6 Tips to Help Maximize the Disney Dining Plan

December 22, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

I admit I never buy the Disney Dining Plan. I do, however, use it to its fullest when it is offered through a “Free Dining” promotion. I have lots of little tricks I like to use to get the most benefit from the plan. I never use the dining plan credits (table service or quick service) for breakfast. Breakfast is the least expensive meal you can purchase so that’s the meal I chose to pay for when using the basic Disney Dining Plan which gives you 1 table service, 1 quick service and 1 snack per day.

The Disney Dining Plan can help give you the opportunity to eat at some of the restaurants you wouldn’t normally choose because of the cost. Based on how your family likes to eat, only you can decide if the dining plan is worth purchasing for your family. If you are a frequent visitor buy the dining plan – or the next time you get a “Free Dining” promotion – keep all of your receipts that show what the meals would have cost versus what you paid for the dining plan to do your own comparison. If you do purchase the plan or get it free under a promotion, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Don’t use your snack credits on drinks. The cost of a drink is much less than the cost of a decent snack. If visiting during a festival like the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, I often save all my snack credits for my Epcot day and use those snack credits to purchase my food samplings from the many kiosks open during the festival. If there is no festival happening during your visit, you can use a snack credit for a light breakfast (muffin for example) or to pick up a late night before bed snack on your way back to your room. Always use your snack credit for the most expensive snack items allowed.

Don’t use your table service credits for two-credit dining.Two table service credit meals are always a better value if you pay for them out of pocket. Check all of the menus on-line when planning your meals and do the price comparison. I would recommend skipping these types of meal when you are using the dining plan since you won’t want to pay out of pocket for a meal when you have already paid for the dining plan. However, if you do get dining during a free dining promotion, that’s a different story.

Eat things you normally wouldn’t eat because of price – order those expensive meals/entrees.The easiest and quickest way to get the most of your dining plan is to order all those expensive entrees you normally don’t order because of the price.

Use your table service credits for dinner – not lunch.Dinner costs more than lunch so use your table service credit for the most expensive meal of the day and your quick service meal for your light meal. I will sometimes switch around my meals and eat my large meal (table service) mid-day and then a quick service meal before heading back to the hotel in the evening.

Don’t order pasta or vegetable plates.If you and your family are vegetarians, don’t buy the dining plan. Vegetable plates and pasta dishes are usually the least expensive items on any of the menus and you definitely will not be getting your money’s worth.

Extra Tip: If at the end of your stay you find you haven’t used all of your snack credits, head to the shops and pick up Mickey Rice Krispie Treats or Disney candy to take home!

Pins and Pennies ~ 2 Inexpensive Ways to Have a Disney Collection

November 17, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Everyone one knows that collecting things at Disney and purchasing souvenirs can add quite a bit of $-$-$ onto your vacation budget. As a family that travels to Walt Disney World often, we always like to bring a little memento home from each of our trips and fortunately we have found two ideal ways to remember each trip without breaking the bank!

PRESSED PENNIES

Both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland (as well as other Disney parks throughout the world) offer a large variety of pressed penny machines in a long list of designs. For 51 cents per trip we can add to our collection! I will admit that between trips I save my shiniest pennies for my granddaughter to use for pressing, as well as quarters to use for payment.

First, purchase a Pressed Penny Book to hold your collection. This is available at almost every shop throughout the parks, as well as at the Disney Stores.

You can begin your collection by simply purchasing pressed pennies that strike your fancy as you go by or if you are serious about your pressing collection, you can download a check list of pressed penny designs/locations throughout the parks and hotels. These lists exist for both WDW and DL. You can make it your mission to collect all or choose a certain theme for your collection. Pressed penny designs are changed and updated to include new characters, movies, etc., so be sure to check for updated lists every so often. It’s easy to get the kids excited about collecting pennies by making a little bit of a scavenger hunt out of locating the penny they really want.

Here is Walt Disney World’s Master List of pressed penny locations. Click to download and print.

Download [185.52 KB]

Here is a Disneyland Master List of pressed penny locations. Click to download and print.

Download [444.82 KB]

As your collection grows, you may wonder what you can do with all those pressed pennies. Do a simple Pinterest search and you will find hundreds of things that people have done with their pennies. From jewelry to wall art – you will only be limited by your own imagination!

Pin Trading Pressed Pennies Disney Collections — Photo via Pinterest

PIN TRADING AND COLLECTING

Even though pin trading has become big business for Disney, you can still collect (and trade) pins for an inexpensive souvenir on each trip. Pins can be purchased at different price levels, usually starting at around $6.95 up to around $15. You can usually find some sale racks or multi-packs as well. Of course, Disney also sells various ways to keep your pin collection from lanyards to binder pin books to pin bags you can wear around your shoulder.

And Pinterest offers many ideas on how to display or keep your collection at home.

Pin collecting/trading can be a bit more expensive than pressed penny collecting since there are many groups, clubs and events centered around Disney pin collecting, but there are ways to keep costs for this souvenir low. We limit my granddaughter to 4 pins per visit. 2 to keep for her collection and 2 she can use to trade with. We also limit the amount of money she may spend on a pin she will be using for trade.

If you will be a pin trader, there is a certain etiquette involved in the trading process.

The main criteria to judge whether a pin is tradable or not is that it must be a metal pin bearing a “©Disney”mark on the back that represents a Disney Event, Place or Location, Character or Icon.
Pins should be in good, undamaged, tradable condition.
For a safe trading experience, please trade one pin at a time, hand to hand with pin backs attached.
Guests may trade a maximum of two (2) pins per Cast Member, per day.
Please refrain from touching a Cast Member’s or Guest’s pins or lanyard. If you need a closer look, kindly ask the Cast Member or Guest wearing the lanyard if she or he can bring it into clearer view for you.
Monies, gifts or receipts may not be exchanged or used in trade for a pin.
When trading with a Cast Member, Guests should offer a pin that is not currently displayed on the Cast Member’s lanyard.
Pins from other business units of The Walt Disney Company (i.e. ABC, ESPN) are accepted for trade.
Operating participant pins that show a Disney, Disneyland®Resort, or Walt Disney World®Resort affiliation are accepted for trading.
Plastic pins, rubber pins or other non-metal pins are not accepted for trading.
“Personalized Name”pins are not accepted for trade.
“Broche style”or “clasp pins”are not accepted for trade.
Disney Service Award pins, Spirit of Disneyland®Resort pins, Partners in Excellence pins or Cast Member costume pins (i.e. Host/Hostess Badges, Disney Trainer) are not tradable.

Disney Pin Trading and Pressed Pennies are magical fun for the whole family! The most important thing to remember is to have fun collecting or trading!

The 6 Best Walt Disney World Money Saving Tips

October 24, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

Anyone that loves Walt Disney World and visits regularly knows one thing for sure – it isn’t cheap. There are lots of ways to save money in different areas that added together can save you quite a bit in the long run. How much you can save will depend entirely on how much you are willing to compromise in some small areas. Some families can save quite a bit while others think these tips won’t work for them.

SAVE MONEY AT TARGET

The biggest money saver for me is my Target Red Debit Card. Head to your local Target (or Target.com) and get either a Target Red Card Credit Card or a Target Red Card Debit Card. I turn all of my Disney vacation money into Disney Gift Cards at Target using my Red Card and getting an automatic 5% savings. EXAMPLE: If you have to purchase two adult park hopper passes for four days – with tax – the cost is roughly $840. Purchase $850 in Disney Gift Cards using your Target Red Card and you will only pay $807 for them. Use the Disney Gift Cards to purchase your park tickets and you have already started saving. Better yet, if you book a Walt Disney World Resort package that totals (for example) $2800. After your $200 deposit your balance due is $2600. Before final payment date get yourself to Target and buy $2600 worth of Disney Gift Cards for $2470 using your Target Red Card. You can also stop by Target weekly or monthly and purchase your Disney Gift Cards a little at a time. Whatever you do it – you will save $$.

Once you have your Disney Gift Cards at home, you can go to www.disneygiftcards.com and combine multiple cards onto one (up to $1,000) so you will only have a small number of gifts cards when it’s time to pay off your vacation. Be sure to convert your spending money into Disney Gift Cards the same way.

DISNEY PROMOTIONS

Take advantage of Disney promotions. Try to visit during a free dining promotion. This allows you to go on vacation and not pay for most of your food. Most of your food will be included. I do always recommend comparing your free dining package that requires a full priced room/ticket package to qualify against any room discounts that are available to see what will save you the most money. Some families are not big eaters so a discounted room and purchasing your own food may be a larger saving. You have to do the math. When using your free dining – use it wisely. Free dining entitles you to one quick service meal, one table service meal and one snack per day (under the basic dining plan). Purchase your breakfast, use your quick service for lunch in the parks and table service for dinner. Don’t use your snack credit for a drink. You can use it for a cupcake, cookie or ice cream for an evening snack. If you don’t use all your snack credits, you can use them all at the end of your trip to purchase Mickey Rice Krispie Treats to bring home for a few friends for gifts. Breakfast items are the least expensive items to buy. Yogurt, cereal or fruit can also be ordered through a service like Garden Grocer and eaten in your room. Purchase non-perishable items like water, juice and snacks and then ship them to yourself at the hotel. Things you have purchased cheaply at your local grocery store. Call the resort for the correct address. Be sure your last name, reservation number and date of arrival are clearly marked on the carton and bell services will hold the box for your arrival for up to a week. When you arrive, call bell services and ask for your carton to be delivered to your room.

SAVE ON FOOD

There are a few easy ways to save on food costs at Walt Disney World. If you want to dine at one of the many character meals, do it at breakfast instead of dinner. You will see the same characters and the breakfast cost per person is usually much less than the dinner (or even lunch) cost per person.

If you aren’t a big eater or only want a small lunch, order a Kid’s Meal at any quick service location. There is more than enough food and a Kid’s Meal burger/fries/small drink is half the cost of an adult size. I always do this mainly because it’s more than enough food for me and I hate to waste half of the adult size portion.

Bring a refillable water bottle into the parks with you. All quick service locations will give you for free a cup of ice water which you can use to re-fill your water bottle all day. No need to buy bottled water.

If you drive into the Orlando area, bring your own snacks for the room and for taking into the parks. Snacks are costly and add up quickly to quite a large sum of money. If you fly in, you can use one of the food delivery services to deliver your purchases to your resort for much less than buying a snack each time you’re hungry in the parks.

PARK PASSES

If you are on a budget, although it is always tempting to upgrade your park passes to park hopper tickets, don’t upgrade. It may not seem like a huge increase in cost but all the little savings add up. Will you really move from park to park each day? Depending on the size of your family, you may be able to save quite a bit by not purchasing the park hopper option. If there is a chance you won’t use it, don’t buy it. The park hopper option can add around $60 onto each ticket. For a family of 4 that’s about $240 extra dollars.

SOUVENIRS

Pressed pennies are a great inexpensive souvenir that most kids love. I also purchase Disney licensed t-shirts, small toys and stuffed animals at Walmart or Target before trips with my granddaughter. I am able to give her one souvenir a day while at WDW, each night before bed, for less than one or two small souvenirs at the parks.

MOUSELLANEOUS

Be sure to use Walt Disney World transportation to avoid parking fees.

Don’t think it’s necessary to pay for Memory Maker ($149 advance purchase/$169 if purchased upon arrival). While the Disney Photopass photographers are there to sell professional pictures, they’re happy to take a cell phone or camera picture with your equipment of you and your family.

What do you do to save money when planning your Walt Disney World vacation?

How to Get a 7.3K Disney Vacation for Less Than Half

September 16, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

This post was originally published on PlanningTheMagic.net by Krystel. All photos courtesy of Planning The Magic.

Disney on a Budget – How I got a 7.3K Disney Vacation For Less Than Half

I am a huge Disney World Fan. I love everything about Disney World except the price. We all have heard that planning a Disney Vacation is an investment in family, bonding, emotion even. With time, and a limited budget, I’ve learned how to get the most bang for my buck. It’s not about being cheap or missing out on anything, more about getting the most value for your dollar. I know you want to make your Disney vacation affordable and figure out a way to create the perfect Disney vacation budget. I am going to show you how to get more than 50% off your Disney Vacation while not sacrificing anything.

Saving on Disney Hotels

You want to stay at a Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort, like Grand Floridian, but Disney quotes you $5500 for a room for 7 nights. Now what? Rent Disney Vacation Club points. Disney Vacation Club is Disney’s timeshare program. Sometimes people don’t go to Disney for a year or two and decide to rent their points. You can use a service like David’s Vacation Club Rentals to avoid any risk of being scammed. You can get virtually the same accommodations for $1900. Here is a screen shot right off David’s:

Saving on Tickets

There isn’t a lot of money that can be saved when purchasing theme park tickets. Military discounts are the best discounts out there but a lot of people do not qualify for those. AAA also has discounts they provide to their members. My favorite and most efficient to save a few dollars on theme park tickets is UnderCover Tourist. It is not a huge discount but anything helps and they sometimes have great deals. You can usually save $10-$20 off the gate price. Please be careful when purchasing theme park tickets. There are A LOT of scams out there. Here is an example of a buy 4-day Disney ticket, get one free:

Saving on Food

Disney does have some dining gems, and luckily with these tips you won’t have to miss out on them. When I go to WDW I like to have breakfast either in the room or on the go. Breakfast is easily substituted with groceries. Lunch and snacks you can pack and bring with you. Also easy with groceries. I once went to Disney World and didn’t buy groceries, expensive mistake. Disney allows you to bring food and drinks into the park so I suggest packing water, various snacks, and a lunch item for everyone in the group. If you aren’t the biggest fan of water you can always get those Crystal Light Lemonade To Go packets.

You might be wondering how you would get groceries to your resort room. For starters, every Disney room comes with a mini-fridge at the minimum. DVC rooms also come with a coffeemaker, toaster, etc. There are many ways you can make sure you have groceries. Garden Grocer is a service that will deliver groceries to your Disney Resort. When using this service you do not have to be in your room to receive the groceries. There is a $40 minimum and $14 delivery fee. If Garden Grocer is for you make sure to book a date early, they fill up quickly.

How to bring groceries to WDW could be a post all in itself. You can bring groceries with you whether that is in your trunk or inside a checked piece of luggage. You can use Amazon and have them deliver groceries to your resort. You do not have to be around for this either, you would just pick up at the front desk. Most resort stores will have the basics as well but it will be a lot more expensive.

Save your food budget for places you can’t miss. Maybe a character dinner or you want to try out Be Or Guest Restuarant. If you go to WDW often I am sure you have a favorite snack…..or two.

Here is what the savings we found looks like:

Cost without Savings – Approximately $7300

Cost with Savings – $2700

Total Saved: $4670

I just showed you how to save more than 50% off your Disney Vacation. Well… what are you waiting for? Go plan that vacation!!

I hope I provided a lot of value for you here. For more you can check out my eBook – Disney World on a Budget. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

My name is Krystel, and I am here to share the joy Disney gives me. If you want to learn more about planning the perfect Walt Disney World Vacation visit Planning The Magic. I’ve spent a lot of time creating the perfect Disney On A Budget eBook because I really want everyone to have a magical vacation within reach.

25 Ways to Save on Disney Souvenirs

September 9, 2016 by Janice Brady Leave a Comment

This post was originally published on PlanningTheMagic.net by Krystel. All photos courtesy of Planning the Magic.

Our quest of going to Disney on a budget continues…

Buying souvenirs at Disney is one of the most overlooked aspects of someone’s trip budget. Does that hold true for you? Take a look at these 25 budget-friendly WDW souvenirs to effectively plan your Disney vacation on a budget.

Number 1: Magnets

Magnets are awesome souvenirs that you can find in most WDW retail stores. You can’t buy the ones that they have at WDW at local stores or online. What I like most about the magnets: that they are super inexpensive and very good looking.

Number 2: Keychains

Again – keychains are going to be a great “Disney on a budget” souvenir and more importantly you are taking a little bit of the magic home with you that you can carry around on a daily basis. I use my magnets, keychains, and mugs to keep patient until the next trip. That brings us to the next item: Mugs

Number 3: Mugs

Are you an avid coffee drinker like me? How about tea or hot chocolate? I have a fascination with having a collection of different types of mugs and what is great is that I can get really nice ones under $10 if I look hard enough.

Number 4: Mickey/Minnie Ears

You can’t go to Disney and not get a pair of ears. They come in all shapes and sizes, different themes etc. Though at first, the price tag might not seem to Disney on a budget friendly, you can purchase them once and never again, just bring them back with you every time you go to Disney.

Number 5: Pressed Pennies

My girlfriend is obsessed with these and for good reason. You can find pressed penny machines all over the parks from 51¢ to $1.01, talk about Walt Disney World on a budget! Pressed pennies are cheap and it’s an adventure to look out for and find the machines.

Number 6: Create your own Shadowbox

Shadowbox… must I say more? This is a simpler, cheaper scrapbook. Why wouldn’t you do this? In here you can put anything from the free guides, pressed pennies, to any celebration pins you get. What are celebration pins you ask?

Number 7: Celebration Pins

Celebration pins are free pins that Disney gives you for a specific celebration. This can be a birthday, anniversary, just married, etc. Here is the one I just got for my birthday. Again this is “Disney free.”

Number 8: Antenna Toppers

If this is your type of thing then go for it, I know you have seen those cute mickey antenna toppers before!

Number 9: Shots anyone?!

Number 10: Disney Pins

I will start this with a warning. Some pins can be very expensive. Basically, the nicer and more elaborate – the more expensive they are. However, those are unnecessary and not what we are looking for. Look for the multi-pack mystery boxes. You can find inexpensive pins that go well with planning your Disney vacation on a budget. The ones below are from my personal collection.

Number 11: Disney Lanyards

Lanyards can be purchased from Disney and other places super cheaply. They also go well with the pins since you can put them on there and where it around. I have a few to just hold my keepsake pins as well as for my water.

Number 12: Free crafts at Epcot

Number 13: Epcot Passport

Purchase a passport kit at most Epcot retail locations for approximately $11. This kit includes a blank passport and stamps for each of the World Showcase countries. Stop at the Kidcot stations to learn about that specific country and receive your stamp. Not only does this fit perfectly with going to Disney on a budget but it is also something that will entertain your kids at Epcot. If you’ve been then you know how hard that can sometimes be.

Number 14: Did someone say $1?!

If you have a Dollar Tree or even Family Dollar near you, then you know how many Disney items they carry. They are great buys for kids and can be in place of any of the expensive items at the parks. $1 surpasses Disney on a budget, don’t you think? Road trip fun anyone?

Number 15: Disney t-shirts from a superstore

When you get to Disney you will see everyone in their latest Disney gear. Families in matching shirts, you name it. Head over to Walmart or Target to get a nice Disney shirt for less. Don’t pay exorbitant prices at the parks!

Number 16: Mr. Potatoe Head

Head over to the Once Upon a Toy store and build your Mr. Potato Head – this is inexpensive and an adventure in itself. For the “Disney on a budget” option buy the actual head elsewhere and only worry about the parts at Disney. Here is an amazon link.

Number 17: Autograph book

Autograph books are fantastic “Disney on a budget” keepsakes. I have had the same one for a long time. Occasionally I’ll get newer signatures but usually, I keep it as a memento. These can be purchased at Disney, Walmart or can even be made.

Number 18: Disney Sales

This is a big one and one of my favorites. I get an email from the Disney Store every day outlining their sale of the day. Usually, it is mediocre but sometimes it is fantastic. I recently purchased a bathing suit set for a baby (swimsuit, towel, hat, etc) for less than $20. See an actual sale below and another example from a Facebook post I put up.

Number 19: Disney Outlet Stores

Is it weird that I go to the Disney outlet just for fun? I do. I just scored the cup below for $4.99. Now I will take it with me to Disney to be used at the parks. You will be amazed what you can find at the outlets.

Number 20: Christmas Ornaments

Disney Springs has a 365 Days of Christmas store. Head there for yourself to see the amazing ornaments that are beautiful and inexpensive. I have more than a dozen and wish I had more. Here is my favorite out of my collection.

Number 21: Disney Pens or Pencils

No need to buy this as the hotel will come with a free pen and pad of paper. However, they can also be Disney on a budget friendly gifts!

Number 22: Hand Sanitizer Holder

Number 23: Vinyl Figures

Have you heard of Vinylmation? Well these vinyl figures are adorable, addictive, and perfect for Disney on a budget. Just don’t buy too many of them!

Number 24: Rolling backpack

Pretty self-explanatory. Good for a plane drive or road trip and can be purchased for under $20 from Walmart, Target, etc. Any kid would love this Disney on a budget gift!

Number 25: Disney Beach Towels!

I know I said 25 but I just couldn’t help adding this bonus!

Number 26: Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom Game

Sorcerers of the Magic is a free game that can be played at Magic Kingdom. Click here for more details. Keep your trading cards as keepsakes and put them in your inexpensive shadow box. Talk about adventure!