Ahoy, Beth!
Welcome aboard planDisney! It sounds like you’ve been saving up those Disney Reward Dollars for a voyage that’s sure to make a splash—and I’m thrilled you’re thinking about putting them toward a Disney cruise vacation. With fair winds and a little Disney magic, you’ll be sailing toward adventure in no time!
Now, let’s talk treasure—
Disney Visa Card treasure, that is. One of my favorite ways to use my Disney Reward Dollars is through the Pay Yourself Back feature via Chase. Here's how it works: you book your cruise as usual with your Disney Visa, and once your statement closes and those magical Reward Dollars have settled into your account, you can hop into your Chase portal and
use the Pay Yourself Back option to apply those reward dollars to your cruise charges. It’s like casting a spell to erase some of that balance—bibbidi-bobbidi-booked!
And here’s the best part: by charging your cruise to the card first, you’ll actually earn more Disney Reward Dollars in the process and have zero percent interest for six months. It’s a win-win—more points for your next adventure and a little less out-of-pocket right now.
A couple of things to keep on your radar like Hei Hei chasing a boat: the Pay Yourself Back feature is currently available but always subject to change, so it’s good to keep an eye on the official Chase site for any updates. Also, this feature applies only to certain qualified purchases, including Disney Cruise Line vacations (woohoo!), but you’ll want to
read those fine print details to be sure you’re good to go.
Now, if you’d prefer a more direct-to-deck approach, you can also request a Disney Rewards Redemption Card through your Chase account. Once it arrives, you simply transfer your desired rewards balance onto the card and use it as a payment method when booking your cruise. Just note that unlike the Pay Yourself Back route, this method doesn’t earn you additional rewards when used—but it does let you make a payment with what I like to call Disney gold.
I’ve used both methods, and while they’re both solid options, Pay Yourself Back is a great way to double-dip on value and keep your cruise compass pointed toward even more future fun.
I hope this helps you get one step closer to that perfect stateroom, stunning sunset on the upper decks, and maybe your favorite soft serve with a sea breeze. And who knows? Maybe those extra Reward Dollars will help you treat yourself to
brunch at Palo or a spa day at sea!
Sea ya real soon as May brings sunshine, magical ports, and maybe a Mickey bar or two,
Dustin