I love credit cards so much! v2.0 (see first page for add'l details)

[Alice Sr.]

Instacart amex deal for the win! Home sick with a nasty cold this week.... got my groceries delivered fast and 1/2 price with the offer! Now to make some soup. Some days it’s the little things...

Me too, feel like my head is going to explode and my body has been ran over by a Mac truck. I have been eating Welch's fruit snacks, it's the only thing that sounds ok. Hope you feel better soon.

I got the email about this. How hard is it to get a ticket to one? Do you have to be booked on points or can you just have an onsite stay? I'll be there Jan 21 to take my dd down to the DCP. Would be fun to attend this! We were there in Aug when they had one going on but we never could get a reservation since we were so new to dvc.

I was successful the times I tried, but haven't been in a couple of years. I'll be down 1/17-27 and was just going to check out availability for a night or two to hit up the FoA. I haven't been and have heard good things about it.

What are the fees like with Instacart? I think my Costco participates but I have the Amex offer so that is a no-go there. I need to look at who else I can use it with.

I use Instacart for WDW (and DBV this last April). I have never paid as the order was over $50.

 

[KPK02090]

When I first came back to the disboards a little over a month ago, and waltzed on over the budget boards, I thought that saving 5% on Disney GCs was the best that I could do. Wow, did I learn I was wrong!

I've now acquired enough GCs for our trip (which is less than $5k, but more than $1k) using a variety of means that have saved 10-15+% on the cards, but that has only been through using a variety of payment methods and special deals, and has been somewhat time consuming (though I have enjoyed it, so that doesn't bother me). If your priority is knocking out the MSR right away, then that is probably worth it. If you'll make the MSR some other way, and your priority is to save money at Disney, then probably not. Just my opinion.

I do try to accumulate gift cards whenever I can at a better than 4% discount (like those glory days of 40% off with RMN), but it seems it's usually just a few at a time. My goal here is to get $5000 worth for now and use URs to pay for them at the same time as knocking out an MSR and getting a SUB. Making it around 20% off. I would love a bigger discount on the purchase price, but not sure how to get it since it has to be on the CIP and within the next 3 months.

Unless I'm going about this all wrong and there's a better way?!?

My whole goal is to pay for Disney with URs. So at first I thought just cash out what I have, and then I thought get another card with a SUB to buy the gift cards, thus increasing my discount.

 

[mechteach1]

I do try to accumulate gift cards whenever I can at a better than 4% discount (like those glory days of 40% off with RMN), but it seems it's usually just a few at a time. My goal here is to get $5000 worth for now and use URs to pay for them at the same time as knocking out an MSR and getting a SUB. Making it around 20% off. I would love a bigger discount on the purchase price, but not sure how to get it since it has to be on the CIP and within the next 3 months.

That all seems reasonable! The only other things I could think that would work, and not for $5k at once, would be to use the CIP when they sell the Happy Guy GCs at your local supermarket for 10% off, and then use that at HD to get Disney GCs, or wait until RMN or TCB or something has a big % at Raise, and then buy Walmart GCs (if you can snag them) to buy Disney GCs at Sam's (if you already have a membership, and that would only be good for a $500 card or so with the new Sam's restrictions).

 

[Limes96]

DH got an email offer from BoA this afternoon with an offer for an extra 2% back on his AAA Visa. This is the same offer I got over the summer on mine. But I haven’t seen my extra 2% post yet. Hopefully it will post at next statement close in about a week or so.

 

[WardFam]

Just booked flights from SLC to Shanghai for my 40th bday trip in March for 30k skymiles and $41 per person! Going to spend a couple of days in Shanghai - one at Disneyland - and then maybe Thailand or Malaysia Borneo? The Cape Fahn resort in Koh Samui looks like an amazing deal with Hyatt points.

 

[platamama]

DD applied for a CIP using my link. Got a 2 week message. We used educational services as a business since she tutors.

Good luck to your DD. There have been reports that Chase automatically pcs those CIP cards (that applied using educational services), at least according to this DoC post from several months ago. I did see someone report that they got the 80K SUB that they transferred to a CSP before their CIP got forcibly converted.

 

[punkin]

Good luck to your DD. There have been reports that Chase automatically pcs those CIP cards (that applied using educational services), at least according to this DoC post from several months ago. I did see someone report that they got the 80K SUB that they transferred to a CSP before their CIP got forcibly converted.

Really? I didnt know. How long do you figure she has to do that? She has no other UR earning cards to transfer to.

 

[Haley R]

They always had openings when I tried after embarking since we always book last minute. Also, after the first rush of people boarding, they call the numbers really quickly so you'll probably get on the ship earlier. As long as you inquire before the ship suspends all activities for the muster drill, you should be good. have fun!!

Do you know what time they usually do the muster drill at?

 

[Alice Sr.]

What do you think the line at the bottom means? Will I be limited to 2500.00 in warehouse purchases? I would like to use the entire spend for DGC if BJ's comes out with their discounted GC offer. It seems that that could also be considered online purchase. What is the limit for DGC purchases when Target runs their 10% off on GC's special? I was thinking $1000.? Thanks

 

[havaneselover]

Do you know what time they usually do the muster drill at?

Ugh--the muster drill. 4 PM give or take.

 

[Mopedmom1]

But what if you get stuck at dinner with someone like me? Just kidding, we could talk about pop tarts and tootsie rolls

ETA: But there used to be entertaining threads from time to time on the Disney Cruise Line forum about nightmare tablemates.

Lol I’m really not too worried. I guess if they’re horrible we just won’t talk to them. I want the whole experience: eating with other people and talking with them. Hopefully we just get good ones lol

Boy do I have a story here. NCL, not DCL. It was several years ago before they switched to freestyle. We were seated with "Doctor Phil", (not really, just his self given moniker) his girlfriend, and two separate couples from Australia and/or New Zealand. One was apparently from a lower class than the other couple, which led us to knickname the one lady Snooty bi+*$. Her horrible vile attitude towards the other lady still brings eyerolls and giggles to us six years later! Much more to this story but typing on my dilapidated aging laptop is such a pain!

Hopefully, Haley you will have good stories to tell about your tablemates in the years to come!

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

This probably has minimal affect on people here but I’ll share anyways:
AMEX NLL support offers are dead (you can’t generate the email anymore).

If you happen to have had one sent to you it still should work to apply. More details Here:

https://milenomics.com/2019/10/amex-preapproved-referrals/

 

[punkin]

Educational Services > Colleges, Universities, and Prof Schools is what was getting targeted for forced conversion.

Educational Services > Educational Support Services is ok. > Other Schools and Instruction (where you'd find Exam Preparation and Tutoring) should be fine too.

So after a quick search, DD should be alright.

 

[SouthFayetteFan]

Totally crazy rumor founded in nothing: Could this pave the way for a Chase Ink RESERVE card down the line???

See this announcement:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/visa-to-launch-visa-infinite-business-cards-in-the-united-states/
Again - absolutely no “truth” to this rumor, but it could be amazing if it happened!!

 

[platamama]

Really? I didnt know. How long do you figure she has to do that? She has no other UR earning cards to transfer to.

Honestly I don't know. There's not a whole lot of info that I found on it other than dps that Chase has done that. Several comments from people saying don't use educational services as your business, but not a whole lot about what happened to their points or how long it took for everything to settle.

ETA: I see you found more info - that's good news! Sorry to have worried you.

 

[mmmears]

Really? I didnt know. How long do you figure she has to do that? She has no other UR earning cards to transfer to.

My DD got a CIP under something like that since she tutors (not sure the exact path since it's a maze to choose your business, but I know it wasn't the one that was somehow getting flagged) but she did get the SUB with no issues. I hope yours gets her card and SUB with no problems, too.

 

[mmmears]

I do try to accumulate gift cards whenever I can at a better than 4% discount (like those glory days of 40% off with RMN), but it seems it's usually just a few at a time. My goal here is to get $5000 worth for now and use URs to pay for them at the same time as knocking out an MSR and getting a SUB. Making it around 20% off. I would love a bigger discount on the purchase price, but not sure how to get it since it has to be on the CIP and within the next 3 months.

Unless I'm going about this all wrong and there's a better way?!?

My whole goal is to pay for Disney with URs. So at first I thought just cash out what I have, and then I thought get another card with a SUB to buy the gift cards, thus increasing my discount.

You may be able to do better, with more work and time. But the way I see this, you're getting 100K URs which are at a minimum worth $1K, plus another 5% off, so to me that's 25% off with really minimal effort. Personally I'd go with it, but I am not willing to get a VGC, MCGC, or Happy GC and then go to another store and hope the cashier can figure out how to let me get a DGC. If you use those URs via a CSR, they would be worth even more. I think it's really what works for you.

 

[mmmears]

I have a question about trying to get a Palo brunch on embarkation day. I know we can go line up to try to make a reservation that day, but what if our boarding time is late? Our time isn't until 3:45 pm if I'm understanding it correctly. I looked at a previous navigator and it said they started taking reservations at 12 pm. Am I looking at this wrong?

This probably has minimal affect on people here but I’ll share anyways:
AMEX NLL support offers are dead (you can’t generate the email anymore).

If you happen to have had one sent to you it still should work to apply. More details Here:

https://milenomics.com/2019/10/amex-preapproved-referrals/

Wow! I did send one out, but that went away quickly.

So after a quick search, DD should be alright.

Glad you found that post.

 

[Lain]

Totally crazy rumor founded in nothing: Could this pave the way for a Chase Ink RESERVE card down the line???

See this announcement:
https://www.doctorofcredit.com/visa-to-launch-visa-infinite-business-cards-in-the-united-states/
Again - absolutely no “truth” to this rumor, but it could be amazing if it happened!!

There’s been speculation about a CIR for years, most recently with the introduction of the CIU that mirrored the CFU’s earning structure. I’m not going to hold my breath, but I’ll always welcome new cards (and good news for a change).

So let’s look at this:

No AF cards:

• CF has 5x rotating categories; CIC has 5x categories at office supply stores and cable/phone/internet
• CFU and CIU have 1.5x on everything

Premium travel cards:

• CSP has 2x dining and travel, 1.25x redemption towards travel; CIP has 3x travel, shipping, advertising, and cable/phone/internet, 1.25x redemption on the Chase UR portal
• CSR has 3x dining and travel, $300 travel credit, 1.5x travel redemption. I’m really curious what a CIR would even offer, especially considering what actually codes as 3x under the CIP’s bonus categories have been nerfed to hell.

ETA: Of course, some people couldn’t care less about the bonus categories or benefits. WHAT’S THE SUB?!

 

[punkin]

Honestly I don't know. There's not a whole lot of info that I found on it other than dps that Chase has done that. Several comments from people saying don't use educational services as your business, but not a whole lot about what happened to their points or how long it took for everything to settle.

ETA: I see you found more info - that's good news! Sorry to have worried you.

Don't be sorry. It's good to know. I appreciate any information I may have missed. This thread moves so fast.