Here are the Best Credit Cards to Help Fund Your Disney Vacation

Disney World is a once-in-a-lifetime vacation destination for many families, but a trip to any of its parks can be a budget-buster. In fact, the average Disney World vacation for a family of four costs over $6,000.

If you’re hoping to take your own trip to meet the mouse, the right credit card can help you get there by offering points, miles or cash back on your purchases and lessening the cost.

Choosing the right credit card for your Disney vacation may be more difficult than it sounds. While Disney offers two products in conjunction with Chase, neither may get you the best value if you aren’t a frequent visitor to the parks.

“While Disney credit cards can be tempting and certainly helpful in travel hacking a Disney vacation, other unaffiliated credit cards provide more value and flexibility,” says Alanna Koritzke, travel blogger and founder of the Periodic Adventures site.

You’ll want to consider both the points or miles you can earn and redeem toward your Disney vacation – and if you’ll get continuing value out of your card the rest of the year. If you visit Disney infrequently, a card that earns on everyday purchases – and pays out in flexible points or miles you can use on other trips – might be the better move.

Consider your spending habits and how you want to redeem rewards over the long term before choosing a card.

When it comes to earning on Disney-related purchases and earning rewards to spend in the parks, the Disney Premier Visa Card from Chase is designed specifically for the purpose.

For a $49 annual fee, the card earns 5% back in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases with Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN. You’ll also earn 2% back at U.S. gas stations, U.S. grocery stores, U.S. restaurants and at most U.S. Disney locations as well as 1% back on all other purchases. Your rewards can be redeemed for park tickets, resort stays and more.

In addition to a rewards rate tailored for Disney spending, the Disney Premier Visa rewards cardholders with several perks that come in handy on a Disney vacation, including a 10% discount on eligible purchases at shopDisney.com and on merchandise at Disney park locations.

While this is a great perk, the card is best suited for those who visit Disney parks and stores frequently, as your redemption options for rewards are limited.

If saving in the parks is your goal, Chase also offers the Disney Visa Debit Card for eligible checking account holders.

“If you think you’ll be doing a fair amount of shopping during the trip, getting the Disney Debit Card gives you a 10% discount without the annual fee you may find on some Disney credit cards,” says Scott Keyes, founder and chief flight expert of Going.com.

“The best credit cards for a Disney vacation aren’t actually from Disney. Instead, cards with flexible bank points – think Chase Sapphire Preferred or Capital One Venture – not only give sizable sign-up bonuses, but also flexibility to use points across different airlines and hotels,” Keyes says.

While the Disney credit cards let you earn and redeem on Disney purchases, a flexible travel card can give you more freedom to spend on both Disney vacations and other trips – and might offer more competitive earning rates as well.

“Consider the sign-up bonus for Disney Rewards credit card, which is $300 in statement credits after spending $1,000 in the first three months of account opening,” Koritzke says. “In comparison to unaffiliated card offers, this is quite low. For example, after spending $4,000 in the first three months with the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you gain 75,000 miles, which equates to $750.”

The Venture X also earns 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which can be redeemed for a statement credit toward any travel purchase, including your Disney flights or hotel stay. It charges a $395 annual fee, but you’ll also get up to $300 back in statement credits each year for bookings through Capital One Travel – which includes the Swan and Dolphin hotels.

Alternatively, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a much more affordable $95, offering five points per dollar on Ultimate Rewards travel, three points per dollar on online grocery purchases and on dining, two points per dollar on other travel purchases and one point per dollar on everything else. Plus, Ultimate Rewards can be transferred to a variety of airline partners, which might get you a better flight deal.

“Points can transfer 1:1 to various airlines and hotels, so if a cheap flight pops up on, say, United, you can move your Chase points over and take advantage,” says Keyes. “You wouldn’t be able to take advantage of that cheap United flight if you had a single airline credit card like Delta’s, for instance.”

Disneyland and Disney World both offer benefits for staying at a resort on property, but since these are run by Disney itself, it makes it difficult to use points for a stay.

Luckily, there is another great option in Disney World specifically – the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts. Run by Marriott but situated on Disney property with the perks to boot, these hotels let you redeem your Marriott points.

“The Swan and Dolphin resorts at Disney World can be booked with Marriott points and flexible miles might be used to cover purchases,” says Koritzke.

To earn Marriott points, consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card. It has a $250 annual fee, but you’ll earn six points per dollar on Marriott stays and qualify for complimentary gold elite status in the Bonvoy program.

If you don’t frequently stay at Marriott hotels, you aren’t completely out of luck. There are plenty of other places to stay near Disney with Hilton, Hyatt and more.

“Transferring points to Marriott, Hilton, IHG and Hyatt, for example, allows you to redeem those miles for hotel stays adjacent to Walt Disney World,” Koritzke says. “However, these properties will not come with perks of staying on Disney property, such as Early Magic Hour. All things to consider.”

You have plenty of options for booking flights into both Orlando, Florida, and Los Angeles-area airports for a Disney vacation, but Southwest is a great choice for your Disney flights, as it operates a hub in Orlando and plenty of flights out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California – the closest to Disneyland.

To earn Southwest points, consider the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card, which comes with a generous welcome offer of 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first three months. It charges a $69 annual fee.

Alternatively, JetBlue is also a hub airline in Orlando. The JetBlue Plus Card charges a $99 annual fee, and offers cardholders six points per dollar on JetBlue purchases.

From Dole Whips to Mickey Bars, Disney parks are home to delicious and unique snacks and food offerings. With the right credit card, you can earn rewards on those purchases to redeem on a future trip.

The American Express Gold Card is best in class for this purpose, offering four points per dollar on U.S. dining purchases, including those made in the parks. You’ll also earn four points per dollar on up to $25,000 spent at U.S. supermarkets per year, three points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or through Amex Travel and one point per dollar on all other purchases. Its annual fee is $250.

If you’re looking for a no-fee alternative to earning on food, consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card. It earns 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming services and at grocery stores, as well as 1% on other purchases.

“One tip that may be useful is that if you have a Target credit card, you get 5% off purchases at Target including Disney gift cards,” Koritzke says. “Therefore, you can purchase gift cards at a discount and use those for park tickets, dining, merchandise and more.”

This trick is a useful one for frequent Target shoppers, as the Target REDcard allows cardholders a 5% discount on eligible Target purchases. If you stock up on Disney gift cards at a discount when you shop, you can then use those funds for souvenirs on your Disney vacation.

You could also consider an everyday cash back card for the same purpose, setting aside funds for fun money while on your trip. The Citi Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer is one of the best cards for this, earning an unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases and an additional 1% as you pay off those purchases.

If you’re ready to book your Disney trip, make sure you pick the best time of year if you want a good deal.

“The best tip for Disney on a budget is just the timing of your trip,” says Keyes. “From park passes to flights to hotels, everything is more expensive during school breaks. If you have the flexibility, visiting just after a school break – think mid-September or mid-January – is when you can expect discounts of 30% or more on every part of the Disney trip.”

You might also be able to save by purchasing your souvenirs outside of the park, says Koritzke.

“Another tip is to shop for discounted, leftover merchandise at the Disney Character Warehouse in Orlando,” she says. “They receive unsold merchandise from the parks and discount it heavily. For instance, you can purchase Minnie ears for as little as $8, where in the parks they’re sold for around $35.”

By combining these strategies with a healthy store of points, miles or cash back, you can be hanging with Mickey in no time.