Disney: 10 Tips Before You Leave

We are three weeks away from our Disney 2015 vacation, and our house is buzzing with excitement.  It truly is one of the most magical places on earth.  Even my husband, who was once a skeptic, agrees that it's a one-of-a-kind experience!

As everyone knows, Disney is expensive.  Truthfully, the cheapest thing is the hotel costs.  The food, park passes, entertainment and souvenir prices are what make it unaffordable.  So, we wanted to share some of our money saving tricks.

First, find yourself a great Disney travel agent.  They are no additional cost to you, yet can save you money and a whole lot of headaches.  If you don't know one, we'll send you the contact information for Rachel, our sweet friend and travel agent.

Second, decide the best time of year to travel with your family.  We always look at the crowd levels and price projections to plan our vacation around when the parks are cheapest and not as busy.  That usually means pulling the kiddos out of school, but hey - we're on a budget and want to do as much as we can while we're there!

Third, try and book a trip when Disney is offering free dining.  I highly recommend the dining plan, even if it is NOT free during your visit.  It eliminates the mess of trying to budget day-by-day for food and may allow more flexibility with your budget when it comes to character dining experiences.

Forth, take souvenirs with you!  Each day the girls get a "gift" and personalized note from the Disney characters.  This gift is magically sitting on their beds when we get back to our hotel from spending all day in the parks.  I covertly throw the items on top of the bed as we're leaving the hotel room for the day, and Mousekeeping beautifully displays it after they've cleaned up the room.

I started buying Disney items over a year ago.  Whenever I find something on clearance that the girls would love, I pick it up.  I never spend more than just a few dollars.  The kids don't see these items (we secretly pack them) and, in their innocent minds, Disney is the one leaving them the special gifts and letters.  Dave and I cherish the girls reactions and take joy in preparing each day's surprise  Because they are getting Disney related gifts each day, they never (and I mean never) ask to buy anything from the parks or hotel store.

Here are the gifts and personalized notes we have put together for the 6 nights we're in Disney World this year.

Day One 

Day Two 

Day Three 

Day Four 

Day Five

Day Six

Fifth, use My Disney Experience for booking all your restaurant, entertainment and fastpass options.  Even when you go during low crowd times, everything still books quickly.  If you want to get into a special character dining experience or want to attend a specific event, book it 6 months in advance.

Dave and I want to participate in Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party again this year, so we made sure to buy our tickets when we planned the trip this past January.

We have chosen to have all our sit-down meals be character dining experiences, and we had to make all our reservations in May.  I know it sounds a bit crazy to think of booking things so far in advance, but if we waited until closer to November, we would not have been able to get into any of the dining or entertainment we wanted.  This year's dining line up includes; The Crystal Palace with Winne the Pooh and friends, Hollywood and Vine with Disney Junior pals, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall with the princesses, The Garden Grille with Chip -n- Dale, Tusker House Restaurant with Donald Duck and Be Our Guest with Belle and the Beast.  The girls are going to be in fairy-tale heaven!

Fastpass choices become available 60 days before you check in.  Believe me, you want to be on at midnight the day your fastpass options can be booked!  Unfortunately, I was a few hours late and we did not get into a certain character meet and greet.  Think Elsa and Anna.. and two very sad Wilson princesses.  Looks like a few long lines will be in our future!

Sixth, pick up some special Disney items to pack in carry on luggage to help pass the time and keep the excitement building during travel.

Seventh, get your airline tickets as soon as they become available.  We were able to get round trip tickets for under $200.00 a person flying Southwest out of Buffalo.  It is cheaper for us to pay for long term parking at the Buffalo airport than to fly from Rochester.  Plus, since Buffalo is a much larger airport they offer more direct flight options, which allowed us to choose the best flight time for our family.

Eighth, buy your Disney apparel at home.  It will be more than twice that price if you buy it in the parks.

Ninth, if you choose to take your beautiful princess(es) to Bippity Boppity Boutique, don't pay the $200.00 for a costume on site.  Instead, pack a surprise outfit that's fit for a queen!

Tenth, and finally, don't forget to write Mousekeeping thank you notes, including a tip of approximately $1.00 per family member, for each night you're staying on Disney property.

In the weeks to come, I will share more information on our favorite park activities and some of the highlights from our own vacation!