A couple of our very own NDDs were selected to participate in the filming of this promotional video with their families in tow to cheer them on. If you stay alert you’ll be able to spot some familiar NDDs, NDMs, NDTs, and NDKs. Vroom!
I had visited Disney World for many years before ever staying at a moderate resort. So upon my first stay at a moderate resort, the Caribbean Beach, I was delightfully surprised at the bus system. When a small child and when the prices for the deluxe resorts were more affordable (from my parent’s purse), I had stayed in the monorail resorts. I had even spent many, many nights in the value resorts utilizing their bus system.
I will say that I am a fan of the Disney bus system. It is a good way for a family to get to their resort from the airport and to also get to each of the parks and Downtown Disney. The buses allow families to travel together in air conditioned comforts with no additional costs. For larger families, this is especially a perk in that they may even require more than one car rental per visit.
I love the trips to Disney when the bus system fairy is on your side and the Disney buses magically appear at the stop of choice at just the right time. Of course, there are also trips where that same fairy seems to be on vacation themselves, as the wait for the buses seems to stretch on for hours (or in my mind, several attractions worth of wait time). But even when the bus system fairy is on my side on a particular trip and I have hardly any waits, there are always the long walks from the bus pickup area to my standard resort room at the value resort. (I hear you, purchase preferred rooms!)
So upon my first visit at the moderate resort, I was delighted and confused to find that the buses picked up the guests from various bus stops all around the parameter of the resort! Why had I not been contacted by So upon my first visit at the moderate resort, I was delighted and confused to find that the buses picked up the guests from various bus stops all around the parameter of the resort! Why had I not been contacted by Disney on this matter! I mean, really, who knew! I found this to be so nice! The ride around the resort was short before continuing to the parks or Downtown Disney. This allowed guests at the moderate resorts to travel within the resort to the check-in building or restaurants with less walking and more air conditioning! How great is that! And even when waiting on the buses at the various locations around the moderate resort, benches could be found.
So if you are planning on using the bus while staying at this resort, you more than likely will find that you do less walking when using the buses than you would if you were staying at the value resorts. And let me tell you, when visiting the Disney World Resort, less walking is definitely a perk!
(Photo credit: Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, NDM#118)
Contributed by: Natalie H. Natalie is the Disney Driven Life’s resident resort expert.
A good stroller can make a day of travel, at Walt Disney World or otherwise, so much easier. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my Disney stroller!
My main stroller at home is a Bob Revolution. It is a fantastic stroller for exercise and just being out and about. However, it is rather large and kinda heavy. I decided I needed a lightweight stroller for travel and to have a lighter option for the grandparents. Thus began a huge Internet research project. At the time, I could tell you the pros and cons of a couple dozen strollers. The more I looked, the more I became convinced that Maclaren was the way to go. Some other moms swore by reclining features but I just didn’t think that was worth the premium of both dollars and added weight. I decided on the Maclaren Volo and searched for the best available price.
The Volo was perfect! My husband and brother have both commented (unprompted!) recently on how great it was. The Volo is lightweight but sturdy. It’s less than 9 pounds before accessories, folds easily and compactly, and has a shoulder strap which is great for getting on Disney buses. The handles are at a really comfortable height and none of us kicked the wheels when pushing the stroller. The seat on mine is mesh so Tink could get a breeze even when it was “Animal Kingdom hot.” I bought the accessory pack which included a warm seat cover that I used at home during the winter. The basket underneath is pretty small, but I am a huge proponent of traveling light, so it was enough for our needs.
Adding the Maclaren organizer to the handles gave us a little more storage space and when you flip it over the canopy to fold the stroller, it keeps the canopy clean. The Volo does not recline, but that didn’t stop Tink from napping in it every day of our trip. The canopy is about average and seemed to meet our needs but you can add an extra shade if you like. Some models come with a fitted raincover that goes on fairly quickly and mine did a great job of keeping Tink dry in a downpour. My accessory pack also included a travel bag to keep the stroller clean when we gate checked it. We used a couple of no throw straps to hold a cup and a toy. Even if Tink droped her cup, it stayed off the ground and we didn’t lose anything.
Yes, you can get a cheaper umbrella stroller or rent one from Disney but it doesn’t take very long for rental fees to add up to the purchase price of a stroller, especially if you have time to shop around. The construction of the Maclaren strollers was truly what sold me. The Volo has an aluminum frame that allows it to be both strong and lightweight. This stroller will hold a child up to 55 pounds. I really like the fact that we can use this for years to come. I have seen some people who buy a Maclaren, use it for one vacation, and then sell it on EBay.
Feel free to disagree in the comments section below, but I prefer to have a stroller all along my journey rather than just renting one in the parks. Tink napped in the her stroller during one layover on our way to WDW. It kept her contained when she was just too tired while we were checking in at the Orlando airport. We loved being able to push her in the stroller while walking to the buses or up to the Hospitality House.
I couldn’t be happier with my Maclaren Volo and can’t wait to take it back to the World.
What type of stroller do you use? Do you like it or do you wish you could get something else? Any other stroller tips and tricks to share?
Contributed by: Amy E (NDM#242). Amy is our resident baby expert and creator of Growing Up Disney.
Hi, and Welcome to the Walt Disney World Top Must Sees, a new weekly photo blog I will be doing for the Disney Driven Life. This countdown will focus on the top things that I enjoy about Walt Disney World, and will be written in the spirit of the great “Top 7 Must Sees,” which means that my blog posts will be filled with excitement, and quite possibly, corny catch-phrases.
In sharing my Must Sees, I will present an image each week illustrative of the theme. As a Neurotic Disney Person who spends a great deal of time photographing Walt Disney World, I think I have a unique perspective on the parks that others may miss (and I don’t mean because I only see the parks through a viewfinder!). Enough prefacing of the blog; let’s get it started!
Early to rise? Why not head over to the Magic Kingdom, where you can participate in the “E-Ticket Dash” each morning at the park’s Rope Drop! Just be sure to wear a helmet…
The Welcome Show ends, and the turnstiles begin flowing. You insert your ticket, press your thumb to the biometric scanner. Nothing. You quickly insert your ticket again, mindful of the individuals to your left and right who are slowly trickling in before you. Bingo. As you walk briskly onto Main Street, you hear the area music, and see the beautiful Castle looming in the distance. You get chills. You stop briefly to take it all in, smelling that sweet magic in the air. As you snap a couple of photos, you realize you must hurry along if you want to be there first. Stiff-arm that tall lanky dog (“Aww, Schucks” he says as you speed past him).
The other “dashers” are heading the same way as you. Luckily, you’ve been training for this all summer, and are in peak Disney-shape. You do two hours of cardio daily at the gym while studying TouringPlans and quizzing yourself over the best routes through the park. At this point, you could make your way from the front entrance to Splash Mountain with your eyes closed. Juke to the left past a dad frantically pushing a stroller, yelling “WHERE IS DUMBO?!” You’re in the clear. As you distance yourself from the bulk of the crowds, you enter Frontierland. Dart to the right, where you enter the boardwalk. Don’t walk too quickly now, the planks are still damp from last night’s powerwash. Now you see no other guests, and only a few Cast Members. Your heart rate rises even further, as you soak in the atmosphere together. Then you look up seeing the Twin Peaks of Frontierland as you hear the delightful instrumental twang of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah play in the background music. You’ve arrived. Now, which to ride first?!
Such are the typical thoughts racing through our heads when my wife and I enter the Magic Kingdom on a typical morning (well, perhaps with just a smidge of dramatic embellishment). One of our Top Must Dos is starting out the morning in Frontierland after after racing through the crowds at rope drop. There is something about that soft golden sunlight hitting the weathered wood of the attractions and refelcting off of the Rivers of America that makes for just the right atmosphere. Couple that with the deserted planks of the outer pathway that typify the Frontier (if desolateness fits any land well, it would be Frontierland), and you have a setting that becomes an attraction in-and-of itself. The Magic Kingdom definitely has the best atmosphere at rope drop, and for those reasons described above, Frontierland is our favorite place to be right as the park opens. It’s an experience that has few rivals, and one we always look forward to greatly!
Contributed by: Tom B. (NDH#25). Tom is our resident “must see” expert.
There were two big news releases last week from Walt Disney World. First, as expected, Disney raised its ticket prices. The only surprise there was that they did it on August 5th instead of August 1st, the first Sunday in August, when they traditionally have increased the ticket prices. Second, Disney released its resort rates for 2011. While I had expected the usual increase in rates, I hadn’t expected Disney to tinker so much with the resort seasons I had gotten used to.
The ticket price increases overall were moderate, usually around a 4% increase. A single day adult base ticket went up from $79 to $82. A 5-day Park Hopper went up $11, from $280 to 291. What is surprising to me is the amount Disney is increasing its longer-stay tickets.
Traditionally, Disney has encouraged you to stay longer by making prices for anything above a 5-day ticket only marginally more expensive. When we went for our first visit using the Magic Your Way tickets in 2006, the difference between a 5-day and 10-day ticket was only about $12. Even last year, there was only a $15 dollar difference, or just$3 a day. While the increase for most tickets was in the 4% range, Disney last week raised its prices for longer-stay tickets by closer to 8%. The difference between a 5-day and 10-day ticket is now $25.
And forget about what I said in my last blog that it’s cheaper to buy a 10-day ticket with the No Expiration option than to buy two 5-day tickets. With the increase in the price of 10-day tickets, along with the increases over the past couple of years in the price of the No Expiration option, it is now more expensive to purchase a 10-day base ticket with No Expiration than to just buy two 5-day base tickets. The 10-day, No Expiration option can still save money if you want the Park Hopper and/or Water Parks Fun and More add-ons, though, as you’re only paying for these now $54 increases once.
Overall, the lesson I’m taking from this year’s ticket price increases is that Disney isn’t as interested in longer-term stays or repeat visits as it once was.
As far as the changes to the resort prices go, there appears to be a mix of good news and bad news. The price increases for the Value and Moderate resorts seem to be less than for the Deluxes, generally in the $4 to $10 a night range. The Deluxe resort increases were generally in the $10 to $25 range.
My first thought on looking at the new rates at www.mousesavers.com was, “Can Disney make it any more complicated?” There were already about ten different rates for any given resort throughout the year, and the dates and terminology weren’t the same for any two classes of resorts. Now, it’s worse.
There are now two Value and two Regular seasons (cleverly named “Value 1” and “Value 2,” and “Regular 1” and “Regular 2”). There’s also a new Fall season, which encompasses dates that traditionally were a mix of Regular and Value seasons.
The good news is that for the cheapest dates of the year, what is now the Value 1 seasons, there were generally no price increases. (I preface my statements with “generally” because there are so many different resorts, categories of rooms, seasons, and exceptions that I have not compared every possible room at every possible rate with this year’s rates. One exception I’ve noted is that Standard rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge have increased by $10, even during the Value 1 season.) This lowest-price season is now limited to the beginning of the year, from after New’s Year through mid-February (excepting Marathon and MLK weekends) and the end of August through the end of September.
More good news is that for a couple times of year, namely the end of February through the first two weeks of March and late October through the week before Thanksgiving, rates have actually gone down, by $20 to $50 per night. For earlier in the year, this savings is due to a change from Peak season to Regular season. In the October and November times, this is because what was formerly the Regular season is now the Fall season, with a lower rate.
The flip side of this coin, however, is that for the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas (my family’s favorite time to go to the World), the change from Value to Fall season has resulted in a significant increase in rates. Significant, to the tune of a $40 to $50 per night increase.
Likewise, late summer from after the Independence Day holiday through the middle of August, which was formerly the Value season for Deluxe resorts, is now the Value 2 season, with increases in the $20 to $35 per night range.
More mixed news for summer–the summer rates for June and July have gone up everywhere; except, for some reason, the moderate resorts I looked at. The June/July rates there are the same as this year’s.
I know this all sounds confusing, because it is. Most families, I imagine, don’t plan their vacations around Disney’s resort rates. My family, anyway, is limited to when school and work will allow us to get away and we’re forced to deal with whatever rate Disney has at that time. If you have flexibility, however, you’ll get better rates in 2011 for the end of February (after Presidents’ Day weekend) through the first two weeks of March and again in late October up until Thanksgiving week, than Disney offered in 2010 for the same periods. And it bears repeating that January up until President’s Day weekend and late August and most of September will generally see no price increase next year.
Mousesavers.com has a chart of all the 2011 rates for all the different room categories for each resort. Even if you’ve always gone at the same time every year, it might save you a lot of money to check out the new rates. The rate for the time you’ve usually gone to the World might have increased by $50 a night or more. Changing your vacation dates a week or two either way might move you into a better season.
Contributed by: Mark (NDD #102). Mark is our resident “how to save money while living the Disney Driven Life” expert.
Calling all families! The All Stars Resorts offers a little something for everyone! The resorts are nestled in the “All Stars Complex” in the Animal Kingdom Resort area. The complex includes a hotel with a sports theme, All Stars Sports, a movie theme, All Stars Movies and a music theme, All Stars Music. Each of these resorts includes 1,920 rooms. While the rooms are only 260 square feet in size, the smallest on Disney property, they also offer a smaller price tag. This allows many families that otherwise could not stay on Disney property to now be a Disney guest!
Each of these resorts is heavily themed and includes a variety of areas themed towards that subject. The Sports resort includes 10 buildings with two buildings of each of the following: Surf’s Up, Hoops Hotel, Center Court, Touchdown! and Homerun Hotel. The icons for these buildings include extra large surfboards, basketballs, rackets and so on. In the Movies resort, the 10 buildings include two Mighty Ducks, 101 Dalmatians, Love Bug, Fantasia and Toy Story buildings, each. The icons match the building names and include your favorite characters such as Herbie, Buzz and Woody. Finally, the Music resort has 10 buildings also including two buildings entitled Rock Inn, Calypso, Jazz Inn, Country Fair and Broadway Hotel. These building areas include large icons that quickly remind the guest of their area, i.e. the Broadway Hotel buildings are adorned with large “Beauty and the Beast” signs that are reminiscent of those found in New York City’s Broadway streets.
Like all of the value resorts, the Walt Disney World Transportation Bus is available from the front of the resort and outside of the check-in building, with no internal bus available. The buses take guests to all theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney. The buses typically run every 20 minutes, depending on the demand, and begin running 1 ½ to 2 hours before park opening or from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. to Downtown Disney. The buses are often shared with the other complex resorts, also seeming to depend on the bus demand and time of day for catching said bus.
In addition to the themes in the buildings, all of the resorts also have two heavily themed pools. Of the two pools, one is situated close to the check-in building while the other is closer to the rear of the resort. The pool close to the check-in building offers a variety of activities during the day such as balloon tosses, games and nighttime movies. A list of these pool activities can be found by asking the front desk for a recreation calendar. Guests often do not consider these activities when booking their vacation, but can easily spend hours of their trip joining in on the fun!
Each resort offers a food court which is open from 6 a.m. until midnight and is also located in the check-in building. The food offerings include breakfast items such as waffles and omelets while lunch and dinner include salads, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. The courts also include a small array of market items such as bread, cereal, fruits and juices. Kid’s meals are available and include macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, etc. A complete listing of all of the specific items available can be found at http://allears.net/din/dining.htm. In case you have leftovers, refrigerators can be rented for $10 per day or are free if needed for medical purposes.
The guest rooms include all of the basics, two double beds or one king size bed, a table and two chairs, telephone, shower/tub, toilet, hair dryer, coat hangers, clothes line above tub, single sink and mirror. A pack-n-play can be requested at no additional charge. Each of these guest rooms is themed in relation to the resort area, i.e. 101 Dalmatian build rooms are decorated with spotted wallpaper in the bathroom, etc. These resorts do not allow over four guests per room unless the fifth guest is a child under age 3 who sleeps in a pack-n-play.
The resorts also share some additional features. First, all three of these resorts offer a playground for children ages 2 – 12, much as discussed in my previous article, “Disney’s Pop Century: A Hidden Extra!” at http://thedisneydrivenlife.com/archives/4507. When needed, the resort offers guest laundry facilities. The cost to wash is $2 per load and $2 for 30 minutes of dry time. The check-in building includes a store for purchasing all of those Disney keepsakes, an ATM so you have enough money at the store and a Disney Vacation Club Information Center in case you want to instead purchase a piece of the magic!
While most guests appreciate the heavily themed buildings and pool, one of the larger features at these resorts is the savings. The undiscounted rate for a standard room in 2010 has been $82 – $174 depending on the day of the week and season of the visit. Preferred rooms are also available for around $15 per night. These room are located closer to the check-in building. Discounts are often given to annual passholders, Florida residents, AAA members, Military and Veterans. In addition to these types of discounts, Disney often mails discount codes at random. Searching websites such as http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html#discountmenu can really payoff in savings towards your vacation! Remember that there is no additional charge for children under 17 when they are staying in the room with an adult. If the room includes more than two adults, the guest is charged an extra $10 per night per adult.
The most important thing to consider when booking these resorts is the resort theme that would best entertain you and your fellow travelers. Remember that the theme you choose will be exaggerated! Please tune in next week to learn about the guest suites offered only at the All Star Music Resort. These rooms accommodate more people with a value rate… stay tuned!
Please remember, if you ever have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them here or find me, @nrhenley, at Please remember, if you ever have any questions, comments or suggestions, please leave them here or find me, @nrhenley, at twitter.com. Your comments and questions are greatly appreciated!
Contributed by: Natalie H. Natalie is the Disney Driven Life’s resident resort expert.
Most of us are familiar with hidden Mickeys and whether or not you avidly search for them I’m sure you have spotted one or two every time you visit Disney property.
Started by Imagineers, a hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse found in many different forms that have been discreetly placed throughout Disney locations most notably their theme parks. The most frequently used hidden Mickey is three circles representing a head and two ears. Other variations of Mickey can be more difficult to spot and one must have a keen eye to find them. No one has a keener eye than renowned Dr. Steven M. Barrett celebrated author of “Hidden Mickeys A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets” now in its 4th edition.
Professionally Dr. Steven M. Barrett is quite an accomplished individual with 30 plus years experience in the medical field specializing in emergency room medicine. Dr. Barrett attended Baylor College of Medicine and completed his residencies at Georgetown University Hospital and Georgetown University School of Medicine.
As an author Dr. Barrett takes us on an adventuress hunt for hidden Mickeys. There are clues, hints, and tips to help us search out and find the locations of the hidden Mickeys. It’s an enjoyable book that makes finding hidden Mickeys a fun game for the entire family and friends.
On my last vacation to Walt Disney World I had the pleasure of meeting the Hidden Mickey Guy known to many as Steve Barrett. What started as an occasional tweet here and there turned into a thrill of a lifetime and a day I’ll never forget.
I was in Epcot with my family waiting for the next showing of Turtle Talk With Crush at the Seas with Nemo and Friends in Epcot. I kept my cell phone in my pocket but I would periodically check it for any calls or messages. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and I see I have a message from someone I don’t recognize. So, I looked at the message and it was from Steve letting me know he was going to be in Epcot and would I like to meet him at a certain time and place there? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or an emergency room physician to figure out how I responded.
My family has always enjoyed searching for hidden Mickeys so when I told my wife and kids we were going to meet with the Hidden Mickey Guy they were very happy to say the least. When we met up with Steve we exchanged pleasantries, spoke about hidden Mickeys, and how his book got on the shelves in Disney parks but, what struck me the most was how genuine a person Steve is. He personifies what being a Disney fan is all about and someone that everyone should aspire to be like.
A list of books written by Dr. Steven M. Barrett:
The Hassle Free Walt Disney World Vacation
A Field Guide To Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets
Disneyland’s Hidden Mickeys A Field Guide To Disneyland Resorts Best Kept Secrets
Hidden Mickeys Go To Sea A Field Guide To Disney Cruise Line’s Best Kept Secrets
Hidden Mickeys of the Disney Cruise Ships and Castaway Cay
In addition to the books Steve Barrett also has an iPhone application called ‘Hidden Mickeys Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Animal Kingdom.’
To find out more about Steve Barrett and hidden Mickeys go to http://www.hiddenmickeysguide.com/. Also, Steve Barrett’s blogs appear twice a month at AllEars.net http://allears.net/.
Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is our resident Disney geek and creator of Disney Geek Dad.
I’ve previously talked about ways to save money getting to the World and how to save on your room while you’re there. And while you could go to Walt Disney World and have a great time without ever setting foot in the parks, most people will need admission tickets.
The first rule is to only buy what you need. By that, I mean, consider how you and your family tour the parks. Don’t buy add-ons like the Park Hopper or Water Parks Fun and More unless you really think you’ll use them. If in doubt, leave them out. You can always add these options to a base ticket later if you decide you need them. My family, for example, has found that we rarely park hop. We can save $52 per ticket (plus tax) by not getting that option. For a family of four, that’s a savings of over $200.
If you are planning on visiting the water parks or Disney Quest, but only once, it’s cheaper to buy a single day admission than to get the Water Parks Fun and More option. So unless you’re going to go to the water parks more than once during your trip, avoid this add-on.
One thing to consider if purchasing the Water Parks Fun and More option is that these admissions are in addition to the main four parks. Since a day at Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach is a full day in itself for most people, you don’t need regular park admission for the days you’re planning on going to these additional venues. For example, if you’re staying for seven days and planning on hitting the main parks for five days, Blizzard Beach one day, and spending a day at Downtown Disney and Disney Quest, then rather than getting a 7-day base ticket with the Water Parks Fun and More option, you only need a 5-day base ticket. The other two days will be covered by your WPFAM add-on.
You’re almost always better off getting your tickets from somewhere other than Disney. A word of caution here–I’d avoid getting tickets off of e-Bay or from the vendors in the Orlando area that have signs up that read, “DISCOUNT DISNEY TICKETS HERE.” You might be all right, but it’s simply not worth the risk to me. There are reputable discount vendors, however. You can go to www.touringplans.com and make use of its “Least Expensive Ticket Calculator.” It will take into account your group composition, touring preferences, and length of stay to tell you where you can get tickets for the lowest price. All of the vendors that this calculator uses are reputable. The savings won’t be huge, only about $5 to $7 per ticket. But, again, for a family of four, that’s $20 you have to spend on souvenirs.
In an earlier blog, I discussed how service members can get substantial discounts on Disney tickets at either Shades of Green or a base ITT office. If you or a member of your party is eligible, this is the way to go.
Finally, consider either an Annual Pass or buying a 10-day ticket with the No Expiration option. If you’re staying for longer than 10 days (lucky you!), you definitely need the Annual Pass. Also, if you’re planning on multiple trips within a year, this is probably your best option. With a little advance planning, you can use an Annual Pass to cover two years’ vacations. For example, if you go in July one year and June of the next, one Annual Pass can cover both trips.
Even if you’re not staying longer than 10 days or planning multiple trips within a year, you may want to consider getting an Annual Pass for one member of your group simply for the other discounts offered to Annual Pass holders. Especially if you stay at Deluxe resorts, the room discounts offered to Annual Pass holders can more than make up for the $200 extra dollars you pay for the pass. There are other discounts, too, such as for tours and dining, but these tend to be smaller. A word of caution about this strategy is in order, though. In recent years, Disney has offered discounts to the general public that are almost as good as those offered to Annual Pass holders. You can check www.mousesavers.com or www.themouseforless.com for the current pass holders discounts. It pays to crunch the numbers and see if you’ll actually come out ahead by opting for the Annual Pass.
If you’re planning multiple short trips, but not within a year of each other, consider buying a 10-day pass with the No Expiration option. This way, you’re pre-paying for your second trip. This saves you money in a couple of ways. First, a ten day Park Hopper pass with the No Expiration option is cheaper than two 5-day Park Hopper tickets. Secondly, you’re locking in today’s rates. The only sure things in life are death, taxes, and that Disney will raise its ticket prices each year. Finally, you only have to pay for any add-ons, like the Park Hopper or WPFAM, once. You should note, however, that the No Expiration option is so expensive ($223 for a 10-day ticket) that you only save a significant amount of money if you are also purchasing an add-on. Also, only consider this if you can put the tickets up somewhere safe and remember where they are. We put our tickets in a file with our other important documents, like our marriage license, the deed to our house, and our college transcripts.
We did this in 2006. Although we were only staying for a week, we went ahead and bought 10-day Park Hoppers with the No Expiration option for $1610 altogether back then. We’ve held on to the remaining five days and are finally using them this year. Our tickets for this year’s trip effectively cost $805. Buying the same admission this year would cost $1158. So we saved over $350.
A final tip that doesn’t really save you much money, but does make it easier to pay for your tickets. The 14-day window on Disney’s tickets doesn’t begin until you use them for the first time, even if you don’t purchase the No Expiration option. So if you have a trip planned in December, you can go ahead and purchase your tickets now, one at a time, if that is all your budget will allow, and hold on to them until you’re ready to go. By purchasing your tickets before the first Sunday in August, when Disney has traditionally increased their ticket prices, you lock in this year’s rate and save yourself however much the increase ends up being, usually a few percent. Again, when purchasing tickets for a family, this small savings per ticket can add up to enough to buy a meal.
Your park admission is your “ticket to the World.” There’s not an opportunity for huge savings here, but there’s still no reason to pay full price.
Contributed by: Mark (NDD #102). Mark is our resident “how to save money while living the Disney Driven Life” expert.
Many consider the moment they step on Disney property the start of their vacation but it really starts months earlier when you begin your preparations for your trip and continues from the moment you leave your home to travel to the place where dreams come true. This is my family’s story from the day we left our home to the day we arrived at Walt Disney World.
What started out as a normal work day for both me and my wife Michele ended up as anything but. We were already packed for our long anticipated Disney World vacation. My son Bret (17) was out and about in his brand new used car and my daughter Haley (14) was at a friend’s house. I worked half a day and went home to wait for my wife to pick up our car rental for the trip.
In seeking out a car rental we were looking for a reasonable price preferably a van, and a rental through an agency whereby we could return the vehicle on Disney property. It took some doing but lucky for us we found everything we were looking for. The drawback was there is only one location for the car rental agency that shall remain nameless in the State of New Jersey. So, we had a bit of a distance to travel to get the vehicle.
Off we go to the car rental place. It takes us a little under 40 minutes to arrive there. It’s located inside a hotel in a tiny room off the lobby with just enough space for one agent and one customer. Someone was ahead of us so we had to wait and wait and wait. Our turn finally comes, we sign the paperwork and the agent takes us outside to the vehicle. It’s a Dodge Caravan! My wife had a Dodge Caravan when our kids were small and if you would stare at it long enough things will begin to fall apart. As we look over the van for any pre-existing damage I notice the vehicle is still made the same as in past years, very cheaply. Everything though seems to be okay and after all it is just a rental. We drive it back to our house and arrive just in time for dinner. By now our kids are home and hungry.
We eat dinner, take care of some last minute preparations, and make sure everything is ready for our neighbors who were most kind enough to take care of our cats while we were away. Its now early evening and we decide to get some sleep before starting our journey at 2 A.M.
Finally it’s go time! I make sure we have all the snacks for the car ride, water bottles for Disney, our GPS, and most importantly my iPod Touch loaded with my favorite Disney podcasts. We load up the van and we hit the road. My wife is driving the van and I’m following along in her car as our first stop is the Atlantic City Airport which is an hour plus south of our home. We decided to drive to Walt Disney World because we were first attending our friends son’s Bar Mitzvah in Charlotte, North Carolina. We arrive at the airport and put my wife’s car in long term parking. I get behind the wheel of the van and we’re on the road again.
I get on the Atlantic City Expressway and after about 10 minutes my wife starts to ask if I’m okay. Then, she starts asking me if I’m starting to get sleepy. Even if I wanted to go to sleep I couldn’t because we were stopping every few minutes to pay a toll. We finally get out of New Jersey into Deleware and my wife starts to see the signs that I’m tiring. I keep readjusting myself in the seat and start to play with the hair on the back of my head. She asks to drive and at first I resist her request but then I realize she just might be right, so we switch.
The next thing I remember is waking up and having the sun in my eyes. I look behind me and the kids are still sleeping. I turn my head to my wife and asked her where we were. She said we were in Washington D.C. and I slept through all the morning rush hour traffic. It was now my turn to ask her if she was okay driving. She said “yes” and we continued on. When we got to Virginia we pulled into the first rest stop and gas station that came along in order to fill the gas tank, switch drivers, and wake the kids to see if they need to use the bathroom or if they were hungry. They both said no and went right back to sleep. After driving a while I was starting to get hungry. All of a sudden in the rear view mirror I see both our kids heads popup with a look of bewilderment. They wanted to know where we were. Just as I was about to answer I saw this great big sign rise from the ground out of nowhere. It was the answer to my prayers. It was the sign for Waffle House! This would be the first time any of us ate there. As we waited for our food my kids commented about how the place looked like a dump but, I reminded them of an old saying “never judge a book by its cover.” The food came and it lived up to everything I’ve heard about the place. We all cleaned our plates, even my daughter who never finishes anything but candy.
Onward we go as I drive through Virginia into North Carolina where we stop for gas, lunch, and a change in drivers. Oh, and our kids fell asleep on and off again for the remainder of this leg of the drive. They were in great spirits and they were getting along great as we reached our first destination, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rather than bore you with all the details of our stay in Charlotte I will highlight the events:
With the van loaded up again I got behind the wheel for the 8-plus hour drive to Walt Disney World. To our amazement the kids continued to get along great. Things were so good between them I let them listen their favorite hip hop music through the van’s speakers. I drove the first 4 ½ hours making our way through South Carolina and then Georgia before succumbing to drowsiness and a near empty gas tank, as well as, hungry children.
After I filled the car with gas we stopped at a Kentucky Fried Chicken for lunch and now my wife took over the driving for the remainder of the trip. As we made it into Florida and just past Jacksonville these vicious clouds came out of nowhere and started dumping buckets of rain down upon us. We couldn’t see 2 feet in front of us and although I urged my wife to pull off the road she insisted on moving forward. Nothing was going to stop her from getting us to Disney World. She got into the right lane and started slowly following the car’s lights in front of her keeping a safe distance from the vehicle. Within a half hour the skies cleared and it was smooth sailing from there.
The drive down I4 was both exciting and exasperating until we came upon the sign to enter the gates of heaven “Walt Disney World Where Dreams Come True” and we all knew then and there we were finally home in the place we belong.
The long drive my wife and I dreaded wasn’t so bad after all because the kids got along so much better than expected. Although it did help having the kids sleep most of the way down, as well as, breaking the drive up with a short stay in Charlotte.
The best advice I can give parents making a similar trip is that you leave in the early morning hours like we did when your children are accustomed to sleeping. If need be break up the trip and spend a night in a hotel along the way. Most of all stay alert, drive safely and have a magical Disney vacation!
Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is our resident Disney geek and creator of Disney Geek Dad.
So suppose you want to stay at your dream Deluxe Resort, but just can’t swing the $340 a night or more, no matter how much you save. Does this mean that you’re relegated to the Value or Moderate side of the World? Not necessarily.
As I’ve mentioned before, a good way to afford a Deluxe, even if you can’t afford to stay there your whole trip, is to split your stay–spend some or most of your trip in a Value, then transfer up to the Deluxe for a few days. But maybe you don’t want to be bothered with moving in the middle of your trip, or maybe you have more than four people in your party, and a single Value or Moderate room won’t cut it.
Two of Disney’s Deluxe resorts are much more affordable than the rest (to the tune of more than $100 a night less expensive). The Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge go for as low as $240 a night during Value seasons. They’ve been characterized as “Deluxe Moderates” or “Moderate Deluxes.”
The Wilderness Lodge is one of my family’s favorites. While I wouldn’t say it’s tops in any one category, it does well in them all. It’s pool isn’t as nice as Stormalong Bay at the Yacht and Beach Club, but it’s very nice and well themed, with a geyser, even. It’s location isn’t as convenient as the monorail resorts, but it’s only a short boat ride away from the Magic Kingdom and within walking distance (or another boat ride) of Fort Wilderness. But its theming is one of the best of any Disney resort. The same goes for the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Animal Kingdom Lodge, while remotely located, is one of the most elaborately-themed resorts at Walt Disney World. Where else can you wake up to watch giraffes outside your window? It also has two of the most popular restaurants in the World, Jiko and Boma.
Maybe you had your heart set on staying in the Boardwalk/Epcot area, though, and the prices of the Beach and Yacht Club and Boardwalk Inn are out of your budget. Consider staying at the Swan or Dolphin. They’re also Deluxe Resorts located on the Boardwalk, with easy access to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. But their rates for a standard room start at only $229 per night, compared to the other resorts’ $340 in Value seasons. And if you qualify for one of their many discounts (nurse, teacher, government employee, military, AARP) you can get a Deluxe room for as low as $139 a night. That’s less than half the cost of the other Epcot resorts!
If you’re like me, you’ve always been fascinated by the Contemporary Resort and the monorail going right through your lobby. It’s probably the most convenient resort to the Magic Kingdom, definitely a plus if you have small children who will need to go back to the room for a nap. Its Tower rooms are also, unfortunately, some of the most expensive on property, at $400 a night during Value seasons, and $550 a night during Peak seasons. Ouch!
But a standard view room in the Contemporary’s Garden Wing is only $285 a night during Value seasons, not much more than the Wilderness and Animal Kingdom Lodges. And you still get all of the Contemporary’s amenities–the pool, the beach on Bay Lake, the restaurants, quick and easy access to the monorail, and walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. You can take the short walk over to the Tower and sit in the lobby and watch the monorail all day long if you want.
As you can see, by thinking outside the box, you can make your dream resort stay a reality. With proper planning, almost anyone can afford at least a couple nights of “deluxury.”
Contributed by: Mark (NDD #102). Mark is our resident “how to save money while living the Disney Driven Life” expert.
