How to Use Cashback Apps to Save for Your Disney World Vacation
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A Disney World vacation is magical—but it isn’t cheap. Park tickets, resort stays, food, and souvenirs can quickly rack up to thousands of dollars. The good news? You can turn everyday purchases into Disney money with the help of cashback apps.
And no, this isn’t a credit card pitch or some complex travel hacking scheme. These are free tools—apps and browser extensions—that reward you with real money (or points) for doing the shopping you already do. We’re talking about TopCashback, Rakuten, Pepper, Capital One Shopping and UpSide.
TopCashback – Two Smart Ways to Earn for Disney
TopCashback is one of the most powerful cashback tools available—and it offers two distinct ways to earn toward your Disney World vacation:
Method 1: Shop Through Retailer Links
When you visit a store like CVS, Home Depot, or Walmart through a link on the TopCashback site or app, you can earn a percentage of your purchase as cash back.
- Shop as you normally would—no gift cards needed
- Cashback is tracked and credited once your purchase is confirmed
- Works for thousands of retailers
Pro Tip: Some retailers don’t award cashback if you pay using a gift card. Always check the store’s terms and exclusions before you buy. You’ll find these listed right on the retailer’s page within TopCashback.
Method 2: Buy Gift Cards Through TopGiftCards
TopCashback also offers a section called TopGiftCards, where you can purchase digital gift cards and earn cash back on the card value itself.
- Great for stores you regularly shop at (e.g., Target, Petco, Disney)
- Earn cashback instantly when you purchase the gift card—not when you spend it
- Disney gift cards are often available here and typically earn around 5.67% cashback
Example:
Buy a $100 Disney gift card, get $5.67 back, and use it for tickets, hotel stays, or merchandise at Walt Disney World.
🎯 Quick Picks:
- Rakuten: Best for everyday shopping + earning Amex points
- TopCashback: Best for Disney gift cards, Undercover Tourist, Hotels.com & more
👉 Use both for different purchases to maximize your total Disney savings!
Real-Life Use:
I bought dog food for $119.75 and paid with a Petco gift card I bought through TopCashback. I earned $13.80 in cashback just from that one transaction. I let these earnings accumulate and use them toward Disney hotels, park tickets, or even more Disney gift cards.
Recently TopCashBack was offering 16% cash back on CVS online purchases, we stocked up on allergy meds, vitamins and first aid gear.
Bonus When You Redeem Your Cash back
When you’re ready to withdraw your cash back, TopCashback offers bonuses for choosing gift card payouts instead of direct deposit or PayPal:
- Get a 4% bonus when you redeem your cashback for Disney gift cards
- Get a 5% bonus when you redeem for a virtual Visa card
Final Tip: Stack Smart
To maximize earnings:
- Shop through retailer links when paying with a credit card.
- Buy gift cards through TopCashback when you know you’ll spend the full value.
- Redeem cashback for bonus gift cards to stretch your Disney dollars even further.
- Credit Card Bonus Categories – if you can stack the cash back earned in the TopCashBack app with a bonus point category on your credit card… that is extra earnings all around.
Use our TopCashback referral code here
Rakuten – Turn Purchases into Amex Points for Disney
If you’re a savvy shopper, you’ve probably heard of Rakuten, the online portal that pays you for shopping through its links. But here’s a trick most people miss: you can earn American Express Membership Rewards (MR) points instead of cashback—if your Rakuten account is linked to an Amex card.
Why It Matters:
Amex MR points are incredibly versatile for travel:
- Use them in the Amex Travel Portal.
- Transfer to airline or hotel partners like Delta, Hilton, or Marriott.
- Buy Disney tickets through third-party sellers like Expedia, Orbitz, or Undercover Tourist.
So instead of just getting 2–5% cashback, you can earn rewards that are worth more when redeemed strategically.
Smart Shopping with Rakuten:
Say you shop through Rakuten at stores like Best Buy, Target, or Sephora. If you opt for MR points, those purchases now help fund flights, hotels, or theme park tickets—no extra effort required. Rakuten offers some in store purchases to be automatically linked to your Rakuten account if you use a credit card linked to your account.
Cashback Stacking with Rakuten
At times, my local supermarket is an in store 2% cash back for Rakuten. I always use a co-branded card that also offers bonus points for grocery stores (such as Amex Hilton Surpass or Amex Marriott Bevy) which means I’m getting 2% Rakuten points and bonus Hilton or Marriott points for my grocery purchases.
Another great way to stack cash back in this opportunity is to stock up on gift cards at the supermarket for vendors that are not usually available in cashback apps or bonus categories on credit cards (IE Amazon). I always buy Amazon gift cards while at the supermarket for extra Hilton or Marriott points, and a great stacking opportunity when I also get 2% Rakuten cash back for that purchase.
Use our Rakuten referral code here to get $40 cash back!
Pepper – Redeem Cashback as Travel Gift Cards
Pepper is a cashback app that rewards you in gift cards—and it’s great for travel hacking. Here’s how it works: you buy gift cards for stores or services you’re already planning to use, earn cashback, and then redeem that cashback as more gift cards, including for travel.
Example:
For our last Disney trip, I booked a car rental through Hopper. I used gift cards for Hopper.com that I got with cashback rewards on Pepper—basically reducing our rental cost without using any cash out of pocket.
It’s a smart way to turn purchases for groceries, gas, or clothing into real travel savings. Gift card options include travel sites, airfare providers, rideshare, and more.
Cashback Stacking with Pepper
Pepper posts to American Express business cards as an electronic goods retailers, allowing it to be a 4x category if you have a business Gold card.
Use our Pepper referral code: 622198 and get $20 cash back after spending $200
Capital One Shopping – Automatic Discounts + Rewards
Capital One Shopping is different from the others. It doesn’t just offer cashback—it actively finds the best discount codes and rewards you for using its browser extension. It’s one of the easiest ways to save on things you were buying anyway.
Benefits of Capital One Shopping:
- Auto-applies promo codes at checkout for sites like Target, Kohl’s, and Disney partner brands.
- Compares prices across retailers to help you find the cheapest option.
- Earns “Capital One Shopping Credits” that can be redeemed for gift cards—including ones you can use for travel.
Capital One Shopping Browser Extension = Bonus Power:
The real strength is in the browser extension. As you shop online, it runs in the background checking for coupons, better prices, and cash-back offers. Sometimes, it finds stackable deals, which means you get both a discount and a reward.
Example of Capital One Shipping Savings:
Let’s say you’re buying matching family T-shirts for your Disney trip. Capital One Shopping finds a 15% off code, applies it automatically, and gives you 6% back in rewards that you later redeem for a gift card to use on park tickets.
Bonus: You don’t need a Capital One credit card to use it—it’s open to everyone.
UpSide – Cashback for Gas and Restaurants You Already Use
UpSide is a newer cashback app that only has 2 categories gas and restaurants. Luckily, we tend to spend a lot in both categories and have cobranded cards with bonus categories in both to allow for easy stacking.
Why UpSide is Worth Using:
- Get cashback at major gas stations and chain restaurants (add cards that have bonus categories for gas and restaurants.)
- Works with linked credit cards—but be sure to activate the claim in the Upside app prior to purchasing. If you don’t claim the cash back first, it won’t register.
- Cashback adds up fast for families constantly on the go.
Stacking Cashback with Upstart:
We linked our Amex Hilton Honors Surpass card to Upside, and within a month had $18.22 in cashback from filling up. So we get bonus Hilton Honors points for using our American Express Surpass for gas, and cash back from Upstart.
Best Uses of Upstart:
Stack UpSide earnings with rewards from your credit card and other cashback tools to double-dip on meals and fuel.
Use our UpSide referral code here: DANIELLE323328 and get an extra 15¢/gal bonus on your first purchase.
Your Disney Trip Just Got Cheaper
You don’t need to be a financial wizard to save money on a Disney vacation. You just need to be intentional. Cash back apps likely won’t pay for your entire Disney World trip, but they can easily fill in the gaps (like us with the car rental). Let’s say you use Hilton or Marriott rewards to cover your hotel stay, but need some extra points or cash to cover airfare or park tickets. Cash back rewards are a great way to fill in those gaps.
By using cashback apps like TopCashback, Rakuten, Pepper, Capital One Shopping, and UpSide you can turn regular purchases—dog food, school supplies, birthday gifts—into money you use for park tickets, car rentals, resorts, meals, and souvenirs at Disney World.
Your Action Plan for Cashback Savings:
- Sign up for all 5 apps using our referral codes.
- Install the browser extensions where available (especially for Rakuten and Capital One Shopping).
- Start doing your regular shopping through these platforms.
- Redeem cash back for Disney gift cards, third-party ticket sites, or travel services.
- Watch your savings grow, and plan that Disney trip with less out-of-pocket spending.
Referral Links:
- TopCashback
- Rakuten
- Pepper: referral code 622198 and get $20 cash back after spending $200
- UpSide: DANIELLE323328 and get an extra 15¢/gal bonus on your first purchase.
Plan Your Disney Vacation with Points—Without the Stress
Skip the hours of research and use the exact system we follow to book Disney trips for nearly free.
- Real trip examples
- 24/7 Disney planning chatbot
- Smart strategies to stack points, cashback & discounts
- Bonus: Plug-and-play templates & guides
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I’m a CPA, mom of two, and the creator of Points to Magic. I help people use points to save thousands of dollars on Disney vacations.
