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Disney Visa
I have touted the benefits and perks of being a Disney Visa cardholder. They include:
- FREE private character meet and greet in the parks with a FREE 5×7 print
- FREE $50 onboard credit when you use your card to book a Disney Cruise
- 10% discount at select merchandise stores in the parks
- 10% discount at select restaurants in the parks
- 6 months interest free financing for Disney vacations
But there is an even BIGGER reason to consider signing up for the Disney Visa credit card from Chase. For every $100 you spend on your card, you earn $1 in Disney Dollars. Disney Dollars can be redeemed onto a Disney Gift Card that can be spent like money in the Disney Parks or at your local Disney Store. It can even be used online to make purchases at DisneyStore.com.
Now, I only recommend signing up for the Disney Visa card if you can use the card responsibly and ideally pay off your balance every single month to avoid interest charges. Please understand that I get absolutely NOTHING for referring you to this card – nada, zip, zilch. I am genuinely passionate about the real rewards that this card has given us for our everyday spending and wanted to share!
There are 2 versions of the Disney Visa card. There is the no annual fee card which allows you to redeem points for Disney Gift Cards. There is also the “Premier” card which comes with a $49 annual fee but allows you to earn higher % cash back on certain categories AND your points can be redeemed for Disney Gift Cards OR for airfare (no blackout dates, any airline – it’s a straight reimbursement).
We started out with the no fee card for a couple of years and enjoyed it. Then in 2013 when we knew we had airfare to purchase in the near future, we upgraded to the Premier card. We have stayed at the Premier level ever since because our rewards area consistently well above that $49 fee.
What do we use the card for?
We save our rewards for our next trip to Disney or Disney Cruise, whenever that may be. We charge pretty much anything and everything during our everyday living that can be charged to a credit card instead of using our debit card. This includes every day expenses like gas and groceries, but extends to utilities and monthly bills that can be paid via credit card (heating oil, wireless bill, etc). However we treat our Disney Visa card as if it’s a debit card. We keep careful records of every single charge that goes onto our credit card and we pay it off in full every single month.
Let’s talk real cash. We have been saving up our rewards points for more than a year and shortly before our trip I was ready to cash out. We still had a valid redemption rewards card from our last trip that doesn’t expire until later this year. I was able to go online and instantly transfer my rewards right to my redemption card (which works like a gift card at the parks or at Disney Store).
We had $677.01 in Disney Dollars to transfer to our redemption card.
Almost $700 to spend!
What do we spend your rewards dollars on? We tend to use our Disney Visa rewards almost entirely on meals in the parks. Snacks, Quick Service, Table Service, Character Meals, etc. We have not EVER purchased the Disney Dining Plan. We don’t need to! We take some groceries with us and load up on the perishables like milk, cream cheese, juice,bananas, etc at the Walmart just outside the parks. Make sure your room has a fridge before buying food that will spoil! We eat breakfast in our room every morning (unless we have a reservation somewhere). We pack some snacks to eat in the park as well.
Our rewards card paid for every single meal and snack in the parks during our 2015 trip except for our dinner at California Grill. It also covered several souvenirs for the kids.
That is a HUGE savings, friends!
I would love to hear about your experiences with the Disney Visa credit card. Love it? Hate it? No opinion either way? Tell me your favorite perk if you are a cardholder!