The Trick to Earning Extra Credit Card Points on Disney & Theme Park Tickets

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When you’re planning a trip to a theme park, there are many things to plan for in your budget. No matter if it’s a summer/fall trip to your local amusement or water park, or if you’re packing up the family and heading to Walt Disney World for the week over the holidays, finding discounts for some places can be easy, and for others not so much. Discounts for Disney parks are notoriously difficult to find, but here are some hints of where to look (and where not to look).

Wherever you decide to go, you want to get the most reward points when buying theme park tickets. That means maximizing the points you’ll earn by using the right credit card. Here’s how:

1) Use a card that earns bonus points for amusement and theme park tickets

The Citi Custom Cash is the only card that directly offers theme park tickets as a bonus category. You’ll earn 5x points for up to $500 each billing cycle in whichever of the 10 selected categories you spend the most. Live entertainment, including theme parks, is one of the categories.

The major limitations are the $500 cap each month and that you need another Citi ThankYou card, like the Citi Strata Premier or Strata Elite, if you want to transfer points to travel partners.

2) Buy tickets ahead of time from an online travel agency and use a card that gives a bonus for travel

Many travel sites sell tickets for theme parks and amusement parks. When you buy tickets from these agencies, they’ll typically code as “travel,” and you’ll be able to collect the bonus points for that category.

Many credit cards list “Travel” as a bonus category. Some of the main ones are:

• Citi Strata Premier – 3x points on travel
• Chase Sapphire Preferred – 2x points on travel
• Costco Anywhere Visa – 3% cash back on travel
• Capital One Venture X – 2x everywhere and 5x on travel purchased through Capital One Travel
• American Express Green – 3x points on travel, including transit and OTAs

I’ve heard many people speak well of Undercover Tourist for purchasing tickets. I’ve never used them, but I do trust the opinions of people who have.

I’d also check to see if you’re eligible for any discounts from your employer. I have access to PerkSpot through my job and they refer me to Ticketsatwork.com to buy discounted tickets. However, the one time I used them, the charge showed up on my AMEX statement as entertainment, not travel.

Note: A reader informed us that U.S. Bank’s Altitude Reserve does not consider charges from travel agents, like Undercover Tourist, to be in the travel bonus category.

3) Buy gift cards or prepaid tickets at a supermarket, office supply or home improvement store

You can buy Disney gift cards pretty much anywhere. Pick somewhere where you get a good bonus on spending, and get your gift cards there. You can then use these cards to pay for your tickets. (If you have to get a large amount of money to pay for tickets, it’s possible to combine balances from several Disney gift cards onto a single card online by going here.)

For example, Publix supermarkets sell Disney gift cards and Universal Orlando ticket vouchers in the store. You can use a card that offers a bonus for supermarket spending to earn extra points.

I’d be cautious about trying to maximize this method with an American Express card, so as not to run afoul of the Reward Abuse Team.

I can also visit Office Depot, purchase Disney gift cards with my Chase Ink Cash card, and earn 5x Ultimate Rewards points per dollar. Any of these would be a way to maximize your spending on admission tickets.

4) Purchase tickets at the hotel and charge to the room to earn extra hotel points

If you’re staying at a hotel with a concierge desk, they may sell theme park tickets. Make sure you are not overpaying for the tickets!

If the tickets are the same price you would pay otherwise, see if you can place the ticket expenses on your room. That way, you can use whatever card gives you bonus points for your hotel, and you may even get extra hotel points as well. Some resorts now bundle tickets into vacation packages — check to see if those still earn bonus points before booking.

5) Pay for your tickets online with PayPal

While not directly a way to earn extra points for your purchase, it is a way to use your credit cards to save money on tickets. Several cards give bonuses for using PayPal.

Six Flags, which includes our favorite water park, Schlitterbahn, allows you to pay for tickets with PayPal on their websites. Unfortunately, Disneyworld.com does not allow payments with PayPal. However, you can purchase gift cards directly from Disney with PayPal and use those cards to pay for your admission tickets.

PayPal sometimes appears as a rotating bonus category on cards like the Chase Freedom Flex, and it can also earn 5x points on the Citi Custom Cash if it becomes your top category for the month.

6) The food you buy at the park will (usually) show as dining and not amusement park charges

Most large parks have their food establishments (except for carts selling items like popcorn and sodas) registered with credit card companies as dining establishments. Remember to use a card that gives you the best return on dining.

Smaller parks are hit-and-miss. I found out the hard way that food vendors at Schlitterbahn are listed as Theme Park expenses.

Final Thoughts

Going to an amusement park can be expensive. If you do your homework ahead of time, you can save money on the tickets AND earn the most points for the money you’re spending.

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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary

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