Booking a trip to Disney World doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank! With a little strategy and miles or points, it’s possible to cover major expenses like flights, hotels, and even tickets to the park. Here’s a deep dive into how points can make a Disney vacation surprisingly affordable.
Award Flights to Orlando
One of the easiest aspects of a Disney World trip to book with points is the flight to Orlando. For travelers using Southwest Airlines, points from Southwest Rapid Rewards can be a cost-effective choice. Transferring Chase points to Southwest can also boost reward flexibility. For families, the Southwest Companion Pass is a game-changer, allowing two adults to fly while each brings a companion for just taxes and fees, slashing flight costs for a family of four by around 50% (seriously…it’s amazing).
In addition to Southwest, other airlines offer great award flight options. Flights from Seattle to Orlando are available for about 13,000 points on Alaska and JetBlue. Even Emirates has a nonstop option from Dubai for just 50,000 points, showing that with a little searching, there are affordable, non-stop flights for points travelers from all over the world.
Using Points for Accommodations
Next up: accommodations. The debate often falls between staying on Disney property for the full experience or staying off-property for savings. Thankfully, both options can be booked with points!
Hilton’s DoubleTree Suites near Disney are available for around 30,000 Hilton points per night, though the value is relatively low when compared to the cash rate. If looking to maximize point value, Hyatt’s offerings are slightly better; a five-night stay at Hyatt Place Orlando, for instance, is only 32,500 points, giving an impressive 2.2 cents per point value, a much better deal in general.
Disney’s on-property Swan and Dolphin Resorts, run by Marriott, can also be booked with Marriott Bonvoy points. Standard rooms start at around 72,000 points per night, meaning travelers can use Chase, Amex, or Bilt points by transferring to Marriott Bonvoy. While this option may not have the highest redemption rate, the convenience (and Disney magic ofc) make it a popular choice for families wanting an immersive experience. For travelers with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, booking through the Chase Travel Portal with a 50% points boost might make on-property options more worthwhile.
Choosing the Best Credit Card
Choosing the right credit card for Disney travel is crucial. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Sapphire Reserve offer powerful rewards; with the Sapphire Preferred, points gain a 25% boost when redeemed through Chase’s portal, while the Sapphire Reserve offers an impressive 50% boost. Both cards come with high-value welcome offers, which can easily cover a significant portion of a Disney World stay or other future trips.
Interestingly, Disney’s own credit cards aren’t generally recommended due to restricted redemption options. Instead, travel cards like the Sapphire Preferred provide flexible rewards that can apply to Disney trips and beyond, making them a far better choice for earning miles and points that can cover all aspects of travel.
Using Points for Disney Park Tickets
Lastly, Disney World park tickets themselves are often the trickiest expense to cover with points. While you can technically purchase them with points from Chase, Amex, or Capital One by redeeming points at about 1 cent per point for a cash reimbursement, the value isn’t high enough to be the most economical choice. However, using a program like the Bilt Mastercard® can increase redemption value for Disney tickets by 25%, allowing points to stretch further when redeemed through the Bilt travel portal.
For travelers with a known, budgeted-for Disney expense, putting park ticket costs on a new travel rewards card can be a great way to hit a welcome bonus spending threshold. The Sapphire Preferred, for example, usually has a welcome offer which could cover round-trip flights for a family, offset hotel costs, or even fund a future vacation.
Final Takeaways
Though booking a Disney vacation exclusively with points may not always yield the highest redemption values, strategically using points for certain expenses can make the experience much more affordable. By balancing points redemptions for flights and accommodations with cash purchases for park tickets, you can reduce their overall trip cost significantly while still leveraging valuable welcome bonuses for future adventures. Now we have to ask the question of “what’s better…?” Disney Magic? Or miles and points magic? We have our answer, but you can sleep on it. 😊✨
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