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Want to take your dream Disney World vacation, but aren’t too excited about the costs involved? That’s not surprising, and you’re not alone. The magic of Disney sounds fun and inviting, but between park tickets, flights, hotels, and food — the expenses add up quickly.
Fortunately, you have ways to help pay for a dream trip debt-free. Here, we’ll focus on how to reduce the cost of your lodging, which can be a huge chunk of your vacation budget. After all, everyone wants to stay as close to the parks as possible, which means shelling out some extra cash for the location.
If you use the best travel credit cards to earn rewards on your purchases, you’re already on your way to saving up for your Disney trip. Here are 11 Disney World hotels you can book using credit card points.
Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress sits just a few miles away from Walt Disney World and the Disney Springs area. A complimentary shuttle is available to take you to Disney, though you might have to reserve a spot.
This resort sits on 1,500 acres of land, which includes a private lake, golf course, tennis courts, and an 800,000-gallon pool. In addition, pets are allowed.
The World of Hyatt Credit Card is ideal for booking award nights here because it earns Hyatt points on every purchase. Award nights typically start at 12,000 points per night, but this pricing may vary between 9,000 to 15,000 points per night depending on off-peak versus peak seasons.
Chase credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points can also be used to fund your stays at Hyatt hotels because their points can be transferred to a World of Hyatt account.
Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort
If you have ambitious plans of hitting both Universal Studios and Disney World on the same trip without switching hotels, the Hyatt Place Across From Universal Orlando Resort might be the perfect location for you. As its name suggests, this Hyatt hotel is just down the street from Universal Orlando Resort.
The Hyatt Place brand includes free breakfast, and this particular location has free shuttle service to Universal Orlando. Disney World is only about a 15-minute drive away, though the time may vary depending on which park you’re visiting. This hotel is also pet-friendly, so don’t forget your furry friends.
Award nights start at 12,000 points per night for a standard room. The World of Hyatt Credit Card is great for earning these points, but other credit cards can also make sense. For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card earns points that can be transferred to Hyatt and then redeemed for Hyatt award nights.
Walt Disney World Swan
The Walt Disney World Swan (not to be confused with Walt Disney World Dolphin) is a Category 6 Marriott hotel located close to both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This makes it easy to get to any of the Disney parks, especially if you use the free resort shuttles.
The hotel has a fitness center, five pools, multiple dining options, a spa, and plenty of other options for family activities.
As a Category 6 Marriott hotel, standard award nights start at 50,000 points, though this can range between 40,000 to 60,000 points depending on off-peak or peak seasons. Using a co-branded Marriott credit card, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, is often one of the easiest ways to rack up Marriott points.
Walt Disney World Dolphin
The Walt Disney World Dolphin is the sister hotel to the Walt Disney World Swan and located right next door. The similar location makes it easy for you to visit all the Disney parks, including using the complimentary shuttle service.
The Swan and Dolphin may be separate hotels, but they share many of the same amenities, whether it’s taking your kids to Camp Dolphin or having a Character Dining experience at one of the dining establishments. In addition, both hotels come with Disney World benefits you’d typically only find at Walt Disney World Resort hotels, such as Extra Magic Hours and early access for Disney FastPass+ reservations.
Standard award nights at Walt Disney World Dolphin start at 50,000 Marriott points, which can be earned with co-branded Marriott cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card. If you need to top off your Marriott Bonvoy account, American Express credit cards that earn Membership Rewards points can transfer points to Marriott.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando
The Four Seasons Resort Orlando is a luxury resort that sits close to both Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Accommodations are likely more expensive here compared with some of the more reasonably priced hotels in the area, but you get both a luxurious stay and proximity to the parks.
The property includes a 5-acre water park with splash zones, water slides, and a lazy river. You also get access to a fitness center, spa, golf course, tennis courts, Disney Character Breakfasts, and more. Transportation to the Disney parks is free from the resort and you receive Extra Magic Hours and early access to Disney FastPass+ benefits.
Four Seasons hotels can often be booked using travel portals with Chase, American Express, or Capital One. This property is also part of the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program, so booking through Amex Travel can gain you access to perks such as room upgrades, complimentary breakfast, and late checkout. FHR properties also offer an experience credit worth at least $100 for use toward property amenities such as food and beverage or spa services.
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
If you want to stay in the Disney Springs area, the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista offers close proximity to Walt Disney World and plenty of amenities and benefits. This includes Extra Magic Hours, early access to Disney FastPass+ reservations, and complimentary shuttle service to Disney parks.
Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista has two outdoor heated pools, multiple dining options, and direct access to Disney Springs by a pedestrian bridge.
Award nights for this hotel typically hover around 50,000 points, though you may see it drop into the 40,000s from time to time. Consider using a credit card like the Hilton Honors Surpass Card from American Express if you want to earn Hilton points on your purchases.
It could also make sense to transfer Membership Rewards points from a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express to your Hilton Honors account if you’re short a few thousand points for an award booking.
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort is located close to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney Springs. As an Official Walt Disney World Hotel, a stay here gets you Extra Magic Hours and early access to Disney FastPass+ reservations.
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek has a 3-acre lazy river pool, loads of dining options, an 18-hole golf course, and complimentary transportation to Disney parks.
Hilton doesn’t publish an award chart for points stays, but it typically takes 55,000 to 60,000 points for an award night at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. Hilton points can be earned on any purchase if you pay with a co-branded Hilton credit card, such as the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.
Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek
The Club Wyndham Bonnet Creek is a lakefront property situated between Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Disney Springs, which makes it a prime location for the Disney parks. This resort has five pools with water slides, splash zones, lazy rivers, and poolside bars. Other resort activities include miniature golf, game rooms, playgrounds, and more.
Shuttle service to Disney parks comes with a fee, so plan accordingly (such as getting a rental car) if you don’t want to worry about this expense.
Award nights can range from 9,000 points (value) to 20,000 points (prime) per night depending on when you go. Wyndham points can be earned with cards like the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus Card.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
If you want to stay at a Disney Resort hotel for the ultimate Disney experience, choose from value, moderate, or deluxe options depending on the size of your budget. Disney properties often provide additional benefits, such as complimentary transportation to and from Orlando International Airport and free transportation to the Disney parks.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is listed as a value option, which should appeal to the more budget-conscious Disney visitors. However, its proximity to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the rest of the parks means it won’t be the least expensive hotel in the area, just one of the cheapest among the actual Disney properties.
This resort has a gondola system between the hotel and both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. You also get access to the largest resort pool at Walt Disney World. Rooms are typically more than $200 per night.
Disney properties can’t typically be booked with credit card rewards, but it’s possible to book your stay with a Capital One credit card and then redeem miles for a statement credit against your hotel stay. A card such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns miles and has the ability to redeem points toward past travel purchases (within 90 days of the purchase posting to your account.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is labeled as a moderate Disney property, or a mid-tier resort. This resort is located between Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but it’s also close to Epcot.
Coronado Springs Resort offers a lakeside retreat with a blend of Spanish, Mexican, and Southwest American cultures. Recreational activities include swimming at the pools, Disney movies under the stars, playgrounds, jogging trails, and more.
Room rates typically run more than $200 per night, but using a Capital One travel card with the ability to redeem points to cover travel purchases can help you use rewards instead. The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card offers rewards miles and you can redeem these miles to cover travel purchases posted to your account within the previous 90 days.
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge falls into the deluxe resort category for Disney properties. This resort lies near the northern part of Walt Disney World, close to Magic Kingdom. The Wilderness Lodge takes inspiration from turn-of-the-century National Park lodges and celebrates everything about the great outdoors.
The Wilderness Lodge has two pool areas, bike rentals, boat rentals, fishing, campfire activities, and more.
The average room rate for this resort is listed at over $400 per night, but you’re able to discount your costs if you use miles from a Capital One credit card that allows you to redeem miles to cover past travel purchases.
The bottom line
The overall cost for a Disney World vacation can be expensive, even if you’re trying to do it on a budget. You have to take into account how you’re getting to Orlando, where you’re staying, what activities you’ll be doing, how you’re getting around, and what you’ll be eating.
But using the best rewards credit cards can help you lessen the huge financial impact. This guide is about reducing how much you spend on hotels, but you can save on most aspects of travel if you use the right credit cards.
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Benefits
Card Details
- Discounts on select Disney purchases
- Intro vacation financing offer on select Disney vacation packages
- $0 annual fee
- Apply Now
- Earn a $150 Statement Credit after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Earn 1% in Disney Rewards Dollars on all card purchases. There are no limits to the number of Rewards Dollars you can earn.
- 0% promo APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase, after that a variable APR of 18.49% to 27.49%
- 10% off select merchandise purchases at select locations and 10% off select dining locations most days at the Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort.
- Save 10% on select purchases at DisneyStore.com
- Member FDIC
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Intro Offer
Earn a $150 Statement Credit after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
Annual Fee
$0
Why we like it
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