3 Ways to Save Money While Traveling!

 3 Ways to Save Money While Traveling!

When you have children you can’t always travel whenever the mood strikes. It can be difficult because most destinations will take full advantage of this. There are a few ways to help you avoid the headache of budgeting a trip that would otherwise cause you to take out a mortgage.

First, plan far ahead. Days of last minute deals are almost all but gone. Last minute deals do not exist the week between Christmas and New Year’s. They rarely pop up for Spring Break season or even during the summer months. Resorts and Cruise Lines love to market “Special Deals” or “Last Minute Offers” but the truth is its nothing more than marketing to get you onto their site to fall in love with the idea of visiting their locations. Don’t fall for it! Refer to our blog post “Top 10 Reason to use MackeyMouse Travel” to find out how we offer savings and attention to the fine print!

I would suggest 6 months or longer. If you need to use frequent flyer miles then you will need to cash them in at least 6 months ahead so that it takes fewer points to “pay” for your flight or hotel stay. Spend them wisely!

Second, a good travel planner (MackeyMouse Travel!) will make sure that you are booked into a rate that will allow a switch if a better rate comes out. Having that flexibility is important. If you book with the wrong rate code it won’t matter if something cheaper comes along you are stuck. I have saved clients $200 per person on a cruise because the rates dropped closer to sail date.

Third, consider travel insurance. I don’t always suggest travel insurance because I know which supplier I have that is flexible with changes. But if you are going it alone and aren’t using a free travel planner, than I would really consider adding the insurance so you can make changes or even cancel if you need to. If not you could lose your entire deposit and any additional payments you have made.

These days vacations aren’t exactly cheap. We work hard and want to give our family’s the best we can possibly give them. Don’t take chances with your money. You wouldn’t buy a house without a realtor, so don’t take a vacation without a travel planner! 

Happy Planning!!

Mia

 www.mackeymousetravel.com

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Planning Your Toddlers Very First Disney Trip

Planning Your Toddlers Very First Disney Trip

 

Cara's first trip to Disney :)

If I have convinced you that taking your toddler to Disney is not only the wisest choice, it is a must do than where do you go next. Walt Disney World is huge and not cheap. I get that. I agree with that. You need to plan down to the smallest details. As they get older you can relax those plans a bit but when they are small you need to be prepared. 

Once you have decided to go, when to go, your next task is where to stay. Toddler means short people. Which means their little legs can’t walk as much as you. Staying on property is a time saver which in the end saves you money! I could throw in it’s a hassle saver saving your sanity and causing you fewer meltdowns but I won’t. I strongly recommend staying on property whenever you can. There are 4 categories of resorts to choose from and picking the right one can make or break your hard earned trip. With a toddler in tow or rather being pushed in a stroller, you would be money ahead to stay on the monorail ring. These resorts are the deluxe and you pay for the convenience of hopping off a train when you get to the park and then hop back on to go to bed. Now there are tricks I can teach you if you stay at other deluxe resorts and want that same hop on and off, but we’ll do that later.

The resort choice is as important as when to go, so take your time. A good resource is a travel agent who is a Disney expert and can guide you through the mountains of choices and help you understand why spending that extra $100 will be worth it in the end. Once you have the resort and the time to go you need to understand tickets, which parks to visit, should we park hop, should we go early and rest or sleep in and stay late. Again, your travel agent is your best resource.

Family Picture

I want to talk more about what to expect with your toddler. Expect them to set your pace. If you try to rush a toddler you might as well be pushing a wet noodle. If you toddler decides it’s time to rest, rest! If your toddler is hungry, eat! The longer you can keep them on their schedule the better off you will be when you get home. Plus you can gauge when to make dining reservations and plan on naps. Naps! They are very important and a must with a toddler. You need to consider this when planning where to stay too. You need to know if the resort is loud during the day, if you can make it as dark as night, if you can play his favorite go to sleep music, lots to consider! We don’t have a toddler but still take that mid-day break most days.

Consider food, will they eat just anywhere; can they eat big people food? Take their favorite snacks for standing in long lines, their favorite juice for dinner that helps them finish their peas. One of my favorite tricks is shipping these items ahead of time! You can have diapers, snacks, clothes whatever you need but don’t want to drag with you shipped directly to your resort. Once I found this out I saved my achy back a lot of trouble!

How do you survive Disney with a toddler? You plan, you check that plan and you plan again. You even have a back-up plan just in case! Disney is the most amazing place to experience with your little ones. Making sure it goes like clockwork takes time, patience and practice. Our daughter is 10 and been 16 times and our son is 4 and been 5 times. Some would say we are crazy but others out there have us beat! Don’t decide Disney is too hard for your family right now, come on join the rest of us nuts and jump right on in!

Happy Traveling!!

Mia