A trip to Disney World is often associated with a high price tag, especially for a family of four (two adults and two children). After all, flights, hotels, and park tickets add up quickly, and we’re not even talking about transportation or food inside the theme parks. However, with the help of credit cards, there are many ways to significantly reduce that cost.
Flights — Get at Least 3 Round-Trip Tickets to Orlando
First of all, unless you live in Florida, getting to Orlando can be expensive. Even at an average price of $400 per ticket, we’re looking at $1,600 just in airfare costs! Luckily, Chase Sapphire Reserve Card offers a 100,000-point bonus, which is enough to fly four people on United Airlines, a Chase transfer partner. A round-trip domestic flight at Saver level comes to 25,000 MileagePlus miles per person. Additionally, the annual $300 travel credit that comes with this card could wipe out all the taxes associated with award tickets.
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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$0 intro first year
$95 annual fee |
Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 in travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® Read Review » |
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
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If the Reserve card’s annual fee of $450 seems steep, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred. The $95 annual fee is waived the first year and you can get 50,000 points after spending $4,000 within three months. You’ll earn one point per dollar on your spend, and two points on travel and dining, meaning after your spend, you’ll have at least 54,000 points.
That’s almost enough to get four round-trip tickets with Southwest Airlines, which is also a 1-to-1 transfer partner with Chase. Orlando is one of the airline’s top-10 served cities and Southwest frequently offers sales on airfare, making it possible to fly round-trip for about 15,000 Rapid Rewards points, or less, depending on origin, destination and availability. And if you have a Companion Pass, it’s an especially a good deal because two people can fly for the price of one ticket, even if booked with points.
Accommodations — Get at Least 2 Nights Free
Now that we have booked our flights, let’s look at some hotel options.
Starwood Preferred Guest is a great program for booking rooms near the parks. Walt Disney World Dolphin and Walt Disney World Swan are both properties that let you wake up in the happiest place on Earth. Rooms ordinarily cost around $200 per night — however, using Starwoord points, rooms at the Dolphin (Category 4) start at 10,000 points per night, and rooms at the Swan (Category 5) start at 12,000 points per night. If you already have a stash of Starpoints, you can book five nights at the Dolphin for 8,000 Starpoints each or five nights at the Swan for 9,600 Starpoints each, with a fifth-night free promo. If not, the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express offers a bonus of 25,000 Starpoints. If two family members get the bonus, they can pool points into one account (if both live at the same address) and have enough points for a five-night stay.
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Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
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$0 first year
$95 after first year |
25,000 Bonus Starpoints® After you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months Read Review » |
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Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express |
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An added plus of staying within resort boundaries is a complimentary shuttle to and from the parks offered by both of these properties. Although both hotels offer airport transportation, it isn’t free.
Park Tickets — Save at Least $500
This is probably going to be the most expensive part of the trip, especially after you’ve paid for your flights and hotels with credit-card points.
It turns out booking two adult (ages 10 and up) and two kid (ages 3 to 9) four-day Park Hopper tickets comes to $1,536 ($394 and $374 each respectively)! That is a LOT of money to most frugal families who want to travel together. However, there’s a way to reduce the price of admission also.
Although park tickets purchased directly from Disney do not code as a travel expense, buying them from UndercoverTourist.com, which is a safe and reliable third-party seller, does. The website even offers small discounts on tickets from time to time, helping you save even more! Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard lets card holders wipe out any travel expenses, and, for a limited time, the sign-up bonus is 50,000 points after spending $3,000 within three months, which counts as $500 in statement credits. Again, if two adults apply for this card, it can erase $1,000 of the admission cost – a significant portion.
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Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard®
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$0 first year
$89 after first year |
50,000 bonus miles When you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days Read Review » |
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Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® |
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Miscellaneous
Yes, there are still other expenses tied to a family trip to Disney World, including a rental car or alternative transportation to and from resorts, food and drinks as well as purchasing a disc with photos (and trust me, you’ll want one for future memories). However, using credit cards as a strategic tool can help you plan a trip like this for less.
Because each of the mentioned bonuses is awarded after a certain spending threshold is met (usually $3,000 to $4,000 on each card) within the first three months of being a card holder, I recommend spreading out your credit card applications and paying off your balance in full each month. A good credit score and planning in advance can make an unforgettable family trip happen for practically nothing.
[Photo: Getty Images]