For Savers, Disney Premier Visa Card NOT the best option. And the best option might surprise you!

About a year ago I signed up for the Disney Premier Visa card offered by Chase. At the time, it seemed like a great idea and a fantastic way to save money for the frequent Disney trips that I take. I use credit cards all the time, so this is a great way to earn precious Disney savings, right? Well…. sadly, no….

After using the card for a year I started to wonder if this was really the best card for Disney fans whose primary goal is to save money for Disney trips. Before I dive in, let me break down the financial aspect of the card. Essentially you earn 2% in Disney reward dollars when you are spending at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and most Disney locations. You get 1% for all other purchases. In addition to that, though, you pay an annual fee of $49. You can opt for the regular Disney Visa Card which earns you just 1% on all purchases but has no annual fee.

It is worth mentioning that the Disney cards (both premier and regular) have some other perks not related to Disney rewards dollars such as a special (private) character Meet ‘N’ Greet location, 10% of some merchandise when you spend $50 or more, 10% of some dining locations, 15% off some tours, and 10% of merchandise at Disney Stores when you spend $50 or more. These perks could be useful depending on how you Disney.

For me, though, I’m all about savings. I realized a year into my Disney Premier Visa that there’s actually a credit card that will earn you twice as much in savings, and the answer may surprise you: A Target Red Card. Yes, that’s right. A Target Red Card yields you 5% off all purchases in their store and that includes Disney Gift Cards, because they’re classified as an entertainment card (officially). The math is actually shockingly simple on, let’s say, a $3,000 Walt Disney World vacation purchase.

If you put it on your Disney Premier Visa you’ll earn $60 Disney Rewards dollars. But, when you subtract the $49 annual fee, you really only earned $11.
But, if you instead went to Target and bought $3,000 in Disney Entertainment Cards and put it on your Target Red Card, you’d only pay $2,850. In other words, you just saved $150.

Your Target Red Card just saved you $139 extra dollars to spend on your Disney trip! Now, certainly you can use your Disney Visa for other things and rack up more Disney Rewards dollars, but there are stronger rewards programs out there, especially when you’re paying an annual fee. The only real (financial) justification for the Disney Premier Visa would be if you really love tours, buy a ton of stuff at the Disney Store, or happen to really love the few restaurants on their list for the 10% discount. Otherwise, if you’re going to open up a credit card with the intent of saving you money at Disney, then Target’s Red Card is actually the way to go!

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