Thrifty Thursday: Picture Perfect with Disney

Editor’s Note: I am pleased to introduce you to Tina who is joining us on The Affordable Mouse! Tina will be sharing the Thrifty Thursday column with Melissa Sue and is looking forward to sharing her tips for saving time and money at Disney World. We are thrilled to welcome Tina to our family!  🙂

One of my favorite souvenirs from our trips to Disney is my photos!  There is nothing like having a great collection of pictures that remind us of how fun and special our trip was.

I always grab a Photo Pass from one of the many professional photographers stationed at the front of every park, and usually at key spots.  Here is a list of places you can find them. You just need one pass for the whole trip (if you have a big party than you may want to get two.) To be honest, I don’t think that Disney’s professional pictures are a superb deal…it’s a whopping $149.95 for your professional memories on CD.  You can order this online when you get home.  One good thing about these pricey photos is that photographers can do really cool things with them like put Tinker Bell in your little ones’ hands or Mickey balloons behind your family, fun stuff!  Only buy the CD if you think it’s worth it, some people say you can’t put a price on good memories!  You can save money by pre-ordering your Disney Photo Pass CD before your trip; it’s a better deal for $99.95. Read more

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Thrifty Thursday: The Contents of My Disney Post-Trip Suitcase

My next Walt Disney World vacation is in only 13 days and I am already making a list of all the items I plan to have packed into my checked bag on the way home. There are many items I feel I need to grab and, since I do have adult-onset ADD, I even have to make a list for this. I don’t want to call it a “shopping list” because I have an aversion to shopping. So, here is a list of the items which will make up the contents of my post-trip suitcase:

  • Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party merchandise, which can only be purchased during the party.
  • The first of many collectibles for my new grand-princess, Aleyah’s, brand new Disney collection. Thank you for replying to Tuesday’s post with your ideas, and thank you especially to Richard Trethewey. After receiving all your great suggestions, I called my son and asked him his opinion of my final 3 choices (pins, mini-snowglobes, and Precious Moments) and he chose MINI-SNOWGLOBES. He chose these for 2 reasons: I have a large snowglobe collection so hers would be like mine but for her size (how cute) and he said that someday he will build her a cabinet to hold all her special snowglobes from Mimi (the nickname they are calling me) so I will be purchasing her first mini-snowglobe this trip – a Mickey of course.
  • Several varieties of candy from Goofy’s Candy Co. This will be important to a brand new holiday tradition. It will be the authentic Disney items I will include in my new holiday decorating tradition of creating an in-house, old-fashioned candy store.
  • An ornament for my hubby, one for each of my kids, and one for my new grand-princess for this year’s tree.
  • A 2011 pin from Port Orleans Riverside.
  • A 2011 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party pin.
  • A Muppet t-shirt with Animal on the drums that my oldest son, Johnnie, saw several years ago in the parks – hope I can find it.
  • An Ariel travel mug which was available on disneystore.com for a very short period of time. I hope I can find one in the park for Kristen.
  • 40th Anniversary Mickey Ears for my collection.
  • New Grumpy boxers for my hubby, Butch, and something special for my youngest, Josh.
  • Mementos collected during the trip.
  • A photo album for the pics from this trip.
  • A Mickey business card holder for my desk.
  • Giveaway items for upcoming site giveaways on my personal blog, Ideally Disney.
  • Confirmation for reservations made on a bounce-back offer (keeping my fingers crossed).

Anticipating every aspect of the trip just adds to the excitement of going to Walt Disney World. One thing is for sure, the contents of my suitcase on the way back will far outweigh the contents on the way there, literally. What better reason is there to check a bag?

Bringing some Disney home is the best way to hold onto great memories while tiding you over until your next visit. So, what will make up the contents of your post-trip suitcase?

Find out how the FREE services of a Disney World travel agent can make planning your Disney vacation simple…and for a limited time, get a FREE Disney gift card when you book your trip with me! ($2000 minimum package cost)

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: What’s In Your Disney Collection?

I know this seems strange as my Tuesday Disney Tip usually has a tip or two from me to you, but I am having the devil of a time trying to figure out about Disney collectibles and I really need your help.

I have an extensive collection of Disney snowglobes (some are pictured here). I truly enjoy looking at them and turning on the lights, and enjoying the music and motion. You may have read about my favorite in my “Disney Favorites” article. Read more

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Disney Vacation Planning: Kelly’s Favorite Tips

Hello Affordable Mouse fans!! This month we are talking all about our favorite Disney Travel Tips. So grab an iced cold beverage and enjoy the ride as I take you on an inside look at how my family and I make our Walt Disney World vacations affordable and successful!

Favorite Disney Travel Planning Tips (this is before you travel)

I always say that planning your Walt Disney World vacation is an attraction in itself. Planning your trip is what starts to get you pumped for the day you depart.  It is VERY important to plan your trip in advance, especially if you are a new Disney traveler. Planning helps you budget better, get more bang for your buck and feel like you got the most for the money. Do you see a theme here? Money!!! Read more

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Thrifty Thursday: Tips for Making Your Disney Dream Come True

As you read on Tuesday, I have recently been reminiscing about my family’s trips to Walt Disney World while preparing the board for my son’s upcoming graduation party. In remembering all of our wonderful times, it became increasingly important to me to make sure that I have done my part to try to make a Disney vacation seem attainable to everyone – even those who think there is no way to visit without spending a fortune.

Walt always said, “if you can dream it you can do it.” Today, I am going to give you the insight on every tried and true money-saving tip that my family has used throughout the years. I am hoping that by incorporating any or all of these ideas, you can make your dream of taking a Disney vacation a reality for you and your family. Read more

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