Tag: family disney vacation

Visiting the Mouse on a Mouse Sized Budget

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family, family fun, Family Vacation, preschoolers, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World

savingmoney

Walt Disney created Disneyland with the principle that it was for everyone. That it would be a place that families could come together and enjoy the parks as a way of bonding.

Yes a Walt Disney World vacation can be expensive. You can spend a lot of money on a vacation, but it can also be done while being budget conscious as well.

Here are 10 money saving tips for your Walt Disney World vacation.

1. Be Seasonally Smart

If you are able to be flexible with when you can take your vacation, you might want to look at the off season. This is typically during the month of January. Bonus: if you go early enough in the month you will still be able to check out all the Christmas decorations at the parks and resorts.

2. Be Resort-ful 

Your resort choice can have a big impact on the final dollar amount of your trip. If you are looking at your resort as a place to just sleep and you plan on spending most of your time at the parks then you might want to stay at a value resort. While a rate for a value resort might hover around $120 a deluxe could be over $400.

3. Choose the Right Dining Plan

We are big supporters of the Disney Dining plan. For us it makes sense, but this isn’t the case for everyone. If you do decide that you are going to purchase a dining plan, you might want to buy the Quick Service dining plan that allows you two quick services, a snack and refillable drink mug. Also, remember that the snack can be any single serving item so you can get a pretty hefty snack and make it your lunch for the day.

4. Shop Around

There are plenty of travel agencies and vacation packages out there for Walt Disney World. Do your research and compare prices. Last year we were able to find a really awesome deal for the Beach Club Resort with tickets, dining plan and airfare through Southwest Vacations for a great price. This deal wasn’t found anywhere else.

5. Buy Gift Cards to pay off your vacation

A lot of grocery stores offer fuel perks for purchases that you make in the store. A lot of these places offer Disney gift cards. If you purchase the amount of gift cards that you need to pay off your trip you will get a lot of money back that you can use to get a bunch of free gas.

6. Go for buffets (especially if you have a Mousekatot under 3)

Buffets are the way to go when you are trying to get the most bang for your buck in Walt Disney World. These are often character meals and you get a wide variety of food that will most likely please everyone in your party, Also, if you have anyone under the age of 3 they will get to eat for free with the purchase of an adult meal.

7. Assess the Park Hopper

For an added fee Walt Disney World offers guests the opportunity to add onto their ticket a park hopper which lets them visit as many parks as they want in one day. This means that with out the Park Hopper you can only visit one park each day. If you think that you would only be interested in visiting one park each day only, then skip the added cost and opt out of the park hopper.

8. Take Off Days 

If you are staying for a long period of time you might want to skip buying tickets to the parks every day and spend a few days at the hotel pool or visiting Disney Springs. These are either free or included with the price already and can save you some extra change.

9. Rent DVC Points

Walt Disney World has a “timeshare” program called the Disney Vacation Club. Instead of buying a particular property, DVC members purchase points that can be used at any of the DVC resorts. When a member can’t use their points they have the option to rent out their points through a third party company. If you are someone that wants to stay at a deluxe resort this may be a way of doing this that will save a little bit of money.

10. Order in

If you plan on being at Walt Disney World for a week or more you might want to have groceries delivered to your room. This way you can eat your breakfast before heading out and this can save you some money. Places like GardenGrocer.com or even Amazon Prime can deliver groceries right to your resort. You just need your name and the address for the resort and the groceries will be waiting for you at the front desk.

These are just a few tips for you to save money on your Walt Disney World vacation. Just like everything else you need to find out what works best for your family and adjust accordingly.

For more tips on saving money and planning your Walt Disney World vacation with toddlers pick up a copy of Mousekatots available as both paperback and ebook.

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Safety First

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family, family fun, Family Vacation, preschoolers, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World
park secruity
Photo courtesy of ibtimes.com

It really is a commentary on the state of the world when metal detectors are needed to get into the “Happiest Place on Earth.”

But, the fact of the matter is that I feel better knowing they are there and they are keeping my family safe. I am so thankful for the security guards that work hard each day to keep everyone safe and I am sure having to deal with their own share of people trying to give them flack because they snuck in a selfi-stick and got caught.

In order to make the security process a little easier Disney has been rolling out some changes that were announced earlier this week.

According to several sources, including the Disney fan website, Inside the Magic, that these new measures will include new security checks at the Transportation and Ticket Center. This means and those who enter the Magic Kingdom through ferry or monorail will be able to skip the bag check and metal detectors at the gate.

Also, those who are staying at one of the resorts on the monorail loop (Grand Floridian, Poly and Contemporary) will be checked at the resort monorail stations and will be able to enter without going through the security check point at the gate,

Those guests arriving on buses at this time will still use the current security setup.

These changes are scheduled to take place April 3.

 

All the Comforts of Home

by disneywonderlandgazette, posted in Disney, family, family fun, Family Vacation, preschoolers, Toddler, Toddler Travel, Walt Disney World

HomeAwayFromHome

For a lot of people after deciding when to visit Walt Disney World, the next big choice is deciding where to stay while you are on vacation.

The way Walt Disney World’s resort system is broken down is there are different tiers of resorts that are based on how much you want to spend. They are value, moderate and deluxe.

Value Resorts

PopResort
Pop Century Resort

The most economical category of resorts are the value resorts. This includes Pop Century, All-Star Music, All-Star Movies and All-Star Sports. The Art of Animation would also qualify as a value resort, but the price point, in my opinion would put it in the more moderate category.

The value resorts are pretty similar to each other. Each features outside hallways, oversize design features like a huge can of Playdough at Pop, or a giant Lady from “Lady and the Tramp” at All-Star Movies.

The value resorts have only one place to get food and that is at a large cafeteria style restaurant that you can find options for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The resort pools are large and are the center piece of the resort.

All transportation is done by bus and there is only one area to catch the bus and that is at the front of the resort. If you drive yourself it isn’t as bad because you can park near your building if they are situated toward the back of the resort.

Typically the cost per night at a value resort is around $100 a night, give or take.

Moderate Resorts

FrenchQuarterResort
Port Orleans French Quarter

The moderate resorts are right in the sweet spot between value and deluxe categories. They offer some of the am entities of a deluxe resort while being more cost friendly.

Resorts in the moderate category include the two Port Orleans resorts (French Quarter and Riverside), Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach Resort. The cabins at Fort Wilderness are also semi in the moderate category.

The moderate resorts have a more cohesive theme whether it is the Caribbean or New Orleans the theme is carried throughout often into both the quick service and table service restaurants.

Speaking of the table service restaurants, one of the biggest differences is that the moderate resorts offer a table service (a place where a server comes to your table to take your order) where as the value resorts don’t.

Also, the pools usually have an additional feature, like a water slide.

If you want a better themed hotel, with more dining options, then you will want to check out the moderate resorts.

Typically it costs between $200 to $300 a night.

Deluxe Resorts

BeachClubResort
The Beach Club Resort

The deluxe resorts are the primo accommodations at Walt Disney World. The resorts include: The Boardwalk, The Beach Club, The Yacht Club, The Contemporary, The Polynesian Village Resort, The Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the different Disney Vacation Club areas that are a part of the different deluxe resorts.

If you are looking for high quality table service restaurants, spas and mini-water parks at the resort, then you will want to upgrade to a deluxe.

Another benefit of this category is that many of the resorts have alternative ways of getting to the park such as monorails or boats. (Tip: If you and your family are big fans of Epcot you will want to stay at either the Beach or Yacht Club resorts because you are within walking distance to the World Showcase entrance.)

Typically it costs $400 to $500 a night.

Which category do you and your family prefer or what is one resort you would love to stay at that you haven’t tried yet? Leave your comments below.

If you are looking for more tips on planning your Walt Disney World vacation for your family and your little ones pick up a copy of “Mousekatots”.

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