How to Go to Disney for Cheap Using Rewards Credit Cards

For a family of four, a basic trip to Disney World can cost roughly $6,320, according to the site Mouse Hacking. That assumes a six-night stay at Pop Century, five-day Disney tickets without the Park Hopper option (but with Genie+ for two parks), flights, transportation to and from Disney World, quick service meals, snacks, and two table service meals. 

Now, to put that in perspective, The Ascent research team found that most Americans have between $1,000 to $5,000 in a savings account, with the median amount being roughly $4,500. If that’s true, then many Americans could find it difficult to pay for their Disney World trip in cash.

But hey, I get it -- you and your family really want to go to Disney World. There has to be a way to get there cheaply, right? Maurie Backman has some excellent tips on how to go to Disney on a shoestring, but if you want to go to Disney almost for free, one option may be available: credit card rewards. 

How credit card rewards can help fund a Disney trip

If you and your partner have good credit, then welcome offers and ongoing rewards on new rewards credit cards can help make Disney World more affordable. 

Many credit cards offer new cardholders hefty -- hefty -- rewards for meeting certain requirements, such as spending $500 within three months. By working in tandem, you and your partner could possibly open two new credit cards, take advantage of their rewards programs, and save your earnings for your trip to Disney World. Depending on your credit scores, you might be able to open more than two, but I'd say focus on one apiece first.

The best credit cards will offer higher rewards for categories that overlap with your actual spending, such as food or fuel. It's important to pick a card based on its full range of benefits, not just the welcome offer, as a reward card that matches closely with your everyday purchases likely has greater earning potential than a card that doesn't suit you for the long-term but has a sweet welcome offer.

While there are tons of great rewards cards that can help you get to Disney for cheap, let's narrow our options to cards that can help you cover your top three Disney expenses: flights to Orlando, your stay at Disney, and your Disney World spending (tickets, food, souvenirs, etc).  

Airline cards 

If you plan to fly into Orlando, you'll likely spend between $1,000 and $1,500 for economy class for a family of four, depending on travel dates, point of departure, and if you choose a budget airline. 

If you already know which airline you'll use, you can choose an airline-specific card, such as a Delta credit card. Otherwise, you can choose a travel rewards card that isn't tied to a single airline and might offer more versatility when booking a flight. 

All in all, here are a few great travel credit cards you might want to consider: 

• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Southwest is one of the primary airlines servicing Orlando, and its rewards credit cards are worth getting excited over. With the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card, you'll get 3 points for every Southwest purchase, 2 points for various bonus categories (such as at partner hotels), plus a $75 credit for Southwest Airlines every account year. The card has a hefty welcome offer of Earn 50,000 points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months . 
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: This card earns 2x miles on Delta and food purchases (restaurant, grocery stores, and takeout) and has numerous travel perks like a $200 Delta flight voucher when you spend $10,000 in a calendar year. New cardholders can get 40,000 Bonus Miles after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months (terms apply). This card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. (See rates and fees.)
  • Apply now for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: This travel card earns 5x total points per $1 for travel booked through Chase Travel portal, along with a slew of bonus categories that earn 2 to 3 points. The card also has a welcome offer of 75,000 bonus points (worth about $750 when redeemed through Chase Travel) when you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months (terms apply).
  • Apply now for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card: Earn an unlimited 2 miles per $1 and 5x miles on hotel and rental car purchases made through the Capital One Travel portal. The card has a super generous welcome offer of 75,000 Miles (worth about $750 in travel credit) when you spend $4,000 within the first 3 months (terms apply; see rates and fees). It charges a 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) regular APR and a $95 annual fee.
  • Apply now for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Hotel cards 

Depending on whether you stay on Disney World property, your hotel expenses could be pretty substantial.

While there are plenty of hotel credit cards that could help cover the cost of your stay, Hilton and Marriott cards are generally good choices, since their rewards are top-notch and both have hotels on and near Disney property. Here are two of my favorite cards from both chains: 

• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: This card comes with a hefty $550 annual fee (see rates and fees), but the $250 Hilton resort credit, $250 airline incidentals credit, and the $100 Hilton on-property credit more than offset the cost (terms apply). Plus, you'll get 150,000 Hilton Honors points when you spend $4,000 in the first three months of your card (roughly $800 in value). Terms apply.
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card: With a low annual fee ($95), this card has generous perks, such as a free night award on your card's anniversary, 17x Marriott points per $1 spent at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 75,000 points when you spend $3,000 in the first three months (terms apply). Plus, you'll get an extra 50,000 points after six eligible paid nights at Marriott Bonvoy hotels. 

Disney World expenses 

Disney World park tickets can easily be your largest expense, averaging around $2,183 for five-day tickets for a family of four -- three adults (ages 10+) and one child -- according to Mouse Hacking. 

Now, you could use the travel cards mentioned above to cover Disney World tickets with miles or points. But you'll have to go through a third-party travel company, like Undercover Tourist, to ensure the purchase is classed as "travel" and not "entertainment." 

If you don't want to use travel cards, you could also earn cash back to help you cover park tickets, food, or transportation. The following cash back cards might be good choices if you're looking to maximize rewards. 

• Discover it® Cash Back: Earn 5% back on quarterly rotating categories that you activate (up to $1,500 spent). Plus, as a welcome offer, Discover offers a Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. that new cardholders earn at the end of the card's first year (terms apply). If you put a majority of your expenses on this card and maximized quarterly bonus categories, you could reasonably cover half the cost of Disney park tickets (or more) by the end of your card's first year. (See rates and fees.)
  • Apply now for the Discover it® Cash Back.
• Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card: This cash back card is excellent for Disney food purchases. It earns 3% on dining, grocery stores, and popular streaming services. You can also earn a $200 Cash Back intro welcome bonus by spending $500 within 3 months of opening an account (terms apply; see rates and fees). The card offers a , and charges 19.99% - 29.99% (Variable) regular APR and a $0 annual fee.
  • Apply now for the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card.

Plan for a future Disney trip

As you can probably tell, you'll likely need some time to earn enough rewards to cover a significant portion of your Disney World trip. And that's okay. If you identify the right credit cards now and incorporate them into your everyday spending, you can accumulate rewards and make your Disney World trip more affordable, enjoyable, and fun. Rewards might not be magic, but hey --  they're pretty dang close.