Nancy's Monthly Magic

The Affordable Mouse checks in with money-saving Disney World tips

- by Nancy Bobby, February 15, 2011

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Greetings Disney (Dispatch) friends and welcome to my first monthly round-up of money-saving Disney magic.

I don't know about you, but winter has gotten the best of me, so I have been looking especially hard over the past month for a little sunshine to help rid me of the winter blahs.

Nothing warms my heart more than thoughts of another Disney vacation... unless it is ways to get more for that Disney vacation dollar. Here are five of my favorite new ideas for your next Disney World vacation without breaking your Disney World vacation budget:

1. Let's start with pre-trip. Want to add to your Disney vacation fund painlessly? Then get a jar and save those coins! You'll be surprised how quickly they add up. And it's an especially great idea for kids: they can save the loose change in the house and use it to fund their own souvenirs. I love this strategy because it teaches kids to save, helps them see the rewards for setting (and achieving) a goal, and gives them their own spending money without having to rely on Mom or Dad. (Removes the begging and pleading, too!)
2. Search for the DiVine. No, really. Go on a hunt for the elusive, mysterious, and mesmerizing botanical beauty known as DiVine. You can find her at Disney's Animal Kingdom if you are very lucky and look very hard on the pathways between Africa and Asia. The sharp-eyed will be rewarded with a fascinating performance by this artistic and lyrical vine-creature. Make sure you have your camera ready.
3. Meet the residents. You know, the folks who 'live' at Walt Disney World, like friendly Mayor Weaver of Main Street USA and his lovely wife. Or the Hollywood Police officer who may stop you while wandering down Sunset Boulevard to make sure you are obeying the law. They love to meet new Disney friends and truly enjoy chatting with people, so stop to say "hi", tell 'em where you're from, and take a short break from running to the next ride to enjoy some of Disney's finest, er, characters.
4. Speaking of taking a break, did you know there is a genuine bookshop/coffeeshop hidden away on the Streets of America at Hollywood Studios? And that it offers, dare I say it, peace and tranquility at a Disney park? It's true, and it is called the Writer's Stop. This is a true hidden gem - which kind of makes me NOT want to share this with you, because I'm not sure I want people to know about my personal Disney World refuge. Still, I would feel guilty if I didn't tell you, because the Writer's Stop is where you will find the world-famous (or at least Disney-famous) Carrot Cake Cookie. Go, if just for that. Just don't take my comfy chair.
5. One of my favorite new ideas is a Disney take-off on the 'Progressive Dinner Party'... on the monorail! We call it Monorail Meal Mania. The idea is simple: start at, say, the Contemporary for pre-dinner drinks (do the non-alcoholic sort for the young'uns), have dinner at the Grand Floridian, and end with dessert at the Polynesian. Time it just right and you'll be at the perfect place to watch the Electric Water Pageant and Wishes. You can, of course, do it in any order you like, and you can do it as cheaply or as expensively as you like. But to me, the idea of combining a meal at three different resorts with a monorail ride and fireworks is positively brilliant: food, scenery, and entertainment - what's not to love! We haven't personally tried this yet, but you can bet that on the next Disney vacation of the Affordable Mouse-hold, we are going to be creating some kind of monorail meal mania, let me tell you.

So there you have it folks, five of my most favorite affordable Disney vacation tips for the past month. I hope they warmed your heart as much as they warmed mine.

Until next month, stay warm, safe, and dry, and never fear: I heard that the Groundhog says spring is right around the corner!

Loving Walt Disney World but hating to spend a fortune on it, Nancy Bobby started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share information, ideas, tips, and suggestions about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her fondest wish is to move near the 'World'. But until then, she just pretends that she is there by telling random people she meets to "Have a magical day".

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