It wasn’t until this past year that I discovered the beauty of free airline travel. Let me just tell you that I am a changed woman. For some families, flying to Disney World is the biggest cost of the entire trip. Learning how to fly to Disney World for free lets you spend your money on other exciting things — like food!
Before we get started, I’d like to point you to some of my other money-saving Disney World Content. From planning a 4-day trip for under $1000 to eating at Disney for under $35 a day, I’m all about saving big on your Disney World trip.
Now let me talk about how to snag free airline travel so you can fly to Disney World for free! Start packing those bags!
How Is It Free to Fly to Disney World?
The way you get free airline travel is by having either A) flight miles to apply towards your flight or B) credit card points. We’ll be talking about the latter in this post since that’s what I’m most familiar with.
The first time I used credit cards to travel for free was a year ago. My partner and I wanted to travel across the country from Florida to Washington, but we were worried about the steep airline costs. I stumbled across the Capital One Venture Card, and at the time I didn’t have any travel credit cards.
I spent a lot of time weighing the pros and cons, and I decided to go for it. I had pretty good credit, and I got approved immediately. Score! Then, it was time to get to work to get that sign-on bonus. The sign-on bonus at the time was impressive! It was $500 towards travel, so I started making my regularly scheduled purchase on the card and paying them off immediately.
It didn’t take long to reach the sign-on bonus, and I’d snagged that big travel credit! Next, I bought my flights with my new card and applied the Capital One Debt Eraser. It was that easy! I got my flights FOR FREE without paying more than I would have already.
Now, whenever I’m planning a big trip, I always make sure to look for credit card deals. Of course, credit cards aren’t a be-all-end-all solution for large payments, and they need to be used responsibly. However, taking advantage of these promo offers is a great way to save big money on your trip to Disney World! In this guide, I’m going to explain just how I did it so you can fly to Disney World for free.
Capital One Venture Card Intro Offer
Let’s talk about what you get if you sign up for the Capital One Venture card. First, it’s a great card overall. I’ve used mine for over a year and it’s become my favorite card. There are so many perks:
- Earn 2x miles per dollar on every purchase, every day
- Earn 10x miles on qualified hotels
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $3,000 within the first 3 months
- Free TSA PreCheck and Global Entry
- No annual fee for the first year
While all of these are great perks, the real thing to look for is the 50,000 bonus miles! That’s your free flight right there. Plus, you get free TSA PreCheck which has made airports such a stress-free experience.
Click here to see if you qualify for the Capital One Venture Card!
This is my referral link as a current Capital One customer. If you sign up using my link, I might be eligible for a small bonus at no extra cost to you. I only support products and brands I personally use and love!
How Do You Qualify For Free Miles?
As you can see, the free miles aren’t just for signing up. You have to qualify by spending $3,000 within the first 3 months. At first, this really intimidated me. It’s just me and my partner, and we try to live a pretty budget lifestyle.
I had to make some shifts to my budget, but we reached that goal pretty easily. The 3 months is pretty long if you think about how many expenses you have on a regular basis!
I would not recommend buying anything you wouldn’t usually purchase. Credit card debt is a real thing, and it’s not what you want out of your Disney World vacation. If possible, try to only make scheduled purchases on your new credit card. Here are my recommendations that worked for us:
- Pay your rent or mortgage payment (this got us there really quick!)
- Pay your utilities
- Use the card for gas, groceries, and other regular expenses
- Pay for your Disney World hotels and tickets
- And, of course, your flight tickets
We made sure to pay everything off each month, and it was a very stress-free process. We reached the $3,000 faster than we thought we would, and those 50,000 miles feel like such an accomplishment.
Get a Good Flight Deal
To make the most of those miles, make sure you’re getting a good flight deal. You can search on several travel flights like Expedia, Kayak, and Skyscanner. One of my favorite ways to search, especially if you’re flexible with your dates, is to use Google Flights.
Google Flight’s search feature lets you see the prices as they rise and fall throughout the year. You might be able to save hundreds of dollars just by flying on a Monday, for example.
Below, see how the price for a flight from Boston to Orlando changes throughout the summer. It’s an easy way to save!
Extra Tips to Save on Flights
There are a lot of hidden ways to save big on flights that you might not know about. While they might not enable you to fly to Disney World for free, they’re a great way to keep the cost down.
- Don’t check a bag – I get that this might not be an option for larger families, but we always try to avoid checking a bag when we fly. If you have kids, they can each bring their own carry on which might be enough depending on how long your trip is for. If you must check a bag, try to only check one per group.
- Scott’s Cheap Flights – This is a free (or paid for a small fee depending on your plan) service that emails you the best flight deals as soon as they’re available. Sometime’s there are “accidental” deals that only last a limited time! Sign up here.
- Browse in Private Mode – Make sure your search is turned to “private” when researching airline travel. Those websites will remember you searched earlier and they might raise prices the next time you check!
- Beware Budget Airlines – Budget airlines can be a great choice, but always, always, always read the fine print. For example, Spirit Airlines charges a fee if you don’t print your ticket before you get to the airport. Knowing what to expect will make sure you don’t have any surprises.
- Book Early – It goes without saying that the earlier the book, the more you save.
Travel to Disney World for Free
It surprised me to learn just how easy it is to travel for free! While this plan might not be the perfect fit for everyone, it’s a great way to use travel points to your advantage.
Traveling with points really helps take the stress out of travel. Getting a flight for free makes going to Disney World much more affordable. It’s time to start saving so you can spend more on the things that matter to you — like Mickey ice cream!
