Spring Special Offer

There is a new offer out for a room discount at Disney World this Spring.  The offer includes 20-30% off most resorts, and 15% off at Art of Animation (Disney's newest resort - The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms are not included in the offer).  You can also save on tickets for select nights during the available dates.  The room offer is good starting now through March 23, and April 2-June 14.  The ticket discount will be available most nights Feb. 21- March 7, and April 7 - May 23.  This is not one of the best offers I've seen, but it can definitely save you some money if you were planning a trip during these dates.  To book or get more information, click here.  Happy planning!

Until next time...
Disney Diva

Thinking of Taking a Disney Vacation?

Disney just released new free dining dates for Disney Visa cardholders from September - December 2012.  These deals are usually released to the public soon after, so be on the lookout for that if you're thinking of going to Disney this Fall.  You cannot beat a free dining deal!  Once the offer goes public, you can find it at http://www.waltdisneyworld.com/ under Special Offers.

Also, starting today,  you can book 2013 Disney vacations on http://www.waltdisneyworld.com/.   Quick tip:  You can go ahead and  book your vacation for the dates you have in mind, and if a deal comes out between now and then, you can apply it to your already existing reservation!

It's a great time to start thinking about a trip to Walt Disney World!

Until next time...
Disney Diva

You CAN afford it!

So many people have told me "I'd love to go to Disney World, but I just can't afford it!"  It is my mission to assure you, a Walt Disney World vacation can be affordable!  For our family, a week at the beach costs about the same thing as a week at Walt Disney World.  We have paid upwards of $200 a night for a hotel in Myrtle Beach during the summer, and that doesn't even count what we spend on food and entertainment.  When we go to Disney World, tickets and dining are included in the total price of our vacation package (we always get the dining plan).   That includes a resort stay in a Walt Disney World resort, park tickets (regular Magic Your Way), plus dining, and we don't usually pay much more than $200-$300 per day. 

So here are my budget planning tips:

1.  Don't buy park tickets for every day that you're there.  We usually reserve a couple of days for down-time.  We go to Downtown Disney, resort hop (visit other resorts), or just hang around the pool at our resort.

2.  Don't buy park hopper passes.  Yes, it is nice to be able to park hop, but when you're planning on a budget, it is just not worth it.  We still come and go to the parks as we please, but we just leave and come back to the same park in the same day.  We just aren't able to go to 2 (or more) parks in the same day.  No big loss to me.

3.  Save on dining.  If you are planning to do character meals, or table service meals, go with the Disney Dining Plan.  It is well worth it.  If you are just planning to grab a bite whenever you get hungry, you're probably better off without it. 

4.  Shop for deals.  You can check out Special Offers at waltdisneyworld.com.  This is where you can find room discounts, or special offers like free dining or ticket discounts.  You can also use websites like mousesavers, and knowbeforeugo.com to find discounted tickets, if you're not using a vacation package.

5.  Compare prices.  When I help people plan a trip for their budget, I create a spreadsheet where I lay out prices and options like dining plans, resorts, and number of tickets.  That way they can see all the different options they have within their budget.  For example, maybe you could stay in a moderate or deluxe resort with no dining plan for about the same price as staying in a value resort with the dining plan.  Try different options and find which one works best for your needs and your budget.

6.  Try the Chase Disney Rewards Visa card.  You get 6 months with 0% interest to pay off your vacation, plus you earn Disney Rewards points for any purchases you make.  You can save up your points to pay for future Disney trips!   I'm not a big supporter of credit card use, but I use this card for everything, and just pay it off at the end of every month. 

With a little effort, you will find that you can plan a trip to Disney World on your budget.  So get started planning your magical vacation! 

Until next time...
Disney Diva

It Matters When You Go!

So, if you're planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, the first question you have to answer is a biggie - "When to go?"  I was just reminded of the importance of this question today as I was planning our next vacation.  I discovered that visiting the parks just one week later, would save us over $150 on our total vacation package!  What?!?!?  That's because the first week I was thinking of fell during summer season, and the next during value season.  Sometimes, by changing the dates of your vacation by only a few days, you can save hundreds of dollars!  The days of the week you'll be staying also make a difference.  Weeknights, of course, are slightly less expensive than weekends in the resorts.  Check out this breakdown for Pop Century from mousesavers.com.  You can see what a big difference the dates you choose can make.  Taking the time to research pricing for different dates can really pay off in the long run!

Until next time...
Disney Diva

The Land of the Living

Well, hello again!  I apologize for the ridiculously long amount of time it has taken me to post to my blog again.  If you didn't know this already, I am a public school teacher, and I do not have a life between the months of August and May.  I had high hopes of posting at least once a week during the school year, but we can see how well that turned out.  Oh well...we'll try again next year.

Alas, summer vacation is here.  And I'm back in the land of the living.  And I intend to continue sharing all of my Disney nerd knowledge with anyone who wants to know.  I have decided I probably need to join some kind of support group, because this addiction is way out of control.  I now meet complete strangers in public and start talking about Disney World with them.  I've planned 3 Disney World vacations for my family in the last year (and countless more for other people).  Anybody want to start a Disney-holics Anonymous group with me?

We are, in fact, planning another Disney World vacation this summer, and I can't wait to share my experience with you, because we are conquering our own fears and attempting Disney World in the middle of the hot, crowded summer season.  I'll be sure to let you all know how it works out. 

We are taking advantage of a Special Offer available at waltdisneyworld.com.  They are offering summer stays for $69 per person, per night in a value resort, $78 per person, per night in a moderate resort, and $95 per person, per night in a deluxe resort.  The offer excludes the brand new Art of Animation resort (though I cannot wait to try this one out!), and must be booked by June 14.  The offer does not include a dining plan.  It is not one of my favorite deals ever, but we were happy to get any discount at all during the super busy summer months!

I can't wait to spend my summer sharing my Disney nerd-ness with you!  Happy Summer!

Until next time...
Disney Diva

NEW Deals!

Disney just released a new special offer for Chase Disney Rewards Visa cardmembers.  August 28, 2011-September 24, 2011, they are offering FREE dining, plus a Photopass photo book!  This deal will be released to the general public probably within the next few days.  If you are able to go to Disney during this time, it is a great time to go!  The weather is great and the crowds are low, but you might want to think about vacation insurance because this is hurricane season, and we are talking about Florida here!  Not to worry, though, on our first Disney trip there was a hurricane off the coast of Florida, and we had lots of rain and thunderstorms, but we still had a great time!

If you book at a value resort, you will automatically be given the quick service dining plan which includes 2 meals and 2 snacks per person per day.  If you book at a moderate or deluxe resort, you will get the basic (table service) dining plan free.  That's 1 quick service meal, 1 table service meal, and 1 snack per person per day.  I do hear that you can upgrade your dining plan if you wish, but you will be responsible for paying the difference. 

This sounds like a great deal!  Free dining is one of the best Disney offers out there.  Let's start planning!

Until next time...
Disney Diva

Getting a Great Deal at Disney

Most people think I'm absolutely crazy when I tell them that I go to Disney World every year.  "How do you afford it," they always ask.  Going to WDW can be an affordable vacation if you plan it well.  Last year, we went to Myrtle Beach for 2 nights.  The hotel was over $200 a night, plus anything extra we wanted to do like dining out, going to a movie, etc. cost extra.  Our family of 3 can go to Disney World for about $200 per day hotel, tickets, and dining included! 

The best thing to do when you start is check out the special offers at www.waltdisneyworld.com. We almost always book using one of these offers.  But there are lots of other websites you can use to get ideas about planning.  Some of my favorites are: www.mousesavers.com, www.allears.net, and www.wdwinfo.com.

If you can book your vacation when Disney offers the Free Dining discount, you absolutely should.  This is an incredible deal!  There are several other discounts Disney offers from time to time, such as room discounts, kids stay and play free discounts, and gift card promotions (like if you book a package you get a $300 gift card).  And of course, there are other discounts for those in the military, Florida residents, and sometimes for Disney Rewards Visa cardholders.

You CAN afford a trip to Disney!  So get started!

Until next time...
Disney Diva