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.
Free Disney Vacations
Here's what we're working on...
CRUISES - Undeniably the best vacation value around. We're looking at space for a Caribbean cruise in March, Alaskan space in June, and Hawaiian space in July or early August - and yes, some short-cruise space on the Disney Wonder in the Fall.
ALL-INCLUSIVES - We're looking at space in Jamaica and in Mexico with resorts renowned for their family-friendly atmospheres and "cool stuff" for all ages. We may also take a look at Atlantis on Paradise Island with it's brand new water park.
AWESOME TOURS - Our travel agent, Beth, is a huge fan of the new Adventures by Disney program and is working with her Disney rep to come up with some great promotions. Beth is setting up some Webinar sessions for our readers with her rep so you can learn more about these amazing vacation opportunities.
LAND VACATIONS - Ever hear of Great Wolf Lodge? Any resort with an inside water park is going to be a hit with the kids, and the options on suites are really cool. In Virginia, some sleep up to 8 people and most sleep at least 6. We're also looking at Smuggler's Notch in Vermont, another incredible family resort, as well as putting a family spin on some locations not traditionally thought of as family destinations.
VEGAS - As with Disney World, the hotels are attractions unto themselves. Add to that the shows, both free and ticketed, and the side trips to places like Ethel M's chocolate factory and the Hoover Dam, and you can spend days there having a blast without dropping a single quarter into a machine. And yes, we're also looking at the idea of doing a few days at Disneyland "for Disney World fans."
ADULTS ONLY - We all love our children, but every once in awhile it's really nice to send them to Grandma's house for a few days and escape for a little RR&R - rest, romance, and relaxation. We're looking over the best adult-only destinations in the world to see what we can come up with to provide parents their own little get-away opportunities.
OTHER IDEAS
* JUST MOMS - Put Dad in charge of the kids for a few days and go away with the girls
* SINGLE PARENTS - A chance for single parents to take their kids on vacation and meet up with other single parents to compare notes, exchange war stories, or just make new friends.
* BONDING WITH DAD - Pack up Dad and the kids and send them away for a few days
* SPECIAL NEEDS - It can be hard for families with children - or adults - who have special needs to get away, but perhaps we can figure something out. What sort of special needs does YOUR family have??
* ALTERNATIVE FAMILIES - These days, the definition of "family" can mean many things and it's always nice to meet up with others that can relate to what you're dealing with. Are you raising your grandchildren? Maybe multiple foster children? Multiple generations under one roof? Merging your family with that of a friend or sibling? Tell us your situation and maybe we can get several similar families together for some fun.
CRUISES - Undeniably the best vacation value around. We're looking at space for a Caribbean cruise in March, Alaskan space in June, and Hawaiian space in July or early August - and yes, some short-cruise space on the Disney Wonder in the Fall.
ALL-INCLUSIVES - We're looking at space in Jamaica and in Mexico with resorts renowned for their family-friendly atmospheres and "cool stuff" for all ages. We may also take a look at Atlantis on Paradise Island with it's brand new water park.
AWESOME TOURS - Our travel agent, Beth, is a huge fan of the new Adventures by Disney program and is working with her Disney rep to come up with some great promotions. Beth is setting up some Webinar sessions for our readers with her rep so you can learn more about these amazing vacation opportunities.
LAND VACATIONS - Ever hear of Great Wolf Lodge? Any resort with an inside water park is going to be a hit with the kids, and the options on suites are really cool. In Virginia, some sleep up to 8 people and most sleep at least 6. We're also looking at Smuggler's Notch in Vermont, another incredible family resort, as well as putting a family spin on some locations not traditionally thought of as family destinations.
VEGAS - As with Disney World, the hotels are attractions unto themselves. Add to that the shows, both free and ticketed, and the side trips to places like Ethel M's chocolate factory and the Hoover Dam, and you can spend days there having a blast without dropping a single quarter into a machine. And yes, we're also looking at the idea of doing a few days at Disneyland "for Disney World fans."
ADULTS ONLY - We all love our children, but every once in awhile it's really nice to send them to Grandma's house for a few days and escape for a little RR&R - rest, romance, and relaxation. We're looking over the best adult-only destinations in the world to see what we can come up with to provide parents their own little get-away opportunities.
OTHER IDEAS
* JUST MOMS - Put Dad in charge of the kids for a few days and go away with the girls
* SINGLE PARENTS - A chance for single parents to take their kids on vacation and meet up with other single parents to compare notes, exchange war stories, or just make new friends.
* BONDING WITH DAD - Pack up Dad and the kids and send them away for a few days
* SPECIAL NEEDS - It can be hard for families with children - or adults - who have special needs to get away, but perhaps we can figure something out. What sort of special needs does YOUR family have??
* ALTERNATIVE FAMILIES - These days, the definition of "family" can mean many things and it's always nice to meet up with others that can relate to what you're dealing with. Are you raising your grandchildren? Maybe multiple foster children? Multiple generations under one roof? Merging your family with that of a friend or sibling? Tell us your situation and maybe we can get several similar families together for some fun.
Disney Vacation Club
Inspired in part by Disney guests who frequented the Company's resorts and theme parks year-after-year, the Disney Vacation Club concept is stamped with Disney's special brand of imagination and innovation.
Launched in October 1991, the Disney Vacation Club has now grown to include more than 63,000 member families from throughout North America and beyond, making it one of the most successful and highly rated vacation ownership programs.
"Our decision to enter the vacation ownership business was a natural progression to accommodate our guests with a flexible vacation product designed to meet their ever-changing vacation needs as they pass through different phases of their life," said George Aguel, Senior Vice President/General Manager for Disney Vacation Development, Inc.
Like many other vacation ownership programs, Disney Vacation Club is grounded in real estate ownership, but it has brought innovative new elements to its vacation ownership product.
"Guests become members of the Disney Vacation Club because of the magical memories and traditions that are so engrained in the Disney experience," continued Aguel. "Anyone can sell accommodations – but only Disney can offer the experiential environment, the entertainment, and the imaginative programs that are so uniquely a part of our tradition."
How does it work?
Anchored by the purchase of a deeded real estate interest, membership provides guests with the freedom to tailor vacations to their personal needs as their family's vacation interests change over time.
Unlike traditional timeshare programs, Disney Vacation Club members are not locked into a single week or fixed time period at a single resort. Disney Vacation Club membership is based on a "vacation point" system. Each year, members receive an annual allotment of vacation points that can be used in a variety of ways for different types of accommodations at a dazzling variety of resorts and for other vacation experiences, subject to availability.
Members can also elect to bank or borrow vacation points, use their vacation points in combination with renting accommodations on a cash basis, or can purchase an additional real estate interest at any time. New members can join the club with an initial purchase of just over $11,000.
Where can it be used?
Disney Vacation Club membership may be used to reserve accommodations at the member's "home resort" or they may exchange reserved home resort accommodations to stay at other Disney Vacation Club resorts – Disney's BoardWalk Villas; Disney's Old Key West Resort; The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Beach Club Villas (all at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida), Disney's Vero Beach Resort (Vero Beach, Florida), or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) – at select Walt Disney World Resort properties, the Disneyland Resort hotels in Anaheim, California, and Disneyland Paris hotels in France.
Additionally, through the Disney Vaction Club Member Getaways program, members have access to more than 200 premium resorts worldwide through an agreement with Interval International (II), one of the world's largest vacation ownership exchange companies, or they may select from an elite collection of world-renowned hotels, sample an adventure travel experience like an African safari, take a cruise (including Disney Cruise Line itineraries) and much more.
What are the advantages?
"The Disney Vacation Club is about quality, guest service, attention to detail and a world of choices," said Aguel. "Our members expect us to provide years of magical vacations and treasured memories at an excellent value. But, they also expect our Disney quality and personal service in planning their vacations."
Additional unique advantages to membership include special benefits such as various Disney discount offers and professional travel planners that are just a phone call away. These Vacation Advisors help members plan their vacations and answer questions about DVC membership.
Members further become part of the DVC 'family' through its Vacation Magic member newsletter that offers helpful program information, member stories, DVC resort travel tips, exclusive member merchandise and discounts/privileges and special previews of upcoming Disney events.
Launched in October 1991, the Disney Vacation Club has now grown to include more than 63,000 member families from throughout North America and beyond, making it one of the most successful and highly rated vacation ownership programs.
"Our decision to enter the vacation ownership business was a natural progression to accommodate our guests with a flexible vacation product designed to meet their ever-changing vacation needs as they pass through different phases of their life," said George Aguel, Senior Vice President/General Manager for Disney Vacation Development, Inc.
Like many other vacation ownership programs, Disney Vacation Club is grounded in real estate ownership, but it has brought innovative new elements to its vacation ownership product.
"Guests become members of the Disney Vacation Club because of the magical memories and traditions that are so engrained in the Disney experience," continued Aguel. "Anyone can sell accommodations – but only Disney can offer the experiential environment, the entertainment, and the imaginative programs that are so uniquely a part of our tradition."
How does it work?
Anchored by the purchase of a deeded real estate interest, membership provides guests with the freedom to tailor vacations to their personal needs as their family's vacation interests change over time.
Unlike traditional timeshare programs, Disney Vacation Club members are not locked into a single week or fixed time period at a single resort. Disney Vacation Club membership is based on a "vacation point" system. Each year, members receive an annual allotment of vacation points that can be used in a variety of ways for different types of accommodations at a dazzling variety of resorts and for other vacation experiences, subject to availability.
Members can also elect to bank or borrow vacation points, use their vacation points in combination with renting accommodations on a cash basis, or can purchase an additional real estate interest at any time. New members can join the club with an initial purchase of just over $11,000.
Where can it be used?
Disney Vacation Club membership may be used to reserve accommodations at the member's "home resort" or they may exchange reserved home resort accommodations to stay at other Disney Vacation Club resorts – Disney's BoardWalk Villas; Disney's Old Key West Resort; The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Beach Club Villas (all at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida), Disney's Vero Beach Resort (Vero Beach, Florida), or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina) – at select Walt Disney World Resort properties, the Disneyland Resort hotels in Anaheim, California, and Disneyland Paris hotels in France.
Additionally, through the Disney Vaction Club Member Getaways program, members have access to more than 200 premium resorts worldwide through an agreement with Interval International (II), one of the world's largest vacation ownership exchange companies, or they may select from an elite collection of world-renowned hotels, sample an adventure travel experience like an African safari, take a cruise (including Disney Cruise Line itineraries) and much more.
What are the advantages?
"The Disney Vacation Club is about quality, guest service, attention to detail and a world of choices," said Aguel. "Our members expect us to provide years of magical vacations and treasured memories at an excellent value. But, they also expect our Disney quality and personal service in planning their vacations."
Additional unique advantages to membership include special benefits such as various Disney discount offers and professional travel planners that are just a phone call away. These Vacation Advisors help members plan their vacations and answer questions about DVC membership.
Members further become part of the DVC 'family' through its Vacation Magic member newsletter that offers helpful program information, member stories, DVC resort travel tips, exclusive member merchandise and discounts/privileges and special previews of upcoming Disney events.
Free Disney Tools for Planning your Vacation or Having Fun!
FREE
Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World
Click here to order a set of five customized 14" x 20" park
maps for your Walt Disney World vacation. Delivery takes approximately
3 weeks, so plan ahead. You can order one set every 6 months.
One
Hour FREE at Disneyland
Here's a little-known bit of information about Disneyland
in California: you can enter the park for FREE for one hour or less
with a "shopping pass." The intended purpose of this program
is to allow someone who forgot to purchase a souvenir the opportunity
to go into the park and buy it.
A shopping pass may be obtained by visiting the Guest
Services Window next to the Main Entrance of Disneyland. The shopping
pass provides 60 minutes of park admission at no charge. To obtain
a pass, you will need to provide a valid credit card or cash in the
amount of a 1-Day Ticket for deposit. You will then be given a ticket
with a specified return time. When you return to Guest Services within
the specified time, you will not be charged for a 1-Day Ticket. The
shopping pass is not available after 4 pm.
They are very strict about the one-hour time limit,
and only one person in your party will be allowed to do this. Some
people have been asked to show a receipt when returning to Guest Services
-- others have not.
FREE
Webcam and Satellite Views of Disneyland & Walt Disney World
Want to see Disneyland for free? The Howard
Johnson Anaheim offers views of Disneyland and Disney's California
Adventure theme parks via its "Mattercam"
-- you can even control the camera!
If you'd like a little glimpse of Walt Disney World
for free, try this webcam
view that will show you the last 24 hours in time-lapse format.
The camera is located at the top of the Dolphin hotel, pointing toward
Disney's Beach Club Resort and with a view of Epcot's Geosphere in
the background.
For a 3D satellite view of the theme parks check
out Google
Earth. You can download the software for free and explore
Walt Disney World, Disneyland, even Disneyland Paris or Tokyo Disney
Resort on your home computer! Thanks to Michael for info.
Another satellite view site is Microsoft Virtual Earth. If you click on the bird's eye view, you can see parts of Disney World in incredible detail. MouseSavers.com reader Tammy L reports that you can even read all of the words on the Pop Century resort!
FREE
Disney Games, Screen Savers, Wallpaper and Desktops
All of the links in this section go to Disney-operated
sites that offer freebies!
Pirates of the Caribbean Online is a new multiplayer online game that Disney is offering for FREE! Create a Pirate, battle fierce enemies, captain your own ship, live the legend!
Disney's Ratatouille
web site offers FREE backgrounds, AIM icons and games.
The
Santa Clause 3 web site offers two FREE mini-games and a "write
to Santa" option.
Send your friends FREE Pirates of the Caribbean voice
e-mails at DeadMansMail.com!
You can customize your pirate by changing the background, headgear,
eyes and beard. Choose from pre-recorded pirate greetings, or record
your own greeting!
Disney's
Virtual Magic Kingdom (VMK) is
an elaborate multiplayer online game that allows you to explore the
lands of a theme park! Play games, create music mixes, earn credits
that allow you to buy different clothes and furnishings for your onscreen
avatar, and lots more. You can also do real-life "quests"
at Disneyland and Disney World and earn onscreen goodies. VMK is primarily
aimed at tweens and teens, but lots of adult Disney fans are playing
too. You can't beat the price -- FREE!
Buzz
Lightyear Astro Blasters Online Interactive Experience allows
players to connect from home and engage in live action from the Buzz
Lightyear Astro Blasters attraction at Disneyland during park hours.
Disney's Expedition
Everest web site offers a FREE "Yeti Vision"
game (requires download).
Disney
SNAP offers FREE Disney icons for Instant Messaging.
The Disneyland Paris Resort web site has quite
a few goodies, including:
-
15th
Anniversary backgrounds, screensavers, e-card and games -
desktop
icons and Fantillusion screen saver -
Buzz
Lightyear game -
punch-out
paper laser blaster -
multiple
wallpapers and a screensaver -
games
for kids -
more
wallpapers -
Consider signing
up for the Disneyland Paris newsletter list -- they send out links
to FREE wallpapers, screensavers and games frequently.
Vacation
Planning Videos
If you're planning a Disney vacation, be sure to request
a Disney vacation planning DVD, which they will be happy to send you
for FREE. It can take awhile (as much as a month or more) to arrive,
so order one early!
-
Walt Disney World:
-
US
residents click here to order. -
Canada
residents click here to order. -
UK
residents click here to order.
-
-
Disneyland in California:
-
Disney Cruise Line:
-
US
residents click here to order. -
Canada residents call 800-511-9444 to order
-
There's lots of cute FREE stuff you can download at
the Disney
Souvenears site. Items change from time to time, but in the
past have included a Mickey "snowglobe," desktop clock,
calendar, calculator and more. You have to register with disney.com
to download -- and while you're at it, you can sign up to have Mickey
send you a free birthday e-mail!
At the Disney
Magic Artist web site, you can download FREE play sets, calendars,
greeting cards, coloring pages and a scrapbook maker!
Visit Disney's
Free Mini Games site, where you can play many different FREE
online games!
Disney's Chronicles
of Narnia page allows you to play a game (with VMK
virtual prizes) and download a Narnia map wallpaper.
Disney's Lady
and the Tramp page offers a game, wallpaper, screensaver,
messenger icons and printable activity/coloring pages! Thanks to
Kim A for info.
Disney's Chicken
Little page offers wallpaper, screensaver, messenger icons,
printable stickers/tattoos and and printable activity/coloring pages!
Disney's Bambi
page offers desktop backgrounds, a screensaver and printable activity/coloring
pages!
Stitch's
Escape Game - requires download. Not compatible with Macintosh
computers.
Disney's Lilo
and Stitch page offers FREE games, desktop backgrounds, messenger
icons, e-postcards and more!
Disney's Home
on the Range page offers FREE games, wallpapers, messenger
icons, screensaver, e-postcards and more!
Check out the Mission:
SPACE web site, where you can download screensavers and wallpaper,
send e-postcards and play the "Space Race" game.
Get FREE Disney screen savers, icons and wallpaper,
plus a Disney character personality test! Visit the 100
Years of Magic web site. Password is WALT.
You can download dozens of FREE
desktops and wallpapers featuring Disney characters, for both PC and
Mac computers, at the Desktop
Stop.
Really cool: download the FREE Disney
Dreamlights Cheshire Cat screensaver from Tokyo Disneyland!
Thanks to Belinda for info.
Visit Disney's FamilyFun
Magazine web site, where you can download all kinds of neat
family projects! They usually offer great ideas for each holiday season
of the year.
FREE
Disney Recipes
Here are some sites where you
can get Disney-related recipes for FREE:
Intercot
Info Central - lots of recipes, mainly from the resort restaurants
DisneyRecipes.com
- probably the most comprehensive site for Disney-related recipes,
though a little difficult to navigate
2001
Epcot Food & Wine Festival Recipes
(from Steve Soares' handy Walt
Disney World Entertainment site)
Disney/Orlando/Southern
California Sweepstakes and Contests
Click here to see
a constantly-updated list of sweepstakes and contests with Disney
prizes, as well as prizes that include trips to Orlando or Southern
California.
Walt Disney World
- Free & Cheap Things To Do
Don't miss my whole huge list of things to do at Walt Disney World
(and nearby) for FREE or very inexpensively. Nothing on the list
requires park admission! To view the information about cheap and
FREE activities at Walt Disney World, click
here.
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