How Many Disney Days Do We Need?

If you're planning a Walt Disney World trip, you may have just now realized that purchasing tickets for your entire family will probably be the most costly part of your vacation. Because it is so costly, I recommend the one-park-per-day rule (so no Park Hopper option, already making your tickets exponentially cheaper) as well as a four-days-for-parks rule (so, you will see each of the four Disney parks on your trip). Rules, rules, rules, right? Obviously you should adjust this for your family, but let me show you why I will always try to stick to this.

The first obvious reason is the cost of the park tickets with no additional options:

Option A:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults and two children: $1256.72(includes tax & this is purchased directly through Disney's site)

Option B:

4-Day Magic Your Way tickets for a family of two adults/two children from Undercover Tourist: $1245.80(includes tax PLUS you get a 5th Day for FREE)!

Option C:

Military family? Your costs are further discussed here. The savings is VERY significant vs. purchasing park tickets through other sources.

Thankfully, it doesn't take a mathematician to see that Option B is potentially a better option. I say, "potentially," because the costs many don't consider when adding park days begin to add up. Nonetheless, even if you choose to follow my one-park-per-day and four-days-for-parks rules, buying that second ticket from UT would save you money, even when not using your 5th free day.

What are those other costs you need to consider? Let's take a look:

• Parking: staying off-property will cost you $17 each day. 

• Dining: This article recommends counting $60/adult and $45/child per day to calculate the cost of food on vacation. Let's say that's true - a 5th day at Disney would cost you an additional $210 in food money.

• Souvenirs: Yes, you can just say no. However, if you're anything like me, after 5 days of kids being out of their normal routines, and walking past hundreds of shiny, pretty things, saying, "no," can be wearing. We actually have vowed to say, "Yes!" to as much as possible on vacay (read more here). We encourage our kids to earn their Disney Dimes and we have bought their souvenirs on sale via Target and The Disney Store before going. Nevertheless, you could conservatively spend $40-$50 on a stuffed toy and Mickey balloons.

If your family of four spent all of the above estimates, that 5th day may actually cost you over $270! Could you get away with much less? Absolutely. No souvenirs, and bringing your own foods could significantly impact the cost of a 5th day. You could even squeak by with spending under $40 on that 5th Disney day.

The second, and not-as-obvious reason to not spend a 5th, 6th, or 7th day at Disney World is one that is more...sentimental? Spending one day per park leaves more to see on your next trip! Many people can tour Disney every year, multiple times, and never get burned-out. It is an ever-changing place, afterall. But I love the feeling of leaving some stones unturned and looking forward to the next family adventure. It helps prolong the sense of excitement and wonder to know that we'll have to plan an additional trip in the coming years, just to see what we couldn't on the first trip.

How many days have you spent touring the parks? Was it too long, too short, or just right for your family? 

Saying "Yes!" Will Transform Your Vacation

When you add children to your life, they bring emotions you didn't know you could have, love that could burst your heart, and demands that can seriously make you reevaluate your life choices:

"I don't need to shower today, I definitely did that last week."
"I didn't like that perfectly marker-less space on my wall anyway."
"Does going to the dentist twice a year replace brushing my teeth on a daily basis?"

Ok, so we have probably all felt these (and several other) extremes at some point when parenting, but it isn't all bad by any means. Our babies have given us renewed perspectives, a reason to laugh, and shown us that unconditional love really does exist.

Of all the monumental and tiny happenings that children have introduced into our lives, there is one for which I wasn't prepared. If you're reading this, and you're a new parent to a new baby or perhaps haven't added a child into your world, evaluate how many times per day you utter the word, "no." I can't be sure, because my brain has basically turned to mush in the last 7 years, but I think that "no" was a rather minor word in my vocabulary. Times, they have a-changed.

"No" encompasses at least 1/3 of my spoken words for the day. There are days where I am positive it is the only thing I say. I say it so much that I roll my eyes at myself, my tongue hurts from hitting the roof of my mouth, and semantic satiation steamrolls any direct effect it had on the situation.

I love giving joy to my children. I love surprising them with a "Yes!" when they are least expecting it. It assures them that I am human, compassionate, and even capable of fun. <- All of which is questioned on a daily basis by at least one of my tiny, lovely people.

Vacation is the perfect time to strike "no" from your vocabulary. This doesn't mean you should buy and consume everything in sight with no respect for your bank account, patience, or calorie intake. It simply means you have to plan on saying "yes." Ask everyone what they want to do on vacation- then make it happen. We are riding a ferris wheel (The Orlando Eye- I can't wait!) for our 4-year-old. We're spending several hours in Downtown Disney's LEGO Store since we couldn't get to Legoland on this trip for our 7-year-old. Our 5-year-old will meet Anna & Elsa even if it eats up a FastPass+ or takes hours because "yes" is our new "no." There will be icecream in our lives while on vacation. It may replace a meal. Mickey balloons that cost $10 each will be happily attached to every beautiful little wrist in our group because we budgeted for it, we know they will ask, and the light in their eyes when we say, "yes" will be worth all 4000 pennies it will cost us.

How have you said "yes" to your kiddos on vacation? Was it as worth it as I imagine it will be? 

Balloon image copyright of Mark Chandler. 

Disney World Planning Tools

Planning for Disney is a multi-resource kind of endeavor. Many people employ the use of travel agents (read this enlightening article about travel agents) which can cost you NOTHING! If you're
interested in seeing what an agent can offer you, you might try:

Ears of Experience: a Disney-centric travel agency that is fee free! Their website could use some updating, but they are active on Facebook and one of their specialties is booking military discounts with Disney vacations for current/former service members. Their services are free so long as you are booking at a Disney-owned resort for accommodations. If you aren't, there are concierge packages available to you for $130-$150 and those services include personalized itineraries, dining reservations, and more! (also recommended by Military Disney Tips - see below!)

If you want more options for finding a travel agent, look no further than than this agency locator: Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. Travel agents and agencies come with all different skill sets- you MUST use one that is a Disney-centric agency if you want to get the best deals and most thorough info on current WDW happenings. This site will return a list of local-to-you agents or online agents (or both) and you can then further research their websites and    policies to find your right fit.

Aside from travel agents, you will find hundreds of blogs, Disney-related Pinterest pages, and websites devoted to planning tips, itinerary-building, maps, and more. Some of the sites I've taken advantage of:

Touring Plans - for $12.95, you get year-long access to TP's excellent trip-building tools. Interactive itinerary-builders allow you to use pre-made itineraries with wait and walk times for your specific dates based upon crowd-data for those dates. You can go on to customize your itinerary completely per day adding any and all types of attractions. You gain access to the TP forums upon joining, and the friendly forum members are ready to offer advice and answer questions. If you are detail-oriented and need to          understand just what it will take to make a plan for your Disney trip
(read more here about planning vs. not planning your days in the parks).

Kenny the Pirate  - If you're interested in meeting characters while you're at the World, Kenny the Pirate is for you! This blog has many useful features (a crowd calendar and character location maps are just two of them!) Kenny even has an info-packed app! It involves a couple more steps to properly work on your device than your typical app, but the reviews say it is worth it!

WDW Prep School - Shannon's blog is packed with good stuff for your trip to Disney World. Her site is clean, neat, and easy to navigate. One of the coolest features of WDW Prep School is that Shannon does podcasts! So if you're strapped for time and can't sift through tons of info on your computer, you can take her anywhere!

Military Disney Tips - though it isn't the prettiest of prettiest when it comes to blog designs, it has TONS of info for military discounts of every kind (and they aren't limited to just Disney discounts, but other major Orlando-area discounts as well). The Armed Forces Salute FAQ section is thorough and perfect for any and all AFS ticketing questions. If you're part of the military sector- you can't plan without stopping in here and having your questions answered by Steve!

Mouse Savers - this site is so simple and easy to use, it is one I'd recommend to start with if you're overwhelmed by Disney planning. The info that is included here is extensive, well-organized, and easy-on-the-eyes as there aren't visual distractions, just information.


Finally, in 2015, a Walt Disney World trip can't be planned without the use of Pinterest (Well, ok, maybe it can, by why would you want it to be? All of those colorful pictures and diverse posts- I can't get enough!).

Which sites and apps (post on must-have apps coming later!) have you relied on when you're planning a WDW vacation? 

Saving for WDW with Disney Dimes

Our littles will be 7, 5, 4, and 2 years old when we visit The Mouse. We haven't really done a formal allowance, chore chart, or other variety of those items in our house. We have expectations of them and they know when certain things need to be done, but we have not monetarily rewarded behavior up to this point. When we decided to take them to Disney World, we also decided it was time that they worked towards something. Do we think we have all the parenting answers? Heck no- but this will work for us. That first night that we announced the Disney vacation plans, we also announced Disney Dimes. There was no big fanfare or to-do over announcing the Disney trip. Up to this point, it hasn't been a huge topic of conversation in our house. That said, I love how creative some families are with making this big announcement and I also love how much the gift of going on a family vacation becomes the souvenir in those moments. I am sure we'll announce any other trips to WDW in this manner, just to emphasize that fact: that going on a Disney vacation and having fun with family is the greatest present of all!

So, with the implementation of Disney Dimes, the nightly routine of the girls clearing our dining table after dinner became their first regular task. They earn one Disney Dime for this and are happy to do so. Realizing that this has been a big motivational tool, I now offer Disney Dimes for many tasks and behaviors. I never bribe a child out of a mood with the promise of a Disney Dime, but frankly, parenting is no-holds-barred territory. You do what you do to raise your kids, and I'll do what I do. I try to make everything a choice. You choose to earn the DDs or you don't. No anger or frustration from me when they don't want to comply, but lots of praise and a dime or two when they work for it.

Once the kids earn enough dimes for conversion to a Disney Dollar(not to be confused with official Disney Dollars at Disney resorts), Tinker Bell visits, dusts some Pixie Dust on ol' George, and they're set! For those of us who don't frequently have visits from Tink, some body/hair spray-glitter from the Dollar Tree will suffice for the Pixie Dust! I get to then recycle their dimes back into the pot and they have an extra boost of motivation to see if they ever catch Tink dusting their dollars! If you have a Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan in the family, a "gold doubloon," a.ka., Sacagawea Dollar, is also a fabulous exchange for 10 Disney Dimes! I'm not keen on the official Disney Dollars. My opinion is that kids are already disattached enough from the idea that work begets money. I don't want them to associate play-money with getting anything, as it feels like it negates the work that went into that. That said, if you're gifting a child Disney money, I can completely see why these adorable dollars would be fantastic!

So far, the plan is that we'll match what they earn as a special gift from us. That said, we haven't made this announcement and only plan to do so should their attitudes on vacation warrant such a surprise. Since I bought Disney souvenirs for the kids pre-trip, I know that our shopping in the parks or at Downtown Disney's outlet will be minimal- just the way I like it!

Disney Tickets- Military Deals & Steals

In 2009 Disney created the Armed Forces Salute program for members of the U.S. military and their families. The AFS includes steep discounts on park tickets and 30-40% off Disney resorts. Since I already discussed that our family size prohibits much of a savings on Disney resort rooms (even with a 30-40% discount), I'll focus on the AFS tickets in this post. If you have a smaller family size, the room discount could significantly impact your choice to stay on- or off-property.

Military Tickets:
If you or your spouse is active-duty or retired from the U.S. military (including Reservists, Coast Guardsmen, and National Guardsmen) you are eligible to purchase up to six Military Promotional Tickets during each offer period (current offer valid September 2014-October 2015). Military Promotional Tickets (a.k.a. Armed Forces Salute tickets) have extensive savings:

• 4-Day Park Hopper Ticket for $177 OR
• 4-Day Water Park Fun & More Ticket for $177 OR 
• 4-Day Combo Ticket for $207
• When you buy on base- these are tax free! 
• No expiration date within the 09/2014 - 10/2015 timeframe

Who can use the Armed Forces Salute tickets:

• Anyone accompanying the service member (friends or family!) 
• Anyone accompanying the service member's spouse in absence of the service member

How these tickets activate:

You will receive a voucher upon purchase that can be linked to My Disney Experience to set up your FastPass+ passes, however, you will still have to activate the voucher and exchange it for plastic card tickets at any one of the parks on your first visit. All members of the party using the Armed Forces Salute tickets must be present for activation, but then your party can split up if needed/wanted. 

If your immediate family has more than six individuals, Disney will allow you to purchase additional tickets for them at the above prices. Note that this courtesy is only available for dependent family members. If your family has only two or three members, you could purchase double your needed tickets(up to six) and use them back-to-back on the same trip, allowing for a total of eight park days per person! Just think of the amazing Disney honeymoon a newly married military couple could take with these tickets- 12 blissful days in the Most Magical Place on Earth for just over $1000!

If you need additional days for your park tickets, the Armed Forces Salute Tickets can be upgraded at Walt Disney World to Annual Passes. Otherwise, you can purchase the Magic Your Way tickets at a base ITT office or Shades of Green and receive a small discount (typically about 5%). Note that the MYW tickets with military discount CANNOT be purchased at Walt Disney World gates/ticket offices. 

Let's see some savings in action. My family of six needs 5 tickets (child under 3 is free and we still have one of those!):

• Armed Forces Salute Tickets 4-Day with Park Hopper = $885 (no tax)
• Magic Your Way 4-Day Tickets with Park Hopper = $1901.05 (with FL tax)

To be fair in comparison pricing, you have to really consider which options you'd purchase if you had to buy tickets without any discount. The first thing we'd nix would be the Park Hopper option. Even for an adults-only trip we took, we didn't park-hop. It isn't worth the extra money for the way we tour the parks. For some it is invaluable. You have to decide how your family will visit WDW and if that is important.

If you were willing to fork over $1900 for four days hopping parks, then check out what you can get if you drop that Park Hopper. If I were taking my family of six (one baby) to WDW and I chose to nix the Park Hopper option from my plans look at what I could afford:

• Magic Your Way 10-Day Ticket No Options = $1879.75 (with FL tax) 

Balancing that against my family's needs and our price-range I wanted to know what I could get for all six of us in the $885 range when shopping on Disney's site. My answer: 

• 2-Day MYW Tickets No Options (this actually costs $980 with tax)

If you choose the Armed Forces Salute Tickets with both the Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More option - you end up getting two additional days (one each for Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach) outside of your four Disney World days plus entry to several other Disney attractions. We don't have a group that is great with swimming yet- so we will save that option for a later trip since it would add $150 to our ticket total. 

The Armed Forces Salute Tickets are an amazing deal for a minimal amount of park days. If you're lucky enough to have a family size (or age group) that will allow two of your six tickets to go to Grandma & Grandpa, just think of the amazing memories you can make together! 

Additionally, this blog is an amazing resource: Military Disney Tips 

How have you made the Armed Forces Salute Tickets work for you? 

Disney's Disc Replacement Program

If you read my Disney Movie Rewards post, you'll know what a great option it is for acquiring free movies with your Rewards points. That isn't the only fantastic thing about DMR though- you can also easily get damaged DVDs and Blu-Rays replaced with Disney's Disc Replacement Program. This program is available to anyone who has purchased a Disney movie, not just those using DMR. However, DMR pre-populates the form that is required to be sent with your disc. Pretty handy if you ask me! 

When you enter a Magic Code into DMR, that disc is automatically registered, however, you can manually register discs for which you no longer have a code. Even though you won't get any Rewards points for discs without a Magic Code, this option consolidates your list of Disney movies in one place, while also making it simple to replace a disc with Disney's Disc Replacement program.

Here's what you need to do to have a disc/discs replaced:

• Print your form through DMR or print the form's blank PDF 
• Enclose a check for $6.95 per DVD or $8.95 per blu-ray (more than one type/disc can be included)
• The damaged disc or discs
• Mail items to:

WDSHE Consumer Relations 

Attn: Disc Replacement Program

P.O. Box 3100

Neenah, WI 54957

You DO NOT need to include:

• Any original packaging
• Any additional undamaged discs from combo-packs

In a few weeks you'll receive a new disc! This is great for movies that are now in The Vault and can't be replaced through an in-store purchase. Just be careful- some movies are now so inexpensive to replace, it may make more sense to pay full-price and get a new Magic Code that can put towards a free DVD/Blu-Ray.

 

Have any of you used the Disc Replacement Program? 

Free Movies With Disney Movie Rewards

Did you know that you can put that stack of

Disney DVDs or Blu-Rays to work for you? Until recently, I ignored the Disney Movie Rewards flyers that are clipped inside of each movie case. I wrongly assumed that the only rewards I'd be getting would be cheap toys, stickers, or the like. I have no need of these items in my life (do any of us, really?) so I skipped entering the often-long codes online. When I joined the Disney Movie Club and had nearly 20 movies arrive on my doorstep, the rewards flyers were staring me in the face. I collected all of my flyers and created a DMR account. After poking around on their site for a bit- I discovered a few more ways to earn Rewards points and even enter exclusive sweepstakes for Disney World and Disneyland vacations.

In order to earn Rewards points, you have to enter your Magic Codes from one of three purchase types:

Most movies are worth 100-150 points, but there are often bonus points available for certain titles. The DMR Facebook page also has a bi-monthly Disney quiz game that you can play to earn extra points. Explore the, "My Account," area and earn more points by answering survey questions. 

Once I've accumulated a few hundred points, I check out the Rewards area and head straight to the DVD & Blu-Ray section. You can exchange a minimum of 550 points for a DVD and that includes free shipping and handling! Currently, you can exchange as many as 2500 Rewards points for a Monsters University Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack. The best part about exchanging your points for a DVD or Blu-Ray is that these movies also come with a Rewards code that you can then enter to add back into your Rewards points bank! 

If you're looking for a more vacation-centric way to spend your Rewards points, you can exchange 1100 points for a $10 Disney Gift Card! 

Has anyone out there saved up several thousand points? What Rewards are you saving for?

Not Just For Babies-Strollers at The World

The average walking distance traveled per day by each Walt Disney World guest hovers above the 10 mile mark. If that sounds rough to you, imagine how daunting that will be for little ones who more easily tire (and yet, have boundless energy at other times!). I was skeptical about having a stroller available for our middle children who will be four- and five-years-old during our trip. We have a single stroller these days and I wasn't looking forward to renting or buying a double for this vacation. After doing my research, I realized that I will not only want strollers for my three youngest children, but there is a good chance that our seven-year-old will need the occasional break. However, we are but two parents with two hands, our oldest will have to tough it out and walk for the majority of the trip (stroller boards are an option - check that out here).

Here are options to consider if you find yourself in the same situation(this isn't an exhaustive list of options, borrowing is a free option if you have friends willing to give up their double for an extended period of time!):

Option A:

• Take single stroller
• Purchase cheap double stroller (think umbrella-style) before arrival or once arriving in FL

Pros/Cons of Option A:

• Pro: Maximum savings as umbrella strollers (even double umbrella strollers) are inexpensive to buy new or secondhand
• Con: This stroller style isn't very practical for long-distance hauling and isn't the most comfortable for parents to push

Option B:

• Take single stroller
• Purchase higher-end double (think CityMini or Britax B-Agile Double) before/upon arrival

Pros/Cons of Option B:

• Pro: High-End double is more comfortable for everyone and easier for long-distance traveling
• Con: Least cost-effective option as this will easily be in the $300-$400 range new ($200-range used)

Option C:

• Take single stroller
• Rent high-end double stroller - many rentals include free rain cover and parent-console

Pros/Cons of Option C:

• Pro: Most cost-effective compromise
• Con: You will be responsible for replacement/damage however, insurance is available through rental websites

We ultimately landed on Option C! I've attempted to use a double umbrella stroller before and vowed I never would again. Since we won't be needing a double stroller for use at home- it seems ridiculous to spend that much money on one for this trip (even used!). We own a Britax B-Agile single stroller- and after owning and evaluating seven strollers (all different styles too!) in the last seven years, I can say this is hands-down my favorite stroller. We got ours for a steal- $80 through Craigslist. 

I knew I wanted to rent the double version of the Britax B-Agile- but finding one was a bit more difficult. Baby Wheels Orlando offers this exact stroller:

Baby Wheels Orlando not only offers the stroller I want, it costs less than the City Mini GT and BOB strollers offered through many other popular Orlando rental companies (BWO also offers these, but they are more expensive!). Baby Wheels Orlando also provides:

• 10% military discount with code: military2011
• Free raincover
• Free parent console
• Insurance for $15 (includes theft, loss, damage, etc.)
• Free delivery & pick-up to your resort or condo

Finally- there is one piece of advice you must hear about strolling at Disney World. Only rent the WDW strollers if you absolutely, positively must. You can't take them out of the parks, they are hard plastic, cumbersome, and not at all suitable for the infant-crowd. 

Who have you rented strollers from in Orlando? How old were your children when they could last all day at the parks without a stroller?

What We're Wearing at the Parks - Part I

I absolutely adore matching family shirts for Walt Disney World vacations.
The only problem is that I don't find it to be super cost-effective. There are a number of reasons for this:

• I like to personalize each tee in my designs, which results in a higher cost
• I often use trademarked characters, which print shops can't print
• Lower cost solutions (freezer-paper stenciling and iron-on transfers) have their limits

I really wanted to wear personalized tees every day we are in the parks. After pricing them out at CustomInk (a company I love!) I realized I just couldn't spend $150 on one day's worth of tees (and forget four day's worth of tees at those rates!). I know you're thinking, "Of course you couldn't do that, crazy woman!" but I was ready to do just that when an alternative idea came to mind. 

My compromise turned out to be this:

Purchase two-days' worth of shirts from the Disney Store and make the remaining two shirts at home. I will customize the Disney Store shirts with iron-ons (more on that in another post!) and will print iron-on transfers at home (these transfers are awesome!) to fully-create shirts for the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. 

These are our shirt options for Epcot (top of post) and Animal Kingdom (below):

They aren't particularly themed for either of these park choices, but they will do! I got a great deal on the chalkboard/mouseketeer tees by using a 25% off coupon code that included free shipping while purchasing these shirts during their Buy 2 or More Tees, Each for $10. The chalkboard tees of Mickey & Minnie only received the 25% off as they weren't included in the sale prices (they are Official Park shirts). The AWESOME thing about buying ear hats BEFORE your trip is that the Disney Store not only allows you to stack your discounts on them, but they always have a running percentage-off deal on specific quantities of Official Park items. Shopping at the Disney Store is going to save us a ton on clothing and souvenirs. More in a later post! 

Ear hats are marked at $13.95 - I paid $9.41 each! 

What have you worn to the parks? What got you the most noticed by Cast Members?

Our Dream Condo Rental

As you read in the on-property vs. off-property post, our family size is better suited for off-property living. My first step to finding a condo was to make a wish-list of the amenities I wanted our house to have. I used TripAdvisor to begin my search. A private pool and four bedrooms were at the top of the list. Having themed rooms for the kids was important to me as well since we'd be missing out on the extravagant theming of Disney's resorts. Finally, I knew I wanted to be near the parks making for easier mid-day breaks. We have stayed in the Davenport/Kissimmee area before and opted for that same area this time. I told TripAdvisor my wishlist and that I wanted to keep it under $800/week. That's right- $800/7 nights. Didn't think it was possible, did you? Not only was it possible, I had several options that I thought would work for our family, however, booking early is your friend. We couldn't lock-in dates until late January for a May trip. The least-expensive condo options that I wanted were already taken for our dates by the time I booked. Ultimately, I found a great spot in the same resort complex we stayed in before and still we are spending far less than if staying in a Disney resort.

Condo details:

• $105/night
• Private Pool (optional pool heat for $25/day <- this is a very common additional fee)
• Free Wireless Internet (Harder to come by than you would imagine)
• 4 Bedrooms
• 2 Themed Bedrooms( with twin beds in each; under-the-sea and  princess/fairies rooms)
• 15 Minute Drive to Parks
• Large Community Pool and Hot-Tub 
• Game Room (pool table, foosball, dress-up area for kids, and more)
• Fully Furnished Kitchen 

When you're booking a condo, expect a down payment of about 10%. Condo fees and taxes can be killer too- expect to pay 11-12% in taxes and watch for hidden booking fees. 

We opted to wait on the pool heat. If we pay for it before checking-in, it will be $25/day ($200 additional dollars to our tab). If we wait until after we check-in, they'll charge us an additional $25 as a maintenance fee. We plan on checking the weather before we arrive and choosing then whether or not to purchase it. 

Note: Some condos offer baby-care items for free, some charge for their use, and some don't offer any. If you have little ones in your party, definitely find out what your condo will provide and for how much! 

Finally, yes, the condo isn't as polished as some of the Disney resorts. It may be slightly dated even. However, the value is incredible. Having our own space is imperative for our family to have a fantastic trip, so any shortcomings can be easily overlooked. Check it out: 

      

If you're interested in finding more properties or this exact one,
check out Head For Orlando. Which condos have you stayed in on your Disney vacations? 

On-Property vs. Off-Property for a Family of 6

You've made the leap and have decided to take a Florida vacation to Walt Disney World. Now what?

Deciding where your family will stay can be daunting. There are so many options available:

• Walt Disney World Resort (Value, Moderate, Deluxe)
• Swan & Dolphin Resorts
• Shades of Green - For Military Families
• Area Hotels
• Area Resorts & Condos

A simple Google search will result in finding a blog dedicated to each WDW property, its benefits, and why one is best over the other. The main budgeting reasons many recommend WDW properties are:

• Extra Magic Hours (where resort-only guests get more time in the parks)
• Free Parking (at hotels and parks)
• Disney Dining Plan (meal plan for eating in the parks)

Our first challenge when booking a room is our family size. Most WDW resorts can't accommodate a family of six in anything I would consider economical (options and prices here - start at $270 in the value resorts) nor can Shades of Green military resort (starting at $275/night for a family suite-yikes!). Even with Disney's spring-time offers, the cost/night is just far more than we want to pay for someone else's bed! That said, you do have to take into consideration the other factors that will cost you when staying off-property.

Google, "Orlando condo rentals," and you'll find thousands of options which is more than a little overwhelming. When you're searching for a property, take into consideration all of the amenities you want it to have(here are a few):

• Private Pool
• Pool Heat
• Furnished Kitchen
• Themed-Bedrooms
• Number of Bedrooms
• Distance to Parks
• Resort Amenities
• Wireless Internet

Ultimately, we decided to stay off-property. Not only are the accommodations more spacious for us, the amenities can't be matched staying in a hotel-like atmosphere. We can more cheaply eat by making our own food than eating in the parks and because we're traveling with such a young group, EMHs aren't going to be vital for us. Paying for parking is no fun, but since we only have four days in the parks, the $68 that will cost us is negligible. 

Next post will detail where we're staying and how to find the vacation rental of your dreams! Have any of you with a 5+ family members stayed on-property? Where did you stay?

Disney Movie Club - Review Part II

As promised in Part I of my Disney Movie Club review, Part II will show you how I saved money, mistakes to avoid, plus tips & tricks for getting the most movies for your money! Please note that the numbers I'm throwing out to you are for the DVD club option and not the Blu-Ray option. More details on that in Part I!

When I joined DMC, my offer code was pretty great:

• Five Movies for $1 (total, not each!)
• Free Shipping
• Free Olaf Blanket with Free Shipping
• Sixth Movie for $11.95 with Free Shipping (plus it counts as my first obligated purchase!)
• Seventh Movie for $8.95 with Free Shipping

My terms stated I had to purchase four full-price DVDs within 24 months of joining. 
You really have to shop around online to get get the best deals with DMC. If you go straight to their website, you will probably only be offered the 4-for-$1 deal. In my quick search for DMC deals, I found the offer code that will get you the same offer I received.

Enter promo code 27135 and you will receive the same pricing I did 

plus you will get a free Mickey Mouse blanket!             

Here is where strategy comes into play- make sure your initial five movies are the most expensive movies for you to purchase elsewhere even if they aren't the first priorities on your list. I use Amazon Prime for price-comparison when making my selections because we use Amazon Prime frequently in our home.

After completing your initial purchase, and hopefully getting seven movies for around $22, it is best to purchase your obligatory DVDs at this point. Remember that for them to count towards your total, they must cost you $19.95 or more. Use the below image to select the proper settings within your account before placing this order.

Note: If you don't select,"No Discount," only the most expensive movie in your cart will count towards your obligation. The others will be discounted 40%, and while that is a nice savings, it can be even better. Read on!

Now, the last step: play the waiting game! After 30 days of active membership and fulfilling your obligation, DMC will upgrade your account to VIP status.

In VIP status, you will be offered:

• Buy 1 Movie at Regular Price, Get the Rest 60% off
• Free VIP pin

Here are tables that break down and compare costs of Amazon Prime vs. DMC:

TOTAL SAVINGS USING DMC VS. AMAZON PRIME: $150.49! 

At this point, you may decide to terminate your membership. You have to do this over the phone- there are no online options available. You may also decide that this is such a great club, you want to keep your membership active! Just remember to respond to your monthly offers so as not to receive an auto-shipped movie and charge every month.

Stay-tuned for a post on how using Disney Movie Club and Disney Movie Rewards has gotten me free movies! What are your top-five picks for your initial order?

Disney Movie Club - Review Part I

Googling the phrase, "Disney Movie Club reviews," can be quite the harrowing experience. As a lover of all things Disney, it pains me to say that the DMC doesn't get the most favorable online opinions. I am happy (and relieved) to report that I'm confident the negative reviews that DMC receives are because members are failing to read the fine-print and failing to comply with their member agreement. While Cast Members are employing aggressive sales tactics, I haven't come across a rude CM (and I've spoken with four at DMC in the last month).

The Member Agreement Summarized:

An initial purchase is made using a discount code. Additional full-price purchases are required to fulfill contractual obligations. After these criteria are met, DMC members enter VIP status and receive steep discounts on further purchases. 

In 24 months, a DMC Member must purchase 3-5* full-price movies.  

DMC states that a full-price movie costs:

• $19.95 or more plus S&H (DVD Club) or
• $29.95 or more plus S&H(Blu-Ray Club)

The member chooses if they want to join under the DVD club or the Blu-Ray club with their initial purchase though both formats are available in either club. Note that a Blu-Ray club member will pay inflated prices for DVDs. A Blu-Ray club member will be required to purchase their full-price selections at $29.95 or more, even when purchasing a DVD. 

The fine-print states that a monthly offer will be extended to each member. This offer can be refused via email, via your online account, or by snail mail.

 If you do not decline your monthly offer, the movie will be shipped and your credit card will be charged without further notification.

Typically, these monthly offerings will run you $21.95+S&H, but may be greater in price.

_{*Number of required full-price purchases vary based upon code used during joining.}

Verdict: I would absolutely join DMC again. Stay-tuned for Part II of the DMC posts where I will break down my costs and purchasing strategy! 

What's your favorite recently-released Disney movie? I can't believe we haven't yet seen Big Hero 6 but I have the DVD + Blu-Ray combo on the way to us now! 

The Disney Store - Save or Splurge?

When I started planning our first trip as a family of six I assumed (incorrectly) that shopping at the Disney Store was far too expensive. I thought that I would save money by shopping for souvenirs at big box stores like Walmart or Target. I couldn't have been more wrong! One fateful evening the Bestie and I entered the Disney Store in our local mall and it was all I could do not to buy everything on sale. I walked away with over $60 in savings on a $100 purchase. That's right, I spent about $40 on $100 worth of Jake and the Neverland Pirates merchandise for DD3 (she is slightly obsessed with this show and her birthday is just weeks before our big vacation!).

Some of the amazing deals I've taken advantage of:

• BOGO for $1 - plush toys
• Buy 2 or more playsets - $10 each (savings of $2.95 each)
• Buy 2 or more tees - $10 each (savings of $2.95-$4.95 each)
• 25% off entire purchase (above and beyond the above-mentioned deals!)
• Free Shipping on $75+ Orders (savings of $9.95+)

UPDATE: New sale today 2/18/15 - Kids' tees for $8 each and adult's tees $12! 

My current order would cost $180 without the savings codes offered but instead, I'll be paying $110! More later on the souvenirs I've picked for our kiddos, ages 2-7 years old!

UPDATE: After placing my order with a ton of savings, I popped into my local Disney Store. I noticed that the Buy 2 or more tees-$10 each deal was much better in-store! In-store was offering each tee at $8, no minimums. After discussing this recent purchase with a Cast Member, the manager said that if I bring my receipt in within 10 days of receiving my order, they'd be able to refund the difference. I will update again with more to let you know how that works out.

Pop over to What We're Wearing at the Parks to see some of my purchases! What are your can't-live-without-it Disney purchases?

"Here we gooooooooo!"

Can anyone name that Disney classic? In my 30(ish) years of life, I've been captivated by many Disney films (who hasn't?) and have had the pleasure of visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, three times (soon to be four!). I would never claim expert-status on planning a WDW vacation, however, when I latch onto an idea, I research it with the same dedication that Aladdin has in his neverending quest for bread! This...skill, of mine, has its pros (the main one for our family of six being maximum fun for minimum coin) and its cons (computer-screen-induced delirium).

Come along on this magic carpet ride and you'll read posts about money-saving tips (before and during a trip to The World), DIY projects, park touring strategies, downloads, and everything in between! This Mouse Ears Mama can't wait to show you The World!