Disney’s theme parks in Florida and California attract many families. In order to have a “magical journey”, it is not uncommon to plan it more than two years in advance.
Audrey and I have 2 young children. After our first one-day experience at Disneyland Paris in 2018, we spent 3 days roaming Disneyland California while visiting friends in the area in the Halloween season.
We loved the California experience, but admit to going without any real preparation: we bought the tickets using the Canadian-only promotion – using the HSBC World Elite Mastercard (to save 2.5% on conversion fees), and stayed at a nearby Marriott Bonvoy hotel with our points.
For Disney, I see 3 types of loyalty programs:
I have already discussed in other articles the different strategies related to these programs. You can therefore refer to it:
In this article, I will focus on cards and a 1 to 2 year earning strategy for a family:
First of all, AIR MILES bonus miles. There is a way to use your AIR MILES bonus miles:
Until the end of 2019, Audrey and I have been earning AIR MILES miles in our DREAM account (we share the same AIR MILES account) in order to save on airline tickets and buy our Disney tickets.
And we earned a lot: 24,564 miles to be exact, as AIR MILES reminded us at the end of the year!
In early 2019, I shared my earning strategy and why I was doing this. However, like any strategy, it has to be changed in mid-2019.
We decided to travel 5 months around the world, so we postponed our Disney plans. We have used many DREAM miles for other purposes, including flights within North America. Thus, we are protected in case of devaluation (the famous “Earn and Use” or “Earn & Burn” rule).
For 2020 and 2021, we have decided to earn CASH rewards.
Two credit cards issuers offer several credit cards linked to AIR MILES:
Here is a strategy and related costs to get lots of AIR MILES miles. You can apply this strategy individually or as a couple. Just remember the following:
Applying for AIR MILES credit cards will depend, among other things, on how much you can spend on these cards over the next 3 to 6 months.
For a family, it is usually possible to spend more than $1,500 per month on a credit card with groceries and recurring payments.
So I would recommend to apply first to:
Here are the current offers:
These 2 credit cards will require you to have more than $4,500 in planned purchases in the next 3 months.
If this isn’t possible within your budget, you could replace the BMO Ascend™ AIR MILES World Elite®* Mastercard with the BMO AIR MILES Mastercard®*, which requires $1,000 in purchases in 3 months.
If you are a couple, your spouse could also subscribe to these same cards when you judge the appropriate time according to your expenses.
Afterwards, you can progressively apply for other AIR MILES credit cards offered by BMO, such as:
All these cards have no annual fee and require only $1,000 in purchases in 3 months. They are therefore ideal for completing a round of applications when you subscribe to other cards in this strategy.
Over the course of a year, a single person can easily accumulate over 10,000 AIR MILES miles through credit card subscriptions and AIR MILES events. Just look at all the experiences milesopedia members have had in 2019!
A couple can reach 20,000 miles by being strategic, which is an estimated $2,500 value.
In order to stay for free in Marriott Bonvoy or Best Western hotels – nearby or in the parks – it takes points!
Marriott Bonvoy will be the points currency of choice, but Best Western Rewards points can be useful for stopover hotels (for example if you have to catch your flight in Plattsburgh)!
Click on the card images for more information or to apply.
I would recommend that you first apply for:
After that, you can sign up for the Marriott Bonvoy Business American ExpressMD Card and also earn 50,000 points after $1,500 in purchases.
If you’re a couple, your spouse may also sign up for these same cards when you feel it’s time to spend.
Over the course of a year, a single person can therefore accumulate over 105,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and 20,000 Best Western Rewards points quite easily through credit card subscriptions.
Enough to stay more than 5 nights near the parks.
A couple can earn 210,000 Marriott Bonvoy points and 40,000 Best Western Rewards points. The cost of accommodation at Disney World will therefore be entirely covered by the points obtained via credit cards, for a contribution of $540!
Finally, here are some other credit cards to cover other expenses such as :
These cards can be applied on based on your spending capacity and program flexibility preferences.
Over the course of a year, a single person is therefore able to earn more than $1,000 in travel points.
This will substantially lower the cost of a trip to Disney!
A couple can reach $2,000! Take your different needs into consideration when choosing cards such as:
Another technique made possible by Disney gift cards worth up to $500. These cards are on sale at Métro and Super C.
It is therefore advisable to subscribe to the American Express Cobalt® Card and buy these new Disney gift cards at Métro or Super C to earn 5 points per dollar spent.
Consider a family of 4 whose Disney expenses (hotels, park tickets, food, etc.) would cost $6,000.
For one year, by purchasing a $500 Disney gift card every month, here’s what you could get:
Over one year, this represents a value of $600! You’ll get 10% back on the $6,000 worth of Disney gift cards you buy!
And if you need more Disney gift cards, keep buying them at Métro and Super C with the American Express Cobalt® Card for 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar.
No matter what happens, a stay at Disney will be expensive. But with the right strategy, it is possible to substantially lower the cost of travel. The main thing is to go at your own pace and with your means!
Here’s another Disney strategy to help you save, depending on your needs.
Don’t hesitate to come and share YOUR accumulation strategy in the Facebook group!
Savings are here:
