How to Plan a Disney Vacation

How to Plan a Disney Vacation
My family loves going to Disney World. Why? It is exhausting in the best way possible. Not only do my husband and I enjoy the pleasure and excitement of our 6 yr old triplets and 4 yr old but we are children again too.



You know that commerical on TV when the Dad turns into a child along with his son? Yeah, I feel like that. I have given myself over to the Disney! However I am well aware Disney World is a very successful business, profiting from everyone's need to be a child again.

So how does a family of 6 afford Disney luxuriously on the cheap? Well,for us it is mostly my husband's excellent internet research! We went to Disney before we had children on the cheap cheap! less than $1000 all inclusive for 6 days. We had fun, ate well, and enjoyed Disney but luxury was not a word I could use to describe that vacation! That is not the one I recommend.

I like the Disney resorts! I like the safety, the courtious well-trained staff, the clean rooms, free coffee, and easy access. A vacation should be carefree, comfortable, and safe!

With that said, where do you begin? Our favorite site is www.mousesavers.com

Everything you need to know is at your searchable fingertips!

Basic Disney Vacation planning travel tips:

1. GO OFF SEASON! I can't stress enough the pleasure of less crowds, easy access to rides, restaurants. PEAK SEASON = STRESS! We small children, heat and crowds leads to crankiness which turns the "happiest place on earth" into misery. You can't control the wather but you can choose to go to Disney World off season. This means pulling kids out of school ( yeah I know many schools and teachers frown on this.. but they are only kids once. They have plenty of time to be chained to obligation.) Family time is much more precious that a week out of formal schooling!

The best off season times: September, January. We have found September to be the least crowded but HOT! and stormy. With proper hydration, and the available awesome resort pools, water parks, lower hotel costs, lower flight costs, and less crowds, September is a great time to go to Disney World.

We have also gone in January 3 times now, once with children. The weather can range from perfect (70s) to cold. You lose the pleasures of using the resort pools. The water parks are usually closed but walking around the parks is a joy. The grass is green, the air is crisp, and the crowds are low.

2. MOUSESAVERS and more

Start at www.mousesavers.com for pretty much every time saving and money saving tip available.

There are also some guides written by oridinary people who love Disney and are sharing what they have learned. I recommend these reviews and guides on eBay:

* Kristen's Walt Disney World Tips for Families


The author is a trusted eBay powerseller (I purchased our Disney autograph books from her)

* Disney World Vacations - Make the MOST of it!

Great advice from a family that went to Disney World during one of the busiest weeks of the year: April vacation!!!

3. Airline tickets: www.priceline, AAA, www.expedia.com, www.jetblue.com
compare estimates. We got a greal deal direct from JetBlue.

4. AAA Travel Services and Parking

If you are AAA member, you should purchase you Park Hopper Passes at AAA, and also take advantage of the AAA Diamond Parking at Disney World (if you plan on renting a car.

You can see all the AAA park pass options under the travel section on the AAA website:

AAA Disney World Park Passes

AAA airline ticket prices were not as good as what we have found online through our own searches (ok, not "our", my husband's searches. He is much better finding the best airline and hotel prices online. I am better at the shopping!)

5. Dining: The Disney Meal Plan is a good idea. Took us a few days to get the snacks and point system right on the meal plan in 2006. We were also not happy with the limited food choices for kids: chicken nuggets and french fries, mac and cheese. We ended up at a alot of buffet style eateries so out kids could eat the veggies and salads off our plates.

In 2008 we figured we would got it alone, eat off Disney for some meals since we had a car this time, and compare how much it cost us versus the meal plan... we tried hard but it was a bit more. Disney added more to the kids' menu too. We noticed salad choices, and more fruit on the kids menus! We will do the meal plan again.

Pack snacks and cooler bottles to refill with water. Buying water bottles, and snacks during the day add significantly to your cost! Packing plenty of snacks curbs crankies and keeps whining at a minimum as well (yeah there is whining in Disney, alot of it, and all around you. You are in good company!)

6. Ride or Drive: To rent a car or use the Disney Magic bus? that is the question! We tried renting a car for more freedom and to save money by going off Disney for some meals. I prefer the happy bus. That is the magical bus that picks you up at the airport, decorated in bright Disney decor, with Disney music playing and a cheerful driver. Yup, I like to swallow the happy pill right off the plane!

Renting a car can be very convenient. The rental car companies run smoothly. They are easily accessed within the airport. However, 4 excited and tired little kids, 5 big bags, 4 back packs, and tired parents, getting carseats into a rental car, and then driving, added some unnessary stress to our vacation. We should of let Mickey do the driving.

We had the benefit of AAA Member Diamond parking. We were looking forward to premiere parking ... gonna park right in front of the park's gate... uummm no. AAA diamond parking is close to the gates but since we travel off season, regular parking is pretty close too.

There is a big drawback to driving to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot because the parking lots for these 2 parks is not in front of the parks. Parking is a parking station with only monorail access to the front gates of the parks. This is fine in the morning but a nightmare in the late afternoon crowds and at night when hords of crowds ( yes hords of crowds in off season... can't imagine this during peak seasons!) are carrying or dragging half asleep cranky kids. The Magic Kingdom/Epcot parking lot might as well be in the next state!

Of course there are crowds waiting for the happy bus, monorail, and boat access to the resorts but they take you from the front door of the park ( inlcuding Magic Kingdom and Epcot) to the front door of the resort or your hotel. You don't have to do any thinking. It is easy and safe.

7. Park Passes: Park passes can be purchased online, through a Disney store, at AAA, or at the front desk of your resort. The rates vary based on season but they are the same anywhere you purchase them. No real cost savings there other than buy a park hopper multi day pass - that is a given. Then again, you could use my Upromise trick to saving a little bit more. Go through Upromise to Disney Shopping and then get your tickets!

8. Souvenirs: Purchase a few ahead of time and brings them with you. You can get great Disney merchandise from these online merchants as well as aw geez, I hate to give these guys a plug but you can't beat the prices... Walmmmmmart!

I also like to purchase our Disney merchandise from Sears. Buy online ( through Upromise first!) and choose their site to store delivery. Buy online and get free shipping to your local store. See Disney Toys at Sears

Another great choice is the Disney Shopping Outlet. I would never pay the full prices on Disney Shopping. However the outlet prices are reasonable and they are always coupons available!

9. Of course you won't be able to leave Disney World without some unique souvenirs like my cool black te shirt with a fuzzy leapard Mickey Mouse emblem. This one was only available at Disney Animal Kingdom. The tee shirt and sweatshirt styles at the parks are truly unique even though they are more expensive. Maybe you could purchase the kids tees online prior to going to Disney, and buy yours at the parks!

10. Recommended Reading:

There are sooo many Disney Planning Guides out there but here are the ones I recommend. If you read the reviews you will see many agree these are the best!

1. Birmbaum's Guide to Disney World
2. Birmbaum's Kids Guide to Disney - we bought the previous year's guides for each of the kids and saved money! The kids loved having their own guides!
3. Hidden Mickeys - This turned out to be a very fun game for all of us while waiting in line or just walking around the parks and resorts - trying to find the hidden Mickey Mouse ears, and figures in the architecture, the rides, the ground, and everywhere in Disney World.



How to Plan a Disney Vacation

How To Find & Use Coupons Online

How To Find & Use Coupons Online
I have bookmarked some of my favorite coupon websites on this blog. However, I usually do a search on Google before I go to the the store.
For example, I shop at JCPenney online alot for my kids school uniforms, and frequent their clearance items. I always go through www.upromise.com first, to collect my percent cash savings into my Upromise fund, then I fill up my shopping cart.

Next I open a new window and do a search on Google for JcPenney + coupons

Today I hit a new site http://www.jcpenney-coupons.com/ that has a 15% off offer or a free shipping over $99. I take the free shipping because the that is the bigger savings for me. I copy the coupon code (Hightlight with your mouse, and Ctrl-Insert keys on your keyboard)

Back to my Jcpenney shopping cart window. I enter the coupon code into the checkout page (Shift-Insert keys) and continue with checkout. Sometimes the code does not work, and I will repeat the search until one does work.

Some coupons sites are easier to use than others. Some are so full of ads and pop-ups, than your time is wasted searching for your coupon! If the site blinks and pops up, and is too busy, move on. There are plenty of other sites on the Google search results. When you find a site that works for you, just bookmark it for future use.

If you shop consistently at certain stores, then geton their email list. Yes you will get emails weekly, but there are some great coupons that way you can't always find online.

Oh, one more coupon tip! If the google search results fail you, then try searching on Jcpenney (example)+ coupons + forums. Then you will end up in forums and user groups where someone has shared a coupon they have that you can use!

You should never have to shop online and pay full price and or shipping costs.
Your online purchase should always be less than if you loaded the kids in the car and went to the store physically (sometimes though the saved effort is worth paying a little more online! Your time and sanity is worth more!)
You should always save while you shop through Upromise or another savings program.
You should always pay with a credit card that gives you cash back.
How To Find & Use Coupons Online

Save Through Upromise

Save Through UpromiseI do almost all my shopping online. I shop through reputable sellers and major department stores with free shipping, a discount coupon code and always through Upromise.

Through Upromise you can save at least 1% (Earn from 1% to 25% in savings from Upromise partners)every time you shop online, make travel arrangements, buy tickets, and more. By registering your credit cards through Upromise, you can also save every time you use your credit card in brick and mortar grocery stores, malls, gas stations, and more! You build up your savings just by doing what you normally do.

Upromise can even help with 529 college savings plans and student loan options.

It is easy and secure, and you can withdraw your savings for college or any time you need it!

Upromise partners include trusted stores like Sears
, Target, Walmart. Like to shop on eBay? They are there too!

How Upromise Works

1. Sign up for an account
2. Everytime you need to make a purchase, go th www.upromise.com, login. Under the EARN tab, select Online Shopping


3. In the Search box, enter the name of the store you would like to shop, and click Go. I am using Sears in my example. Click on the store to open a new window (my example uses www.sears.com
)



4.Upromise opens a separate pop-up window on the corner of your screen that looks like this. This window keeps track of your purchase and shows you your savings (2 % with Sears) and any specials like sales, additional discounts or free shipping. Don't close that window until you have completed your transaction with your vendor.



5. Checkout as usual with your vendor. As soon as your payment is accepted by your vendor and your order ships, your savings register with Upromise and your savings is deposited into your Upromise account.
6. Withdraw your savings when you need it to pay for college or other expenses.

It is that easy. There are no catches. It makes sense to save every time you shop!

This is a snapshot of my savings so far in the past 12 months. This is just for my normal purchases online for my family, some business, and of course holiday shopping.



Want even more savings? Before you complete your purchase, search Google for a coupon code for discounts or free shipping. Use that coupon code when you go through your transaction!



Save Through Upromise