Category — e. What to Budget for Walt Disney World

Kelly let me know that Disney World released today new discounts for 2017. Here’s the scoop:

Disney World Winter Discounts are Here. Book today to take advantage of some wonderful Disney World discounts that were just released:

• Play, Stay, Dine – save off of your entire room, ticket and dining package. Stay most nights 1/1/2017 – 1/7/2017 when you book by 12/21/2016
• Gift of Magic Room, Kid-Sized Gift of Magic Package and Gift of Family Magic Offers – save up to 25% on rooms for stays most nights 12/15/2016 – 12/23/2016 and 1/1/2017- 4/8/2017 when you book by 12/21/2016

By booking early, with Kelly B and Destinations in Florida – Dave’s fans were able to rely on our free future discount search and as of 7:00AM this morning had already saved a total of $2,285.

Contact Kelly@DestinationsInFlorida.com today to take advantage of these great Disney discount offers.

The room rate deal is a little complicated, so, trying to help, I built the following table of discounts (click it to enlarge it):

Note that in the room rate deal the values and moderates have a different calendar than the other hotels, and note the various different discount levels and exclusions.

The best choice among these deals will vary by family.  If you use Kelly as your travel agent to book the deal, she will figure this out for you!! Contact her Kelly@DestinationsInFlorida.com!

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As Steve is reporting on the MilitaryDisneyTips.com Facebook page, the 2017 Disney Armed Forces Salute became available today.

Steve has the details on both the 2016 and 2017 Armed Forces Salutes here, but here’s the basics:

• The salute is valid from January 1, 2017 through December 19, 2017, but excludes April 9-23.
• For 2017 it includes not just deeply discounted 4 day tickets, as it has the past few years, but also deeply discounted 5 day tickets. Unless your kids are younger than 5, the 5 day option is the one to choose, as it permits two days in the Magic Kingdom and a day each in the other three parks.
• Also available again as part of the 2017 salute are room discounts—30% off value resorts, 35% off moderates, and 40% off deluxes.
• Note that the two deals are not linked–you can get the ticket deal, the room rate deal, or both

Some of the most popular room types (e.g. Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation) are excluded, and availability elsewhere is very limited (more rooms may be added).

S0 those aiming to use the room rate deal for a visit before May (remembering the excluded April dates!) should book right away.

The ticket deal is available only directly from various base sources. But Kelly can book the room rate deal for eligible military families.
Contact her at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

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Kelly let me know this morning that for those who have Disney Visa cards, two new Walt Disney World deals for late 2016/early 2017 came out today. Similar deals for the general public should be out October 4.

Here’s what she sent me:

It’s a perfect time to book your Winter Disney vacation. Disney just released two discounts (Available to Disney Visa card holders today – with an expected release for the general public next week).

Get a discount on your entire package with Stay, Play and Dine – Check in Dates 1/1 – 3/7 (Minimum 3 nights, must be booked by 12/21/2016 – Offer excludes campsites, 3-bedroom villas, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort –The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.)

If you don’t need a complete package the Winter Room Discount may be right for you – Check in 12/15 – 12/23 & 1/1 – 4/8 (Offer excludes campsites, 3-bedroom villas, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

Contact KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499 today. (Not only will you get a great savings, but when you book a qualifying vacation with Destinations In Florida all of our services are FREE and you’ll get a FREE copy of the latest edition of Dave’s Easy Guide to Walt Disney World).

If you book your Disney World visit with Kelly she’ll work with you to get you into any of these deals you are eligible for! Contact her at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

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Today Disney World came out with room only discount for many nights in November and December.

Except at the deluxes, these savings are available for stays November 6th to November 10, November 16 to November 22, and November 26 to December 23. At the deluxes, savings appear to exclude November 6th through November 10.

These deals must be booked by October 8th, but availability will be narrower with each passing day.

To get these savings, contact Kelly B at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

Value resort discounts:

• 10% off: All-Star Movies, Music and Sports; Pop Century; Art of Animation family suites
• Excluded: Art of Animation standard Little Mermaid rooms

Moderate resort discounts

• 15% off: Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, Cabins at Fort Wilderness
• Apparently excluded: Port Orleans French Quarter (not listed by Disney as excluded, but not on its discount list, either)

Deluxe resort discounts (11/16 to 11/22 and 11/26 to 12/23):

• 10% off: Beach Club, Contemporary and Polynesian Village
• 20% off: Animal Kingdom Lodge, BoardWalk Inn, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club

DVC resort discounts:

• 10% off: Beach Club Villas, Studios at Polynesian Village
• 20% off: Jambo House and Kidani Village villas at Animal Kingdom Lodge; BoardWalk Villas; Old Key West; Saratoga Springs; Villas at the Wilderness Lodge
• Excluded: Bay Lake Tower; Villas at the Grand Floridian; Bungalows at the Polynesian

To get these savings, contact Kelly B at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

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From my friend Kelly B:

Did you recently book a Disney World vacation? Are you overwhelmed with the details of planning or just looking to have a little more spending money?

If you booked your vacation directly with Disney (by phone or online) within the past 30 days, you can transfer your reservation to Destinations in Florida and watch the Pixie Dust start flying!

Transferring your reservation to me allows you to work directly with you as your own personal Disney World expert. I’ll be able to provide you with our agency’s many invaluable services including:

• Free Itinerary Planning (valued at $149)
• Free Mouse Perks – Tips, Updates, and Fun Freebies (valued at $199)
• Free Dining Services – Dining suggestions and reservation planning (valued at $69)
• Free FastPass+ Services – FastPass+ planning and reservation assistance (valued at $59)
• Free Future Discount Search – Ongoing searching for future discount to apply to your vacation.

But the magic doesn’t stop there!  You’ll also receive a FREE Disney Gift card of up to $100.

• Package of $2500 – $2999 / Free $40 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $3000 – $3500 / Free $50 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $3501 – $3999 / Free $60 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $4000 – $4500 / Free $75 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $4501 – $4999 / Free $90 Disney Gift Card
• Package of $5000 and up / Free $100 Disney Gift Card

To transfer your Disney Vacation Package, please contact me (Kelly B – Dave’s dedicated Destinations in Florida travel agent) at 980-429-4499, request a transfer online, or email me at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com today.

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The prices for the 2016 Mickey’s Not-So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party came out last week, and these parties are now available for booking.

While new 2016 complexity makes price comparisons to 2015 a little complicated (the link also includes exact prices by date), especially for the Halloween Party, by comparing like months (e.g all parties in September 2016 vs. all parties in September 2015), I get the following:

• September MNSSHP: up around 10%
• October MNSSHP except Halloween night: up around 10%
• Halloween night MNSSHP: up around 20%
• November MVMCP: up around 20%
• December MVMCP: up around 25%

(All these are calculated by comparing the weighted average prices for all parties during the period in 2016 vs all parties in the same period in 2015. I did the math for both adult and child tickets, and for each of advance purchase and day of event tickets.  The price increases by month across all four of these categories were about the same.)

These Halloween and Christmas party price increases continue the trend of very aggressive price increases that  began with the release of 2016 resort prices last summer.

In my itineraries, I’ve viewed the Halloween party as optional and the Christmas party as essential.

The price increase reinforces my Halloween take, and makes me a little skeptical about the Christmas party.  I’ll be rebuilding my basic December itineraries in the next few weeks (after Disney publishes its operating schedule for then).

I will be testing the practicality of sending people to the cheapest dates, and also have an idea or two about reducing other costs (no lighty hats for you!) to help with affordability.  I’ll go through all that and will make the final call in a couple of weeks. …

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