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Hi Everyone! As another year comes to a close, we would like to thank the members of the Affordable Disney team: Beth, our travel agent, and Omar, our ticket agent, who always work hard to help our members have fun and affordable Disney vacations. We would also like to express our appreciation to all our members and readers for supporting us in 2004. As we prepare the 9th edition of our "Secrets To An Affordable Walt Disney World® Vacation," we will continue to strive to make our book a valuable resource for those who seek to vacation at Walt Disney World without breaking the bank. Our goal will always be to produce, in the words of one of our affiliates, "the best e-book ever written on Disney World Discounts!" May all of you have a healthy and prosperous 2005! Now... Lean back, prop up your feet, and take a Disney break!
Deals and Updates as of December 30, 2004 We continuously update our information and you can find the latest additions in our Addenda:
WALT DISNEY WORLD:
DISNEYLAND, CALIFORNIA:
Log in today for more details. Not a member? Join our Disney family here.
News From Around The "World" DISNEY'S RESORT AIRLINE CHECK-IN SERVICE "Beginning May 5, Disney's Magical Express will allow guests to check their bags at their hometown airport, bypass baggage claim at Orlando International Airport (OIA) and board luxury motor coaches to the Walt Disney World® Resort - as their bags "magically" appear in their room upon check in... Disney's Magical Express service makes guests' return to OIA hassle-free as well. This convenient system lets guests avoid airport check-in lines by enabling passengers on domestic flights to check their luggage and receive a boarding pass before departing their Disney hotel. Guests with flight departures later in the day no longer have to worry about their luggage after they check out of their hotel. They can simply check their luggage at the Resort Airline Check-in Desk and then enjoy the last day of their stay..." The Swan and Dolphin hotel, the Downtown Disney resort hotels, and Shades of Green are not are not participating in Disney's Magical Express. American Airlines, Continental, Song, Delta, Ted, and United are currently in the program, but Disney plans to add others soon. The service may be included with packages and room-only bookings. Three weeks before arrival, you will receive all the details and luggage tags to attach before leaving home.
WDW Resort guests, including those staying at the Swan and Dolphin hotel and the Hilton at Downtown Disney can spend an hour in the morning or hours in the evening at the theme parks during Extra Magic Hours. Guests will need to show their Key to the World card. Here's the schedule, which is subject to change:
Sunday - Disney-MGM Studios (evening)
Starting January 4, those who book their package through the Walt Disney
Travel Company can enjoy the park one hour before the gates open to the general
public. Special activities include:
You must have a multi-day ticket to enjoy one morning during your stay. (Source: Promotional e-mail from Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort, 12/28/04) -------------------------------- Walk in and win January 15 at the Disney-MGM Studios and win at "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." "Everyone who wants to participate in Walk In and Win Week must be at the Main Entrance of the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida by 7:30 am on Saturday, January 15." (Source: http://millionairetv.com/, 12/21/04) For more details, click here. NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message, search the newspaper's archives for the story. |
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Amber writes: "My Mom will be going with us to Walt Disney World, but doesn't think she can walk it due to her bad knee. She's wanting to get something from her doctor for a wheelchair. Do you know what we need at Disney to get one?" You do not need anything to rent a wheelchair at WDW. But BE SURE to arrive early at the park to get one before they're all gone. You can get one at the Disney hotel when you check in if you want one all the time. Otherwise, see our book for rental sources that will deliver your wheelchair to you. Beth, our travel agent, adds: The Scoop on Wheelchairs and Scooters (ECVs)... Even people that don't normally use a wheelchair or scooter may want to use one for their theme park vacation. Let's face it: all that walking is tough on EVERYONE, and a person who is mobility-challenged to start with may find that their inability to move around quickly and easily under their own power makes for a mighty tough trip! All Disney theme parks rent wheelchairs at the entrance to the park. The push style comes in regular and wide and costs $7 a day, $1 of which will come back to you as a Disney dollar when you return the chair. You can NOT take the chairs from park to park, but if you keep your receipt from the first rental of the day and then present it at the next park they will not charge you again. The same holds true for ECVs, and the price is $45 a day ($10 of which is a refundable deposit). You can't reserve the chairs and ECVs, though, so if you change from one park to another and they are all gone at the second park then you're out of luck. If that's not an option, then tactic number two would be to get a chair from your Disney resort. This is, of course, assuming that you're staying at an onsite Disney resort. They all have a limited number of chairs available for FREE, and you can keep the chair your entire length of stay. You don't have to worry about getting it each day at the parks and you save money - but you will have to use the chair lift on the buses for transportation. More importantly, you can't pre-reserve the chairs at the hotel, either. It's first come, first served. So if you don't want to bring a chair or scooter from home, then your final option is to rent one from a local agency. I've used several and their daily rates run about the same as Disney's, but you usually get a price break if you keep it for a whole week. You have to provide your weight in order to get the chair or scooter best suited for you, and the company will have it delivered to your hotel for no charge. It's usually there when you arrive, but even companies that require you to call on arrival get them there quickly. Then you just leave it at bell services when you depart and the company will be by to pick it up. It works really well, and while you don't save much (if any) money, at least you have a working chair or ECV for your entire length of stay. All Disney rooms have doors wide enough to accommodate a normal wheelchair and many scooters. If you're using something extra-wide, you may have trouble not only with the doors, but also with the lifts on the transportation. Keep that in mind. All Disney hotels also have handicap-accessible rooms as well. There's a department that handles those requests, so they can accommodate most every need, from roll-in showers to shower stools to raised toilet seats - whatever you need. If you do need a special room, though, be sure to reserve well in advance because they are limited in number. I'd be happy to provide additional information on wheelchair or scooter rental, so feel free to send questions."
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 NOTE: Disney's new ticket prices kick in January 2, 2005, but you still have a chance to purchase tickets at 2004 prices! Omar writes: "We will have plenty of 4 and 5 day hopper Plus passes and 5 day regular hoppers at the old system and price. Disney will be honoring them... I should have them for a couple of weeks after January 2nd until we sell out." Details on how to purchase these special passes will be provided with your Disney access codes as soon as you join our Disney family.
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!
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.
Money Saving Tip AAA Taxi Limo: Orlando limos, sedans, and airport transportation. 407/363-3949 or 1-800-417-8298. Get $5.00 off each way with this coupon.
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
AffordableDisney.Com. Please forward our newsletter to your friends and family.
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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