Disney Inspire Visa Card review: Perks and rewards to enhance your Disney vacations
The Disney® Inspire Visa® Card (see rates and fees) is Disney's highest-tier card option, which means more Disney-specific perks and rewards for cardholders — like theme park discounts on dining and shopping, statement credits for eligible Disney hotel bookings and ticket purchases, and rewards on everyday purchases — but also a higher annual fee than the other Disney Visa cards. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½
*Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Disney Inspire Visa Card: The basics
Like the Disney® Visa® Card (see rates and fees) and the Disney® Premier Visa® Card (see rates and fees), the Disney Inspire is geared primarily toward frequent Disney visitors.
The Disney Inspire card provides annual credits that can help offset the cost of your Walt Disney World or Disneyland visits or Disney Cruise Line sailings, elevated reward earnings on Disney-related purchases and exclusive discounts on shopping, dining and entertainment at Disney's theme parks and during its cruises.
Rewards on all Disney Visa cards are earned as Disney Rewards Dollars that can be used toward Disney purchases. The earning and redemption options are less flexible than many travel cards, but they can go a long way toward bringing down the cost of your Disney vacation.
All that Disney magic comes with a $149 annual fee, which can be easily offset by this card's statement credits (see more details below). This annual fee is higher than the Disney Premier's $49 annual fee and the $0 annual fee for the Disney Visa, but this card's perks far outweigh either of those cards if you can use them.
Aside from the higher annual fee, the other main differences between this card and other Disney cards are the annual statement credits and the higher reward rates in select categories.
Related: This new Disney World discount can save you more than $1,000 on your summer vacation
Disney Inspire Visa Card pros and cons
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Disney Inspire Visa Card benefits
The Disney Inspire offers valuable benefits for Disney fans who visit the parks or go on a Disney cruise at least once per year.
Cardholders can also show love to their favorite Disney characters with 16 card designs to choose from, including five designs exclusive to the Disney Inspire Visa.
Annual statement credits for Disney purchases
Disney Inspire cardholders are eligible to earn annual statement credits that are most beneficial for Disney loyalists:
- 200 Disney Rewards Dollars after spending $2,000 per anniversary year on U.S. Disney Resort stays and Disney Cruise Line bookings
- A $100 statement credit after spending $200 per anniversary year on U.S. Disney theme park tickets
- Up to a $120 annual credit on Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ purchases
If you visit Disney World or Disneyland at least once per year and have a Disney+ or Disney bundle subscription, you can easily offset the card's annual fee.
Keep in mind that Disney Rewards Dollars can only be used on Disney purchases. When combined with the other statement credits, these perks are essentially worth $420 per year, but they're only truly valuable if you know you will use them consistently.
Disney dining, recreation and shopping perks
Cardholders receive 10% off the following dining, shopping and recreation purchases:
- Select purchases at disneystore.com
- Eligible merchandise, recreation and dining purchases at select locations in Disneyland and Walt Disney World
Additionally, cardholders receive the following entertainment and experience perks:
- 15% off select guided tours at Disneyland and Disney World
- Complimentary photo opportunities exclusive to Disney Visa cardholders
- Savings aboard Disney Cruise Line for select onboard purchases
Exclusive vacation offers and financing
Disney regularly offers limited-time deals available only to Disney Visa cardholders. These can include Disney World and Disneyland hotel discounts and free Disney dining plan packages at Disney World.
Disney Inspire cardholders are also eligible for a 0% promotional annual percentage rate for six months on select Disney vacation packages (then a variable APR of 18.24% to 27.74% applies).
Travel protections
The Disney Inspire offers useful travel protections, such as baggage delay insurance, extended warranty protection and purchase protection.
How to earn and use your rewards
Earning
With the Disney Inspire, you'll earn Disney Rewards Dollars at the following rates:
- 10% at disneyplus.com, hulu.com and plus.espn.com
- 3% at most other U.S. Disney locations and gas stations
- 2% at grocery stores and restaurants
- 1% on all other card purchases
Earning 3% on Disney purchases is decent, especially if you stay in the "Disney bubble" and spend money on a Disney Resort hotel, theme park tickets and in-park dining during your visits.
There are a handful of cards that earn 3% on travel-related purchases, but they don't come with the other Disney perks, making this card a solid choice if you want to earn and redeem rewards on Disney purchases.
There are also several cards that earn more than the Disney Inspire on gas, groceries and everyday purchases — but, again, if you value earning toward Disney discounts, this is the simplest way to do it.
Redeeming
As mentioned, this card earns Disney Rewards Dollars. You can redeem Disney Rewards Dollars toward Disney Cruise Line packages and onboard activities and souvenirs; Disney movie tickets at AMC Theatres; shopping at disneystore.com; Disney hotel stays; shopping and dining at U.S. Disney parks; and Disney theme park tickets.
You can also use Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature to redeem Disney Rewards Dollars for a statement credit toward airline purchases. Note that you must use your Disney Inspire card and purchase the airfare directly with the airline.
Potential drawbacks to the Disney Inspire Visa Card
The Disney Inspire's redemption options are limited to Disney-specific purchases, and several cards offer better overall earning rates.
Unless you know you will visit Disney at least once per year, you may not be able to take full advantage of this card's perks, including the annual statement credits and elevated earning rates on Disney purchases.
Is the Disney Inspire Visa Card worth it?
If you know you will visit a Disney theme park or take a Disney cruise at least once per year and then spend enough to meet the $2,000 threshold in hotel or cruise spending to earn 200 Disney Rewards Dollars and the $200 threshold in spending on theme park tickets, this card is worth the statement credits and discounts that can offset the cost of your vacation.
If you visit Disney only every few years, this card may not make the most sense for you when it comes to earning and redeeming rewards.
If you are most interested in the vacation discounts you have access to as a cardholder, you'll be better off with the no-annual-fee Disney Visa. If choosing between the Disney Inspire and the Disney Premier, you'll get more bang for your buck as a frequent Disney visitor from the Inspire.
When to apply for the Disney Inspire Visa Card
My personal strategy would be to wait and apply for this card when you know that you have a Disney trip coming up. This will help you use the card's welcome bonus and other Disney perks. As this is the newest option in the suite of cobranded Disney cards, the current offer is the highest offer we've seen on the card.
New cardholders can receive a $300 electronic Disney gift card immediately upon approval, plus earn a $300 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
If you open the card and book your vacation to meet the minimum spending requirement to earn the bonus, you could save $300 in the form of a statement credit and receive a $300 gift card to spend during your trip. And this is in addition to the annual statement credits you could be eligible to earn if the vacation you book meets those spending requirements.
Other cards to consider if you don't want the Disney Inspire Visa Card
If you prefer the straightforward nature of earning and redeeming rewards for Disney purchases alone, the Disney Inspire is a good choice. Outside of that, though, consider these alternatives:
- If you don't want an annual fee: The no-annual-fee Disney Visa Card has a lower earnings rate, but you'll still enjoy some of the same discounts and vacation benefits that come with the Disney Inspire. To learn more, read our full review of the Disney Visa.
- If you want to earn points and save money on Disney vacations: The Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees) has a higher $595 annual fee but comes with travel perks like a $300 annual hotel credit for stays of at least two nights booked through Citi Travel, including several on-site Disney hotels. To learn more, read our full review of the Citi Strata Elite.
- If you want simplified rewards: The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card has a simple earnings structure and a $95 annual fee. You get 2 miles per dollar spent on everyday purchases and 5 miles per dollar spent on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. To learn more, read our full review of the Capital One Venture.
For additional options, check out our full list of the best credit cards for Disney.
Related: With a $300 bonus and built-in Disney discounts, are the Disney Visa credit cards worth it?
Bottom line
The Disney Inspire, along with the other two Disney Visa cards, only makes sense for frequent Disney visitors who can maximize the card's earning potential. Those who can't use the benefits annually or want more flexible redemption options may be better off with a general travel rewards card that offers higher earning rates and a variety of redemption options.
If you visit Disney or take a Disney cruise annually and have a Disney+ subscription, you don't have to do any math to see the value in this card. The welcome bonus, the annual statement credits and the in-park discounts will provide you with plenty of value.
Apply here: Disney Inspire Visa Card