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

Touring Plans

I also get lots of questions about itineraries/touring plans for WDW.  There are many out there to choose from.  I am working on an itinerary for my family's vacation for the first time this year.  We have visited the parks for 3 years in a row without a plan and have enjoyed our time immensely, but this year we expect it to be a little more crowded since we will be arriving on a holiday weekend.  Because of that, I wanted to have a plan in mind.

That said, let me caution you about planning your vacation down to the minute.  It is very easy to get caught in the trap of trying to plan "the perfect vacation."  Let me assure you:  there is no such thing.  On our first trip to WDW, there was a hurricane offshore and there were severe thunderstorms every day of our trip.  Last year, my daughter had strep throat and ran a fever the whole time.  It is very likely that your vacation will not turn out the way you planned.  BUT, it can take some stress off of you to have a plan in mind as you enjoy the park.  The key word is FLEXIBILITY.  You can plan your vacation perfectly, and something will happen to change it.  Be prepared to be flexible.

Here are a few good websites to get you started:

www.easywdw.com
There are several sample touring plans here for Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.  Look for them on the categories column all the way at the bottom.

http://www.couponingtodisney.com/2010/12/29/touring-the-parks-with-my-tip-sheets/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CouponingToDisney+%28Couponing+to+Disney%29&utm_content=FaceBook This is from a great website called Couponing to Disney.  These are her planning sheets from her personal vacation.  I got tons of ideas from her!

http://touringplans.com/walt-disney-world/tools 
This is a website that you can subscribe to for hundreds of touring plans, but there are a few freebies.

http://www.disneyworldbasics.com/2009/06/how-to-create-a-touring-plan/
Some good advice here about trying to create your own touring plans.

http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/047061529X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302393076&sr=8-1
This is a link to the Amazon page to buy the Unofficial Guide to Disney World 2011.  This book has several different touring plans you can use and tons of advice.

Hope this helps!
Please feel free to let me know if you know of any other resources!

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