How Can You Afford A Vacation?

Cara and Steve at Fort Wilderness Campground When Cara was young we had a small pop-up camper. We loved our camper! We would go camping every weekend and I could put it up by myself! Once I bought her actual play clothes (she was my first and I should have bought stock in Gymboree!), she could get out and tromp around in the creek or pet the bunnies, try to feed the peacocks. So many amazing memories! One day I was talking with my dad about camping and I said Cara just loves it! He said I know why, because she has you and here daddy 24/7. No phone, no tv (although we had tv with a DVD player because she needed her shows!), just us playing, relaxing and enjoying and growing. I miss those days!

Blink and 9 years later and an addition of a little brother we don’t camp much anymore. Too many things to do, too many irons in the fire! I’m sure like most of you, we try to schedule family time, maybe a family movie night, a girl’s day or a boys going to the game, but it’s not the same.

Sometimes the time isn’t always the issue. These days it’s hard to scrap together a large chunk of cash at once! That’s where MackeyMouse Travel can save the day! We can offer low deposits and monthly payments, giving your wallet a rest and allowing you to pay CASH for some much needed family time!

How can we do that? MMT has partnered with suppliers who offer our clients the best service and the best options for your family’s budget. Our largest supplier (well outside of Disney!) has now lowered their deposit to $150! Even on packages that include air!!!! Unheard of!!

Sit down tonight and talk to your kids, talk to your family and decide where you can reconnect together! Is it going to be on the beaches of the Caribbean with oodles of kid’s clubs activities? Or is it going to be on a ship at sea, where you can opt for a formal night for that family portrait? Or what about a magical trip to Walt Disney World where your princess can ride on daddy’s shoulders wearing her tiara and princess dress?  Where ever your dreams take you, MackeyMouse Travel is ready to help you plan it! Contact us today so we can get that vacation planned!

Trips with low deposits:
Walt Disney World - $200.00
Disney Cruise Line – Percentage of cruise fare
Major Cruise Lines - $100.00 - $250.00 per person
All Inclusive Resorts in the Caribbean - $150.00 per person

Happy Planning!

Mia

Earlier this week we posted about the 4 Big Benefits of planning a Disney family vacation. Now, we’d love to share some of the other notable benefits, also known as the “small” benefits.

OTHER NOTABLE BENEFITS

Location, location, location- With their on-property location convenient to the theme parks, the Disney hotels are a haven for guests who seek a midday swimming break - or a siesta.

Theming- It’s not just a room. In the same way that Disney’s theme parks offer an escape to a timeless land of enchantment, a walk down small-town Main Street or a peek at the future, Disney hotels offer a mix of adventures. Disney Imagineers have created detailed, themed environments that include the romance and beauty of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to Victorian opulence at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Youth policy – Guests 17 and under stay at no additional charge in parents’ rooms (up to the designated capacity of the room) at Disney resort hotels.

Youth services and facilities – All Disney resort hotels offer in-room child care for ages 6 months to 12 years in partnership with independent childcare provider Kid’s Nite Out; all Disney hotels feature kiddie pools (in addition to full-size pools), many have playgrounds and some have Child Activity Centers for ages 3 to 12.

Online check-in – Guests can take care of the paperwork that normally accompanies check-in … in the comfort of their home up to 10 days before their visit. Upon arrival at their hotel, guests then stop by a special desk, show ID, sign, pick up their room keys and information packet, and begin enjoying their vacation.

Lobby concierge- One call can do it all. Each Disney resort hotel offers a lobby concierge to arrange park tickets, dining reservations and tee times, and to provide helpful hints on setting up other activities.

Key to the World card – It’s a hotel room key and much more. Magic Your Way theme park tickets and Disney Dining Plan entitlements can be built into the card. For easy tracking and convenience, the card also can be used to charge meals, goods and services directly to the room, giving the guest a consolidated statement of vacation purchases.

Merchandise delivery – Purchases at select shops throughout Walt Disney World Resort can be delivered to the guest’s Disney hotel at no charge, allowing the guest to play without lugging packages around the parks.

Exemption from parking fees at the theme parks – By presenting a resort ID, guests enter parking lots for free no matter how many parks they visit during their stay.

“Bottomless” drinking mug- Quenching a vacation-long thirst is easy at Disney’s resorts. Guests can purchase a mug themed to their resort that will become a keepsake when the holiday ends. During their length of stay, they can continually refill the mug at designated locations at their resort.

Preferred tee times- Disney hotel guests get preferred tee times for Disney’s four championship golf courses – including two courses that are part of PGA TOUR tradition, having hosted professional events from the early 1970s to the present.

Transportation to “the tees” – Golfing guests at Disney owned-and-operated hotels have complimentary door-to-door transportation between their resort and Walt Disney World golf facilities.

So, have we convinced you yet? If so make sure you call us first! We'd love to add to this list of benefits by being your travel partner!!

Mia

Benefits Big and Small for Disney Family Vacations

Disney knows how to make families feel like royalty on vacation! But is it really worth the extra cost of staying on property? Can't you get the same vacation while saving money on your "room"? My answer is no. It is not the same vacation. You are going to miss out on so much more than even these benefits if you choose to stay off property! Check with us before you book your "room" so we can show you the magic before you even begin your vacation! 

TOP FOUR BENEFITS

Disney’s Magical Express – When guests bound for Disney owned-and-operated hotels are traveling via commercial airline to Orlando International Airport (OIA), they can arrange for special luggage tags that allow them to check their bags at their hometown airport, bypass baggage claim at OIA and board state-of-the-art motor coaches for complimentary transportation to the Vacation Kingdom, where their bags “magically” appear in their guestroom. When it’s time to say good-bye, guests board motor coaches for complimentary transportation back to OIA. An extra convenience: Guests traveling on participating airlines can check their baggage for the return flight at their Disney resort, saving time and luggage-toting at the airport.

Walt Disney World Transportation System – A Walt Disney World resort ID is the ticket for buses, monorails and boat launches that combine to connect virtually all areas of the Vacation Kingdom. With the convenience of “door-to-door” service throughout the resort, many guests enjoy their Walt Disney World vacation without a car.

 Extra Magic Hours – Each day, Disney hotel guests are offered exclusive time in a Walt Disney World theme park one hour prior to scheduled park opening or for up to three hours after park closing. The park varies from day to day. In addition, Disney water parks sometimes open one hour early for guests of Disney hotels. To take advantage of the additional time in the parks, guests must have their hotel ID plus a Magic Your Way ticket valid for the park(s) offering Extra Magic Hours. (NOTE: Extra Magic Hours of up to two hours after park close take effect in January- February 2013).

Disney Dining Plan – Guests who combine their hotel accommodations and attractions tickets into a Magic Your Way Package are eligible to add dining for the convenience of a more-inclusive “cruise-style” vacation package. In 2012, there are three plan choices to satisfy different budgets and appetites. All include at least two meals and a snack for each night of a Disney resort stay. Savings and restaurant choices vary.

Check back later this week for our list of "small" benefits for booking a Disney vacation!

Let us help you plan that amazing vacation! We are ready to make your magical vacation a reality. Whether you are planning for next month of October 2015 we are here and ready to plan away! We don't charge fees and offer a lot of services for your family. Contact MIA today!

Happy Planning!

Mia

 

Are you one of those dad’s that hates taking your family to Disney for vacation? Your idea of vacation is not lugging 12 bags in heat across a lot of pavement only to rush to a ride to stand in line! All the while your wife is shopping like you are a millionaire and your children are whining because, well because they can!

There is a book you must read! “Ears of Steel: The Real Man’s Guide to Walt Disney World,” by Bart Scott gives you tips on how to not only survive the trip but how to have the best vacation of your life!!

I had the pleasure of hearing him speak last October in Orlando and fell in love with his humor and uncanny way of telling men that you too can survive a trip to Disney World! Scott says he wrote the book for the "football watching, beer-guzzling couch potatoes" who would rather relax in a recliner with a cold one and a sporting event on TV than spend hours in the hot sun walking around theme parks.

AWESOME video of Bart explaining his tips!  http://morningnews.wgntv.com/2014/05/12/tips-for-guys-on-how-to-survive-disney-world/   

His FIRST TIP: Always stay on property! Yes you can find a simple room off property cheaper but the benefits far outweigh any savings you might initially think you will be getting!

SECOND TIP: take your trip in the fall! The weather is better, the kids are back in school and the lines are so much shorter.

THIRD TIP: don’t stress over the money! Easier said than done right? He equates to traveling to Hawaii, you get off the plane they give you a flower necklace and you hand them your wallet! Disney does deliver the value. You don’t exactly hand them your wallet but planning ahead and doing as much before you go as possible will make your trip so much more enjoyable!

FOURTH TIP: and of course the most important, use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner because most of us are insane Disney nuts! A Disney Planner can help when things go awry, which you plan not to happen but it’s human nature and could certainly happen with the best of planning!

FIFTH TIP: learn the My Disney Experience app! Make sure you have all of your reservations linked, your travel planner has your information linked with theirs so they can help while you are there. Play around with the app before you go so that you are ready and can do it walking with 10s of 1,000s of other people reading their smartphone! Prepare!!

Bart’s book is extremely easy and helpful! His ideas are geared towards men who would rather sit at home watching the ballgame but can apply to anyone headed to the World! You can find it on Amazon and other online book retailers! Get yours today and start enjoying Walt Disney World the way I do!!
http://morningnews.wgntv.com/2014/05/12/tips-for-guys-on-how-to-survive-disney-world/

Happy Planning!
Mia ~ MackeyMouse Travel
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So you arrive around lunch time and don’t have tickets until the following day. What could you possibly do at Disney World to entertain your children until they get to see Mickey?

There are literally hundreds of things you could do but we have narrowed it down to just 6, in no particular order:

1. Plan a first night dinner show. Disney has several really good shows that you can take in that you wouldn’t necessarily want to take park touring time out for. At Fort Wilderness you have 2 of them. The Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue and Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque. The Hoop Dee Doo is shown nightly, sometimes with 2 seating’s. The barbeque is only offered certain nights during the week so make sure you check the times. Another great choice is the Spirit of Aloha Dinner show at the Polynesian Resort. This luau inspired show gives you great Hawaiian culture and food while getting you ready to tour your favorite parks
2. Dinner at Ohanas in the Polynesian and watch the fireworks from their beach. We love doing this!!
3. Downtown Disney has lots of shopping, dining and street entertainment. Depending on the time of year you might have special events taking place too. There is even a bowling alley and movie theater!
4. Circue du Soleil is truly amazing and a show you need to see at least once. It is located at Downtown Disney and is an additional ticket but well worth the admission. You could do dinner and the show!
5. If you are visiting during the Holidays we love to tour the resorts to see the different decorations. The Deluxe resorts are especially gorgeous and will be decked out from November until January but you can also visit to see the fall decorations that go up in September!
6. The water parks are open year round! It would be an excellent time to give them a try. Make sure you have them added to your package as “waterpark & more” feature because it could save you half the admission to the waterpark alone!

There are virtually hundreds more we could go over but these are my top picks. There is something to be said for just getting to your resort and relaxing by the pool and getting yourself ready for the adventurous fun week ahead!
Check with us in the weeks to come for great Spring Break ideas and Winter trip posts!! 

Happy Traveling!
Mia

Packing can be a very daunting process for a long trip and even for a short getaway. You have to decide what to wear, what shoes, and what your mood might be on a certain day often a week or more out. Then add in packing for your loved ones and you might just need a vacation from prepping for your vacation.

Below are a few tips we would love to share to take the stress out of packing for your vacation!

NEVER start the day before! Always build in some time to gather what you will need. If we are headed on a week trip with the kids I always start at least a month before. I grab a basket or Rubbermaid tote and start gathering my must take items (that I don't need everyday prior to the trip). This saves me from the last minute shuffle.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. In today's hurried world it's common to lose a bag when flying. It's stinks, but happens. Protect yourself from a really bad start to your vacation. For my family of 4 I pack 1 outfit (including undies) in a carry on. If each of us is taking a carry on I'll pack our pjs too.

Baggies! They just became your best friend! I put everything into a baggie. All of the chargers go into a gallon baggie and into my carry on. For the kids I put an outfit together with socks and undies and put them into a gallon sized baggie. Flatten it, as you are squeezing the air out seal it. I don't use the slide top type, I get the zipper and sometimes the double freezer kind. You will be amazed at how much room you have in your suitcase if you do this!

Rolling. Rolling works really well if you don't have bulky sweaters, jeans and polos. Fold your clothing lengthwise and roll into a cylinder shape. I've tried this on European trips and it does save space if done properly.

Try the Retail Fold. I worked at The Disney Store and we had a Disney fold. I know it sounds crazy and well it was. But the point is we could put a lot of tshirts on a shelf because we did the Disney fold. When you fold your tops this way you keep the wrinkles to a minimum and you flatten the cloth as much as possible. I demonstrate in the images below:

Make your clothes do double duty. Are you headed on a cruise where you need a nice outfit for dinner? If so pack a lightweight black skirt that can be paired with a tshirt by day and dressed up with a blouse and scarf at night. I do this even at Disney World with shorts. I always wear a tshirt/tank top during the day (because it's hot) and change into a polo or nicer blouse for the evening because I want to feel nice for dinner.

Make a plan. I know it's nice to wing it but it's very difficult to pack when you do. Plan out your days so you know what you need to take. Make a list so that you can check off the items you need to purchase and the items you've already set aside to pack. Keep that list close by your box so you can keep an eye on what you need.

If you travel often, consider purchasing a good toiletry bag. One that holds the items you need every time you travel. Keep it packed and ready to go with fresh items so that you don't have to rely on your everyday toothbrush or your little bottles of shampoo. Having to fill little bottles at midnight before a 6am flight is no fun, believe me!

Now, you should be able to travel the world now! Have a fabulous vacation and if you like our tips be sure to share on Facebook!