Whether you're a casual Disney fan or a superfan, I'm guessing you maybe heard, and didn't care much, that Marriott had purchased Starwood a little while back. This mattered for Disney fans at the time only insofar as Starwood owns the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, but otherwise it wasn't too significant. Well that just changed.
Something tells me we'll be planing a stay at the Swan and Dolphin real soon.
We're Getting New Marriott Credit Cards
Per a December 5 press release:
Marriott International (NASDAQ: MAR) today announced it reached new agreements with JPMorgan Chase and American Express for its U.S.-issued, co-brand credit cards associated with its loyalty programs.
Currently, only Chase issues cards for Marriott brands (except Starwood, which has cards exclusively from American Express). From the sounds of the press release, we're getting not only new American Express Marriott card(s), but also new Chase cards.
Not excited yet? Keep reading!
New Cards Mean New Signup Bonuses
New cards mean new signup bonuses. And new cards usually come with great signup bonuses because issuers want to get their new products into the hands of as many people as possible. When the Chase Sapphire Reserve launched last year, it had a 100,000 point bonus. That bonus is at a minimum worth $1,500 when redeemed on travel, but it's easy to get over $10,000 of value from it.
We can expect the new cards for Chase and American Express to come with signup bonuses, hopefully in the form of Marriott points because...
Marriott Points Can Be Used to Stay at the Swan and Dolphin
Marriott points can be transferred into Starwood points, and Starwood points can be redeemed for stays at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin.
When these cards are issued, Chase and American Express are going to set lucrative bonuses. Bonuses that can be used to stay at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. We will absolutely be looking into these cards and discussing them when they're announced. For now, we'll just have to contain our excitement!