We’re Having a Birthday…and Celebrating with Disney Giveaways!

A little over two years ago, I had the crazy idea to start a blog about Walt Disney World. A number of things contributed to this, but the main reasons were probably a couple of questions that I get asked a lot:

  • “Why do you go to Disney World all the time? Don’t you get tired of it?”
  • “How do you afford to go to Disney World so often?”

Having a friend who knew all about blogs and such, I was encouraged to share my love for the Mouse and my desire to answer those questions, by starting a little blog of my own. First hosted over on Blogger.com, I quickly realized all the things that my little site could do and be, so before long I made the decision to become a “grown-up” website and www.theaffordablemouse.com was born. Read more

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Thrifty Thursday: Rainy Days Create Lasting Memories

You are finally in the most magical place on earth. You are awoken by the sweet voice of Mickey Mouse himself on your wake up call. You are up and excited about spending a wonderful day in the park. You open your door to go grab some coffee in your refillable mug and, wouldn’t you know it, it is raining! What will you do now? Will you hang out in your room all day? Will you go to the video arcade and spend even more money when you’ve already paid for your park tickets? The answer is an emphatic NO!

A little rain never hurt anyone, as long as there is no lightning and no sound of thunder. Throw on one of those 50 cent ponchos you bought at the discount store back home and head to the Animal Kingdom! The Kilimanjaro Safari is the very best when it is raining because more animals come out in the early morning and while raining than any other time. And, since you’re there and wet already, ride the Kali River Rapids next.

Did you know that Expedition Everest also operates during rain showers? Well it does. In fact, last year we rode it three times in a row, in our ponchos, in pouring rain and laughed the whole time at the ridiculousness of it all. My kids talk about that memorable ride all the time!

If you’re not crazy about riding in the rain, head to one of the shows like “Festival of the Lion King” or “Finding Nemo, The Musical.” Both of these are excellent, dynamic shows and provide a great pick-me-up on a gloomy day. Even better than that, they are held inside large amphitheaters. Another indoor choice is the 4D show, “It’s Tough To Be A Bug” held inside the Tree of Life (caution: please read warnings before taking very young children into this show as it can be pretty intense for them).

When other people are zigging and you are zagging, it makes for a day of short lines and no waits. You can even rent a locker to store dry socks and shoes in for later; maybe even an extra change of clothes if you plan to stay all day.

Once the weather clears up and the crowds start flooding in it will be a great time to head back to your resort, armed with fun pictures and stories, and wonderful memories of the time you rode in the rain. Above everything else, never let anything get you down when you’re at Disney World – that’s not the way Walt would have wanted it. There is always a great idea for a backup plan!

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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Affordable Disney Vacations: Free Dining is Back!

We interrupt our regular blog schedule to bring you breaking news:

Disney has announced FREE Dining for select dates in Fall 2011 and 2012. Here are the details:

Offer is valid for check-ins 10/2/11-10/8/11, 10/23/11-11/5/11, 11/13/11-11/19/11, 11/27/11-12/3/11, 12/11/11-12/17/11, 1/8/12-1/14/12, 1/22/12-2/4/12, 2/12/12-2/18/12, 3/4/12-3/10/12 and 3/25/12-3/31/12. Some dates and/or resorts may have extremely limited availability.

  • Stay at select Disney Value resorts and get the 2011 Quick Service Dining Plan or 2012 Quick Service Dining Plan for FREE.

  • Stay at select Disney Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villas resorts and get the regular 2011 Dining Plan or 2012 Dining Plan for FREE.

The package includes:

  • Accommodations in a select Walt Disney World resort hotel (3 nights minimum, 14 nights maximum)

  • Walt Disney World theme park Base Tickets (2 days minimum; can be upgraded to include add-ons such as Park Hopper and/or Water Park Fun & More at an additional cost)

Book by 10/29/11. No group rates or other discounts apply. Excludes suites, campsites and 3-Bedroom Villas.

Want more information? Contact me for a FREE no-obligation quote to see how affordable your next Disney vacation can be!

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Disney Driving Tip 1: Driving Straight Through vs. Stopping Overnight

The first topic I wanted to cover in this series on driving to Walt Disney World is the choice of driving straight through vs. stopping overnight. Depending on where you live, you may need to consider stopping but you may not. I live in Texas so we have stopped along the way and we have driven straight through. Doing this, it takes us 16 hours to get there, including stopping for meals, restroom breaks, gas stops and stretching.

When budgeting for gas expenses, I always use the AAA Fuel Cost Calculator. Each trip it has proven to be extremely accurate and an invaluable tool. All one has to do is enter the make, model and year of the vehicle along with the starting and ending points and it calculates how much one will spend on gas. Here is a link to the site: http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com. I hope you will take advantage of this handy tool. Read more

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