Category — e. What to Budget for Walt Disney World

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.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

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. …

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

FALL 2016 DISNEY WORLD ROOM RATE DEAL RELEASED

This morning Disney World’s latest room rate deal came out. It covers stays between August 25 and November 5.

To book the deal, contact Kelly at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

VALUE RESORT SAVINGS

Travel 8/26 to 10/1:

• 20%: All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, and family suites at Art of Animation, Campsites at Fort Wilderness
• Excluded: Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation

Travel 10/2 to 11/5

• 15%: All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century, and family suites at Art of Animation
• Excluded: Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, Campsites at Fort Wilderness

MODERATE RESORT SAVINGS

Travel 8/26 to 10/1:

• 20%: Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter
• 25%: Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Cabins at Fort Wilderness
• Excluded: none

Travel 10/2 to 11/5:

• 20%: Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Cabins at Fort Wilderness
• Excluded: none

DELUXE RESORT SAVINGS

Travel 8/26 to 10/1:

• 15%: Beach Club, Polynesian
• 20%: Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna view, Contemporary
• 30%: Animal Kingdom Lodge (other views)  BoardWalk Inn, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club
• Excluded: None

Travel 10/2 to 11/5:

• 15%: Beach Club, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge Savanna view, Contemporary
• 25%: Animal Kingdom Lodge (other views)  BoardWalk Inn, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club
• Excluded: None

DVC SAVINGS

Travel 8/26 to 10/1:

• 15%: Polynesian studios
• 20%: Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani and Jambo House villas, Beach Club Villas, Villas at the Wilderness Lodge
• 30%: BoardWalk Villas, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs
• Excluded: Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Bungalows, and Grand Floridian Villas.

Travel 10/2 to 11/5:

• 25%: Polynesian studio, Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani and Jambo House villas, Beach Club Villas, Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, BoardWalk Villas, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs
• Excluded: Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Bungalows, and Grand Floridian Villas.

To book the deal, contact Kelly at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

2016 DISNEY WORLD FREE DINING DEAL RELEASED

As expected, this morning Disney World’s fall 2016 free dining deal came out.

To book the deal, contact Kelly at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

It covers arrival dates of

• 8/23* to 10/1/2016
• 11/15 to 11/21
• 11/26 to 11/28
• 12/10 to 12/21

It requires a three night minimum stay, and a minimum of two ticket days including one of the extra cost Park Hopper or Water Parks and More add-on options.

Value resorts offer the Quick Service plan for free and moderates and deluxes the Regular Dining Plan

Excluded resorts include Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, All Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Bungalows, Grand Floridian Villas, and after 10/31, Port Orleans Riverside.

A room rate deal for the first half of the period also came out. For some families it will be a better deal.

For more on Free Dining, see this, and to book the deal contact Kelly at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

*Disney Visa cardholders can book for dates beginning 8/14

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

A friend of the site just let me know that South American travel agents are posting about Free Dining.

Here’s what they are saying:

Free Dining will become available for booking April 25th

It will cover arrival dates of

• 8/14* up to 10/1/2016
• 11/15 to 11/21
• 11/26 to 11/28
• 12/10 to 12/21

It will require a three night minimum stay, and a minimum of two ticket days.

Value resorts will offer the Quick Service plan for free and moderates and deluxes the Regular Dining Plan

Excluded resorts will include Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation, All Star Movies, Port Orleans French Quarter, Bay Lake Tower, Polynesian Bungalows and Grand Floridian Villas.

This is just a rumor, but parts of it jibe quite well with some other stuff that’s come out the last few days, and my source is usually reliable!!

For more on Free Dining, see this, and to sign up for the free dining watch list, see this!

*Other rumors have it beginning 8/23

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

My friends at Destinations in Florida have put together a Free Dining watch list!  Here’s the scoop and how to sign up!

Have you always dreamed of staying at one of the Disney Deluxe resorts? Has a Disney vacation been out of your family’s budget?

Well this may been just what you are looking for….. the Disney Free Dining Deal. This is Disney World’s most popular discount offer all year. Free Dining puts food in your belly and money back in your wallet!

While Disney hasn’t released any official notice of this discount offer, it has historically been offered to the public in mid to late spring each year for travel dates in fall (including September-December).

You can be among the first to hear about Free Disney Dining!

Sign up today for the yourfirstvisit.net Watch List and be the first to know about Disney’s 2016 Free Dining Discount. PLUS, you will receive a Mickey Mouse Fun Pack FREE, our gift to you.

Click here to sign up today!

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!