5 Tips to Make FREE Dining Work

5 Tips to make FREE Dining work well for your Family

 FREE Dining has come back at Walt Disney World! The long awaited promotion that drives many family’s vacation plans each and every year has finally started and on some dates selling out.

FREE Dining is difficult to maneuver for the novice Disney World visitor.

1. You can plan your dining choices before you book your Walt Disney World package. Disney doesn’t like that we do this, but you can. Once Free Dining is in full swing many popular dining spots will fill up before your travel planner can get off hold! So having at the very least a list of choices is extremely helpful.
2. Prices for the pre-fixed rate restaurants fluctuate by meal time. Breakfast being the cheapest, lunch a few dollars more and dinner jumping as much as $10 over the lunch fare. If you are going during FREE Dining do as many meals as you can in the evening or dinner times. This gives you the biggest bang for your FREE buck. And likewise if you are paying out of pocket remember it is cheaper at breakfast and often times the characters are the same (but not always the case!).
3. Flexibility is key to getting FREE Dining packages. Because Disney controls which dates are blacked out you need to be aware that you might have to change your dates if you insist on booking a Free Dining package. For instance, a big portion of October is blacked out, so being able to switch to September or the few days in November is key to getting that huge savings.
4. This one is a huge secret so don’t share it with anyone! I could lose my ears for this!! You can book your vacation on the last date of the FREE Dining Promotion offer and you will still get Free Dining for your entire vacation! GASP!! I said it outloud! So if Disney’s dates are September 1 – October 3^rd you can check in on October 3^rd, stay the entire week after checking out on October 10^th and have Free Dining for your vacation. Availability is the key as always!
5. Remember that FREE is never really free. Disney doesn’t hike the room prices up like most unnamed other vacation destinations, but when you have a sit down restaurant meal you will have to pay the gratuity, it is automatically calculated and added for you! It is 18% at the moment and could rise without notice from Disney, so be sure to plan on that with your budget.
   

   FREE Dining truly is a huge savings for any Walt Disney World package! This year I had clients who saved anywhere from $400 to $1200 based on length of stay and number of people in the party. This is probably the deepest discount you can get at Disney and certainly gives families the opportunity to try some of the world class dining venues that they ordinarily wouldn’t get to try! Give us a call today so we can help your family save money this year!

Dad's Tips For Surviving.......Loving A Disney Vacation!

Dad's Tips For Surviving.......Loving A Disney Vacation

Are you one of those dad’s that hates taking your family to Disney for vacation? Your idea of vacation is not lugging 12 bags in heat across a lot of pavement only to rush to a ride to stand in line! All the while your wife is shopping like you are a millionaire and your children are whining because, well because they can!

There is a book you must read! “Ears of Steel: The Real Man’s Guide to Walt Disney World,” by Bart Scott gives you tips on how to not only survive the trip but how to have the best vacation of your life!!

I had the pleasure of hearing him speak last October in Orlando and fell in love with his humor and uncanny way of telling men that you too can survive a trip to Disney World! Scott says he wrote the book for the "football watching, beer-guzzling couch potatoes" who would rather relax in a recliner with a cold one and a sporting event on TV than spend hours in the hot sun walking around theme parks.

AWESOME video of Bart explaining his tips! 

http://morningnews.wgntv.com/2014/05/12/tips-for-guys-on-how-to-survive-disney-world/ 

 

His FIRST TIP: Always stay on property! Yes you can find a simple room off property cheaper but the benefits far outweigh any savings you might initially think you will be getting!

SECOND TIP: take your trip in the fall! The weather is better, the kids are back in school and the lines are so much shorter.

THIRD TIP: don’t stress over the money! Easier said than done right? He equates to traveling to Hawaii, you get off the plane they give you a flower necklace and you hand them your wallet! Disney does deliver the value. You don’t exactly hand them your wallet but planning ahead and doing as much before you go as possible will make your trip so much more enjoyable!

FOURTH TIP: and of course the most important, use an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner because most of us are insane Disney nuts! A Disney Planner can help when things go awry, which you plan not to happen but it’s human nature and could certainly happen with the best of planning!

FIFTH TIP: learn the My Disney Experience app! Make sure you have all of your reservations linked, your travel planner has your information linked with theirs so they can help while you are there. Play around with the app before you go so that you are ready and can do it walking with 10s of 1,000s of other people reading their smartphone! Prepare!!

Bart’s book is extremely easy and helpful! His ideas are geared towards men who would rather sit at home watching the ballgame but can apply to anyone headed to the World! You can find it on Amazon and other online book retailers! Get yours today and start enjoying Walt Disney World the way I do!!

http://morningnews.wgntv.com/2014/05/12/tips-for-guys-on-how-to-survive-disney-world/

Happy Planning!

Mia ~ MackeyMouse Travel

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Hard Rock Cancun Rocks!

Hard Rock Cancun Family All Inclusive ROCKS!

We had a chance to visit one of the most beautiful parts of Cancun’s beach and all I can say is wow! A wonderful resort from the front door with a lot of energy. I was worried this would be a party resort and who on earth would take their children there. I would!! In a heartbeat! Truly fabulous staff, with some awesome public spaces. Where else can you have a beer and watch your children play pool?

Library behind the lobby

The lobby is not so much a lobby as it is a shrine to music’s greatest legends. You’ll see amazing memorabilia and listen to some awesome music. Music is piped in 24/7 which creates a light and playful vibe for the resort. Outside by the pool they were grilling hamburgers during lunch, you could choose to take in a yummy buffet or of course order room service. This truly is an amazing resort with a lot to offer.

Thomas the Train room in the kids club

The kids club is extremely important when you are taking your family on vacation for a week. Hard Rock has teamed up with some of the most amazing names in children’s entertainment, like HIT Entertainment. Home to Thomas the Train, Thumbalina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, to name just a few. Their pool for the little ones is awesome, I’d have a hard time getting mine out of there!

The rooms are fabulous! Each room has a Jacuzzi for 2. The standard rooms face the front of the resort and have no view of the ocean, but if priced right you really can’t beat it!

Family room

How much time are you going to spend in the room anyway? If the view is important than there is plenty of that! The Caribbean Ocean is gorgeous here and leaves you ready to plan your next vacation.

So what else could I tell you about this amazing property? Well, in an answer to their raving fans Hard Rock Resorts has created Heaven, the adult side of things. Want to head for a little R&R without the kiddos? Not a problem, Heaven is adults only with restaurants, bars and pool just for adults! You can still use the family side of course!

 

Wifi is free! I can’t tell you how many resorts that is not the case! But it is quite a few!! It is vital for me to stay connected and wifi is a major selling point for me. Also included are unlimited international phone calls, children under 3 stay and eat free, fitness center, tennis, 24 hour room service and so much more!

Hard Rock Cancun, as you can see, is gorgeous! I would recommend it to anyone looking for rest, relaxation with a side of fun! If you want to chill out and veg, you can. If you want to be entertained and on the go, you can! 

 

So whatever your family wants for your next vacation try taking a look at the Hard Rock Cancun! MMT should be heading to Hard Rock Punta Cana this fall so be sure to subscribe to our blog so that you get the information you need to make your next vacation amazing! And as always, use a travel professional!!

Happy Planning!
Mia

Affording Walt Disney World or Any Family Vacation

How Can You Afford A Vacation?

Cara and Steve at Fort Wilderness Campground

When Cara was young we had a small pop-up camper. We loved our camper! We would go camping every weekend and I could put it up by myself! Once I bought her actual play clothes (she was my first and I should have bought stock in Gymboree!), she could get out and tromp around in the creek or pet the bunnies, try to feed the peacocks. So many amazing memories! One day I was talking with my dad about camping and I said Cara just loves it! He said I know why, because she has you and here daddy 24/7. No phone, no tv (although we had tv with a DVD player because she needed her shows!), just us playing, relaxing and enjoying and growing. I miss those days!

Blink and 9 years later and an addition of a little brother we don’t camp much anymore. Too many things to do, too many irons in the fire! I’m sure like most of you, we try to schedule family time, maybe a family movie night, a girl’s day or a boys going to the game, but it’s not the same.

Sometimes the time isn’t always the issue. These days it’s hard to scrap together a large chunk of cash at once! That’s where MackeyMouse Travel can save the day! We can offer low deposits and monthly payments, giving your wallet a rest and allowing you to pay CASH for some much needed family time!

How can we do that? MMT has partnered with suppliers who offer our clients the best service and the best options for your family’s budget. Our largest supplier (well outside of Disney!) has now lowered their deposit to $150! Even on packages that include air!!!! Unheard of!!

Sit down tonight and talk to your kids, talk to your family and decide where you can reconnect together! Is it going to be on the beaches of the Caribbean with oodles of kid’s clubs activities? Or is it going to be on a ship at sea, where you can opt for a formal night for that family portrait? Or what about a magical trip to Walt Disney World where your princess can ride on daddy’s shoulders wearing her tiara and princess dress?  Where ever your dreams take you, MackeyMouse Travel is ready to help you plan it! Contact us today so we can get that vacation planned!

Trips with low deposits:

Walt Disney World - $200.00

Disney Cruise Line – Percentage of cruise fare

Major Cruise Lines - $100.00 - $150.00 per person

All Inclusive Resorts in the Caribbean - $150.00

Happy Planning!

Mia
www.mackeymousetravel.com