Walt Disney World | Vacation Planning Tips

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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

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Tags: affordable disney vacations, disney, disney vacations, family, family vacation, travel, vacations, walt disney world
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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

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Tags: affordable disney vacations, children, childrens activities, disney, Disney vacation planning, family, theme parks, travel, vacations, walt disney world, Walt Disney World vacations
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Walt Disney World Theme Park Tickets: One Simple Tip to Protect Them

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

For most families, a visit to Disney World is a memorable, but expensive vacation. Saving money for the trip of a lifetime is important, and many folks do just that by purchasing discounted Walt Disney World theme park tickets. But what if the unthinkable happens, and the tickets are lost?

Fortunately, if you made a copy of the backs of the passes, you are in great shape, as Disney will probably replace them for you. It is hard to believe, but such a simple thing can save a vacation!

The back side, with the magnetic strip, has coded information with all your personal details. And while the tickets do say \”Disney is not responsible for misplaced, lost, or stolen tickets\”, in all likelihood, if you can provide this coded information, they will usually re-issue the pass.

Alternate ideas for saving this information include taking a photo of the backs, either with a digital camera or cell phone. That way, if you lose them while at the park, you will have immediate access to the codes on your camera or cell phone.

It is important to realize that you cannot depend on receipts to get your tickets replaced. Only Disney prints the ticket codes right on their receipts. If you purchased your discounted Walt Disney World theme park tickets from an authorized broker, be sure to get copies of the backs of the passes as well.

Everyone planning a visit to Walt Disney World does so with the expectation that it will be a vacation filled with wonderful memories. When you consider the hours, and dollars that you have spent in planning this vacation, you owe it to yourself and to your family to take a minute to protect your vacation memories and protect your tickets. It is such a simple solution to something that could be devastating to a family vacation!

Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World for over a decade. Her favorite resource 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 planning bonus at her blog www.theaffordablemouse.com

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Tags: theme park tickets, Vacation Planning, walt disney world, Walt Disney World park tickets, Walt Disney World vacations
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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

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Tags: affordable disney vacations, discount Disney family vacations, Disney Dining Plan, Disney vacation planning, saving money at Disney World, travel, vacations, walt disney world
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Disney Theme Park Tickets: Is it a Good Idea to Buy From eBay or Craigslist?

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

If you are planning a Disney vacation, purchasing discounted Disney theme park tickets is an excellent way to save money. But is it a good idea to buy tickets through eBay or Craigslist? This article will discuss what you need to know before you make that bid.

Although the discounted prices offered on these boards may seem to be attractive, it is important to note that chances good that you will not get what you paid for. The problem is that there is simply no way to know, before getting to the park gate, if the tickets you purchased are even valid.

There are, unfortunately, many con artists who frequent eBay and Craigslist, supposedly selling deeply discounted Disney tickets. If you buy your park passes from them, you have an excellent chance of buying a park pass that has no available days on it if you even get anything at all. The problem is, you won\’t know, until you get to the park gate. By that time, it is too late, and your vacation is ruined.

If you purchase a ticket that has been \”partially used\”, since Disney tickets are non-transferable (and Disney enforces this through a biometric finger scan), you would be unable to use it, since your finger scan won\’t match the original owner\’s. And yes in case you are wondering, it is illegal in the state of Florida to re-sell partially used multi-day admission tickets.

While both eBay and Craigslist have their place in saving money through buying and selling discounted items, when it comes to buying discounted Disney theme park tickets, the old adage of \”buyer beware\” is definitely true.

Theme park passes should always be purchased from an authorized and reputable ticket company.

Nancy Bobby has been visiting Disney World for over a decade. Her favorite 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 check out her free Disney vacation planning bonus at her website www.theaffordablemouse.com

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