Disney Vacation Planning

Affordable Disney Vacation Souvenirs: Making Photo Memories

Nancy Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Souvenirs, What to Do at Disney World , , 4 Comments

Continuing our discussion of affordable Disney vacation souvenirs, today I want to talk about pictures. Because the photos OrlandoJan08and9 227that you take at Walt Disney World can form the basis for the most special souvenirs that you have. Photos capture memories…and those are truly priceless.

Anyone who visits my home knows within the first 90 seconds that I am picture obsessed. We have photos everywhere….and a significant majority chronicle our Disney vacations. (So that would probably be the second thing that a visitor to my house would learn quickly….that I am Disney obsessed too. 🙂  )

So if you are like me, and love the idea of having your Disney photos be a big part of your souvenirs, then read on for some tips on how to keep those photo memories affordable.

Basically, there are 3 types of photos you will probably be involved with at Disney World: the ones you take, the ones the Photopass photographers take, and the ones that are taken when you go on certain rides.

Tips for Taking Your Own Pictures Affordably

Let’s start with your own pictures. Most people arrive at Disney World, especially on their first visit, with the plan to take lots of pictures. And if you are the way we were on our first trip, we did just that….hundreds in fact. Taking your own pictures is very affordable….provided you do a little planning. The single most important thing you can do here is to be sure to have enough storage chips, and/or a way to download your pictures if you use up your camera’s memory…which you will. And the second thing is to make sure you have extra batteries or rechargeable batteries and a battery charger….and then remember to use the battery charger!

(Trust me on all of these, because I speak from experience. I once missed a picture of my daughter being invited to join the Tapestry of Nations parade by one of the castmembers….because my camera battery chose to die right then and there.)

The thing is, if you want to keep your costs down, you do not want to buy these items at Disney World…because they are a lot more expensive there than at home.

And for making special photo memories, watch for the “Kodak spots” throughout the parks. These are places that are set up for the perfect picture background: be sure to use them! 🙂

Use Photopass for Great Pictures

Now let’s talk about the Photopass photographers. These are the Disney photographers that are around all the parks, ready and waiting to take your picture. They are wonderful folks who specialize in preserving those Disney memories. There is no charge for having your picture taken by a Photopass photographer: you don’t pay until you order prints or a CD with all of your pictures on them. The friendly Photopass folks will also typically be at character appearances, and some restaurants and resorts as well.

I recommend using Photopass as much as possible, because these professionals will take great pictures for you! When you go to the Photopass website later, where you will input your Photopass card number, you will see all of your pictures…and that there are all kinds of great souvenirs that you can have made with your pictures. Just make sure you don’t get carried away with ordering!

It is so nice to have these special pictures done because they become the “formal” pictures I have framed… plus they usually are the only ones with me in them, because I am busy taking all the others. 🙂

Now keep in mind, if you see a great photo opportunity (especially if you are seeing a character) and you want a family photo with everyone, but you DON’T want a Photopass picture…simply give your camera to the photographer, and they will happily take your picture with your camera. No cost there to you at all!

Be Sure to Smile Going Down Splash Mountain

As to ride pictures? These will be taken on most of the “thrill” rides and are always fun to see afterwards. We have gotten a few over the years, but be forewarned…they are not cheap. However, it is kind of fun to see what you look like going down Splash Mountain…so it just might be worth it to you to splurge a little to preserve THAT memory! 🙂

Visit my Friends at Chip and Co.: I’m Over There Too!

Nancy Chip and Co. Posts, Disney Vacation Planning , , 1 Comment

scn_wel_004I am excited to share with you that I am now writing for one of my favorite Disney sites, Chip and Co.! Yesterday, my first article for them was published:

Can We Afford to Go to Disney World.. Again..and Again?

It happened again the other day. I heard someone say: “I would love to go on a Disney World vacation, but it’s just too expensive.”

I have lost count how many times I have heard this statement, and I always feel kind of bad when I do, because I think that’s what most people think, and it prevents folks from even considering a trip to Disney World because they think they can’t afford it. The thing is a Disney vacation can actually be very affordable. There are all kinds of ways to save money. It’s really all about how you plan……Read the rest here…

Thanks for visiting me at Chip and Co.! Don’t worry, I’ll still be here as well! 🙂 Have a magical day!

Why Visit Disney World? It is All About the Magic…

Nancy Disney Vacation Planning , 6 Comments

Today’s post is going to be a little different.100_1402

Maybe it’s the arrival (finally!) of Spring and I have Spring Fever. Or maybe it’s that I have shared a lot of information with you over the past weeks, and I want to take a bit of a break….

Whatever the reason, today I want to talk about “Why”…..as in, “Why” visit Walt Disney World?

I actually get asked this ALL the time. Usually as in, “Why? Don’t you get tired of it?”….or “Why? Weren’t you just there?”

Nope, don’t get tired of it, and yup we’re going back. Again.

Why?

Why do we love Disney World so much that we go back multiple times, so much that I have spent literally thousands of hours scouring the internet and reading books to find ways to save money so that we could have an affordable Disney vacation and go back repeatedly?

If you are reading this and are a Disneyphile (is that a word?) then you already understand.

But since The Affordable Mouse is all about helping folks plan their first trip to Walt Disney World, then you are probably wondering yourself…..

“Why is all of this worth it? What is it about Walt Disney World that makes people go through all of this? It’s just a theme park…”

🙂

Would you believe me if I said it’s all about the magic. Seriously!

Let me tell you about that magic…….

It’s the magic of seeing a young child completely and totally believe in dreams, and fairies, and pixie dust, and knowing, just KNOWING, that if you wish hard enough, your wish will come true. And the magic of seeing those wishes and dreams reflected in their face when they see a castle up close, and dance with a princess, and see a fairy fly.

The magic of seeing an older child or teenager forget for a few days that they are supposed to be “cool” and instead let their inner kid out, wear a Mickey Ears hat, and scream like crazy on Tower of Terror….right next to their parents who they are actually enjoying spending time with.

The magic of a young adult couple who are so in love that they believe that fairy tales do come true and decide that there is no better place on earth to get engaged, or married, than that place where princesses live happily ever after with their prince charmings.

The magic of families gathering, with multiple generations, to share in the joy of being together, with no worries, no cares, just love, and laughter.

The magic of tearing up when you hear a song that you heard as a child because it reminds you of a time when all was innocent, and simple, and true.

Walt Disney World does not create the magic, contrary to what many think. It just creates a place where people create the magic for themselves. Oh yes, the cynics will say (and with some justification perhaps) that it is just one big show that is set up to get people to spend lots of money.

Well, yes, you can look at it that way. But to me, I don’t see Disney World as a show so much as a stage…albeit an extremely elaborate one….that puts all the pieces in place, for the show to take place. The show…the magic….happens when the players…the guests…play their parts.

We come, we play, we laugh, we share, we pretend for a few days that there are no worries, no cares, no problems that can’t be solved. In other words, we create magic.

THAT is why we go back.

Don’t get me wrong, the wonderful theming, the attention to detail, the food, the shows, the attractions, and the customer service….they’re all pretty great and really help to make for a fantastic vacation.

But you can find all these things in other locations, and enjoy them tremendously. It doesn’t keep you coming back again and again and again though.

What keeps you coming back is the magic.

I hope you have a magical day! 🙂

Special Note:

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival where you can find a variety of wonderful and interesting Disney articles.  Please be sure to visit the Carnival and enjoy reading!

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.