Saving Money at Disney World

Tips for Using the Affordable Disney Vacation Planning Worksheets

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Food, Saving Money on Souvenirs , , , , 2 Comments

You told me you wanted worksheets to help you budget your Disney World vacation, and ways to stay organized with all the vacation details. Well your wish is my command. 🙂

Late last week I finally finished 3 new worksheets for you and uploaded them to the site. If you haven’t yet seen them, you can find links to all 3 on the Planning Worksheets page.

While there is a quick overview of each on that page, I wanted to take today’s post to elaborate just a bit and provide a tutorial that will hopefully help you to use them. But first, a few things for you to know…

First, they were all created as Excel worksheets, so if you have Excel installed on your computer, they should open up just fine. Each link goes directly to the worksheet: simply save each one into a folder on your computer so you can find it later! If you don’t have Excel, no worries because you can download the free program Open Office, that allows you to create documents, PDFs, spreadsheets and more that are all fully compatible with Microsoft Office. And again, it’s free! If you are going to use Open Office, once the program is downloaded, you should be able to open the worksheets in one of two ways:

  1. Click on each worksheet and it will open automatically in Open Office (you may need to “tell” it what program to use to do this) or
  2. Open Open Office and click on the spreadsheet icon. Once that opens, go to the file menu in the upper left corner, click “open” and select which worksheet you want to use…and it should open automatically.

OK, worksheets open: here’s the second thing you will want to know. Each sheet has cells where you can input your own information, while the rest of the sheet you cannot edit. Sorry, but since I created the sheets, I didn’t want changes to them going all over cyberspace…but still having my name on them. Hope you understand. 🙂 The important thing here though, is that the things you need to edit for your own use, you can.

The last thing to know is what you do with them once you are finished. Basically, if you have saved your edited version, then when you get ready to leave on your vacation, you can print out what you want to take with you. Even better, smartphones and blackberries make it easy to have an electronic version with you stored in your phone! Just send it to your phone, save it so you can pull it up when needed, and voila, your vacation details in the palm of your hand. 🙂 I do love technology sometimes……

Now let’s take a look at each sheet.

ADR Information Sheet

First there is the ADR Information Sheet: On this sheet, the Column Headings and top row with examples of how to fill it out (in red) you cannot edit. The rest of the sheet you can. So as you plan your Advanced Dining Reservations, use this little sheet to have all the information for each ADR together, in one place. I have found this truly important to have, in case I need to doublecheck, or change an ADR. I also like to make sure that I have noted when the ADR was made and who I spoke to (in case there is a problem). This sheet will also help you keep track of Disney Dining Plan table service credits, and/or how much you need to budget to eat there, as well as if there is a credit card hold for the restaurant.

Vacation Itinerary

The Vacation Itinerary is a formal version of what I have used on every Disney vacation (or every vacation for that matter) that I have ever taken. (In it’s earliest forms, it was hand written in a small notebook that came with me everywhere on our vacation.) I really like to have all my details for each day, all in one place, so I can at a glance, know who/what/where/when/why we are doing anything. This includes budget: I have found the absolute best way to make sure we don’t go over budget on a vacation, is to know how much I have to spend each day, and on what. That’s how much we take with us, the rest stays back in the safe at the room.

So the Vacation Itinerary basically has one sheet per day. You start with your Arrival Day, which has your travel information, hotel reservations/location, as well as a section for estimated expenses for the day. The left hand column you cannot edit, everything under Information/Numbers and Notes you can.

Next come Vacation Days. I made a number of these so you can have one for each day (if you need more days, then just open it a second time). Here you can enter as much information for each day of your Disney vacation as you like. I know many people get involved with touring plans, etc. We have never been quite so formal: Basically I like to know park hours, what is most important for us to see (so we make sure we get to it), any shows or parades if it matters, as well as ADR information. Take the ADR info from the ADR Information Sheet and plug it in here so you have it https://theaffordablemouse.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpwith you. And again, an estimated budget for the day. 🙂

And then lastly is the Departure Day, which is fairly similar to Arrival Day.

Disney Vacation Budget Plan Sheet

The Disney World Vacation Budget Plan basically covers (hopefully!) just about anything you would conceivably spend money on. There are sections labeled “other” for things not listed. 🙂 The Budget Plan covers Transportation, Accommodations, Tickets, Entertainment, Meals, and Miscellaneous expenses. For every category except Meals, you edit “Column D” by inputting your estimated expenses, and the spreadsheet will subtotal each section for you, and provide you with a total for that entire category:

In the Meals category, you will figure your cost per day (Column B) enter then number of days (Column C), and then Column D will give you the total. There is an area to compute this using the Dining Plan or paying by cash. Important Note: The Cost per adult/day or Cost per child/day for the Dining Plan will be changed to reflect the number of people. You will note the TOTAL amount per day for ALL adults and for ALL children.

At the very bottom of the sheet, the subtotals for each category will be totaled for a complete Disney vacation budget. 🙂

So there you have it. Hopefully this tutorial will help you to make the most of these Disney planning worksheets. If you have any questions, please ask in the comments, or send me an email at nancy@theaffordablemouse.com.

Happy planning!

Affordable Disney World Dining: Table Service Restaurants

Nancy Saving Money on Food , , , 2 Comments

Many of you told me you want more information on restaurants, dining, and how to save money on food. As promised, I am taking the next several months….or however long it takes….to go through the different aspects of Disney World dining, which will hopefully provide you the help you need. But be sure to ask questions along the way! Simply comment below, or leave a message on our Facebook page, and I’ll do my best to answer. 🙂

So let’s get started with talking about Disney World’s sit-down restaurants…or as Disney likes to refer to them, the Table Service restaurants.

There are over 50 Table Service restaurants at Walt Disney World, with dining experiences ranging from casual and perfect for family fun to an elegant evening that would be appreciated by any gourmet. And with food representing nearly every type of cuisine you can think of, there is pretty much something for everyone.

Within the Table Service category, Disney further divides this group into 3 “experiences”:

  1. Fine or Signature Dining
  2. Casual Dining (Not to be confused with Quick Service which is basically counter food…and a subject for a different blog post )
  3. Character Meals (Our topic for next week 🙂 )

Fine/Signature Dining

Signature Dining is the best Walt Disney World has to offer…and that best is pretty darn good. It comes at a price though, with entrees for this tier typically being well over $20, usually more like $30+. Still, if you are looking for gourmet offerings, served in an elegant atmosphere where you may actually forget you are at a theme park, then you may want to check out one or two of these exceptional restaurants.

Be prepared to spend a good deal of money for a signature dining experience. Using Table Service credits from the Disney Dining Plan may make it a bit easier to justify, but be advised that most Signature restaurants will require 2 Table Service credits, so plan accordingly. Even so, we have found that we are typically paying less per person for one of these restaurants by using Dining Plan credits than if we were paying out of pocket.

Now are they worth the money? If you enjoy fine food, wine, and atmosphere, and don’t mind spending several hours on a meal while at Disney World, absolutely yes!

Casual Dining

The vast majority of Disney World Table Service restaurants fall into this category, and there are many to choose from. Whether you wish to eat at the resorts, theme parks, or Downtown Disney you are likely to find a casual restaurant that serves the type of cuisine you are interested in. While the biggest concentration of Casual/Table Service restaurants is at World Showcase in Epcot, you will also find some great choices at both Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. And keep in mind that a number of the resorts have very nice restaurants but may not get the traffic that the theme park restaurants get which is kind of nice. And Downtown Disney also offers some excellent choices: a number of these restaurants are not owned by Disney however, so be cautious when booking here if you plan to use the Dining Plan and make sure your choice is on the Dining Plan list.

While these are also table service restaurants, they typically will be more “child friendly” than the Signature Dining restaurants. A bit larger, a bit noisier, service is also usually going to move the meal along quicker, since these restaurants are generally pretty busy. Keep in mind as well that the popularity of many of the Casual restaurants can make getting reservations quite challenging at times of the year…particularly those that are located in the theme parks.

The cost of an entrée at these restaurants will typically range between $10-$20, so while less expensive than a Fine Dining restaurant, you could still find yourself with a bill in the vicinity of $80 for two adults. This should be a consideration if you wish to eat dinner at more than one Casual restaurant, because again, buying the Disney Dining Plan will probably save you money.

Is it worth the money to eat at a Casual restaurant? I think that answer really depends on the individual family. Know your family’s likes and dislikes, and what everyone has the patience for, before you decide. Many families with small children who may not want to sit for a longish meal, or may not like the food choices find that Quick Service meals are best for them.

But….if you like to sit down and relax over a nice meal each day, and your family enjoys new food experiences…then by all means, plans for some Casual restaurants to be part of your Disney World dining.

You can learn more about the Table Service dining choices at the Disney World website. For more detailed information about Walt Disney World restaurant experiences, including reviews, menu information, pictures and more, I always recommend a visit to The Disney Food Blog.

Survey Says: You Have Disney Questions! Now For the Answers…

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning, Saving Money on Food , 1 Comment

I really enjoyed reading the survey results from a few weeks ago. I appreciate the fact that so many of you took the time to share your thoughts and tell me what would really help you in planning an affordable Disney World vacation. What was especially interesting to me was the consistency in what you need: a lot of you voiced the same frustrations, and have many of the same questions….and are looking for the same types of Disney vacation planning tools.

Here are the main things that you told me you wanted help with, in descending order:

  1. Disney Dining. There are many questions about Disney restaurants, cost of meals, what to budget for food, using the Dining Plan and even just needing more ideas for saving money on food. I agree: this can be an especially frustrating area of Disney planning, especially so because it is such a large part of any Disney vacation budget.
  2. Planning spreadsheets. You are looking for ways to keep your planning organized, as well as tools that will help you budget. And a number of you are looking for something small and simple that keeps track of everything, which you can bring to the parks with you.
  3. Accommodations. Another big expense on a Disney vacation, many of you want more in-depth information about your options.
  4. What is the most affordable way for me? There are a number of you that want assistance trying to figure out the most affordable way to get to Disney World. There are so many options to choose from, you worry that you might not be picking the one that will save you the most money.

Well, your wish is my command. 🙂 I am happy to help and am really looking forward to being able to provide you with the information you need to save money at Disney World. In fact, I can’t wait to get started.

However, I won’t be able to do it all at once! So, my plan is tackle each item, one at a time, in the following ways:

  1. Disney World Dining information will be shared weekly in my Monday blog posts, starting next week. For at least the next couple of months, I will discuss a number of different aspects of saving money on your food. I recognize however, that blog posts won’t necessarily dig deep enough into all the details, so at the same time, I will be creating a Disney World Dining Guide. This Guide will use the posts as a base, but will be far more involved. Some of you won’t need this much detail, but for those of you that do, it will be available for you.
  2. Planning spreadsheets are being created as we speak! 🙂 Since I am a planner by nature and live by my spreadsheets, I will basically be formalizing something for you that I am already using. And I will happily make these available to you for FREE, once I am done…which will hopefully be by the end of July.
  3. Accommodations will be discussed, starting in a few months, once I finish the dining. While many of you need help with where to stay, more of you need help with dining, so that is where I am starting.:)
  4. What is the most affordable option? This one is kind of tough, because it is so individual! Everyone’s situation is different, so the right thing for one person is not necessarily the right thing for another. At the same time, I also recognize that it can be overwhelming and at times confusing to know the best way to plan for your family. And having someone to just point you in the right direction can be a huge help.

That was one of the reasons I designed the survey, so that I can be sure to be addressing YOUR needs, and answering YOUR questions. However, my worry is that I can’t write everything fast enough to help you in your Disney vacation planning, especially if you are visiting Disney World in the near future.

But….I have an idea, and I am wondering if you might be interested…

Would it be helpful to have someone to just talk to personally about your Disney vacation, to ask questions and get suggestions about the best way to save money at Disney World? One-on-one time to figure it all out?

If so, then let me know! I want to be able to help you out, so I am going to try something out to see if there is a need. If you want someone to personally help you with your planning, email me at nancy@theaffordablemouse.com and I’ll set up a 30 minute Disney vacation planning call with you. Just the two of us, to talk over your questions, and hopefully help you figure out the best way for you to plan an affordable Disney vacation. Kind of like a talking, personalized Disney vacation guidebook. 🙂

Now there is one thing: while I would love to be able to do this for free, unfortunately I just can’t. 🙁  However, the cost will be minimal, I promise. (After all, I want to help you *save money*!)  So if this is something you are interested in, let me know, and we can chat more.

(Please keep in mind that I am not a travel agent: this does not involve me booking anything for you, nor would I be selling you on any specific type of vacation. This is merely personal assistance in Disney vacation planning that I am offering, if you need it. We’ll talk about it, I’ll help you decide what is best for you, and then you’ll do the rest.)

This is just a trial for now. I’ll see what kind of interest there is, what additional help you need, and we’ll go from there.

In the meantime, watch for your FREE planning tools and spreadsheets in the near future, and the beginning of the Disney Dining posts coming next week!

Oh, and one more thing: let me know what you think, and if I am on the right track for what you need. Either leave a comment, post on Facebook, or feel free to send me an email. Thanks and as always….have a magical day!

Readers Tips for Saving Money at Disney World

Nancy Affordable Disney Vacations, Disney Vacation Planning , 1 Comment

There are a lot of great Disney bloggers out there with really interesting and helpful information. Recently, Amanda from The Disney College Blog asked her readers to offer their suggestions for saving money at Disney World, since she has a trip planned and is, in her words “a poor college student”. She got lots of great ideas! Here are a few:

Eating Breakfast in Your Room…
“oatmeal packets for breakfast, pb&j’s for lunch, and trail mix for snacks – saves TONS of $$$ (more for #wdw merchandise!)” – pixienancy on Twitter

“Eat breakfast in the room! Pop Tarts & Rice Krispie Treats work great! :)” – BeOurGuestMike on Twitter

“As do Little Debbie donuts :)” – bill_in_ma on Twitter

“We usually bring cereal & pop tarts & eat breakfast in our room each day (except last day then character bfst)” – mccato on Twitter

You can read the rest of the post and the many helpful affordable Disney vacation tips over at her blog.

We’re Chatting About Disney Vacation Rental Homes at Chip and Co. Today

Nancy Chip and Co. Posts, Saving Money on Accommodations , , , 1 Comment

Have you ever thought of staying in a vacation home at Walt Disney World, in order to accommodate a larger group more comfortably…and to save money as well? If you have not, but are finding it challenging to find a place to stay for your large family or group that is affordable, then you may want to consider it….and you may want to read my post over at Chip and Co. today:

Is Renting a Vacation Home at Disney the Right Choice for You?

I got into an interesting discussion with a friend recently, who is planning a Disney World vacation with extended family. We were talking about the various options for where to stay: official Disney resort, off-property hotel, or vacation home or condo. It was kind of interesting, as they all have pros and cons, and when it comes to deciding the best option, especially if you are trying to have as affordable a Disney vacation as possible….as she was….then the picture isn’t always black and white. As she was leaning towards renting a home, I’m going to focus this post on the pros and cons of vacation home rental at Disney, and then would like to hear from you……

You can read the rest of the post here.

And please leave me your thoughts about whether you would ever consider this, and especially if you have done it. I would love to know if you would rent a vacation home at Disney again!

Have a magical day!