Money Saver Monday!! Pack those personal items and save more money

Happy Monday Guru readers!! I truly hope that you had a wonderful weekend!

With holiday shopping in full swing many of us are thinking about great ways we can save money for our 2011 trip(s).  By planning well ahead of time you can save yourself a TON of money. With the rising costs of air fare and luggage, many people decide to purchase their personal care items from their Walt Disney World Resort. Sure you can purchase those items from your Walt Disney World Resort, but be prepared to pay top dollar for those items. 


Here are a few items you will want to have with you to avoid paying a ridiculous amount of money at your resort:

Batteries
Disposable Cameras
Film
Camera Memory Card
Sunscreen 
Sunglasses
Lotion(They no longer supply this in your resort room)
Toiletries 
Over the counter medications
As a reminder, you cannot purchase gum anywhere on Walt Disney World property.


Then of course you always want to be prepared for things that you do not plan on. Let's face it, when you visit Florida for at least a week, especially in the summer months, plan on rain. With rain comes the need for ponchos. Sure, you can purchase those ponchos at Walt Disney World, for the hefty price of $10 per poncho. Now I don't know about you folks, but I do not want to fork over $50 on vacation for rain ponchos.  For about $4 you can purchase the same quality rain poncho from Wal-Mart or Target. 

 A must do for all of you summer month travelers, a personal fan mister. Any time we visit Walt Disney World during the summer months we are sure to bring the misters with us.  The downfall is not only do you need it, but Disney knows that. Be prepared to pay about $19 per mister....yikes!! The great news is, Wal-Mart sells the exact same misters, minus the Disney logo, for only $4.95....wow!!! Be sure you have enough batteries to power each fan throughout your stay. Another bonus is your little ones will love the mister so much that they won’t even ask for a souvenir (well at least not for a little while). 

Planning ahead for your Disney trip is not only fun, but it is a great way to save some extra money at the same time. Share your great money saving tips by commenting on this post, or visiting our Facebook page...I would just love to hear from you!!! :0)

See ya real soon!
Kelly 

Money Saver Monday!! What Season Saves You the Most Money??

Happy Monday Guru Readers! I truly hope that you enjoyed your time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. If you spent your weekend shopping then there is no better time to start saving money on your next Walt Disney World vacation.

If you plan to save money the key is in choosing the right time to go. There are actually seasons that are defined as a "value" time to visit...and let me tell you that "value" time is shrinking each year. Be prepared to pull the children out of school if you would like to save mucho bucks, as many of the "value" season times fall between those time periods. 

*Please note that the criteria for the seasons have changed for 2011.

Happy Planning!!!

Seasons By Resorts

Value Resorts

Value Season 1
January 1 - February 16
Peak Season
February 17 - 26
March 11 - April 30
Regular Season
February 27 - March 10
May 1 - June 2
Summer Season June 3 - August 13
Value Season 2
August 14 - September 29
Fall SeasonSeptember 30 - December 22
Holiday Season
December 23 - 31

Moderate Resorts
Value Season 1
January 1 - February 16
Peak Season
February 17 - 26
March 11 - April 30
Regular SeasonFebruary 27 - March 10
May 1 - June 2
Summer Season June 3 - August 13
Value Season 2
August 14 - September 29
Fall SeasonSeptember 30 - December 22
Holiday Season
December 23 - 31

Deluxe Resorts
Value Season 1
January 1 - February 16
August 21 - September 29
Peak Season
February 17 - 26
March 11 - April 30
Regular Season 1
February 27 - March 10
May 1 - July 16
Value Season 2
July 17 - August 20
Regular Season 2
September 30 - October 22
Fall Season
October 23 - December 23
Holiday Season
December 23 - 31

Deluxe Villa Resorts
Value Season 1
January 1 - February 16
August 21 - September 29
Peak Season
February 17 - 26
March 11 - April 30
Regular Season 1
February 27 - March 10
May 1 - July 16
Value Season 2
July 17 - August 20
Regular Season 2
September 30 - October 22
Fall SeasonOctober 23 - December 23
Holiday Season
December 23 - 31Fort Wilderness Resort Campground
Value Season
January 1 - February 20
August 7 -November 17
Peak Season
February 21 - April 30
Regular Season
May 1 - August 6
Pre-HolidayNovember 18 - December 15
Holiday Season
December 16 - 31

See ya real soon!!
Kelly

Money Saver Monday!!!

Happy Monday Guru Readers!! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Eating at Walt Disney World can be a very expensive activity. I have a great money saver for you when eating on Walt Disney World property. Next time you eat at a counter service restaurant, order one double cheeseburger combo meal. (Includes a drink, fries and the burger) Ask the cast member for an extra bun...they will give you one so do not be shy(there is a fee). Then split the burger to make it two!! I just love doing this I feel so thrifty!! You can share the fries and the drink and you have two meals with one low cost. If you have children with you this is a great way to have them share a meal and keep costs down.  Another great thing  about this is that many of the counter service locations have a condiment bar, so you can each go and create a fully loaded burger to your liking...all for the cost of one.

* The bun at some locations has gone up in price...ask for the price before paying to determine if it is worth it.

I would love to chat Disney....email me or comment below with your questions, suggestions or thoughts.

See ya real soon!