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Hi Everyone! Lean back, prop up your feet, and take a Disney break!
Deals and Updates as of November 04, 2004 We continuously update our information and you can find the latest additions in our Addenda: WALT DISNEY WORLD: Just a reminder...
Book the following deals while rooms at these rates are still available:
New this week...
DISNEYLAND, CALIFORNIA:
Log in today for more details. Not a member? Join our Disney family here.
4-Day Park Hopper Pass Special Purchase Get them for $10.00 less than Disney charges at their site! It comes with all the bells and whistles of a normal 4-Day Park Hopper, but it expires 14 days from its first use. However, for people who plan on going just 4 days, it's a great deal. This pass is only available for advance order purchasing. 4-Day Park Hopper Plus Pass Our ticket agent writes: "I have acquired the new Disney 4-Day Park Hopper Plus Pass. It is not sold at the gate or AAA. You get 1 "plus" day for the Water Parks or Pleasure Island. It has no expiration date." You must purchase this pass in advance. So order early! Our agent also has great prices on tickets to other popular attractions in Florida. "I thought I knew all the tips for saving money at WDW, even being a member of the Magic Kingdom Club for over 15 years, but just learning about [your ticket agent] saved our family over $300!!! Thanks." Janet Handy, Bel Air, MD Details on how to purchase these special passes will be provided with your Disney access codes as soon as you join our Disney family.
Disney's Visa® Credit Card from Bank One®
Disney's Visa Card -- a way to take your family on the vacation they've been wishing for sooner and even more affordably than you ever thought possible! For more details, click here.
Kate writes: "Hi John, continuing to enjoy your book online. just wondered if you had any suggestions, i am taking my sister and a few family members to disney in october. i want to get shirts made, and wasn't sure if there was any special way to get them made with a disney theme. i have looked online, but am willing to look locally. any ideas? it is her 50th birthday we will be celebrating." You can buy Disney shirts at DisneyDirect.com. You can personalize them. I searched for "personalized." Glad you are enjoying the book! |
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News From Around The "World" You can download Disney icons, fonts and mouse cursors here. Disney is adding days to its special events, which now cover 170 days of the calendar. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/03/04) For the rest of the story, click here. "So, you're a pro at finding hidden Mickeys... Ready for a new challenge? Decipher the alien writing at Stitch's Great Escape, opening this month in the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Imagineers created a real alphabet for Stitch, replacing every letter with an alien symbol. You'll find clues throughout the attraction, where many of the signs are written in both alien and English..." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/01/04) "Look for SeaWorld to bring back its Mistify water and fireworks show during the holidays, starting the day after Christmas. The popular night-time finale played to big crowds over the summer." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/03/04) -------------------------------- The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights returns to MGM Nov. 24, 2004 through Jan. 2, 2005. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party will take place Nov. 28 and 30, Dec. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 17 at the Magic Kingdom. Advance tickets: $36.95 plus tax for adults; $26.95 plus tax for children 3-9. $42.95 plus tax and $32.95 plus tax at the gate Call 1-800-327-2996 to buy tickets. Holidays Around the World will take place Nov. 28-Dec. 30. Celebrations include the Candlelight Processional from Nov. 26 through Dec. 30 at America Gardens Theatre at Epcot's World Showcase. For more information, call contact 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463). Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park welcomes the holiday season with Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade Nov. 30 through Jan. 2, 2005. Shoppers can enjoy the Festival of the Seasons at Downtown Disney. Festivities include holiday decorations, carolers, tree lightings, concerts, and a photo op with Santa daily Nov. 20 - Dec. 24. Closed for refurbishment:
Magic Kingdom:
Blizzard Beach water park: 10/24/04-12/11/04 Disney Cruise Line® celebrates the holidays with a tree-lighting ceremony; snow; a visit from Santa Goofy; gingerbread houses, holiday feasts and religious services; a New Year's party; Castaway Cay "transformed...into a 'snowy' holiday hideaway." (Source: Promotional email from Walt Disney World® Resort and Disney Cruise Line®, 11/02/04)
Are You Suffering Withdrawal From WDW? You know ... that empty feeling you get when you arrive back home from your vacation at WDW and realize it may be a while before you experience that Disney magic again? We have had that feeling ourselves many times. Yet, we always seem to feel better when we read about the experiences of others who share their trip reports with us. It's almost like being there again. We invite you, our readers, to send us some feedback about your experiences during your latest vacation at WDW. Reports on Disney weddings, honeymoons, cruises, and resort vacations on and off Disney property are all welcome. Send your email to: johngross@affordabledisney.com . Thanks!
Beth, our travel agent, writes about Disney meal vouchers: "Let me clear up the misconception that having meal vouchers in hand will save you a ton of money. They might - but then again, they might not. Quick & Casual (Q&C) Breakfast vouchers get you a complete meal with beverage at many COUNTER SERVICE locations in the parks and resorts. There is also a regular Breakfast Voucher that covers buffets, breakfast at many sit-down locations, and even character breakfasts. There are full-service lunch and dinner vouchers that get you a full meal at many of the sit-down locations, and there are my personal favorites: the Q&C Lunch/Dinner vouchers good at many counter service locations. All vouchers cover tax and, where applicable, gratuity. A non-alcoholic beverage is included, as is dessert for lunch and dinner, so they really do cover very complete meals. All vouchers have expiration dates, so keep that in mind and don't buy until a few weeks before you travel. There are also variations of the above types of vouchers. For instance, there's a "student" Quick & Casual Lunch/Dinner voucher that Disney sells for slightly less than the regular kind, but it is only good at a fraction of the places that the other one is - and Beaches & Cream and Coronado's Pepper Market are NOT on the list. If you are planning on a Pepper Market steak dinner at a huge savings, you need to be sure that you are purchasing a voucher that specifically names that as a valid location for use! How much can you save? It depends on how you eat. If you take a look at the menus of places you're likely to eat (these are available online so you can look in advance) and choose the items you'd *normally* buy, you can then compare the cost to what you'd spend on a voucher. Don't forget to include 6.5% tax and 15% gratuity (where applicable) so you're comparing apples to apples. I used two student-priced vouchers back in May that I got for $10.50 each to cover two adult dinner platters, dessert, and beverages at Port Orleans French Quarter's Sassagoula Floatworks that would have cost us around $35. We got so much food that we shared with our six-year-old daughter, so $21 worth of vouchers served three of us an outstanding dinner with dessert and beverages. If we'd been more in the mood for a burger or didn't want dessert, though, the savings would have been substantially less. Disney doesn't sell meal vouchers direct to the public. They sell them to meeting and travel planners. Sometimes meeting attendees or group members will end up with leftover meal vouchers and those often surface on EBay. There are also some companies that have managed to qualify for bulk purchase of the vouchers (assumably under the guise of being tourism-related) and they then resell the vouchers. Again, the purchasers often turn around and resell them on EBay. My feeling is that most of the vouchers cost so much that you really have to make an effort to cover your voucher cost. That isn't my idea of a fun way to spend vacation! The exception is the Quick & Casual Lunch and Dinner vouchers - IF you get a good price on them. Don't pay more than $15 each, though, or you'll have that same challenge. There is a ticket broker in Orlando that sells two types of vouchers; however, the price they charge is so high that it makes it extra hard to get your money's worth. As previously mentioned you can get them on EBay, but you need to know what you're buying and who you're buying from. You also need to understand what type of voucher you're bidding on, and what version of that type it is. If you're not clear on the details, be sure to ask the seller. Finally, there is a company called MemberWorks, Inc. (MWI) that operates under a variety of names including Simple Escapes, Connections, and HotWire Savings Club. They sell meal vouchers and discounted tickets (among other things), but you have to pay to join. They often give a 30 day free trial, so ideally you'd want to join, buy what you want, and get out before you're charged the sometimes-hefty membership fees. I joined Simple Escapes and purchased four meal vouchers last year with no trouble and at a very fair price. I also managed to cancel the membership and only got charged the $1 trial fee - but hundreds (thousands?) of other people haven't been so lucky and consequently MWI has stacks of lawsuits against them. If you want to go this route, go for the HotWire Club because the membership fee is low and you'll at least have HotWire (a reputable group) to gripe to if something goes wrong. They are currently offering a free 30-day membership. If you have trouble, though, just remember that you've been warned! Note that all Affordable Disney packages offer the option of getting a variety of meal vouchers. The cost for a Quick & Casual Lunch/Dinner voucher is $12.50. You must have at least one room night booked in order to qualify for this benefit."
Money Saving Tip Disney Direct Clearance Sales: Beth writes: "I met with our new Disney sales rep today who mentioned to me that it looks like the sale of the Disney Store chain to Children's Place will go through sometime next month. She suggested that, while she knows nothing at all officially about the plans that CP has for the stores, Disney fans might want to start watching for big clearance sales - and I'd say she's probably correct, but who knows what the timing will be on it. Click here."
YOU CAN AFFORD DISNEY WORLD! If you THINK a Disney vacation costs too much ... WE AGREE! That's why we created the ULTIMATE Disney savings site. Save up to 40% on your total trip. Learn about discounts on tickets, food, Disney merchandise, hotels ON Disney property, travel, parking, and MUCH more. Too much to list here. See it all at here. "We just got back from a great trip ... and thanks to you and your great advice, [we] saved money and time! ... In total we saved about $3,000.00 for our group of 6. We are going back within a year to use our passes again, and think our per person cost will be in the $150-200 range, flights and all." Michael Barrett, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
All for the price of a fast food
Well, that's it for now. THE DISNEY NEWS is a free service provided by
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See You Real Soon! John
http://www.affordabledisney.com
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained in The Disney News. Always check to be sure. The views and opinions expressed by others in The Disney News do not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com. Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens and other companies mentioned on our site and in our newsletter are registered trademarks of their respective companies. The use of these trademarks is for editorial reasons only. No endorsement by the Walt Disney Company or any other company is implied.
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