Category: Savings

Do you think a Disney vacation is totally out of reach?  It is probably every child’s dream to go to Disney World.  So what can you do to keep it from being your nightmare?  Or do you have a Disney addiction but find yourself unable to return because the prices keep going up and up?

Yes, we are aware that Disney is one of the most popular places in the world.  Disney is aware of that and they are also aware that they can charge just about anything they want and people will gladly hand it over.

So what can you do about it?

Here are a few tips on planning a Disney vacation on a budget and enjoying yourselves without breaking the bank.

Look for Discount Tickets
Daily admission to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World is $105/$99 and not much cheaper at Disneyland.  For a family of four that is a pretty big outlay.  If you are staying more than a day you can save money by buying a multiple day ticket.  If you are a member of AAA you can sometimes get discounts through them.  Many companies offer discount tickets to their employees so it would pay to check that out.  So it definitely makes sense to buy tickets ahead of time.  Check online (but not Disney’s site) at places such as Undercover Tourist.  You could save a bundle.

Save on Food
Eat breakfast in your hotel room.  Bring your own snacks to the park.  You can even brown-bag it to an extent.  If you do dine in the park look for the counter service stands, they are usually cheaper.    If you are really into food and you are a big eater you might check out the Disney Dining Plan.  Do plan on splurging on at least one nice meal if you can swing as that can be part of the total experience.

Do One Park a Day
The adult ‘park hopper’ pass lets you visit multiple parks in one day.  However, the cost for one day is $142 compared to the $105 for a day at the Magic Kingdom but the daily prices drop for longer stays.  There is plenty in each park to stay busy for an entire day and unless you are totally sure you will need to visit multiple parks stick with the one-park pass and avoid the needless expense.

Save on Your Accommodations
Another way to save is to consider the value hotels.  If you are staying in the park there are several moderate and value resorts available.  There is even a campground.  You may think it would still be pricier to stay on site but if you consider the free transportation opportunities you can eliminate the need for a rental car (if you didn’t drive).  You can also sometimes get ticket deals if you didn’t buy them in advance.  But don’t stay in the pricier hotels, if you are spending all day in the parks that is definitely  a waste of money.

Buy Souvenirs Ahead of Time
If you really want to save money do NOT buy the overpriced merchandise sold inside the Disney theme parks.  Shop the local stores or look online before you travel.  You can even hide them from the kids until you get there and dole them out daily.  This could also help eliminate the wanting of the high-priced merchandise that they will see at all the shops.

Do some Free Stuff
Spend one day in the hotel at the pool, sometimes kids are just as happy being able to play in the pool all day.  Take in the sights at the resorts.  Ride around on the monorail.  There are free playgrounds around the park, younger kids don’t know the difference and will still have fun.

So by planning ahead and budgeting you can keep your costs as low as possible. Don’t miss out on the experience of seeing your child’s delight meeting the characters and seeing the sights for the first time.  And knowing you saved a bundle will be the second best part of the trip.

Road Trip!

Most of my trips these days have been through the air.  But I still like a good road trip every now and then, and I still remember the road trips we used to take when I was younger.  In fact, I did not fly until I was in my late 20’s.  So some of my fondest vacation memories were created from the back seat of a Ford.

So if you are planning on a road trip soon, maybe you are doing it for the fun of it or maybe it is because air travel can get expensive with a family.  Either way, I thought that these tips on saving money on a cross-country road trip would come in handy.  By using a little planning and common sense you can get great value for your money since this could still be a big expense.

So here are four tips that I have used to save money while traveling, check them out and let me know if you have used any of them.

1. Plan Your Accommodations Wisely.
   Do you like to camp?  You can usually save a lot of money at campgrounds as opposed to hotels.  Still want to stay at a hotel?  Use a property that you have travel or reward points with when you book.  Even if you don’t have the points for discounts yet you will be building for that future trip.  Another way you can save on accommodations is to go through a cash back site such as Dubli.  We saved around $200 on a week stay in Las Vegas this year.
2. Watch Your Speed.
   One of the fastest way to eat up the gasoline in your tank is to drive fast.  You would be surprised at how much difference there is between 65 mph and 75 mph.  And you don’t save that much time with the extra speed.  And we all know that gasoline is one of the major expenses on a road trip.  Also, keeping your car well-tuned can help save gas and make things run more smoothly.
3. Have a Picnic.
   Another big expense on road trips is food.  Eating at restaurants can add up quickly, especially with a large family.  Why not bring a cooler, fill it with drinks, snacks, and sandwich fixings and stop at a roadside table  It can be fun and save money at the same time.
4. Check Out the Discounts.
   You can almost always find discount booklets at hotels and restaurants on the road.  You should never have to pay full price for an attraction.  Another good source of discounts are sites like Best of Orlando, which offers online discounts specific to a given city.  Other discount sites include Groupon and Living Social, just make sure you sign up for the cities you will be visiting so you can receive the discounts.

So here are just a few tips on how to save money on a road trip.  While I am sure there are many more ways you can find to save while taking a road trip, these have worked well for us.

How do you save money on your road trip?

This article originally appeared on MoneyNing.com.

Some of the fondest memories I have while growing up was of the times we took our family vacations.  It seems like in those days it didn’t cost nearly as much to travel and, even though we stayed in mostly budget hotels and ate a lot of fast food and sandwiches, we still had loads of fun.

So maybe today you are wanting to create these memories for your family but can’t find the funds to do so.  Everyday life gets in the way, kids expenses, house repairs, etc., and the short vacation seems out of reach.  But don’t let these things take away potential family memories that will last forever.  Here are some tips originally posted in Moneyning.com which can help you have your fun family vacations on a budget, and some of these will even become part of the memories themselves!

1. Consider group travel.  Have you thought about vacationing with another family (that enjoy spending time with)?  You can find that splitting the cost of a cabin or vacation home can many times save over the cost of two hotel room, and you can usually find great, roomy accommodations.
2. Don’t travel during the peak season.  Most people travel during the summer because of kids being out of school and the weather being warmer.  But if you travel during the off-season you can get much more bang for your buck.  Resorts will often give off-season discounts, cruises are much cheaper, and many time you can find travel incentives.
3. Pack your lunch.  One of the biggest expenses when traveling is the cost of eating out, especially if you have a larger family.  If your kids are like mine they can pack away the food.  One thing we have done is to bring a cooler along.  When we got to our destination one of the first things we did was hit the local grocery store to get snacks and sandwich materials.  We found we could use this to offset at least one meal a day (sometimes two if we had a light breakfast).  This always resulted in a huge savings which can be used to do other things or help stay within the budget.
4. Order delivery.  Our kids loved pizza and we always had pizza night at least once a week..  Why not have pizza delivered to you hotel room.  Our kids actually preferred that since they could stay around the hotel without having to stop what they were doing to get dressed to go out.
5. Find out what the local do.  Usually the people who live in the area are glad to share where the best places are to eat and visit.  They may even be able to clue you in to specials and discounts that you could find otherwise.  So strike up a conversation with the desk clerks, waiters, bartenders, and bellhops.  Be friendly and usually people will be friendly in return.

These are just on few tip you can try if you are vacationing on a budget.  Please let me know if you have other tips or what you think of these.

The original article was posted in Moneyning and can be read here.

If you are going to visit any of the major theme parks in Florida or California this summer (think Disney, Universal, etc.) then you may want to count the cost before you go. Here is a quick guide to what it is going to cost you. Yes, the ticket prices continue to rise but if you check the multi-day packages you can find yourself saving money on your vacation.

Florida

DISNEY WORLD
Tickets to the Magic Kingdom cost $105 plus tax for a one-day adult, for children ages 3 to 9 it’s $99 plus tax.

If you are going to Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios the price for adult admission (one day) is $97 per person, plus tax. For chisldren agese 3 to 9 the cost is $91, plus tax. Kids under age 3 can enter at no cost.

For Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach the one-day admission is $58 for ages 10 and older, and $50 for children ages 3 to 9.

If you want to take advantage of the Park Hopper options you will find that the prices begin to get more confusing as you add more dates and options. If you get additional days they will be specific for one park,. If you want to explore different parks, you’ll have to add those to the park hopper prices.
For multi-day passes the prices are the same, regardless of park.. The two-day tickets cost $192 for ages 10 and older, and $179 for ages 3 to 9. If you want a three-day ticket it will cost you $275 and $256, and if you go for the four-day ticket the prices are $305 and $285. Five-day tickets are $315 and $295. As you can see, if you go for the longer visits you will pay less per day, and if you choose the five-day option the ticket prices drop to $63 for adults per day. So the most expensive item will be a five-day hopper with water park access where you will wind up paying $765.

Now if you want to be able to hop parks you will need to add $64 to the original cost. To visit the Disney water parks along with one park, add $64. If you want to visit all parks, including the water parks, add $90.

Another expense will be parking. By staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, you can benefit from the complimentary shuttles that operate during park hours, as well as free parking with a valid Key to the World Card or Resort Parking Permit. Not staying at the resort? The price for parking your car will be one fee of $17 for all theme parks per day. Parking at the water parks and Downtown Disney is free.

LEGOLAND
One-day tickets for just LEGOLAND are $89 for ages 13 and older, and $82 for children ages 3 to 12 and seniors 65 and older. In case you want to visit the park and the water park together the costs are $104 and $97, respectively. You can save with multi-day passes with a two-day pass for LEGOLAND costing $104 and $97, respectively, or $119 and $112 if you want to add the water park. Children under 3 are free. So the most expensive item will be a two-day pass with water park access for $119.

The cost of parking will cost $17 per day. If you want to park closer (preferred parking) the price is $22 per day.

UNIVERSAL
The Universal Orlando Resort is comprised of Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. My advice is to visit both. If you want to see both areas of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter you’ll need park-to-park admission. Hogwarts Express travels to both parks.

For a single park the admission is $102 for adults and $197 for children. To visit both parks, the price rises to $147 and $142, respectively. Fortunately, children 2 and younger are free. If you are going to add additional days you will find that two-day single-park passes are $150 for adults and $140 for children. For three days the prices are $170 and $150 and four days will cost $170 and $160. In case you want to see both parks on multiple dates, plan on paying $195 per adult for two days, with children costing $185. The three day prices go up to $205 and $195, and for four days you will find yourself paying $215 and $205.

Another feature you can purchase is an unlimited Express Pass that allows you to jump to the front of the line on participating rides and attractions throughout the day. The prices start at $50 for one-park and $60 for two parks. The parks also offer VIP Experiences. This allows guests to have front-of-the-line priority, behind the scene tours, complimentary valet parking, breakfast daily, reserved seating at shows and exclusive viewing areas for evening shows and parades. The prices start at $329 for a one-day, one-day, non-peak ticket. So the most expensive item will be a four day, two-park, Express Pass admission for $455.

The cost of parking is $17 for Universal, the preferred parking package will run you $25. For a premium, valet parking is available.

BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA
Since I have always liked Busch Gardens, I will mention their prices as well. It is easy to head west to Tampa’s Busch Gardens location. If you’re planning to visit Busch Gardens, a single-day ticket will cost $97 for ages 3 and older. For children 2 and younger there is no cost. On weekdays the ticket prices are lower. By becoming a Pass Member (especially if you live in the area) you can save money. So your maximum cost is $97 per day.

Parking costs at Busch Gardens are $17. If you want preferred the price is $22.

California

DISNEYLAND
In California, Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure one-day tickets will cost you $99, before taxes. Children ages 3 to 9 are $93. Children under 3 are free.

Going with the two-day tickets option the costs are $185 for ages 10 and older, and $172 for ages 3 to 9. The three-day ticket option will cost you $235 and $224; four-day tickets cost $260 and $245; and five-day ticket prices are $275 and $259. As with Disney World, you’ll save more when you purchase more days. By going with the five-day option the ticket prices drop to $55 per day. However, if you want to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure the cost is an additional $40, regardless of age or number of days. A five-day park hopper pass will cost you $475.

Parking costs at Disneyland and California Adventure are $17 per day.

LEGOLAND
One-day tickets for LEGOLAND are $89 for ages 13 and older, and $83 for children ages 3 to 12. If you want to add the Water Park or SEA LIFE attractions the price goes up to $92 and $86, respectively. To shoot the works and see all three attractions the cost will be $113 or $107, respectively. So the most expensive item will be a three-park pass that will cost you $113 for one day.

Parking is going to cost you $15 per day, with the closer, preferred parking costing an extra $10 per day.

UNIVERSAL
Unlike it’s Florida counterpart, Universal Studios Hollywood offers only one park with one price for kids and adults. This makes it much simpler in terms of ticket prices. A one-day ticket costs $95 per person. Kids 3 and under are free. Two-day ticket prices change with age, so you will pay $119 for ages 10 and older and $111 for children ages 3 to 9.

The park does have Front of the Line tickets where you can get just one-time priority access to each ride, show and attraction during your visit. The price for these tickets are $189. They also have VIP Experience available, where you get escorted priority access to all rides and attractions and behind-the-scenes visits to closed sets on the studio’s back lot. These are only available to guests ages 5 and older and start at $329, depending on date. So the most expensive item will be $329 for one-day, VIP access.

The cost of parking is $17, but it will go up to $25 for preferred parking and $40 for parking spots closest to the gates.

This article originally appeared in Family Vacation Critic and can be read here.