After we arrived home from our 20 day summer vacation that took us to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, The Bahamas via the Disney Dream cruise ship, and Houston, Texas, I took stock of the number of "loyalty" accounts/clubs/cards that we used during our trip to either save money on the spot or in the future. The number varies on each trip, but the longer the trip, the more opportunities there are to save!
Flights: We flew Southwest throughout our trip and all of us have Southwest Rapid Rewards Members. Yes, even the boy! While we haven't racked up enough flights/points for upgrades, we do get some perks. Southwest has sent us free drink tickets for use in flight. Southwest gift cards can be purchased with a 5% savings using Target Red Debit or Credit Card.
Credit Card: Our "go to" credit card is our Disney Visa from Chase. Just by having the card, we can get discounts while shopping on Walt Disney World property--10% off a $50 or more purchase. Discounts of up to 15% can be had on tours and events. There's also 6-months interest free for Disney vacation purchases including deposits on future vacations. And, we get a percentage back in Disney Reward Points that turn into dollars that can be used towards Disney purchases!
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| Lots of designs to choose from! |
New card holders can get $50-$200 statement credits after making their first purchases. Don't have a Disney Visa yet? Click here to get started with the application! (P.S. We have our Disney Visa since 2015 and haven't paid any interest, so it's the card that just keeps giving!)
We also have a Target Red Debit Card (a credit card is available, too) which saves us 5% on Target purchases including Southwest and Disney gift cards. Know that if you purchase Southwest gift cards there is a limit to using 4 forms of payment when paying for the plane tickets so purchase in increments that allow you to maximize the savings.
Stocking up on travel essentials, even suitcases, can be done at a savings by using the Target Red Card at your local Target.
Dining: In addition to getting dining discounts of 10% using Walt Disney World Annual Passes, additional discounts are available! We joined Landry Select Club several years ago and it keeps paying off, year-after-year. How it works? Pay the one-time $25 fee to join Landry Select Club. Members then get $25 to spend at any Landry restaurant. Members also get $25 each year on their birthday. And, each time members dine at a Landry restaurant, points accumulate to earn $25 rewards! There are several Landry restaurants at Walt Disney World--Yak & Yeti, Rainforest Café, and T-Rex Café.
Don't have a reservation to dine at any of those busy restaurants? No worries. Flash your Landry Select Club membership card and get the next available table! Merchandise discounts are also available as a club member.
We used our Landry Select Club rewards to take our family out to eat in Houston. Used rewards and earned rewards simultaneously! Click here to sign up today for Landry Select Club! Note: You can sign up at a restaurant BUT won't be able to earn points or the sign-up reward until your next dining experience. So, if you even think you might dine at a Landry restaurant, go ahead and sign-up for Landry Select Club.
Shopping: One of our favorite "loyalty" cards for shopping is our LEGO Vip card. Membership is free. The LEGO Vip card allows us to earn points for Lego purchases at any Lego Store. These points turn into dollars for future purchases. Having a LEGO Vip card also gets access to special purchases or gifts with purchases. We combine the LEGO Vip card with our Annual Pass discount for extra savings!
While there isn't a Stein Mart in our area, I've shopped Stein Mart while in Houston and I do have a Stein Mart shopping card that gives access to special coupons and savings.
Our Walt Disney World Annual Pass allows us to get a 20% discount at Walt Disney World shopping locations. But, what about while on the cruise ship? Well, we are Disney Cruise Line Gold Castaway Club members which allows us a 10% discount on purchases made while sailing with Disney.
Entertainment: You might be thinking that isn't Walt Disney World entertainment enough? Well, mostly, yes! And, when we travel to other destinations, like in this instance Houston, we enjoy seeing movies. One of our favorite ways to save is joining AMC Stubs program. There are two layers of the program--one is free--and the other is Premiere and has a fee. We joined the FREE version. It allows us to earn points that turn into dollars when we enjoy movies at AMC theaters. There are also regular perks, such as free popcorn refills and special lines for ticket and snack purchases. (I don't have an AMC card, although I could most likely get one. Our account is attached to a phone number.)
I also used my affinity for MyCokeRewards to stock up on AMC rewards! MyCokeRewards offered FREE movie tickets, popcorn, and drinks for entering MyCokeRewards codes. So, we watched movies and ate snacks for FREE while earning perks for future movie going.
There isn't an AMC theater where we live, but there is an AMC theater in the middle of Disney Springs!
There are ways to combine the above offers for additional savings. For example, we book our Disney Vacations through AAA and early AAA ExploreMore Rewards which pay off in $100 checks after so many vacations. We use our Disney Visa to pay off the balance, earning Reward Points. I told the husband the only other layer we could add would be to use our Target Red Debit Card to purchase Disney Gift cards at a 5% discount and then use those to pay off our Disney Visa balance. Doable--just more steps. (Click here to read more about AAA ExploreMore Rewards.)
Speaking of AAA, we can combine the 10% discount that being a member offers us at Landry Restaurants with Select Club for additional benefits. AAA also offers at 10% discount on SuperShuttle, which we used for transportation to/from the airport in Houston.
Planning on saving on future vacations, too. We booked our next Disney Cruise while onboard for a 10% savings. Used our Disney Visa for the deposit, which is then interest free for 6 months, and earning Disney Visa Reward Points for the purchase. When guests use their Disney Visa to pay for the entirety of their cruise vacation, additional perks apply such as merchandise discounts, photo, and spa purchase discounts. The perks change from time to time so check to be sure. Click here to see the savings onboard when using Disney Visa to pay for your vacation.
How many "loyalty" accounts did it take? I lost track! But no matter how many you use, savings can be yours. And, we learn more ways to save with each trip so don't beat yourself up if you missed a savings opportunity. There's always next time!
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