Disney® Premier Visa® Card overview
The Disney® Premier Visa® Card makes sense only for Disney superfans who don't mind uber-limited redemption options and can make use of all the Disney-related perks. At $49 annually, the Premier offers more than the no-annual-fee Disney® Visa® Card but is still hamstrung by earning "Disney Rewards Dollars" instead of cash back. You can get value from the card and capitalize on its perks, but only if you're a real Disney head. Card rating*: ⭐⭐
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
While it offers some value, the Disney Premier Visa Card still only makes sense for ardent Disney lovers, thanks to its limited redemption options.
Instead of points, miles or cash back, this card earns "Disney Reward Dollars," greatly limiting your redemption options and making the card viable only for those who spend a lot at Disney annually. It has a recommended credit score of 670.
Let's take a closer look at the Disney Premier to see if it makes sense for you.
Disney Premier pros and cons
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Disney Premier welcome offer
With the Disney Premier, you'll earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
That's a decent return for a spending requirement of just $1,000. Note that this offer is only available if you don't have the Disney Premier and haven't received a welcome bonus on the card in the past 24 months.
Disney Premier benefits
The Disney Premier card does offer reasonable perks for Disney loyalists, including the fun option of choosing from 10 card designs.
First, subscribers can earn back "up to $14.99 per month for up to 3 consecutive months in statement credits on a qualifying Disney Bundle Trio subscription, or other qualifying subscriptions or add-ons purchased directly at Disneyplus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.espn.com that total $14.99 or more." In short, you can get up to about $45 back on your Disney+, Hulu or ESPN+ subscriptions.
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In line with several other Chase offerings, the Disney Premier comes with one year of complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders — probably the card's most useful perk for non-Disney fans. However, you can get this with other Chase cards as well.
The cream of the crop is the card's discount of 10% off select credit card purchases at DisneyStore.com. You'll also get 10% off select merchandise purchases at select locations at Disneyland, at Disney World and aboard Disney cruises. You'll get the same discount at select dining locations in Disneyland and Disney World.
Then there's the 15% off the non-discounted price of select guided tours at Disneyland and Disney World when you use your card, plus the option to pose for special photos at private cardmember locations — all of which can be handy if you spend a ton at Disney, but not really outside of that.
Cardholders also receive a 20% discount on their first year of an Annual Marvel Unlimited subscription, which includes digital access to over 30,000 marvel comics.
Finally, the Disney Premier offers helpful protections like baggage delay insurance, credit card purchase protection and extended warranty protection.
Earning rewards on the Disney Premier
With the Disney Premier, you'll earn 5% back on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com; 2% back on card purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most Disney U.S. locations; and 1% back on everything else.
Your rewards come in the form of Disney Rewards Dollars (more on that below).
Those return rates are not significant unless you regularly spend a lot at Disney locations. A 5% return on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ is nice but unlikely to provide much value outside of your regular subscription to those services.
Redeeming rewards on the Disney Premier
Instead of cash back, this card earns Disney Rewards Dollars, greatly limiting your redemption options and making the card viable only for Disney superfans.
Per the card landing page, Disney Rewards Dollars can be redeemed toward "most anything Disney at most Disney locations, including Disney shopping, movies, Theme Park tickets, Resort stays, dining and more in the U.S."
If you just want travel rewards like TPG editor Emily Thompson, you can also redeem Disney Rewards Dollars for a statement credit toward airline travel. Just purchase tickets on any airline with your card and then redeem for a statement credit.
Per the card landing page, these redemptions must be made with the card within 60 days before the redemption request date. Redemptions start at 50 Disney Rewards Dollars for a $50 airline statement credit and continue at a rate of 1 Disney Rewards Dollar to $1 thereafter.
Which cards compete with the Disney Premier?
When it comes to spending at Disney, the Premier is a good bet. Outside of that, though, you can go with several alternatives:
- If you don't want an annual fee: The no-annual-fee Disney® Visa® Card has a much lower earnings rate — a simple 1% back in Disney Rewards Dollars on all card purchases — but you'll still get 10% off most of your Disney purchases. For more information, read our full review of the Disney Visa.
- If you want a popular travel rewards card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers 5 points per dollar on travel booked through the Chase travel portal and Lyft purchases; 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services and online grocery store purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs); 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases; and 1 point per dollar on everything else. It's a much more versatile all-around card than the Disney Premier, offering the same free year of DashPass plus tons of other perks. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
- If you want simplified rewards: The Citi Double Cash® Card (see rates and fees) offers 2% earnings on all purchases — 1% when you make a purchase and another 1% when you pay it off — and is one of the most straightforward cash-back cards out there. If you want easy rewards for a low annual fee, this card is great. For more information, read our full review of the Citi Double Cash.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best travel cards.
Read more: Everything you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World Resort
Bottom line
Even with the affordable $49 annual fee, the Disney Premier won't make much sense for you unless you're a frequent park guest and spend a lot while visiting Disney parks.
A general travel card is much better; for that reason, those who aren't Disney superfans would be better off choosing one of the alternatives listed above.
Apply here: Disney Premier Card
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
