Best credit cards for Disney vacations of December 2024
Rewards, welcome bonuses, $0 annual fees and even introductory 0% APRs make these credit cards the best for your Disney vacation, helping bring the magic of Disney a little closer without quite so hefty a hit to your wallet. … View More
A Disney vacation can be the source of family memories that will last a lifetime. It can, however, also be the source of debt that seems to last just as long. It’s no secret that a journey to visit everyone’s favorite mouse can put a serious dent in your wallet, but we have good news! If you play your (credit) cards right and utilize one of our top picks for the best credit cards from our partners for Disney vacations, your journey could be significantly less expensive and could even provide a nice bank of rewards to help you pay for your next trip, whether to a Disney destination or elsewhere.
Depending on your travel and activity habits, the right credit cards can generate significant cash back and other rewards, including help paying for future trips. For those of you who are genuine Disney junkies, having a Disney Rewards-specific card in your wallet could prove ideal, but you don’t need to be on a first-name basis with the clerk at the Winnie-The-Pooh Gift Shop or have had Sleepy, Grumpy and Sneezy in your wedding party to reap rewards from your Disney vacation (or to pay for your Disney vacation with credit card rewards).
Below you’ll find several cards that would be an excellent addition to your wallet for your trip to the Happiest Place on Earth or any other vacation spot that strikes your fancy. We offer a number of options depending on your level of Disney commitment and your personal credit card preferences. View Less
Brooklyn Lowery
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List of Winners
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The Bonus: Earn 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. which can go a long way toward helping pay for your Disney getaway! Furthermore, you could transfer those miles to one of several airline partners, which might even increase their value.
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day, plus earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- Flexibility is a huge factor with this card. Any qualifying travel purchase, from RV rentals to resort fees and more, can be qualifying purchases for which you can redeem rewards.
- It's rare to find a Global Entry application reimbursement perk through a card with this low of an annual fee, so this is an especially nice feature.
- The ability to erase your travel purchases or transfer your miles to travel loyalty partners makes this card's rewards very easy to use.
CONS:
- This card's rewards program is certainly simple – 2X miles on every purchase – but there are more lucrative ones out there. Weigh whether the simplicity is worth possibly fewer rewards overall or whether you're willing to invest a bit more time (and possibly a larger annual fee) to earn more rewards.
- The introduction of hotel and airline travel partners gives cardholders options, which is great. But the partners aren't necessarily the biggest or most popular brands. Make sure those transfer partners fit your needs.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83.3 | 76.0 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.2 | 7.7 |
| Customer Service | 8.0 | 7.2 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.4 | 8.2 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.9 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.5 | 7.2 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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The Bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- As a Sapphire Preferred® cardholder, ALL of your bonus points can be worth 25% more when redeemed through Chase Travel. Just transfer points earned with your other Ultimate Rewards cards to the Sapphire Preferred® bucket.
- An extra 25% value on your rewards is a nice perk, but there are also several hotel and airline loyalty program transfer partners, so you might be able to make your rewards go even further.
- This card offers included trip cancellation insurance when you book your travel on the card (conditions apply). This perk could save you a LOT of money. Learn more about credit card travel insurance.
CONS:
- The welcome offer for new cardholders is quite impressive, but the spend threshold required to earn it may be difficult for some users.
- This card charges an annual fee; ensure it's actually meeting your earning and redemption needs so you can fully offset that fee and take full advantage of the perks and features.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 80.3 | 86.6 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.8 | 8.6 |
| Customer Service | 8.0 | 8.7 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.3 | 8.8 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.4 | 8.7 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.1 | 8.6 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
EDITOR'S NOTE
By the way, we recommend combining this card with CardNamediscontinued and/or CardNamediscontinued to earn top rewards in categories beyond travel and dining. Use CardName strategically to earn 5% back on up to $1,500 spent in quarterly rotating categories when you activate and use CardName to earn 1.5% back on other purchases that don't earn more with CardName or CardName. Lastly, transfer all your points to your CardName where your points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠. (Information related to Chase Freedom FlexSM has been collected independently by CardRatings and was neither reviewed nor provided by the card issuer)
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Intro Offer: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Additionally, take advantage of 15 months introductory 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers (then, RegAPR)
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
The Rewards:Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on Chase travel; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining; and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- Earning 4.5% cash back on your dining purchases, including takeout and delivery, is a stellar earn rate on a no-annual-fee card. Remember that dining in the park and paying with your Magic Band is likely to code as a "theme park" or "entertainment" purchase; however, any restaurants off the property, or likely those at Disney Springs that you pay for directly with your card, will likely code as "restaurants."
- No matter what code your purchase ultimately has, you'll earn at LEAST 1.5% cash back, which is quite nice if you're just wanting a simple approach to paying for your purchases will visiting the Mouse.
CONS:
- If you're hoping to say bonjour to Mickey Mouse at Disneyland Paris, leave this card at home; it does charge foreign transaction fees.
- While earning 6.5% back on travel booked through Chase Travel is awesome, you don't earn much on your other travel purchases. To maximize your earning on your vacation, book your vacation with a true travel rewards card that will offer you a better return.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.9 | 85.0 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.8 | 8.4 |
| Customer Service | 7.7 | 8.6 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.0 | 8.9 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.6 | 9.0 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.9 | 8.1 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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All information about Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card has been collected independently by Cardratings.com.
Who doesn't like getting a nice "thank you" gift? This card not only has a nice introductory bonus, but also thanks you each year for your loyalty with 6,000 bonus points after your card member anniversary. And, given that Southwest doesn't charge baggage fees for your first two bags, feel free to bring along all your mouse-ear gear when you book your Disney vacation.Read our full CardName review.
The Bonus: New cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn three points per $1 on Southwest purchases as well as two points per $1 on local transit and commuting (including rideshares) and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming and one point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- Enjoy 6,000 bonus points after your cardmember anniversary.
- Don't know what Companion Pass is? Take a look at our Guide to the Southwest Companion Pass.Remember, you have to earn the points in a single calendar year to earn the pass.
- One of the big perks with many airline cards (and a way to quickly offset an annual fee) is a free checked bag. With Southwest, there's no charge for your first two bags anyway (we aren't complaining!) so you're going to need to find other ways to offset that fee.
CONS:
- If Disneyland Paris is on your agenda, Southwest will not be the airline to get you there. While it's list of destinations is expanding and does now include some international stops, they're limited.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.5 | 77.7 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.9 | 7.7 |
| Customer Service | 7.5 | 7.8 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.7 | 8.0 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.0 | 7.6 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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The Welcome Bonus: For a limited time, earn 100,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening.
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn three Bonvoy points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year at grocery stores, gas stations and on dining. Earn up to 17 total points for every $1 spent at participating in Marriott Bonvoy properties and two points per $1 on all other purchases.
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- The Marriott footprint is massive – the biggest in the world thanks to its merger with Starwood several years ago. That means that whether you're headed to a Disney park or pretty much anywhere else, there's likely to be a Marriott home away from home nearby.
- Receive a free night (up to 35,000-point value) every year after your account anniversary – a perk that more than offsets the annual fee.
- This is a fine card to take along if one of the international Disney parks is on your agenda as it doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
CONS:
- The Swan and Dolphin hotels at Disney World were Category 6 properties under Marriott's old reward system (it's been updated to dynamic pricing), but you should still expect the redemption to be quite pricy. So, yes, they are Marriott properties and you can use rewards to stay there, but it will seriously deplete your points bank to do it.
- At a glance, the rewards earning on stays appears astronomical at up to 17 points per $1 spent at participating properties, but the valuation of the points isn't great. It's a good reminder that big, flashy numbers don't always tell the full story.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 82.2 | 81.4 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.3 | 8.0 |
| Customer Service | 7.8 | 8.5 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.2 | 8.1 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.2 | 8.0 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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The Bonus: Earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn 3% Cash Back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services and 1% on all other purchases. Additionally, you earn 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). Plus, earn 8% Cash Back on Capital One Entertainment purchases.
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- You can take this card to Tokyo Disney or any of Disney's other international parks and rest assured you won't pay foreign transaction fees while you're there.
- If buying groceries and cooking in your room is your way to save money on a Disney trip, that's ok. This card rewards you with 3% back at grocery stores
- Need a little more time to pay off your vacation? This card offers an intro 15 months 0% APR on purchases and balance transfers (then, RegAPR; balance transfer fee applies.)
CONS:
- This is a cash-back rewards card. That may be perfect for you, but it isn't going to rake in travel points that you can put toward your next vacation (though you can certainly put your cash back into a vacations piggy bank if you want)
- Earning 3% cash back at grocery stores is nice, but it doesn't include "superstores like Walmart® and Target®," so be sure your regular spending works here.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 79.2 | 84.5 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 8.0 | 8.4 |
| Customer Service | 7.5 | 8.4 |
| Website/App Usability | 8.8 | 9.0 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.5 | 8.4 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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The Bonus: For a limited time, earn 75,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening, redeemable for $750 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
Foreign Transaction Fees: foreign_fee
The Rewards: Earn 10x on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
The Annual Fee: AnnualFees
Credit Needed: CreditScoreNeeded
PROS:
- Once again, there are no foreign transaction fees to worry about (are you noticing a trend with these cards?)
- There are a lot of opportunities to earn 3x the points with this card – many of which will come in handy for your Disney vacation (as well as many of the purchases that are part of your everyday life).
- You can save with a $100 annual hotel benefit, that provides $100 off a single hotel stay of $500 or more each year (excluding taxes and fees). That's one to help offset your hotel stay at a Disney park.
CONS:
- While there are a lot of opportunities to earn 3x the points, this card is still geared toward being out and about. If you mostly stay home (as opposed to going out to eat or traveling regularly), this card probably isn't your best option.
- The Citi ThankYou® Rewards program offers the opportunity to redeem points for lots of different things in addition to the option to transfer points to a number of travel loyalty programs. Those transfer may ultimately yield the best value for your points, but may NOT offer the best options for a Disney vacation if you're wanting to pay with travel rewards. Learn more about the program in our Guide to Citi ThankYou Points.
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 78.1 | 84.5 |
| Rewards Program Satisfaction | 7.6 | 8.3 |
| Customer Service | 7.9 | 8.5 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.9 | 8.5 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.2 | 8.6 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 8.0 | 8.5 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
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Can credit card rewards help pay for a Disney vacation?
Absolutely, and it doesn’t even have to be a Disney-specific credit card (though, there are Disney World credit cards, too). For instance, using a cash-back rewards card for your everyday purchases and committing to putting those rewards into a savings account specifically for your next vacation – Disney or otherwise – is one way to use your rewards to help pay for your vacation.
Another way to vacation with Disney using credit card rewards is to make good use of your cards’ travel redemption options. Some cards, for example, allow you to redeem your rewards for statement credit to cover travel related purchases made on your card. Consequently, you could pay for everything from your flights to your theme park tickets to hotel stays to transportation to and from the airport with travel rewards. Other cards allow you to transfer rewards to hotel and airline loyalty programs, which could mean even more value for you as your plan your trip.
The bottom line is that credit card rewards are an excellent opportunity to offset some of the cost of a pricey adventure to the Happiest Place on Earth. Learn more about how to fund a trip to Disney World with credit card points,
How to choose the best credit card for a Disney vacation?
Only you can determine which credit card or combination of cards are best to use for your Disney vacation, but there are a few questions you should ask in order to make the best decision. Conveniently, the first several of them are surprisingly similar to the questions you need to ask before applying for any credit card:
What does your credit history look like? Do you have a strong credit score or are you working on building/rebuilding your credit? Many of the top rewards cards require good/excellent credit to qualify, so make sure you know where you stand before applying for a particular card.
Where do you most often spend your money? Unless you live in a Disney theme park, it’s safe to assume that your card will need to be useful to you daily and not just when you’re roaming around the Magic Kingdom. Therefore, think about your everyday life before deciding on a card. If you never fly, there’s no point in applying for an airline-branded card, but a card with excellent rewards on gas purchases might work well for you. Likewise, if you eat out all the time, but hit the grocery store only for necessities, consider a card that rewards restaurant purchases. The bottom line is that your current spending habits should inform which card you apply for; don’t apply for a card thinking you’ll change your habits just to fit into the reward structure.
Can you offset an annual fee? This question is kind of a follow-up to the spending question above. Will you spend enough on the card to earn enough rewards to offset any annual fee the card charges? For many people, the annual fee is worth it given the rewards earned and other perks the card offers, but that isn’t everyone. Check for a no-annual-fee, “lite” version of a particular card if you see features you like, but don’t think you’ll be able to offset the fee.
Can you earn the bonus/welcome offer? Rewards cards frequently offer attractive signup/welcome bonuses for new customers, but they require that you spend a particular amount of money within a particular amount of time – often three months – to earn those bonus rewards. Don’t be lured into a card with an flashy bonus offer only to find you’ll never be able to spend the required amount in time to earn it. Most importantly, DON’T go into debt trying to earn a bonus offer! That’s because any bonus you earn will be quickly eaten up in interest costs if you don’t pay off the balance on your card each month.
When does Disney charge your credit card?
Disney charges your credit card at the time of your payment, just as occurs with any other purchase; however, when you pay for Disney purchases can vary.
- Disney store purchases – charged at time of purchase
- Disney vacation packages – You will pay a deposit at the time of booking and can then make deposits online or via phone leading up to your trip. Your vacation package balance is due 30 days before your trip
- Disney room-only reservations – You’ll pay the remaining balance at the time of check-in. Additionally, Disney will place an initial $100 hold on your card for estimated hotel incidentals during your stay
Disney’s own site does a nice job of clearing up payment questions in their FAQ.
Compare Disney rewards credit cards
Since we are narrowing down the best credit cards for a Disney vacation, we should talk about two cards that are specific to Disney: Chase’s Disney® Premier Visa® Card and the Disney® Visa® Card. Now, these could be great cards for the person or family who finds themselves traveling to a Disney destination multiple times a year or at least purchasing Disney merchandise on a regular basis, but they probably aren’t the top cards for the person or family who goes to a Disney park every few years and likes to mix in other vacations in the off years.
But if you’re an old-school Mickey Mouse Club fan, or if you’ve got some young pirates or princesses in your family, Chase’s Disney rewards credit cards could help you rack up some big savings on your next vacation. Both cards offer perks like discounts on your Disney purchases, whether at a park or for Disney merchandise, and both allow you to earn rewards on everyday purchases, though the Premier version offers higher rewards on those everyday purchases.
Perhaps the most notable perk of Chase’s Disney cards, though, is the 0% promo APR offer when you use the card to finance select vacation plans. Book your eligible Disney vacation package through with your card and enjoy a 0% promo APR for six months from the date of purchase. Here’s a look at some other basic details of these cards:
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Earn a $300 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months
Enjoy a $150 statement credit when you spend $500 in the first three months
- Earn 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases made directly with DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com and ESPNPlus.com.
- Earn 2% in Disney Rewards Dollars at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most U.S. Disney locations
- Earn 1% on other purchases
- Earn 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all purchases
Take your time paying your balance with a 0% promotional APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase (regular APR of RegAPR applies after the promo period)
Enjoy 0% promotional APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase (regular APR of RegAPR applies after the promo period)
Which specific option is right for you depends upon your Disney connection, ie. how often you purchase Disney gear, whether you’re a frequent Disney park visitor and more. That AnnualFees annual fee for the CardName, however, certainly isn’t a bad fee, and you could likely recoup it quickly with that 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores and most U.S. Disney locations. You can learn more in our full “Which Disney card is best?” head-to-head article.
However, if you don’t plan on making your way to the Magic Kingdom every year (or shopping frequently at the Disney Store), other travel credit card or cash-back credit card offers may earn you even better rewards.
A journalist for nearly 20 years, Brooklyn has published work on a broad range of topics including personal finance and business as well as travel and human interest pieces. As a finance expert, she has provided commentary on credit cards, card rewards and personal finance for outlets including Forbes, Fox Business and many others. Her own wanderlust and travel experiences...Read more
Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to “How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?” was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); “Past Scores” reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
Ranking Methodology: CardRatings experts review the fine print, details, perks, rewards and features of hundreds of cards and compare them side-by-side with similar cards. A card that makes an excellent balance transfer card may not make a great cash-back rewards card even though it offers those rewards. While the Best of the Year list is announced annually, that list – and all other “best of” lists on CardRatings – are regularly reviewed and updated as issuers change the terms and features of each card often.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Disclaimer:
The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
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