I’m a sucker for Disneyland because it’s much easier to do on points and miles than Disney World! There are so many hotel options on points within walking distance of the park entrance. My family has gone to Disneyland three times on points and miles. Here’s our favorite way to do it for Friday Family Vacation: Disneyland.

 

Flights

We love flying Southwest all the time, and Disneyland is no exception. We avoid flying into LAX because it’s so much busier and more crowded. Our favorite airports to fly into are John Wayne Airport (SNA) or Long Beach (LGB). Each of these is located only about 25-30 minutes from Disneyland.

I have a Southwest Companion Pass, so my daughter flies for just the cost of taxes and fees ($11.20 round-trip).

If you have Chase points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also transfer those to Southwest.

 

Hotels

Of course, we love staying at Hyatts when visiting Disneyland! Our favorite is the Hyatt House Anaheim because it’s just two blocks from the Disneyland entrance, and there is a Starbucks connected to it (#priorities). The standard room at this property has one king bed + sofa bed, so if you need more space than that, the Hyatt Place Anaheim is probably a better choice.

We were upgraded to a Family Suite thanks to my Hyatt Globalist status, but I know several people without status who have requested upgrades at this property and received them. Some were complimentary, and some were $10/day (well worth it, in my opinion).

 

 

The Hyatt Place Anaheim is a little further away, but still an easy walk to the parks. It’s also located across the street from the Toy Story parking lot (which offers free shuttles to and from the park). The standard room at this property has either a king bed + sofa bed or two queen beds + sofa bed, so this one is great for larger families! (Pam and Alex stayed here on their most recent Disneyland trip).

Both of these properties are category 4 Hyatt hotels, so the points required per night will range from 12,000-18,000 depending on whether it’s off-peak, standard, or peak. Because they are both category 4, they’re also great hotels to use those category 1-4 annual free night certificates that come with the World of Hyatt personal credit card.

If you have Chase points from cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can also transfer those to Hyatt.

 

Tickets

Want to cover your Disneyland park tickets with points also? It’s possible! The best options for that are the Capital One Venture and the Capital One Venture X.

You can simply purchase your tickets through a third party like Getaway Today. This will ensure that they code as travel (note that tickets purchased directly through Disney will code as entertainment). You can then “erase” them using your Capital One miles within 90 days of the charge posting!

 

Credit Cards for This Trip

By opening just 3 credit cards you can make this trip happen! A Southwest card, a Chase Sapphire Preferred, and a Capital One Venture card can take you to the “happiest place on earth”!

 

 

Bottom Line

The cost of a Disneyland vacation often turns people off. But don’t let that stop you! With the help of just a few credit cards, your Disney dreams could be closer than they appear (and for a fraction of the cost)!