Category Archives: Deals

Is A Disney Refillable Mug Worth The Money?

How To Score Discounted Disney World Park Tickets

One of the biggest expenses to your Disney World vacation (as you might expect) is the park tickets themselves. I want to chat about different ways to find deals and discounts that can help bring your cost down.

One thing I do want to touch on before we get started is to talk about when to buy your tickets. The answer is … yesterday 🙂 Unused Disney world tickets (no matter where you buy them from) will NEVER expire. BUT once you enter the park the first time, you will have 10 days to use the remaining days on those tickets (unless you have paid for the “No Expiration” option). The reason I mention this is that every year Disney raises it’s ticket prices. This normally happens in June each year but Disney surprised us last year with a February price increase. So knowing that your family will be visiting Disney next year I would recommend buying your tickets sooner rather than later to avoid the price hike!

Also, Disney prices their tickets so that the more days you add onto your ticket the bigger the discount. For example, a base 1 day Magic Kingdom ticket costs $105.44 but a 5 day base ticket will cost $323.76 which breaks down to $64.52 per day!

So with no further ado, here are some of my discount tips….

Disney World Special Offers Page – Sometimes Disney offers stand alone ticket deals (outside of a package) to it’s visitors. I have seen deals where if you bought 4 days or more then they would add an additional day to your tickets for free. These deals change periodically so keep checking back regularly.

Sometimes the best way to save money is not in finding a deal BUT in the way you PAY for your deal! Previously I had posted about using Disney Gift Cards purchased at Target using your Target RedCard to get a 5% discount. Did you know that Target does not consider Disney Gift Cards as Gift Cards? In their system they are listed as Entertainment Cards (weird huh?) so they are not subject to the same gift card restrictions you would normally run into using your Target Red Card. You can even add on even more savings by using an additional Target Pharmacy 5% discount coupon to purchase you gift cards. This takes you to a 10% savings to purchase your Disney gift cards! You can then use these gift cards to call into Disney to purchase your park tickets. The only downside to doing this is that Target only sells their Disney Gift Cards in $50 increments. This means when you call into Disney to purchase your tickets you will need to read off multiple gift cards to pay for them. Make sure you give the phone rep a heads up before you start your order. They are always nice and never frustrated with the multiple card numbers (I have once read off over 50 cards at one time!)

***side note, score an even better deal if you can pair up my first two ideas….Disney ticket discount + Disney Gift Card discount

Lastly, there are two authorized Disney ticket discount wholesalers that I would recommend. They are UndercoverTourist and OfficialTicketCenter. Both of these companies offer bigger discounts than purchasing directly from Disney. On top of normal discounts they also regularly offer deals which give you “free” days (i.e. buy a 5 day pass for the cost of a 4 day pass). They both offer free shipping too. Also, please note that both of these sites already have taxes built into their prices. You’ll need to remember this when comparing prices to the Disney site, which does not add tax until you are ready to check out. All tickets are RFID and FastPass+ enabled. Once your tickets arrive in the mail you are able to add them to your Magic Band through the My Disney Experience website or app.

Do you have any other suggestions for finding great deals on Disney Park Tickets? I’d love to hear about them!

Renting Disney Vacation Club Points

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a.k.a How to Stay at Disney World like a VIP without paying like one!

In most cases families traveling to Disney World are doing so on a budget. They are looking for the most economic room while still being inside “the World” so that they can still take advantage of Disney’s perks like the bus system, booking early for FastPass+ reservations, and sometimes being on the meal plan. Unfortunately, these rooms usually tend to be on the smaller side and the furthest away from the parks themselves. This leads to cramped and frustrated families. Who wants that right? You’re on vacation for crying out loud!

Good news! Disney does offer higher end rooms at certain resorts for members of their Vacation Club (See description below). These rooms usually are larger, ALOT closer to the parks, and can even include full sized kitchens and separate bedrooms for the little ones! Sound nice? Well keep reading to see how even non-members of their “club” can get a taste of the good life. 🙂

First a brief definition: The Disney Vacation Club is a vacation timeshare owned and operated by Disney. You are basically buying a real estate interest in a DVC resort. I won’t be going into too much detail on the club itself but here is a link if you are interested in more details. But basically you are paying yearly “dues” (think yearly mortgage payment) for a certain amount of points that can be used towards nights in Disney’s Vacation Club Resorts. The more points you have the more nights you can stay or the nicer the room/villa you can reserve. These points have to be used within a certain amount of time or they disappear.

Some of the Disney Vacation Club Resorts at Disney World:

The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Disney’s Beach Club Villas
Disney’s Boardwalk Villas
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Disney’s Old Key West Resort
*new* Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (bookings open Feb. 11)

The good thing is that you don’t have to be a Vacation Club member to use it’s perks. From time to time club members aren’t able to use all of their points so they will rent the use of these points to non-members at a discount.

Below I have put together an example of the cost at staying at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. I am using the dates of checking in June 21 and checking out June 27 – 6 nights. Of course this is during peak vacation time so your prices might be cheaper depending on your travel dates. I want to show the cost savings on a Studio Room which sleeps 4 plus room for a crib (think of it as a regular hotel type room with a kitchenette) and also a 1 bedroom which sleeps 5 plus a crib but also comes with a full kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and washer and dryer! Plus you are within walking distance to Magic Kingdom (handy for families that need nap times) and you’re on the monorail which means you have way more dining options.

Example prices using Points rented from a 3rd party (Prices booking the same room through Disney’s Central Reservations in BOLD)

Bay Lake Tower Studio, Standard View (117 points) – $1638 total / $273 night ($3307.50 / $551.25 night) 50% SAVINGS
Bay Lake Tower 1 Bedroom, Standard View (224 points) – $3136 total / $523 night ($4340.28 / 723.38 night) 28% SAVINGS

As you can see there is substantial savings to renting points. My family has rented points the last two times we have visited Disney World and had no troubles utilizing a 3rd party broker. We have used them to stay at both the Animal Kingdom Villas and Bay Lake Towers and loved it! It will be hard to go back to Value Rooms after this. 🙂

So now we get to the part on how do you make these deals happen. Well there are two routes you can go. Either you can rent points directly from a DVC member OR you can use a 3rd party company to ensure your transaction. Renting directly from a member can be tricky if you don’t know the member as a reputable person. BUT, it will cost more renting these points from a 3rd party. They will charge about $14 per point while renting directly from the DVC member generally costs about $11 to $13 per point. I have links below to two highly rated 3rd party companies (I used David’s and had a wonderful experience with their customer service) and also a link to one (of many) discussion boards where renters and rent-ees can find each other.

David’s Vacation Club Rentals – accredited member of the Better Business Bureau

The DVC Rental Store – accredited member of the Better Business Bureau

Do-It-Yourself Link – This is a forum for renters and rent-ees to find each other. If you do decide to work directly with a DVC member then please review the points below!

Ask for references and check them!
Get the person’s full name, address, and phone….and check them!
Make sure that this person is actually a DVC member at the Florida Comptroller’s Office website
Don’t pay with a check or money order. Use only a credit card through Paypal. This way you have some protection against fraud.
Make sure the DVC member sends you the confirmation number from Disney and check it at mydisneyreservation.com/dvc.
Get Travel Insurance. Always a good idea even if you’re not renting points.

So what do you get with your points rental? Below I have some perks and downsides listed to help you decide.

Perks of using Vacation Club points

Reservation will be in your name
No room bill to pay when you check out (pre-pay your reservation)
Still have access to “My Disney Experience”
Still receive Magic Bands
Still can utilize Magical Express
Enjoy on-site perks like “Extra Magic Hours”, onsite transportation, and free parking
You are able to purchase a dining plan separately without having to buy park tickets. If you are reserving a room through the Disney Reservation line (the normal way) and you want the dining plan you have to buy a package deal with park tickets. If you are renting points, you may choose to add on a dining plan and then buy your park tickets separately through a discounted ticket broker (like Undercover Tourist) saving even more money!

Downsides using Vacation Club points

Most DVC point rentals once made (and paid for) can’t be changed or cancelled. So be really sure of your vacation plans!
You won’t have total control of your reservation. Disney Vacation Club won’t speak with non-members so you will need to work with the points owner (or 3rd party broker) to add on your Dining Plan and/or Magical Express reservations. You will still have full control of your “My Disney Experience” to book your own FastPass+ and Dining Reservations.
Less frequent maid service. Staying on points means you won’t get your room cleaned every day like a normal hotel room. You will receive “Trash and Towel Service” (no cleaning) on your 4th day of your stay and a full cleaning of your room on your 8th day.

So that’s a lot to cover in one post but I hope it helps. Let me know if you have any questions about renting points and I would be happy to help with anymore information!

Another Great Costume Deal at Target!

Discount at House of Blues (Downtown Disney location)

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Have you ever heard of Restaurant.com? It’s a website where you can purchase gift certificates for certain restaurants at discounted prices. The certificates never expire so no need to know your travel dates beforehand.

Currently there is a certificate available for Crossroads at House of Blues located in Downtown Disney. The value of the certificate is good for $50 at the restaurant but the cost of the certificate to purchase it from restaurant.com is $20. The requirement is that your restaurant bill total is at least $100 before tax in order for you to use the certificate. The good thing about this deal is that any alcohol you order does also count towards your $100! 18% minimum gratuity will be added to your check based on your full amount, before the voucher. So after all is said and done you are saving $30 off of at least a $100 tab before tax. (30% off!!!)

Here is a link to the Crossroads at House of Blues Menu with prices.

Tip: For the remainder of your $50+ tab, that you will be responsible for after the voucher has been applied, use discounted Disney gift cards that we chatted about in my previous post!

10% off your Disney Vacation!

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Ok so today I want to chat about my favorite deal on getting discounts for your Disney vacation…Disney Gift Cards! Did you know that you can pay for pretty much everything related to your trip with Disney Gift Cards? On our last trip I paid for our hotel, park tickets, special event tickets, Memory Maker, food, and souvenirs this way.

So buying gift cards in an of itself is not a deal, right? But, it’s all about how your buy them. My favorite way is to buy them at Target. Did you know that you can use your Target RedCard to purchase Disney gift cards? This will get you an automatic 5% off. Doesn’t sound right? How can you get a discount on a gift card??? Target’s RedCard policy actually states that the 5% won’t apply to gift cards. Well here is the secret….Target doesn’t classify Disney Cards as Gift Cards. They are actually sold as “Entertainment Cards” which Target doesn’t exclude from their RedCard discounts!

Ok so that gets you 5%. Now let’s sweeten the deal. You can also use Target coupons to make this deal even better. Have you ever heard of Target Pharmacy Rewards? Once you enroll and then fill 5 prescriptions at the Target pharmacy then Target will send you a 5% off a day of shopping coupon. Easy right? So if you combine the coupon and the RedCard you can 10% off your gift card … um I mean Disney Entertainment Card 😉 purchase! So 10% might not seem like alot but if you have a $4,000 vacation that’s saving you $400!!!!

Always keep your eyes peeled for other coupon deals that Target might issue. I know the last time I bought my gift cards Target ran a deal that if you bought a Samsung phone then they would give you a 20% off your total purchase coupon! That one stacked with my RedCard saved me 25% off my gift cards!!!! It was crazy.

Now remember this is just giving you discounts on your form of payment. You can still grab any Disney Special Offers that might be offered during your trip like “Free Dining” or Room discounts.

Ok now for some small catches to this great deal. Target only sells these cards in $50 increments and as of this post Disney doesn’t offer a way to combine gift card amounts onto one card. Also, you will not be able to enter multiple gift cards on Disney’s website to pay for your trip (They only allow one form of payment online). You will need to call the Disney Reservation line (or travel agent) to book and pay for your trip. So this means you will be sitting for a few minutes reading off gift card numbers. Never fear, Disney agents are used to this and very pleasant. I once read off over 50 at one time with no problem! I always just give them a heads up before I start my purchase just so they know what they will be dealing with, just as a courtesy.

This last trip my family decided that we would not be purchasing the Dining Plan and would be paying as we go. Using gift cards is not a problem here either. After one of our meals we would just use our MagicBands (I’ll chat about this in a future blog) and do a room charge. This applies to any souvenirs and special activities like Pirate’s League we did along the way. Then one night in the middle of our trip (just so I could see how we were doing) and then the night before check-out I walked my stack of gift cards down to the front desk of our Disney Resort and they paid down the balance for me. I like doing it this way so I can just keep my gift cards locked up in the safe at all times and don’t have to lug them around the parks with us.

Lastly, here are some good tips to remember when dealing with gift cards…

Don’t throw away your gift cards after you have paid for something. If you need to cancel your trip or return an item Disney refunds the value back onto your gift card.
Disney Gift Cards do not have an expiration date or any monthly fees. So feel free to stock up when the mood strikes 🙂
This may seem like a no brainer but Disney Gift Cards cannot be used at any non-Disney owned hotels like the Swan or the Dolphin.
In this discussion I am assuming that you will be the one going on vacation but you can use these deals for great gifts for other families planning their vacation!
You can check your gift card balance and look at the FAQ on DisneyGiftCard.com

I hope this post helps you get some really great deals! Leave a comment about your experience with gift cards. I’d love to hear about them.