If you’re not familiar, UndercoverTourist.com is the most trusted source of discounted tickets to all of the Disney World parks and several other popular Orlando attractions. How much you save of course depends on what tickets you buy, but the average discount for Disney tickets ranges from $5 to $30 per ticket. This represents how much you would save instead of buying your tickets at the gate.

So for example, you can save $17 per ticket on a 4-day adult park hopper ticket, and another $15 for children ages 3-9. If you were traveling with 2 adults and 2 children you would save $64. Sales tax does apply to all orders (just like it would at DW) but shipping is free.

Now the big concern for many is the safety and security of buying tickets from a third party. This is a very legitimate concern but Undercover Tourist has an excellent record. First and foremost they are an authorized Disney ticket broker, which means they get all of their tickets directly from Disney. Another reassurance is their refund policy that allows you to get your money back (minus a 5% handling fee) if your vacation plans change.

In addition to great deals of Disney tickets, Undercover Tourist offers a number of other benefits for Orlando vacationers…

- Free Disney World phone apps to help you navigate long lines and busy parks.
- One-stop shopping for discount tickets to Universal Orlando, Sea World, Gatorland, and Legoland.
- “Frog Tours” are prepared itineraries that get you on the most popular rides quickly.
- Hundreds of helpful tips posted on the Undercover Tourist blog, twitter and facebook pages.

If you aren’t getting a vacation package that includes park tickets then Undercover Tourist is definitely the place to go. Not only will you save money and get free shipping, but their customer service is nice to have in the event you run into any problems.

NOTE: We are NOT associated with any of these contests, so be sure to read the rules of each contest before entering. Some allow multiple submissions while others have stricter guidelines. The list below is in order of expiration date.

Southwest Airlines “Let the Memories Begin” Sweepstakes
Southwest Airlines One is giving away 5 Grand Prize Packages of (1) 5 day/4 night vacation package for up to four persons to either Disney World or Disneyland. Includes airfare, ground transportation from airport, hotel accommodations, and 5-day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option.
Deadline to Enter: Monday, January 30, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
Click Here to Enter 

Latina “Magical Memories” Vacation Sweepstakes
Latina.com is awarding 1 grand prize winner a vacation package for six persons for 4 nights/5 days to their choice of either Walt Disney World in Orlando or the Disneyland Resort in California. This is a HUGE prize that includes round trip coach airfares, round trip ground transfers, two standard room accommodations, 5-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option, $1,000 Disney gift card, Disney VIP Tour Guide for 8 hours on one day, PhotoPass CD and book, and one Disney Character Dining experience.
Deadline to Enter: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.
Click Here to Enter 

VisitOrlando.com “Orlando Family Vacation” Sweepstakes
Win a Grand Prize of a 4-night trip for 4 people to Orlando, including accommodations at Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas, a rental car, two 1-day admission tickets per person to winner’s choice of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando or SeaWorld Orlando.
Deadline to Enter: Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 11:59p.m.
Click Here to Enter

Phineas & Ferb “Where’s the Bunny?” Sweepstakes
Win a 4 day/3 night trip for four to Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida on Sponsor-selected dates, to see the Phineas and Ferb attraction. 1 Grand Prize winner receives one standard hotel room accommodations for 3 nights, two 4-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option, round-trip coach airfare to Orlando, and airport/hotel ground transfers.
Deadline to Enter: Saturday March 31, 2012 at 11:59p.m.
Click Here to Enter

The special coincides with another milestone at DW. For the first time ever, the park will stay open for 24 hours on February 29th through March 1st. This Leap Year celebration gives families two great incentives to book their vacation in late winter.

Details for the “One More Disney Day” are as follows…
- Purchase of a non-discounted 3-night, 3-day Magic Your Way package is required for eligibility.
- Reservation arrivals must be between February 26 to March 10, 2012.
- Booking must be secured by January 31, 2012.
- Free park tickets are added to your package ticket and must be used within 14 days of initial use.

Details for the Leap Year 24 Hour Celebration include…
- Magic Kingdom Park will be open for 24 hours beginning at 6am on February 29, 2012 through 6am on March 1, 2012.
- Extended hours are valid only for those staying at select Disney Resort Hotels.
- Only select attractions will be open beyond normal park hours.
- Free admission from the One More Disney Day promotion does not have to be used on this day.

Now if you are planning to visit during this time you actually have two discount offers to choose from. You can also opt to save 20% to 30% on Disney Resort Hotels. Special rates are available for most nights between February 21 to March 31, 2012. To secure these rates you must book by January 22, 2012.

Overall, news of the One More Disney Day deal is a good sign for everyone planning a 2012 Disney World Vacation. Even though this particular promotion is only valid in late-winter, it shows that DW is once again getting creative with their discounts. Last year was kind of a ho-hum year when it came to travel incentives. Hopefully this is a sign that 2012 will feature exciting offers like the ones from 2009 and 2010.

This means you can make reservations for any trip between January through Christmas 2012 beginning on the first of the year. In fact, you can already find discounts on resort stays between February 21 to March 31 and April 13 to June 14 if you book before January 22 and February 28 respectively. Discounts include…

Save 20% for Value Resort stays at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort, Disney’s All Star Music Resort or Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

Save 25% for Moderate Resort stays at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort or Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Save 30% for Deluxe Resort stays at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Save 30% for Deluxe Villa stays at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort or Disney’s Old Key West Resort.

As the year goes on you’ll find similar deals like this posted for summer, fall, and spring. The only catch is that you have to make your reservation after each promotion goes live but before the posted booking deadline. Usually you get about 45 days to take advantage of room rate discounts.

Now if you are searching specifically for the best deals then you’ll want to visit during the off-seasons. As you would expect, these are the time periods throughout the year where kids are in school. This makes it hard for some families, but if you are traveling to Orlando for business during the school year it might be worth it to save money and beat the crowds. You can read more about the best times to visit Disney World here.

Two of the most popular times to visit Disney World are Halloween and Christmas. For Halloween, you should consider waiting until mid-August to book. This is typically when the final details are posted for “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.” This special event runs approximately 3 times a week (mostly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays) beginning mid-September and ending on November 1st. For the past two years Disney has offered free dining packages and room discounts to coincide with the Halloween booking season. This should be enough incentive to wait until late summer to book your fall trip.

Planning for your 2012 Christmas trip should be completed around the time school begins. Oddly enough, the dates for “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party” are often announced before the Halloween party dates. Festivities are held from 7pm to Midnight four nights per week (mostly on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday). Last year the Christmas events ran from November 8th through December 18th. Free dining packages were offered for trips booked between November 26 – Dec 1 or Dec 10 – 15.

Beyond public promotions and special events, you can also qualify for special rates through Bounceback Offers and PIN Codes. There are also discounts for members of the Military and AAA members. In each of these instances you will have a certain booking window available to take advantage. The bottom line here is don’t get too anxious when reserving your vacation dates as there are plenty of hot deals left to be released through 2012.

Happy New Year from DisneyVacationSpecials.com

If you have never received a PIN code before, they are very similar to the coupon codes used at many online retailers. Disney sends them out to targeted audiences through emails and postcards. Some PIN codes are created for the general public, and these are often advertised on television commercials and the Disney World website. Generally speaking though, the most valuable codes are sent directly to the qualifying individual.

There are several potential offers and discounts tied into PIN codes. The most prominent offers are for free dining packages and resort room discounts. Codes can be redeemed by booking your vacation online or by calling the reservations line at (407) 939-7675.

So how can you get on the PIN code notification list? Obviously there is a lot of interest surrounding any sort of Disney World discount offer, and not everyone will gain access to a personalized PIN code. However, there are several strategies to improve your odds of getting one…

Register on the Disney World Website
The idea here is to show Disney that you are in the early stages of planning a vacation. Ideally this will prompt them to send you a code. Register here and follow the steps to build out your vacation preferences (date, resort, etc) and request a free vacation planning DVD. If you are within the calendar year of your trip then you might also want to request a trip quote.

Register Your Spouse Separately
This is an easy and legitimate way to increase the odds your family will be included in a PIN code offer. You don’t need to request a DVD or quote through your spouse’s registration, just complete the simple form with a different email address from the one you used for yourself.

Follow Up
Give your registration a good 30 days to propagate through all of the marketing channels. Then, if you have not received a PIN code, go ahead and call the reservation line. Ask them if there are any codes attached to you or your spouse’s account. If nothing comes up then simply tell the agent you read about these special codes and you were wondering if you qualify for one. Sometimes being courteous and honest can be enough to get you on the list!

Don’t Get Discouraged
Keep in mind that PIN codes are only one of many ways to get a cheap Disney World vacation. You might even receive a code that doesn’t apply to your families needs…so don’t think of them as a magic bullet. Be sure to browse through our discounts section to find other deals that may work better for your family.

Bounceback Offers are dropped off in your room during your vacation. They are designed to entice your family to book another Disney World vacation before leaving to go back home. This is done by offering an exclusive room rate discount or promotion (like free dining plans) when you reserve your next trip during your current stay.

Now the catch is that Disney World Bouncebacks are not given to everyone. It is the DW marketing department which determines who gets an offer sent to their room. The resort managers and housekeeping personnel really have no control over their distribution. Also, most offers require your return visit within 9 months, so it would not work with your annual summer vacation for example.

So what can you do if you don’t receive a Bounceback letter? The easiest thing to do is simply ask for one! Again, the guys and gals at the service desk are not going to be able to give you one, but they can connect you with the marketing department. Depending on the time of year, it might be as simple as a phone call.

Since Bounceback offers are designed to get you back to Disney World in the same calendar year, your best bet to acquire one is between January and July. In 2012, the most commonly reported offer was free dining packages added to vacation packages arriving before September 27th. So everyone visiting after this date is unlikely to receive one. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all popular times at DW, so my guess is they don’t need to offer any additional incentives for the final months of the year.

So there you go…everything you need to know about Disney World Bounceback offers! This is good knowledge to keep on hand for those years when you expect to visit two or more times.