Parks With Points

Monthly Credit Card Update I keep thinking some day I will get a Balance Transfer offer that's worth it but... Na Today prepping for my monthly report-out I looked into my Citi Custom Cash, my new card and quick look says not bad, 0% for 15 months - I'm in....  BUT Sadly fine print is a 5% fee to move the money and if I slip up - BLAM 17% Bottom line, It's not worth 5% for the risk Every time I look at something like this I fine it's not worth the risk if a screw something up - How about you? Fine something that works for a balance transfer? Sound off in the comments....

Crazy Quick Trip?  Summary: I'm taking Amtrak up but once I'm already downtown can I leave after work and make it to Six Flags for dinner and some rides? This way I can still work a bit on the train and don't have to worry about traffic. Plus, I don't usually have my car with me in Chicago. There: Looks like if your near Union Station down town Chicago you can use google maps to find the route. For this test I would take Train UP-N , Ogilvie Transportation Center to Waukegan, 4:00 - 5:07 PM then Bus 565 , Sheridan Rd & Washington St to Grand Ave & Lawson Blvd/Six Flags Pkwy, 5:17 - 5:39 PM  Back: To get me back around 10:30 I would need to catch Bus565 , Grand Ave & Six Flags Pkwy/Lawson Blvd to Waukegan Metra Station, 8:39 PM - 9:01 PM then Train UP-N , Waukegan to Ogilvie Transportation Center, 9:05 PM - 10:23 PM I downloaded the Ventra app and it looks like I can use the phone to get on/off everything.

Lets Plan After a review like this at a park so close I have to plan a trip: Trip Outline: I'm thinking... Ext Weekend, Pick up Safari Land on the way to Six Flag Great America (Chicago, IL) Tentatively we will be up end of July so I need to look up hours and see how this would go. Have you been or know of a deal? Let me know or sound off in the comments. Anchor Airports: Chicago, IL (United Hub)

ASTC Travel Passport We usually swap memberships to different local Museum/Zoo so each year we get at least 1 family memberships for Christmas. Much like Credit cards, if you are intentional on what membership benefits you get it's always worth it. So, each year I put the places I might go on a list and when I'm in the area I make sure I go For the Chicago Field Museum we got 2 adults and 2 kids just by showing my card - SCORE * Exclusions: almost all the program have a 90 mile (or some home residence) exclusions Tips and Observations: Parking at Solder field North, about $5 cheaper Give yourself extra time to walk the lake Parks nearby:  Six Flags Great America Navy Pier

Rakuten - Rebate like browser plug-in I have talked about 'Stacking' a few time and this is usually the primary site I leverage. There are some others but I find there is a minimum payout so like to stick with the same site if possible. You just shop from the site OR use the plugin to active the discount(s) and you can checkout with a credit card you have learned about on this site. That's it... Get this deal Example: 1) See a deal TV at Walmart.com 2) Click on 'Activate' * 3) Buy the TV *If you don't have the plug-in you can login and start from there website *

Prime Day Reminder - Grab your extra $10 if your buying something I know, not park related but you have to earn before you can burn I stacked it with M1 so I could earn the 1% Cashback on the VISA

Pretty cool to see people chipping in to make a difference in peoples lives

I know I posted at some point about M1 but I have now moved almost every to M1. I know that is a bit more than the standard points earn and burn on this site but at this point it embedded in my points process so I have to bring it up. Let me get the Texas trip recaps posted and I'll circle back

Sorry for the lack of posts during the trip but just having to much fun. We be posting all the details over the next 2 weeks and why we made any changes from the 'lets plan' posts for the Texas Road Trip and joining it with HoliWoodNights . Stay tuned for details but you're welcome to copy our map if it helps.

Chase Bonus I felt a bit guilty about posting on deals that where no longer available, here are some interesting ones since I was looking over the site this morning 5/19/2021

Well... I was buying tiers anyway This is why I check cashback, I added an oil change and split the bill across 2 Chase cards and BLAM... $100 extra I wouldn't have got had a put it on a different card and I still look to have got my standard CUR point. Oh, and I got a $100 tier rebate in the mail already....  I know, had I noticed I would have given you a heads up. Not sure what I'm talking about? I documented the process I use to off set my Amusement Park tickets at  https://www.parkswithpoints.com/cashback

One of the reasons I always stick with one chain

  I have been wanting to go to this for a while. I'm going this year - now to just figure out how... Link to the 2021 flier

May 27th-Jun 6 Texas to Holiday World Th Six Flags St Louis (10:30 - 6) - 6h 45m - F Frontier City (not sure hours yet) - 3h 30m - Sat Six Flag over Texas (or HH) - 4h 30m - Sun SeaWorld M Six Flags Fiesta  - 4h - Tu Hurricane Harbor Splashtown (11:00AM - 7:00PM) &  Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier (12pm - 9pm) 3h 30m - Tu 6/1 Six Flag over Texas (11:00AM - 6:00PM) 4h 45m - Wen/Thu jun 2 Magic Springs Hot Springs, AR (11:00AM - 6:00PM) Hot Spring National Park - 6h 15m - Fri Six Flags St Louis (10:30AM - 6:00PM) To much before we leave to make ERT Holiday World 2021?

Although I've flipped podcasts and changed my blog I've been pretty consistent with Google Maps contributions and.. Top 10% park reviews

Not a lot of points options for going to the top of the Arch. We parked in the $5 lot right next to the Old Spaghetti Factory and walked the whole park. It's all free BUT going to the top and that's a pre-buy. Get the tickets before you go as it sells out. I did a  Cash Offset to pay for the tickets. https://www.archpark.org/visit/webcams Links: https://www.nps.gov/jeff/index.htm https://www.gatewayarch.com

Summary: Another no cost trip, A quick in and out for me to get my first rides this year on the 54 inch rides. Type : #PWPDayTrip - 3/24/2021 Park: Six Flags St. Louis Costs: Park -- Season Pass w/Parking Flash Pass -- Season Pass Food -- Dining Pass only Hotel -- N/A Trip Report #LogeRideApp

Cashback Let me start by saying cash back is not usually the best use of points. That said, if you're challenging yourself, like me, to get the most out of your parks you going to end up need to fund a park season pass or an upgrade in the park. If you're new and don't have points built up save them for the airfare and hotels. That said, there are a few options that are better than others and I will try to update this as I find and use them. Offset Cashback This is more like using a reward credit to pay for something that you would have paid for anyway. Some cards call it 'wiping' and some call it 'pay yourself back' but it's all the same idea. Ticket cost $50 so you look for something to offset the $50. Quick example: Using Chase Ultimate Reward I found two qualifying items that have a 25% bonus so that would be about the same as using them for travel. In this case the ticket was 50 and a food upgrade was about the two charges her so I offset the cost o

We spent 2 days at Six Flags St Louis on our opening weekend trip. The SFSL trips are always a bit repetitive but that shows how good of a deal the 'home park' plan is. Summary Type: Extended Weekend  Park(s): Six Flags St Louis Cost Park -- Season pass  Parking -- included with pass                    FlassPass addon for Saturday --  4,344 PTS to offset  the Flashpass  Food -- dining pass only Hotel -- Hilton Hampton Inn --  16,000 Hilton Points (great deal) Transportation -- gas only

When is your home parks opening weekend?  For us is next weekend. When it comes to #ParksWithPoints and trip planning it a bit cookie cutter but I like to document them just the same. Cost We have Season Passes and the Food plan so the only costs will only be gas and maybe a food upgrade Hotel We always stay at the Hilton one exit up. This trip the night was 16,000 Hilton points so at todays bonus that would be 6 nights Can't wait to get this season going already.

I know it's the weathers fault and not Six Flags... but I was still crushed to miss SFFT and SFOT. So, what do you do when you check into your flight then find out the event you are leaving for got canceled? Why, I go anyway and find something else to do. Summary: Type: Extended Weekend - Flight [#PWPExtWeekend] OnPoints: Failed Parks: Tom Foolerys - Round Rock, TX Kalahari Indoor Water Park - Round Rock, TX SeaWorld - San Antonio, TX ZDT's Amusement Park - Seguin, TX Friday Had planned to check out the Zoo possible but did a drive by of Six Flags over Texas since it was going to be closed all weekend. It was still icy from the weather so everything was pretty much closed (even the Starbucks I stopped at) so I want South to Round Rock. Tom Foolery's - Kalahari Indoor Water Park Day Rating: Better than Expected My only negative was the price, they had removed the joint after 5pm ticket so I had to pay $95 to go to both (Unlimited at Tom Foolery's was $45 - Aft

So, what do you do when when you check into your flight and then find out the event your flying for is canceled.... Well, I went again and flew anyway... My Friday (other that my SFOT drive-by) was Tom Foolery's as planned but Friday night was some re-plan setting and this morning it's all about sea world. More to come as this is a crazy trip change.

Last week to claim the year of Blinkist if you have the Hilton Aspire. I love this app to give me a quick summary of a book, think of it as audio cliff notes. This is the card that gives you Dimond status, Lounges with 2 guest, up to $250 in airline-fee credits and up to $250 in Hilton resort credits....BUT a significant $450 annual fee so make sure you would use the perks before clicking the link to support the site.

Let's Plan - North East Six Flags Loop I know, nothing but planning posts but I'm in IL and it's Feb, not a lot of options here. I'm looking for  Where do I fly in? Can I do it in 9 days? SF America - 3 hours - SF Great Adventure - 3 1/2 to 4 (have to drive by Liberty) - SF New England - 2 1/2 hours - SF Great Escape - 2 to 3 hours La Ronde (if the border opens) - another 6 to Darien Lake - only 4 1/2 hours if have to bypass La Ronde SF Darien Lake - 5 hours - Hersheypark (Break-up the longer leg) - 2 1/4 hours - SF America If we go for my Birthday a flight option would be: Fri, Aug 13 6:00 AM – 10:47 AM into DCA Mon, Aug 23 4:45 PM – 8:26 PM

Sorry, I was so busy with launching a podcast I missed my Wednesday post. So to tide you over I wanted to see if you used Google Opinion Rewards. That's how I've paid for GPS tour apps of Yellowstone and any of those reoccurring Google Play charges if you're on Android. It adds up in the surveys usually only take a minute. Get paid for answering short surveys. Download Google Opinion Rewards now: https://googleopinionrewards.page.link/share