Here are a handful of inexpensive activities and destinations to consider…

Disney’s Boardwalk, reminiscent of Atlantic City Boardwalk in the 1940s, offers plenty of family fun at little or no cost. For those staying on a Disney property, Disney transportation is available to transport you to the Boardwalk. If you are driving, you can get a free 3-hour parking permit from the lot attendant.

• The promenade along the water offers a breathtaking view. It’s fun to stroll and look around.
• Often you will see street performers, such as jugglers, comedians, jazz ensembles or fire-eaters.
• Vendors along the Boardwalk sell inexpensive food treats.
• Carnival-style games are available for a small cost. Try your luck!
• Watch the Friendship Boats coming and going.

Downtown Disney offers a number of free and inexpensive things to do:
• Wonderful interactive fountains are amazing and fun. And what a great backdrop for your take-home photos! Jump in and enjoy!
• The kids will go wild at the Lego Imagination Center. The Center offers a 3,000-square-foot play area filled with thousands of Lego blocks. Huge Lego sculptures are also available to study and admire.
• Stop by the Magic Masters shop and see the FREE magic demonstrations. You may learn a few tricks yourself.
• Pleasure Island is an un-gated area at night. That means during the evening hours, guests are allowed in at no charge. It’s a fun place to soak up the ambiance – for free!

A little-known area known called Fort Wilderness offers one of the greatest bargains at Disney World, and lots of low-cost fun. Families can come in their own RV or rent one of the cabins. Either way, bring a few of your own basic groceries as the prices in the area stores are a little high.
Air-conditioned cabins (about 400 of them) offer the following amenities:
• Fully-equipped kitchens
• Dining table with seating for six
• Air conditioning
• Irons, ironing boards, coffee makers, hairdryers and VCRs in each room
• Patio deck
• Picnic table and charcoal grill
• Fold-away crib
• In-room safes
• Disney Channel and ESPN
• Daily housekeeping
• Access to nearby laundry facilities/services

The Campfire Program at Fort Wilderness is open to all Disney World guests. You’ll find it near the Meadow Trading Post in the campfire area. A Disney Cast Member leads the sing-a-long while the kids roast marshmallows over the open fire. Your can bring your own marshmallows and snacks, or purchase them at the Chuckwagon.

The kids will be thrilled when Chip and Dale make an appearance and sign autographs. All this is followed by a Disney feature film on the large outdoor screen. Bleachers and benches are available or you can bring your own blankets.

Two heated outdoor swimming pools are available for Fort Wilderness guests – one near the Meadow Trading Post, the second smaller one located near the cabin area.
Guests appreciate the fact that at Fort Wilderness, a boat ferries between Magic Kingdom and the Fort Wilderness dock, which means they beat the crowds following the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks show.

Here is how the promotion works:

- You have to register at the Disney World website and enter the birthdays for each family member that might use the discount.

- After registering, you will be directed to a confirmation page that you can print out at home.  Disney will also send you an email two weeks before each birthday that can also be used as a confirmation.

(Note: you don’t have to register to receive free admission as long as you have a valid ID when you enter the park.  However, unregistered participants will have to fill out the form in line so save yourself the time and headache by registering in advance.)

- There are other birthday specials available if you have already purchased a package or multi-day park ticket.  You can choose from ONE of the following:

1. A special birthday FASTPASS that lets you bypass long lines for certain attractions within the park you visit on your birthday.
2. A one-day Magic Your Way base ticket that can be used any time until your next birthday.
3. A birthday fun card in an amount equal to the price of a one-day Magic Your Way base ticket.  These are good for merchandise, recreation or fun activities at select participating locations at Disney World.  This card is only valid on the actual date of birth and any unused balance will expire the next day.

- Only adults over the age of 18 may register family members, and each participant receiving free admission must be accompanied by a registered adult who has proper identification.

If you are getting ready to plan your Disney vacation then it only makes sense to try and time it around this birthday promotion if possible.  Not only will it save you money, but we can’t think of a better way to spend a birthday then with Mickey Mouse and the Magic Kingdom!

Don’t Forget the Miscellaneous
Most people already know that hotels and theme parks are not the place to buy standard consumer products, but inexperienced Disney-goers will be surprised at how expensive Orlando is in general.  For this reason it is essential to pack as many of your daily essentials as possible.  Things like sunscreen, batteries, and ponchos are in high demand in and around the park.  It may add some bulk to your suitcase, but it will keep you from wasting your fun money on these overpriced necessities.

Snack Attack
One of the easiest ways to avoid high priced concession items is to bring goodie bags for the kids.  Things like crackers, granola bars, and dry cereal will only cost you pennies compared to the options within the park.  Of course it is fun to enjoy an ice cream cone on the premises, but you don’t want to have to shell out $20 every time your kids get the munchies.  Perhaps just as important is the fact that you can control their nutritional intake by planning in advance.

Extra Clothes for the Little Ones
Disney World is a very interactive experience and that means your little one has a good chance of getting wet, dirty, or even both.  There are several play fountains and hands-on activities that might require a clean shirt or shorts.  You don’t want to pay $30 for a new Mickey Mouse t-shirt just because you forgot to bring a spare.  Even if you don’t allow your kids to play in the water, it only takes one spilled drink to ruin a dry outfit.  This is one experience you don’t want to go through.

Medicine for the Family
It goes without saying that you should have an extra supply of any prescriptions your family may need, but you should also consider remedies for the unpredictable.  Aspirin, antacids, and even lip balm can add up quickly if you buy them at the park.  Consider carrying a small assortment of these essentials with you in your bag.  Not only will it help to provide instant relief, but you will be able to choose your trusted brands in advance.

Surprise Packs
Rest assured that the good folks at Disney know exactly how to entice your child.  Nearly every corner will have some sort of souvenir for purchase.  You can control outrageous spending on toys and trinkets by planning ahead.  Make your own surprise packs filled with cost effective toys purchased outside of the park grounds.  You can use these to satisfy a case of the “gimmies” and they can also be used as a bargaining chip when things start to turn a little cranky.

Vacationing at Disney World can be expensive, but there are ways to cut costs by planning ahead.  The key is to find ways to maximize your spending money by avoiding what we call the desperate purchases.  These are things you either desperately need or want.  In most cases you steer clear of them all together by thinking about the challenges involved with spending a whole day on the park grounds.  The better you plan for these events the more you will save.

Make an Itinerary
You might be hesitant to plan every step of your vacation, but the fact is that having a certain goals for each day can be a real time saver in the end.  Depending on the age of your children, there is certain to be a handful of prime attractions they will want to see.  Since these attractions will also likely have the longest lines, it is better to spread them out across a couple of days to avoid spending an entire day waiting in line.  Disney World is a huge complex with thousands of things to see and do.  Unless you map out a strategy for your visit you will risk missing out on the full experience.

Spend One Day Outside the Park
One of the things that first timers often forget is that Orlando is home to a host of other theme parks besides Disney World.  While the Magic Kingdom is the highlight of the city, it can lose a bit of its luster after a few days.  Don’t forget to mix things up in the middle of your vacation by exploring the other alternatives.  Not only can this rejuvenate your family’s enthusiasm, but it will add even more memories to your trip.

Have a Rainy Day Plan
Orlando features some of the best weather conditions that the United States has to offer, but it is certainly not immune to rainy days.  The humidity in the summer can produce severe weather on short notice, so having a backup plan is essential.  There are plenty of theatres and museum-like attractions that are perfect for bad weather, but it is important to know where they are before needing them.  Don’t forget that everyone else will be looking for the same type of entertainment on these days, so any advance knowledge you have will help you beat the rush and secure a seat.

Don’t Overdo It
With the overload of fun opportunities to be found at Disney World it is easy to fall into the temptation of pushing your family too far.  There are only so many hours in a day and the younger your children are, the more sensitive they will be to extended activity.  Allowing for plenty of pool-time and other laid back activities is essential to a relaxing vacation.  As much as you would like to hit all of the feature attractions, it is more important that the kids have fun.  This won’t be possible if they become tired or overextended after long hours in the hot sun.

Your first visit to Disney World is bound to be one of the most memorable vacations you will ever have.  That being said, you can maximize the good times by creating a simple checklist to ensure everyone has a great trip.  This includes identifying the key sites you want to visit and planning each day appropriately.  Using helpful resources like the Disney World Savings Guide makes it easy to do this even if you have never been to Orlando before.

Our pick as the best resource for planning a fun and budget-friendly trip is the Disney World Savings Guide written by Beth Haworth.  Beth is a former employee of Disney World and she has combined her work experience with a vast knowledge of the Orlando area to write the most comprehensive book on vacationing at Disney.

As you would expect from a book of this nature, there are plenty of insightful tips to help you find the biggest discounts on travel and park tickets, but it is the other tidbits of information she includes that separates this guide from any other product on the market.

Beth redefines the title of “park expert” by offering hundreds of little-known strategies to improve your family’s stay at Disney World.  From finding to the best restaurants to avoiding long lines, the Disney World Savings Guide is much more than just a book on saving money – it is the complete resource to having a great vacation.

At only $29.95 you will undoubtedly get your money back on this investment as the average customer saves hundreds of dollars on their vacation.  Since it comes in an ebook format, you will be able to download it and start reading right away (no waiting for mail delivery).  Best of all it includes a money back guarantee and lifetime access to future updates. 

We are happy to give Beth Haworth’s Disney World Vacation Guide our full endorsement.  The information she provides is invaluable for first-timers, but even seasoned Disney travelers will find countless ways to improve their next visit to America’s favorite theme park.

Click Here for the Website

But you can have fun with young kids at Disney, even if your three-year-old is two hours past his nap time.  The key is to have some unique strategies planned to keep your kids interested in their surroundings.  Here some tips that will make things easier.

Plan Plenty of Play Time
In all fairness to our little ones, it is not easy being cooped up in a stroller all day.  There is so much to do at Disney and as a parent you can expect that your child will want to participate in all of the fun.  You can prevent boredom and crankiness by taking advantage of the many play areas within the park.  Get your kids out of the stroller as much as possible so that they can burn off some of their excitement and wonder.  If you want to visit some of the more adult attractions, do so in moderation and try to plan them after your small ones have had their chance to play.

Bring Extra Clothes
This may be an obvious tip to an experienced parent, but it is still worth mentioning.  Disney World is filled with fountains, ice cream, and other goodies that have the potential of being messy.  No one wants to be stuck with a wet shirt or dirty pants, so make sure you have a spare outfit on the ready.  This will allow you to let your kids run wild, while feeling comfortable that you have a backup plan if they get a little too caught up in the excitement.

Keep Their Minds Occupied
Kids rarely complain about anything when they are having fun, but the crankiness grows as soon as boredom sets in.  You can counter this behavior by keeping your kids engaged with their surroundings.  Invent little games and goals to encourage their participation.  You can give them their own disposable camera, have them collect autographs, or simply count all of the Mickey Ears they see.   These simple games will keep them occupied during downtimes like waiting in line or walking to the next destination.

Souvenirs on the Last Day Only
Every parent knows what it is like to try and escape the toy store without your kid asking for something.  Well the toy store is nothing compared to all of the trinkets you will find for sale at Disney.  In order to maintain your sanity and budget, make a pact with your children that they can each have two or three souvenirs on the last day of your vacation.  Encourage them to browse the stores and think carefully about what they want.  This will create excitement and anticipation while preventing you from hearing “mommy please” at every turn down the midway.

Disney World was made to accommodate all children of all ages, but that doesn’t mean that parents won’t need some tricks up their sleeve in order to survive multiple days at the park. By utilizing some of the tips here, you can create a winning situation for both you and your little ones.

Keep their ages foremost in mind….

Choose rides and activities that are age appropriate, your toddler will not appreciate the Tower of Terror and your teenagers will want to pluck out their fingernails on It’s a Small World. If you are traveling with children of wide age ranges, then a compromise will be in order. Some options are to split up, do alternate half days or make it clear that if they do this for two hours, will then do that. Find other ways to keep them amused if they are out of their element, younger kids may nap in line ups, older kids might be amused with their Game Boys etc.

Balance out your days…

The younger the children, the less you will be able to pack into one day. Try not to do it all at once. Let you family pick and choose the rides and events they really, really want and focus on those. A day at the parks can be followed by a day at a water park or relaxing by the hotel pool.

Disney tips for young children…

Make sure you plan for plenty of naps and rest times, bring a stroller, choose hotels close to the parks or stay on site so you can get back and forth easily, bring snacks and juice along, go at your child’s pace. Some children will love all the excitement, others may find it too much, so take your cues from your child and go at THEIR pace.

Disney tips for older children…

Give them some breathing room, let them explore on their own if possible, set a time and meeting place if they do go off on their own, bring walkie-talkies or cell phones to stay in touch, don’t force them to do things they don’t want to do, remember it’s a vacation – it’s supposed to be relaxing right?

Try to avoid releasing the beast…

The most important guideline to follow on your Disney vacation, or any family vacation for that matter, is to not let your children get too hungry or too tired. All parents are familiar with the tired, hungry, cranky child. On vacation, when they are probably already out of sorts, pushing them to the limit should be avoided. Keep an eye on meal times and nap times and try to keep them on track. Rest before the kids are exhausted and eat before they are ready to chew their own arms off.

Keep in mind these guidelines and you and your children can enjoy a Disney vacation at any age!

Jolana Klobouk is a former travel agent who has traveled extensively for work and vacations with her family. For more travel information, visit her travel websites: http://www.best-family-beach-vacations.com and http://www.FlyFromCanada.com

New Year of a Million Dreams attractions at Disney World include Finding Nemo. The Musical at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot. Based on Disney’s animated classic, the Broadway-style Finding Nemo - The Musical boasts music, dance, acrobatics, puppetry and incredible animated backdrops. Finding Nemo  The Musical takes place at the state-of-the-art Theater in the Wild. The Sea with Nemo & Friends allows you to ride aboard a clamobile and revisit all of your favorite Finding Nemo characters, including Nemo, Dory, Marlin and Crush. The Seas with Nemo & Friends Pavilion (formerly The Living Seas Pavilion) boasts a 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium.

Other special events and attractions that will take place at Disney World during the Year of a Million Dreams include Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial (Adventureland), The Happily Ever After Party (Cinderella Castle), Woody’s Cowboy Camp (Frontierland), High School Musical Pep Rally (Tomorrowland), the Dream Along With Mickey stage show (Cinderella Castle), Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club (Tomorrowland) and Main Street Family Fun Day Parade (Main Street, U.S.A.).

In addition to the Year of a Million Dreams, Disney will introduce a new after-hours event for 2007, Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party, which enables children to dress up as their favorite princess or pirate and seek out royal beads and chocolate doubloons, explore pirate coves and take part in princess courts, as well as enjoy a variety of great activities throughout Disney’s Magic Kingdom such as Disney’s Enchanted Adventures Parade and the Magic, Music and Mayhem fireworks display.

Disney’s Pirate & Princess Party runs during select days during January, February and March from 7:30 PM to 12:30 AM. Advance ticket prices are $36.95 plus tax for ages 10 and over and $29.95 plus tax for ages 3 through 9.

Visitors to Downtown Disney will also notice some new changes and a few construction projects underway for 2007. One popular addition to Pleasure Island is Raglan Road, a lively Irish pub that features authentic Irish cuisine and four bars, as well as live Irish music and dance. Within The World of Disney Store at Downtown Disney Marketplace lies the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a magical salon that offers princess makeovers by Fairy Godmothers-in-Training. Finally, construction is scheduled to begin in late 2007 on the T-Rex Cafe: A Prehistoric Family Adventure that boasts life-size dinosaurs, waterfalls, geysers, a fossil dig site and much more. The T-Rex Cafe will be located next to the McDonald’s in Downtown Disney Marketplace.

With Disney World’s constantly evolving entertainment options, it’s more important than ever to plan ahead and craft your itinerary so you will get the most out of your Disney vacation, said Kyle Collins, Director of Interactive Marketing at HotelsCorp.com. By seeking out discount Disney World theme park tickets, accommodations convenient to Disney attractions and individually tailored Disney vacation packages before you arrive in Orlando, you will enjoy significant savings when you treat the whole family to a once-in-a-lifetime getaway to Walt Disney World Resort.

http://www.orlando-florida.net

Get to the Park Early
The concept of beating the crowds definitely holds true at Disney World. The lines are always shorter in the morning when the park first opens. Use this to your advantage by targeting the most popular rides first. Map out a plan with your family to hit the best rides first, and save the smaller attractions for mid-day when the crowds appear. An easy way to save time on your way to the park is by eating breakfast on the go. This way you don’t waste 1 or 2 hours sitting in a restaurant.

Go Later
Another good time to access the best rides is in the evening hours - especially dinner time. Not only does this coincide with a busy meal time, but it also runs parallel to most of the entertainment shows. This means that the bulk of the park-goers will be doing something else. Just like in the early morning, grabbing a quick snack in this meal time will allow you to enjoy more attractions without waiting in line. The negative to this strategy is that you will probably miss most of the entertainment schedule, but you can always devote one day to rides and another to entertainment.

Use Fast Pass Tickets
Fast Pass tickets take a little extra planning, but they can pay big dividends with saving time. Your best bet is to reserve them early and target the popular rides in the morning. These tickets are best purchased online or by phone, and they are only offered for the busiest rides. You can also use the automated machines located near the Fast Pass rides. These machines are easy to use, but they don’t necessarily move you to the front of the line immediately. Rather, they give you an appointment for the ride later in the day at which time you actually will move to the front of the line. Those who order tickets in advance will have the best selection of time frames.

A Fast Pass ticket gives you a one hour time to participate in the attraction. For example, your ticket may assign you the hour of 1pm to 2pm. It is during this time frame that you may show up and skip to the front of the line. Please remember that you must have your Disney World admission ticket present when ordering a Fast Pass.

Too many tourists just meander through the park without an itinerary or plan. This leaves them wasting much of their time waiting inline. If you take the time to plot a strategy using the tips listed above, then you can increase the amount of attractions and rides you actually get to participate in.

A Disney World vacation can be an expensive trip of a lifetime. There are some very easy ways that you can save hundreds of dollars on your next Disney World vacation just by using some basic tips. So how can you be the family who gets better value out of their vacation? How can you avoid the mistakes that most Disney vacationers make?

1. Buy the Right Ticket

There are so many combinations of Disney World tickets available. This is the one area that people have told me time after time that they find the most confusing. You spend hours of research just working out what all the options mean, and then you have to start searching for the best place to buy. If you take some time to understand all the options available you can save yourself hundreds of dollars.

2. Choose the Right Place to Stay

The Disney World hotels are great places to stay – but they can be expensive. You can save hundreds of dollars and have a great Disney World vacation by staying in a Florida vacation rental home. Why would you want to stay in a small hotel room when you can stay in a beautiful resort Florida vacation rental home close to the Disney parks? Most homes are within 10 or 15 minutes of all the theme parks – so just the same and sometimes closer than the hotels. Plus you will get so much space for you and your family.

Most Florida vacation rental homes have a private swimming pool. Imagine coming home from the parks and relaxing in your own private swimming pool and spa. Many villas are beautifully maintained and are used by the owners as their second home.

3. Get the Right Price for a Flight

Searching for flights can be time consuming and complex. There are many choices which you need to make, such as which airline, date, route, schedule, and place to book. Explore the options that you have for traveling from a smaller, local airport, and always search different days and times so that you can see the best prices if you are able to be flexible. Take some time to search online to get an idea of the routes available. Many sites allow you to search different dates and airports and then show you the best prices.

4. Save Money on Food

Eating out is a major item on your Disney World vacation budget. There are so many dining opportunities . You can save hundreds of dollars on your dining out budget just by taking a few simple steps. Plan your dining, look out for dining with ‘kids eat free’ options, use coupons. Staying in a Florida vacation home will save you money on food. Even if you just have one breakfast at the house you will make savings.

5. Do Something For Free

There are free things to do at Disney! You just have to know where to find them. Take a free Disney hotel tour, visit Celebration, take a Disney boat,visit the Boardwalk. These are just a few ideas of things to do which cost you nothing.

6. Avoid the Scams

Unfortunately there are a number of well known scams out there and most of these relate to tickets. You see the line ’2 Disney tickets for $25′. Is it a scam?

A lot of the very discounted ticket deals are related to time share selling. You will be offered a discounted or free ticket in exchange for your ‘time’ in attending a time share presentation. I feel that my time is worth much more than attending a time share presentation and potentially being subjected to some high pressure sales techniques. I would rather spend my time finding out how to save money. Only buy tickets from Disney or their authorized agents.

7. Time is Money

This well known phrase holds so true for your Walt Disney World vacation. It is no use having an affordable Disney World vacation if you then are too exhausted to enjoy it. Just take some time in planning before you go. If you are familiar with the basic ideas of the layout of the parks and what rides you may want to see when you get there, you are going to have a much more enjoyable vacation.

So now you have the money saving secrets to enjoy a fabulous Disney World family vacation.

www.windsorpalmsusa.com