Disney credit card?? Is it worth it or not?

[Ely Sava]

Hi All,
First time cruiser. I’ve been deciding if it is worth getting Disney credit card that offer $100 stateroom credit. I’ve been reading a lot of reviews but they’re old from 2015. There are split with good/bad reviews from people not actually getting their rewards.

Does anyone have experienced using the Disney card?

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Mommb]

I have had a Disney credit card for many years (since the first year Chase offered it), and have never had trouble getting a Rewards card or putting rewards onto the card. I have used the Rewards card at Guest Services to pay down my onboard account, as well as at Disney World and Disneyland hotels and restaurants.

 

[kj2mom]

I think the general consensus is that it is not the greatest rewards card you can get. With that said, I have two and use them both. One has an annual fee but I get enough extra rewards (2% on grocery/gas/restaurants) to make that money back so it is worth it for me. I like the rewards and I recently used over a thousand points I had saved through the years as my down payment for our cruise next year. I also use the 6 month no interest promotion on Disney vacations (keep my money in savings as long as I possibly can). Finally, I also use a couple other perks which include the special photo opportunities and also the discount when you spend $50 or more at the store/parks etc.

Bottom line really only you can decide what is best for you, 1%/2% rewards is certainly not the greatest out there but for me it works and is what I want so I use them!

 

[lanejudy]

I’ve been deciding if it is worth getting Disney credit card that offer $100 stateroom credit.

Is this a current/new sign-on offer? I’m not familiar with a card that currently offers a DCL stateroom credit. The DCL perks with the Disney Visa include some onboard discounts (spa, shopping, etc.) if you attach your Disney Visa as payment. A few years ago the perk was a $50 OBC, but not for a while.

As to worth... that's probably subjective. There are definitely other credit cards that can earn higher rewards. We like the bonus "Disney savings account" that it gives us, even if lower rewards than others. It also offers 6-months-zero-interest on certain travel packages and that includes all DCL.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[darnheather]

I have a bank rewards card that gives me 5% everywhere and no fee. Check with your local bank first.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

For us it is worth it, but we don’t use it as our day-to-day card. I think we got $300 for signing up (which is why we applied) and we got the one without an annual fee. We mainly keep it to use as the card for onboard charges, because it gives us the merchandise and spa discounts.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

Hi All,
First time cruiser. I’ve been deciding if it is worth getting Disney credit card that offer $100 stateroom credit. I’ve been reading a lot of reviews but they’re old from 2015. There are split with good/bad reviews from people not actually getting their rewards.

Does anyone have experienced using the Disney card?

Thanks for the feedback!

The current sign up offer for the regular Chase Disney Visa is $100 statement credit, not stateroom. So you will get the credit on your card, not in your onboard account.

I've had a Disney Visa for about 12 years now. I've never had any issues with not getting my rewards. Yes, there are cards that offer better rewards, and I have a couple other rewards cards that I use in addition to the Disney Visa. But as a PP mentioned, I like using my Disney card as a quasi-savings account for Disney. I currently have the premiere card and rack up about $400 in rewards per year. We're headed on a cruise this coming week and that will cover all my onboard charges.

 

[LAX]

I have a bank rewards card that gives me 5% everywhere and no fee. Check with your local bank first.

Do you mind sharing what card that is? The best return I have seen on general spend is 2.5%. I know some cards of 5% on different categories, but that's on a rotating basis. TIA.

LAX

 

[TheHannas]

The Disney Card has been our first card we have ever used for rewards points. I started using it as primary payment for EVERYTHING possible last June. As of now we are a tad over $500 in rewards.. So we may hit $6-700 when the year mark comes around. Our thinking was to let it build over a few years and hopefully the rewards would be enough to book a off season free Disney cruise. We have the yearly fee card option. I have been thinking of looking for a better cash back option as of late. Southwest has a promo special on a card with air points offered, we want to take a vacation next year that would involve air travel and this would be a good way to get free flights. If and when we start doing that, we would be taking away from our Disney savings account. As long as you pay it off completely every month it works well. Hope this helps

 

[Rob1872]

The only reasons to have the Disney credit card is to get the 10% discount onboard. You shouldn't be needing to do the 6 months no interest because you should be buying discounted Disney gift cards to pay for the cruise for additional savings before you hit PIF. The 1% I would get back on spending in Disney dollars doesn't make sense compared to using a Citi Double Cash 2% card or something similar.

 

[lorimay]

We have the 2% back Disney card, we use it for everything!
Those rewards add up quickly.
We had $900 in rewards on our last cruise for our onboard account!
I hope to beat that for our Hawaii cruise in 2020.

 

[Geomom]

We also have the annual fee Disney card. In addition to the 2% back on groceries, gas, restaurants--it's 2% back on anything Disney. So we get the 2% back on our DVC dues, our DCL cruise payments, food/merchandise at Disney World, our Disney World annual passes, etc. The only time we're not using the Disney card is when we're doing the 5% back Discover card things or when we're travelling overseas--we use a no foreign transaction fee card there.

We used to use our rewards on a bunch of little expenses at the parks--food and wine kiosks, etc. Once we booked our 2018 cruise, I told DH that we should save up our rewards for the cruise and use them towards our excursions. We saved our rewards for 18 months and had over $1800--it almost covered all the excursions (for 4 people) on our Baltic cruise last summer! (We have a LOT of 2% back--Disney, groceries, gas, restaurants covers a lot of our credit card expenses)

I do think there are better promos than $100 statement credit, so I'd wait for one of those to come out. My Dad got one for a $200 rewards card last fall for the no fee card--he did that and brought it to Disney when we did a Thanksgiving trip with him last year. (As far as getting that rewards card--as soon as my Dad spent the minimum amount needed to get the card, it arrived in the mail a few weeks later.)

 

[daisyx3]

We just upgraded to the card with the annual fee (you get it back when you first upgrade). All year I have used it to make payments on my cruise and get the 6 month no interest. Now that I have the premiere card and I get 2% on restaurants and groceries, I am using it for that and then paying those charges off when I get home.
I could get the Target cards at 5% off and save a little more money, but I wouldn't have the 6 months no interest. I know my principal has one of these cards and buys everything on his CC and pays it off monthly to get the most points.
I have been building up points for 2 years and have 266 and that is before the upgrade. If I use those for this cruise it would pay for my excursions and palo. I may save them for the next cruise, or if I don't cruise I will save them for my big 2021 family WDW trip. They do expire, but the first set doesn't expire until 11/21.

 

[kj2mom]

We just upgraded to the card with the annual fee (you get it back when you first upgrade). All year I have used it to make payments on my cruise and get the 6 month no interest. Now that I have the premiere card and I get 2% on restaurants and groceries, I am using it for that and then paying those charges off when I get home.
I could get the Target cards at 5% off and save a little more money, but I wouldn't have the 6 months no interest. I know my principal has one of these cards and buys everything on his CC and pays it off monthly to get the most points.
I have been building up points for 2 years and have 266 and that is before the upgrade. If I use those for this cruise it would pay for my excursions and palo. I may save them for the next cruise, or if I don't cruise I will save them for my big 2021 family WDW trip. They do expire, but the first set doesn't expire until 11/21.

Just wanted to jump in because you mention the expiration. What I originally started doing when the rewards points expired and the redemption cards also had an expiration date was I would transfer my rewards to my redemption card and then purchase a Disney gift card on the website using my redemption card as my payment (they do ask for a credit card as back up just in case but I have always had enough rewards to cover my purchase so they don't charge my credit card). Gift card shipping is free. I did this because the gift cards had no expiration and never reduce in value. A guaranteed way to not lose any reward points. Now though, the redemption card does not have an expiration date anymore. So, just transfer those rewards on over anytime you like (I believe the initial transfer has to be 20 but then after that I think it is just increments of 10) and let them sit on your redemption card until you need them. No concern of expiration that way.

 

[darnheather]

Do you mind sharing what card that is? The best return I have seen on general spend is 2.5%. I know some cards of 5% on different categories, but that's on a rotating basis. TIA.

LAX

Bank of America, but I don't know why we were offered it. I do know it's nicer than my Amazon which is 5% from them and then less elsewhere or my Target which is just 5% there.

 

[NC Mountain Cruiser]

We have had the Disney card for several years and have never had a single issue with getting rewards. We have used it for a Disney gift card and for a statement credit for airline tickets, both were very simple and fast.

 

[Numtini]

Amex Blue Cash Preferred. $95 annual fee, 6% at grocery stores, 3% gas, 1% anything else. There's one without a fee that's 3/2/1 which is still better rewards than Disney.

 

[jtntx34]

I think “worth it” depends. For me, I like having rewards dollars that are Disney specific plus there are a few discounts when going to WDW or DCL that you do not get with other cards as well as the six month 0% financing others have mentioned.

My Disney rewards are for Disney treats only (travel, shopping, etc.). I love having “free” Disney money to use on souvenirs or help pay for my trip or just buy something fun from the Disney store. Plus, the designs are cute and make me happy.

But if you want the best cash back card or prefer the reward money not be tied to Disney, it is not the best card.

 

[Rob1872]

I think “worth it” depends. For me, I like having rewards dollars that are Disney specific plus there are a few discounts when going to WDW or DCL that you do not get with other cards as well as the six month 0% financing others have mentioned.

My Disney rewards are for Disney treats only (travel, shopping, etc.). I love having “free” Disney money to use on souvenirs or help pay for my trip or just buy something fun from the Disney store. Plus, the designs are cute and make me happy.

But if you want the best cash back card or prefer the reward money not be tied to Disney, it is not the best card.

This is the key. I don't think that anyone on the boards can argue that there are not "better" credit cards out there for maximizing your reward. However, by doing the Disney credit card and ONLY being able to do your reward on Disney related items, you get the happiness factor of getting "free" Disney money for your vacation. I do something similar by flowing a lot of my credit card purchases on a card linked to my Hilton Honors account. Yes, the mathematician in me knows that I'm not getting the absolute best return on investment; however, it just feels better to have some free hotel nights saved up when my wife wants to go visiting her family. I might have earned more cash rebate than the cost of the hotel room with another card, but I would begrudge using the cash for that purpose. In the Disney Visa case, while you might be able to rationalize in terms of opportunity costs that there is a better 'deal' out there, it is overbalanced by the fun factor of having 'free' Disney money to spend in the gift shop.

 

[TrishaK]

If you're interested in the Disney Visa, I'd wait for a better promo. I got mine last year when it was a $200 Disney gift card. I've also seen $200 statement credits. I basically use this card for large purchases (cruise down payment, new furnace, suite at a White Sox game, etc.). Then my everyday credit card doesn't get hit with a large charge, and I rack up points I can convert onto my Disney rewards card for our upcoming cruise.