Disney Vacation Specialist: Saving You Time And Money

It’s been a while since I last wrote.  This article is about doing Disney, without the parks.  “WHAT” you say!  Here’s what happened.

My family of four, 2 adults and 2 kiddies, had a Southwest Airline credit that needed to be used up before the end of the year.  So we decided on a July Disney World trip.

Summer deals at Disney resorts are awesome, so we booked a week at Disney’s POP Century.  Having stayed there the previous March, we knew we would love it!

We had four days remaining on our non-expiry Disney passes, but only wanted to use one day….this was meant to be a VERY relaxing trip.

This is how we filled out time:

 1.  Downtown Disney

We enjoyed boat rides on the Sassagoula River to Downtown Disney where we visited the magic shop, Disney store, Christmas store and the NEW T-Rex restaurant.

2.  Disney’s Boardwalk

FREE at Disney!  We parked at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort and walked around the lake enjoying the free entertainment.  The Beach Club resort was the scene of a bon fire and outside movies.  Our son played in the sand while we watched Illuminations over Epcot.

3.  Swimming is always high on our list of TO DO’s at Disney World.  The pools are huge, warm and manned with life-guards.

4.  Resort hopping is always a fun TO DO.  We dine at one resort and dessert at another.

5.  FREE boat rides around the Seven Seas Lagoon, Crescent Lake and Sassagoula River provided amble picture taking ops.

6.  Restaurants off-site are fun too.  As much as I love Disney, it’s nice to see the rest of Florida.

7.  Disney Nature Preserve is 30 minutes from Walt Disney World.  It’s FREE and gives one a great look at Florida’s nature.

Stay at a Disney Resort for FREE

Eat at Disney World for FREE

Play in the Disney Parks for FREE

AND Here’s $23 to enjoy!

The only thing you have to do is buy Disney park tickets each day.

“Now how is this possible? “ you ask.   I just completed a package quote for a family of four [2 adults, 2 children under 10] to stay at Disney’s POP Century Resort for a week in December.  The package includes free Quick Service Dining; that’s two full counter service meals and one snack per person per day AND 7 Magic Your Way Disney park passes [one ticket per person per day to enjoy Disney’s four theme parks] .  The quote total $1549.96 usf.  That’s only $55.35 per person per day.  If you were to purchase just one Disney ticket, the cost is $84.14 usf for adults and $72.42 usf for children.  The savings averages $23 per person per day.  Economically, leisurely and quality speaking, staying, playing and eating at Disney World is the wisest choice.

Clients often ask about staying off-site or renting houses as a way of saving money for a Disney Vacation.  While a house would give you a lot of room, you will have to rent a car.  Disney’s Magic Express picks you up and brings you back to Orlando International Airport if you stay at a Disney resort as a part of your package.  Disney Resorts are often the least expensive accommodations in the area and you are immersed in 24 hours of Disney.

 If your vacation is primarily about visiting Disney, the best way to go is a package deal.  Happy Vacation Planning!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

When budgeting for a Florida vacation, most people cringe at the thought of putting money out on renting a car.

If you are staying at Disney World and do not intend to leave the 47-sqaure mile resort, you can use Disney’s Magic Express, a comfy bus that transports you to and from Orlando International Airport. 

But if you are planning to visit non-Disney theme parks, the beach, restaurants or tour around the state, you will want to rent a car.

I have rented all types of cars from all rental companies and have perfected getting the best car and the best price.  Here are tips to help you do the same!

 1.  CHOSING A COMPANY.  Visit the websites of all the car rental companies you have faith in and look for promotions.  My favourite is Alamo, however, we have also had great luck with deals at Budget, Dollar, Hertz and others. 

2.  BOOK EARLY.  It doesn’t cost a thing to book a car online, so once you see a few prices in your budget, book them immediately and cancel if better prices come up.  I find booking a car as soon as I know my trip dates is the best way to go.  I booked my rental car in April 2009 for my July 2009 Florida trip for $200 for the week.  I monitored the price and it only went up between April and July.  By the time July rolled around the car was $350 for a week, but I paid my original $200 because I booked early.  However, it’s gone the other way too.  I booked early only to see the prices go down closer to the trip.  If you don’t want to spend time monitoring the website, ask your travel agent is she will to it for you.

3.  KNOW YOUR REWARD CARDS.  Many credit cards and other reward card plans offer car rental deals.  Get to know them and compare to car rental websites.

4.  INSURANCE.  Before jumping in and paying the car rental company insurance policy fees, check you own car coverage for endorsements that covers rental cars.  Often credit cards offer insurance as well, just be sure you book the rental car with that credit card and book the car in the name on that credit card.  Check other reward cards and your benefits at work for insurance coverage. 

5.  UPGRADE.  I always book the least expensive car and ALWAYS get upgraded at the rental car company counter.  To save money, I book my trips on weekdays rather than weekends.  Most people book their trips Saturday to Saturday renting up all the least expensive cars.  By the time I get there on a weekday, the only cars left are mid-sized or higher.  The counter attendant will always ask if I want to upgrade, I say “no” because I know they will give my an upgrade at no extra charge due to availability.  Even if you book on the weekends, if your flight is after noon, you’ll likely get a free upgrade because all the economy and compact cars have been rented in the morning.  I have driven a convertible, mini-vans, deluxe and mid-sized deluxe rental cars paying economy prices. 

6. BE NICE at the counter.  If they don’t offer you a free upgrade and it looks like they won’t, it’s okay to ask for it.  Once my 9-year old son really wanted to rent a PT Cruiser.  We were at the counter and super nice and the attendant smiled and said, “Go pick out a PT Cruiser.”  We paid economy prices.

7.  GAS UP.  The rental car company will ask if you want to gas up the car yourself upon return or return the car with whatever gas in left in the car for “your convenience”.  While it is convenient to to drop off the car “as is”, it will cost you $50-$75 extra at time of rental.  It’s far less expensive to gas up yourself prior to dropping off the rental car.

8.  WALK AROUND THE CAR before you drive it off the lot.  If you notice any dings, missing paint or dents, be sure to tell the attendant and watch him/her note it on your policy.  You don’t want to paid for someone else’s accident.

9.  GPS.  To save a little more money, pack your own GPS from home.  You know it well and won’t have to pay at the rental counter.

10.  TOLLS.  There are a few toll roads around the airport.  Ask if your car has the express pass on the windshield or if you have to pay the tolls yourself. 

We enjoy the freedom of a rental car in Florida.  ENJOY!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

Sandra Clarke

My family returned to Disney World at least once every two years.  This year saw us visit Disney three times!

Because we visit so often, I had to devise a way to make our trips as inexpensive as possible.

I found ways to save on airfare, hotels, car rentals and food [those blogs to follow] Then came time to figure out how to save on Disney Tickets….or as Disney calls them, Disney Passes.

The easiest and least expensive way to purchase Disney trips is by package deals through EXPERIENCED Disney Travel Specialists.  Since my family has seen most of Disney already, we don’t visit the parks as much as prior visits.  Instead we like to experience all the “extras” and “free stuff” Disney offers.  Therefore we purchased our tickets/passes a different way.

I bought a 10-day hopper plusses pass that doesn’t expire for each person in my family a couple of years ago when the Canadian Dollar was at par with the US Dollar.  Our total cost in Canadian Funds was $1700.  Today the same passes total $2500 Canadian Funds.  That’s an $800 difference in my favour.  Hopper means we can hop from park to park in the same day.  Plusses are Disney’s other attractions; water parks, mini-golf, Disney Quest, Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

We used 3 park days, hopping from park to park each day the first time we used these passes.  We went to Magic Kingdom all three days, Disney Studios twice, Epcot twice and Animal Kingdom Twice.  NINE TIMES AT THE PARKS IN ONLY THREE DAYS!  It was such a busy trip we decided the next Disney trip would be all about water parks and only one day at Disney World parks.  However in that one day, we went to ALL FOUR PARKS!

We currently have 6 Disney park hoppers left and 7 plusses left.  That is two to three more trips. 

Disney passes only increase in price, my passes don’t expire and don’t increase in price.  We will likely visit Disney World three more times in the next 5 years. 

My $1700 investment will be worth at least $2800 in 5 years.  [that’s based on 2.5% annual increase in prices and no change in the currency exchange].  That’s a savings of $1100.  And THAT’S how I save $$$$ on Disney World Tickets.

If you don’t plan to visit as often as we do, your best bet is to ask a Disney Travel Specialist for the most economically way to visit Disney World.

Happy Trip Planning!  Sandra Clarke www.enchantedvacation.webs.com

I’ve been lucky to have enjoyed many Walt Disney World trips over the past 30+ years.  It’s safe to say, I’ve seen it all.  So what does a Mickey-Veteran do in Disney World now?  Here are 10 of my favourite things to do in Walt Disney World Resorts as veterans.

1.  What’s New?  I scan www.disney.com for new attractions, shows, restaurants and resorts and give them a whirl!  Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort has recently added 384 Pirate themed rooms!  My son and I are starting to consider a Halloween trip and checking out the new rooms!

2. Classics!  We can’t visit Disney World without a couple rides on Splash Mountain and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror!  We have our favs and MUST DO’s written in stone!

3. Riding up front with the monorail driver and get our co-pilot’s licences.  Okay, we must have 50 of them, but we can’t resist riding with the monorail driver at least once during a trip.  It’s free and fun.

4  Boardwalk Resort Area.  We really enjoy strolling thru the five deluxe resorts surrounding the Boardwalk Resort area.  Taking a ride on the Friendship boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios just for fun is another free and fun thing to do.  It was awesome watching the sun set while riding the boat.  The lights of the Boardwalk Resort area topped our day!

5.  Recreation.  Disney is so much more than theme parks and ride lines.  Archery, horse back riding, boat rentals, fishing excursions, golf, spas, health clubs and more.  We rent Sea Raycer Mini Power Boats.  Our daughter was as young as 12 years old when she first piloted a Sea Raycer.

6.  Swimming with sharks at Typhoon Lagoon.  Shark Reef is a popular part of Typhoon Lagoon Waterpark so no extra admission fee to swim with sharks and sting rays.  My children were 7 years old when they first swam at Shark Reef.

7.  Character Meals.  We have enjoyed just about every Disney character meal.  It’s always fun to thank Cinderella for inviting us to breakfast in her castle or dancing with Mickey Mouse at Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort.

8.  Resort Hopping.  It’s always fun to visit a new Disney resort.  We like having dinner in one resort, touring around a bit, then having dessert at a different Disney resort.  It’s relaxing and still all about Disney.

9.  Watching WISHES from the beach.  I’m a big fan of FREE Disney Things To Do and this is one of them.  We like driving to the Polynesian Resort, riding the monorails and then grabbing a quick take-out dinner to the Polynesian Resort beach to lounge and watch WISHES fireworks over Magic Kingdom.

10.  MY RESORT MUG.  I love my resort mugs!  I’ve got quite a collection.  For $13US, I get a souvenir and all the free coffee in the morning, sugar-free lemonade by the pool and a decaf tea in the evening.

After YEARS of lugging suitcases, strollers, car seats and groceries to Florida on a plane, we finally perfected stress-free packing EVERYTHING into carry-ons.

How?  Here are 5 tips to help you keep packing simple;

1.  RENT IT!  You’re trading cash for that stress-free feeling and it’s worth it.  Disney rents awesome strollers for $15.00 per day for a single seat and $31 for a double.  If you’re going to need a stroller for more than one day you can rent them at the “multi-day” rate of $13.00 per day for a “single” and $27.00 per day for a “double”.  My daughter was 8 years old and still using a Disney stroller.  It gave us about 4 extra park hours!

Car rental companies rent car seats.  Bring a few wipes for cleaning and your own peace of mind.

If your budget allows, consider renting these items instead of forcing them onto planes and worrying if they get lost.

We also like renting a car during our Disney vacation.  Although Disney offers an excellent Orlando airport transport service called Magic Express, we like visiting the beach, grocery shopping and having a few off-site meals.

In 1998 when our daughter was 4 years-old, we purchased a $9 umbrella stroller at Walmart in Kissimmee with the intent to leave it in Florida.  But it worked so well, we brought it home….that’s in the day when we lugged EVERYTHING onto the plane.  Now I would really leave it in Florida.

2.  KISS - Keep It Simple Silly!  During my 1986 seven-day Florida trip, I packed 7 pairs of shoes, four bathing suits and 28 outfits.  NOW, I pack one pair of undergarments per day, one pj’s, one bathing suit, one outfit per HALF the days of the trip [if the trip is 8 days, I pack 4 mix and match outfits….shirts & shorts] I wear my comfy Disney Crocs and a nice dress or outfit on the plane, hanging it up as soon as I check-in to the hotel.  I don’t bring extra shoes unless I know I need a nice dress-code outfit.  Even then, I make sure the shoes are easy-to-pack flats.

PACKING LIST FOR 7 nights/8 days JULY 2009 DISNEY TRIP

* passports

* itinerary

* wallet, usf & id & travel insurance

* prescriptions

* online boarding passes

* Disney tickets

* paper, crayons, DS for son

* cell phone

* camera

* mp3

* hair brush

* peanut-free granola bars [in case someone on the plane has peanut allergy]

* bathing suit

* pj’s

* 8 undies

* 3 shorts

* 4 t’s

* changers for cell and camera

* toiletries & extras: toothbrush, floss, sewing kit, clippers, emery board. 

* AIRLINE REQUIRED BAGGIE FOR LIQUIDS: 100ml or less: sunscreen, hand sanitizer, toothpaste, deodorant.  Every else can be purchased in Florida.

3.  AIRLINE WEBSITE!  Check out your airlines website for carry-on allowance.  We are a family of four, two adults, one teen and one child.  Each of us is allowed one small suitcase [dimensions will be listed on the airline website] which is large enough for our clothing and toiletries.  We are also allowed one personal carry-on, like a purse or a laptop.  My husband and teenager bring their own carry-ons with a laptop bag containing their laptops and all the wires and gagets needed.  My son and I bring own carry-ons of clothing and I have a small purse/backpack with passports, wallet, phone, Tylenol, Gravol, paper, crayons, peanut-free snacks, DS…all the little necessities for the flight.  Our son doesn’t bring a personal item for carry-on because we know we need room for soveniers on the way home.  I have all his items in my personal carry-on.

4.  LAUNDRY!  Disney has laundry facilities at all their resorts.  What’s that…..you don’t want to do laundry during vacation?  Yep, I thought that too.  But it’s not really that bad.  The laundry is usually close to a pool, so you aren’t spending that much time actually doing work.  You just load the washer, enjoy a swim, load the dryer, enjoy a beverage in your resort mug by the pool.  Last March we did laundry in the resort room’s tub and just used the dryer.  Weighing the time doing laundry on vacation and lugging too many suitcases of clothing….I’ll do laundry by the pool anytime!

5.  GROCERIES!  I used to take my jam and bread on vacation with me.  Now they stay at home and I make a 30-minute trip to a grocery store for snacks and picnic items.  Since I live in Canada, I like to buy cereals and cookies that can’t be purchased up here.  My grocery list looks something like this:

* peanut butter

* bread

* cereal

* milk

* cookies

* fruit

* crackers

* veggies

* cheese

One of my favourite meals is veggies, fruit, crackers and cheese by the pool [doing laundry…lol] in the afternoon.  I’m saving money, time and getting fresh produce all at the same time!