Here’s how to save money on your next destination trip

Image provided by Ryan Flanigan

Going to a vacation destination like Disney can be magical — but it’s not cheap. After many trips over the last few years, I’ve figured out how to cut these kinds of vacation costs using credit card perks, travel points and a few unconventional strategies. Here’s how I make our Walt Disney World vacations more affordable without losing any of the magic.

Buying tickets: Think outside the box

Some destination costs are unavoidable and expensive— like buying tickets.

Ticket purchases generally fall into the entertainment category with most credit card issuers. Unfortunately, entertainment isn’t a commonly offered bonus category, so it can be hard to save money on these costs. If you’re looking for a solid option to use for any entertainment purchase, I recommend the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, which earns an unlimited 3 percent cash back on entertainment purchases.

However, you can reduce your costs further if you think outside the box. My favorite way to pay for tickets is with discounted Disney gift cards that I buy from a variety of sales and merchants throughout the year, allowing me to save between 5 and 10 percent. For this trip, I saved roughly $200 from paying this way. I also stacked rewards earned from the merchant, which can include grocery stores, wholesale clubs, drugstores and office supply stores. You can combine cards online for up to a value of $1,000 per card, making it a bit easier to manage.

If you can’t fully cover your costs with gift cards, you can also consider these other credit card options:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: You can use this card to pay for certain resort tickets through Undercover Tourist and then use your miles for a statement credit to offset as much of the charges as you can within 90 days of your purchase.
• Chase Freedom Flex®: For the past two years, one of the card’s Q3 rotating bonus categories has been entertainment, which earns 5X Ultimate Rewards for eligible destination travel ticket purchases (including Disney) for up to $1,500 per quarter. While it’s not guaranteed as a category each year, it’s worth considering if you’ve got future plans and can buy the tickets far in advance or for a quick upcoming trip.
• U.S. Bank Shopper Cash RewardsⓇ Visa SignatureⓇ Card: You can select Disney as one of your two merchants to earn 6 percent cash back per quarter for up to $1,500 in spending between the two combined merchants.

Although tickets can be a significant expense, remember that saving money on the other portions of your trip can take the sting out of higher ticket costs.

Lodging: Don’t be afraid to move around

When thinking about how to save money on your lodging expenses, you’ll need to decide what’s important to you. In the case of Disney, if you want unique perks like early entry or extended evening hours, you’ll need to stay at a resort or at one of WDW’s Good Neighbor® Hotels. But if you have a big family, you might prefer a vacation house rental. And if you want to walk to the parks like I do, you’ll need to stay at different hotels depending on where you want to go.

How to save on resort costs

For many destinations, resorts are the most convenient option, but can also be significantly more expensive. Since I’m over Chase’s “5/24 Rule”, I can’t get Disney’s co-branded credit cards, which offer discounts and financing options for Disney resort stays. However, there are many better ways to save money and reduce costs. After I use my Disney gift cards for tickets, I’ll use whatever I have left to pay for my resort hotel and will split payment with multiple options to get the best returns. Here are some credit card options to consider:

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: You can use this card to pay for any travel charges and then use your miles for a statement credit to offset the charges within 90 days.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: The annual $300 travel credit works for any Disney travel charge. If my stay isn’t coming up soon, I’ll call Disney’s customer service and have them charge $300 to my card.
• U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card: Hotel purchases over $150 will trigger the ability to redeem Real-Time Rewards. Just make sure you have enough points to fully cover the amount you charge. I fully covered the cost of one of my two nights at Contemporary with rewards using this card at the front desk.
• U.S. Bank Shopper Cash RewardsⓇ Visa SignatureⓇ Card: You can select Disney as one of your two merchants to earn 6 percent cash back per quarter for up to $1,500 in spending between the two combined merchants.

Hotel options outside the resort bubble

There should be no shortage of hotel options outside your big destination location. In the case of Disney, you’ll find everything from budget hotels to luxury resorts with all the major hotel brands. Staying at a nearby hotel can give you the flexibility to use points with your preferred hotel chain, free night certificates or other perks you might find with some of our best hotel cards. Also, there are plenty of hotels that partner up with destination vacation spots and offer additional benefits (like Disney’s Good Neighbor benefits), so staying outside the “Disney Bubble” doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t get some Disney perks.

However, you’ll need to sort out transportation to the parks. Although many offer shuttle services and Disney has a robust transportation network once you’re inside the Disney bubble, make sure you have a plan in place, as parking and rideshare costs can add up.

How I booked my Disney trip

When I travel to a big vacation destination like Disney, my primary focus is maximizing early entry perks and being within walking distance to the parks. Taking Disney transportation in the morning can get congested quickly. However, that usually comes at a premium and means changing hotels mid-trip, which may not be for everyone.

• Click to read more about my trip
  

  We started our trip at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort the day before our cruise. While this resort isn’t near any park, it was the cheapest available and allowed us to take advantage of complimentary access to either of WDW’s water parks on your check-in day.

  Upon completion of our cruise, I splurged for a two-night stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. I always book Contemporary so we can walk to Magic Kingdom. But while the Contemporary is beautiful, it’s way too expensive for a lengthy stay and not ideal for getting to the other parks easily. After our day at Magic Kingdom, my goal was to put us within walking distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios without breaking the bank.

  After a rest day at the resort, we moved to my go-to hotel for every WDW trip — Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. This three-hotel complex in the Boardwalk area can be booked with Marriott Bonvoy points, gets Disney’s Good Neighbor benefits and is within walking distance of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. I booked a three-night stay at the Dolphin using free nights earned from these cards:

  • Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: I earned a free night on my account anniversary worth up to 85,000 points, which I used for the most expensive night of our stay.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card: My wife earned a free night worth up to 50,000 points from spending $15,000 on the card, which she earned later in 2024 and then again early in 2025. We used those for the two cheaper nights and topped off the booking with points. You can pay up to 15,000 points to top off any Marriott booking made with a free night award.

The bottom line

While a trip like Disney will never be cheap, it doesn’t have to break your budget. With smart planning, you can significantly cut costs without sacrificing the experience. From discounted gift cards and free night certificates to strategic hotel choices and credit card redemptions, a little effort can go a long way toward a magical Disney vacation.