Disney Vacation Planning

Magical Meals: A Guide to Affordable Dining at Walt Disney World

Nancy Disney Dining Plans, Disney Travel Guide, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Food , , , , , , 5 Comments

As part of my efforts to provide information for those trying to plan an affordable Disney vacation, a number of months ago I ran a survey asking what you, the readers, needed help with, when it comes to your Disney trip planning.

Overwhelmingly, the response was “We need help with dining”. People wanted to know things like:

  • What types of restaurants and dining places are at Disney World….and how much do they cost?
  • Where are the best places to eat with children?
  • How can you have a character meal? Where are the best ones?
  • Are Advanced Dining Reservations really that important?
  • Can you really save money on food?

And that was just for starters.

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Disney’s All Star Movies: Lights, Camera, Action!

Debbie Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , , , 2 Comments

Traveling down West Buena Vista Drive, past the giant basketball hoops and the larger than life musical instruments, you will find a collection of favorite Disney film icons at the All-Star Movies.  Typical of the other All-Star hotels there are five sets of buildings; 101 Dalmatians, Mighty Ducks, Fantasia, Love Bug and Toy Story.  Each building has 2-story, larger than imaginable, characters that distinguish the theme of the building.   The four 101 Dalmatian and Toy Story buildings are in prime proximity to the main building and the bus stops.

As with all the All-Star hotels, the bus stops are in front of the main building. This tends to be the most common issue with the All-Stars, but I have not had too many delays in getting a bus to our destination.  Anytime the line has seemed impossibly long, along comes another bus.  I know some people will differ with me, but I guess luck has been on my side.

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Tuesday Disney Tips: Voluntouring on Your Next Disney World Vacation

Brenda Tuesday Disney Tips, What to Do at Disney World , , , , 0 Comment

My children have grown up Disney and it has been a wonderful ride. Now that they are grown, I am sometimes slammed with the reality of how my life has changed. As you might guess, there have been many adjustments made when planning our annual trips to Walt Disney World as they have continued to get older. I sometimes get a little melancholy when I think of all the things we used to look forward to that they won’t do again for a while, such as my youngest son’s previous obsession with Tomorrowland Speedway. Somehow when you start driving, the novelty wears off – go figure! There are a lot of things that have changed in the way we visit “The World.”

When I plan our trips now, I look for things to incorporate that we weren’t able to do when they were small. This year I happened upon a gem! One of the things we enjoy doing as a family is volunteering. Volunteering while you are on vacation is called voluntourism. Some people refer to it as “vacationing with a purpose.” Did you know that there are great opportunities for voluntourism while on vacation in Central Florida? Well, there are, and one such opportunity is at Give Kids The World.

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Tuesday Disney Tips: Help with Disney Dining Questions

Brenda Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Food, Tuesday Disney Tips , , , , 2 Comments

There are few things that brighten my day more than having someone who has never been to Walt Disney World contact me for help with their first ever trip. I get so excited for them and I really appreciate having the pleasure of helping them to plan such an important family trip.

No, I am not a travel agent nor do I have the skills of a travel agent. All I can offer is my advice from my own personal experiences and the first-hand knowledge gained from my travels to WDW this past many years. My children are always telling me I should go back to school and become a Disney travel agent but, as I tell them, I am looking forward to actually being able to stop working one day not start a whole new career from scratch. If I had known 20 years ago what I know now, that is exactly the path I would have taken.

Now, back to the reason for my post today. I was recently contacted by a very sweet lady named Andrea. She had some questions regarding her upcoming first-time Disney trip and I was very happy to help her. I thought that maybe others were having the same questions as she and so I thought I would share the advice I gave to her during our correspondence.

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Escape to the Border: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

Guest Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , , , , 3 Comments
Photo courtesy of mousebuzz.com

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort offers stunning American Southwest and Mexican architecture. Named after Francisco de Coronado, the Spanish explorer that traveled Mexico and the American Southwest, Disney’s Coronado Springs resort is located very close to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

El Centro……

Upon arriving at Coronado Springs Resort the southwest theme is in full swing. From the music to the décor one truly gets the impression that they are a world away from home.  El Centro is the main building at Coronado Springs, not only will you check in here but you will also find that Panchito’s Gift Shop, Café Rix, The Pepper Market, Rix Lounge and The Maya Grill are all conveniently  located in this one building.

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