10 Money Saving Tips for your next Disney World Vacation

10 Money Saving Tips for your next Disney World Vacation

Want to take the kids to the Disney World, but money a little tight? With this economy who’s budget isn’t tight…With a little planning it can be done: here are ten ways to save on your next Disney World Vacation.

  1. Stay at a Disney Value Resort Hotels - While on property you still get all the extra’s as someone staying at the larger resorts. Such as Disney Transportation, extra magic hours, Disney Dining Plan, and much more. The rooms might be a little smaller but your just there to sleep right?
  2. Stay at a resort or vacation home off Disney property. If you have to there are plenty of decent hotel rooms available all around Lake Buena Vista. If you have a larger family (more than four people), the savings are even greater. You can get a vacation home with a private pool for a week but remember you will need your own transportation.
  3. Watch for Disney Promotions. Who doesn’t love free food? Lately Disney is almost always running some sort of discount on their website. (Keep in mind Chip and Company constantly keep you up to date on current Disney promotions so check back with us often) Also Disney is known to send out special promotions via postcard and email.  How do you get them to send you one? Its a mystery, but signing up to receive one of their vacation planning videos and registering at www.disneyworld.com will help. Read my previous article on the elusive Pin Codes here.
  4. Purchase a dining package. Disney offers dining packages to guests staying at their resorts. These packages have to be booked in advance and you can save 30% or more on your dining if you buy one of these plans. Essentially the dining plan is a meal plan that you pay for in advance. Sorta like a lay-away. Check out this article talking about to Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan.
  5. Travel during the “off” season. Disney resort and dining prices fluctuate depending on what time of year it is; the same trip over Christmas week will cost you a whole lot less the first week of December. There is much debate when the off season is. One guideline to follow is when school is out it will be busy. If you check on a Disney Cruise you will see the same trip almost double for Spring Break or in the Summer.
    [Read more...]

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Save money on your next Disney World Vacation with these 10 tips

Save money on your next Disney World Vacation with these 10 tips

Want to take the kids to the Walt Disney World Resort, but don’t want to break the bank? With a little planning it can be done: here are ten ways to save on your next Disney World Vacation.

  1. Stay at a Disney Value Resort – While on property you still get all the extra’s as someone staying at the larger resorts. Such as Disney Transportation, extra magic hours, Disney meal plans, and much more. The rooms might be a little smaller but your just there to sleep right?
  2. Stay at a resort or vacation home off Disney property. On the other hand if you have to there are plenty of decent hotel rooms available all around Lake Buena Vista. If you have a larger family (more than four people), the savings are even greater. You can get a vacation home with a private pool for a week but remember you will need your own transportation.
  3. Watch for Disney Promotions. Disney is running a Free Dining Program for October through December which is excellent for saving money! Who doesn’t love free food? Lately Disney is almost always running some sort of discount on their website. (Keep in mind Chip and Company constantly keep you up to date on current Disney promotions so check back with us often) Also Disney is known to send out special promotions via postcard and email. How do you get them to send you one? It’s a mystery, but signing up to receive one of their vacation planning videos and registering at www.disneyworld.com will help. Read my previous article on the elusive Pin Codes here.
  4. Purchase a dining package. Disney offers dining packages to guests staying at their resorts. These packages have to be booked in advance and you can save 30% or more on your dining if you buy one of these plans. Essentially the dining plan is a meal plan that you pay for in advance. Sorta like a lay-away. Check out this article talking about to Meal Plan or Not To Meal Plan.
    [Read more...]

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How to avoid getting sick while at Disney

How to avoid getting sick while at Disney

This is on the eve of the illness…before the diarrhea and vomiting started.

Ahhh…the perfect vacation (we all know my perfect vacation means being at Disney or cruising with them.)  We all plan for it, save for it, count down for it, and think this is going to be the best vacation yet.  However sometimes an illness rears it’s ugly head and rains on your Disney parade.

I unfortunately experienced this first hand in October 2011.  It literally was the worst trip and experience of my life.  My son was 16 months old, I was 6 months pregnant…we flew in to Disney on a Wednesday and had to fly home that Friday…yes 2 days later because of a horrible stomach flu that left both my son and I so sick we both ended up in the hospital severely dehydrated. We both had never been so sick in our lives.  I wished that I would have taken some extra precautions because maybe if I would have followed some of the advice that I am going to give you this whole thing could have been avoided!

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Going to Disney World with Your Peeps!

Going to Disney World with Your Peeps!

You know it happens… you announce, “We’re Going to Disney World” and somebody will say “Can We Go to?” or maybe you say “why don’t you come along with us?’ Either way before you know it your are traveling to the Happiest Place on Earth with your peeps! Great! But now how do you keep everyone happy?

Planning can be a life saver and will be your friend! Appointing someone the “lead planner” in the group should help things run smooth, all plans come his or her way so everyone can stay on the same page. I’m not saying all decisions are his or her’s alone but when making a grand plan, one person making notes and keeping things in order will help to finalize things. I find, being the Disney planner of my friends and family, that they are more than happy to say “you just tell me where and when to be there” great then I will just do my thing, plan a Disney Vacation!

So now plans are in the making and your group of 3 is now 5, 7 or 10 and they have left you in charge of planning! Yikes what to do? Stay Calm and make plans, come on you can do it, you do it all the time for yourself now you’re just expanding and trust me at the end of the day, or should I say trip, you will be so glad you did.

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Walt Disney World demands kid-attracting guest be less ‘Santa-ish’

Walt Disney World demands kid attracting guest be less Santa ish

A Walt Disney World guest who looks like Santa Claus was asked by Disney officials to be less “Santa-ish” because he was a distraction at the park, FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 reports.

Thomas Tolbert, who was visiting Disney while on a family vacation, said he was wearing “Santa-related” clothing but not a full Santa suit while recently visiting the park.

Tolbert said people, including children, were asking for photos and autographs, something he said he’s used to.

“Do you approach people or do people come up to you?” Tolbert was asked.

“I never approach a person,” he said.

Tolbert said he signed autographs at Disney World until a Disney representative saw him in the middle of a crowd.

 ”He said you can’t be portraying Santa,” said Tolbert, adding that Disney asked him to change into less “Santa-ish” clothing.

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