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Hi Everyone!
In this issue...
Now... lean back, prop up your feet, and take a Disney break!
Deals and Updates as of June 1, 2005 We continuously update our information and you can find these current specials in our Addenda: WALT DISNEY WORLD
A reminder...
"Hi John, I just joined your affordable Disney group. My wife and I have been planning a trip to Disney World in December. When we ... saw the prices we were just awed." -------------------------------- Get a Universal Savings Booklet with over $150 in resort wide savings! The savings are resort wide and include:
-------------------------------- Stay at this Downtown Disney Resort from $69 per night! Upgrade to a Disney View Tower room overlooking Downtown Disney and Epcot's nightly IllumiNations for only $10 extra per night! Valid for stays between August 14 through September 30, 2005. -------------------------------- DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA Save up to $40.00 on Disneyland Park Hopper Tickets! Plus! Receive a discount coupon for up to 20% savings on Disneyland merchandise with your ticket purchase! Members of this organization living in Southern California can buy a ticket which grants admission to Disneyland or Disney's California Adventure for 4 days for $89 (all ages)! That's less than $25 per day! Ticket must be used by 06/23/05. -------------------------------- OTHER VACATION SPECIALS
Stay at this luxury Hotel & Casino select nights May through August 31,
2005 from $79.99 per night! Offer must be booked by June 5, 2005. Included
with your stay:
-------------------------------- Affordable Disney Members should log in at our password-protected site (The Disney Reading Room) to access the particulars about the above mentioned specials. If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here.
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.
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD" WDW 2006 Room Rates and Season Dates Beth, our travel agent, writes: The 2006 rates are in, and the news is pretty much as expected: The rates have gone up a bit. Value resort rates for regular season aren't changing, but they're up $2 a night for value season, $6 a night for peak season, and $6 a night for holiday season. Moderate resorts room rates have gone up $5-6 across the board, except that water view and king bed rooms in 'regular" season are up $10 over this year. The increase on suites at Coronado Springs resort range from $10 - $30 per night. The rate "seasons" for value and moderate resorts are similar to the revised calendar for this year.
Value season: 1/1 - 2/15, 8/27 - 10/4, 11/26 - 12/19 The deluxe resorts have the biggest changes. At the lower priced ones (Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge) they're up $5-15 a night, with as much as a $30 a night increase on the larger suites. Popular deluxe resorts like the Polynesian are seeing larger increases (from $11 and up). Increases at the Villas are in the $10-20 a night range. Campsite rates are up $1-$3 a night, and the cabin rates are up $5-10 a night. The rate calendar for deluxe and Home Away From Home resorts is the same as for the value and moderate resorts EXCEPT that the rates drop to value season on 7/5 instead of 8/26. There's also a category of pricing that only applies to campsites, called pre-holiday, which runs 11/17 - 12/19 (similar to this year)." |
Resources
 Affordable Airfare
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MORE NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD" Grand Gatherings Prices Going Up! Beth continues: Effective for events booked on or after July 3, there will be some new pricing in effect for Grand Gatherings events.
Grand Gatherings participants can now order a special collector pin ($6.50 each), and they've also come out with a custom t-shirt that has a blue and green Magical Gathering/castle logo on the front and the name and date of your gathering screened on the back. Prices for shirts are $17/$15/$13 for adult/child/infant. All prices are plus FL sales tax." -------------------------------- "When Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants stroll through the lobby at the Nickelodeon Family Suites by Holiday Inn, all decorum is lost... Orange and green are just two of the 75 colors of paint splashed about the 777- room Holiday Inn -- the first hotel to merge Nickelodeon with a kid-friendly design and operating plan that puts wee folk first." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 05/28/05) For the rest of the story, click here. -------------------------------- "Almost seven months after its grand reopening, Cypress Gardens Adventure Park continues to grow. Today, dozens of animals will officially be unveiled in Nature's Way, the park's redesigned and refurbished animal exhibit." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 05/26/05) For the rest of the story, click here. -------------------------------- Closed for rehab: Disney's Contemporary Resort South Garden Wing: May 30 - Oct. 31
Disneyland California "The Nestlé Toll House Junior Chef Baking Experience allows children between the ages of 4-10 to help make a batch of Nestlé Toll House cookies from scratch. This exciting activity (complimentary to Guests on a first-come, first-serve basis) takes place up to five times a day on the patio of the Plaza Pavilion at the end of Main Street, U.S.A." (Source: Promotional email from Disneyland Resort, 05/31/05) -------------------------------- What's New at Attractions outside Disneyland "Creation has been described as "a wonderfully original masterpiece of moving, intelligent theater that unapologetically tackles the age-old question of the origin of life." Is it science, God, or a little bit of both? You decide...Call 800/549-6177 or see http://www.creationlive.com for tickets and information." "The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific debuts Whales: A Journey with Giants on May 27, 2005. "On December 7, 2004, Knott's Berry Farm introduced their brand new attraction - Silver Bullet. Knott's seventh roller coaster has been billed as the longest, tallest and fastest suspended rollercoaster in the West." "LEGOLAND California's new Knights' Tournament attraction opened May 16, 2005... Miniland New York City received a two-million-LEGO brick renovation in March 2005... Wild Woods Golf... mini-golf... is scheduled to open June 2005." "SeaWorld Adventure Park San Diego launched its all-new sea lion and otter show, Clyde and Seamore in Deep, Deep Trouble, on March 19, 2005." "Universal Studios Hollywood launches its newest attraction Fear Factor Live in June 2005. Based on the popular NBC program 'Fear Factor,'... Guests can compete against each other in a series of extreme stunts that have been developed with help from the show's creators." Scroll down for a $10.00 coupon off General Admission or Front of the Line Pass. Valid March 20, 2005-March 31, 2006. (Source: Email promotion from Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, 05/26/05) -------------------------------- Closed for rehab:
Disneyland Park -------------------------------- 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. Certain newspapers require a free registration to view their articles online.
"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 $300.00! Thanks." Janet Handy, Bel Air, MD "Plenty of roadside outfits in Orlando promise discounted tickets, but most of them really want to rope you into a time-share sales pitch in exchange for vouchers - accept at your own risk. [Affordable Disney's ticket agent], though, is legit." The New York Post, November 16, 2004. NEVER overpay again! Join our Disney family today and keep that extra money in YOUR pocket!
Beth, our travel agent, answers some assorted questions: Q: If I go often, but not necessarily every year, does it make sense to use the No Expiration option? A: If you come for a few days every year or every other year then you could buy a 10-day ticket, add park hopping and no expiration to it, and still bring the cost per day in around $35 a day with tax. You can't come close to that with shorter tickets. On the other hand, you might not want (or be able) to put out that much money now, and so you'll just have to buy the shorter tickets and pay more per day. Q: Does Disney do air? Does everyone have to fly from the same place? A: Yes, Disney will do your air for you, but only if you are getting a package and only if you need domestic air. (They don't even cover Canada.) Sometimes they have better rates than you can get otherwise, but more often the rate is the same or even higher than what you can get otherwise. So it pays to see what Disney can do, and if they can beat or match what you find then great. If not, don't hesitate to do the air separately. And no, not everyone in the room has to fly from the same place, but Disney's online reservation system can't handle multiple origin points so you'll have to go through a travel agent or Disney directly to get the different cities. Q: Is tax and gratuity included with the meal plan? A: Yes. Although it isn't spelled out in some descriptions, tax and gratuity are covered for both table service and counter service meals. (The Pepper Market is the only counter service place where gratuities are charged. It is also the only place you can get the most value from your counter service meal credits.)
Christa writes: "John, We are planning a trip to Disney/DCL in October. I have planned for magical express for transportation. How long is the wait at the airport? Is it worth it....or should I book through Mears? Our flight is due to get in at noon...and I don't want to wait long...can't wait to get to WDW!!! thanks for your help with our dilemma!" The wait at the airport is short - just minutes. The wait for your luggage to arrive at your hotel can take hours. I would use it. Disney should have the bugs worked out by October! Karen loved it: "I just returned from a land/sea/land trip it was wonderful. The Magical Express was great. We had booked this trip before this system went into effect, but it worked great, a little confusion at the airport on arrival, but overall it was great. Leaving the French Quarter was so easy, we did the resort/airport check in so we were able to get our boarding passes right at the resort, the luggage was taken and tagged from there so when we got to Orlando airport all we had to do was go through the security screening and we were all set. When we got off the plane at home, everything was there! I love your site and have gotten so much information from you, I just had to let you know about this." Thanks again, Karen, for the wonderful feedback and your kind comments.
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price. Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have been marked down to $1.99. Exclusively for Affordable Disney Readers: Save $5.00 on an order of $35 or more! Coupon code: bookcloseouts; Coupon password: bargainbooks. Expires December 31, 2005. Click here to check out the bargains.
Fran writes: "Hi John, Thanks for all the wonderful information in your newsletter. I have saved plenty of $$$ using your tips over my 3 last trips to Disney. My question to you is about the Food & Wine Festival in Oct/Nov this year. I've convinced 3 of my friends that this is a great time to go. I experienced it two years ago. How can I find out more about the timetable, or how to make reservations for any of the special dinners or seminars. We want to go when we can do a few of the 'special' things. Thanks for all your help." Call 407/939-3378 for information or to make reservations. Disney will publish more details this summer at Disney's site.
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!
Money Saving Tips Ronnie's Steak House: 7500 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. 407/313-3000. Ronnie's Steak House features beef, seafood, lobsters, wines, personalized service, and live entertainment daily. Receive a complimentary cocktail with purchase of entrée. Click here. Scroll down for coupon. Offer Expires December 31, 2005. Got Coupons? Here's a great deal on the 2005 Edition of the Orlando Entertainment Book, which can save you thousands on travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more! All 2005 Entertainment books are FREE when you pre-order the exciting 2006 edition! Offer expires July 31, 2005. For details, 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
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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