Royal Caribbean Cruise line has some great rates on cruises right now. They are offering 60% off the second guest and kids sail for less. This offer is good until December 3, 2019. Don’t miss out on these Royal Caribbean November Deals!
Bonus Deal: Wander Now Sale
**Book November 15-19, 2019 for Stateroom Credit
If you book within the next couple of days you will receive credit to your stateroom as well as the great rates. Stateroom credit can be used on dining, beverages, shore excursions, photographs and other activites. It cannot be used toward gratuities.
See chart below for the amount of credit you can receive! I love this extra Royal Caribbean November deal!
Stateroom Credit by booking November 15-19, 2019
5 Nights or Less:
6 Nights or Longer
Inside/Oceanview Cabin
$25
$50
Balcony Cabin
$75
$100
Suite
$75
$200
Ready to take advantage of these Royal Caribbean November Deals? Contact me today!
Want something really magical for you family this Christmas? Celebrate the magic of the holidays in The Most Magical Place on Earth with the Ultimate Disney Christmas Package at Walt Disney World Resort.
Book your Christmas stay at Walt Disney World from now until October 26, 2019 (or until package rooms fill up)!
Check in December 21, 2019 and check out December 26, 2019
Stay in a Disney Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort for 5 nights
4 day Park tickets with Park Hopper Option
Be dazzled by the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party included with your package.
Dec. 21, 2019– EXCLUSIVE nighttime access to experience Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey and Expedition Everest®. Plus catch an exclusive showing of the park’s new Rivers of Light: We Are One show.
Dec. 22, 2019– Celebrate the season with tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom® Park.
Dec. 23 or Dec. 24, 2019 (one night per reservation)– EXCLUSIVE reserved viewing area at World View Plaza to watch Epcot® Forever, an all-new nighttime spectacular. Plus, each Guest (ages 3 and up) will receive a digital $50 Epcot Theme Park Dine Promo Card to use at participating Epcot locations.
Dec. 25, 2019– An Ultimate Disney Christmas gift delivered to your Client’s room.
Dec. 26, 2019– Bid a fond farewell
Package starting at $199 per person/night
For example, for just $199 per person, per night (total package price of $3,980), a family of four can stay in a standard room at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This is based on 2 adults, 1 junior (age 10-17) and 1 child (age 3-9).
Book NOW as rooms for this package are limited! Only a $200 deposit is needed at time of booking to secure this enchanting vacation your family will remember for a lifetime! Don’t miss out on this Ultimate Disney Christmas Package!
Price based on 2 adults, 1 junior (ages 10–17) and 1 child (ages 3–9). The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. The number of packages available for purchase is limited. Deposit due at time of booking. Valid Theme Park admission is required to attend Theme Park events included in this package. Theme Park ticket is valid for admission beginning on 12/21/19 and must be used by 12/27/19. Special event ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is valid only on 12/22/19. Exclusive fireworks viewing area at Epcot® is one night per reservation; viewing night to be chosen at time of reservation and is reserved in order booked. Capacity for each night is limited. Epcot® Theme Park Dine Promo Card will be sent on 12/23/19 to email provided at check-in. One Ultimate Disney Christmas gift per room. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes the following room types: campsites, 3-bedroom Grand Villas, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
The Epcot® Theme Park Dine Promo Card (“Promo Card”) is not valid for use until purchased, activated and monetary value added. Card will be active 12/23/19 through 12/26/19. After 12/26/19, any unused funds will be forfeited. The Promo Card can only be used at select participating locations at Walt Disney World Resort, at select food locations at Epcot®, select third-party lessees and select Operating Participants for food and beverage. Check with individual locations for program participation before redemption. For participating locations and additional terms and conditions visit disneyterms.com/epcotdinepromo. Except as required by applicable law: The Promo Card is not redeemable for cash; cannot be replaced if lost, damaged or stolen without required proof of purchase and complete dine card number; may not be resold in any manner whatsoever; and may not be used toward the purchase of any Disney Dollars or gift certificates/cards or toward the purchase of a real estate interest in a Disney Vacation Club® Resort. The Promo Card is issued by Disney Gift Card Services, Inc., which reserves the right to modify, alter, amend or change the terms and conditions of program upon notice at disneyterms.com/epcotdinepromo.
Disney World Resorts announced some great special offers for travel this Fall. Before you can think about the following Disney World Fall 2019 Special Offers you might want to know what might entice you to go to Disney World.
Now you have some inspiration why you definitely want to experience the Disney World Magic this Fall and Holiday season. Let’s check out some ways to make your vacation more affordable!
Check out these Disney World Fall 2019 Special Offers!
Savor the Season with FREE DINING
Discover all that’s festive and fun this fall and holiday season with a delicious offer at Walt Disney World Resort! You can enjoy a FREE dining plan when you purchase a non-discounted 5-night/6-day vacation package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and ticket with a Park Hopper Option.
Book through September 29, 2019 for arrivals most nights:
September 1 through September 18, 2019
November 17 through November 27, 2019
December 8 through December 23, 2019
A minimum 4-night length of stay and 4-day ticket with a Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus Option is required. Deluxe Resorts and Villas include the Disney Dining Plan. Moderate and Value Resorts include the Quick-Service Plan.
Save up to 20% on Rooms this Fall and Holiday Season
Stay in the middle of the magic with this great room offer—and stay close to all that’s festive and fun at Walt Disney World Resort this fall and holiday season!
Save up to 20% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels in late 2019.
Book through September 29, 2019 for stays most nights September 1 through September 28, 2019; and for stays most Sunday through Thursday nights September 29 through November 7, 2019.
Book through December 24, 2019 for stays most nights November 10, 2019 through December 24, 2019.
Florida Residents Save up to 25%
It is sweet for those of you who live in Florida.
Book through December 24, 2019
Save up to 25% for stays on most nights Sept. 1-Oct. 3, 2019 and Nov. 10-Dec. 24, 2019. Also on most Sunday-Thursdays from Oct. 6-Nov. 7, 2019.
Stay in a Deluxe Resort or Villa on Fridays and Saturdays from Oct. 4-Nov. 9, 2019 and save up to 10%
More detailed information about all these offers here.
All of these offers have limited number of rooms available. Some restrictions do apply.
What now? Contact me today to book your next Disney World vacation! Don’t dawdle or it might be too late.
5 Reasons to Book your 2020 Disney World Vacation Today
Tomorrow, June 18, 2019 is the release date for the 2020 Disney World Vacation Packages. 2020 might seem far away but now is a great time to start planning for a vacation next year.
There are so many reasons to book a vacation to Disney World. But for today, here are 5 of my favorite reasons why to book your 2020 Disney World Vacation Today! Don’t miss #2 and #1. They are my favorites!
#1 Lock in Your Room
Overlook the Magic Kingdom from your room at Disney’s Contemporary, Bay Lake Tower
If you are interested in booking during the peak season (Spring Break/Easter, Summer or especially Thanksgiving, and Christmas/New Years) booking early is your best chance to get your favorite resort, room location at that resort or even a specific room.
#2 Early Dining Window
Want to enjoy a magical breakfast with the princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table? The clock is ticking if you are traveling in January and want to make your trip extra special. The advanced dining booking window is 180 days before your check-in day. Get a jump on everyone else to book your favorite restaurant experience!
#3 More Affordable Way to Visit Disney World
Lobby in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
You can easily budget for your vacation and have it paid off before you go. Book now and put down a $200 deposit. Your remaining balance must be paid off 30 days prior to check in. Let me help you budget your vacation and make monthly payments up until your final payment date. By planning in advance your vacation can be much more affordable.
#2 The Price Will Never Increase
Once you lock in your package with your deposit the cost of your vacation will never go up. Even if Disney increases the ticket prices (which they seem to do every year) you are locked in at the old prices.
Bonus tip: After booking your Disney World vacation package I am not done. I will be watching for new discounts released by Disney that will make your vacation even less expensive. So, the cost of your vacation can only go down, never up!
#1 Mickey Ice Cream Bars
Book by July 1, 2019 and each member of your party will get to enjoy delicious Mickey Ice Cream Bars while you are on vacation! YUM!
Fine Print: Will be in the form of a gift card sent just before trip. Minimum $25 gift card for each booking.
Alright! Now that you are convinced to begin planning I would love to help you on your journey to a very Magical Disney Vacation! Contact me today! Remember, booking through me will NOT cost you anything extra.
For our family of 9 food is a major expense. We are always on the lookout for ways to save on this budget category, especially on vacation. This post will cover different ways to save money on food at Disney World.
I want to start with this disclaimer: We are not foodies! Yes, we like good, basic, yummy food but we are not going to be looking for anything gourmet. This makes it a little easier for us to use these tips. On one of our vacations to Disney we ate almost all our meals in the park. By the time we left, we all agreed that we would rather bring more lunches. On the last few days we were tired of park food and spending a lot of money for food we didn’t just love. Because we had one member of our party who wasn’t very adventurous with food, we ate at mostly similar places which most likely diminished our Disney food experience.
If you are foodies or big eaters, read this about the Disney Dining Plan!
EDIT: as of May 2020, Disney Dining Plans are not available until the end of 2020.This is subject to change so stay tuned.
If you love trying all different kinds of foods and dining is a major part of your Disney experience then a Dining Plan may be perfect for you. You can save a lot of money if you love to eat the more gourmet foods–steak, fish, lobster and such. This is also a great option if dining with Disney characters is top on your list. Hearty eaters will also find that the dining plan is an economical choice.
You also might find that the dining plan will save you money if you like to have a glass of wine, beer or cocktail with your meals. This is now included and the savings can really add up.
So, on to the tips…
10 Ways to Save Money on Food at Disney World
1) Costco/Grocery Store
This is our main method of saving money on food at Disney World. We stop at Costco for supplies for breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Since we we usually stay in a house through Airbnb we have a full kitchen to store everything. We stop at the grocery store for a few items that we didn’t want Costco sizes of such as peanut butter. The other place we go is Trader Joe’s. We don’t have one in AK and we LOVE the Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups. These make great snacks in the parks.
But what if you are staying in a Disney resort without a kitchen? Each of the rooms at the Disney World resort has a mini-fridge and coffee maker in the room. This will be perfect for breakfast necessities and snacks. Many of the near-by hotels will also have these items but you will want to check and make sure. If staying off-site many have free breakfast included.
HOT TIP: We love to bring string cheese, yogurt, cut veggies and drinks into the park. We always travel with a couple insulated lunch boxes. If we have access to a freezer we also bring ice packs. If not, we will bring plastic baggies and fill them with ice from the hotel ice machines.
2) Bring Snacks from Home
1) Take a snack box as luggage. Bringing a box of snacks (and possibly lunch items) even with baggage costs will save money. You can bring a lot of snacks in a box for the $25-35 baggage fee.
2) Use snacks a filler in luggage. Granola bars, fruit snacks and strips, baggies of trail mix, and applesauce pouches (these probably should be in a baggie in case of explosion) work great to fill in the nooks and crannies.
3) Order from Amazon Prime Now or other Grocery Delivery Service.
With Amazon Prime Now you can get grocery items of all kinds delivered right to your resort in 2 hours. If you order over $35 there is no additional delivery fee. There is a $6 fee at your resort if the groceries are received by the front desk.
Shannon at WDW Prep School has a great post on the grocery delivery services. She describes the ins and outs of using these options.
There is so many restaurants around Disney World. Pretty much any road that leads away from Disney World will have a plethora of places to eat ranging from fast food to fine dining. Google maps will be your best friend to help you find a place to eat. Our favorites off-property restaurants have been Panera, Giordano’s Pizza, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Sweet Tomatoes and Chick-fil-a.
5) Share Meals
Many meals in the Parks are big enough to share. Especially for kids. One adult meal split between two children will be cheaper than two kids meals.
A couple of things to note: if on the dining plan quick-service credits are not split between children and adults so children can order adult portions and share. This is a good way to stretch credits. At table service restaurants you are able to share for only one dining credit as long as it is not a buffet or family style
If paying out of pocket you can also share as long as you are not at a buffet or family style restaurant.
Shannan at WDW Prep School has a nice list of restaurants that have large enough portions to share.
Sharing meals can be accomplished at restaurants in and out of the parks. Pizza at Giordano’s is a great inexpensive option to share. The Chicago style deep-dish pizza is so delicious and filling. We always have our kids share an adult Mac-n-cheese at Panera instead of getting two kids meals.
6) Order off the Kids Menu
If you are paying out of pocket you are free to choose from the kids menu. While at most quick service restaurants the kids menu is basic kids fare. But at some you will find the Disney Check Menu which has healthier options. Many table service restaurants have much more interesting kids menu options.
7) Share Snacks
So many snacks at Disneyland are HUGE. We always share caramel corn, lemon and pineapple Dole Whip, and Mickey pretzels. There are so many good options. When you share you can try so many more delicious treats. How great is that! One thing I never share–Mickey ice cream sandwiches–just don’t even ask!
Decide ahead of time your snack threshold. Will it be one snack/person/day? Will you share a certain number of snacks a day? When our kids were younger (and not as many of them) we gave them a gift card with an amount that gave them $5/day for snacks. They could use it up however they wanted to. They loved to have control of their own snacks.
8) Bring refillable bottles or buy bottled water outside of the park
Bottled water in the park costs $3.50 a bottle. That can add up rather quickly. Refillable bottles can be filled up at water stations around the park. We filled our insulated bottles with ice in the morning and we were able to have cold water almost all day. In addition, you can always ask for a cup of water or ice at the restaurants and quick-service counters.
Purchasing bottled water outside the park is also an option. Before using refillable bottles we would bring a couple of bottles per person in small backpacks (along with our snacks). Yes, we began the morning a little heavy laden but our load lightened as we drank the water. In hot weather, since we have had freezer available, we would bring at least one froze bottle and one chilled. The frozen would melt by the time we were ready to drink. If only partially melted, we would add water from drinking fountains to hasten melting.
HOT TIP: Line your backpack with a plastic bag to keep condensation produced by melting bottles from soaking through your bag (in very hot weather this has a nice, welcome, cooling effect).
9) Eat Bread
We could seriously make a meal of this for our whole family. The Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie located down the cute little street in the France Pavilion sells baguettes for $2.95 each. With some butter that they have setting out, I will eat a whole one for a meal. Just add some cheese brought in our insulated lunch bag and we would be golden! The other thing we have done is make sandwiches. If you place a grocery order with lunch meat use your baguette’s for bread. You can find condiments such as mustard and mayonnaise at quick service locations. This is a very delicious way to save money on food at Disney World.
10) Make a Plan and Stick With it
Set a food budget before you go. Plan ahead how many meals you are going to eat in the parks, off-site or bring yourself. IF you deviate do so with cheaper options. Look up menus at restaurants to see what it will cost your family to eat there. The Disney website has a list of all their restaurants with menus for your preplanning.
In closing…
There are so many options on ways to splurge and save on food at Disney World. You can apply some of the tips above and not others. Any steps you take to save will make a difference. Take some time with your family to create a food action plan that fits your budget and how you want to eat.
Do you have a favorite tip to save money on food at Disney World? Share in the comments below so that others can benefit from your great ideas.
Experience all of Disney World this summer including Dino Land
I am so excited to tell you about the Disney World 2019 Summer One World Ticket offer. This awesome deal starts June 4, 2019! Purchase this ticket anytime between June 4, 2019 and August 28, 2019 and have up to 6 days of fun.
Yes! You read correctly! This ticket even includes water parks. This ticket is the first of it’s kind. Normally to add on water parks you would have to purchase the Park Hopper Plus option for an additional $100/day. With this ticket you experience the water parks for less.
Blizzard Beach overlooking Kids Ski Patrol Training Camp
Important Details
Ticket can be purchased as of June 4, 2019
Use tickets any day until August 28, 2019
Allows one entry into each park but you can go to more than one in a day. (but not a park hopper ticket)
Do I save $ with this ticket?
The cost of this ticket will be $444 (not including tax) which is only $74/day.
When I priced the current cost of tickets (on 5/25/19) I found that on the cheapest day of the summer a 4 day (1 park/day) ticket would cost $400 (not including tax). Most days of the summer this same ticket would cost even more (up to $433 if you purchase tickets to go in June).
So, YES! Using this ticket you get to splash and play at the the water parks for hardly any extra cost. How AWESOME is that!!
What if I need a place to stay?
Purchasing the Summer One World ticket also gives you the option to immerse yourself in the Magic by staying in a Disney resort. You save up to 25% on select rooms at select Disney resorts.
If you would like to learn more or to purchase these awesome tickets just let me know! Email me at tamara@alaskatomickey.com or use the contact form in the link above.
Ticket and Resort stay fine print:*Ticket valid 6/4/19 – 8/28/19 for one admission to Magic Kingdom® Park, one admission to Epcot®, one admission to Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, one admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, one admission to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, and one admission to Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. Each park may be visited only once. Tickets are nonrefundable, nontransferable and exclude activities/events separately priced. Admission is subject to capacity closures and other restrictions. Water parks are subject to rehabilitation, seasonal and weather closures. After expiration date, the price paid for a wholly unused ticket can be applied to the purchase of a new ticket with an equal or higher price.
**The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price of the same room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if there are more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate, Deluxe and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes the following room types: 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
Up until a few years ago I always went through Hotwire or Priceline for car rentals. But now, both of these companies work with Sixt, and Fox car rental companies. I have not personally have had any experience with these companies but I have read enough stories of other bad experiences to make me leary. I realize that probably most of the time these companies are great but I am not willing to try them out.
On to the subject of today’s post:
Now, we rent almost exclusively through Costco. I feel very comfortable with the reputation of the companies that sell through Costco. And, I just LOVE all things Costco!
Car rentals are booked through Costco Travel. Anyone is able to research prices. But, to book you have to log in and have a Costco membership. The thing I really like about booking rentals through Costco is that I don’t have to pay anything to make a reservation. Another Costco benefit is that a second driver is included–no extra fees,
Evidence of Saving on Car Rentals at Costco vs. Budget directly
The chart below is the cost (at the time of posting) to rent a car from May 12-18, 2019 at Orlando International Airport.
Since Budget seems to be the least expensive, I wanted to compare Costco prices with the prices on the Budget website.
At first it looks like going directly through Budget.com is a much cheaper option. So, I proceeded to the next step. On the next page I discovered that the price initially quoted does not include taxes and fees. That inexpensive $150 economy car that I could pay at the counter for suddenly becomes $221. If I want to take the gamble of paying ahead the $118 sure looks good. But again, clicking through to the next page the price jumps to $182.
$182? That looks familiar. The Costco price for an economy car that I pay at the counter for is $182. And, when I click on to the next page, it is still $182 including taxes and fees. So, with Costco I reserve at the same low pay now price as the Budget.com website and I don’t have to pay until I actually use the car. SCORE!
Okay, now for my super HOT TIP! We have used Costco quite a few times over the last couple of years. I have learned to book a reservation early (or as soon as I book airline tickets). Then I keep checking back on the Costco website to see if the prices have dropped. Most of the times we have made reservations sure enough, the prices dropped. Then I make a new reservation and cancel the more expensive one. For example, on our recent trip to California. We reserved a 12-passenger van for 11 days for $890. I kept checking back and eventually the price dropped to $750. Yippee!
So, what tips to you have to get good deals on car rentals? Share your secrets in the comments below!
Happy travels to you…until we meet again!
Other posts to save money you might be interested in:
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