Saving Money at Disney World - The Memorable Journey ~ The Affordable Mouse

Thrifty Thursday: Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Brenda Thrifty Thursday March 3, 2011March 2, 2011magic kingdom, mickey's philharmagic, planning a disney vacation, walt disney world, what to do at disney world 2 Comments

Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/clydeorama

One of my family’s favorite attractions at the Magic Kingdom is Mickey’s PhilharMagic. This indoor show is all about Disney; a fantastic example of Disney 4-D at its best!

During our recent trip, we were within a large crowd in Fantasyland, waiting for the cast members to drop the ropes following the Wishes fireworks show. We decided to head to Mickey’s PhilharMagic as it only had a 5-minute wait at the time. We noticed a man struggling to keep his daughter (approximately 4 yo) and his son (approximately 2 yo) entertained while trying to struggle with more patience himself. We suggested that they head to the PhilharMagic, too. He said he had not been inside asked what it was, so we told him it was a great show and that we thought the kids would love it. When we left the theater, we found him at the exit and asked him how they liked it. He said they loved it and thanked us for suggesting it. I thought I would take a few minutes today to share some information about this great FREE show as well.

Minnie Minus Mickey: A Single Mom Plans for Walt Disney World

Guest Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Minnie Minus Mickey February 25, 2011February 25, 2011affordable disney vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, disney vacation tips, single parents and disney world 7 Comments

Editor’s note: Please welcome our newest writer, Jolie, to The Affordable Mouse writing staff. Jolie is planning a Disney vacation as a single mom, and will be sharing her planning experiences here in a new monthly column. She has some great stories to tell and…well…I think I’ll let her tell you herself. 🙂 Take it away Jolie!

Happy Friday, my Disney friends…or friends-to-be, I should say. Hi, I’m Jolie, the newest writer for The Affordable Mouse, and I am just thrilled to be here, sharing what I know and what I’m learning!

I’ve had a lifelong love of Disney. I was fortunate enough to go as a child, and again as a teen with a musical theatre group. I grew up with the dream of becoming a character at Walt Disney World, and my parents, being the wonderful, amazing people they are, gave me that opportunity when I was barely 20. I flew down (my super-supportive Dad came along, of course!), auditioned, even made it to the costume fittings (I was JUST the right size for Tweedle-Dum and Dee, go figure), and in my final dance, wearing the costume…FELL. FELL! On my Tweedle-Dum bum. Not only did I FALL, but I fell right on top of a giant Mickey-ears hat, and of course…it broke. Thank goodness my faithful father was there to support the mass of tears that came out of the audition room! I was offered a wonderful position at the Boardwalk’s ESPN Club, and I just loved it there.

Thrifty Thursday: Travel on the Walt Disney World Ferry Boat

Brenda Thrifty Thursday February 24, 2011February 25, 2011disney ferryboats, disney world ferries, disney world transportation, thrifty thursday, walt disney world 6 Comments

Photo courtesy of www.disneyshawn.blogspot.com

Disney’s ferry boat system is one of the great, FREE ways to travel during your visit to Walt Disney World. The ferries are similar to any you would find in any city in America; with an upper and a lower deck connected by two interior stairways. There are three different ferryboats that run from the Transportation & Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom park and back. Although not as much a part of the Disney transportation system that they once were, but I am hoping to encourage you to try this treasure as part of your next WDW trip.

One of the special things I really enjoy during our annual trip is riding the ferry on the way to the Magic Kingdom on our first day in the park. While many people flood to the front of the boat, I like to head upstairs to grab a great spot from which to see the beautiful scenery. The ride reminds me of when I was a little girl growing up in Galveston, Texas. My grandfather was a Ferryboat Captain with the Galveston Island-Port Bolivar Ferry and I spent many hours through the years on journeys across Galveston Bay. My grandpa used to let me into the wheelhouse to sit upon his lap and “drive” the ferry. As the Disney Ferryboat glides through the water toward our most anticipated destination, I reminisce of many special memories and revel in every second of it. For those of you who don’t have special childhood memories of ferry rides, I would like to try to convince you to give the ferry system a try.

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 February 21, 2011March 11, 2011affordable dining at disney world, affordable disney vacations, disney world dining, planning a disney vacation, planning meals at disney world, saving money on food at disney world, walt disney world 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.

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

Debbie Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money at Disney World, Saving Money on Accommodations February 18, 2011February 15, 2011affordable disney vacations, disney all star movies, disney value resorts, disney world resorts, planning a disney vacation, walt disney world 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.