How to do Disney World & Disneyland with Points and Miles

Growing up, Disney World was always out of reach for my family — it was just waaaay too expensive. The first time I stepped foot in Magic Kingdom, I was 19 years old, visiting with my boyfriend Will (now my husband — yes, it was that magical, haha). I had technically “won” a free 3-day Disney pass through a faxed letter, in exchange for sitting through a 2-hour timeshare sales pitch in Orlando. If I could go back and talk to my 19-year-old self, I’d say: there are MUCH better ways to get to Disney on a budget. Thankfully, we survived that pitch with zero timeshare properties and 100% of our dignity.

New to points & miles? Grab my free Beginner’s Guide HERE — it’s the starting point for everything below.

Today, the average family of 4 spends anywhere from $6,000–$10,000 on a 5–7 day Disney World vacation. Since our son Jimmie was born 8 years ago, we’ve visited either Disney World or Disneyland every single year — and we’ve done it for less than $1,000 out of pocket by covering flights, hotels, and tickets with points and miles. Here’s exactly how we do it.

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⚠️ Note: This post is currently being updated with new card links and current offers. Check our Best Offers page for the most current recommendations.

Step 1: Get Nearly Free Flights to Disney

Flights are the easiest part of a Disney trip to cover with points. Here are the two main ways I do it:

Option A: Southwest + Companion Pass (My Favorite)

We typically fly Southwest to either Los Angeles (LAX) for Disneyland or Orlando (MCO) for Disney World, using Southwest points and our Southwest Companion Pass. With the Companion Pass, one person on every single flight flies free for up to 2 years — which means a family of 4 only needs points for 2 tickets. It’s still not too late to earn your Companion Pass for 2026–2027! Here’s how to get it.

Option B: Flexible Travel Rewards Cards

Any flexible points card that transfers to airlines works here. Chase Ultimate Rewards are my favorite because they transfer to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio. You can also transfer Chase points to United, which flies direct into both MCO and LAX. Check out my Best Offers page for the top Chase earning cards right now. Have your Player 2 (spouse, partner, or travel buddy) do the same to double your points stash. Four round-trip Southwest flights to LAX run about 105,000 points and $44.80 in taxes depending on the time of year.

Pro Tip: Which Airport for Disneyland?

For Disneyland, LAX works great but so do John Wayne Airport (SNA) and Long Beach Airport (LGB), which are actually closer to Anaheim. Check award availability at all three — sometimes SNA or LGB has better award pricing with fewer connections.

Step 2: Cover Your Disney Tickets with Points

This is the trickiest part, because Disney tickets don’t normally code as “travel” when purchased directly — they code as “entertainment,” which means most travel credit card credits won’t apply. But there’s a workaround.

The Undercover Tourist / Third-Party Ticket Trick

Buy your Disney tickets through a third-party travel agent like Get Away Today or Undercover Tourist. When purchased through these vendors, the charge codes as “travel” — which means you can erase the purchase with Capital One miles at a rate of 1 cent per mile. The Capital One Venture X (my top pick) comes with a 75,000-point sign-up bonus, which erases at least $750 worth of Disney tickets. That covers a significant chunk of a family’s ticket cost right there.

The Bundle Trick

Another option: book your park tickets and a Disney hotel together as a package directly on Disney’s website. The hotel portion causes the whole bundle to code as “travel,” making it eligible for Capital One or Chase travel credit reimbursement.

Chase Travel Portal

Occasionally, Disney World tickets show up directly in the Chase Travel portal, where you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points at up to 1.5 cents each (with the Chase Sapphire Reserve). Availability comes and goes, so check before your trip — it’s worth a look.

Step 3: Book Your Hotel with Points

This is where you can save the most money. Here are the best options for both parks:

Disney World Hotels You Can Book with Points

A – Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin (Best Value) The Swan and Dolphin are Marriott Bonvoy properties located right on Disney property. You get most of the same perks as a Disney-owned hotel — early park entry, free Disney transportation, and walkable access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios — while booking with Marriott points. A Marriott Bonvoy card sign-up bonus can often cover 3+ free nights here. This is genuinely one of the best points redemptions at Disney World.

B – Swan Reserve Also a Marriott Bonvoy property, the Swan Reserve is the newer, more upscale sister property right next door. Same perks, slightly more luxurious. Check award availability at marriott.com.

C – Good Neighbor Hilton Hotels The Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace at Disney Springs is an official Good Neighbor hotel — meaning it includes free transportation to all four parks. Rates run around 60,000 Hilton points per night, and Hilton Silver members and above get their fifth night free on points stays. Solid option if you have a Hilton card welcome bonus.

D – Hyatt Near Disney World Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Hyatt at a 1:1 ratio, and there are several Hyatt properties in the greater Orlando area. Not on Disney property, but if you have a stash of Chase points, this is a great use of them.

Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) Hotels You Can Book with Points

A – Four Points by Sheraton Anaheim (Marriott Bonvoy) Walking distance to the Disneyland entrance. You can cover your entire stay with a Marriott Bonvoy card welcome bonus — typically 3–5 free night certificates depending on the card. If the nightly point rate exceeds 50K for your dates, check other Marriott properties in the Anaheim area. There are several within walking or short driving distance.

B – Other Marriott Anaheim Properties Marriott has a wide selection of brands around Anaheim — Courtyard, Residence Inn, SpringHill Suites — all bookable with Bonvoy points. Check marriott.com for award availability.

C – Universal Studios Hollywood Bonus If you’re adding a Universal day: the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City is an 8-minute walk to Universal Studios Hollywood. We stayed here over Thanksgiving — Harry Potter world at Christmastime is genuinely magical. Rates start around 80,000 Hilton points per night.

Step 4: A Few More Easy Ways to Save at Disney

These don’t involve points but they add up fast and are worth knowing:

Book Tickets in Advance

Early-bird pricing is real. Multi-day tickets offer significantly better per-day value than single-day tickets. I’ve had good luck with Undercover Tourist for discounted tickets — and as mentioned above, they code as travel for your Capital One miles eraser.

Bring Your Own Snacks and Water Bottles

Disneyland allows outside food. Disney World technically does too (with some restrictions). Pack a backpack with snacks and refillable water bottles. Park food runs $5–$15 per item — it adds up fast with a family of 4.

Skip Genie+ on Slower Days

Disney’s Lightning Lane / Genie+ add-on runs $15–$35 per person per day. On slower park days (weekday mornings, off-season) the standby lines are often short enough that it’s not worth it. Check crowd calendars (Touring Plans is great for this) and save Genie+ for peak days only.

Take Advantage of Free Entertainment

Parades, character meet-ups, and street performances are included in your park admission. These are some of the best moments — and kids love them just as much as the rides.

Set a Merchandise Budget Before You Go

I bought our Minnie Mouse ears online before the trip and brought them with us. Park merchandise is expensive and kids will want everything they see. Setting a “souvenir budget” per child before you leave the house saves a lot of in-park negotiation.

Consider Military Discounts

If anyone in your family is active duty, in the reserves, a veteran, or retired military, Disney offers Armed Forces Salute Tickets at nearly 50% off regular pricing. The military member must travel with you. Visit the Disney Military website for current availability and restrictions.

The Bottom Line on Disney with Points

Disney will never be completely free — you’ll still pay something for food, Lightning Lane on busy days, and those irresistible Mickey ears. But with the right card strategy, flights and hotels can be covered almost entirely with points, and tickets can be significantly offset. Our family of 4 visits every single year and keeps our out-of-pocket cost under $1,000. It’s absolutely doable, and I promise it’s way easier to set up than it sounds.

Over the past 15 years I’ve accumulated millions of points and learned how to strategize every aspect of travel to cut costs. If you’re new to this whole points thing, grab my free Beginner’s Guide here — it’s way easier than you think!

Feel free to DM me on Instagram or email me at hello@lazylauren.com with any questions. Happy travels! ✈️

About the Author

Lauren is a CPA and former Controller with nearly 20 years of experience in the points & miles world. She discovered early on that travel rewards is really just a math problem in disguise — and she’s been quietly turning everyday spending into nearly-free bucket list vacations for her family of 4 ever since. No gimmicks, no debt, just a simple and sustainable system. Start here to learn how she does it, or browse her free guides & resources to get started today.

How to do Disney World & Disneyland with Points and Miles