Adventure In The Great Wide Somewhere

No matter which way you plan your Walt Disney World vacation, the tickets take up quite a chunk of the budget. Unlike food with it's free dining promotions and resorts with their room only savings and PIN codes, park tickets pretty much cost the same all year long. The only savings to be found are often through sketchy methods like buying tickets through eBay or Craigslist (a bad idea, and sometimes a scam ) or sitting through timeshare presentations (not how I want to spend my vacation). When we started homeschooling last summer (trust me, I'll get back to the ticket savings), I started googling away seeing if there were any homeschool events at Disney we could attend. Why? In order to homeschool successfully, we needed field trips and through the inspiration of the lovely Jodi Whisenhunt and her blog Magical Mouse Schoolhouse , I was convinced that going to Walt Disney World could be very educational. Besides, if we could set our own schedule, we ought to be able t...

Much like spending your nights at Walt Disney World sleeping at the Grand Floridian in a Club Level room with a theme park view at rack rate, the Disney Fantasy Royal Suite price make these vacations seem astronomically expensive. And, oddly enough, nearly the same prices for the Walt Disney World high end packages as the Disney Cruise Line suites. They don't have to be ridiculously expensive and in many cases can even be more affordable for the average American family than a trip to Walt Disney World.  Over the years I've used varying tips and tricks to minimize my vacation expenditure so that I can enjoy a few more excursions, pedicures and Cove Café drinks without the bills following me long after the pixie dust settles. All of the below tips are either things I or one of my friends have successfully utilized, but as always, your mileage may vary. My Top Ten Fourteen DCL Dollar Stretching Tips: 14.) Get Hired By Mickey Cast member discounts can really save y...

More than any other question, this tends to crop up in my everyday discussions with people who haven't been on either a cruise at all or a Disney Cruise Line cruise. Basically this question breaks down into two parts, is it worth it to "splurge" on Disney Cruise Line as opposed to another cruise line and is it affordable compared to a theme park stay at Walt Disney World. Is it worth it compared to other cruise lines If you are a Disney person, which, if you're reading my blog I'm assuming you may be, you love the quality, attention to detail and superb customer service that Disney offers on land. Comparing Disney Cruise Lines to Royal Caribbean is similar to comparing Walt Disney World to Six Flags; although the elements of each are the same, the overall experience is very different. That magical, pixie dust element remains uniquely Disney.  Just a little midafternoon story time. Apples to Apples, this is not.  On Disney Cruise Line, Belle reads ...