71 DAYS TO GO . . .

     FRIDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2011

     SINCE I'VE TALKED ABOUT RESERVATIONS, BECOMING A CASTAWAY CLUB MEMBER AND STARTING YOUR PREPARATIONS AND PAYMENT, IT SEEMS ONLY NATURAL TO TALK ABOUT THE DISNEY VISA.  THAT'S RIGHT.  IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW IT ALREADY, DISNEY, LIKE SO MANY OTHER COMPANIES, HAS THEIR OWN VISA CARD.  MINE IS PUT OUT BY CHASE BANK, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THEY ALL ARE.  THIS COULD BE A REGIONAL THING, I'M NOT SURE. 
     I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I ORIGINALLY GOT THE CARD FOR MY SON'S FIRST TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD BACK IN 2006.  THE PROMOTION AT THE TIME WAS, SIGN UP FOR THE CARD AND GET A $50 DISNEY GIFT CARD.  YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT!  I KNEW I WAS GOING TO USE THE CARD, I WAS GOING TO DISNEY, AND THEY WERE GOING TO GIVE ME $50 MORE TO SPEND THERE.  DONE AND DONE.  I THINK NOW THE DEAL IS, GET A $25 GIFT CARD WHEN YOU FIRST SIGN UP FOR YOUR DISNEY VISA.
     ANOTHER PERK WITH THIS CARD IS THAT YOU GET ONE DISNEY DOLLAR FOR EVERY $100 DOLLARS YOU SPEND ON YOUR DISNEY VISA (OR 1%).  DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT IT ACCUMULATES AS YOU USE THE CARD AND YOUR DISNEY DOLLARS ARE GOOD FOR ANYTHING DISNEY.  THE DISNEY STORE, ON-LINE, AT ALL DISNEY PARKS, AND ON THE DISNEY CRUISE LINE.  WHILE THEY'RE ONLY USABLE AT THESE PLACES, IT FUNCTIONS JUST LIKE CASH AT ANY ONE OF THEM.  SO NOW YOU'RE TAKING CASH RIGHT OFF OF YOUR TOTAL.  IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE USING THE CARD ANYWAY, WHY NOT GET CREDIT TOWARDS SOMETHING DISNEY YOU ALREADY HAVE PLANNED?
     ANOTHER BONUS IS THAT IF YOU USE YOUR CARD TO PAY FOR YOUR TRIP IN FULL, IT'S INTEREST FREE ON THE CARD.  SO NOW YOU'RE GETTING 0% INTEREST ON THE PURCHASE OF YOUR TRIP AND YOU'RE GETTING 1% DISNEY DOLLARS FOR EVERY $100 YOU SPEND TOWARD YOUR TRIP ON THE CARD.  SO BY GETTING THE CARD, USING THE CARD (ESPECIALLY TOWARD YOUR TRIP PURCHASE), AND EARNING YOUR DISNEY DOLLARS, YOU'RE NOT ONLY GETTING YOUR TRIP INTEREST FREE BUT EARNING A REBATE ON THE TOTAL COST AS WELL!
     COMPARING YOUR DISNEY VISA INTEREST RATE TO OTHER CARDS, YOU MAY FIND THAT THIS CARD IS HIGHER FOR NORMAL PURCHASES.  THAT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE.  BUT IF YOU'RE USING IT OVER A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME AND PAYING IT OFF CONSISTENTLY TO EARN DISNEY DOLLARS FOR YOUR TRIP OR THE LIKE, YOU'LL EARN THAT MONEY BACK QUICKLY.
     WHEN YOU'RE READY TO "CASH IN" YOUR DISNEY DOLLARS, YOU JUST CALL YOUR CARD MEMBER SERVICES AND THEY'LL MAIL YOU OUT A CARD WITH YOUR "POINTS" ON IT.  AFTER THAT YOU CAN TRANSFER ANY NEW DISNEY DOLLARS TO YOUR CARD AT ANYTIME JUST BY MAKING A CALL, ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TIME YOU'RE READY TO SPEND THEM.  ONE OF THE LATEST SURPRISES WAS AN EMAIL I RECEIVED IN REFERENCE TO THIS CARD RECENTLY.  CLICK AND REGISTER YOUR CARD AND GET 3X THE DISNEY DOLLARS FOR EVERY PURCHASE OVER $300.  SO AGAIN, USING THE CARD FOR OUR TRIP JUST INCREASED MY "REBATE" BY 3 TIMES THE AMOUNT!  THE PROMOTION DIFFERS SLIGHTLY FOR EVERY CARD HOLDER, BUT IT CAN'T HURT TO ASK.
     THERE ARE ALSO OTHER PERKS FOR HAVING THE CARD.  YOU GET 20% OFF OF THE PRICE OF TOURS IN THE PARKS, 10% OFF OF PARK PURCHASES OF $50 OR MORE, AND ENTRANCE TO A PRIVATE CHARACTER MEET AND GREET CARD MEMBER AREA AT THE PARKS.  THIS LAST ONE WAS A GREAT FIND FOR US WHEN WE TOOK MY SON TO DISNEY WORLD AT BOTH 4 & 6 YEARS OLD.  MOST PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTS AND WE HAD MICKEY AND PLUTO IN A ROOM ALL TO OURSELVES FOR AS LONG AS WE WANTED FOR PHOTOS AND PLAY.  AND WE GOT ONE FREE PRINTED PHOTO OF OUR VISIT WITH THEM TOO!  JUST BECAUSE WE HAD A DISNEY VISA.
     SO YOU CAN SEE HOW QUICKLY THE BENEFITS IF YOU'RE PLANNING SOMETHING DISNEY ADD UP IN YOUR FAVOR JUST BY GETTING ISSUED A DISNEY VISA.  NOW WHEN YOU TRAVEL, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS BRING A BACK-UP CREDIT CARD, JUST IN CASE.  AND MAKE SURE TO LET THE CARD ISSUERS KNOW THAT YOU'LL BE TRAVELLING AND ON WHAT DATES, SO THEY DON'T THINK YOUR CARD HAS BEEN STOLEN AND FREEZE OR CANCEL IT WHILE YOU'RE TRYING TO USE IT OUT OF STATE OR OUT OF THE COUNTRY.  OTHER THAN THAT, START EARNING THOSE REWARDS!
     SEE YA REAL SOON!   ºOº