Disney Fun for the Week of March 21, 2011

Nancy Disney Fun From Around the "World" , , , 0 Comment

Happy Saturday Disney Friends! It’s time for my favorite post of the week, when I get to share some of the really interesting, helpful, cool, and just plain fun posts from some of the many very talented Disney bloggers. It’s so hard to narrow it down to just a handful each week! But I did my best….enjoy!

Let’s start off talking about visiting the parks with our friends at Chip and Co Lisa had some thoughts about What to Bring to the Disney Theme Parks and then Brenda chimed in with suggestions if you don’t want to carry it all around with you: Disney World Planning 101 – Renting a Locker

By now I’m sure you have heard about the plans for using the FastPass system with the new Mickey meet and greet area. Here is some additional information about how it may work from The Disney Blog: Will Mickey and Minnie Photo-Op say ‘No’ to Late Guests?

It doesn’t feel like spring around Maryland this weekend, but it surely is at Walt Disney World! Disney Driven Life shares some details from EPCOT’S 2011 FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL

Have you been to the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue? I haven’t yet, but Amanda at Disney Every Day recently did, and shares the fun: My First Visit to Disney’s Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review Dinner Show

If you have little ones, you will appreciate this helpful post from Growing Up Disney: Guest Post: 3 Kids in Diapers or Pull-ups

I love Kelly’s series on Disney Guru called Money Saver Monday! This week in Steals & Deals she discusses how to get some of Disney World’s most delicious food items….for less money!

How do you unpack and stay organized once you get to your hotel room? The Relocated Tourist has some excellent suggestions: Organizing Your Resort Room

Another food “event” I have never tried….but now really want to….is discussed by Travelin’ Mamas: Garden View Tea Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

This post from Your Highway in the Sky was one that I found extremely interesting, and if you have little girls, I think you may as well:Is the Disney Princess Passe?

Lastly, I was out and about in Disney Blog Land again this week! 🙂

Disney Guru had a review of my new ebook: Magical Meals: A Guide to Affordable Dining at Walt Disney World

And my monthly post over at WDW Fan Zone was also published: Finding Magic in Those Disney Details. I hope you’ll stop by and say “Hi!”

Have a safe, warm, and magical weekend! 🙂

Minnie Minus Mickey: A Single Mom Plans for Disney – Booking my Trip!

Guest Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Minnie Minus Mickey, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Happy Friday, Disney-lovin’ friends!  It’s been a whirlwind of planning fun this past month here in South Louisiana, and I am enjoying every minute!

I was so nervous, clicking the “send” button on my payment, until a thought occurred to me; the lightbulb in my head turned on…I have a travel agent.  If there is a better deal (because, come on, we’re all reading this because we want the best deal!), she will be as happy as I am about re-booking me to save some hard-earned cash.  The decision to use an agent was probably the easiest I made in my plans.  Ask her.  I go around and around weighing every option like my life depended on it…dining plan or no, which one, value resort or moderate or splurge on a deluxe, vacation club rental points, park hopper, water parks, Disney Quest, Disney transportation or a car…the options are ENDLESS!  I swear, I could go on a Disney vacation once a month (wow, wouldn’t that be a dream come true!) and not have the same experience twice!  As a single mom, especially, having someone to bounce ideas around with was invaluable.  And it’s not costing me a single extra penny.  In fact, it’s SAVING me money.  Wow.

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Thrifty Thursday: Lost in the (Disney) World

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Thrifty Thursday , , , 0 Comment
picture perfectphoto via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jewellshoots/3858698368/

Like so many other parents, I know what it is like to be walking down the sidewalk at a Disney park only to realize that a member of your family is missing. I have felt that utter panic and paralyzing fear that is associated with losing a child at Walt Disney World. During our trip in 2000, when my youngest son was only 6, he got separated from us. Those five minutes was the longest time of my entire life. In fact, that event is when I started to go gray.

Lost children are a very serious matter — not only to us as parents but to the Disney cast members as well. First, I am sure you have heard that at Walt Disney World there is no such thing as a lost child, only lost parents. The cast members are excellent at taking care of your precious little prince or princess until you can be found. I hope that your child is never lost, but we all know it does happen, so I am going to share some tips for hopefully making your reunion a lot quicker.

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Tuesday Disney Tips: To Insure or Not to Insure?

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Tuesday Disney Tips , , , , 0 Comment

Choosing whether or not to buy trip insurance is one of the things to consider when planning your Walt Disney World vacation. Here at the Affordable Mouse it is paramount to us that we try to give our readers the best possible advice. We really want everyone to have the most magical experience possible when on your Disney vacation. We also try to heed our own advice when traveling ourselves. To me, affordable means the smartest use of, while requiring the least amount of, my Disney vacation money. So, it is not normally my practice to use money on any extras, like insurance, that would keep me from buying a momento for a family member or a gift for a friend while there. This year is a little different.

In all the years my family and I have been traveling to Walt Disney World, we have never purchased the vacation insurance with our reservation. Maybe we were tempting fate, but we all knew that it would have to be something fierce to keep us from making our annual trip to “The World.” We rested on the assurance of faith, combined with good planning and staying healthy. Plus, we have usually traveled at the end of November and we had been lucky in the past so what should change? Still, there is always a feeling in the pit of my stomach as we are driving from Texas to Florida that IF our van breaks down, we could arrive a day or two late, and the thought of that keeps tugging at me until we arrive there safe and sound.

For the first time, I will be purchasing trip insurance for my upcoming trip to WDW this September. For some travelers, this may seem like a waste of money, but I will spend that extra $59 gladly. What I am buying is peace of mind. I consider it to be a wise investment without any doubt for two simple reasons:

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