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I have so many friends that tell me they really want to take their kids to Disney before they age out. But Disney anything, Disneyland, Disney World, or Disney Cruise, can feel unattainable because it’s not affordable.
But then I learned the biggest Disney savings don’t come from complicated strategies (I still can’t figure out why more people aren’t talking about this).
Here are the three ways that will save you the most money on Disney.
- Capital One Points
- Cash Back Cards
- A specific co-branded airline card that lets you pay yourself back
If you’re brand new to points and just want the basics, my free beginner’s guide is a great place to start.
The Biggest Disney Myth (And Why It’s Wrong)
You’ve probably heard this before:
“You can’t use points for Disney.”
That statement isn’t totally wrong; it’s just incomplete.
Disney doesn’t:
- Let you transfer airline points to them
- Let you use hotel points for park tickets
- Show up reliably inside most bank travel portals
So families assume points won’t help at all.
But that’s only true if you’re trying to book Disney directly.
Where to Start
On any of the three ways to save with Disney, your best bet is to start with a great welcome offer first.
I update my best offers page every month, so you don’t have to do the work.
A typical elevated welcome offer might look like earning 75,000 travel miles after meeting a minimum spend, which is worth about $750–$1,000 in travel depending on how you redeem
That one welcome offer alone can:
- Cover several days of Disney park tickets
- Pay for the deposit on a Disney cruise
- Offset a full Disney package booked through a travel agency
Example: Disney Tickets for a Family of Five
Let’s use Disneyland as our example (2-day, 1-park-per-day — cheaper than park hopper).
$1,558
Through Getaway Today for the first week of April (at the time of this writing).
$750–$1,000
Applied to travel costs, this can take a huge bite out of the total.
What that means for your family
Use a $750–$1,000 welcome offer and you’re looking at close to half off these tickets. Disney rarely discounts tickets this deeply, which is why points and miles feel like magic here.
Capital One Points
If you want a deep dive on Capital One Points, I explain how Capital One miles work step by step here.
Most people start with the Capital One Venture Rewards card because it has a great earning rate and low annual fee. My personal favorite is the Capital One Venture X card because of the premium benefits.
There are many great options with Capital One, including business cards. Read this to explore more.
Keep reading for the broad overview how to save on Disney with Capital One.
How to do it:
- You book Disney through a travel agency like Getaway Today
- You pay with your Capital One card
- You use points afterward to erase part of that charge
Every 1,000 points = $10 back.
You don’t have to worry about award charts or blackout dates, you redeem after you book, and you are done! These points are just so easy to use, and sometimes ease beats value.
Cash Back Cards
When you use a cash back card for normal expenses like groceries, gas, and bills, you earn a percentage back on everything you spend. That cash back can then be redeemed as a statement credit or deposited into your bank account and used to pay for Disney. And if you pair that spending with a welcome offer, you will be saving even more.
These are my favorite cash back cards. And here’s my full breakdown for how to use cash back cards for Disney, including how buy and use discounted Disney gift cards to save!
How cash back can save you on Disney
This is one of the simplest “set it and forget it” ways to shave real money off a Disney trip, especially tickets and cruises.
Use cash back to buy Disney tickets
Earn cash back throughout the year, then apply it toward park tickets when you’re ready to purchase. Even $400–$800 in cash back can cover a large portion of tickets for a family.
Use cash back to offset a Disney cruise deposit or balance
Disney cruises require a deposit upfront and final payment later. Cash back earned over several months can be applied directly to those charges, lowering what you pay out of pocket. And if you and your husband both do cash back cards, you can double your savings since you pay off your cruise overtime and can use multiple cards to do so.
Stack cash back with discounted gift cards
Many families also use cash back cards to purchase discounted Disney gift cards at grocery or warehouse stores, then use those gift cards to pay for tickets or cruises. This creates a double layer of savings.
The Pay-Yourself-Back Card
Due to affiliate rules, I can’t name this card directly, but I will tell you that it is a co-branded card you can find in this list.
Please make sure you check all the details on this card, cause this is a good one. It’s the only option that will earn you more than 1 cent per point when you pay yourself back.
It’s pretty straightforward: you login and see how many points you have available, then choose pay yourself back from the options they give you. You can cover the whole purchase or part with your points, so bring on the Disney savings!
If Disney Feels Out of Reach
- Use points or cash back to reduce one major Disney expense
- See the savings show up on your statement
- Build confidence from there
Disney doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing.
Sometimes it just needs to be $750 cheaper. Or $1,500 cheaper if your spouse is approved too!
Join Our Community
If you want ongoing tips, real-life booking examples, and reminders when good opportunities pop up:
- Join my email list.
- Follow along on Instagram.
- Join our Facebook community.
I share a lot of behind-the-scenes strategy there that never makes it into blog posts.
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