Disney offers kids-sail-free cruises

Disney Cruise Line, a leader in the family cruise segment, is making it easier than ever for families who have dreamt of taking a Disney cruise vacation to sail the most magical ship afloat with a "Kids Free" special offer on three-night cruises this winter and spring.

Guests 12 and under can sail free on three-night voyages aboard the Disney Wonder when accompanied by two full-fare paying guests within the same stateroom. This offer is valid for most sailings from Jan. 22 to May 28, 2009, and covers a variety of stateroom categories, ranging from deluxe family staterooms with verandahs to standard inside staterooms. However, there are a limited number of staterooms available for this special offer. While the cruise fare with this special offer is free for guests 12 and under, guests who book will be responsible for Government Taxes and Fees for all stateroom occupants, including those 12 and under.

"At Disney Cruise Line, we pride ourselves on offering a vacation that caters to the individual needs of every member of the family," said Disney Cruise Line President Tom McAlpin. "This special offer is a great value perfect for families that have never experienced the magic of Disney at sea, or those who want to come back to create new memories."

Guests who sail during this time period will enjoy a whole host of new offerings on the Disney Wonder. The ship recently launched a 3-D cinematic experience in both the Walt Disney and Buena Vista Theatres where guests can enjoy first-run, full-length 3-D films such as Walt Disney Pictures' "Bolt" and the upcoming "Jonas Brothers: The 3-D Concert Experience." This past spring the Disney Wonder premiered a lavish theatrical production, "Toy Story-The Musical." Additionally, young cruisers will delight in new activities at the Oceaneer Club and Lab featuring characters and storylines from popular Disney Channel movies, such as "High School Musical," and Disney Pixar films.

Departing from Port Canaveral, Fla., guests sailing on the Disney Wonder will experience a cruise vacation that every member of the family feels was created for their own individual vacation wants and needs.

To book a vacation or to get complete details on the "Kids Free" special offer, guests can contact their travel agent, visit disneycruise.com/kidsfree or call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500. Guests should mention or input booking code "FREE" when making the reservation.

Save $150 off your next Walt Disney World® vacation

Save $150 off your next Walt Disney World® vacation when you stay at select Walt Disney World® Resort Hotels. Receive $100 instantly off your next flight + hotel vacation package of 5+ nights with promotion code: ORBDISNEY150. Book by November 23 for travel by January 31, 2009 and save! - click here

Free Disney Tickets on your birthday in 2009

Disney announced today that you can get a free 1 day ticket on your birthday in 2009 as part of their "What will you celebrate?" campaign. Everybody has been wondering for a while what the theme would be after "Years of a million dreams".

For more information go to http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-disney-free-tickets-birthday-091808,0,1881178.story

DVC experiencing record growth

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is Disney's version of a "timeshare". There are some nice aspects of it, but I've never been able to buy into the concept because of the annual maintenance cost is more than I typically pay for similar accommodations off-site. However, if you normally stay on-site at moderate or deluxe accommodations and you go at least every other year, it can be a good deal. Evidently a lot of people have been convinced that it's a good deal. According to the press releases for the new Bay Towers and Tree House Villas, DVC membership has doubled since 2004 and there are now over 350,000 members!

One person I came across at MouseOwners.com is actually trying to accumulate enough points to be able to rent a studio for a full year for their retirement. They have 4000 points that they are renting out in 2009 as a result. Quite an interesting goal, I thought.

If you are not convinced you want to buy in, you can always rent mouse points as a way to give it a try or just to get deluxe accommodations for less. The person with 4000 points, for example, has extra points that they are selling.

Walt Disney World Resort Announces Special Holiday Offer Starting at $49 Per Person

Lake BUENA VISTA, Fla. –The warmth of being together for the holidays with the wonder of a Walt Disney World vacation is available for as little as $49 per person, per day, thanks to a special fall package offer.

Guests traveling between Sept. 28 and Dec. 23, 2008, can enjoy a 5-night, 6-day Magic Your Way Package that includes accommodations at select Disney Value resorts and theme park tickets based on two adults, one junior (ages 10-17) and one child (ages 3-9), and lets families take advantage of the range of special events taking place, as well as cooler weather.

This newest and latest Walt Disney Travel Company vacation offer, which must be booked by Sept. 24, coincides with the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
(Sept. 26-Nov. 9) and the holiday season that starts in early November. Walt Disney World Resort celebrates the season with spirit-stirring events such as Holidays Around the World and Candlelight Processional at Epcot, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

It’s also the time for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom (both events take place on select dates and require a separate ticket not included in package price).

This special offer is bookable on www.disneyworld.com or by calling 407/W-DISNEY (407/934-7639) or your travel agent and asking for package code DGL.

Save $100 on Disney World vacations

Orbitz is currently running a promotion for $100 off Disney World vacations. but you have to order by Sept. 30. I didn't go through the steps to see what kind of deal this really is, so compare before you book to make sure it's really a good deal.

Travel slowdown could mean good deals

According to this article on the Chicago Tribune web site the forecasted slowdown in travel to Orlando could mean some good deals on hotels this fall. They are predicting rates as low as $35-$40 per night at hotels that usually charge $100 or more per night. As usual one person's bad news is another's good news. If you can afford to travel while others are struggling or are being more conservative, you will no doubt be able to take advantage of some great deals.

Yet another Disney travel deal

Here's another Disney travel deal for ya'

Best Western in the Walt Disney World Resort

Inside Walt Disney World featuring continuous Free Transportation to the Disney Parks. Deluxe Disney View Rooms Feature Views of EPCOT Fireworks Nightly!

ONLY $89 in DISNEY + FREE Breakfast
PLUS: Get up to $200 in Gas at HALF PRICE!
BONUS: $25 Hotel Credit + Breakfast Each Day!

• Bonuses Avail on ALL Stays!
• 3-4 Nts: $50 Gas Card for $25
• 5-6 Nts:$100 Gas Card for $50
• 7+ Nts: $200 Gas Card for $100
• Offer Ends June 23 at 11:59PM!

Valid: Now - 08/31. Traveler's Tip: Disney View Upgrade +$20. Watch Disney's Fireworks from your Private Balcony! Not valid: 06/22 - 27; 07/04 - 05


Here's the link...

Get a 7 Day Park Hopper for the Price of a 4 Day Ticket

I got an e-mail from Dell inviting me to join something called Dell Perks. It piqued my interest because one of the teaser offers was for Disney World tickets. I signed up and and saw that they had an offer for a 7 day park hopper ticket for the price of a 4 day park hopper ticket to Disney World in Orlando. This is a pretty good deal. As far as I know, anybody can sign up for Dell Perks. Here is the link.

Free Things at Disney World

1. "Co-pilot" the monorail - Just ask the cast member if you can ride up front. If nobody else has asked, they will usually let you ride. It's limited to 4 people. No strollers. They will give you an official monorail co-pilot's license at the end of your trip. Update: Since the Monorail crash in 2009, Disney is no longer allowing guests in the pilot's cabin.
2. Have Your Picture Taken - There are "Passport Photographers" throughout the parks who will take your picture and give you an id tag which you can use to retrieve your pictures on-line later. Even if you don't want to purchase the pictures from Disney the photographers are great because they are happy to take a picture with your camera, too. So just let them take your picture and ask them to take shot with your camera, too. That way you can get great shots with your entire family in them for free!
   
3. "Co-pilot" the paddle boat in the Magic Kingdom. I've never tried this personally, but I've been told it works just the monorail.
   
4. Transportation trading cards (ask Monorail workers, bus drivers, and boat workers) We found about these on our last trip. It sure made waiting a lot more fun. We usually didn't bother bus drivers during busy times. We were able to collect all the bus cards. We lacked only a couple of the monorail cards.
   
5. Club Cool - Sample free Coke from around the world in Epcot near Test Track. I've heard Beverly is especially good, hehe!
   
6. Ice water at restaurants - This is a real money saver! You can get free ice water at any restaurant. It's a lot better than getting it from the water fountains which are often not cold.
   
7. Waking up Tinkerbell - I had never heard of this one before but I'm looking forward to trying it on our next trip. In Tinkerbell's Treasures, located behind Cinderella Castle, you can request to wake up Tinkerbell if you are the first one there in the morning. If you arrive and Tinkerbell is not flying around the shop, just ask one of the CM's if you can wake her up. [Note: With the refurbishment of this shop, this has changed substantially and is now done several times during the day. The "drawer" where Tink used to "sleep" is gone, but the concept is essentially the same.]
   
8. Paintbrushes on Tom Sawyer's Island - This is one of those things that I've been told about but never been able to find. At the beginning of the day, Cast Members hide a number of paint brushes on Tom Sawyer's Island. They look like they've been used for white washing. If you find one and take to a CM, they will give you a reward.
   
9. Build a robot - In Epcot you can build your own robot. Update: When Sum of All Thrills went in, the build a robot area was removed.
   
10. Segway experience - In Epcot there is a free Segway experience where you can ride a Segway.
    
11. Charm Lanyard at Epcot - In Epcot Sharpie sponsors a free charm lanyard where kids can collect various charms at the Future World pavilions.
    
12. Mask with Charms at World Showcase - Similarly, in World Showcase they can collect charms in country and add them to a mask. Our kids really enjoyed this since it gave them something to look for in each country and a way to interact with somebody from that country.
    
13. Campfire sing-a-long and movie at Fort Wilderness - Outside the parks, you can still have fun. The campfire sing-a-long at Fort Wilderness is one of the neatest things that Disney offers. The outdoor movie is just a great way to watch a Disney classic. It makes you miss drive-ins.
    
14. Lobby tour at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge - We often take days off from the parks while on vacation. Sometimes we have gone and visited some of the other resorts on these days. I didn't realize there were official tours available, but now that I do, I'll be checking into these.
    

Off-Site Rental Web Sites

I've started collecting a list of web sites and communities that have been recommended on forums and other web sites or that I've personally used for off-site vacation home rentals. Click here if you are interested in why I prefer staying in a vacation home when we go to Disney.

Web sites

• www.vrbo.com
• www.homeaway.com
• www.disneymousehouse.com
• www.vacation-rentals4u.com
• www.windsorhills.biz
• www.indiancreekflorida.com
• www.lastminutevillas.net
• www.vacationrentals.com
• www.disneyneighbor.com
• www.vacationcentralflorida.com
• www.orlandovillas.com
• www.lazybonesvilla.com
• www.disneyvillarentals.com

Communities

• Indian Ridge Oaks
• Windsor Hills
• Windsor Palms
• Emerald Isle
• Oak Island Cove

The Unoffical Guide

One of the most trusted books by Disney planning addicts is the Unofficial Guide. Along with the book is the companion web site http://touringplans.com/UG/

If you want to plan your Disney trip to get the most out of it, this book/web site is well worth the investment.

Why in the world do I like to stay off Disney World?

While staying on-site has become very popular since Disney has added thousands of moderate and value resort rooms there is still a case to be made for staying off-site like most of us humble folks did for years-and-years when staying on-site was reserved for the upper crust. Staying on-site has some advantages:

• Resorts themed as only Disney can do, including some of the most outstanding pools and food courts known to civilized man
• Extra Magic Hours (EMH) - There is some controversy whether EMH is worth it or not but it something that is only an option if you stay on-site.
• The Dining Plan - Love it or hate it, again it's only available if you stay on-site. (Personally, I'm not a big fan. I wish I didn't have to make reservations 6 months in advance - but that's another rant)
• Transportation - Many guests park their vehicle and never use it or they fly in and never need a car. Disney's transportation system is quite good...depending on which resort you are at and the time of day.
• Package pickup - I love being able to purchase items in the park and just have them sent to the resort rather than carry them around or wait until the end of the day to purchase them.

There are lots of ways to stay off-site. Our favorite way to stay off-site is rent a pool house. So, when I say off-site that's what I'm referring to.

• Cost. Three years ago we found a 5 bedroom house with it's own pool, a full kitchen, big screen tv, grill, washer/dryer, free Internet access, and free long distance phone for 2 weeks for slightly less than what our 1 week accommodations at Port Orleans, Riverside cost. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the two places were in anyway comparable. They were very different. Both were very nice, just different.
• Dining. Staying off-site gives us a lot more options when it comes to dining options. Having a kitchen allows us to fix some of our meals if we want to. We usually eat breakfast at "home" to get an early start, then eat a counter service meal at the parks. Dinner may be on-site, off-site or back home if we want a quiet evening.
• Relaxation. One of the things we realized about staying on-site is that even spending a day at the resort isn't all that restful because you end up packing up the kids to go to the pool or arcade or food court. The nice thing about a pool house is that it's all right there. If the kids want to swim they can change in their own rooms and go for a swim.
• Privacy. There is nothing like having your own room. We have 3 kids - a 5 year old boy, a 9 year old girl and an 11 year old girl. We generally have different bed times for the 5 year old than the girls. Having different bedrooms is really nice for that. And while I'm on the subject, it's also nice to have a queen or king sized bed for the adults rather than the full sized bed you get at the moderate/value resorts at Disney.
• Transportation. OK, when staying off-site is mentioned this always comes up. I can understand this being an issue for the 50% of guests who fly into Orlando (according to NY Times 50% of guests drive) but if you are driving in and have a car anyway this shouldn't be all that intimidating. The house we stayed in was off I-4/27 and took us between 20 and 30 minutes to be at any of the parks. That's no worse and often better than the times we had getting to the parks from Port Orleans using Disney transportation. The only real downside IMO is paying the $10/day for parking.

Like anything else different things appeal to different people. We really enjoyed staying on-site but didn't feel like it was worth the additional cost and we did not enjoy eating out that much. We really like being able to fix our own breakfast, especially. While we really enjoyed the themed pool at the resort, we decided we would be willing to give that up in favor of the simplicity of walking out the door to a private pool. Finally, we really missed having some privacy during our vacation. Given that we can have all the advantages of staying off-site for less money, it's not a hard choice.

If you would like to see what kind of rates are available on houses, take a look at my post listing web sites that have been recommended by fellow Disney fans by clicking here...

How to take pictures of yourself

Are you the designated photographer in your family? Do you feel like you view your entire trip through the view finder of your camera? When you look through your vacation album do you notice a distinct lack of you? If so, then you need to know about Disney's PhotoPass service.

With PhotoPass, Disney photographers will take your picture. They will give you a id card with a 16 digit number on it that allow you to retrieve your photos later on. The id's are small dog-tag like and come on a slikeyesque braclet so they are easy to keep with you even in the water parks. The photographers are stationed all over the parks especially in the "Kodak spots." You will rarely have to wait for a photographer. The nice thing is you can get your whole party in the picture. They will even take a picture with your personal camera! Sometimes they will even add some special magic like putting Tinkerbell, Stictch or Tigger in your picture with you.

When you are all done, you get all the images on a CD. And you own the pictures. This is very important. Unlike wedding pictures or many school pictures taken by professional photographers, you can make copies, put them on web sites or do what ever you want. These are just like you took them yourself.

Most of the people I've asked have said they get well over 100 pictures and that the photographs were so much better than anything they could take. Many said they got over 300 pictures using this service. Only a couple felt like they didn't get enough pictures to make it worth the cost. So what is the cost? Well, it currently is $129.00 but, if you pre-purchase the CD it's only $99.00. So if get 100-300 pictures it's not a bad deal. If you only get 25-50 pictures then it's not such a great deal.

Here are some tips if you use PhotoPass:

• Write down your PhotoPass id(s) or take a picture of them
• Write your initals on your PhotoPass id so you know the photographer gives you back your id
• If you pre-order the CD, save the e-mail. You'll need it when you get back.
• Your photos are only kept for 30 days, so order your CD as soon as you get back from your trip!
• Pictures from rides such as Splash Mountain, Tower of Terror, etc. are not available on PhotoPass (the only exception that I know of to this is Test Track)

For more information and to pre-order your PhotoPass CD to to http://www.disneyphotopass.com/