Author: Nancy

Friday Disney Savings Round-Up for 3/19/10

Nancy Uncategorized , 0 Comment

A number of promotions and savings programs come across my computer every week. Since the goal of The Affordable Mouse is to help you save money,  I have decided to devote my Friday blog posts to sharing them with you. Hopefully you will find them helpful in planning your affordable Disney vacation…or any kind of planning you are doing. 🙂

Disney Store Savings

Buy One Easter Plush Toy, Get One Free at DisneyStore.com

Ship your entire order for only $5 when you spend $89 or more at DisneyStore.com. Use code SHIPTODAY

Find amazing deals on great Disney toys, clothes and more in the Outlet at DisneyStore.com.

Get $10 off purchases of $50 or more at DisneyStore.com with Promo Code: DISNEY10

Hotels.com Savings

Easter Sale: Save up to 30%! – Expires 4/5/10

Expedia.com Savings

Universal Orlando® Resort: Stay a week, save at least 30% plus get exclusive theme park benefits. – Expires 4/30/10

U-Save Car Rentals: 10% off compact or midsize cars when you book on Expedia! – Expires 5/31/10

Lastly, don’t forget that if you are interested in booking one of the current official Disney World promotions for room discounts or the Disney gift card, you must book by March 27.

That’s all for this week. Have a magical day!

Affordable Disney Vacations Step by Step. Final Thoughts: Keeping the Magic Alive

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning , , , , 0 Comment

This is the final post 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.

Well, you’re back home. Hope you had a wonderful time and if you are like we are, you are already thinking about your next trip… 🙂

Once your trip is over, we’re not technically talking about planning an affordable Disney vacation, but most folk return from a magical trip and want to “keep the magic going”. With that in mind, what are some affordable ways to do that?

Well, let’s talk about all those pictures you took to start. 🙂

Don’t just upload them to your computer and leave them there! And don’t print them all out and then keep them in a shoebox!

Pick out your favorites and create “photo” gifts for your family or yourself! Calendars, mugs, mousepads and more can create smiles pics from Melissa 809 685for your loved ones for a long time. My personal favorite: slideshows of my favorite pictures become my computer’s screensavers and remind me of wonderful vacations every time my computer goes to sleep.

And don’t forget to frame a few of your favorite pictures too! I have a line up on my mantel from each of our family trips to Disney World and it is so special to see how we have all changed over the years…especially our daughter.

Have you ever thought of creating a scrapbook? While this can be an expensive and detailed hobby, it does not have to be. In fact, it can be as simple as you like. Collect “things” from your trip: park passes, maps, room keys, confetti, napkins, you name it! Be creative. Add some character autographs and your favorite pictures, jot down some of your best memories, and voila! A treasured memory book that you can look at time and time again to relive your wonderful Walt Disney World vacation.

Then there are your videos. One of the more fun things we have done, is to schedule a video night…but instead of renting a movie, we watch our vacation. Pop popcorn, make a night of it reliving the Disney fun. We have shared so many laughs remembering fun Disney World times!

Lastly, I also like to keep the magic alive with music. I tend to buy CDs of park music while I am there, but you can also download Disney music from iTunes, or buy the songs when listening to a Disney podcast or streaming webcast. Burn a CD of your favorites, and you can visit the parks any time you want…even when sitting in a traffic jam!

I hope you have found this series on all the steps in planning an affordable Disney vacation to be helpful! As always, please let me know if you have any questions, as I am happy to help!

Have a magical day!

Affordable Disney Vacations Step by Step. Part Eighteen: Fun and Cheap Souvenirs

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning , , 3 Comments

This is part eighteen 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.

It should be no big surprise that “souvenirs” can be huge budget busters and are one of the quickest ways I know to kill any hopes for an affordable Disney vacation. Especially if you have little ones, the cries for “Buy me this” and “I want that” can be very hard to ignore. So here are a few things that we have found that help keep our souvenir spending from getting out of hand.

  1. I am a big fan of setting a daily spending budget…even for kids. On our first trip, our daughter was seven, and we set aside 100_1402some money each day that was “hers” to spend as she wished. It was not a lot, I promise you, but having her own money to use, meant that when she used it up, she was done for the day. No complaining, whining, or begging. Once it was gone, it was gone.  And it worked. 🙂
  2. There are a lot of quite inexpensive options for souvenirs! Pressed pennies, postcards, pencils, pins all are quite affordable and can actually be the start of a new collection for a child that gets added to on each vacation. Kids love to collect things!
  3. Consider bringing some “souvenirs” with you, or have a box shipped to your hotel. Many families have found that kids love to get a surprise from Mickey when they wake up every morning, and these little surprises can minimize the need to beg for things in the parks.
  4. Two words: character autographs. Hugely popular, and really, about as cheap as you get! Bring something other than a book, like a tee shirt, or hat and give the character a sharpie to sign with: instant souvenir that will be cherished for years.
  5. Take your own pictures, or give your camera to a castmember to photograph your entire family. You don’t have to pay for Photopass pictures to get your entire group in a picture.

These are just a few ideas, but believe me a little creativity, can go a log away towards keeping your souvenir budget in check. Fun does not have to be expensive! The best souvenirs you will come home with will be your memories…and those don’t cost a thing….but are truly priceless.