Silent Sunday in the Park-Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest

Disney Gift Card Giveaway-$400 & $200 Gift Cards!

Yep, you read that title right :-)  I've teamed up with a great group of other Disney bloggers to sponsor a HUGE Disney gift card giveaway!  There's lots of fantastic sites involved in the giveaway, so be sure to check them all out, give them a like/follow and in the process learn a ton of interesting things about our favorite topic-Disney!  Here's the main details (be sure to check the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter form)...

There's not just one, but TWO amazing Disney gift cards up for grabs-one for $400 and another for $200.  You can enter using the Rafflecopter form below (you can also find it on the other sites sponsoring the giveaway as well as many of our Facebook pages).  You do need to be at least 18 years old to enter, and the giveaway is only open to people in the United States.  The giveaway opens at midnight Saturday, September 28, 2013 and runs thru 11:59 PM on Monday, October 14, 2013 with the winners being selected on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 (winner notifications will be via email, and if you are a winner you'll need to respond via email as well).

And if you complete all of the available entries every day of the giveaway, you could earn up to 350 entries!  That's 350 chances to win!

So, my question to you--what will you do with either gift card if you win?

Good luck everyone!

PS-Interesting fact for you...a vacation package at Walt Disney World requires a $200 deposit to book the trip...and the gift cards in the giveaway are $200 and $400...hmmm.... ;-)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday Tip-Getting the Best Price for your Disney Vacation

While some guests don't have to watch what they spend when considering a Walt Disney World vacation, most of us are usually counting all of our pennies trying to get the best value for our vacation dollars.  This is especially important for a destination like WDW where everything can add up quickly-from room to tickets to food to souvenirs...and don't forget those incidentals that you might not expect like medicine if someone gets sick, ponchos or an umbrella (if you forgot yours) and other similar unexpected extras.  So...today's Tuesday Tip is how to get the best price for your Disney Vacation.

Visiting the Mouse can really add up-save with discount promotions!

Depending on how far in advance of your trip that you decide to book, you may or may not see any special promotions or discounts posted on WDW's website for the time you'll be traveling.  The further out you want to book your trip, the less likely that there will be a promotion available.  BUT--don't let this deter you from booking your trip for the dates you want.  If you are booking a package (room & tickets; room, tickets & dining; Annual Passholders-room & dining), your deposit is going to be $200 per room.  Room-only reservation deposits are equal to the cost of the first night of your stay on the reservation.  The part about getting the best price comes in once discounts do start getting released for your travel dates, because as long as you qualify for a discount when it comes out...meaning your stay is within the dates of the promotion, category of resort, length of stay, etc...you can get that discount applied to your reservation, lowering the cost of your trip and getting a bigger bang for your buck.  And saving money on the biggest costs-room, tickets and dining-means more money available for the fun extras and those unexpected problems that may come up.

Snagging a discount promotion could mean you have enough in your budget to upgrade to a Deluxe resort!

Don't have time to keep checking back to see if a new promotion has been released?  This is when using a travel agent that specializes in Disney destinations can really pay off since most of those agents that specialize in Disney (like me) will continuously monitor your reservation for any promotions, then get discounts applied to your reservation as soon as they are released as long as your trip qualifies.  I know I've been able to save my clients plenty this way-some just a small amount, but others hundreds of dollars.  And most travel agents--especially those who specialize in Disney--don't charge any fees so your trip will not cost you any more than if you had booked on your own...without the headache of having to track your reservation constantly for the release of discounts.

So, whether you want to do it yourself or you use a travel agent, remember that even if you book at rack rate (the maximum charged for a room), Disney will allow discounts released after you book to be applied to your reservation to help lower your cost.

Have you ever had a discount applied after already booking your trip?  How much have you been able to save by getting a discount after your initial reservation?

Need help booking a Disney vacation?  You can request a free quote from my travel agent website or use the Contact Me information in the tab at the top of the blog. As always, there are no extra fees for booking with me :-)

Silent Sunday at the Magic Kindom

Don't forget to stop by and enter the September Disney Prize Pack Giveaway while you're here :-)

September Disney Prize Pack Giveaway!

It's that time again-time for another fun giveaway for my readers!  This month the prize pack includes a Figment Nerds Rock! Vinylmation figure, 1-Princess Disney Bands bracelets pack, 1-Princess Disney Bands rings pack, 1-Princess Mic-KEYS key topper, 1-Walt Disney World New Fantasyland art print and 1-Disney Parks Growth Chart...here's the pics:

The giveaway runs from midnight, September 18 thru midnight, September 24, 2013 and is open to those with a US mailing address who are 18 years or older (see terms & conditions at the bottom of the Rafflecopter widget for more information).  I've added a special entry option this time for those who request a Disney or cruise vacation quote from me as well since during my last giveaway, some of those requesting quotes hadn't yet heard about the contest.  But please, only use the quote request entry for serious inquiries (must have dates, # of guests, room/ticket/dining/etc needs and so on)...see the Rafflecopter entry form for details and links.

So, if you're ready to try your luck, here's the Rafflecopter form (need a mobile-friendly link?  Use this link instead):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck everyone, and please help spread the word by sharing this post using the Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc options at the end of the post...thanks all!

Tuesday Tip-Checking the Refurbishment Schedule

Have you ever gotten to Walt Disney World (or any theme park), excited to ride your favorite rides, only to experience the total let-down of seeing those infamous wooden walls around an attraction and a sign saying it's "Closed for Refurbishment"?  Yeah, me too.  To keep yourself from being disappointed when you arrive at the park, you can always check the refurbishment schedule before you go to see what attractions will be closed while you're there...then you can plan an alternate park touring schedule so you don't waste any time heading for a ride when it's not even going to be available.

I've added a Refurbishment Schedule tab above where you can check out the latest closings at the Walt Disney World resort.  As a travel agent specializing in Disney, I get this information directly from their travel agent portal and I'll be updating the page weekly for you.  You may want to bookmark the Refurbishment Schedule page so you can easily check back for any new information before your trip.  And as always, feel free to use the information on the Contact Me page if you have specific questions you'd like to ask.

Arriving at the parks to find your favorite rides or restaurants are closed can really throw a damper on your day or even your whole trip.  I've actually had people adjust the dates of their vacation so they can avoid the closure of their favorite rides!  Be sure to plan ahead by checking the schedule before your trip.

Have you ever moved your trip dates to avoid ride refurbishments?  What ride closures would put a damper on your trip if you didn't know about them ahead of time?