My wife is obsessive in nature, She has been calling the Walt disney world line every day the last four days (since She made the reservation). She gets new information every time She talks withsomeone. she was told that we couldn't apply our AAA dicount since we have a package deal. Don't assume they are saving you money with the package deal!!
She purchased a Magic Your Way package for four nights, and three base passes for the park. When she asked for the item price list, the person said she didn't have one...she needed to just add it herself and figure it out. she was too trusting at the moment and didn't bother. she then did her homework and saw no savings and that is where she found the vacation insurance that costs over $100. she called the next day to cancel it and the representative admitted that she wasn't saving anything with this package--it comes out the same (only when she asked her about it).
When she called back later and got someone else they told her that she would like to purchase everything separately...rooms separately and tickets so that she could apply our AAA. She didn't seem to want to jump on helping her with changing our no savings package to a separate AAA reservation for room and tickets! But, she warmed up. she saved $203 by changing this. in just two days, she has saved us $320 dollars by just being a pest and calling them each day. And now we don't owe the balance by August 14. we pay when we check-in. she had to put down one night's deposit which she can get back as long as we cancel five days before! Be aware that different people will give you different information. she found out today about the tennis courts that will be closed while we are there. it pays to keep asking questions. it is like getting that 2nd and 3rd opinion at the doctor's office.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Disney vacation package tips
Is a Disney Vacation Package For You?
A lot of people like Disney's vacation packages because they are convenient and worry-free. However, it is important to note that the standard full-price Disney vacation packages are designed for convenience rather than savings. In most cases you will NOT automatically get a discount by purchasing a package! It is frequently cheaper to book a "room only" reservation with the AAA discount or another discount and then buy the package components (tickets, meals, etc) separately.
However, Disney sometimes offers special promotional package discounts, particularly in the off-season. You have to know the special discount codes.
Most Disney World packages must be purchased through Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC). The WDTC rules about advance payment, cancellations and changes are usually much more restrictive than those associated with "room only" reservations, so be sure to inquire about the restrictions.
It can be difficult to sort out what is best for your particular situation. That's why I think it's a good idea to have someone knowledgable on your side, making sure all the details are covered. My advice is this: if you want to book a Walt Disney World vacation package, I strongly recommend using a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel. It costs you nothing, and you can sit back, relax, and have all the vacation planning and hassle taken care of by someone else.
2007 Disney Vacation Packages
The big change from 2006 is that you can now book a vacation package for up to 14 nights (for 2006 it was maximum 10 nights). However, you still can't buy a ticket longer than 10 days.
All packages now include a $15 gift certificate for Planet Hollywood. Magic Your Way and Magic Your Way Plus Dining packages now include a round of mini-golf and a bonus certificate that gives you 90 minutes on a Sea Raycer for the price of 60 minutes.
Also, the Premium and Platinum plans now come with Base Tickets (upgrades to Park Hopper and Water Parks Fun & More options can be purchased). You are no longer required to purchase "length of stay" tickets with the Premium and Platinum plans. As of 2007, you can purchase as little as a 1-Day Base Ticket with ANY package.
For 2007, you can choose from the following Magic Your Way package options:
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Disney’s Magic Your Way Package – The base package helps you experience the magic of a Walt Disney World vacation at an affordable rate. The package includes accommodations at a Disney-owned-and-operated resort hotel, and Magic Your Way base tickets for everyone in the group.
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Disney’s Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining – This package includes everything from the Disney’s Magic Your Way Package, and adds a dining plan that includes two meals and a snack per person, per package night at more than 100 restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort.
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Disney’s Magic Your Way Premium Package – This deluxe package includes everything from Disney’s Magic Your Way Package as well as breakfast, lunch and dinner per person, per package night, along with other exciting options like recreation, theme park tours, admission to the Cirque du Soleil show La Nouba and more.
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Disney’s Magic Your Way Platinum Package - In addition to your hotel room and tickets, this "ultimate luxury" plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and room service, unlimited recreation (bicycle and boat rentals), unlimited select tours, reserved seating for Fantasmic!, private golf lessons, one selected spa treatment, tickets for Cirque du Soleil La Nouba, unlimited child care in the resort Child Activity Centers, in-room child care, Fireworks Cruise, itinerary planning, Platinum Plan keepsake and turndown service.
Friday, June 22, 2007
More disney Tips
Planning what items to bring on a Disney World Trip can be a challenge. If you pack everything except the kitchen sink, you will spend your precious vacation time dealing with the extra luggage. With a little Disney trip planning, your packing will be much easier and you will find that you have everything you need.
The Florida sun is hot—a brimmed hat is needed. You will still want a long sleeved shirt for preventing sunburn—or to wear after you get burned!
Layered clothing is in order for any season, especially the cooler part of the year.
Comfortable, well broken in walking shoes are a must—you can easily walk 5 miles or more in a day; you may want to build up your walking endurance a few months prior to your trip.
Loose, comfortable clothes are key; you’ll see every size and shape at the Disney parks wearing shorts and tee shirts.
For the Disney water parks, everyone will need waterproof shoes or sandals (a must have!), towel, and a good cover up wrap.
Lightweight ponchos from the dollar store for rainy days. Planning in advance will save you from purchasing the expensive ones from Disney.
Packing tip: Pack one day’s outfit in a 2 gallon zip lock bag: shorts, tee shirt, underwear, socks (fold, insert, roll to expel air). You can also put the dirty clothes back in the bag if you aren’t planning to do laundry until you get home.
Laundry tip: Pack a pop-up laundry bag for a place to put all the dirty laundry and for carrying to the washing machine. Planning to do laundry on your Disney trip doesn't sound like fun, but if you plan one evening to wash clothes while enjoying the resort pool, you will only need to pack half the clothes.
Clutter tip: Keep toiletries, toothbrushes, meds, makeup off countertops and more sanitary by putting them in an over-the-door clear pocketed shoe holder.
Carry an extra pair of eyeglasses, even if they are old—it beats trying to find a one-hour prescription store immediately. We have had personal experience with glasses breaking and getting lost on rides, so it is not that uncommon. The Kissimmee Wal-Mart vision department was most helpful to us one night in replacing glasses from a broken frame into a new one.
Also carry any medical prescriptions with you + the telephone number of your pharmacy in case of emergency.
For postcards to send to friends back home, make preprinted labels—then just peel and stick, and add postage. Also take email addresses if you would like to send a video postcard from Mission Space at Epcot.
If you will have a car in Orlando, you may want to make some purchases once you get there, especially liquid items that might spill or break in luggage.
The Florida sun is hot—a brimmed hat is needed. You will still want a long sleeved shirt for preventing sunburn—or to wear after you get burned!
Layered clothing is in order for any season, especially the cooler part of the year.
Comfortable, well broken in walking shoes are a must—you can easily walk 5 miles or more in a day; you may want to build up your walking endurance a few months prior to your trip.
Loose, comfortable clothes are key; you’ll see every size and shape at the Disney parks wearing shorts and tee shirts.
For the Disney water parks, everyone will need waterproof shoes or sandals (a must have!), towel, and a good cover up wrap.
Lightweight ponchos from the dollar store for rainy days. Planning in advance will save you from purchasing the expensive ones from Disney.
Packing tip: Pack one day’s outfit in a 2 gallon zip lock bag: shorts, tee shirt, underwear, socks (fold, insert, roll to expel air). You can also put the dirty clothes back in the bag if you aren’t planning to do laundry until you get home.
Laundry tip: Pack a pop-up laundry bag for a place to put all the dirty laundry and for carrying to the washing machine. Planning to do laundry on your Disney trip doesn't sound like fun, but if you plan one evening to wash clothes while enjoying the resort pool, you will only need to pack half the clothes.
Clutter tip: Keep toiletries, toothbrushes, meds, makeup off countertops and more sanitary by putting them in an over-the-door clear pocketed shoe holder.
Carry an extra pair of eyeglasses, even if they are old—it beats trying to find a one-hour prescription store immediately. We have had personal experience with glasses breaking and getting lost on rides, so it is not that uncommon. The Kissimmee Wal-Mart vision department was most helpful to us one night in replacing glasses from a broken frame into a new one.
Also carry any medical prescriptions with you + the telephone number of your pharmacy in case of emergency.
For postcards to send to friends back home, make preprinted labels—then just peel and stick, and add postage. Also take email addresses if you would like to send a video postcard from Mission Space at Epcot.
If you will have a car in Orlando, you may want to make some purchases once you get there, especially liquid items that might spill or break in luggage.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
My friends Trip to Disney World
this next post was sent to me by my friends who just went to Walt Disnay World for their honeymoon nd they came up with some great money saving ideas.
we just returned from Walt Disney World(WDW). I was there 7 days/6 nights. we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter at $99 per night but this is just one of the hotels we stayed in. This story needs to be rewound back, in the summer holiday me and my fiance packed up and prepared to go to one of our dream destinations- Walt Disney world inOrlando,Florida. we saved for months and put every extra dollar in our vacation account to help purchase Disney World tickets, trinkets, and meals at Disney. Before we left we went to the Disney website to analyse and plan. Some of the money-saving tips alone can make enough money to pay for all our meals in the park for the entire week. Below are some of the strategies that me and my fiance applied to spend an economic price but having the same excitement.
Firstly, if you're planning to stay on-site, and you don't mind switching hotels twice, I highly recommend staying at a non-Disney hotel the first and last night of your visit. On the first morning when you wake up, you can check-in early at yourWalt Disney World hotel and get your Disney park passes. The Disney resort hotels will store your bags for you, or you can keep them with you. Your passes are good as soon as you pick them up, which means you can spend the day at the park of your choice and actually move in to your room when you are through playing. On the morning you check out of the resort, your passes are valid until midnight. You get one complete day of playing, and then you rest up at your off-site hotel before heading home. I personally saved nearly $400 on a 7 day vacation with this tactic, and I didn't lose any park time.
Secondly, you sure will buy some cold beverage during your time in the park especially if you are going in the summer time. My advice to you is avoided buying soda in the park. Get a 24 pack from the public store and pack a cooler. Just keep it in your locker. Also, your soda will not get too hot, if ti does go into restaurants and ask for glasses of free ice.
Thirdly, if you have decided to take the breakfast items from home then you must look at here because I had been told that milk was very expensive there. However, I found a GREAT alternative - there is ultra pasteurized milk called ‘Parmalat’. You can buy it at Wal-Mart which is located in the breakfast food walkway. The shelf life is 6 months unopened and 10 days after opening. It comes in square boxes that will lay flat and pack well. We can't tell the difference between the boxed and dairy case milk. The cost is $1.50 for 32 oz.
Fourth, we actually learned this one when we went to Disneyland. The water is horrible there, too! We filled our ice bucket the night before and accidentally let it melt. The water tasted much better than the tap water! Another night, we stayed at the Polynesian and we got our money's worth from the food they serve at the lounge and then some. We ate breakfast there and several lunches and dinners. We aren't big eaters, so it hit the spot. The cooks also made special treats for guests with special dietary needs. Plus, we could take all the bottled water we wanted. And we loaded up on the candy goodies and boxed cereal for the kids to snack on in the parks. Plus we had a great view of the Magic Kingdom from our balcony.
Fifth, We really enjoy all of the sit-down restaurants at Walt Disney World, but they are way too expensive to eat at for all meals. To save money but still enjoy the dining experiences, we go to the local Wal-Mart and buy breakfast foods and individually packed snacks. We eat breakfast in our hotel and take the snacks to munch on during the day at the parks. Then we eat our "dinner" early, around 4:00 p.m. We still get the lunch price, usually, and because it is at an off-peak time, the restaurants usually aren't as crowded as the peak time.
Sixth, almost everybody who visits Walt Disney World cannot resist buying souvenirs, so do I!!! But the reality is, it's very pricy. However, I suggest to walk about 10 minutes away from Disney World, I forget which direction, is an outlet mall called ‘Belz’. It's a huge outlet mall, and in it there are 2 Disney closeout character stores. The prices are low and some of the items are discontinued so
we just returned from Walt Disney World(WDW). I was there 7 days/6 nights. we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter at $99 per night but this is just one of the hotels we stayed in. This story needs to be rewound back, in the summer holiday me and my fiance packed up and prepared to go to one of our dream destinations- Walt Disney world inOrlando,Florida. we saved for months and put every extra dollar in our vacation account to help purchase Disney World tickets, trinkets, and meals at Disney. Before we left we went to the Disney website to analyse and plan. Some of the money-saving tips alone can make enough money to pay for all our meals in the park for the entire week. Below are some of the strategies that me and my fiance applied to spend an economic price but having the same excitement.
Firstly, if you're planning to stay on-site, and you don't mind switching hotels twice, I highly recommend staying at a non-Disney hotel the first and last night of your visit. On the first morning when you wake up, you can check-in early at yourWalt Disney World hotel and get your Disney park passes. The Disney resort hotels will store your bags for you, or you can keep them with you. Your passes are good as soon as you pick them up, which means you can spend the day at the park of your choice and actually move in to your room when you are through playing. On the morning you check out of the resort, your passes are valid until midnight. You get one complete day of playing, and then you rest up at your off-site hotel before heading home. I personally saved nearly $400 on a 7 day vacation with this tactic, and I didn't lose any park time.
Secondly, you sure will buy some cold beverage during your time in the park especially if you are going in the summer time. My advice to you is avoided buying soda in the park. Get a 24 pack from the public store and pack a cooler. Just keep it in your locker. Also, your soda will not get too hot, if ti does go into restaurants and ask for glasses of free ice.
Thirdly, if you have decided to take the breakfast items from home then you must look at here because I had been told that milk was very expensive there. However, I found a GREAT alternative - there is ultra pasteurized milk called ‘Parmalat’. You can buy it at Wal-Mart which is located in the breakfast food walkway. The shelf life is 6 months unopened and 10 days after opening. It comes in square boxes that will lay flat and pack well. We can't tell the difference between the boxed and dairy case milk. The cost is $1.50 for 32 oz.
Fourth, we actually learned this one when we went to Disneyland. The water is horrible there, too! We filled our ice bucket the night before and accidentally let it melt. The water tasted much better than the tap water! Another night, we stayed at the Polynesian and we got our money's worth from the food they serve at the lounge and then some. We ate breakfast there and several lunches and dinners. We aren't big eaters, so it hit the spot. The cooks also made special treats for guests with special dietary needs. Plus, we could take all the bottled water we wanted. And we loaded up on the candy goodies and boxed cereal for the kids to snack on in the parks. Plus we had a great view of the Magic Kingdom from our balcony.
Fifth, We really enjoy all of the sit-down restaurants at Walt Disney World, but they are way too expensive to eat at for all meals. To save money but still enjoy the dining experiences, we go to the local Wal-Mart and buy breakfast foods and individually packed snacks. We eat breakfast in our hotel and take the snacks to munch on during the day at the parks. Then we eat our "dinner" early, around 4:00 p.m. We still get the lunch price, usually, and because it is at an off-peak time, the restaurants usually aren't as crowded as the peak time.
Sixth, almost everybody who visits Walt Disney World cannot resist buying souvenirs, so do I!!! But the reality is, it's very pricy. However, I suggest to walk about 10 minutes away from Disney World, I forget which direction, is an outlet mall called ‘Belz’. It's a huge outlet mall, and in it there are 2 Disney closeout character stores. The prices are low and some of the items are discontinued so
Friday, June 8, 2007
Disney meal budgeting tip
Cheapest (and Healthiest) Food Item in the Parks - Fresh Fruit!
Each park has at least one fruit stand. Apples, pears, bananas, and oranges are usually around $1, which is very inexpensive compared with other snacks at the parks. Some stands also sell baby carrots for around $1. At the larger stands you may find watermelon or cantaloupe slices, grapes, strawberries, cut-up pineapple, yogurt, fruit salad, corn on the cob or baked potatoes at varying prices, with nothing over $4.
There are three fruit stands in the Magic Kingdom: on Main Street, at Liberty Square Market and in Mickey's Toontown Fair. Disney-MGM Studios has Anaheim Produce on Sunset Blvd. At Epcot, fruit is available at the Refreshment Outpost between China and Germany in World Showcase. Animal Kingdom offers fruit at Harambe Market in Africa, just outside Kilimanjaro Safaris.
Maximizing Value at Character Breakfasts
Disney's character breakfasts can be a lot of fun, and if you are traveling with kids, I strongly advise trying to budget for one. However, they are expensive!
The least expensive character breakfasts are at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort or 'Ohana at The Polynesian Resort (either of which is a quick monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom), Donald's Breakfastosaurus in Animal Kingdom or Cape May Cafe at Beach Club Resort (quick walk or boat ride from Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios). Any of these breakfasts will cost you $19.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids.
Here's a way to maximize your dollar when paying for character breakfasts, shared by Lisa C:
"One money saving tip we have discovered is to eat breakfast at Chef Mickey's at the latest possible time (usually a reservation around 11:15 AM) on a day when the Magic Kingdom has early entry and so everyone will be ready for lunch by then. The buffet is very substantial, and all drinks -- coffee, milk, juice, etc. -- are included, so we drink a bunch and the kids get their character breakfast at a pretty reasonable price, considering that it is really lunch. This also allows us to take advantage of the lighter crowds in the morning at the Magic Kingdom. Also, because the restaurant is not open for lunch it starts to get quiet as people with earlier seating times leave, and ALL of the characters gather together in the waiting area for group photos of just your family, which the servers will gladly take with your camera. This has happened both times we have eaten there, and so I have photos of just my family with Goofy, Minnie, Mickey, Chip and Dale!"
Clearly you could apply a similar strategy to other character breakfast locations (not just Chef Mickey's) and regardless of whether you have access to early entry. As Lisa points out, since the crowds are lightest first thing in the morning, this strategy has the added advantage of allowing you to enjoy the attractions without long lines -- instead of spending prime time eating breakfast!
You'll probably want to eat something light to keep you going in the morning (for instance, all of the parks have pastry shops offering bagels, sweet rolls, milk and juice; or you can eat a light breakfast in your room). Then book the latest possible reservation for "breakfast" -- but consider it lunch!
Best Bargain "All You Care to Eat" Buffet on Disney Property
Without a doubt, the best buffet deal is Trail's End Buffeteria at Ft. Wilderness. Dinner is $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids, plus tax and beverage. (Compare this with many of the other buffets at Walt Disney World, which charge around $24.99 for adults.) At dinner Trail's End offers fried chicken, barbeque pork ribs, peel and eat shrimp, a carved meat, soup, salad, side dishes and desserts. There is also a "soup and salad bar only" option at dinner for $11.50.
Breakfast (also "all you care to eat") is $11.99 for adults and $7.99 for kids. There is a "continental breakfast" option that includes all the cold items, oatmeal, coffee and tea for a lower price. All-you-care-to-eat lunch buffet costs $12.99 for adults and $8.99 for kids. At lunch there is a "soup and salad bar only" option that is less expensive than the regular buffet.
You can also get takeout food from Trail's End. A fried chicken dinner for 4 people is $19.99-$24.99.
The only tricky thing about Trail's End is getting there. The easiest way is to take a boat to Ft. Wilderness from the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary Resort, or the Wilderness Lodge. From the Ft. Wilderness dock, it's just a short walk to Pioneer Hall, which is where the restaurant is located.
Sometimes my peoples cleverness just astounds me. Consider this discovery by Lisa C: "In the [resort] food courts... you can buy two slices of bread (white or wheat) for $.69 plus tax." Peanut butter is about .50, and in some food courts it's free because there are packets of it with the condiments. Jelly can be obtained for free because it's a condiment. So for around a dollar or less, you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Lisa notes, "We have a five-year-old, so this was a godsend and really saved us money over having to buy combo meals all the time."
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