Disney theme-park vacations and cruises may be priceless, but they're not cheap. Kim Wright Wiley, author of Fodor’s Walt Disney World With Kids, writes in Fodor.com’s “Conquering Disney” that a family of four will spend approximately $500 per day on a Walt Disney World vacation. This figure includes park tickets, food, and souvenirs but excludes accommodations and travel. By using resources specializing in Disney deals, families planning their trips can enjoy significant savings.
Recommended Online Resources for Researching Disney Deals
The official Disney site is a good place to start researching prices because it provides the basics for people planning their first trip – or their fiftieth. But sorting through Disney’s packages and add-on options can be confusing and its focus isn’t on budget travel. Neither does Disney provide information on other money-saving opportunities, such as staying at nearby non-Disney hotels, buying discount theme-park tickets, or getting deals on rental cars.
So, where does the cost-conscious Disney traveler look for reliable information? Mousesavers.com and TheMouseforLess.com are two websites that focus on discount Disney travel, compiling current promotions and discounts. Both are respected sources that have been praised by travel experts. Using these sites to research a Disney vacation can save time and money.
Mousesavers and The Mouse For Less
Mousesavers and The Mouse for Less cover Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Lines. They offer easy-to-find information on package deals, promotional codes, eligible dates of travel, and any restrictions. The sites, for instance, clearly identify discounts available to specific groups, including Florida residents, AAA and CAA members, military personnel and veterans, Disney Visa cardholders, Annual Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club members.
Both websites offer free copies of their newsletters via email. The e-newsletters are convenient ways to receive the sites’ most recent information.
Mousesavers Focuses on Disney Discounts of All Types
Mousesavers is the single most efficient resource for finding Disney deals. The site is run by Mary Waring, who in 2001 began researching Disney discounts for her personal travel. The site now includes over 300 pages of free information on discounts, and has been praised by numerous sources, including travel writer Arthur Frommer, who referred to Mousesavers as "one of the best resources for significant Disney discounts” in his April/May 2002 “Budget Travel” column.
Mousesavers includes deals on non-Disney accommodations, dining, and attractions that might appeal to tourists looking for additional options, as well as information on discounted tickets and rental car codes. Beyond the parks and cruises, Mousesavers covers discounts on Disney’s Broadway and ice shows, magazines, and merchandise.
Mousesavers has several useful features. Updated frequently, Mousesavers has been known to publish new deals before they are officially announced. It archives past Disney discounts, enabling users to see deals that historically have been offered during the travel dates of their planned trip. Mousesavers also identifies “preferred hotels,” those non-Disney hotels and resorts that Waring reviews and recommends, and offers special deals to the site’s users.
The Mouse for Less Provides Budget Disney Travel Planning
The Mouse For Less is a Disney-planning travel website similar to the official Disney website, but focused on discounts and budget travel packages. Established in 1999, its tagline is “Get More Value for Your Vacation Dollars.” In addition to discount codes, the site provides general-planning information on the theme parks, resort, dining and menus, and current Disney news.
The Mouse for Less is sponsored by its own agency, the no-fees The Magic for Less Travel, and is affiliated with several other companies specializing in travel. Its deals include Disney discounts that can be booked by individuals as well as packages that may be booked through its sponsors.
The Mouse for Less distinguishes itself from other budget-travel websites by encouraging its online community of 10,000 members to share ideas. The website schedules chats several times a week. It also hosts two Yahoo! Group communities – one for theme parks and one for cruises – so that its members can join to learn and share money-saving and other tips.
Both Mousesavers and The Mouse for Less help travelers looking to save money on a Disney vacation to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or one of the Disney cruises. A Disney trip can be expensive, but these sites provide useful, timely information to help make it more affordable.
Related Article: Disney World Discounts for Select Groups and AAA Walt Disney World Travel Discounts
Debra Peterson - A freelance writer and scholar, Debra Peterson specializes in Disney Studies, with particular interests in Walt Disney World and ...
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