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This post is by my friend Alexia.  Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.  Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

If you have been following this series, you have already set your budget and decided on your hotel for your Disney World vacation. Today we are going to discuss when to go and how to get there.

Certain times of year are not only busier but also more expensive at Disney World. The busiest and most expensive times of year are during the summer (when most kids are out of school and most families go on vacation) and Christmas. The least crowded and least expensive times of year are usually in February and September. If you have school age children and cannot travel during the school year, consider going during spring or fall break. The weather is milder than it is during the summer, crowds are moderate, and you will not be paying the premium summer prices.

You’re next step will be to determine how you are getting to Disney World. The two most popular choices are flying or driving. If you are flying, sign up for email alerts from JetBlue and Southwest. Watch for discounts and specials. If you are lucky, you might be able to snag a flight for as low as $50! If you do fly, remember that Disney offers a free Magical Express shuttle to and from Orlando International Airport for guests staying on the Disney property. If you do not stay on the Disney property, you will need to make arrangements for either a rental car or shuttle transportation to take you to your hotel. Don’t forget to add baggage fees and hotel parking fees into your budget!

If you are driving, make sure all maintenance on your car is up to date. This includes properly inflated tires, oil change, tires rotates and balanced, etc. If your local grocery stores offer any gas incentives, take advantage of them! I live just south of Nashville, TN. For my family of 5, it was much less expensive for us to make the 12
hour drive than it was to fly to Orlando. Throughout the year, I bought gas gift cards at Publix when they offered $10.00 off a gas gift card when you purchased $50.00 in groceries. Kroger also offered four times fuel points when you purchased select gift cards throughout the year. By combining fuel points and gift cards, we only spend about $150.00 in gas round trip. If you drive, be sure to pack snacks and drinks and to budget for food and toll roads (or map out your trip to avoid the toll roads).

Do you guys have any other tips or tricks for when to go or traveling to Disney World? I would love to hear them!

This post is by my friend Alexia.  Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

So far we have discussed the top ten ways to save on a Disney World vacation and how to make a budget and stick with it. This week we will discuss one of the age old debates when it comes to a Disney World vacation is staying on-site vs. off-site. Most people assume that staying off of Disney property will save them more money. I used to be one of those people. My first two Disney vacations I too stayed off site. On our last trip to Disney World we were taking our children for the first time. This is also the first time I really researched the benefits of staying on site. Here are a few things that I discovered:

• Disney resorts are the only resorts in the Orlando area that offer free transportation to and from the Orlando airport and to and from the Disney parks. Some of the area hotels do have free shuttles to the parks, but you will need to rent a car or pay for a shuttle service to and from the hotel. If you do not stay at a hotel that has transportation to and from the parks, Disney charges $15.00 per day for parking.
• Most off-site hotels do not offer any discounts. These hotels offer everyday “low, flat rate”. Disney resorts offer different discounts throughout the year such as 30% off your room and free dining. There isn’t ever a reason to pay the rack rate if staying on site at Disney World.
• Disney offers Extra Magic Hours to their guests staying on-site. Every day one park is open either early or late for guests staying on site. If you stay at an off-site hotel you will only be able to visit the parks during regular hours.
• Deluxe villas are the most expensive of the Disney resort rooms. If you have a large family or would like a full kitchen, you may save more money by renting a home or a condo nearby.

On our last trip we ended up staying at a value resort on the Disney property. After one trip on-site and two trips off-site, I can honestly say that I would prefer to always stay on-site. I love getting in those few extra hours at the parks and the convenience of Disney transportation. The price of All Stars Movies ended up being about the same price we would have spent if we had stayed at a nearby hotel off-site. We also traveled while Disney was offering their free dining promotion, so all of our meals were free! This saved us a lot of money. If we had stayed at an offsite hotel, we would have had to figure out a dining budget or packed food for the parks every day.

What do you guys think? Are you fans of onsite hotels or offsite at Disney World?

Below is the latest article from our friend Alexia at Destinations in Florida

Last week we discussed the top 10 ways to save on a Disney World vacation.  Over the next few weeks, we will be going over these points in a little more detail. This week we will be discussing making a budget and sticking with it. This seems like a pretty basic thing, especially for those of us who coupon. However, vacations are often a time when many people have a difficult time sticking to their budget, especially somewhere like Disney World when your kids what everything they see in every single gift shop. Most people have a set budget ahead of time and work out the details around their budget. The average family of four spends $3,000.00 on a Disney World vacation. Of course, you and your family may have to adjust your budget based on your family size and needs.

Make sure that your budget covers all aspects of your vacation. This includes transportation (If you are flying this would include your flight, baggage fees, airport parking, etc. If you are driving this could include gas, toll fees, etc.), hotel room, park tickets, food, tips (don’t forget about housekeeping!), and souvenirs. There is no worse feeling than pulling up to a toll booth and realizing that you forgot to budget some cash of the toll roads or getting to your hotel and realizing that you forgot to budget some cash for housekeeping tips!

I think one of the most difficult aspects of sticking with a budget at Disney World is on souvenirs. I know I’m not the only one whose children want at least three things in every gift shop they go in. Here you have a few options. First, you can decide ahead of time not to buy any souvenirs at the parks at all. Stock up on souvenirs before you leave (Think Dollar Tree, Wal-mart, Target, and Disney Store Outlets) and give your children a few small items each morning. This way they will not be as tempted in the parks. Your second option is give your children a budgeted amount in Disney gift cards or Disney Dollars. My girls (ages 11 and 2) were given Disney gift cards for their birthdays from other family members and for doing chores. They each ended up with a total of $100.00 each and were allowed to spend $20 a day. I was really impressed by how much thought they put into each of their purchases. Even my two year old would ask each day if the items she wanted were a “smart choice”. Giving them each gift cards worked perfectly for us!

Hopefully these tips will help you with making your budget and sticking with it.  Next week we will discuss the age old debate of on-site vs. off-site hotels.

Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!

When most people think Walt Disney World, one of the first words that come to mind is “expensive”. It can be expensive; however, a Disney vacation can also be done on a budget. Here are my top ten tips and tricks for saving on a Disney vacation:

1. Set a budget and stick with it. This seems like a pretty basic thing, especially for those of us who coupon. However, vacations are often a time when many people have a difficult time sticking to their budget, especially somewhere like Disney World when your kids what everything they see in every single gift shop. Set a budget for every aspect of your trip: transportation, room, tickets, food, tips, and souvenirs and stick with it.

2. Do the math on on-site vs. off-site. This is the age old debate when it comes to Disney vacations. Most people assume that staying off-site is automatically cheaper. If you stay off-site, you will need to factor in the cost of a rental car (if you are flying) and the fact that Disney parks charge $15 per day for parking. If you stay on-site, Disney offers free transportation to and from the airport and the parks. Disney also offers Extra Magic hours to guests staying on-site.

3. Travel during the off season. This is a little more difficult for those of us with school age children. Summer is the most expensive and most crowded time to visit Disney World. Consider going during spring break or fall break instead. Between these three options, fall will be the least expensive and crowded.

4. Decide how you are traveling. If you are flying, sign up for Southwest and JetBlue’s emails and watch for discounts to Orlando. If you are lucky, you might be able to get a flight for as low as $50! If you are driving, take advantage of gas discounts such as Kroger’s Fuel Points Program and Publix’s gas gift card promotion.

5. Consider skipping the Park Hopper option. Some families love hopping from one park to another in a single day. For my family, there is more than enough to do spending one full day in each park. Opt for the base ticket option instead of the Park Hopper option if this sounds like your family as well.

6. Hire an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. Many travel agents offer their services for you to use for FREE! Some of the benefits of hiring an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner include personal itinerary planning, restaurant suggestions and reservations, and discount watch. That’s right, your travel agent will discount watch for you. If a discount becomes available during your vacation dates, your travel agent will apply the discount to your account and then alert you of your savings!

7. Get a Target Red Card. You are probably wondering what a Target Red Card has to do with Disney World. Target Red Card holders receive 5% off their purchases, including entertainment cards. You can purchase a $50 Disney gift card for $47.50. You can then use these gift cards anywhere credit cards are accepted in the parks, or even to pay for the vacation. The savings really add up!

8. Get a Disney Visa Card. Disney Visa Card holders earn 1% in Disney Dream Reward Dollars on purchases made with their Disney Visa Card. So, for every $100 in qualifying purchases on the card, you earn 1 Disney Dream Reward Dollar. Many people are able to pay for a good chunk of their vacation with Disney Dream Reward Dollars! You will also receive other perks such as a special Character Meet ‘N’ Greet at a private card member location.

9. Bring your own snacks and drinks. No one likes to spend $3.00 for a bottle of water. Disney allows outside food and drinks in the parks. Keep in mind, however, that only soft side coolers are allowed and no glass bottles are allowed (with the exception of baby food).

10. Do the math on the Dining Plan. This is another age old debate when it comes to Disney World. If your family usually drinks water, splits meals, and skips dessert, then the Dining Plan probably won’t save you any money (unless you are traveling during a Free Dining promotion). If your family usually drinks soda, coffee, or tea, wants their own entrée, and always orders a dessert, then the Dining Plan is probably a smart investment for you.

Alexia is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner for Destinations in Florida. When she is not helping plan magical vacations you can find her on Facebook and Twitter. Get the best price on your Walt Disney World Vacation Package… Guaranteed! Get FREE DINING if you book a Disney Resort Package between 8/25 and 9/27 – click here for a quote!