Should I get a Disney Visa?

[FutureDisneyEventPlanner]

Someone teach me about credit cards please! lol

I've never had one, I'm only 22 years old, but I visit Disney as much as I can. Should I get the Disney Visa? Is it worth it for me?

I need someone to educate me on all this please!

 

[AquamarineSteph]

If you like to visit Disney and can qualify for the Disney Visa, it's a good card. If you travel elsewhere, another card might be more beneficial. It all depends on your spending/traveling habits.

 

[GPC0321]

I have two, the regular Disney Rewards Visa (no annual fee) and the Disney Premier Visa (with a $49 annual fee). I got them specifically for their sign-up bonuses got $200 Disney gift card for each after spending $500.

Beyond the sign-up bonus though, I really don't find them very valuable. I'll be cancelling the Premier before the next annual fee rolls around. I'll keep the regular no-fee card around just because it's cute and I can use it for some character meets and certain discounts in the parks.

I know people who use their Disney Visas for everything and rack up Disney Reward Dollars on them to spend at Disney. Personally I find other travel and reward cards more beneficial.

There's a thread called "I love credit cards so much!" here that is very informative (and possibly a bit overwhelming for someone new to credit cards).

 

[gottalovepluto]

Most important question: will you pay it off in full EVERY month? Be honest with yourself, if you think you'll be tempted to buy that new Disney merchandise but not pay the credit card off in full every single month this isn't for you. (Which is ok, credit cards aren't for everyone.)

Is it worth it? Idk, is $200 in Disney gift card worth opening a credit card for? The value out of Disney credit cards comes in the sign-up bonus, not the other "perks" which are few and far between.

The best sign up bonus right now that can be found on the Disney credit cards is the no-fee Disney Visa and the offer is $200 Disney gift card after you have spent $500 on the credit card. Can take 6-8 weeks for gift card to arrive fyi. This offer is only found via referral (although a couple people reported seeing it advertised on Disney park websites but I've only seen premier card and the no-fee $50 offer there) so if you have a friend or family member with the no-fee Disney Visa ask them for a referral (they'll get $50 Disney Rewards Dollars for referring you). If you don't you can find referrals random people post online by googling up rankt (which comes from the credit card churning community on Reddit) and Doctor of Credit are a couple places I know of where people post referrals for this specific card. Please note: we cannot post or solicit referrals here so that's why I'm directing, but not linking, you to a couple websites where there are a large quantity of referrals posted for this otherwise not attainable offer.

All that said- idk if you'll be approved. (Being referred does not increase your chances of approval fyi.) Chase is not keen on people with no credit history, but it might be worth it to you to give it a shot- only you can determine that. You might want to spend some time googling up best first credit cards. Are you a student? If so there are credit cards specifically geared towards students. If you don't intend to use the card very often sign up for the highest sign-up bonus, if you're looking for something long-term also consider the rewards (1-2% cash back- but make sure you can easily redeem your cash back by researching that card's rewards program).

Make sure:
1. You pay it off on time, every month.
2. You are not paying an annual fee.
3. You pay it off on time, every month.
4. The minimum spend to get the bonus can be met with your normal spending patterns- it defeats the purpose of the bonus if you spend more money than you otherwise would to get it.
5. You guessed it! Pay it off on time, every month.

 

[georgina]

I recommended my 22 year old DD apply for a Citi double cash card. No annual fee, 2% back on everything.

Agree with so many above - ALWAYS pay off your balance in full every month. Interest charges add up really fast! If you can't pay it off, don't charge it!

 

[disneycountrygirl]

"Make sure:
1. You pay it off on time, every month.
2. You are not paying an annual fee.
3. You pay it off on time, every month.
4. The minimum spend to get the bonus can be met with your normal spending patterns- it defeats the purpose of the bonus if you spend more money than you otherwise would to get it.
5. You guessed it! Pay it off on time, every month."

Best advice ever. Debt is your worst and sneakiest enemy, don't even flirt with it! It will drag you down and you won't know it till your one breath away from sunk.

The Disney Visa is helpful when redeeming points earned. In years past, it's paid all our meal gratuities (we had the free dining), lots of "free" merchandise from the parks. This year we are staying in a deluxe for the first time and used it to pay a (kinda small) chunk of our package, which was nice since Disney has raised their prices so much in recent years.

It doesn't earn 2% back though. It's slow-going accumulating reward points to redeem.

 

[emlu218]

Honestly, we have one and got it 7 years ago when we decided we loved WDW and would be making more trips there. I know people that pay for their vacation with rewards, but that is not the case with us. You only get 1% of your purchases. Our Disney vacation is going to cost right around $4,000 and in order for us to pay for our vacation with rewards, we would need to charge $400,000.00 to the card! I find it is a better value to have a Target Debit Card and purchase gift cards there and save the 5%. I saved $185.00 doing that this trip. Which isn't much, but it all adds up and I am able to pay cash rather than charging something to a credit card to get the reward. Does that make sense?

 

[leebee]

We've had the Disney VISA for years and I feel it's been a good deal for us. Yes, it's only 1% in rewards, but it's money that is earmarked (no pun) for Disney, and JUST for Disney. We charge EVERYTHING and pay it off EVERY month. That's the only way it earns enough rewards to be beneficial. We are a family of three and if we didn't charge everything we wouldn't rack up many points, so even the smallest purchase is charged. IT also means that I keep an eagle-eye on our monthly spending, so I know we can PAY IT OFF monthly. If you are paying interest, you aren't earning rewards. I find that I earn about $400-$500 every year, so if it's a couple of years between Disney trips, that's a fair amount of "money" in the bank! (and yes, I know there are cards with better cash-back incentives, but if I got cash back I'd spend it... not save it for a trip- it'd just go in the checking account and disappear.)

DD24 got a Disney VISA last year, with the $200 gift card bonus, just for the bonus. She doesn't use the card enough to really rack up many points, but she's happy to have it- who can argue with Tinkerbell in your wallet? She is pleased to have the gift card, and she applied for a Southwest VISA for the 60,000 rapid rewards points (I was an authorized user so we helped her with the bonus requirement- $2000 in 3 months, which she never would have spent). Now she has enough miles for "free" airfare to Orlando and the $200 gift card (and rewards) to help pay for food the next time she and her boyfriend go to WDW!

 

[LizzyS]

I had the regular card for a few years and then I upgraded to the Premier card and, for us, it works out pretty well. There are absolutely other cards out there that will give you better rewards, but I charge almost everything on mine and pay it off in full every month. As others have said, if you don't think you can pay it off in full every month, DO NOT sign up for this card as the interest fees are high.

The Premier card has a $49 annual fee, which I was hesitant to pay at first, but most of the places I spend money get 2% back and I way over-earn that $49.

I'm at almost 900 rewards dollars right now that I'm going to use to go towards our room/tickets package for our WDW trip in February, so that's a great help.

If you're going to go to Disney about once a year and feel you can be responsible with the card, it's definitely worth considering, imo.

 

[Judique]

Get someone you know has one to give you a referral for the no fee one. I think with the referral you get the $200 gift card whereas with the links provided on the websites you just get $50.

The 'fee' card gets the $200 also, but the fee will eat up the bonus.

I keep the no fee card around for my Disney trips for the minor perks. It used to be a bit more but not so much now.