If you haven’t figured it out by now, I love me some Disney. Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise. It’s all amazing in my book.
Last year I headed to Walt Disney World with Thing 3 and a couple of friends. As I knew I would be back on business in a couple of months, I bit the bullet and upgraded to an annual pass.
Well…here’s the long and the short of it. Upgrading to a pass caused a sort of sickness in me. The “I see that the flights are really cheap next week” sickness. A “wow, we sure have a lot of hotel points” sickness. I did not go two times to WDW on that pass. No, I went 6 times. Yes, you read that correctly. 6 amazing times. I went with Thing 3. Then I went to the conference. Then I went with Thing 4. Then Thing 2. Then John. Then Thing 4 and I went AGAIN. Finally, my annual pass expired, and life as we formally knew it returned (sniff).
One question I get asked is, “How could you afford to go so often?” Well, for starters, my pass being accounted for made up a huge part of the cost.
As I have already established, I find many ways to utilize “Free money” for travel. When it comes to Disney, one huge method I use is the rewards I get from the Disney Visa Card.
When I signed up for my Disney Visa Credit Card, I was able to earn hundreds of dollars right off the bat and apply it towards my next trip!!!
But before I get into that, How does the Disney Visa Credit Card work?
Well, there are two ways to own one. The first way is their “No annual fee” card. With this one, you sign up for the card. You can use it for any and all purchases. You will earn 1% back on those purchases.
For talking purposes, suppose you charged $3000 a month on your Disney Visa Credit Card? You would earn $30 in Disney Rewards to use in any major Disney store, in the parks, for theme park tickets, Disney movies, and so on. If you did this every month, you would accumulate $360 in rewards in one year!
The 2nd card option is a premier card. For $49 a year, you will earn 2% reward cash on all gas, restaurant, and grocery purchases.
So in a similar scenario of spending $3000 a month (in this case, exclusively on restaurants, gas, and groceries), you would earn $720 in Disney rewards in one year!
Perks for signing up
The sign-up bonuses are pretty sweet for these cards. You can go the free route OR the premier route. Depending upon which one you use, you will earn anywhere from $300 to $600 in cash back on your statement!!! That is in addition to your Disney Reward cashback that you will earn by using the card. Woohoo!!!!
How does this work? Follow the steps below:
- Sign up for either card by following this link https://www.referyourchasecard.com/200f/U1ZQ2MKYBA This is my specific referral link. You will not get as good of a deal from Disney if you do not use a referral link.
- If you have signed up for the premier card, spend $500 in the first 3 months of having it. You will be given a $200 statement credit!
If you signed up for the free card, use it within the first billing cycle on any purchase. You will be given a $100 statement credit (IMPORTANT: this will only be $50 if you do not go through a referral link).
- If you are married, refer your significant other to the card using your specific referral code. He/she will get the same deal that you just received AND you will receive an additional $100 statement credit!!!
If you follow all these steps with the basic Disney Visa, you will have earned $200 in statement credits and your spouse will have earned $100! Not bad! If you each used the premier card, You will have earned $300 and your spouse will have earned $200 in statement credits! Note: in the 2nd scenario, you are really only ahead $100 because of the annual dues, but $100 is $100, and your Disney rewards earning power is doubled. The choice of which way to go is up to you.
Note that each of you may refer up to 5 people a year for this card. In theory, you could pull in $1400 in statement credits together! That’s a lot of cash towards ANY trip as it went straight back on your card.
Perks for Spending
When you accrue Disney Rewards, you can request a card that looks like this. 
I have used this in the parks to purchase food, souvenirs, etc. Thing 3 and I ate at the Flower and Garden festival almost exclusively using these rewards. I think I had to dig out my credit card for lunch on our last day in Florida. It was pretty amazing! All the restaurants and kiosks in Disney Property accepted our rewards card.
You can purchase Disney tickets with this card. You can pay for your resort stay or cruise with the rewards.
Own into DVC? You can pay your annual dues with the rewards on it!
Going elsewhere? These rewards can be used to pay for your next flights!
Not going anywhere in the near future? No problem! Book Disney movies with this card, buy Christmas presents at the Disney store in person or online.
Other Fun Perks
During non-Covid times, there are special character meet and greets for Disney visa holders. For my family members, this is a big deal. My family avoids photos like the plague. Special meet and greets usually have little to no line. We are in and out visiting characters like Darth Vadar and Mickey’s gang, which means I get my keepsake photos and my family isn’t tortured by one more line. 
The Disney Store and many Disney restaurants offer a 10% or more discount for Disney Visa Members. When you’re dining out on a trip, this perk really adds up. See the information page for details on who is currently offering discounts.
Additionally, you can get zero percent interest for 6 months on your next vacation when you book it using your Disney Visa! This applies also to buying into DVC (someday we’ll talk more about this). You are not only paying for your vacation, but accruing rewards to use once you arrive!
I have been a Disney Visa Card Member for a while now and I LOVE the perks! I love wandering the park and saying to myself, “Yes, I think I will splurge on a Dole Whip.” I love the guilt-free travel feeling it affords.
How will you use the Disney Visa Credit Card? Which one do you plan to apply for? Let me know in the comments below! And as a reminder, for the best bonuses, go to https://www.referyourchasecard.com/200f/U1ZQ2MKYBA to apply!