Disney Visa Card Review

The first thing I'd like to point out is that it offers 1% back on all purchases. Chase Bank, the card provider, does not offer bonus points for making purchases at Disney destinations or stores. Nor do they offer bonus points for gasoline, grocery, or pharmacy purchases that many other cards do.

The Disney Dream Reward Dollars (DDRD), or the points you receive from your purchases, are equal to $1. Basically, this means that for every $100 you spend using the card, you’ll earn 1 point. You can earn up to a total of $750 in DDRD’s each year but that means you’d have to spend $75,000 on your card. This is hardly enough to cover a trip to Disney World and remember, that’s if you spend $75,000! On a $1,000 credit card bill, you’ll earn 10 points. The points are then transferred to a special points card, and once the points are transferred to the card, they cannot be switched back and will expire in a year. You need a minimum of 20 points to transfer to the Disney Rewards Card, so you’ll need to spend $2,000 first.

Reading the literature that comes with the card can be confusing. Chase Bank says that you can pay your monthly bills with the card and earn points faster. For example, if you pay for your phone, Internet, and cable each month using the card, say about $250 a month, at the end of the year, you’d have 30 DDRD points. The literature makes this seem like you’d be earning bonus points but a quick check of our math tells us that $250 per month multiplied by 12 months is $3,000. This of course equals 30 points. So really, you’re only paying bills that you have anyway by using the card, there are no bonus points. By the way, there is a very limited list of utility companies that accept Visa for payment. None of the utilities where I live in Connecticut were on the list.

The card does offer some discounts to special events and tours in the parks. In most cases, the discount is 20% off the published rate of the tour. So for a $60 tour you would save $12. That’s actually not too bad and adds up quickly, especially when you have to purchase more than one or two.

There are also some benefits that come with the Disney Visa card but this sounds better than it actually is. These offers change from time to time but most recently they have been offering a Character Meet ‘N’ Greet Event at EPCOT (but only at 4:30, mind you), a complimentary 5x7 group photo with characters (but a second one will cost you the full price), and a 10% discount on ‘select’ merchandise (select being the key word and note that it’s only available at the World of Disney at the WDW resort—sorry New Yorkers!) This discount excludes gift cards, videos, DVD’s, snacks, literature, film, and most collectable merchandise offered in the store.

Redeeming those DDRD points is no easy task either. There are only a handful of redemptions locations throughout WDW. For example, to use your points to make a purchase in the Magic Kingdom, you’d be limited to the Emporium, Pirates Bazaar, Fantasy Faire, and Briar Patch. For dining, your options are Crystal Palace, Cosmic Rays, Casey’s Corner, and Liberty Tree Tavern.

If you’re looking for your credit card to give you rewards, I suggest one of the many cards that offer up to 5% back. On my Citibank card that offers 5% on gas and grocery purchases, it took me less than one year to earn $300 in cash back. I used it to pay for my airfare to WDW on JetBlue. In addition, I wasn’t limited to spending my points at Disney and I earned them faster. With the Disney card, I would have had to spend $30,000 to earn 300 DDRD points. That would take me a lot longer than one year. I do have the Disney card but all I tend to use it for is the advanced notices that come with my statement but thanks to the internet and Lou's podcast, I'm usually aware of them ahead of time anyway.

My advice, search for a card that will get you to your Disney vacation faster, but don't rely on the Disney Visa Card to be much help.

I am SOOOOO glad you posted this. I have been thinking of appying. I think I will look around for a better deal.....................Thanks eyeinthesky!!

Yes I agree, it's tough to earn points, I like my Discover card better, they give you cash back and there are many periods when they have the 5% back (but normally it is also 1%. I know I have gotten discounts in the World of Disney store in NY but your right it wasn't with my card but with my statement (from Disney Visa) I got a World of Disney discount cupon and the ny store accepted it. Disney Visa is way to cheap with their incentives, it pays to shop around just check the interest rates.http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/12/12_1_102.gif

About the only thing I like about this card is that I have a super cute Bambi scene on my card.

I called them the other day to see if they would lower my APR rate. I have been a member since the card came out and they have never lowered it. I have always paid on time and I think I am a good customer of theirs. I told them I was thinking of canceling if they could not offer me a better rate. They told me that they could not offer it. I almost cancelled and still might. My rate is 20 something percent and they cant lower it? Ridiculous! All of my other cards are 11 or 12 percent.

Yes mine is also 20 something percent and I have pretty good credit. They also advertise that they offer 6 months at zero percent interest on Disney vacations. While this is true, many credit cards offer a zero percent interest rate on major purchases for 6 mos. and this is quite common on most Chase credit cards.

I can't argue the fact that the credit cards have pretty neat designs however. I have the "Classic Mickey"one myself.

One good thing is I should be getting a free Meet the Robinsons soundtrack in the mail soon for watching the movie and being a card member.

But other then that, I am mad at them right now!!

Good post eyeinthesky...thanks!

We have the Disney Visa card and agree that it isn't the best value out there. Discover and other cards that rebate 3-5% will definitely make more economical sense. We pay off our balance monthly so I don't care about the APR % much.

But as usual, all things Disney don't necessarily make the most economical sense. For instance, we could stay off-site at a fraction of the cost but pay the upcharge to stay on-site.

The only part of the original post I differ with is the ease of using points. We find that they build up nicely over a two year period which is how often we purchase annual passes to WDW. Redeeming the points and using them to get those passes for very little additional money (we get four of them) makes the admissions price to WDW very painless to us.

Yes, we could take the savings from the other cards and have even more money stashed away but then it wouldn't be a Disney Visa, would it? It's one of those decisions we made based on emotion rather than practicality. :)

Just so everyone knows... using the points is actually quite easy once you get down to the parks. They transfer your points value to a card that looks (and works) just like a debit card. So you can get snacks or pay for dining with the card, buy photos, get souveniers, pretty much do anything you can do with a normal debit card. I've never had any problems, and I've used it at the parks three different times.

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Originally Posted by hafrase

Just so everyone knows... using the points is actually quite easy once you get down to the parks. They transfer your points value to a card that looks (and works) just like a debit card. So you can get snacks or pay for dining with the card, buy photos, get souveniers, pretty much do anything you can do with a normal debit card. I've never had any problems, and I've used it at the parks three different times.

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According to the fine print in the literature that comes with the card, there are only a few places at each park where the debit card is accepted. While it's easy to use the card, finding a place might be a challenge. Unless you're saying that the debit card it accepted everywhere and that the fine print is incorrect. That would be awesome!

My guess would be that the fine print is incorrect, or else someone screwed up when I was using my card. I used my card everywhere.... at food places, in the shops, and all over Downtown Disney. I don't think I was ever told that I couldn't use my card somewhere.

Now, the last time I was there was in November of last year, so maybe that changed since I went....

Well after reading the posts here, most people seem to agree on the fact that the card is a must have for Disney fans. This is very true and even if you don't use the card, the promotions that Disney sends to card holders might just be worth it. For example, I just got two free tickets to Ratatouille thanks to Disney Visa.

Sooo, in conclusion, it's fair to say that the Disney Visa isn't the best card out there for earning rewards but it might still be worth having one just for some of the perks that come with the card membership. -pirate2-

I was just looking over the DisneyRewards.com site (official site for the Disney Visa card), to see if I could figure out the latest story on redeeming the rewards dollars. On my past trips, it was as hafrase said, I could use the debit-like card just about anywhere. But there was a mailing earlier this year that included changes to the program and a listing of redemption locations, that was rather limited.

The latest on the site has the same list that was mailed, but instead of calling them the list of redemption locations, they are the list of POPULAR redemption locations, and the small print at the bottom says this isn't a complete list and is subject to change. Disney Rewards Visa Card From Chase - Card Benefits - Walt Disney World® Rewards Redemptions Locations

So, I'm thinking the mailing/small print/new restrictions was either a mistake on their part or it met with a lot of complaints. It doesn't make any sense for them to limit where the rewards dollars can be used if all those locations had already been able to accept them.

btw - how'd you get the free tickets to Ratatouille? by redeeming dollars or did I miss a promotion?

I have had the card since it came out I was 1 of the first 50 members, I got my pin! Then later on they start offering bonus 25 points for opening up one. I was a little mad, cause all I got was a pin. I would of rather had the points. But anyway, I earned over the course of yrs points and then I cashed them in last year and when we went to disney world I used them to eat dinner. We were able to eat at 4 different resturants and there were 4 of us. So I had alot of points, see I let my sisters use my card to purchase stuff to help build my points up faster, I actually had saved up for a car and I had alot of money for the down payment. So I used my credit card to put the down payment on that and when the bill came in I just paid it off, gave me 40 points at one shot. I like that you get discounts at the parks and on tours and stuff like that.

I'm thinking about canceling my Disney card....the interest is way too high and I have great credit, but I didn't think about the perks.


Might have to rethink this.

I am also interested in how you got two free tickets to Ratatouille. I haven't gotten any mailings about that.

I did get the free Meet the Robinsons soundtrack, which was awesome!


Stitch, If I were you I would keep it. I mean it does no harm by just having it if you don't use it. However, I did call and threaten to cancel to try to get a lower interest rate. They did not buy it. I almost cancelled, but I just love having Bambi on my credit card. It's way too cute.