Disney Diva Tips

Save up to 35% off rooms on most stays from April 28 - June 14, 2011 and up to 40% on most stays from August 14 - October 1, 2011

Booking Window:
January 3 - March 27, 2011

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When you book a Magic Your Way resort vacation your children, ages 3-9, can stay and play for Free.  Booking Window:

• Book: Jan. 3 – Feb. 13, 2011
• Travel: For stays most nights Feb. 17 – April 16, 2011

• Book: Jan. 3 – March 27, 2011
• Travel: For stays most nights April 28 – June 14, 2011 and Aug. 14 – Oct. 1, 2011

One of the great ways to preserve memories from your Disney vacation is with a photo-book from Shutterfly.com. It is so easy to take all your pictures from a trip and turn it into a book that you will treasure for years. There are lots of promotions at shutterfly right now including sales on photo-books. Check it out today.

This is a great sale at the Disney Store. There are lots of Summer items on sale like beach towels for $6.99, bathing suits and rash guards from $7.99-$9.99. Flip flops for as low as $2.99. Even if you are all set for this summer it can be a great time to stock up for next summer. I always get my kids their seasonal items a year ahead. There is also free shipping if you purchase a Toy Story item and use the code TOYSTORY. They have some great backpack ($19.50) and lunch totes ($12.50) with TS3 characters.

Twice Upon a Year Sale at Disney Store. Shop Now to Save up to 50% on over 400 items!

Buy a Pin and get FREE Shipping on your entire shipment at DisneyStore.com with Promo Code: PINSHIP




You can use the above link to begin shopping. This offer is good through Tuesday 5/25. The cheapest pins I saw are 8.99 but the majority were around 14.95. Pin trading is a big thing in Disney World and every Cast Member must trade with you any pin that is on their lanyard. They all are wearing them and all you have to do is ask them to see their pins. They will always trade with you one for one. Its fun to go around and change pins. You can trade with other guests too if they want to but they are not required to make a trade. There are also pin trading locations where you can find other people interested in trading.

This is a fantastic promotion and can save you lots of money. You will get a Disney Dining Plan for free when you book a regular priced Magic Your Way package. (MYW package is a resort and ticket package and does not have to include airfare)  There is a minimum stay of 3 nights and 2 day park tickets.

If you book a value resort you will receive the Quick Service Dining plan for  each member of your party for FREE. That is a nice savings (since you will plan to eat on your vacation)

If you book a moderate, deluxe, or villa you will receive the Disney Dining plan for FREE. That is an even better savings ($40 per adults and $20 per childe 3-9 for each night of your stay)

If you would like to upgrade from QS Dining or the Dining plan to either the dining plan or the deluxe dining plan you just have to pay the difference.

Do not miss this amazing opportunity. Contact Disney directly by calling 407-W-Disney, go online to www.Disneyparks.com or call a travel agent.

PLEASE REMEMBER: If you are going to Disney during this time be sure to make ADR's for you Table Service reseraunts ASAP. You are already inside the 180 day window and everyone will want ADR's because of the free meal plan. Many people may have already made ADRs at the 180 day mark and were just waiting for the promotion to be announced to get the free dining. Don't wait!!

The free dining plan is back. It is usually released a lot earlier than now but it is finally here. Right now this is only for Disney Visa cardholders. It should be released to the general public soon.

There is a minimum 3 night stay and 2 day park ticket. If you stay in the value resort you will receive the quick service dining plan for free. If you stay in a moderate, deluxe, or a villa then you will receive the dining plan for free. If you want to upgrade your dining plan you can do so by paying the difference in price between the one you are getting for free and the one you want.

Read more about the dining plans here.

This is a huge savings. You can save over $100 a day for a family of 4.

This offer has been extended and now covers most night May 2nd through October 2nd. Check out more details about this offer here. This must be booked by 8/14/10. This offer is booking code BF4.

You can create customized maps of each park for your family. This is completely free and a lot of fun. They make a great keepsake and are fun to look at before your trip. Even if you don't have a trip planned right now, these maps are still a great way to remember the trips you have taken. Check it out here.

I just wanted to let you know this coupon is back. Mindi at Moms Need to Know is amazing. Check out her post Here.

Please leave me a comment and let me know if you like this information and you find it helpful. I don't want to diverge too far from our main topic but I think most of my readers would also find this info helpful. Let me know what you think. Thanks.

I just have to send this one out. I know it has nothing to do with Disney other then you may need diapers on your trip but if you are reading my blog you may have young children. This is a great website to check in with often anyway. She is amazing when it comes to finding great deals AND you can put some of that extra savings away for your trip. There it does relate to Disney. Anyway here is the link MomsNeedTo Know. You can print the offer 2 times.

I have used these for Huggies Pull Ups also.

When you purchase a 4 night/5 day room and ticket package you will receive free Magic Your Way Base Tickets for children 3-9. Children must stay in the same room as adults and there is a four person limit per room. This offer is available from May 2 - June 3 and must be booked by May 8. Use booking code BF4. You can book through a travel agent or directly through Disney by calling 407-W-Disney.

If you want more information about what a Magic Your Way Base Ticket is you can check out my post Walt Disney Wolrd Park Tickets

Some special events going on during this time are:

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
March 3, 2010 - May 16, 2010

Star Wars Weekends
May 21, 2010 - June 13, 2010

This can be a good time to go to Disney since most kids are still in school and the crowd are lighter. 

Another great offer from the Disney Store. Since its 85 degrees out I thought I would pass it along. This offer expires 4/14

Buy any swimwear item or beach towel to get Free Shipping on your entire order at DisneyStore.com with Promo Code: SHIPSWIM

Check out these 2 exclusive offers from the DisneyStore.com

Buy any Create-Your-Own product to get Free Shipping on your entire order at DisneyStore.com with Promo Code: CYOSHIP

Buy 3 or more Create-Your-Own Fleece Items and Save 30% at DisneyStore.com

I believe these offers are stackable as well.

This offer is valid for most nights between May 2nd and August 14th 2010. The amount of savings is based on the resort you choose. 15% off Value, 20% off moderate, 25% off deluxe, and 30% off villas. You can also add on tickets and a dining plan to really make a complete package. This offer can be booked through Disney directly at 407-W-Disney or a travel agent (ask for code TD7) and can be booked through August 14th.

There are a few crossroads on the way to planning a Disney trip that will take you in different directions financially. If you are looking to make the most affordable trip then this will help you navigate those decision. You may not be able to follow every major money saving idea because of personal constraints but these will send you in the right direction. The more you are able to follow the more affordable your trip will be. You can also use one of these to save money and spend it somewhere else (Travel during value season but stay at a deluxe hotel)

Time Of Travel: The prices for a Disney trip and what specials are available can change considerably based on the time of year you visit. Disney has several seasons and the cheapest time to visit is during value season. The dates change from year to year and depend on certain holidays but in general value season includes January through mid-February, August through September, and the beginning of December. Some advantages to traveling during this time are less crowds and great promotions. One of the disadvantages is weather. These are the times of year when it is either cooler or very hot.

Resort: All resort guests are entitled to the same benefits (DME, early and late park times, Disney transporation, etc.)  reguardless of  their resort being deluxe or value. A great way to cut costs is by staying in a value resort. Pop Century is the best options because it is the newest and has the best transporation since they don't share with another resort. The rooms are smaller (they only sleep 4) and you don't have some of the amenities of the deluxe resorts but you will be saving a hundred or two a night. You will still have a fantastic time. In fact, as I am writing this my parents are spending 4 nights at Pop Century. They love it there. You will find lots of families at the value resorts since they are the most affordable.

Park Tickets: The best savings here is to buy a regular base ticket. If you are looking at a package online you will most likely be offered a park hopper ticket. (Be careful since some sites will not let you downgrade to a base ticket) You will be paying a premium to be able to go from park to park on the same day. With a family and young children you will probably not be running from park to park. This is an unnecessary expense. You can buy a ticket for your whole stay and spend every day in a park, even half a day. You just don't want to pay for the extra options you won't use. Here are some prices to explain. These are the current prices without tax but can show you the price range. An adult  4 day base ticket is $225 and an 8 day base ticket is $237.  (Only $12 more for 4 more days). An adult 4 day hopper ticket is $277 and an 8 day hopper ticket is $289. That is a $52 difference per person just to move around to different parks. There is also a water park and more option and a no expiration option. These all cost additional too. The cheapest thing is to make sure you just have a base ticket but don't skimp on the number of days After 4 days each additional day is only about $2 more. Get one for your whole trip.You won't save much to get a shorter ticket and it gives you the option to go in for half days.

Dining Plan: There are lots of opinions on the dining plans. You do have to eat there and so they can save you money. The question is what types of meals are you planning to eat. All sit down meals, no sit down meals, or a mixture of sit down and coutner meals.  Make sure you get the right meal plan. Check out Disney Dining Plan Explained to make sure you select the plan that works best for your family.

Magic Your Way Packages: One of the ways to save is to book a Magic Your Way Package. You can shop around to AAA, travel agents, or book directly with Disney by calling 407-W-Disney. I like the MYW packages because you pick the number of nights, resort, type of tickets and number of days, and if you want to add a meal plan. There are usually specials on these too. Sometimes Disney will give you money back in the form of a gift card when you arrive, buy 4 nights get 3 free, or free meal plans. You can check here or Disney's website to find out the current specials.

All that being said, the most affordable way to go, see most everything and have a great time is to book a MYW with dining package at Pop Century with a length of stay base ticket for 6 nights during value season.

Thanks Kerry from allthingsformom.com for suggesting this topic. You can leave a comment on this or any other post for a topic you are interested in.

If you are planning a trip to Disney, even if its already booked, you need to request a free planning DVD. I actually request one every year. I always hope it will help me get a discount code email. No one seems to know how you get one but the more interest you show the more likely you are to get one. Anyway, you can get your free planning DVD by going here. It is fun to watch with your kids and show them all the things they can expect on their trip. Even if they have been before it is still fun to look at and get ready for the magic!

This promotion is only for Disney Visa cardmembers at this time. If you would like more information about the Disney Visa credit card then check out Start Saving Now With Disney Visa Card.

This promotion offers kids ages 3-9 to stay and dine for free when an adult books a 4 night/5 day magic your way package with quick service dining. This promotion will give up to 3 children free park tickets and quick service dining plan for each paying adult. To see more about what the quick service dining plan offers check out my post Disney Dining Plan Explained. This can be a significant savings. It is for travel between March and August 2010 and there are some black out dates. This promotion is available to be booked through April 14th. You can contact a travel agent or disney directly at 407-W-Disney for more information. You need to have a Disney Visa card and mention code OD3.

If you are seriously thinking about planning a Disney vacation in the future and are already thinking...how are we going to pay for this, you may want to consider getting a Disney Visa Card.

First of all you will get a percentage of your purchases back as Disney Reward Dollars. These can be used as money in Disney or to pay for your trip. We used this as our primary card for a year before our trip. By the time our balance was due for our trip (45 days before the start of your trip) I had $900 in Disney Rewards to take off my trip. That kept my trip for 5 to the Wilderness Lodge with the dining plan within my budget.

There is a little trick to redeeming your rewards. The rewards don't expire for several years as long as you leave them on your credit card. When you are ready to redeem them you can call or go online and request a rewards card. You tell them how many of your rewards you want transferred to your card. You have to plan ahead for this a little because it takes a few weeks to come. When it arrives it is like a gift card with the rewards on it that you have transferred, but please note the rewards now have an expiration date. There will be a date on the rewards card (you can ask what the date will be when you request your card). Any rewards left on the card on that date will expire. You do not want to request a card until you are ready to use your rewards. If you want to use your rewards to help pay for your trip be sure to request the card at least few weeks before your balance is due for your trip. After your rewards card arrives call 407-W-Disney, tell them you want to make a payment, tell them you want to use your rewards card (not the disney visa credit card) and they will ask for the number, confirm the amount and apply it toward your balance. You can pay the remaining amount of your trip with your Disney Visa credit card or another payment method. Keep your rewards card. Sometime right before you leave for your trip (even while you are in Disney) you can call and request any new Disney rewards that have accumulated on your visa card be transfered to your rewards card. You can use these rewards on anything in Disney from a snack cart, tips for your table service meals, sourveneirs, or anything else you want in Disney. Just be sure to spend them all before you leave because once they are on the card they will expire. I'm sure that won't be too hard to do. You can use the rewards at the Disney Store also.

Another benefit to the Disney Visa Credit Card is 0% interest on your Disney trip. If you charge your Disney trip to your card then you don't have to pay any interest on it for 6 months. When making a new reservation you are required to put a $200 refundable deposit per room. The remainder of your balance is due 45 day before your trip begins. That can give you lots of time to pay off your Disney trip. You will have from the time you decide on the budget for your trip, book it, and then another 4 1/2 months after your trip to have all the money saved.

A third benefit to the Disney Visa Card is special booking promotions. You will have the first opportunity to book trips with free dining and other savings just for Disney Visa cardholders.

There are lots of other benefits and discounts and you can see them all on their website. The three I mentioned are the ones most closely related to paying for your trip.

 You can apply by phone by calling 1-800-943-8319 or online. Ask if they are offering refer-a-friend and give them ID # 10325908. They will give you a bonus $25 dollars or more to start your account or mention code CTXL and you can get a $15 gift card after first use. The promotions are always changing so be sure to ask for the current promotion if these don't work.