Affordable Disney Vacations

Disney’s All Star Music: Take Time to Enjoy the Music

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

I am so excited to announce the addition of some new writers for The Affordable Mouse! Going forward, our Friday post each week will be written by one of 3 very talented…and very Disney-loving ladies. This week, please welcome our final new writer, Debbie. 🙂 Debbie, welcome to The Affordable Mouse family!


To me, one of the hidden treasures to save money at Walt Disney World is All-Stars Music Resort. After staying at all three All-Stars Resort hotels several times, I find the All-Stars Music to be similar to staying at some of the moderate hotels but at a fraction of the cost.  Yes, I know, the rooms are smaller than the moderates, but how long are you really in your room anyway!  There is only 54 square feet difference between the All-Stars and the moderate hotels.

The All-Stars Resorts consist of 3 different themed hotels located in the Animal Kingdom Area.  All-Star Sports is the first you come to as you enter off West Buena Vista Drive.  With 1920 rooms this resort has plenty of room for cheerleaders, soccer players, and many other sport groups that flock to this sports-themed hotel.  All-Star Movies is the last hotel on West Buena Vista Drive and attracts more families with small children.   This hotel also has 1920 rooms and spreads out with Disney movie icons through-out the grounds, including a Dalmatian puppy watching a “blank” TV – the perfect photo spot.  Between Sports and Movies you find the smallest of the three, All-Stars Music with 1602 rooms. The All-Star Music is my favorite home away from home with its musical instrument icons and smaller resort size.  Music seems to attract more couples then families because of the theme.  The three All-Star Resorts now offer family suites that include a separate bedroom, two bathrooms, kitchenette and enough sleeping room for 6 guests.  While it is a little cramped for 6 adults, unless you are real friendly, for a family with younger children, this option fits the bill perfectly.

At one time the All-Star Resorts were the only value hotels on Walt Disney World property.  WDW saw the need for more value hotels several years back and has now built Pop Century with Disney’s Art of Animation scheduled to open in 2012.  I’m sure Pop Century is a wonderful place to stay, but All-Star Music offers a quaint atmosphere – similar to French Quarter, but is much less expensive.

All-Star Music Resort is divided into 10 different buildings, with Calypso building #1 and #10 being closer to the Intermission Food Court, bus stops and Calypso themed main pool.  The rooms in these buildings are considered an upgrade, which could be a better idea for those who have trouble walking or have smaller kids, but I prefer the privacy and seclusion of the Rock Inn or the Broadway buildings toward the back.  The Country Fair buildings are in the very back and actually sit right behind the Piano Pool, guest laundry and restrooms.  Music sits between Sports and Movies, so both the other All-Star hotels are within an easy walk, if you just need a change of scenery.

Being toward the back of the grounds gives us a chance to chill out at the Piano Pool without the crowds the main Calypso Pool attracts. It is relaxing sitting on the “keys” in the “piano” and dipping those burning tootsies in cool water after a long day in the parks.  There are plenty of tables, chairs and lounge chairs to go around.  I find it a lot less hectic to sit by the less crowded pool having a beverage and doing laundry at my speed.  Not that I do laundry on every trip, but it is nice to have everything clean when you get home.

I stayed in Broadway #8 one year and was located on the 2nd floor.   Looking out the window to see Beauty and the Beast Billboard gave the feeling of being in New York City overlooking Broadway!  What a way to wake up.

I can hear people saying – those rooms are way too small, or the All-Stars have way too many people around, but weighing the pros against the few cons, especially taking into account cost makes Music our resort of choice.

Staying on the parking lot side of the Rock Inn #4 was very peaceful – the room did face out to the cars, but the palm trees and greenery around defuses the view to transport you to a tropical paradise.  This helps to block out any unwanted noise from the traffic.  Having the parking lots so close lets you drive to the Transportation Center instead of walking to the front bus stops, if you prefer.  The shaded walkways meander through lush greenery taking you on a leisurely walk to the parking lot.  We find the front bus stops easy to use, but it is nice to have an option.

There is so much to see and listen to on the way back to your room it is easy to get lost in the atmosphere – Take time to enjoy the Music!

Debbie and her husband live in Collegedale, TN where her youngest son is going to college.  She is a huge Disney fan who dreams of someday retiring and working as a tour guide at Walt Disney World. She has enjoyed many trips to WDW with children, grandchildren and sometimes adults only.  It is her ultimate goal to make sure everyone who visits WDW has the same magical time that she enjoys every time she visits.

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Disney’s Pop Century Resort: Hustle Over For Savings

Guest Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , , , , 7 Comments

I am so excited to announce the addition of some new writers for The Affordable Mouse! Going forward, our Friday post each week will be written by one of 3 very talented…and very Disney-loving ladies. This week, please welcome Kelly (who also happens to write for her own blog, the Disney Guru). Take it away Kelly!

The most fabulous thing about Disney is that there is something for everyone! No matter what your budget or taste there is sure to be a Disney resort that is just right for you. Personally, my lodging experience has taken me through every resort category except for Disney Vacation Club. I have always enjoyed each and every stay while on Disney property.

As you begin to plan your next or first Walt Disney World vacation, besides the time of year you choose to visit, where you choose to stay is one of the most important decisions you will make. Both the time of year and resort location can dictate how much money you save on your vacation.

Are you thinking about saving? Think value…..

While there are a fair share of deluxe and moderate resorts on property think about the value of staying at a value resort. Disney Pop Century Resort is my personal favorite resort on Disney property. This resort has the ability to take you back in time through American pop culture.

Similar to other value resorts on property, Pop Century Resort is divided into themed sections. Each section represents a decade spanning from the 1950’s through the 1990’s. Within each themed decade building is memorabilia that relates directly to that time period. The pop memorabilia is sure to give you some childhood flashbacks. Buildings are adorned with phrases and larger than life icons from each time period.

Like all things Disney, one of the values of staying at Pop Century is the extra attention to small details. Beginning with Classic Hall, the main building, you get the feeling that you are walking into a museum. From the “Hustle” playing on the radio to the nostalgic shadow boxes perfectly aligning the lobby walls….you are sure to take a trip down memory lane. Also included in the Classic Hall building is “Everything Pop”, the resort food court and resort shop.

Be sure to have your camera ready! Once you check in and you make your way through the grounds of the resort, you will be greeted by larger than life icons of the past. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, a 3-story tall big wheel, giant sized rubix cube and Play-Doh are amongst some of the icons you can plan to see on the trip to your room. Say cheese!!!

Pop Century does have rather small rooms but they just went through a refurbishment that includes some really nice additions to help make your stay more magical and spacious. The refurbishment includes removal of wall paper and boarder. As a result a new blue accent wall was added behind the beds. Also, brand new Mickey themed bed spreads with the decade theme have been added. This and the blue wall give the rooms a very clean and warm feeling as you enter your room. Check out the new carpet that has been added….you may see some hidden Mickey’s in it. Disney also removed the old-fashioned TV’s and replaced them with flat screen TV’s…this also allowed for a new TV hutch. Now looking at the new hutch some may think that they lost space, but with some good organization I feel that I gained space. Disney also saw the need to add some hooks in the room; you can now hang up to 5 towels or hoodies on the hooks that are just outside the entrance to the vanity area in your room…yay!!! Last, my very favorite refurbishment is an addition of a curtain to separate the vanity area from the sleeping quarters. Thank you Disney!! We spoke and you listened!!! The addition of the curtain give the vanity area a more private feel, this allows one to use this area as a changing area or a way to filter out light while you get ready and some are still sleeping.

There are two room types at Pop Century. You can opt for a king bed or a room with two doubles. Each room comes with a TV, a seprate vanity or dressing area which includes and open wardrobe area, a small dresser/hutch, and a table and two chairs. You are able to get high-speed internet but no Wi-Fi. The cost for internet is $9.95 per day. Just like all other Disney resorts, mousekeeping is in full swing at Pop Century resort. On some of my most recent stays, I have noticed that upon check in I already have towel creatures waiting for me in my room….how fun is that?

To go along with the pop culture theme, Pop Century has 3 great pools!! Each pool is themed appropriately for the decade it resides in: a bowling pin pool in the 50’s section, a flower power pool in the 60’s and a computer themed pool shared by the 80’s and 90’s. The 70’s section does not have a pool but does have a giant sized game of Twister….be sure to check that out and again, have your camera ready!!

If you like a special beverage while on vacation take a stroll over to Petals Pool Bar…they can whip up some groovy concoctions!!!

Last and certainly, not least, is the food court at Pop Century. I have been on Disney discussion boards for years and “ Everything Pop” (the food court) always gets high praise as one of the best if not the best food court on Disney property. You can to find items such as, sandwiches, salads, pizza, pasta, Asian cuisine and bakery items. A few of my personal favorites are the Tie Dye cheese cake, and chicken Mediterranean flat bread….yummy!!! In addition to a plethora of food choices you will also enjoy their drink refill station, there are plenty of pop fountains to for you to choose from. Around the corner from the bakery the Disney channel plays on a screen for kids. The kids can enjoy some relaxation time on the carpet while you have some relaxation time on the chair. 🙂

What about the transportation?

Pop Century resort has a great bussing system. I just love the fact that there is a line for each stop, this keeps all of the patrons in order 🙂 . We have stayed there 5 times and have very rarely ever waited over 10 minutes for a bus. Another great feature is that this resort does not share buses with any other resort…yay!!

Rates for the Pop Century Resort range from $82 per night during value season to $160 per night during peak season, like holidays.

When you stay at Pop Century you are sure to save a ton of money and yet you do not have to forego any of the Disney magic while doing it. Hustle your way to the Pop Century….you are sure to have a groovy time!

Kelly, her husband, and three children live in the Chicagoland area. Kelly has been traveling to Walt Disney World since the age of two. She considers Walt Disney World to be her primary vacation destination.  With 20 plus trips under her belt she still enjoys researching and learning new things about the most magical place on earth! Kelly began Disney Guru in August of 2010 with the vision of sharing fun vacation tips and magic with all fans of Disney World.

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Tuesday Disney Tips: Ten Reasons Why I Love Disney’s Moderate Resorts

Brenda Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Accommodations, Tuesday Disney Tips , , , , , , 8 Comments

Although we are happy we splurged on a great new experience this year by staying in the theme-park view room at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (the iconic deluxe resort of Walt Disney World) my husband and I both agreed that we would not do that again anytime soon. The trip was quite expensive for us to manage and, truthfully, we enjoy the moderate resorts. What is so special about them? Here are my top ten reasons you gotta love the moderates:

1.         Mousekeeping: Mousekeeping is awesome at moderates. They always do a great job at keeping everything clean and they are very friendly.

2.         Wide-open spaces: We like the wide open spaces at the moderate resorts. The grounds are beautiful at the Port Orleans; the Caribbean Beach Resort is tropical and tranquil and we enjoy being outdoors so this is perfect for us. Also, rabbits, squirrels, and sometimes a chipmunk or two can be seen lurking about.

3.         Special touches: There are little special touches you receive at the moderates, like towel animals. There is nothing that says “Welcome back” like little towel animals in your room. Regrettably, we did not see any sign of a towel animal at the Contemporary.

4.         Stairs: I do not like waiting for elevators only to find that 1000 other people will rush in even when you were waiting first. Truth be known, I prefer to take the stairs. Granted, some of the resorts are three stories, but they are an easy trek.

5.         The Staff: The cast members at the moderates are friendly and courteous. Of course, some are cast members extraordinaire but, generally, all are very friendly.

6.         The Guests: I like the guests that stay at moderate resorts. They are friendly and easy to start a conversation with and are usually very happy to be enjoying the resort as well.

7.         Theming: I enjoy the theming at the moderate resorts. From the detail in the building design, to the plants and flowers adorning the property and chosen specifically for that landscape, to the themed-pools. I also thoroughly enjoy the way music appropriate to the theme is piped in around the resorts such as calypso music at the Caribbean Beach Resort or Cajun music at Port Orleans French Quarter. Disney has done a fantastic job with the theming.

8.         Entertainment:  There is great entertainment at one moderate property in particular. If you have not been to Bob Jackson’s show at the Port Orleans Riverside, add it to your list for your next trip. He is awesome. You can read a previous blog article for more detailed information on Bob.

9.         Resort-specific foods: You can find foods specific to the resort when at the Port Orleans Riverside (pralines) or French Quarter (beignets). Mmm, these deep-fried donut-type treats, rolled in powder sugar, just melt in your mouth and they can ONLY be found here.

10.     Boat Rides: Both the Port Orleans properties offer a boat ride to and from Downtown Disney, which is a very enjoyable little trip.

These are my top ten reasons for loving Disney’s moderate resorts. To find out more about any of these wonderful resorts, visit Disney’s resort page. Let me know your thoughts on your own preferred resorts.

Brenda is a native Texan born and raised on the Gulf Coast. She visited Disney World twice as a teenager and always dreamed of growing her family Disney. She took her first-timer husband and their three children to Disney World in 2000 and they now spend every Thanksgiving there. Brenda writes with a comedic twist on various Disney topics. She will be sharing tips she has learned during her travels and also hopes to enlighten people on little-known freebies that Disney has to offer. She wishes she could have met Walt Disney and considers herself to be a student of Walt. In parallel to his dream it is her wish that everyone would take at least one trip to Disney World in order to share in its magic with their families.

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Tuesday Disney Tips: The Cost of Free Disney Dining

Brenda Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Dining Plans, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Food, Tuesday Disney Tips , , , , , , 8 Comments

My family has been blessed to enjoy the Free Disney Dining program for the past two years. If you have decided that the free dining plan is the best deal for you, take note of these budgeting tips. Although it is hard to believe, the free dining plan is just that. The first time we took advantage of this program, I was very skeptical about what the meals would entail. Would we have to choose between two items, neither of which we liked? Would we get the entrée free, but have to pay for the sides? The answer is no. On the free dining plan, you will receive wonderful menu items with sides, desserts, drinks – and all for free.

If you have chosen the Quick Service Dining Plan and you intend to eat only at the quick service restaurants and only get the snacks allowed on the plan as well, then you will not need to budget a cent for any meal expenses whatsoever.  If you have decided that you prefer the Regular Disney Dining Plan or higher, however, you will need to budget gratuities into your spending allowance.

Although you will receive all the food and drinks at your table service meals for free, you are expected to pay gratuities at these restaurants.  Whether the restaurant is an all-you-can-eat buffet, such as the Tusker House breakfast at the Animal Kingdom, or a menu table service restaurant such as Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot, your wait staff should be tipped. You will need to allow for this expense in your budget so I am going to give two quick examples of the amounts you would need to budget for table service dining. These are actual figures charged for my family of five this past November.

The first example is for an all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast at Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom. At Donald’s Safari Breakfast at Tusker House (yes, this is also a character breakfast), we enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet loaded with delicious breakfast food choices, pots of coffee and a delicious house fruit juice. The charge for our family of 5 adults, if we had not been on the free dining plan, would have been $143.73. Our server, JW, did a fantastic job taking care of us and so we tipped him $25.87 (18%).

Let’s take a closer look at what this all-you-can-eat buffet meal consisted of: a waffle station, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, French toast, yam casserole, cereal, biscuits & gravy, veggie frittata, ham & cheese frittata, cheese blintzes, beef Bobotie quiche, Dino hash, carved rotisserie honey ham, oatmeal, cinnamon rolls, croissants, muffins, bagels, assorted breads, turnovers, assorted cream cheeses, jams, jellies and fruit chutneys, yogurt station, fresh fruit, assorted freshly-made donuts and sweet breads, pancakes with assorted toppings, and danish. Plus all the coffee, tea, juice, milk, chocolate milk and soda we wanted.

All the food is delicious at Tusker House and we ate until we were quite full. Remember, we paid only $25.87 for all of this.

The second example is a menu-item dinner at Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot. At Le Cellier, we each ordered steak entrees with accompanying side, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. The meal would have cost us $236.00. Matt was a great guy and was extremely attentive to our every need so we left him a tip of 20%, or $47.20.

Let’s take a closer look at what we ordered:

Entrees: two New York Strip steaks topped with Bercy butter and served with gryuere yukon gold potato gratin; two Coffee-rubbed Kansas City Strip steaks with hazelnut butter, served with cream cheese mashed potatoes; and one Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon, served with wild mushroom risotto and white truffle-herb butter sauce.  For dessert: three Maple Creme Brulees and two Chocolate on Chocolate Whiskey Cakes finished with honey-thyme anglaise and a chocolate vanilla walnut sauce. Our drinks consisted of two iced teas and three sodas.

Please keep in mind that this is some of the most delicious food Disney has to offer by extraordinary chefs. To reiterate, we paid $47.20.

As you can see, then, the amount you must budget for your meal expense on the Regular Dining Plan during Free Dining is almost laughable considering all that you receive. Still, you do need to budget for the gratuities so you don’t end up short. Over our 10 days and 9 nights at Disney World, for a family of 5 adults, we paid a TOTAL of $248.87 for all of our delicious meals combined. Considering that we began with 45 table service credits, 45 quick service credits, and 45 snack credits and, thus, ate 90 full meals and 45 snack meals during our trip, $248.87 is quite a great deal.

Even as I am typing this, reality is hitting me and I am thinking ‘my goodness, we ate a ridiculous amount of food for $248.87.’ I have only covered two table service meals out of the 9 we consumed; or 10 meal credits out of the 90 we enjoyed during our trip.  The best thing is that these meals are not paper bag meals these are some of the best choices prepared by the best chefs at Disney World and it is an awesome deal.

If you have any questions at all about how to use the dining plan or about specific restaurants, please feel free to contact me at bootskenworthy@aol.com. I will be happy to help you plan for your wonderful Disney trip!

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The Affordable Mouse is Celebrating a Birthday!

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations , , , , 3 Comments

I am excited to be celebrating our First Birthday this week! One year ago I made the decision to move The Affordable Mouse from a little blog with occasional posts to a “grown-up” website and blog. Just a year later, we have grown to be quite the community, with a Facebook page now as well, that is closing in on having 350 fans…and growing!

As I begin our second year, it is a great time for me to share with you a few things that I am working on, that will all hopefully be finalized before the end of 2010…as well as some ideas I have for the coming year:

  • Website re-design: As our community has grown, it is important for me to be able to provide a better way for you to find the information that you need to save money at Disney World. In addition, I have things that I have been wanting to add to the site as well 🙂 so this is the perfect time to for me to do some re-designing. My plans are that the finished product will be done before Christmas and once complete will provide an improved experience for you! Stay tuned for details!
  • Affordable Disney Dining Guide: This project that was born as a result of your responses to a survey that I ran in the spring, is in the editing stages now, and so is nearly finished! I currently expect to release it as an e-book right after the 1st of the year, just in time for your 2011 vacation planning!
  • The Affordable Mouse Community: In many ways, this part is the most important to me, because it is at the heart of why I started The Affordable Mouse in the first place. My vision for this site has always been one of a community of Disney World-lovers, where ideas, tips, and suggestions for saving money on a Disney World vacation are shared. I may have started it….but my hope over the coming years, is that this site and blog will eventually grow into a place where anyone who needs help making Disney vacations affordable, can come to ask questions. Our online “family” is pretty diverse: many of you are experienced Walt Disney World veterans, with many visits under your belt…but many of you found us because you are brand new, and looking for help. And one of the things that I love about Disney folk…is that we are a friendly, helpful sort of folk, willing to share advice and provide help to other Disney folk! 🙂

So, it is my hope, in 2011, to grow The Affordable Mouse community by getting more of YOU involved! Our Facebook      page is certainly a start, where a number of you already comment and share ideas, and I hope that will continue to expand. But beyond that, please feel free to ask questions there as well, and don’t be shy or worry about it being a “dumb” question: we’ve all been there once! Please also share your thoughts and ideas by commenting on our daily blog posts: I would love to see some real conversations begin to start in the comments every day! If you have experience with the topic, please share. If you have something helpful to add, please share that too!

It is here with the Blog that I am truly hoping to grow our community! As you know, Brenda recently began contributing articles on a weekly basis and she has done a wonderful job of adding an additional viewpoint, as well as some fresh, new ideas. I would love to expand on this and have more of you share your expertise as well! So if you like to write, and would be interested in contributing articles to The Affordable Mouse blog, please let me know! Send me an email at nancy@theaffordablemouse.com and let me know your background and Disney “history”. Professional experience is certainly not required: what is needed however, is a love for Walt Disney World, and an interest in sharing ways to save money on a Disney vacation.  It is also not necessary to contribute weekly either: if you just wish to share an article once or twice a month that would be awesome too! (Please be aware though, that this is, unfortunately, not a paid position: your only pay will be sharing the Disney magic with others. 🙂 )

Lastly, I would really love to know what ideas YOU have for growing our Disney World money-saving community! Message boards/forums? Monthly podcasts or webinars? YouTube videos? Something else? Please let me know your thoughts: Growing our community is one of my goals for 2011, but clearly it can’t be done without you! So send me an email, post on the Facebook page, or comment on a blog post and let me know your ideas for creating a sharing community!

Thanks so much for reading, and thanks so much for making 2010 such an amazing year for The Affordable Mouse! “Meeting” all of you is something that I am truly thankful for…and I can’t wait to see what great things 2011 has in store for all of us!

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