Accommodations may include balconies or offer views of the fireworks each night. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member only. Citi ThankYou points are transferrable to airline partners and are currently valued by TPG at 1.7 cents each, giving you a return of 3.4 to 5.1 cents in rewards in categories where you earn 2 - 3 points per dollar spent. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Tucked into a back corner of Disneys Polynesian Village Resort, this lounge is a little crazy and a lot of fun. Photo Credit: Courtesy of American Express American Express ranked No. One thing that is not always on the menu here that would throw it over the top in terms of favorite lounges is the grapefruit cake, but ask your server if its possible to get it when youre there. Heres what you should know about the change in guest policies at Centurion Lounges effective today. She now heads up a variety of special projects at TPG when she isn't exploring the world with her own two girls. Tropical landscaping and classic architecture create a stunning landmark at this lively locale. We strive to keep our information accurate and up-to-date, but some information may not be current. Jungle Cruise fans will remember Trader Sam from his days as the head salesman in the jungle, but you gotta love his side hustle. The rates for the Dolphin start at 10,000 Starwood pointsper night, while the Swan starts slightly higher at 12,000 Starwood points per night. We'll run a soft credit check to find special offers, but it wont affect your credit score. See membershiprewards.com/terms for the Membership Rewards program terms and conditions. 3. Disney Food Blog does not claim to represent the Walt Disney Company in any way and is not employed by or affiliated with The Walt Disney Company. Required fields are marked *. Make the Brown Derbys grapefruit cake at home! OPEN NOW. Because AMEX Membership Rewards points are so valuable, its important to make the most of them when you book travel. If you want to linger a bit longer, though, try to avoid popping in for a nightcap on your way out of EPCOT or in the midst of a rainstorm. This means there are easily billions of dollars spent annually on theme park tickets alone, not to mention all the other related costs. This tough ratio can make it hard to get great value using your AMEX Membership Rewards points this way, but youll occasionally find Starwood hotels that make it worth it. When Epcot opened in 1982, the eight Future World pavilions were sponsored by large companies. Kraft sponsored The Land, Kodak sponsored the Imagination pavilion, and The Seas, sponsored by United Technologies, featured one of the most elaborate lounges with an acrylic grand piano and floor-to-ceiling glass looking into a huge aquarium. The lounge is one of the most impressive on property, due to it's floor to ceiling windows looking into the underwater world of the Living Seas aquarium. 5:00am - 12:00am . These Are the Best. The real Caribbean flavors, though, are in the food. Learn More About Cruise Offerings and Plan Your Trip Today. MADE IN ENGLAND. For official Disney information, visit Disney directly. How to access American Express lounge benefits. And because this is the Grand Floridian, you wont find pub grub here. What is in these lounges? When you order through my link, it helps me to continue to offer you free stuff. Hippopotomai-Tai at Trader Sams Grog Grotto. You can receive special benefits by booking experiences through AmericanExpressTravel with your eligible American Express Card. Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card: $450 annual fee. This page may include: credit card ads that we may be paid for (advertiser listing); and general information about credit card products (editorial content). :wave: The lounge at the American Adventure was for AmEx employees and their guests. We want you to be aware that certain suppliers pay us commissions and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals, and may also provide incentives to our travel counselors. Any portion of a charge that you elect to cover through redemption of Membership Rewards points is not eligible to receive points. Weve Eaten at Every Disney Springs Restaurant. Marriott has a large number of hotels around Disneyland, but youll get less value per point than at Walt Disney World. The DFB Guide to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-Book Now Available! Learn more. Ask a worker where it is if you can't find it. Thats actually better than booking air travel and paying with points! Latest Walt Disney World News Coming Soon Remy's Ratatouille Adventure - Late 2020 Epcot Space Restaurant - 2020 TRON Coaster . The menu is loaded with southern specialties like Bayou Wings, an Oyster Beignet PoBoy, and the boozed-up Baton Rouge Beignets. Hilton claims their nightly rates will not exceed the former rates, and they offer a handy tool for checking what those rates were. Theres also a tilt-table style game called Hover-Race. Children younger than 13 cant be added as authorized users, so this is a noticeable devaluation for families who must shell out $30 to bring each kid into the lounges some of which have dedicated family rooms. Tutto Gusto has a wine list of over 200 Italian wines, and to accompany your wine selection, there is a menu of Italian favorites that are truly delizioso. Find Out More. The Mandara Spa is a Balineseinspired oasis, with a full menu of body therapies, massages, facials, and beauty treatments. With the3:1 transfer ratio, youd need 120,000 AMEX points for this redemption. Set in Disneys Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, The Enchanted Rose Lounge serves up sips and snacks in a space reminiscent of that tale as old as time, Beauty and the Beast. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. El Diablo Margarita at La Cava del Tequila. Truly memorable is the wine flight, so dont miss that if you go! The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. If you don't want to overthink things, this card is a really good bet. When you click on that hyperlink or button, you may be directed to the credit card issuers website where you can review the terms and conditions for your selected offer. But you wont get consistent good value when you transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to hotel partners. Find the right card for you. Boasting a lineup of over 200 Tequilas, this small but mighty location will entice even the most critical cocktail connoisseur with a collection of creatively magnificent margaritas. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is the world's most popular theme park -- and it's also one of the most complex when it comes to maximizing dollars spent with the best credit card. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips. I'm also afraid that The Land's VIP lounge, which was for a time used for an Annual Passholder lounge, is no longer used for that purpose. Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. AMERICAN EXPRESS LOUNGE - 16 Photos & 22 Reviews - 42 Sunset Blvd, Orlando, FL - Yelp Restaurants Auto Services American Express Lounge 22 reviews Unclaimed $ Lounges Edit Closed 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM See hours See all 16 photos Write a review Add photo Location & Hours 42 Sunset Blvd Orlando, FL 32819 Dr. Phillips, Horizons West / West Orlando In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. At low season, rates at the Dolphin will be ~$140 per night, so youll only be getting a value of less than 0.5 cents per point. Sign up for our free daily newsletter! Siemens took over sponsorship of Spaceship Earth from AT&T (formerly Bell System) in 2005. In the lounge, youll also see some fun technology like a touch screen that displays park info and wait times and allows you to change the color of the floor leading to the meeting space. We can help! How do I Redeem Membership Rewards Points? This allows you to pay for some of your stay with cash and some with points. To bring guests into the lounge with you, youll need to pay a per-visit fee or spend heavily on your card to earn guest privileges. This is obviously less than the 1 cent you get by booking air travel through the portal (and way less than some international business class flight redemptions), but it will sometimes be the best value you can get using AMEX Membership Rewards points to book hotels. Sorry! I dunno about the AE lounge but the sponser lounges (GM at Test Track, HP at Mission Space, etc.) You wont want to miss some of the out-of-this-world snacks and drink options when you are visiting Disney Star Wars Galaxys Edge. Since theme park tickets most commonly code as either travel or entertainment, your safest bet when deciding which credit card to use is one that awards a bonus on both categories if you have one. To qualify for complimentary guest privileges, you must spend $75,000 on your Amex Platinum or Amex Business Platinum Card each calendar year. If you think youve seen everything there is to see of Spaceship Earth, youre wrong! The one piece of Disney World advice you want to take when you get here is this look up. Create your own Sangria. All rights reserved. If you look to your left, youll see a sweeping entryway, which leads to the door for this lounge. 2023 The Disney Food Blog. *Value of Rewards based on TPG valuations and not provided by the issuer. Many, but not all, of the offers and clickable hyperlinks (such as a Next button) that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. Marriott and Starwoods 5th night free programs are available to anyone booking with hotel points. Hilton has a variety of hotels on or near Walt Disney World property. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. Was wondering if there is a lounge associated with LeCellier? We have some Disney Springs must-dos for you right HERE! You can share the Kaikane s Barbecue Ribs since they give you a decently sized portion. Heres our full advertising policy: How we make money. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. If you think your theme park tickets will code as travel -- and that's likely when buying from a travel agent, or if they are bundled with lodging or charged to a hotel room -- here are the best cards to use for those expenses. I had a chance to speak with the woman who held the post when AmEx's sponsorship ended. Disclosure Policy The lounge features seasonal specialty cocktails, martini and margarita flights, and a full complement of wine and beer. However, if you purchase park tickets from a travel agency (such as Undercover Tourist), charge them to your hotel room or include them as part of a larger vacation package, the odds are high that the purchase will code as travel. Pretty sure there is no Amex, they don't partner with them, they partner with Chase. Learn more. Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830 United States. The Hollywood Brown Derby is a perennial favorite at Disneys Hollywood Studios, but just in case you havent been able to score a table, the Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge is the perfect backup plan. These changes affect cardmembers with The Platinum Card from American Express and The Business Platinum Card from American Express. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Plaza Premium lounges. In most cases youll get more value from transferring AMEX Membership Rewards points to airline partners than to hotel partners. The menu takes your average bar food and makes it both elegant and enticing. Making Advance Dining Reservations at Disney Restaurants There are 2 ways to book hotels with AMEX Membership Rewards points. To book flights on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines. No parts of this site are to be reproduced without permission. Delta Sky Club lounges. They have a visa lounge at Epcot during food and wine that's it. The new Centurion Lounge guesting policy comes as Amex is working hard to expand and renovate its existing network of outposts. Both lounges limit six people per card and you must purchase tickets directly from Universal Studios. Ordering a Cake in Disney World I thought they had one below the DVC Lounge.. (Above Imageworks) But Maybe I'm Wrong. Starwood operates 2resorts on Walt Disney World property, the Walt Disney World Swan and the Walt Disney World Dolphin. Starwood operates 3 hotels very close to Disneyland. Related: Amex adds live capacity indicators for Centurion Lounges. We are all about the food here at DFB, and nothing goes better with food than a yummy cocktail and some awesome atmosphere. Transferring AMEX Membership Rewards points to airline partners is often a great option for flights to Disney. All users of our online services subject to Privacy Statement and agree to be bound by Terms of Service. Disneyland Restaurants, Menus, and DINING REVIEWS Where did your favorite Disney moderate resort rank in our poll? Youll notice that we take ALL of the opportunities to talk about La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT, but we promise, its with good reason. Theres a large window that overlooks the brake testing section of the attraction and two design-your-own-vehicle stations. Full list of Disney Dining FAQ Pages, Staff & Regular Contributors Check out our Disney Recipes American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., when acting solely as a sales agent for travel suppliers, is not responsible for the actions or inactions of such suppliers. A lounge based on a love story? So Ive asked them to share their tips on booking trips toWalt Disney World and Disneyland using AMEX Membership Rewards points. The American Express Global Lounge Collection includes several lounge products like the Centurion Lounges and Escape Lounges but also airline-operated lounges, like Delta Sky Clubs. Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Note that this card has a $695 annual fee. Check out the Sangria Flight at Three Bridges Bar and Grill. Plus, expansions are also underway in Seattle (SEA). This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Jocks has become known for holiday specialties, so you want to look for seasonal menu items and festive decor. Both lounges limit six people per card and you must purchase tickets directly from Universal Studios. The compensation we receive and other factors, such as your location, may impact what ads and links appear on our site, and how, where, and in what order ads and links appear. SAVE MONEY WITH BUNDLES View the current offers here. PDV bookings must be made using the eligible Card and eligible Card Member must be traveling on the itinerary booked. Terms of Service California CST#1022318, Washington UBI#600-469-694, Iowa TA#669. AMEX Membership Rewards points transfer to Starwood points at a 3:1 ratio. If you enjoy visiting American Express Centurion Lounges, this is your reminder that there's now a cost for bringing guests into the lounge with you from today. I'm afraid that I don't know what the original requirements for entry were, but American Express no longer sponsors The American Adventure, so the former lounge is now mainly used for private and cast functions. Find the right experience for your trip, budget, or travel style. Caribbean flavors abound at this outside, waterfront lounge, and you can sample a Jamaican Frozen Runner and a Caribbean Mai Tai if luscious libations are what youre after. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Weve got the recipe! While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, our site does not include information about every product or service that may be available to you. Theres jerk chicken and a bright, fresh Sebastians Salad with Grilled Shrimp, so put yourself on island time and stay awhile. Using Pay with Points, the best rate is 208,195 AMEX Membership rewards points. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Ken and his wife Emily write about using points and miles (and saving money) on Disney trips at Mousehacking.com. There's no one best credit card for theme parks, but there are some solid options depending on where you want to go and how you are purchasing your tickets. Disneyland is starting to reopen to those who purchase $75 tickets, theme park tickets will code as entertainment purchases, Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card, Why you might want to use a Disney Vacation Planner. You know how we love a good cheese option on a menu, and Territory Lounge offers up a Chardonnay fondue, a slightly boozy, super creamy snack option that comes served with practically perfect pretzel bread. Savor fresh seafood at Todd English's bluezoo, authentic Japanese fare at Kimonos, or Italian at Il Mulino New York Trattoria. document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); American Express. These are the best restaurants at Disney World, Citi Prestige Card, it earns 5x at travel agencies, The Blue Business Plus Credit Card from American Express, use points for your tickets and save your cash, isn't the most rewarding card for most things Disney, How much does a trip to Disney World cost, Use points to save money at Universal Orlando, Southern California's 10 best theme parks, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 3% back if entertainment is the top spending category that month, 3x points (including flights, hotels, transit, taxis, tours, and ridesharing services), 1 cent each (more with BOA Premium Rewards), 1 - 2 cents each (2 cents each if you also have a, 2x on the first $50,000 spent on purchases each calendar year; then 1x, 2% (2x) - 1% when you buy and 1% as you pay. is a senior reporter at TPG. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. Theme park tickets are not generally a clearly spelled-out credit card bonus category in the same manner as gas or grocery stores. For more information visit membershiprewards.com/terms. Top of the World Lounge-A Villains Lair @ Disney's Bay Lake Tower; If you've ever stayed at Disney's Bay Lake Tower next to the Contemporary Resort, you may have seen exciting things happening at the . As you enter the discreet door, the first area you see is a foyer where guests enter a pin or press the call button. Unfortunately, this card is discontinuing its previous earning structure for current cardholders on April 9, 2021. A great tip is to go earlier in the evening to avoid the fireworks rush, because as long as you return with your receipt, you can still access the observation area to watch the fireworks. Breeze through security with CLEAR lanes available at 100+ airports, stadiums, and entertainment venues and get up to $189 back per calendar year on your membership when you use your Card. Of course, this hasn't been a normal year. This favorite, located at Disneys Yacht Club Resort, is just a cozy little lounge, but the menu features some of the most amazing food from the adjacent Yachtsman Steak House. We also include editorial content to educate consumers about financial products and services. Back-to-back stays booked by a single Card Member, Card Members staying in the same room or Card Members traveling in the same party within a 24-hour period at the same property are considered one stay and are ineligible for additional THC benefits ("Prohibited Action"). Plus, it will often be better to book a hotel through the AMEX Travel Portal than to transfer points to that hotels chain. And occasionally AMEX has transfer bonuses, so check your account for current offers. A Red Ventures Company. transfer American Express Membership Rewards points to 3 hotel chains, you can convert Starwood points to Marriott points at a, sometimes be able to get great value from your points, Walt Disney World Swan and the Walt Disney World Dolphin, Sheraton Park Hotel At The Anaheim Resort, Sheraton Garden Grove Anaheim South Hotel, Residence Inn at Anaheim Resort/Convention Center, Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs Area, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando Disney Springs Area, Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista / Orlando, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort Convention Center, Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim-Main Gate Area, Best Hilton credit cards: Improved weekend night certificates, earning rates and more. It's hidden on the West side of Shrek (Mummy side). Not all partners offer Platinum Destinations Vacations. Bonuses you may receive with your Card on other purchase categories or in connection with promotions or offers from American Express may not be combined with this offer, such as 5X bonuses for Platinum and Business Platinum Card Members. The Walt Disney World Dolphin Has a Great Location, and a 5-Night Award Stay Costs 24,000 AMEX Membership Rewards Points per Night! The best credit card to use for theme park ticket purchases depends heavily on how the purchase will code on your credit card. The cocktail menu features the timeless classics well made, like an Old Fashioned, but the food really shines here. See membershiprewards.com/terms for the Membership Rewards program terms and conditions. The menu takes your average bar food and makes it both elegant and enticing. Food at Tutto Gusto features Italian flavors such as Petto di Pollo, comfort food made with a creamy, cheesy sauce over pasta with grilled chicken. The information for the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card and the Venmo credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. After journeying through Africa and Asia and parts unknown, settle into this travel-themed lounge for a Green Shimmering Margarita and a Togarashi-spiced Tuna Nomad Bowl. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. And the advertised offers may be subject to additional terms and conditions of the advertiser. Experience a world of enchantment at Walt Disney World Dolphin, with magical touches of whimsy at every corner. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Have you ever visited an Epcot VIP Lounge? We're taking you through ALL the food in Disney's Hollywood Studios! Have you overlooked THIS Walt Disney World steakhouse? Although things can change, here are some TPG data points on how theme park ticket purchases have coded in the past: Related: These are the best restaurants at Disney World. Benefits cannot be redeemed for cash and are not combinable with other offers unless indicated. At TPG, we want you to get the best deal on theme park tickets and use the right credit card to earn as many rewards as possible. There is a huge plus to the California Grill Lounge. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings, which requires a minimum two-night stay, through American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card. You must log in or register to reply here. Lets take a look at these hidden treasures. American AdventureBackstage Magic TourCast MembersEPCOTEPCOT Flower And Garden FestivalEPCOT International Food And Wine FestivalFastpassFuture WorldImagination!MagicBandMission: SpaceMission:SpaceNightclubs & LoungesSpaceship EarthTest TrackThe American AdventureThe LandThe SeasToursWorld Showcase. When you return to the lounge, check out the conference room, which has floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Test Track entrance, the external acceleration test area, and Spaceship Earth as well as the Imagination Pavilion and The Land. Certain suppliers pay us commission and other incentives for reaching sales targets or other goals and may provide incentives to our travel counselors. There's a NEW Magic Kingdom park map with a big change! Here's why. If you want to be extra sure, price your tickets from Undercover Tourist as they have always coded as travel for me. Even if you earn fewer points, that might be a worthy trade-off to keep money in your pockets. *, With Platinum Destinations Vacations, get one extra Membership Rewards point for every eligible dollar you spend on a qualifying vacation package.1. Disney World Restaurant Search Tool Youll find this lounge tucked behind the great fireplace at Disneys Wilderness Lodge. Check out the big expansion planned for Disneys Polynesian Village Resort! So, your actual offer terms from an advertiser may be different than the offer terms on this site. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. You get the sameamazing fireworks view. Does Disney have an Amex lounge (or any lounge for certain card holders) like Universal does? When you enter Mission: Space, you usually turn right into the attraction where a Cast Member asks you whether you want to ride the Green Team or Orange Team version. I believe you can't get into the GM lounge unless one of you is a GM employee. You can get a minimum of ~0.7 cents per point when you pay with points. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Youll want to keep this in mind to avoid usingyour AMEX Membership Rewards points now on a hotel stay if you could get much better value out of them in the future. But one of the real draws of this bar is the location. Benefits for AmEx lounges include much more than Centurion Lounges. Here are some Disney World-specific credit card tips: The information for the Disney Visa card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. California CST#1022318; Washington UBI#600-469-694; Iowa TA#669. A Definitive Ranking of EVERY Disney World Hotel! Is this All You Can Eat meal worth the trek? 2. Click here to see the big way 5 EPCOT lounges have changed. The lounge area itself is bright and modern with shades of blue accentuated with geometric shapes. TPGs March 2023 monthly valuations, Cruise giant Carnival goes Texas-size big with new sailings from Galveston. While the average ticket price varies dramatically from park to park, per person tickets often top $100 per day in some locations. Here are three of the better options: Youre only getting between 0.5 and 0.7 cents per point booking these with AMEX points transferred to Marriott, so youll usually be better off booking through the AMEX Travel Portal. 1. When purchasing park tickets directly from the park itself, it's most likely the charge will code as an entertainment purchase on your card. Weve Eaten at Every EPCOT Restaurant. It's fantastic to see any restaurant on Disney World property offering any type of discount. That means for every 1,000 AMEX Membership Reward points you transfer, youll get 333 Starwood points. Post all SW questions concerns, etc. Before you decide which credit card to use for your theme park tickets, be sure and check for any Amex Offers that might save you money. WDWMAGIC.COM is an unoffical Walt Disney World fan site and is in no way part of The Walt Disney Company. To support our work, we are paid for providing advertising services. Those same Card Members will also get at least 1 additional point for each dollar of eligible travel purchases made on amextravel.com on their Membership Rewards program-enrolled American Express Card. Unfortunately, that is admittedly rare. Additional Amex perks include 10% off merchandise purchases of $75+, 10% off . Authorized users aren't subject to the $50-per-visit guest fee. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Extra points will be credited to the Card Members Membership Rewards account within 8-12 weeks after completion of the PDV travel. The card also provides 2% cash back in the eligible category you spend the second most in that month, making it a pretty solid option for when you take a big theme park trip. There is currently no corporate sponsor for the Seas, leaving the lounge to be used only for Disney special events and as a venue for Disney Weddings. Find out where you'll find the Can't decide where to eat in Magic Kingdom? are just for the employees of the sponser companies. With the 3:1 transfer ratio, youll have to transfer30,000 or 36,000 AMEX Membership Rewards points per night booking these resorts. Having fun at a theme park is pretty easy, but finding the best deals and maximizing the benefit of your expenses are more nuanced tasks. JavaScript is disabled. Here are the BEST Read this before hitting the parks with your MagicBand+! $155 Walmart+ Credit: Cover the cost of a $12.95 monthly Walmart+ membership with a statement credit after you pay for Walmart+ each month with your Platinum Card. Inside Test Tracks gift shop, theres a door that leads to a long hallway featuring concept art of the reimagining of then Wonders of Motion in 1998. Find all of our DFB E-Books and Check out the secret bathrooms of Disney World! If anyone on our team wouldnt recommend it to a friend or a family member, we wouldnt recommend it on The Points Guy either. If you can peel your eyes away from the beautiful views, you might notice that all of the furniture is white.