The Best Disney Credit Card Might Surprise You
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A trip to Disney World or Disneyland can easily be as expensive as it is magical. Happily, credit card perks can make it significantly cheaper. But here’s something that might seem counterintuitive: The smartest way to pay for your next Disney trip is typically not with a Disney-branded credit card.
Whether you’re seeking to earn travel rewards points now that can help pay for your Disney trip, or you want VIP benefits that will get you closer to royal status while traveling, credit cards can help you get there. Alas, the Disney® Premier Visa® Card by Chase is probably not one of those.
Here are the top credit cards to help fund a Disney vacation — and why none of the available Disney credit cards is a very savvy choice.
Problems with the Disney credit cards
Disney® Premier Visa® Card
For starters, the Disney® Premier Visa® Card by Chase has a $49 annual fee. It offers a welcome bonus remitted as a $300 statement credit for cardholders who make purchases totaling $1000 or more during the first 3 months from account opening.
While paying an annual fee for a credit card can certainly make sense if the benefits outweigh the fee, that’s hardly the case here. Even if you break even on the annual fee, there’s a missed opportunity cost in not using another, better card.
Here are some reasons why this card is not very good:
Rewards are middling. The Disney® Premier Visa® Card earns 2% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases at grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations and most Disney locations. Everything else earns 1% back. That could be a fine rewards rate for a no-annual-fee card, but that’s pretty low considering the card has an annual fee, plus few other rewards to boot. That said, cardholders can earn 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com.
Redeeming Disney credit card points is a hassle. Rather than earning cash back on the card, you get Disney Rewards Dollars, which can only be used on Disney-related items. Eligible redemptions include shopping at the Disney Store, buying theme park tickets directly from Disney, purchasing Disney movie tickets at AMC theaters, paying for most merchandise or food in the parks, or booking Disney hotel rooms. You can also redeem them for a statement credit toward airline travel, though it’s not automatic; you have to log in to your Chase account within 60 days of purchasing your tickets and manually opt to pay yourself back (and you need to redeem a minimum of at least 50 Rewards Dollars).
Rewards expire. If you’re trying to use your rewards to save for a Disney trip, here’s another wrench: Disney Rewards Dollars in your account expire five years from the date they’re posted, so don’t plan on saving them for too long.
The card’s other perks are ho-hum. Other perks include things like exclusive in-park photo ops. There is a 0% promotional APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages, but if you need to finance your trip, you’re probably still better off with a different 0% APR credit card with a longer promotional APR period. Expect a 15.99% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers after.
The only real reason to hold the Disney® Premier Visa® Card is the perks it offers once on the property at Disney parks. You’ll get 10% off at some restaurants in U.S. Disney parks and on the Disney Cruise Line ships, as well as on certain merchandise purchases.
But the discounts don’t necessarily apply to all the shops and restaurants you want to spend money at as many of the most popular places — such as the outdoor vendors (like balloon vendors) and niche shops (like Walt Disney World’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique) — are excluded.
Benefits of card ownership include 10% off purchases of $50 or more at certain stores, including the WEB Suppliers shop in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, California. (Photo courtesy of Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
The Disney® Visa® Card
There’s also the Disney® Visa® Card, which is significantly easier to justify given its $0 annual fee. The card's welcome bonus does immediately put you in the green: Get a $150 statement credit after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
However, the card has even fewer perks. You’ll earn just 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all purchases.
This rate is better than nothing, but plenty of other no-annual-fee credit cards offer higher earnings rates — and are often doled out as actual cash back.
This card also offers the 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more at some stores within U.S. Disney theme parks and through Disney’s online site. Annoyingly, the discount doesn’t apply to theme park admission or some of the brand's most popular (and expensive) stores, like Savi's Workshop in the Star Wars-themed section of the park. Expect to pay the full, $219.99 price tag for a lightsaber.
Better travel cards for a Disney vacation
The Disney-branded credit cards aren’t as magical as they could be. Here are better credit cards for a Disney vacation.
Annual fee: $550
Intro offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
5x points on flights purchased through Chase.
10x points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase.
3x points on travel and dining.
Annual fee: $95
Intro offer: Get up to $1,050 in Chase Travel℠ value. Earn 60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. That’s worth $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel purchases within your first year.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase.
3x points on dining.
2x points on all other travel purchases.
Annual fee: $695 (see rates and fees). Terms apply.
Intro offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Terms Apply.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
5x points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 per calendar year.
5x points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com.
Terms apply.
Better airline credit cards for a Disney vacation
If you want to use your Disney trip as an opportunity to dip your toes into the world of airline credit cards, consider these smart options.
Annual fee: $149
Intro offer: Earn 85,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
3x points on Southwest Airlines purchases.
2x points on local transit and commuting, including rideshare.
2x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners.
Better hotel credit cards for a Disney vacation
Hotels can be one of the biggest expenses of any vacation. Here are the cards to consider if you want to book your Disney hotels like a points-savvy pro.
Annual fee: $95
Intro offer: Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening, redeemable for $700 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
10 ThankYou points per dollar spent on hotels booked through Citi.
3 ThankYou Points per $1 spent at restaurants, gas stations, other hotels and air travel.
Annual fee: $95
Intro offer: Our best points offer! Earn 125,000 Bonus Points after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
Up to 17 total points per $1 spent at Marriott (6 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy with your card, up to 10 points for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and up to 1 point with Silver Elite Status — a benefit of being a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card member).
Better no-annual-fee credit cards for a Disney vacation
Even annual-fee-averse travelers have better options than Disney's no-annual-fee card.
Annual fee: $0.
Intro offer: Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
2% cash back on all purchases.
No category restrictions or sign ups and cash rewards don’t expire as long as your account remains open.
Annual fee: $0.
Intro offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
Rewards rate on Disney-relevant bonus categories:
5% cash back on your top eligible spend category (which includes choices such as select travel, restaurants and live entertainment) up to $500 spent each billing cycle.
There's also a special travel offer on the Citi Custom Cash® Card: Earn an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals and attractions booked on Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/2026.
You might consider the Disney debit card instead
Disney’s debit card also offers many similar perks to its credit card counterpart, including 10% off a Castaway Cay Getaway Package, which you might book as part of a Disney Cruise Line itinerary that stops at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas called Castaway Cay. Photo courtesy of David Roark/Disney Cruise Line
If you absolutely must have a piece of Disney plastic, consider the Disney Visa Debit Card by Chase. While it’s rare to find significant perks on debit cards, this Disney debit card is a diamond in the rough. Like its Disney credit card counterparts, the Disney debit card offers similar discounts, photo opportunities and that same Disney-themed card design.
The most significant downfall of the card is that you miss out on the 2% rewards rate on spending in select categories that you earn from the Disney® Premier Visa® Card.
But applying for a new Disney debit card over a credit card has its benefits. Unlike a credit card application, debit card applications won’t initiate a hard inquiry, which can have a temporary, negative impact on your credit scores. Debit cards also mean you aren’t subject to the “5/24 rule,” which is an unofficial Chase policy where you will be denied your credit card application if you’ve applied for more than five credit cards from any issuer (not just Chase) over the past 24 months.
Final thoughts on the best credit card for Disney trips
Compared to what else is out there (and accounting for its $49 annual fee), the Disney® Premier Visa® Card by Chase is one of the worst credit cards for earning rewards during your trip, as well as ahead of your trip to actually pay for it.
The $0 annual fee Disney® Visa® Card is fine, but there’s still the lost opportunity cost of using another credit card that has no annual fee and higher overall rewards.
It can certainly be tempting to apply for any of these two cards. The charming Disney design on the front plus small vacation perks might lure you in. Every time you swipe, the sight of Mickey’s face might remind you that you’re a few more rewards points closer to vacation.
But there are plenty of other non-Disney credit cards that are better for a Disney trip, and many will get you even more royal treatment than what the Disney card itself can bestow you with.
Insurance Benefit: Trip Delay Insurance
Up to $500 per Covered Trip that is delayed for more than 6 hours; and 2 claims per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
Insurance Benefit: Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
The maximum benefit amount for Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance is $10,000 per Covered Trip and $20,000 per Eligible Card per 12 consecutive month period.
Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply.
Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details.
Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
on Chase's website
1x-10x
Points60,000
Points
on Chase's website
1x-5x
Points60,000 Points + $300 Travel Credit
on Chase's website
1x-3x
Points85,000
Points