I love credit cards so much!

[disneymagicgirl]

We have checked in to the hotel I've long touted as the best value Marriott category 5 free night you can use, that being the Residence Inn Manhattan/Central Park. We got here around 9 AM (early train), and even though our room wasn't ready yet, they allowed us onto the 3rd floor to have breakfast. That was nice. Breakfast is free for all staying at the Residence regardless of status.

P2 is Platinum Elite from the Ritz card. Once the room was ready, we were given a Platinum gift choice of 250 Marriott points or any one item from the snack bar. I just grabbed a local beer.

Thanks to status, we were upgraded to a Studio Grand Times Square Room on the 61st floor. It's a corner room with a view of the ball drop, for an idea of perspective. The view is of course incredible. The room? Not so much - it's small (although I knew that). It's also surprisingly not very clean. There's mold and mildew in the shower, and visible dust all around the bathroom mirror.

I have to say I'm really shocked. I've always heard how great this hotel is and it's consistently rated highly. I know mold happens in showers but I wouldn't expect it here.

Hopefully anyone else coming here soon has a better experience. We both remarked how glad we were to only be spending one night. I'm curious if this is just a bad room or an endemic problem.

Will post pictures after we get home tomorrow.

I have noticed the black mildew a lot in many hotels lately. What kills me it that is is an easy fix....spray a bit of Clorox based cleaner, let sit, rinse away. Are they opposed to using Clorox or something? I don’t get it. You have a stunning new embassy suites, (if you can stay in a brand new one, do so...very nice finishes etc), but you can’t take 5 secos to have the housekeeper kill the mildew. Drives me batty. That and the fact that exhaust fans never seem to work in hotels.

 

[Judique]

Just grabbed the $30 off $60 Amex Amazon promo. Got myself some Whole Foods gift cards. I don't regularly shop there but reducing the grocery budget by $30 for one week is good. We eat expensive food anyway and I have Prime so I might as well go get some extra discounts too.
:Judique's reply
Younger DD likes to go to Whole Foods. So last time she went I asked her to get ice cream. She got me some for $9 a pint. Bourbon flavored with too many pecans. Because it was $9 I slowly ate it but didn't really like it. She also bought herself a pint of something chocolate. I go to Whole Foods maybe twice a year.

Oh and it is snowing here.

We are supposed to be getting snow this afternoon. I don't want to hear it...especially since I'm supposed to be in Florida.

 

[Luvdancink]

Can someone explain MR to me? I'm planning a Disney wedding and will have some big spends coming for that. I have 3 AMEX cards but none of them give MR. I have SPG biz and personal and a super old delta I just keep for longevity. I've got a SW companion pass and several southwest cards so our family's flights are covered. Can I use MR for Disney resorts?

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Can someone explain MR to me? I'm planning a Disney wedding and will have some big spends coming for that. I have 3 AMEX cards but none of them give MR. I have SPG biz and personal and a super old delta I just keep for longevity. I've got a SW companion pass and several southwest cards so our family's flights are covered. Can I use MR for Disney resorts?

I have seen them on the the Amex travel site but it doesn’t appear to be a good redemption option. There is something about cashing out to a Schwab account. If you check the dischurners page there is more info there on that.
What is your ?/24 status? URs/GC May be a better option for you.

 

[AmyAnne]

I want to thank all of those here who have talked about DVC -- I just signed a contract for a resale purchase at AKV! I have wanted to do this for 20 years (literally, and exactly) and every time I have run the numbers I have thought I wish had bought the last time I thought about it. So with the impending changes to resale, I submitted an offer on Thursday, had the contract yesterday, and just sent it back this morning!

It's a smallish contract (100 points) but my plan for the points is the runDisney weekends so it will likely be just me and one or two of my kids in a studio. December use year which I think is also good for January and February trips. AKL is probably not the very best location for the races but it's where we want to stay.

Now if Chase would only give me some of those Staples deals so I could start accumulating gift cards for the dues . . .

 

[palhockeymomof2]

Can someone explain MR to me? I'm planning a Disney wedding and will have some big spends coming for that. I have 3 AMEX cards but none of them give MR. I have SPG biz and personal and a super old delta I just keep for longevity. I've got a SW companion pass and several southwest cards so our family's flights are covered. Can I use MR for Disney resorts?

I’ve seen Disney hotels listed but I think it was a super high amount needed....around 100,000 MRs per night

 

[Jaime4004]

I recommended this offer to my aunt b/c she is not going to open two SW cards, and definitely not a biz one. I've been trying to get her to open a CIP for a couple of years and she just won't pull the trigger. She loves UR's but something about a biz card bothers her. So, this latest SW offer is good for someone like her. She isn't going to attain CP any other way, so why not get it with one card, even if only for less than a year and only 30k points??

I recommended it to my parents also. They'll never get a biz card but do use a SW card occasionally (which they'd have to cancel). They fly SW almost exclusively and go back and forth to FL several times/year. It would make sense for them, but they probably still won't do it, even though they're jealous of my CP.

 

[palhockeymomof2]

I want to thank all of those here who have talked about DVC -- I just signed a contract for a resale purchase at AKV! I have wanted to do this for 20 years (literally, and exactly) and every time I have run the numbers I have thought I wish had bought the last time I thought about it. So with the impending changes to resale, I submitted an offer on Thursday, had the contract yesterday, and just sent it back this morning!

It's a smallish contract (100 points) but my plan for the points is the runDisney weekends so it will likely be just me and one or two of my kids in a studio. December use year which I think is also good for January and February trips. AKL is probably not the very best location for the races but it's where we want to stay.

Now if Chase would only give me some of those Staples deals so I could start accumulating gift cards for the dues . . .

Congrats on the purchase...We had the Staples 30%off on one of my cards...it’s only good for up to a 19 credit....so i bought 1 $50 disney gift card....long way to go to pay our dues next January lol

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I'm interested too. My wife wants to do a Disney Cruise.

(Meanwhile, I've always wanted to travel on one of the Cunard Line ships.)

I believe Citi TY Points are a good use (viable) but IMO not scaleable due to Citi app restrictions and the lack of a ton of cards.

When it comes to “scale-ability” it seems URs, MRs, and AA miles win the day. I’m probably going to do some more research on churning and Disney cruises but I don’t expect to find any great hidden ideas out there.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Can someone explain MR to me? I'm planning a Disney wedding and will have some big spends coming for that. I have 3 AMEX cards but none of them give MR. I have SPG biz and personal and a super old delta I just keep for longevity. I've got a SW companion pass and several southwest cards so our family's flights are covered. Can I use MR for Disney resorts?

MRs for Disney is unfortunately not a good plan. It’s a terrible value.

Best idea (as already stated) is Schwab plat cash out at 1.25cpp. I did that with all my MRs towards a Disneu Trip.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

I’ve seen Disney hotels listed but I think it was a super high amount needed....around 100,000 MRs per night

That sounds like my memory as well. I think it’s 0.6cpp (yikes!)

 

[Judique]

Congrats on the purchase...We had the Staples 30%off on one of my cards...it’s only good for up to a 19 credit....so i bought 1 $50 disney gift card....long way to go to pay our dues next January lol

I bought $50 Disney and $15 Starbucks card to get the whole $19!

So I look at it as $15 off Disney (30%) and $4 off Starbucks (26%).

More creative financing on my part.

As far as dues, since it is early I'm going to do larger offers since I know I can always (?) get the 5% on the Freedom somewhere. My low will now be 10% saved and I will hope for more 30% offers!!!???

 

[CoP Luv]

So I haven’t read through all this but I have been cleaning up on this offer with gift cards at Staples. No issues, and my staples sells Disney gc but only in increments of $50.

I had it on two cards and it worked great! I bought 1-$50 Disney GC and a corkboard for $63.xx and then another $50 Disney GC and a $25 Shell GC on another card. It took about a week for the credit to post, but I was super happy about this! I wish it was on DH's cards but so far, no go there.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Any SW/companion pass experts here? DH's new SW Plus has a statement date of the 17th. We are trying to hurry up and make MS so that he gets his bonus points (50,000 since he applied in flight and got the extra), and the companion pass since he made MS on the SW Biz card this week. If he makes MS today (the 12th) that should be plenty of time for the charge to hit by the 17th....but when exactly will he get the bonus points and CP? He and my DD just decided to come on our March Disney trip and I'm trying to use these points and CP for their flights.

So your CP will be available immediately once 110k SW RR points post in the SW account.

If you reach the MSR ahead of the statement (I’d agree that the 12th might work for a 17th stmt) then you should see the bonus points listed on the statement which would be available the morning of the 18th. If all works, the points would then hit your SW Acct within 2-3 days max after that so you’d have a CP by the 21st. If you miss this months stmt though you’ll be waiting an entire month and there’s not much you can do about that unfortunately.

 

[eeyoresmom]

So your CP will be available immediately once 110k SW RR points post in the SW account.

If you reach the MSR ahead of the statement (I’d agree that the 12th might work for a 17th stmt) then you should see the bonus points listed on the statement which would be available the morning of the 18th. If all works, the points would then hit your SW Acct within 2-3 days max after that so you’d have a CP by the 21st. If you miss this months stmt though you’ll be waiting an entire month and there’s not much you can do about that unfortunately.

Thank you!

 

[1st*toright]

And as usual, @Lain is quicker on the draw than me....

You mean @Alexle2007.

Yup. My reading comprehension skills are clearly suffering from lack of sleep today. Sorry @Alexle2007! Credit where credit is due - you are ALSO quicker on the uptake than I am

 

[Judique]

Thanks to status, we were upgraded to a Studio Grand Times Square Room on the 61st floor.

I'm having an anxiety attack just picturing it swaying in the wind.

Regarding the less than stellar cleaning:
It may be the hotel in general or it may be the individual housekeeper assigned to your floor.
Report it in a review after you've told the front desk. You may help the next guest get better service.

I have noticed the black mildew a lot in many hotels lately. What kills me it that is is an easy fix....spray a bit of Clorox based cleaner, let sit, rinse away. Are they opposed to using Clorox or something? I don’t get it. You have a stunning new embassy suites, (if you can stay in a brand new one, do so...very nice finishes etc), but you can’t take 5 secos to have the housekeeper kill the mildew. Drives me batty. That and the fact that exhaust fans never seem to work in hotels.

Last hotel I saw black mold at I was tempted to call and ask for a spray bottle of Clorox.

 

[CyndiLouWho]

Yay - my $250 stmt credit posted on my AA biz for my AA eGC. Now I just need to sell it for $200+ to get my cash in my pocket

Had DH add EBCI to a flight today to use BOA travel credit. I have a million things to do (including paying off our Disney Cruise today which is giving me a little anxiety) and just asked him to handle it. He somehow managed to put one EBCI on BOA card and the other on CitiBiz AA card.
BTW message @calypso726 , didn’t she say she might be interested in AA GC?

 

[linzjane88]

nearly 50 pages in 4 days . Stop the insanity! I seriously don't know how people keep up with this thread without foregoing showers, meals, etc.

Get a bank bonus to cover the meal? Lol jk I need to learn to eat at Disney cheap. In June we are going without the meal plan for the first time in a bit. SO is convinced we will save money which we may but we are still doing the Yatchsman. we normally get a $120 porterhouse when we are on the dining plan. I like eating that and it being pre payed for. I may cry actually paying for it after eating this time lol. let me know what quick service meal recommendations you have in that area after your trip. We are only doing one sit down a day.

I have such a love hate with the dining plan. It used to be such an outrageously good deal with FD and I have a hard time giving up those memories although now I sort of feel like it's just too much food, too much time eating, and we end up ordering for the sake of using a credit. But every time they announce FD I am like . One thing I am tempted to try (on recommendation of one of the 'magical' TA's) was buying a gift card in the amount of the dining plan and ONLY using it for food to try and see if I break even.

4x Kroger on specific gift cards has started again. Disney and Happy included.

Boy it would be great to use this in conjunction with a CC that has a high grocery category...

Ok I promise I'm done now.

If it makes you feel any better my local flavor of Kroger is Fred Meyer which does not code as grocery with Amex. It is such a missed opportunity with those 4x fuel points!

 

[wendow]

I recommended it to my parents also. They'll never get a biz card but do use a SW card occasionally (which they'd have to cancel). They fly SW almost exclusively and go back and forth to FL several times/year. It would make sense for them, but they probably still won't do it, even though they're jealous of my CP.

Your parents sound like my aunt lol! Besides really being the perfect candidate for this SW offer, in the end, I don't think she will pull the trigger on it either. She gets all excited when I tell her about these offers and then she fizzles out. Whether she gets cold feet about it or just seems like too much hassle, I don't really know. If I could do it for her, I would. I know she would benefit from the CP, even if only for 2019.