I lose on that 4K by taking it out of the bank now, rather than letting it sit in the bank for the next year? I don't know, for sure. I bet I would still be coming out a little ahead, but would it be enough to justify it?

Just something else to think about if you really plan to put such a huge amount on the card in order to get the maximum points.

 

[sbkline]

What I want to know is if this will work if you booked your tip through AAA or some other travel agency. I am also currently under the 5% bonus promotion and would love to pay off the remainder of our balance and get the 5% bonus. The problem is that we booked through AAA and I'm fairly certain that we pay AAA directly.

Okay, this is merely my opinion, so take it for what it's worth, as I don't consider myself an authority. But I am going to guess that you would NOT get the points. The reason I think that is that you're paying the travel agency, which is NOT a Disney owned and operated company. Sure, it is for a stay at a WDW resort, but the credit card company doesn't know that. All they see is that you made a transaction with this particular travel agency. For all they know, you could be going on an Alaskan Cruise. The Travel Agency books the trip for you. You pay the travel agency and they take your money and give it to Disney. But since the actual transaction is between you and the travel agent, that's how the credit card company will credit the rewards points. You'll just get the basic 1% that any general transaction will bring you.

Again, I could be wrong, but what I said makes sense to me, at least. :shrug:

 

[DrummerAlly]

Okay, this is merely my opinion, so take it for what it's worth, as I don't consider myself an authority. But I am going to guess that you would NOT get the points. The reason I think that is that you're paying the travel agency, which is NOT a Disney owned and operated company. Sure, it is for a stay at a WDW resort, but the credit card company doesn't know that. All they see is that you made a transaction with this particular travel agency. For all they know, you could be going on an Alaskan Cruise. The Travel Agency books the trip for you. You pay the travel agency and they take your money and give it to Disney. But since the actual transaction is between you and the travel agent, that's how the credit card company will credit the rewards points. You'll just get the basic 1% that any general transaction will bring you.

Again, I could be wrong, but what I said makes sense to me, at least. :shrug:

Yeah, thats exactly what I thought as well. I'm going to try to call Disney and pay them directly for the remaining balance on the trip even though I'm 98% sure I won't be able to. At the end of the day, the AAA discount is $280 and the 5% back on what we owe would be about $120 in bonus Disney Dollars, so booking through AAA is still worth it.

 

[Clever Name]

They now have two Disney cards. The free one will get you 1% on your purchases that you can redeem for Disney spending. The new premier card costs $49 a year and gets you 2% back on restaurants, gas, and most Disney spending it seems. Then you get the normal 1% on everything else. Personally, I don't think the Disney card is really a great card. You can do better with rewards elsewhere and then just use them towards a Disney trip if you would like. I have the free card and keep it only for the rare time that there is a good discount or benefit you need to have it for. Otherwise it sits in my wallet and only gets used every couple of months just to keep it active.

I am a "Day 1 Charter Cardmember". I still have the card, but I have never used it during all these years. The reason I haven't used it is because my Mastercard rewards are so much better than anything Chase has to offer. I only keep the card as a backup in case of a problem that might arise with one of my other sources of credit. Fortunately, I've never had such a problem but it's good to be prepared just in case.

Oh yeah, and I'm still waiting for a special discount for Disney cardholders that really amounts to anything worthwhile. So far, I've always been able to get better Disney discounts elsewhere. :wave:

 

[JeffnPa]

we Recently got the 1% card and my wife and kids used it in NYC for a weekend and our plan is to pay for the trip to WDW in May, we will pay it off the next day and should have about 700 pts to use on the WDW trip. Question is what to use it on?

 

[franksharonri]

We are also Day 1 members. We love our card. I put everything on it I can. And no Walmart is not considered a grocery store for the 2%. We do a lot of shopping at Walmart and never get the extra 1%. I have even started putting utilities on the card as long as there is no technology fee. We go twice a year and most of the week is free food. This summer we are planning on a new kitchen and should have enough of points for a free room, plus some extra for food. As others have stated you must pay off the balance every month.

 

[Disneyfalcon]

What I want to know is if this will work if you booked your tip through AAA or some other travel agency. I am also currently under the 5% bonus promotion and would love to pay off the remainder of our balance and get the 5% bonus. The problem is that we booked through AAA and I'm fairly certain that we pay AAA directly.

It all depends on how AAA pays Disney. At Kingdom Konsultants, we make our clients payments for them, but we pay Disney directly. We do not take the payment ourselves and then pay Disney. The actual transaction is with Disney. Therefore everything shows up with Chase as "Disney" not "Kingdom Konsultants". A quick look at an old credit card statement or a call to AAA should clear it up.

 

[Ceekling]

Another Day 1 Charter cardholder here! We use our reward points to pay for our food on our trips. We visit about every 18 months or so and are usually able to cover the vast majority of our meals with our reward card.

 

[Mr Wizard]

Hello, another charter card carrier here. I know there are cards that have some better returns but the Disney card is so easy to save for Disney trips. Saved the points for all 5 years and had enough points to stay at the Poly for a week ( with a deal). The next five years worth is going to take the grand kids and us for a week. We use the card for everything and it works out great.

 

[Dwarful]

Another Day One card holder here. Although, once Chase took it over I haven't used it near as much. I guess we don't have that many monthly expesnses...I tried to set it up to pay our mortgage...but that wasn't allowed, neither were our utilities. So basically gas, groceries, etc., so we don't rack up that many points in a year...and we go to Disney yearly. Still we use those points for items on our trip..makes the $$$ stretch a bit farther.