How to Plan a Magical Disney World Vacation Without Really Trying.

Nancy Disney Vacation Planning 0 Comment
A recurring theme of mine, especially on this blog is:

If you are going to visit Walt Disney World, especially if it is your first trip, you have got to have a PLAN.

Yes………. if you are planning a Disney World vacation, you Really Have To Plan.

“But I am not a planner!” I know you are saying this. =)”How am I supposed to know what everyone will want to do when we get there?”

Well that little plan can be the difference between magic and misery for your group. So to help you out, here are a few very basic (and often VERY overlooked) tips to get you started in your Plan:

·         Before you leave, have the kids make a list for each park about what they absolutely, positively, can’t-go-back-home-without-seeing attractions. Make sure you make those rides and shows a priority each day. When going to a park, make sure you get to those first thing, and make full use of Disney’s FastPass for those with longer lines.

·         Look at a map before you arrive. The Disney website has maps that you can download for free. Do it. Look at them and become familiar with the various sections of each park and where your “must do’s” are located before you walk through the gates.

·         Know the park hours and take good advantage of them. Go early before the crowds arrive. You’ll be glad you did! Don’t expect to have lots of happy campers in the middle of the afternoon in July in Florida.

·         Know the weather forecast before you leave home and pack accordingly. Believe it or not, it is not always sunny in Florida and yes it can get cold enough in January to need a winter coat. Really!

·         Check to see if any rides will be closed while you are there. It happens. If one of your child’s must-sees will be out of commission, tell them ahead of time, to avoid a Magic Kingdom meltdown.

·         Take a mid-day break and go back to your hotel for a swim and/or nap. If you have little ones it is critical. It is critical for big ones too!

Planning a Disney World vacation takes time and effort. But the results will be worth it!

New Prices, New Resort Hotel, and New Ticket Promotion (sort of): A Big News Week at Walt Disney World for Vacation Planning

Nancy Discounted Disney World Tickets, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Accommodations 0 Comment

This was a big week, news-wise, at Walt Disney World. Good news, not-so-good news, and a couple of ways to possibly save some money on your next Disney vacation.

Let’s start with the “bad” news: as expected, Disney World ticket prices went up on Sunday, August 3. The Magic Your Way one-day, one-park base ticket now costs $79 for adults and $68 for children 3-9, which raised park passes by $4 adult and $5 child. The price for Annual Passes and Annual Pass renewals also went up as well……however, and this brings me to some “good” news: Disney has made the Annual Pass good for 15 months, which is a definite way to get more for your money if you are a frequent Disney visitor, and somewhat balances that price increase for Annual Passholders. You can read more information about the increase here: Walt Disney World rolls out Passholder renewal offer — 15 months for price of 12. Of course, you can still get discounted Disney tickets by visiting a reputable online ticket broker.

In other Disney news, not necessarily Disney World related, Disney Cruise Line has a super promotion for some of their Disney Mediterranean cruises next April and May. Kids 17 and under sail free on most 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises, April 24 – May 26, 2010: they must be with two full-fare guests in the same stateroom, and this offer is only for certain stateroom categories.While a Disney Cruise is not cheap, it is a truly magical experience, and if you have been thinking about doing something like this…especially to take advantage of the chance for your children to see another part of the world…then don’t miss out on this great promotion. Contact your travel agent for details!

Lastly, the “good news” (if you are interested in really neat architecture and design) is that the newest property in the Disney Vacation Club, Bay Lake Tower, officially opened on Tuesday, August 4. Adjacent to the Contemporary Resort, it shares the same contemporary theming, along with a fabulous location right outside of the Magic Kingdom. You can see some photos here and here as well. Pretty cool, isn’t it? It may not be the best way to have an affordable Disney family vacation…but if you can ever splurge, well being right next door to Cinderella’s Castle is the way to go! =)

Have a magical day!!

Saving Money on Food at Disney World and Still Eating Like Royalty

Nancy Saving Money on Food 0 Comment
More great news about planning affordable Disney family vacations!! Disney has just announced the extension of the FREE DINING package, available most nights between Sept. 29 and Dec. 17. This is an unheard-of great deal for the fall season: Disney has traditionally never offered this package during the fall, but evidently the continued economic problems are the Disney vacationers’ gain! If you have any thoughts at all about planning a Disney vacation in the fall, don’t miss out!

And speaking of dining at Walt Disney World, I recently had the chance to book our advanced dining reservations for our upcoming October trip. October is a great time of year to visit Florida, and it will be our first during the Food and Wine Festival, so I am super excited! Hope to see you there! =)

All this talk of dining reminded me of an article that I wrote for Ezine Articles recently, talking about ways to save money on food while at Disney World. Following is an excerpt:

Let me say that we find visiting Disney World to be a great excuse to eat! Lots of great choices, good quality in most cases, and the fun of trying new things, all entice us to truly enjoy eating while at Disney. Still, it can be very expensive, so we have found some ways to save money while still fully enjoying all the delicious options that Walt Disney World has to offer.

First of all, we signed up for the Disney Visa card, and we use the rewards dollars for our meals. Since we visit about once a year, by the time we go each year we accumulate  a pretty sizable amount of Disney dollars to spend on food. Now, I am not advocating blindly running up a credit card (especially not in this current economic climate) but since we use one card for all of our basic purchases (and pay it off in full each month), it is a strategy that works extremely well for us. In fact, it works so well that in many years, I have paid hardly anything for our food on our Disney vacation at all!

Secondly, we absolutely love the Disney Dining Plan. For those not familiar with how this works, IF you are staying on Disney property, you have the option to choose from several levels of the Disney Dining Plan, and basically pre-pay for most, if not all of your meals. Since there are several choices, each providing a certain number of snacks, counter meals, or table service meals, there are options for just about any budget. As our family enjoys table service meals each night, we choose the Plus Disney Dining Plan, and receive one snack credit, one counter meal (entrée, drink, and dessert), and one table meal (entrée, drink, and dessert) per person, per day. We have found that the snacks generally work well most days for breakfast, and the others are used for lunch and dinner each day. Honestly, it is more food per person than we can usually eat, and often we will get our dessert at dinner “to go” since we are so full! And for this level at least, the cost per day for our family of 3 is usually less than we would have paid for just the dinner itself, so it is a huge cost-saver for us. (Note: The Free Dining package option that Disney currently is offering for the Fall, offers the Plus Dining Plan if you book at a Moderate or Deluxe resort.)

Of course, with all that food we are eating, we are fortunately doing a LOT of walking at all the parks to exercise it off! Saving money on food has been a great way to help us plan a magical discount Disney family vacation each year!

Have a magical day!

News Flash: Disney Ticket Price Increase? Get Your Discounted Disney World Tickets Soon!

Nancy Discounted Disney World Tickets 2 Comments

Several websites are reporting the likelihood of a Disney park ticket increase on the first Sunday in August. While this is only a rumor, the sources are usually correct, and have history on their side: Disney has chosen the first Sunday in August to raise their prices for the past several years. So get ready: if you have plans to purchase your Disney World tickets before an upcoming vacation (and to save money, that is ALWAYS a good idea!), then purchasing them before August 2 will probably save you money.

What about using online ticket brokers, you may ask? Well if Disney raises prices, they will need to as well. To save the most money, visit a reputable ticket company like Undercover Tourist. If you need additional information, you are welcome to visit my page at The Affordable Mouse for discounted Disney World tickets.

In other, unrelated news, I have become initiated into the wonderful world of Facebook and Twitter this week, as I expand my “circle of friends” online, and research more great tips for planning affordable Disney family vacations. If you are on Facebook, please feel free to “friend request” me (please include a note indicating that you are from the Affordable Mouse Blog, so I will know who you are!), and I invite you to follow me on Twitter as well! (I have got to say: if you are not “tweeting” yet, get going! It is fun, informative, and highly addictive, lol!) Click the buttons to the left to find me =)

To conclude, I am including a link to a great article I found on Twitter today, regarding fun, inexpensive “fill-your-own” souvenirs at Walt Disney World. Great ideas, and my thanks to Amanda M. Rose for sharing!

Have a magical day!

Disney World Rental House: Why Not Have More Space and More Value?

Nancy Saving Money on Accommodations 3 Comments

I have been talking on the past several posts about affordable options for where to stay on your Disney vacation. Today, I want to discuss an option that is familiar to many folks who have ever rented a beach house…..

Have you considered that a Disney World rental house just might be the best choice for your family?

If not, then I’m so glad you came to visit today!

If you are researching affordable Disney family vacations, it is hard to beat the value that a rental home will provide. For starters, you will have a LOT more space in a vacation home than a hotel room. More space will greatly increase family vacation harmony, I promise! =)

And if your family is one that typically needs multiple hotel rooms, then this will save you money as well. Vacation homes can sleep anywhere from 4 to 16 people comfortably, often for the same or less cost than you would have with one hotel room. No question where you are getting the most for your money.

With a rental house, you will have a kitchen. In fact you will likely have a well-stocked kitchen with everything you could possibly need including, dishes, pots and pans, glasses, coffee pot, can opener, bake wear, and other assorted kitchen items.

It is a great cost-saver to be able to make some of your own meals and snacks. By doing a little basic food preparation, and eating in at times, you will find that you have a greatly reduced meal budget. Just compare to what it would be if you ate all meals at the theme parks!

And no matter the size, your Disney World rental house will come fully furnished, with multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, in addition to the living/dining area(s) and kitchen.

One other thing: often overlooked is the fact that you may have in your rental property in-house home theaters, game rooms, private pools, video games as well as access to community centers with fitness and other recreation activities…at no additional cost. More savings!

I think it is easy to see why having a Disney World rental house is an increasingly popular choice for vacationers to the Orlando area. More space, more relaxing, saving money….there’s a lot of magic there!!!

Have a magical day!