Teens at Disney World: My Thoughts at Chip and Co.

We have been traveling to Disney World with our daughter since she was 7… and since she is now in college, she’s been visiting Disney for most of her life. Like the rest of us, she still loves to go, and like the rest of us, she misses it when she’s been away too long.

But, it’s a different kind of vacation now that she is a young adult. Still fun, but different. I shared some thoughts  over at Chip and Co. this week: A Disney World Vacation with Teens and Young Adults

Now everyone’s experiences are different, so if you have teens/young adults in your family, I would love to hear your thoughts! And if you don’t, well then stop by anyway, to see what may be in your future before long.

One thing I can say for certain: they grow up VERY fast. Hope to see you over there!

Disney Fun From Around the World: Week of July 12, 2010

The “world” of Disney bloggers had, as usual, some great articles that I found to be interesting, fun, and very helpful. Following are some of my favorites, that will hopefully be the same for all of you! So grab your beverage of choice, put your feet up, and enjoy reading some Disney fun from around the World!

The Disney Driven Life always provides an interesting Disney perspective. This week they started a series on the many senses of the Magic Kingdom: WALT DISNEY PICTURES PRESENTS: CINDERELLA CASTLE

The folks over at Studios Central provided some helpful information if you are planning on catching a meal at Hollywood Studios with their Free Dining Guide to Hollywood Studio.

Resourceful Mommy shared some New Disney Favorites

Thrifty and Thriving offered some great ideas for an affordable Disney vacation in Disney on a Budget: Few Money Saving Tips for Inside the Parks

Always one of my favorites each week, The Disney Food Blog introduced me to a dessert I have not personally tried, but have heard a lot about: “You Won’t Believe This Snack!”: Carrot Cake Cookie (This is definitely going on my “Food To Do” list.   )

Over at Chip and Co this week, I especially enjoyed these two great posts: Chris gave us This Mom’s Disney Rules. (this is brilliant by the way, be sure to read it!), and Ken, a new writer there is starting an informative series: Oldies But Goodies – Seniors At Walt Disney World

And finally, I was clearly thinking food this week on my posts at Chip and Co. with 4 Quick Tips for Saving Money on Food at Disney World and Food and Wine Festival Strategies for Saving Money and Your Waistline.

And there you go! Hope you have a magical weekend!

Friday Disney Savings Round-Up for 7/9/2010

In This week’s Disney Savings Round-Up:

The BIG News is that Disney has extended their FREE Dining promotion on select dates through December 21. You can see the details below.

Expedia.com is running a special Disney sale that you should check out. And be sure to also check out the great sales at DisneyStore.com,   Hotels.com, and Travelocity for some great ways to save money.

DisneyStore.com Savings and Promotions

FREE Shipping on your entire shipment when you buy any Disney Parks Item at DisneyStore.com with Promo Code: PARKSFREE.

And their Twice Upon a Year Sale has been extended!! Don’t miss the chance to Save up to 50% on over 400 items!

Don’t forget: Buying Disney items at home BEFORE your Disney trip is a great way to save money.

And you can now save $50 when you become a Disney Rewards Visa Cardmember at DisneyStore.com

Expedia.com Special Promotions

Expedia is running a Disney Spotlight where you can find great deals for your vacation, including resorts from $89! – Expires 8/7/10

This is a great way to add some money to your vacation: Get a $50 prepaid MasterCard® card with a 3+ night stay at participating hotels! – Expires 7/27/10

In addition, you will want to check out the Expedia Summer Vacation Sale: New Deals & the Lowest hotel prices of the season! – Expires 7/27/10

Plus, they have a sweet Orlando Package Deal: Hotels from $53; Flight + 4 Nights from $319 – Expires 7/21/10

Travelocity Special Promotions

Travelocity has a great promotion that is still valid.

Orlando Makes Me Smile! $50 off a 3+ night GoodBuy hotel booking to Orlando, Use PROMOCODE: SMILE50. Ends 7/31/10.

Hotels.com Special Promotions

Summer Sale – Save up to 40% on hotels. Plus book 4+ nights at select hotels and get a free Flip™ camcorder! Use code FLIP5 at checkout.

Walt Disney World Savings and Promotions

• Book a Disney Vacation Package and Get FREE Dining!  NEW DATES ADDED!!: Travel August 15 – October 7,  October 22-October 28, November 12-18, November 27 – December 2, and December 10-21.  Stay at a Value Resort and receive Free Quick Service Dining Plan. Receive Free Basic Dining when you stay at a Moderate or Deluxe Resort. Minimum 3 night stay, with 2 day ticket.  You must book by August 14. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com and click on “Special Offers”.

• Stay through August 14, 2010 Get a 15%-30% discount off regular room rates. You should know that some blackout dates do apply and that not all rates are available at all resorts. You must book by 8/14. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com and click on “Special Offers”.

• Stay August 15, 2010 through Oct. 2, 2010 Get a 30%-40% discount off regular room rates. You should know that some blackout dates do apply and that not all rates are available at all resorts. You must book by 10/2. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com and click on “Special Offers”.

• “Kids Stay and Play for Free“: This special offer has been extended and is now valid for stays most nights May 2 – Oct. 2, 2010. Purchase a 4 night/5 day Magic Your Way vacation package (room and theme park tickets) and a child (age 3-9) stays in the room and gets a 5 day park pass for Free. This is basically providing free tickets for one child of this age…or two if there are two adults in the room…which can be a substantial savings! To receive the package deal, you must book by August 14, 2010. For more information, visit www.disneyworld.com and click on “Special Offers”.

• Military Discount of up to 40% on select Disney Resort rooms, for stays most nights through Sept. 30, 2010. You must book through July 31, 2010. In addition, active or retired members of the military can get a 4 day park ticket for $99. For more information visit the Military Special Offer page on disneyworld.com.

Travel Tuesday Tales: The Fine Art of Negotiating Disney World ADRs

One of the things about planning Disney vacations that I take extremely seriously is booking our dining reservations. Known as Advanced Dining Reservations or ADRs, getting these scheduled well in advance of your trip can make life on your Disney vacation soooo much easier…and if you are traveling during Free Dining or a peak time like Christmas/New Years week, then making them is crucial.

In fact, for many restaurants, making them on the very earliest day possible can mean the difference between eating dinner where you want at a time that you would actually want to eat dinner….vs. eating dinner at like, 10 p.m….if you even get in at all.

The official earliest day you can make ADRs is 180 days before you check in (if a Disney resort guest).

You already know we are going over New Years, so clearly I had the 180 date highlighted on my calendar: July 3. I would be ready.

Except that we couldn’t decide where we wanted to eat. I brought it up every couple of days, and each time I did, I ended up with different answers!! Seriously folks, we need to get our act together here, July 3 will be here before we know it.

We agreed early on that our first two nights we would eat in Epcot. We will arrive on Dec. 30 which is the last day of the Candlelight Processional, and that is a must. Disney will be offering Candlelight Processional packages, where you reserve dinner at a particular restaurant, and you get priority seating for the Candlelight Processional. It’s very worth it to do this, especially since you can use the Disney Dining Plan for your CP meal….so it’s just a matter of choosing where you want to eat in Epcot.

However, since those packages had not yet been released, I still wanted to book an ADR for that night, in Epcot “just in case”. (Moms make their families always prepare for “just in case”. We really can’t help ourselves you know, it just happens.)

Our second night will be New Years Eve, and we’ll be celebrating in Epcot. On NYE, once you get to the park of your choice, you don’t leave. So we’ll be eating there as well.

It was decided that our 3^rd night will be spent at Magic Kingdom, and then on our last night we will visit Hollywood Studios.

And as of June 16, that is about as far as we had gotten.

Choosing where to eat at Disney World is serious business in our family and negotiations can get intense. DH rarely has a strong opinion (unless it is about staying in Animal Kingdom Villas lol) but DD and I do have differing tastes and ideas. One of my big things is that on this trip, I really wanted to try some places we had NOT eaten before. Meanwhile, DD is bringing a friend and she had some places that she specifically wanted him to experience. Seems he also had a few opinions about where he did and didn’t want to eat.

Soooo, let’s see what we have here:

Me: Some new places, specifically Ohana (yes we have NOT eaten here yet! I know, shocking), and Sanaa, and hopefully the new Mexican restaurant Hacienda de San Angel (once they start taking ADRs there). Pretty much every place in World Showcase was fine too.

DD: California Grill one night with friend only (date night for us!! ), Mexican is good, Ohana is not. Not sure about Sanaa. No Norway or Germany or England or Morocco. Interested in sushi in Japan. Nothing in Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom….  Alrighty then.

DF: Wanted to eat Mexican and eat sushi at some point. And keep DD happy. (Smart young man I would say….)

DH: As long as we weren’t staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge, he was happy.

The thing is, we had a couple of weeks before I could book our ADRs on July 3, at exactly 180 days out from our arrival date…so I figured we had plenty of time to hash things out and get it all figured out.

And then I found out that people were (maybe accidentally, maybe on purpose?) able to book their ADRs at 190 days out if they did it online.

Whoa Nellie that’s in a couple of days! Fun time is over people, we have some decisions to make.

So let the negotiations begin!

With some shady backroom deals and dubious trading (“I’ll give you one Mexico for an extra ride on Soarin’….”), lots of talks, research on the web (thank you Disney Food Blog and Chip and Co.!), and multiple spreadsheet revisions…..this is what we managed to come up with:

Night One: book at San Angel Inn for now (you know, “just in case”) until the Candlelight Processional packages are released and/or Hacienda de Saint Angel opens for booking.

• Fulfils Mexican requirement and if Hacienda, some place new.

New Year’s Eve: Chefs de France.

• We all like this one, and DD told DF that he “will” like it too.

Night Three: We will have our “date nights” on this night. DD and DF will be eating at California Grill where they will eat sushi to their heart’s delight. DH and I will be finally eating at Ohana.

• Cali Grill and sushi for DD/DF? Check.

• Ohana/someplace new for me? Check.

Last Night: Back to Epcot for dinner at Coral Reef, then on to Hollywood Studios for the evening.

• Not sure who exactly this one is for, other than we are all happy about it, so it’s all good.

We got it all figured out and agreed upon on the evening of June 22. My date to try booking at the new 190 days out was June 23, at 6 a.m.

And I was ready.

Hopefully we would get all the restaurants we worked so hard to agree on…

……..To be continued…….

Disney World Fun Outside of the Parks

My last post for this month of talking about making the most of your Disney vacation, will discuss all those “other” things that you can do at Disney World. Because believe it or not, there are a lot of fun, interesting, and in many cases quite affordable things to do beyond just visiting the parks. (I’ll let you in on a secret: there are so many really cool things to do at Disney World, that is what keeps many folks going back again and again….we have yet to see/do it all.)

One thing I do want to mention at the start is that not all of these things are free or even necessarily inexpensive. But I mention them because one or more may very well appeal to you or your family, and it may be worth a trade-off with something else instead. Planning an affordable Disney vacation is very much about choices: you choose what is most important to you and your family, and make up for it in other areas.

OK? Here we go then, my list of favorite things to do outside of the parks…

1. Downtown Disney: Can you imagine an entire area that is pretty much devoted to just eating and shopping? Disney sure has lol! This is a great way to spend an afternoon, evening, or even an entire day if you like. There are lots of great restaurants, many of which participate in the Disney Dining plan so that is nice. There are even more stores….and so this is my caveat to keep this affordable: go with the amount of money you are willing to spend…or willing for your kids to spend. Leave the credit cards back at your room. The enormous World of Disney store is my personal place to buy souvenirs, as they have most of the things you will find in the parks…plus a lot more. (Note that they don’t have EVERYTHING, so if you come across something in your travels that you *must* have, especially if it is unique, you should probably not assume it will be at World of Disney, and just get it when you see it instead.) Now there are a few things that are at Downtown Disney that are not shopping or eating related though. Which brings me to…
2. Disney Quest: think video games on Disney Imagineer-induced steroids. If you have teens…especially boys….they will love spending a day here. The admission here is less than a day at the parks, and depending on how you structured your Disney Magic Your Way tickets, you may have the option to visit here without paying extra. While it’s not my personal cup of tea, DH and DD loved it when they visited….although DH ended up with a headache at the end of the day, so if you are not fond of loud noises, then bring the Tylenol with you.
3. Did you know that miniature golf is an option at Disney World? In fact, you have two choices: Fantasia Gardens and  Winter Summerland. Cost for each is $12 per adult and $10 per child ages 3-9.
4. To cope with Florida’s heat, think water parks. If you are visiting during the summer months, you may very well want to take a day to visit Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach, Disney’s two fantastic…and very popular….water parks. Both are separate admission, unless you have the “Water Parks and More” option on your tickets. With slides, lazy rivers, and giant pools among other things, each park is guaranteed to cool you off in the most fun way possible. You should note though: the available chairs at each water park do get “taken” relatively early in the day, so if you want to go and just camp out in a chair while your family is on the go, plan to get there when they open.
5. Fishing and boating: Yup Disney has these too! With the lakes, lagoons, and canals that are in or near each of the parks and many of the resorts, you will find lots of options for spending time on the water if you like. Whether it is renting a small boat at one of the resorts, or reserving a fishing excursion on Bay Lake, if you want water fun, Disney has it. You can check this out for more information for information on speed boats, or this for information on fishing.
6. Rent a bike, four-wheel surrey, or carriage! Several resorts offer this option and some, like the Wilderness Lodge or Fort Wilderness, have the picturesque trails to go with them.  Learn more here.

There’s your quick overview of a few more ways to get the most out of your Disney visit. You can check out this page for the full list of all the “other things” Disney World has to offer. While I could easily write an in-depth post about each of these, (and I may at some point!) this will at least give you an idea of what else you can do to have fun at Disney World. Affordable Disney vacations are all about getting value and there are a number of ways that you can add value to your visit without adding significantly to your cost. The bottom line is this: you don’t have to go to the parks every day to have fun at Disney World!

Readers Tips for Saving Money at Disney World

There are a lot of great Disney bloggers out there with really interesting and helpful information. Recently, Amanda from The Disney College Blog asked her readers to offer their suggestions for saving money at Disney World, since she has a trip planned and is, in her words “a poor college student”. She got lots of great ideas! Here are a few:

Eating Breakfast in Your Room…
“oatmeal packets for breakfast, pb&j’s for lunch, and trail mix for snacks – saves TONS of $$$ (more for #wdw merchandise!)” – pixienancy on Twitter

“Eat breakfast in the room! Pop Tarts & Rice Krispie Treats work great! ” – BeOurGuestMike on Twitter

“As do Little Debbie donuts ” – bill_in_ma on Twitter

“We usually bring cereal & pop tarts & eat breakfast in our room each day (except last day then character bfst)” – mccato on Twitter

You can read the rest of the post and the many helpful affordable Disney vacation tips over at her blog.

Get the Answers to YOUR Affordable Disney Vacation Questions…and Maybe Win a Disney Gift Card Too!

One of the things I enjoy the most about The Affordable Mouse is the chance that it gives me to help folks plan magical Disney World vacations that they can afford. I love being able to answer questions, provide information, and know that people are learning how a Disney vacation can be affordable. Kind of makes me feel like I am spreading a little pixie dust!

But as I plan for the coming months, I have come to a realization: in order to be able to really do this well, I need your help…and I am hoping you will be willing to help!

I want to be able to provide the answers your questions. So I am looking for YOUR input to help me decide on what guides I prepare, what tools I find or create, and even what blog posts I write.

I have created a short survey that I would really, really love if you would take a few minutes to complete. It should just take you a minute or two. But doing so will help me provide you with what YOU NEED to save money at Disney World.

This is your chance to have a website, blog, and even planning guides created to answer YOUR needs.

So if you are willing to help (and haven’t already), simply sign up for my planning guide (see that arrow to the right?), and you will get my free guide as well as a link to the survey. You can also sign up right here.

Oh, one last thing. As a “thank you” for taking the time to fill out the survey, I am offering a little prize. Everyone who fills out the survey will be entered into a drawing to receive a $25 Disney gift card. So be sure to enter your email address, so that I can contact you if you are the winner!

Thank you so much for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to help me help you! I appreciate your time and I appreciate YOU!

Affordable Disney Vacations Step by Step. Part Sixteen: Getting Ready to Go!

This is part sixteen in my blog series: Affordable Disney Vacations Step by Step. You can read the rest of the posts here.

I get many questions from people who are thinking about visiting Walt Disney World and want Disney World vacation tips and suggestions. Disney vacation planning can be very involved and confusing as well, so the goal of this series is to start at the beginning, and look at everything you need to think about, in the general order you need to think about it. Each week’s post will be numbered and link to all the others so that, when complete, you will have a guide with all the steps and information you need to plan your own Disney magic.

Up to this point we have been discussing the steps for planning an affordable Disney vacation that need to be done well in advance. As I have shared frequently on this blog, if you want to save money, you need to plan ahead.

Now, it’s time to get ready to go! Whether you are leaving in a few days, or in several months, hopefully you will find these next few blog posts to be helpful.

So finally, after months of planning, you’re going to Disney World! Woohoo!

Before you go though, there are some things you will want to think about.

• Check the weather and pack accordingly. Please don’t assume that Florida is always sunny and hot. The summers frequently have rain showers, and winter can actually get cold! Not packing for the weather will mean that you end up buying ponchos, scarves, hats, gloves, sweatshirts, and possibly even coats at Disney….and I can promise that is NOT affordable at all.
• Go to the Disney World website and check the park hours. Even better, print them out so that you know when you can visit each park. If you will be staying on Disney property and can take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, note that as well. No point in being able to get in the parks an hour early if you sleep in those mornings!
• While you’re on the Disney website, make note of which attractions/rides are closed during your visit. Part of planning an affordable Disney vacation is making the most of your time. Don’t waste your time walking to rides that aren’t even open.
• Get some snacks etc. to bring with you. Whether for the trip, in your hotel, or even to bring with you to the parks, bringing snacks from home can definitely save you money…and possibly be healthier as well.
• I’m a list maker and when it comes to a trip like this, I think having a list is one of the best ways to make sure you keep costs under control. Lists mean you are less likely to forget things….and remember, anything you forget, you will have to buy there. Whether it is clothes, or Advil, if you have to buy it at Disney, it’s gonna cost you a lot more.
• Do you have little ones? Consider bringing your own stroller…or rent one from a stroller company in the Disney area. Renting strollers at the Disney parks will definitely cost you more. Just keep that in mind.

OK, there are a few last minute things to keep in mind as you get ready to leave for your Walt Disney vacation! My next two posts will focus on being at the parks…and ways to have “free fun” while there!