These credit cards can help you save big on travel to Orlando

Orlando, Florida, is an expensive destination. A family of four could easily spend $1,000 per day on theme parks alone. It’s no surprise that for many families, visiting the city ends up being a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Despite its budget-busting costs, Orlando welcomed a record-breaking 1.2 million Canadian visitors in 2023, up 46% from the year before, making Canada the city’s top international market for tourists.  

I’ve visited Orlando every year for the last decade—with a brief pause during the pandemic—and I’m not even a “Disney adult.” Sure, I enjoy theme parks, but I also love the food, shopping and other attractions that the destination has to offer.

The only reason I’m able to keep heading south each summer is because I use my loyalty points and credit cards to offset my expenses. Getting my flights and hotel stays for next to nothing makes the overall cost of travelling to Orlando a bit more manageable. You can do the same with the right combination of loyalty programs. 

How to travel to Orlando on credit card points

Whenever I’m ready to book flights to Orlando, the first thing I check is Aeroplan, Air Canada’s loyalty program. With Aeroplan, you can book any available seat on Air Canada, so finding a reward seat is never an issue. The number of points required for a flight depends on supply and demand, but during slow periods, I’ve paid as little as 9,000 Aeroplan points (plus taxes) for a one-way ticket from Toronto. During peak periods, the price could easily be around 50,000 points, so I try to avoid those dates.

My wife and I have a TD Aeroplan Visa Infinite Card, so we earn Aeroplan points on our purchases. The card often has a welcome bonus of around 50,000 Aeroplan points, so that could be enough for two round-trip tickets. Plus, the primary cardholder and up to eight travel companions get their first checked bag free, as long as they’re travelling on the same itinerary. That represents savings of about $150 for a family of three, which offsets the card’s $139 annual fee. 

Another option is to take advantage of the companion voucher that comes with the WestJet RBC Mastercard and WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard. The voucher allows a travelling companion of the primary cardholder to pay a set base fare (plus taxes and fees). If a family has two children, both parents could get a WestJet Mastercard, which gives them two companion vouchers each year. This strategy could save you a few hundred dollars.

Additionally, you could use any WestJet Dollars you’ve earned with the credit card to further offset the cost of your ticket. Plus, the WestJet RBC World Elite Mastercard gives the primary cardholder and up to eight guests on the same itinerary their first checked bag free, resulting in additional savings.

The best credit cards for getting around Orlando

In most cases, renting a car is your best option for getting around Orlando, since the attractions are spread across the city. Every major car rental agency has a location within Orlando’s airport. I’ve rented cars dozens of times, and Alamo is always the cheapest. If you collect any bank travel rewards, such as BMO Rewards, TD Rewards and RBC Avion Rewards, or even American Express Membership Rewards (MR), you could book your car via one of their respective travel portals and use your points to pay. 

Since I like to save my points for flights, I typically charge my car rentals to a travel credit card. The benefit of doing this is that many travel credit cards come with car rental insurance—as long as you use the card to book—so it’s another expense I don’t need to think about. 

Occasionally, I’ll stay at an on-site property at either Universal Orlando Resort or Walt Disney World. Both theme parks have many free transportation options, so sometimes I don’t need a rental car at all. It’s worth mentioning that many hotels offer their own shuttle service, so check when you book. If I need to go off-site, I’ll just call an Uber or Lyft, as the cost is reasonable.

What to do in Orlando

Despite visiting every year, I find Orlando always has something new to offer. On my recent trip, my daughter and I explored the new DreamWorks Land located in Universal Studios. I was excited to see the reaction of my daughter, who’s watched endless hours of Gabby’s Dollhouse, Trolls, Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. 

Not only are new attractions added to existing theme parks each year, but you’ll also find new attractions all over the city. With so many choices, you won’t be able to do everything in one visit, so you need to plan your trip accordingly. 

Generally, I recommend that visitors prioritize what they want to do. For some people, that may be just the theme parks, including water parks. If that’s your goal, then figure out which parks you want to target. For example, Harry Potter–themed areas are part of Universal Orlando Resort, whereas Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the new Tron Lightcycle/Run are part of Disney.

Outside of the theme parks, the Kennedy Space Centre is only an hour’s drive away. You can tour the operational facilities, meet astronauts and learn about the moon landing. For those looking for sun and sand, head to New Smyrna Beach, which tends to be less crowded than Daytona Beach.

Food lovers may be surprised to learn that the Michelin Guide came to the city in 2022. With options ranging from Japanese omakase to Indian street food, Orlando now features nearly 50 Michelin-recognized restaurants. Alternatively, the Mills 50 neighbourhood is a popular destination for locals, since it has a distinctive mix of cuisine, art and entertainment.

At restaurants and grocery stores, I always use my American Express Cobalt Card since it earns me 5 points per $1 spent on eats and drinks. (Note: Those points can eventually be transferred to Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio.) Even though the Cobalt has a foreign transaction fee of 2.5%—and some credit cards waive foreign transaction fees altogether—the 5 points per dollar spent are worth more.

Remember, if you’re actively earning loyalty points, multiple visits to Orlando are possible. That means you can save certain attractions for a future visit.

How to use credit cards to save on your stay

With the right loyalty points, you can stay in Orlando for free (resort and parking charges still apply). I always look at Marriott properties first, since I have a Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card. The card has an annual fee of $120, but it gives me an annual free night’s stay at Marriott properties, worth up to 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. (One Marriott Bonvoy point is worth $0.0117 on average when redeemed hotel stays.) Additionally, I can transfer any of my American Express MR Points, which I collect with the American Express Cobalt Card, to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio. This ability to transfer makes it incredibly easy to earn and redeem Marriott Bonvoy points.

One of my favourite places to stay in Orlando is the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. It’s part of the Disney Swan and Dolphin complex, so regardless of which property you stay at (the Dolphin Resort, Swan Resort or Swan Reserve), you get access to all the amenities, including multiple pools, kids’ activities, swan paddle boats and more. Best of all, these hotels are considered on-site Disney properties, so you get early access to all the Disney World Parks. That extra half-hour to an hour makes a considerable difference since you get to beat the crowds.

Admittedly, the Dolphin, Swan and Reserve hotels are some of the more expensive Marriott properties, but I’ve also stayed at Residence Inn and Courtyard hotels (both part of the Marriott family) for as little as 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. As a bonus, when you book five consecutive nights at the same hotel using Marriott Bonvoy points, you get one night free. 

Besides Marriott Bonvoy, I’ve also used HotelSavers via Aeroplan. With HotelSavers, you save up to 30% in points on bookings with select partner hotels. Plus, Aeroplan credit card holders get their fourth night free when booking three nights on points. 

More ways to save in Orlando

If you can subsidize your flights and hotels with points, theme park tickets will be your biggest expense. Fortunately, there are occasional deals. 

Universal Orlando Resort has an offers page that lists all the current promotions. For example, at the time of writing, you can get two days free when you purchase a ticket valid for two parks over three days. Alternatively, you can save 20% on four-night stays at a Universal Orlando Hotel. The hotel offer can be lucrative, as Premier Universal Hotels give your entire party a free Universal Express Unlimited pass, allowing you to skip the regular lines at some of the most popular attractions. The passes are worth as much as USD$124.99 per person, per day. You also get early access to the parks.

Disney World has similar offers throughout the year for both park tickets and accommodations. It also typically has Canadian-exclusive deals about once or twice a year, and these can be a great way to save.

For non-theme-park savings, check out the offers page on Visit Orlando. Here you’ll find discounts on dining, shopping, attractions and accommodations.

Orlando is an expensive destination, but with the right credit cards, loyalty points and hacks, you can easily reduce your trip costs.

Read more about travel:

• How to save money on a Disney Cruise
• Travel hacks to help you save money on your next trip
• How to stay on budget this summer, wherever your vacation plans take you
• How to book a long-term vacation rental

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