Disney Premier Visa Card Review 2024

If you know who your Disney Princess alter ego is, you’re in the target demo for the Disney Premier Visa. Like most things Disney, the marketing for the Disney Premier Visa Card starts with the card itself. You can choose from one of 10 card designs—from Toy Story to Mickey Mouse to Darth Vader. While it’s nice to have themed plastic, you’ll do a lot better showing your Disney pride by just wearing a T-shirt.

Rather than earning cash back, the Disney Premier Visa card earns Disney Rewards Dollars. Disney Rewards Dollars can be redeemed toward nearly anything Disney at most Disney locations, as well as for airline statement credits. The Disney Premier Visa Card earns 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com, 2% on card purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most Disney locations. Plus, earn 1% on all other card purchases.

The Disney Premier Visa Card does offer a welcome bonus of a  $300 Statement Credit after you spend $1000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. This will more than offset the $49 annual fee that comes with the card, at least for the first year.

As expected, there are a couple of Disney-specific perks on the Disney Premier Visa Card. Cardholders will get 10% off on select purchases at the Disney Store, shopDisney.com and on select purchases at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Cardholders also get special cardmember-only access to character photo opportunities at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

• Welcome bonus: Earn a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $1000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. To be eligible for the statement credit, you must not currently have the Disney Premier Visa Card or have received a new cardmember bonus on this card in the past 24 months.
• Earn 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com, 2% on card purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most Disney locations. Plus, earn 1% on all other card purchases.
• Get 10% off on select purchases at the Disney Store, shopDisney.com and on select purchases at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
• Gain access to cardmember-exclusive photo opportunities with characters at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
• Get a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages, followed by a regular 19.24% - 28.24% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.

Earning Rewards

The Disney Premier Visa Card earns 5% in Disney Rewards Dollars on card purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com, 2% on card purchases at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most Disney locations. Plus, earn 1% on all other card purchases. The fact that rewards are earned in Disney Rewards Dollars makes the Disney Premier slightly less attractive than similar cards that earn cash back that can be spent anywhere.

The welcome bonus on the Disney Premier Visa is average for a lower-tier card: a $300 Statement Credit after you spend $1000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Redeeming Rewards

Disney Rewards Dollars can be redeemed at most Disney locations, including Disney stores, theme park tickets, resort stays and more. The process for redeeming Disney Rewards Dollars is a bit convoluted. Once you have at least 20 Disney Rewards Dollars, you can order a Disney Disney Rewards Redemption Card. The Disney Rewards Redemption Card works in a similar fashion to a prepaid debit card, but is only good in certain locations. You can reload your Rewards Redemption card at any time with a minimum of 10 Disney Rewards Dollars.

Unlike with the no-annual-fee Disney Rewards Visa card, cardholders of the Disney Premier Visa card can also redeem their Disney Rewards Dollars for an airline credit. To redeem an airline credit, a Disney Rewards Redemption card is not required. Instead, purchase any airfare either directly from an airline, a travel agent or travel website, then request a statement credit either through the online account or by calling Chase directly. Statement credits must be requested within 60 days of purchasing airline tickets and with a minimum redemption of 50 Disney Rewards Dollars.

Rewards Potential

Forbes Advisor uses data from various government agencies to determine baseline income and spending averages across various categories. The 70th percentile of wage-earning households brings in $116,000 annually and puts $36,177 worth of expenses on a credit card each year.

The average household spends $2,479 in gas each year, $3,856 at restaurants and $6,692 on groceries. If all that spending is eligible for the card’s 2% back rate, that comes out to $260.54 worth of Disney Rewards Dollars. We will also assume this is a Disney-loving family who spends an average of $2,000 on Disney and Star Wars purchases and vacations. Calculating 2% back on that would come out to $40 in Disney Rewards Dollars.

Next, let’s estimate that this household subscribes to a streaming bundle with Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $13.99 per month, or $167.88 per year. Earning 5% back on that would net the family $8.39 in rewards. That leaves $20,982.12 in miscellaneous spending for the purpose of this example. That would earn 1% back, or $209.82 worth of rewards.

Totaling up the rewards earned in various spending categories, this spending would earn $518.75 worth of Disney Rewards Dollars per year using the Disney Premier Visa Card.

The Disney Premier Visa Card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages, followed by a regular 19.24% - 28.24% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. This includes Disney vacation packages, Disney cruises, Adventures by Disney packages and Aulani.

• Get 10% off select Disney and Star Wars purchases: Discounts on merchandise at Disney Store, ShopDisney.com, and certain theme park outlets. Exclusions apply, most notably on theme park tickets.
• Cardmember-exclusive photo opportunities with Disney or Star Wars characters: In Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there are special cardmember only locations where you can get exclusive photo ops with characters. Note that these photo opportunities are available to Disney debit cardholders as well.
• Baggage delay insurance: Provides reimbursement for essential purchases when baggage is delayed by over six hours. Reimbursement is per passenger and up to $100 per day for three days.
• Extended warranty protection: Eligible purchases have an additional year of warranty.
• Purchase protection: New purchases are covered against damage or theft for 120 days. Maximum benefit is $500 per purchase and $50,000 per account.

Interest Rates

• Regular APR: 19.24% - 28.24% variable
• Purchase intro APR: 0% Intro APR on purchases for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages
• Balance transfer intro APR: N/A

Fees

• Annual fee: $49
• Balance transfer fee: Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
• Foreign purchase transaction fee: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Disney® Premier Visa® Card* vs. Disney® Visa® Card*

The Disney® Visa® Credit Card is Chase and Disney’s no-annual-fee card. It only earns 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all card purchases. Cardholders of the $0-annual-fee Disney Visa Rewards card do not have the ability to redeem Disney Rewards Dollars as an airline statement credit.

Something to think about is that you’d need to spend at least $2,450 in the 2% categories on the Disney Premier Visa to break even on the $49 annual fee as compared to the no-annual-fee Disney Visa Rewards card.

However, most will still be better off with a non-Disney card for rewards earning. The Disney Visa Card is a great way to access additional Disney-related perks without paying an annual fee (as is signing up for a Disney Debit Card).

Disney® Premier Visa® Card* vs. Chase Freedom Flex℠

The no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex packs a serious punch in terms of earning rewards. Cardholders can earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in categories that rotate quarterly (requires activation), 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on dining and drugstores and 1% cash back on all other purchases. The card also comes with  a welcome bonus of $200 bonus after spending $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It’s not difficult to see how the Chase Freedom Flex could be more rewarding compared to the Disney Premier Visa Card.

The Chase Freedom Flex is best taken as a pair with a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card to increase the value of the points earned because Chase allows cardholders to transfer points to those cards and redeem them for additional value when booking travel through Chase Travel℠ or for eligible Pay Yourself Back purchases.

Disney® Premier Visa® Card* vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

The Wells Fargo Active Cash Card earns unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Plus, it comes with a welcome bonus of $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

You can redeem the Wells Fargo Rewards earned with this card to cover past purchases, as a credit to a qualifying Wells Fargo account, for cash at an ATM or for gift cards from a variety of retailers.

For all but the most dedicated Disney aficionados, the Wells Fargo Active Cash is probably a better choice, earning flat-rate rewards on all purchases and offering flexible redemption options.

Featured Partner Offers

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Apply Now →

Apply Now

On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

Welcome Bonus

75,000 bonus points

Annual Fee

$95

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

Regular APR

21.49%-28.49% Variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Apply Now →

Apply Now

On Chase Bank USA, NA's Website

Welcome Bonus

Up to $300 cash back

Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

Regular APR

20.49% - 29.24% Variable

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Apply Now →

Apply Now

On Wells Fargo's Website

Rates & Fees

Welcome Bonus

$200 Cash Rewards

Annual Fee

$0

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

Regular APR

20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Credit Score ranges are based on FICO® credit scoring. This is just one scoring method and a credit card issuer may use another method when considering your application. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed.

Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months

The Disney Premier Visa card is targeted to die-hard Disney fans and for all but extreme Disney buffs, it’s best to let it go. It’s hard to justify paying even a relatively low $49 annual fee when the perks can be had on other cards without a fee. For stronger rewards, consider a card like the Chase Freedom Flex. For the Disney perks, consider the no-annual-fee Disney Visa Rewards card or a Disney debit card. The Disney Premier Visa card is best suited only for the Mouseketeer who wants the Disney perks and only wants to carry one card.

Forbes Advisor considers a variety of criteria when assigning credit cards a rating. Cards are graded based on numerous factors, including:

• Annual fees
• Welcome bonus offers
• Ongoing earning rates
• Value of individual points or miles
• Included travel or merchant credits
• Additional cardholder benefits

Card features we expect cardholders to use the most often are weighted more heavily in our ratings. Altogether, the factors came together to provide a star rating for each individual card.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Credit Cards