Affordable Disney Vacations | Vacation Planning Tips

Posts Tagged ‘affordable disney vacations’

Affordable Disney Vacations: What To Know Before You Go

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

How exciting, you are going to Walt Disney World! You have probably spent a long time planning for this trip, doing research about the parks, hotels, rides and attractions. Are you also trying to save money so that you can actually have an affordable Disney vacation? If so, be sure to take a little time in those last few days before you leave, to do a few things that will save you time…and money…on your trip. Let’s take a look at five of the most important:

* Look at the weather forecast before you leave, and pack accordingly. It can get surprisingly cold in Florida in the winter, and of course there is always the potential for rain. Not packing what you need may mean you end up buying hats, gloves and ponchos at Disney World….which is expensive to say the least.

* Check out the Disney World website for the park hours for your visit. If you are staying at a Disney resort you may be able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours, which is a great way to have as much time at the parks as possible. But you will want to know when they are, so that you can plan accordingly.

* You should also see which rides/attractions will be closed during your visit. Nothing is more frustrating than walking halfway across the park for a ride that is not open.

* Do you have a packing list? This is a great way to make sure that your costs stay as low as possible, because it will help insure that you don’t forget anything! You can be sure that you can buy whatever you forget at Disney….for a lot more money than you would have paid at home.

* Finally, if your little ones will need a stroller, think about bringing one from home. If that will present a problem, then look into renting one from a local stroller company, as opposed to the expensive park ones. Getting a stroller at the Disney parks will be more convenient, but you will pay for that convenience.

Take the time before you leave for vacation to check out these quick things that will save you money and time on your trip, helping you to have a great…and affordable Disney vacation.

Nancy Bobby has been traveling to Disney World for over ten years. Her top resource for saving money on a Disney vacation has been the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Discover how to have your own affordable Disney vacation and receive her free Disney vacation planning bonus at her website www.theaffordablemouse.com

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: affordable disney vacations, disney, disney vacations, family, family vacation, travel, vacations, walt disney world
Posted in Vacation Ideas | No Comments »

Affordable Disney Vacations: Creating Fun and Inexpensive Memories

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

Do you have a Walt Disney World trip planned? And are you trying to figure out how to make it an affordable Disney vacation? If so, then you will be interested to know that there are many fun…and inexpensive….things to do while there, beyond the standard rides, attractions, and shows. And if you are wondering about souvenirs, it is good to know that returning home with special Disney memories does not have to cost a fortune. Here are 10 suggestions for fun, but frugal ways to get the most out of your Disney vacation.

1. Visit the Disney resorts. The Animal Kingdom Lodge especially has animal observation areas that are fascinating places to animal watch!

2. Disney’s Boardwalk has a number of fun “beachy” activities and arcade games that are a perfect way to spend an afternoon or evening.

3. Ride the monorail. It’s a must do on every vacation we have at Disney World.

4. Take a ride on a Segway! While there are several Segway tours, they can be a little pricey. For anyone over a certain height, you can have a lesson for free….along with a photo op….at Epcot’s Innoventions.

5. Souvenirs don’t have to be budget busters. In fact, some of the best ones are some of the cheapest ones: pressed pennies, postcards, pencils, and pins all make great mementos, and are perfect for kids who love collecting things.

6. If you have kids, character autographs will probably be a big hit. Turn this into a lasting souvenir by using something other than an autograph book: try tee shirts, hats, posters, or pillowcases instead. Be sure to have the characters use a sharpie for lasting signatures.

7. Try pin trading. It can be addicting, and as a cautionary note, expensive if you are not careful….but if you start small and keep to a budget, your kids….and you…..will have a blast doing it.

8. For a fun, educational, and free activity, have your children visit each of the Epcot KidCot fun stops where kids make fun masks etc. at each of the World Showcase countries.

9. Don’t overlook the pools. Your hotel will probably have one, and even if you have a vacation home, you will probably have one as well. Be sure to take advantage of it! Especially in the summer, a few hours relaxing at the pool each day can do wonders for both kids and grownups.

10. Take time to smell the roses…literally. We have been to Walt Disney World 11 times and counting and every time we visit we STILL see/find something that we never saw before. Disney is a fascinating place to visit, and it will do wonders for you and your family to stop and “take a moment” each day.

Affordable Disney vacations are all about maximizing your money, your time, and your experiences. Happily, some of those best experiences will not cost you anything, but will create memories that are truly priceless!

Nancy Bobby has been traveling to Disney World for over a decade. Her favorite money saving guide for a Disney vacation has been the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Discover how how to have your own affordable Disney vacation and get her free Disney vacation guide at her website www.theaffordablemouse.com

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: affordable disney vacations, children, childrens activities, disney, Disney vacation planning, family, theme parks, travel, vacations, walt disney world, Walt Disney World vacations
Posted in Vacation Ideas | No Comments »

Affordable Disney Vacations – Save Money on Food with These Five Tips

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Let me say that we find visiting Disney World to be a great excuse to eat! Lots of great choices, good quality in most cases, and the fun of trying new things, all entice us to truly enjoy eating while at Disney. Still, it can be very expensive, so we have found some ways to save money while still fully enjoying all the delicious options that Walt Disney World has to offer. Here are five favorite tips to reduce your Disney food budget and have an affordable Disney vacation:

1. Cook/eat some meals in your room. If you are staying in a vacation home, villa, condo, or even a hotel suite, you will probably have a kitchen. And even if you have a traditional hotel room, you may be able to have a small refrigerator where you can keep some milk, juices, and even lunchmeat and cheese for sandwiches.

2. If you bring your own water, juice, snacks etc, you can save quite a bit of money since you won\’t have to pay park prices.

3. It can be a great idea to share meals, since Disney portions are typically pretty large. Whether you want to have 2 kids share, or an adult and child, this can be a great strategy for saving money…and not wasting food…and still have everyone eat more than enough food.

4. You may also save some money by eating off-site, especially if you can use discount coupons or promotions. If staying off-Disney property, ask at your hotel for any they offer, and you can also look at local Orlando websites. Or purchase a local Entertainment book to get Orlando area restaurant coupons.

5. Finally, we are big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. The way the plan works, if you are staying on Disney property, you have the ability to choose from several levels of the Dining Plan, basically pre-paying for nearly all of your meals. And with several choices (providing snack, counter service, or in some plans, table service meals) there is an option for nearly any budget. For our family, who like table service meals each night, we choose the Plus Disney Dining Plan and get one snack credit, one counter meal (entree, drink, and dessert), and one table service meal (entree, drink, and dessert) per person, per day. For us, the snacks generally work well most days for breakfast, and the others will be used for lunch and dinner each day. It is frankly more food per person than we can usually eat, and so we often take our dessert with us since we are so full! For this level, the cost per day for our family of 3 is less than we would have paid just for dinner, so we are saving quite a bit of money using the Disney Dining Plan.

Needless to say, with all that food, we are glad to be doing all of the walking that is necessary at Walt Disney World. Saving money on our meals has really helped us to plan many wonderful affordable Disney vacations.

Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World for over a decade. Her top resource for saving money on a Disney vacation has been the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Discover how to have your own affordable Disney vacation and get her free Disney World planning bonus at her website www.theaffordablemouse.com

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: affordable disney vacations, discount Disney family vacations, Disney Dining Plan, Disney vacation planning, saving money at Disney World, travel, vacations, walt disney world
Posted in Vacation Ideas | No Comments »

Disney Parks Tickets – Using a Reputable Ticket Broker to Save Money

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

If you are planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, buying discounted Disney parks tickets is an excellent way to save money. And there are many vendors who are selling discount tickets to Walt Disney World. The problem is in determining who is reputable, and who is not. This article will present several easy tips to help you decide which ticket brokers you can trust, and which ones you should steer clear of.

To start, see if the website displays the Disney logo and the \”authorized ticket agent\” designation. If they are not there, then that company does not have the legal authority to sell Disney tickets. Authorized ticket agencies buy tickets in bulk from each attraction and theme park. Since their purchases are in large quantities, they receive discounts which they pass on to their customers. These designations help the consumer to know that the ticket broker is reputable.

Second, see if the business is a member of organizations like the Better Business Bureau, or the local Chamber of Commerce. You can also look at how long they have been in business: a long-standing business is likely to be a good indicator of the company being reputable.

Next, honestly look at the ticket prices, and if they seem too good to be true, well they probably are. There are many seemingly legitimate sites who offer unbelievably low prices, and most are usually scams. Some note prices that are so low there is no way that they could sell tickets at that price without losing money. Note also the URL on the website: many are currently operating from Romania, and you will see .ro at the end of the URL. These sites will often want you to pay by wire transfer, which means that you can\’t get your money back.

Lastly, make certain that the broker is not requiring you to sit through a timeshare presentation in order to receive the tickets. Check the fine print at the bottom of the website and read it carefully: it will say if they are soliciting for timeshares.

You should definitely consider buying discounted Disney parks tickets as a way to save money on your Disney vacation. Just make certain that your purchase is from an authorized, reputable ticket broker.

Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World for over a decade. Her favorite guidebook for how to save money at Walt Disney World has been the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Discover how to have your own affordable Disney vacation and get her free Disney vacation guide at her blog www.theaffordablemouse.com

Share and Enjoy:

Tags: affordable disney vacations, discounted Disney World tickets, travel, Vacation Planning, walt disney world, Walt Disney World vacations
Posted in Vacation Ideas | No Comments »

Choosing the Best Transportation for an Affordable Disney Vacation

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

Planning an affordable Disney vacation involves, at some point, a decision about transportation. How are you going to get to Walt Disney World? And how are you going to get around once you get there? While it can be a challenge to travel economically, planning ahead and doing a bit of research can save you quite a bit of money on your trip.

Most people probably choose to fly, but if you want to get the best price possible, you will need to plan ahead, and start checking rates at least 4 months before your trip…and then be persistent about checking rates regularly to see if they go down. The best rates usually appear early, and then again about 6-8 weeks in advance. Be warned though that if you wait and book within the last 2 weeks, you will pay the highest amount. When it comes to flying, the early bird clearly gets the worm.

You will often save money if you are able to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday, when the fares are least expensive. And likewise you will usually pay more to fly on a Friday or Sunday night. Another thing that is good to do is to register on the website of each airline that you are considering: you may very well get some email-only offers that can save you quite a bit of money. Finally, consider neighboring airports for lower airfare. In Florida, many folks find they can get better prices by flying into Tampa, Jacksonville, or even the smaller Sanford. And of course this may also work for you at home, if you have other airports that you could fly out of.

If you live on the East Coast, you may want to think about taking the train as a fun, affordable Disney vacation option. Amtrak offers several types of trains, as well as a number of seat/accommodation choices. With their regular service, you will have a number of stops along the way, so it is important to look at the estimated travel time on the train schedule. You may also want to consider the Autotrain, which runs between Lorton, VA and Sanford, FL. Here you will actually bring your car with you on the train, allowing you to simply get in your car once you arrive in Florida, and drive away.

No matter which train you decide on, you will have the option to either buy a seat, which will be the least expensive choice, or you can try booking a compartment. If you get just a seat, be sure that you will be comfortable sleeping upright for the night. And know as well that, with some planning ahead, you just may find that you can get a compartment for an affordable price.

Most of the time, if you drive, you will probably save money, although with rising gas prices, make sure you compare the cost of several tanks of gas (and possibly a night in a motel along the way) with the cost of airfare. You will also save money on other things as well. By driving, you won\’t need a rental car. And having your car will allow you to pack things like food, snacks etc. Plus, if you are bringing little ones, bringing your own stroller will save you the cost of renting one while at Walt Disney World.

What about when you get to Disney World? Well, if you are staying in a Walt Disney World resort property, you can take advantage of their free Magical Express transportation from Orlando Airport to your hotel and back, as well as Disney\’s extensive network of buses, boats, and monorails to get from hotel to park.

But if you are staying off property or plan to venture off Disney property to other theme parks, then you will probably want to rent a car. There are a number of rental car companies at the Orlando airport, and to get the best price possible you should check the rental companies\’ rates on a regular basis. You can also register for the \”preferred renter\” option on each website in order to get money-saving discounts. When you see a good rate, go ahead and book it: if you get a better one later on, there is no penalty for cancellation. This is an area where persistence will definitely pay off in money savings.

With some research and planning, your travel to Disney World can be much less expensive than you think. And saving money on your transportation may allow you to have a far more affordable Disney vacation than you think as well. Talk about having a magical journey!

Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World for over a decade. Her favorite guidebook to save hundreds of dollars on a Disney vacation has been the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide. Discover how to have your own affordable Disney vacation and get her free Disney planning guide at her blog www.theaffordablemouse.com

Share and Enjoy: