There are 2 choices for a Disney Credit Card.
Current/1st card released by Chase in 2003:
- No annual fee
- Earn 1% of Disney Dollars on all purchases
- 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more at select locations and 10% off select dining locations most days at the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Resorts.
- Pose for special photos at our private Cardmember locations at Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort. Your complimentary photo downloads will be digitally enhanced with Disney or Star Wars Characters appearing right next to you.
- Savings aboard Disney Cruise Line when using your card to pay for select onboard purchases. Receive 10% off a Castaway Cay Gateway Package.
- Special vacation financing on select Disney vacation packages.
- There are no limits to the number of Rewards Dollars you can earn.
Click here for more details.
The Premier Card:
- $49 annual fee
- Earn 2% on restaurants, grocery stores, Disney purchases, gasoline
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
- Car rental insurance coverage (restrictions apply)
- 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more at select locations and 10% off select dining locations most days at the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Resorts.
- Able to use Disney Dollars on flight purchases
- Pose for special photos at our private Cardmember locations at Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort. Your complimentary photo downloads will be digitally enhanced with Disney or Star Wars Characters appearing right next to you.
- Earn 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, HULU.com or ESPNPlus.com.
- Savings aboard Disney Cruise Line when using your card to pay for select onboard purchases. Receive 10% off a Castaway Cay Gateway Package.
- Special vacation financing on select Disney vacation packages.
- There are no limits to the number of Rewards Dollars you can earn.
Click here for more details.
Helpful Hints/Information
Earn 2% versus 1%
Earning 2% on Disney purchases include Disney Vacation Club membership dues (when paid in full annually), down payment on a DVC membership, theme park tickets, dining plan, Disney Store, etc.
Once I switched to a premier card, I was dreading using the Disney dollars for Disney tickets, dining, etc. The reason you don’t want to use the earned Disney dollars for those items is because when you use the premier card, you earn 2% instead of 1%. In order to still earn 2% on your upcoming Disney trip on Disney purchases, keep your points right where they are. DO NOT move them to a rewards card if you plan on flying into Orlando or flying anyplace, for that matter. Buy your flights with your Disney card.
Once the flight charges have hit your statement or within 60 days, you can request online or via phone, to have the appropriate reward dollars moved to your statement to pay for the flights. By using them for your flights, you only miss out on 1% versus missing out on 2% on a Disney purchase. If you have extra dollars (more than flights cost), then move them to the rewards card when you are going on your trip or to pay for whatever you need in advance.
Use the card for everything wherever credit cards are accepted. This includes places you normally send a check. Simply pay off the monthly balance with the money you would have mailed. Here are some examples you can use a credit card and earn Disney dollars: electric, cell phone, cable, shopping, booking Disney Vacation, down payment on a car, DVC annual dues, donations, Disney loan principal payments, etc.
Annual Review
If you have a Premier card, review the benefits every year to ensure you continue to make more in Disney dollars than the $49 annual fee. Simply view Chase online and look for your rewards Earning Activity. Chase provides a year-to-date total along with an earnings breakdown.
While I realize I could use one of my other cards to earn money back, those cards are much more strict with limits. Most of those cards do not pay on all purchases. They are also just not as fun as earning Disney dollars! Plus, it is easier to maintain a separate “account” where the Disney dollars won’t get used before the trip.
Rewards Card
Upon request, a Disney rewards card will be mailed with your requested amount loaded on the card. After your first transfer of a minimum of 20 Rewards Dollars, all subsequent transfers to an existing or new Redemption Card need to be at least 10 Rewards Dollars. Once you use the balance on the card, you can keep the same card. This allows you to cut down the time it takes for a new card to be sent to you.
My suggestion is to request the card at least 4 months prior to your trip to Disney. Transfer the remaining dollars to the card online right before your trip or during your trip. Rewards Dollars transferred from your Account to a Redemption Card will never expire.
Disney dollars stay with Chase until you request them. Keep in mind that they do expire with Chase. Chase provides expiration dates on your statements, which is 5 years after the month they were first earned.
Click here for more details.
Disclosure
If you decide to apply for either Chase Credit Card, be sure to look for the deal where you receive money for applying/approval for the card or after your first purchase. Terms and conditions change quite often.
For the complete and accurate terms and conditions on the cards, click on this link www.chase.com/Disney.