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We all know that visiting Walt Disney World isn't cheap. And in recent years, it's gotten even less affordable — taking away some of the magic of it all. That's where points and miles come in. Whether you're trying to make your vacation more affordable or earn the most rewards on your booking, we've got you covered. Let's take a look at the best ways to book Walt Disney World vacations, including tips for spending less on your hotels and theme park tickets.
Best Ways to Book Walt Disney World Hotels
Many folks enjoy the ease of staying on property when it comes to visiting Walt Disney World, but that can get pretty expensive, pretty quickly. Fortunately, there are a few ways to make the process less painful.
Book With Citi Travel
Your best bet is booking Walt Disney World hotels via Citi Travel. Cardholders of the Citi Strata Elite℠ Card earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com. Based on recent AwardWallet user redemptions, Citi points average 2.2¢ per point in value, meaning you'll get over 26% back on hotel and attractions bookings!
Meanwhile, Citi Strata Premier® Card — which has a much lower $95 annual fee — you'll earn 10x Citi ThankYou points per $1 spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com.
Citi Travel has Walt Disney World hotels available on its travel portal for both earning and redeeming:
In researching this article, we noticed that Citi Travel charges a slightly lower cash rate than other options when it comes to booking Disney hotels. That's in line with what AwardWallet found as part of a larger travel portal price comparison.
If you'd prefer to redeem points, you can do so at a value of 1 cent per point. That's not a great value, but if you're really looking to lower your out-of-pocket cost, it's an option.
Related: The Best Hotels Near Walt Disney World That You Can Book With Points
Book with Rove
An excellent new option for booking a Walt Disney World hotel is by using Rove. A relatively new platform, Rove lets you earn transferable rewards on the hotels that you book. Stays count as third party, not direct, which means you won't get any elite status or benefits when booking — but Walt Disney World resorts don't feature elite status, so you're not missing out here.
There are a few reasons Rove is the best option for booking a Walt Disney World resort hotel:
- When earning points: You don't need to have a credit card to access the Rove travel portal, making it accessible to everyone. Walt Disney World hotels earn 10x Rove Miles per $1 spent, which matches competitors such as Citi Travel and Capital One Travel.
- When redeeming points: Your Rove Miles are worth an average of 1.48 cents each for Walt Disney World resorts, which is the best you'll find anywhere.
A look at Walt Disney World hotels on Rove's site shows that they're readily available:
It's important to note exactly how unusual getting 1.48 cents per point in value is for Walt Disney World hotels. Walt Disney World is immensely popular and has absolutely no need to pander to deal-seekers, which is why it's difficult to find value when booking these resorts.
Book With Capital One Travel
Capital One Travel is our third-best option simply because it requires the most expensive credit card to earn 10x Capital One miles on your hotel bookings. Both the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and the Capital One Venture X Business charge a $395 annual fee, though they do offer perks to offset that cost.
If you want to redeem points for your hotel, you should first book your stay using cash to earn your 10x miles. You can then choose to redeem your Capital One Miles at a rate of 1 cent per point to help cover the cost of your stay.
Related: 5 Reasons to Choose a Walt Disney World Resort
Best Ways to Buy Walt Disney World Tickets
Finding deals on Disney tickets is even more difficult than finding deals on Disney hotels. While no official sales generally happen, if you're lucky, you can sometimes redeem points for the cost. Depending on timing, both Citi Travel and Chase Travel will sell Walt Disney World tickets.
Citi Travel
Those who hold a Citi Strata Elite aren't just limited to earning 12x Citi ThankYou points on hotel bookings. Those earnings also extend to attractions. And while availability is sporadic, occasionally you can find Walt Disney World theme park tickets on Citi Travel.
If you'd prefer to redeem points, you can also do so at a rate of 1 cent per point.
Chase Travel
Like Citi, Chase Travel occasionally sells Walt Disney World tickets through its portal. And if you've got the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you're able to earn 10x Chase Ultimate Rewards on your ticket purchases. Otherwise, most cardholders can redeem points at a rate of 1 cent per point (depending on when you opened your Chase card).
Related: The Best Ways to Earn and Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards on Disney Trips
Other Options
There are a couple of other ways to save some money on Walt Disney World tickets. Eligible service members, retirees, and veterans can take advantage of Disney Military Salute tickets, which save roughly 50% off a standard ticket. Otherwise, sites such as Undercover Tourist sell Disney tickets with a slight discount. If you purchase your tickets through that site, your purchase will code as travel, meaning you can use Capital One miles to cover the cost of the tickets after the fact.
Related: Disney Dreams on a Dime: Tips for Saving Money at Disney World With Points and Miles
Bottom Line
While Disney vacations rarely come cheap, you don’t have to pay full price. Using points and miles strategically — whether through Citi, Capital One, Rove, or Chase — can help you earn meaningful rewards on bookings or redeem points to cut out-of-pocket costs. And if you’re flexible, even hard-to-discount park tickets can sometimes be covered with rewards or bought at a slight discount through authorized sellers. With a bit of planning, you can enjoy the magic of Walt Disney World while keeping your budget under control.
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