Sunday, March 16, 2008
Toy Story Mania video on MSNBC
Walt Disney World has sponsored MSNBC’s Ultimate Family Road Trip website. That means you get to enjoy a bunch of new Walt Disney World video clips including one all about Toy Story Mania.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Cheap Disney Vacation Packages
As you may already know, one of the most well known theme park destinations in the world is Disney World. Millions of visitors each year are attracted to visit. Most of them are kids; it is the dream destination. Many different types of cheap Disney Vacation packages are available online and through a tour agency.
However, if you want to find cheap Disney vacation packages, it is going to require a little more research. Before you take the steps needed to find the right option for you and your family, you are going to need to determine what type of budget you have. It can be very difficult and confusing to choose a package if you do not know how much money you are willing to invest altogether because there is a very wide variety of options that are available.
One way that you should be able to determine your budget is to estimate the total cost of cheap Disney vacation packages. When you are determining the total cost, you need to make sure that you include food and lodging. There are also other factors that need to be taken into consideration as well and they are park rides, park admissions, car rental if you are going to need to rent a vehicle, souvenirs and some extra cash just in case you need it. Once you have gathered all of the expenses, you are going to need to mark them up by twenty percent because the stuff that is available at the theme park is not going to be cheap.
In order to find them online, you are going to need to plan ahead of time so that you have plenty of time to do the research needed. If possible, you are going to need to try to plan your trip during the parks off-season so that you can save some money. If you go during the off-season, you can save around forty percent of the normal cost. When you are going through the available choices to find the one that is just right for your family, you are going to need to make sure that you read all of the information. In the information, you will also need to make sure that you ask questions about statements that you are not able to understand.
Most of the time, the cheap Disney vacation packages are going to include park tickets to the attractions that are most popular and the lodging as well. There are some options that are available that will cover your meals while you are there as well. However, on the other hand, some packages will only cover your admission to the Park. There are many times that first timers are going to find that there are too many attractions that they have the opportunity to visit and there is not enough time in the day to visit all of them. When viewing the options, you may need to make sure that you choose only a couple of attractions that you want to be included in your particular package.
However, if you want to find cheap Disney vacation packages, it is going to require a little more research. Before you take the steps needed to find the right option for you and your family, you are going to need to determine what type of budget you have. It can be very difficult and confusing to choose a package if you do not know how much money you are willing to invest altogether because there is a very wide variety of options that are available.
One way that you should be able to determine your budget is to estimate the total cost of cheap Disney vacation packages. When you are determining the total cost, you need to make sure that you include food and lodging. There are also other factors that need to be taken into consideration as well and they are park rides, park admissions, car rental if you are going to need to rent a vehicle, souvenirs and some extra cash just in case you need it. Once you have gathered all of the expenses, you are going to need to mark them up by twenty percent because the stuff that is available at the theme park is not going to be cheap.
In order to find them online, you are going to need to plan ahead of time so that you have plenty of time to do the research needed. If possible, you are going to need to try to plan your trip during the parks off-season so that you can save some money. If you go during the off-season, you can save around forty percent of the normal cost. When you are going through the available choices to find the one that is just right for your family, you are going to need to make sure that you read all of the information. In the information, you will also need to make sure that you ask questions about statements that you are not able to understand.
Most of the time, the cheap Disney vacation packages are going to include park tickets to the attractions that are most popular and the lodging as well. There are some options that are available that will cover your meals while you are there as well. However, on the other hand, some packages will only cover your admission to the Park. There are many times that first timers are going to find that there are too many attractions that they have the opportunity to visit and there is not enough time in the day to visit all of them. When viewing the options, you may need to make sure that you choose only a couple of attractions that you want to be included in your particular package.
How To Plan An Affordable Disney Vacation Package
Is there such a thing as an affordable or cheap Walt Disney World vacation? Is it even possible to go to Disney World and not spend a lot of money? The answer is yes, it is possible. All one needs to do is be aware of what are the facilities available at the park and plan wisely. They need to consult their family members and understand their main aim of visiting the park. Some might want to visit the Magic Kingdom, while others would be looking forward to taking the Kali River rafting trip in Animal Kingdom and Tree of Life section.
You need to create a balance and make sure everyone gets to visit their favorite part of the park and let their guards down and enjoy. If you have been saving up for this one trip, you will know how valuable money is and plan with caution.
1. Research:
You must do some ground work before planing the trip and carry out research to know what is the best way to enjoy the entire Disney World and yet not spend too much. You must check out various sites on the net to see if any of the Disney Mickey Avenue or Rafiki's Plant watch coupons are available. There are some grocery stores in your town that might give away coupons or discounted passes to Dinoland USA or The Backlot tour. All this will make your Walt Disney World vacation fulfilling.
2. Off-Season:
It is wise to travel during off season, when there is not much of crowd and rates aren't very high. Since Disney World doesn't have too many shows or parades around this time, you can utilize your time at the various parks enjoying each and every ride. But this might mean, taking your child out of school for the holiday, just make it a fun learning trip and get them to keep track of what all they did. This is a wonderful way of saving money, and getting the best of the Walt Disney World.
3. Food and Indulges:
If you are fond of gingerbread cookies and Mickey Mouse muffins, you will find it hard to resist them at the park. While on your Walt Disney vacation, you need to count your pennies and be smart. Have breakfast at the hotel or villa you are staying in and carry some for lunch, especially if you have kids who get hungry at odd hours. If you are going to get advance seating at restaurants, make sure to screen the menu before ordering, there might be some combos available at reasonable prices.
4. Shopping:
Every time you see a souvenir at the Beastly Bazaar in the Animal Kingdom or Mickey's of Hollywood in MGM Studios, don't buy it, instead wait for the last day and take time to do some relaxed shopping around the various stores to buy those souvenirs or gifts. This way, you will remember what you are buying and how much you are spending at the various stores.
You need to create a balance and make sure everyone gets to visit their favorite part of the park and let their guards down and enjoy. If you have been saving up for this one trip, you will know how valuable money is and plan with caution.
1. Research:
You must do some ground work before planing the trip and carry out research to know what is the best way to enjoy the entire Disney World and yet not spend too much. You must check out various sites on the net to see if any of the Disney Mickey Avenue or Rafiki's Plant watch coupons are available. There are some grocery stores in your town that might give away coupons or discounted passes to Dinoland USA or The Backlot tour. All this will make your Walt Disney World vacation fulfilling.
2. Off-Season:
It is wise to travel during off season, when there is not much of crowd and rates aren't very high. Since Disney World doesn't have too many shows or parades around this time, you can utilize your time at the various parks enjoying each and every ride. But this might mean, taking your child out of school for the holiday, just make it a fun learning trip and get them to keep track of what all they did. This is a wonderful way of saving money, and getting the best of the Walt Disney World.
3. Food and Indulges:
If you are fond of gingerbread cookies and Mickey Mouse muffins, you will find it hard to resist them at the park. While on your Walt Disney vacation, you need to count your pennies and be smart. Have breakfast at the hotel or villa you are staying in and carry some for lunch, especially if you have kids who get hungry at odd hours. If you are going to get advance seating at restaurants, make sure to screen the menu before ordering, there might be some combos available at reasonable prices.
4. Shopping:
Every time you see a souvenir at the Beastly Bazaar in the Animal Kingdom or Mickey's of Hollywood in MGM Studios, don't buy it, instead wait for the last day and take time to do some relaxed shopping around the various stores to buy those souvenirs or gifts. This way, you will remember what you are buying and how much you are spending at the various stores.
Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana free visit to Disney World!
Singer/actress Miley Cyrus poses in front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Jan. 27, 2008. Cyrus invited family and friends to Walt Disney World for a celebration she hosted to mark the end of her record-breaking U.S. concert tour.
Disney World Vacation Planning Guide
Selecting a Disney World Resort
First, take a head count. If there are more than 4 of you, there are some Disney World resorts where you cannot be accommodated in a single room. Disney doesn’t do rollaways and are very strict when it comes to room occupancy. The exception is a child under the age of 3 who can sleep in a Pack ‘n’ Play Crib. (They’re not counted towards the occupancy total.) Take a look at the Disney resorts and check which ones will work for you.
Budget – Since that link also included rates, at first glance, staying onsite may seem out of reach. Even the Disney Value resorts are higher priced than the surrounding Orlando hotels which often offer enticements such as free kid’s meals. However, what you’re saving in $$$ may be costing you in other ways. For example, unless you want to be held captive by an offsite resort’s shuttle schedule, you’ll more than likely need to rent a car. In additon to dealing with traffic, there are the Parking Fees. There are so many advantages to staying onsite. Take a moment to see what you’ll be getting or giving up and paying for when making your decision: Disney World Resort Comparisons
When to go to Walt Disney World:
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have Disney World all to yourself? We all have that dream, but the reality is that most of us are dealing with school/work schedules. The Mouse knows when most of us are free to travel, and the prices vary accordingly: Travel Seasons . While logic would tell you that “Value” Season means fewer visitors, traveling any time when school is out is going to translate to the parks being busy. Here’s another instance where staying onsite makes a huge difference. You can take advantage of Disney’s Extra Magic Hours. when staying at a Disney resort.
Special Events – The current promotion at Walt Disney World is the “Year of a Million Dreams” . Depending on what dates you choose, there’s usually something special going on:
Disney World Tickets
You’ve picked a Disney resort; you’ve chosen your vacation dates, now’s the "fun" part, what ticket/package do you select? Disney has the Magic Your Way Tickets which allows you to customize your ticket to match your vacation plans. It looks confusing (and expensive) but let’s break it down a bit:
Start with the Magic Your Way Base Disney Ticket: Don’t look at the one day rate and assume that you simply multiply that number by the amount of days you’re vacationing. The per day ticket price decreases the longer you stay. Example: One day is $75.62 for adults while 5 days is $228.98 which comes to $45.80 per day. (What’s really amazing is if you get a 6 day ticket. That’s only another $2.13 more than the 5 day.)
Think about your travel style. The Base Ticket is the cheapest, but you can’t “park hop” with it. If you’re like the majority of guests, you'll be visiting more than one Disney Park in a single day. For an extra $45 you can add "Park Hopping". (That’s not $45 per day, that’s $45 per ticket.) This way you can visit, one, two or all four of the Disney theme parks on the same day without using up another day of your base ticket.
Do you want to visit the Disney Water Parks/Pleasure Island and/or Disney Quest? For another $50 you can do just that: Water Parks Fun & More . (Before paying for a feature you won't fully use - take a look at the costs of purchasing these add-on's individually: Water Park, Disney Quest, Pleasure Island Tickets
The most costly “add-on” is the “no expiration” option. The best time to consider this is if you can purchase a longer stay ticket, use part of it for one trip and use the rest of the ticket during a future stay. Let's do the math: A 10 day Magic Your Way Base Ticket with Park Hopping and No Expiration will be $479.28 for guests ages 10 and up. If you purchase a 5 day MYW Base Ticket with Park Hopping and No Expiration, the total is $340.82. By purchasing that 10 day, you're getting those additional 5 days for $117.15, and you're paying for them at today's prices, not what they will be when you plan your next vacation. (Trust us, they will be higher priced.)
At this point, you have to sit down, think about all of the ticket combinations, look at your budget and figure out which one is right for you. Always keep in mind that you can upgrade your ticket after the fact. In other words, if you regret not getting “hopping” or the water parks add-on initially, you can add it while at Disney World.
Walt Disney World Vacation Packages:
For ease of travel, you can’t beat a Disney Magic Your Way Package. For starters, your tickets are encoded on your Resort ID. (It sure beats that feeling of sheer panic when you can’t find that tiny ticket that cost roughly as much as your mortgage payment.)
There are also a few amenities added when you book a Disney Magic Your Way Package. Some are worthwhile, like that free photo pass picture, while others are questionable, such as that Planet Hollywood certificate. This restaurant gets consistently poor ratings and may not be worth the $15 savings towards a really bad meal.
One of the most popular packages is the Magic Your Way Plus Dining Disney Vacation Package. This includes dining at your choice of over 100 Disney restaurants. If you’re booking a Disney package, then you’re staying at a Disney Resort. It’s unlikely that you’re going to go offsite for a meal, so you might as well get the most bang for your dining buck by booking the “Plus Dining” package. It comes out to $38.99 per night for guests ages 10 and up, $10.99 per night for guests ages 3 - 9. Just review the “rules” that you’ll find in the package description.
If you can afford to splurge, then either the Magic Your Way Premium or Magic Your Way Platinum packages is the way to go. With the Premium package you get three full serve meals at your choice of most of the Disney restaurants, tickets to Cirque du Soleil, preferred viewing of Epcot's Illuminations and the Magic Kingdom's Wishes fireworks, unlimited scheduling of almost all of the Disney Backstage Tours, unlimited child care at one of Disney's Children's Activity Centers, unlimited use of most of the recreation options, etc. With the Platinum Package, you get the three daily full serve meals including Disney's most exclusive dining venue, Victoria & Albert's. You also get the preferred fireworks viewing as well as a Fireworks Cruise. You'll have reserved seating at Disney MGM Studio's Fantasmic, unlimited child care at Disney's Children's Activity Centers plus private in-room babysitting, unlimited Backstage Tours, a Spa treatment, special keepsake and concierge pre-planning.
The eternal debate: Travel Agent or Planning your own Disney World Vacation
Being that I belong to the Disney Vacation Club (which is a whole other topic), I have no choice but to plan our Disney trips. This is what led me to the DIS (wdwinfo.com). As you can see, planning a Disney vacation isn’t easy. Which park has Extra Magic Hours? Is there a special event going on? Are all of the attractions open? Is my favorite restaurant available? When can I book it? The list is endless.
Sure, you’ll find this information on the DIS, but do you really want to constantly be checking for changes/updates and making a bazillion toll calls setting everything up?
This is where using a Travel agency that specializes in Disney is invaluable. I admit it; I’m biased and think that Dreams Unlimited Travel is the best. Your Dreams agent knows all of the ins and outs of planning a Disney vacation. Tours, dining, recreation, etc, is all taken care of in advance. You get a customized itinerary you can print out to take with you. In addition to your own dining reservations, touring tips and the like, the itinerary includes the Park hours, when Extra Magic Hour is scheduled, what time the parades take place and if an attraction is closed during your visit.
A common misconception is that using a Travel agency means you’re paying more. This simply isn’t true. Price out the identical trip with Disney directly and you’ll see that it’s the same.
Another advantage of using Dreams is in finding Disney discounts. If there’s one in effect when you book, great, but what if one comes out later on? Dreams will check to see if you can get a better rate. They have saved their clients countless thousands over the years by doing this. Forget about Disney giving you a better price if a new offer is released after you've booked with them. While the DIS does let you know when these discounts come out, if you don’t see it right away, there’s a chance you’ll miss out on getting it.
There you have it, Walt Disney World Vacation Planning 101. With these basics you’re off to a good start. For hardcore planners, there's also a ton of useful tips found here: Disney Planning. A little bit of advance homework should make your Disney vacation what it was meant to be. A memorable, magical trip that everyone will enjoy.
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