How to make Disney more affordable

 

--Be Flexible in your time.

I know for some this is easier said than done.  Working around school schedules, work schedules, and other schedules can be very difficult.  But the more flexible you are in your time of year you can visit will make a great difference in overall price.

 

Peak season (summer and holidays) are a premium price (as well as having higher crowd levels). Also, if you are going on a short trip try to avoid Friday and Saturday night stays.  These nights have a surcharge as well. 

 

When Disney has a promotion the dates you are available can have a very important role.  For the most part, if your check in day falls within the promotional period, you get the promotional pricing for the whole trip. Of course, there are exceptions to this, so I will double check that before we actually book your trip.

 

Speaking of promotions, this brings up my second tip – Be flexible on the resort.

Some promotions will exclude certain resorts completely or may have different blackout dates for some resorts.  A promotion will have a limited number of room types for each resort.  So, while there may still be rooms available in a particular resort for your dates, it doesn’t mean that the promotion is available for those rooms on those dates.  Having a second or third resort or room choice can improve your chances of snagging that promotion.

 

 

Ticket Options

 

Water Parks and More Fun

If you are going in the winter; or if you aren’t planning on a water park or visiting Disney Quest, this just adds an unnecessary charge.  However, if you are planning on going during a hot or warm season (and you are planning on 2 or more days to visit water parks) then, by all means- add the option!  You will save money over the single day entrance fee.  Although keep in mind each resort has at least one pool.  Most have ‘quiet pools’ as well (smaller pools spread out over the resort)

 

Park Hopper

Here is another place to save money.  If you are planning on visiting only one park per day (perhaps returning to your resort room for a mid-day swim and then returning to the same park in the evening  for dinner or nighttime activities) then a Park Hopper could be an unnecessary charge.

However, you need to know if you do not have Park Hopper you CAN NOT go to a different park later in the day, even if you have unused days left on your ticket!

 

Also, it is important to note you cannot purchase a park hopper for only one day of your trip.  Well, you can, but the price for hoppers is for the life of the ticket, so it will cost you the same if you have 3 days left or 10 days left on your pass.

 

Non Expiring Option

If you are going to make two or more trips to Disney with a year or more between the trips, then, this MAY say you some money.  Be advised that most promotions have a minimum number of tickets that must be purchased with the promotion, so this could possibly eat your savings.  (Disney seems to be phasing out this particular add on.  It may or may not be available at time of your purchase.)

 

Dining Plans

Again, these could possibly save money.  It completely depends on how your family chooses to eat on vacations.  Remember all those questions I asked about how your family prefers to eat when on vacation?  Well, this is where it comes into play.  I will help you decide which (if any) dining plan is best suited for your family.

 

 

 

These are just a few of the ways we can make the Family’s vacation package a bit more budget friendly.  Next we will talk a bit about value.

 

 

How much will a trip to Disney cost?

Last time we talked about some of the questions I will be asking you before we even start talking about booking a Disney trip.  We went over a lot of things that will help me get to know your family’s traveling style.  Because, let’s face it, you won’t have a fun family trip if you are stressed out over a particular aspect that I might enjoy, but just doesn’t fit into your family’s idea of a perfect family vacation.

 

So, now we will talk a bit about your budget.  This aspect always confuses people.  Either it is a lot less than they expected, or it is a lot more than they expected. 

Let’s start with the feeling that it is a lot less than you expected.  This mainly comes from listening to what other people pay for their trips.  Remember everyone’s style of traveling is different.  Your friend may only do first class all the way…may have more people in their families…may have included all the add-ons in their total cost.  Or simply went at a different time of year, or stayed longer.  No two trips will price out exactly the same.  It is important to compare apples to apples.

Now let’s go to the more common problem.  It costs more than you expected it to.  I know this can be a real sticker shock.  But let’s remember a couple of things:  When you price out a Disney trip, it may include more than just a hotel room.  It may include the tickets, and a dining plan.  The photograph package may be included.  It is a package designed just for you.  Using all those questions I asked earlier. 

And don’t forget, when you book a package, it only requires a deposit of $200.  The remainder needs to be paid in full within 45 days of travel, but you can make as many payments as you want (as long as it is more than $20 per payment). So, the sooner you book, the smaller the payments will be!   And…Disney does not charge a finance fee!

I get the question all the time…”what does it cost for a family of 4 to go to Disney?”  There is no magic answer to that.  There are so many variables it is impossible to give a quick answer.  It is like asking how much a car costs. Are we talking new or used?  Are we talking economy size, or luxury model?  What features are you looking for? Until we know all those things we can’t possibly answer!

So, we have asked all the questions, and have a price.  It is more than what you expected it to be.  But you really want to take Sally and Johnny to Disney. What can we do to make it more affordable for your family?

Stay tuned for the next report!

Questions? Why do I ask? Part 1

So, what kind of questions do I ask and why are they so important?

 

For starters, I need to know about THIS particular vacation.  We need a place to start.  Knowing what you are looking for is a perfect place to start.

 

I need to know who is going.  Is it just your family?  Maybe the grandparents? A couple of cousins, or maybe you are taking a friend or two of the kids.  Speaking of kids, what are the ages of the kids?  Some places, for instance Disney, have different prices and plans for different ages of children.

 

Then I will need some information about past vacations.  What worked, and what didn’t work?  What did you like?  What didn’t you like?  The more I know about your past vacations the better I can help plan this perfect vacation.

 

Where did you stay on your past vacations?  Did you stay at a motel on the highway?  Or did you stay at a chain hotel close to the center of the city?  Or did you choose a five star resort recommended by a business associate? What did you like or not like about those stays?

 

What do you like to do in your spare time?  Don’t have any spare time?  Then we really need to get busy on this vacation!  Having leisure time with your family is very important to both your wellbeing and theirs!

 

Describe to me your perfect vacation.  Is it relaxing with a good book by the beach?  Is it hiking to historical sites?  Is it a relaxing spa day?  An exhilarating shopping excursion looking for that one perfect gift?  A day full of family memories? A day without the kids?

 

Now, remember I said perfect, not necessarily what you are looking for in THIS trip.  Why?  It gives me an idea about your personality.  Are you a hustle and bustle 9 to 5 type person who is looking for a relaxing family vacation to reconnect with your family, or are you a hustle and bustle 9 to 5 type person who is looking to spend a vacation showing your family every possible inch of an amusement park?

 

Are your dates flexible?  Do you only get one week for vacation at the same time each year?  Are the kids in school and you can only travel during school breaks?

 

What about the kids?  What are they into?  Roller Coasters or pirates?  Princesses or robots?  Do they love history?  Are they into animals so much you would have a zoo in your back yard if you would let them?

 

Are you still with me?  I know you told me right off the bat you want to take Johnny and Susie to their first Disney trip, just like your parents did when you were younger.  But you came to me for my expertise.  Either because you don’t have the time for the research, or you don’t know where to start.  Anyone can pull up the Disney site and book a room.  But then, that wouldn’t be YOUR perfect vacation. 

 

So far I have asked lots of questions, listened to your answers and taken a ton of notes.  And we have only just begun.  But you notice, I have not mentioned budget yet.  We will get to that point a little later.  Right now I want to get to know you a bit better.  I need to know how upset little Susie is going to be if she has to miss that presentation on castles she has been working so hard on for school.  I need to know that while Johnny is a thrill junkie, he has a secret crush on Belle.  I need to know that while Grandma is a very active person, she needs her quiet time and space…

 Come back next week for part 2...this is where we will start talking about the budget!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning a trip to Disney?

There are many things to consider when planning your ideal trip.  My ideal trip would be drastically different from yours.  That is why it is so important for travel professionals to ask so many questions! Those questions help me get a better idea on exactly what you are looking for in your ideal trip.  After I know these things we can talk about budget.  Even a “do it all” vacation can be done on a budget. It is all a matter of priorities.

 

Some people think budget is the most important factor in deciding on the parts of your Disney trip.  I disagree completely!  While it is important to keep the budget in mind, it is more important to have that perfect family experience that makes you want to go back.  Contrary to what most people think, it is not necessary to break the bank to have a Disney family vacation that is tailor made to YOUR family. 

 

There are many cost cutting tips that can ensure you have the perfect vacation.  One is the Disney dining plan.  Is it right for YOUR family?

Well, let’s talk about how your family likes to eat on vacation.  Do you like to grab something quick so you don’t miss out on any family fun?  Do you prefer to stop at nice restaurants and ‘recharge your batteries’?  Do you prefer buffet meals with the more varieties they offer? Do you like to have a couple of adults only meals?

 

Let’s talk about it.  There may be a dining plan that works perfect for you and YOUR family – or we may find it is better to skip the plan and pay as you go.

 

With over 20 personal family Disney trips under my belt, I have the experience to help guide you through all the confusing issues of planning YOUR perfect trip.

Free Dining!

Free Dining!

 

 

 

That's right, Disney has released its early and late Fall Free Dining promotion to its Disney Visa Club Members.  While releasing on a Friday was a bit odd, releasing it for both time frames was a bit odd, and the gaps in October were a bit odd...it was still released.

 

 

The dates area s follows:

 

August 31 to October 3

October 26 to November 1

November 9 to November 20

December 12 to December 23

 

Yes...if you want to visit Disney over Thanksgiving or Christmas you can actually plan it and have Free Dining!  I believe last year was the first time it was possible to have a 7 day or less trip to Disney during Christmas and have Free Dining for your visit, and now you get either Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Although you could do both I suppose.

 

There are limits and exclusions of course, the official word says something like 6 nights and 7 days minimum stay required, but as long as you have 3 days and 2 nights they seem to be allowing it.  And some resorts are not available (and that availability is changing daily as more and more people are booking), but if you have been patiently waiting (or not so patiently waiting) the dates are the main thing, and the resort is usually secondary. 

 

My advice is the same as always.  Book a trip you feel you can afford, and then enjoy the discounts when/if you get them!  But of course, lots of people think that if they do not get Free Dining they cannot afford to go to Disney.

 

There is also a room only discount that was released at the same time.  Details on that are a bit sketchy, but in many instances this discount will actually save you more money that a Free Dining discount!

 

So, the bottom line is, if you want to visit Disney during the Fall, give me a call....let's get it booked with the best discount we can get!



Boo! Time to go home!

Friday, Valentine’s Day, and our travel day
We had worried all week about how bad the roads would be going back home. Since the majority of the schools around us were closed, we had hoped to stay an extra day, or to maybe spend a day at the beach and go back either Saturday or Sunday. Since it was a holiday weekend there was NOTHING available at Disney! Even with all the discounts we could find, there was nothing that would work…so after checking with several sources at home we decided to make a go of it and if the roads started looking bad we could stop for the night.
Friday morning, we get up bright and early. Packing took me about a minute…seriously! It took me longer to pack up the laptop than it did to get the rest of the stuff done. Hubby was in charge of getting it to the car…I was in charge of making sure everything was packed.
I found it odd that I did not have the familiar envelope hanging on my door that morning. I wanted to make sure all the room charges were right…. But it was not there, so actual face to face check out was needed.  Leaving husband to pack the car, I took the wheelchair to the front. We used Walker Mobility again and they pick it up from you at the front…so I walked around to drop it off. As I walked through the lobby, I decided to ask for a print out of the room charges They did not have it ready….because…they have us checking out on Saturday! Really?
About that time, my phone rings and the pickup guy is 5 minutes away so I head out to drop off the wheelchair.  I will say we will probably use Walker Mobility again on our October trip as well.  I had worried about having to wait for them to arrive to drop it off as well as waiting for them to pick it up...but truthfully, it was easier than going to bell services.  This trip we were actually running a few minutes late.  No problem...we were told to call them when we were about 15 minutes out and they would meet us there.  I waited for a total of less than 5 minutes...and that time was divided between drop off and pick up!
Then it was time to figure out what was going on with the check out date.  I went back to the front desk and since I got a different CM…I decided to play dumb. She was very puzzled about why I would be checking out early! Even though the dining plan was only 4 days, they had us done as 5 nights…even though we only paid for 4 nights! It had something to do with the way they had to trick the system to get the dining plan added to the package…after checking with a manager; sure enough…we had the room for an extra night. If only I had known that BEFORE we packed up the car!
Even though they did not charge us for the extra night, as far as their system was concerned, the room was paid for an extra night and would be vacant if we left. They could not re-assign the room to anyone else. All that worrying I did trying to find a room for us and it was ours all along! LOL!
After a quick breakfast, we left Disney. I got that familiar pang in my tummy as we drove out. Even though I knew our plans were to head back in October, I really was more upset about leaving Disney than I had been on any other trip. Maybe because it was such a short trip, maybe because I ‘knew’ that I could have stayed another day, or maybe because I just miss Disney!

The drive home was extremely uneventful, although the closer we got to home the more ice and snow we saw on the sides of the road. I was very strange to arrive home and have almost 2 feet of snow on the sidewalk and on the roof, but it was in the 50’s!
So….now that we have arrived safe at home…it is time to get the October trip planned…I have a ton of shirts to get ready! 


I do plan on putting some pictures with this report.  I still need to organize them a bit.  Look for pictures to come soon!

Disney Security at it finest!

Some of you may know that my son is a survivor of Traumatic Brain Injury.  It is not something we dwell on, it just IS.

Since he may some day read this, I am going to briefly tell what happened at DHS, but leave out most of the details.

During the course of dinner my son became separated from the rest of the family.  Since he tends to be non verbal to strangers and when stressed, we were extremely worried.  Security was notified and they very quickly were able to put 'eyes' on him.  They did not attempt to speak with him, they only watched from a distance.

When he decided to head back to the restaurant, they followed him, but he never knew it.

He is safely back with us now, and I can not stress how happy I was with the way Disney handled the incident.  They  handled the situation with tact...and my son never realized anyone was watching out for him. 

Thank you, Disney Security!  You took what could have been a horrible end to our trip and turned it into an almost non event!

Up next...time for check out!