Not only is this display full of detail, but did you know that during certain times of the year they add some wonderful seasonal decorations to the village? Next time you are in Walt Disney World for a holiday, make sure to take a closer look at this often overlooked part of Germany. You may be sIt's just another example of the small details that aren't necessary but done to make your vacation all the more "magical."
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While I would like to think I will offer the best and most up to date information that is out there about Disney, it simply cannot be true. There are too many amazing blogs out there that already do that. And to be honest, I just don't have the time! However, I will offer my honest opinions and experiences as frequently as possible. This blog is simply a way to document my experiences and collect my thoughts while talking about the love of my life, Walt Disney World and Disney in general. Thanks for reading!
You may have walked past the miniature train and village display in Epcot's Germany pavilion a thousand times but have you ever stopped to really look? I know that in my early days of visiting Walt Disney World, I never did. Since then however, I've found that this part of the pavilion is what makes Germany as a whole so endearing to me and one of my absolute favorite places to be. As if the beer wasn't enough to make me want to stay!
Not only is this display full of detail, but did you know that during certain times of the year they add some wonderful seasonal decorations to the village? Next time you are in Walt Disney World for a holiday, make sure to take a closer look at this often overlooked part of Germany. You may be sIt's just another example of the small details that aren't necessary but done to make your vacation all the more "magical."
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There are people all over the world who are just like us. They would take any chance they had to visit a Disney theme park or take a Disney themed vacation, whether it be Walt Disney World, Disneyland, the Disney Cruise Line or any of the other parks/experiences that Disney operates in several areas of the world. Unfortunately if you are anything like me, you can’t always afford it! Disney vacations can be expensive at times, especially if you are traveling during the peak seasons. I mostly plan my vacations a year or more ahead of time. As soon as Disney releases the rates on the dates I want to travel, I go into planning and saving mode. The following is a list of ways that I’ve used in the past and currently use to help me get one step closer to the Mouse. 1. Spare Change This is one of my most successful ways of saving money. Whenever I have cash on me and I buy something I ALWAYS break the dollar. I never use change to pay for anything, even if my bill comes out to $8.01. If you put all of that change in a jar, over time it will really add up! I roll it up about once a month and deposit it into my vacation savings. Which brings me to money saving tip #2. 2. Vacation Savings Account Open a savings account specifically for vacations. Make sure it is an account that does not charge fees if you have too low of a balance or when you take the money out to use for your vacation. When it’s all in this special account you won’t dip into it as much as if it is just money in your everyday savings or checking account. My work also offers direct deposit for our payroll and we can choose to put our money into more then one account. I have it set up for a small amount of my check each week to go directly into the vacation savings account. It's small as to where it doesn't affect my life but nice to see the account grow over time. I also put all of the change that I’ve collected into the account each month. Instead of letting it all sit around in jar, I deposit it as soon as I have a good amount so I can also receive interest. The interest really is not much depending on the type of account you have opened but hey, it’s something! 3. Disney Dollars Anytime that I am near a Disney Store I will go into the store and buy a couple dollars worth of Disney Dollars. Just a few here and there, never to exceed $5.00. This way I don’t feel like I am spending very much and it will give me spending money that cannot be used until I arrive at the parks or resorts. Unfortunately there are many Disney Stores closing around the U.S. so this idea might not work for some. I am hopeful that the Disney Store will return to more areas as this is a great way to get some spending money together. 4. Survey Sites I participate in several free survey sites that will send a check or deposit to your paypal account once you have completed the surveys that you qualify for. These sites are completely free (Never sign up for a survey site that is asking you to pay money to participate. It’s a scam!). Most of the sites operate on a point system. You take enough surveys and earn points. Once you reach a certain point level you can then cash in those points and the site will send you a check or deposit to your paypal account. You can also redeem points for other prizes but I like the paypal deposit as it helps me save for my vacations. Some of the sites that I recommend are My Survey , Opinion Outpost, and E-poll. In my experience, the surveys generate anywhere between $10-$50 in a month depending on how aggressively you answer the survey emails. I then put this cash into my vacations savings account. Now this is not something you can earn a decent living doing. A lot of times you will not qualify for the survey, but it is a nice free way to earn a little bit of extra spending money here and there. 5. Bottle Returns In the good ole state of Michigan, I have the privilege to return bottles/cans for cash. It is only 10 cents per bottle or can, but if you never spend any of that money and put it immediately away into your savings it will add up nicely. 6. Yard Sale & Auction Sites Get all of your old stuff together that you no longer want and have a yard/garage sale. Not nice enough outside to do that yet? Try selling your things on Ebay. Most auctions will not be charged an insertion fee and you will only have to pay a small fee if the item sells. You can also use Half.com if you have books or media to sell. Unlike Ebay, you can list your books or media on Half.com for as long as it takes them to sell. The site will take a small percentage of the final value but there are no fees to list. 7. Extra Money Any extra money that I receive other than my work paycheck, I will normally throw into the vacation savings. For example, when I switched phone service providers, I had a credit on my account from my old phone. They sent me a check for the balance that was remaining on my account. Before I began these saving techniques I would have put that into my checking account where most of my everyday spending money would go. Since this is money that I wouldn’t normally have, it makes much more sense to put it towards your vacation. I use this mentality with any type of “extra" money I receive. Other examples of this would be money from birthday cards/Christmas gifts, extra work you do for someone that they may pay you for, mail-in rebates, a bonus from work, etc. 9. Disney Visa Rewards Credit Card The Disney Visa Rewards credit card from Chase offers several perks to its cardholders. Most notable would be the reward dollars you can earn from everyday purchases. The current rate of reward dollars on the card is $1 per $100 spent. Once you reach an initial rewards amount of $20 you can then redeem for a gift card that can be used at the parks, the Disney Store, and the Disney Store online. Being a cardholder also gives you different perks at each of the theme parks such as private meet and greets, discounts on tours, exclusive pins and 10% discounts on merchandise at the parks, 10% discounts on select dining locations in DLR, and more. Now it is true that the rate of reward dollars is not great. There are a ton of other credit cards out there that offer better rewards. With that being said however, one of my favorite things about the card is when you use the card to pay for your Disney vacation, you are given 6 months to pay for the vacation with 0% interest. I do this every time we plan a vacation and then make sure the trip is paid off within the 6 month term. This helps my situation especially because I usually travel with family members who don't live in my household. I charge the entire vacation and this gives them time to get me their money without demanding it right away. Also the reward dollars earned from the price of the trip are mighty nice! We usually use the gift card we received to pay for tips at our sit down restaurant reservations. Combine that with the free dining and you have actual straight up FREE dining. Hopefully theses tips will be helpful when you plan your next vacation, and they might even make it a little more fun to save. How do you save for your Disney vacation? Need help planning your next Disney vacation? Book your vacation with me and receive up to a $100 Disney gift card. Email [email protected] for free non obligation quote today! Visit and like our Facebook page to stay up to date with all of the current offers & promos!
http://www.facebook.com/magicalvacationsbykaty Today's tip is not something that you need to know in order to tour the parks effectively but it is just one of the many hidden details that you will find all over Walt Disney World.
Let's head over to Fantasyland and the popular shopping location of Sir Mickey's. Just across the way from Tinker Bell's treasures, this shop is themed around the famous Mickey Mouse short, Jack in the Beanstalk. But something not every guest will notice is what is going on inside the shop. Next time you are in Sir Mickey's, look up at the ceiling towards the back of the shop. You will find Willie the Giant trying to tear the roof off of the shop in search of Mickey Mouse. Today's tip is short and sweet but good to know if you are a first time visitor to Walt Disney World. You can ask for a free glass of water at any counter service location that serves fountain pop. As long as you are ordering a food item, cast members at these locations should have no problem granting your request. As we all know, food and drinks at the world are not cheap. If you are not on the Disney Dining Plan it is a huge savings to forgo the pop and just drink tap water while dining at counter service locations. Those drinks can add up quick! We've all been there before on a crowded day at Walt Disney World. We order our meal from the counter, get handed a huge tray with everything on it, then we head out to the seating area to find....no seats. You find yourself hovering over another family who look like they may be finishing up. You try to ignore the eye rolls they give each other while they take their last bites. Sorry guys, we want to sit down too! I am here to tell you that there are some counter service areas in Walt Disney World that offer plenty of seating, and a lot of that seating is even somewhat hidden from the masses. Which brings me to my absolute favorite counter service location in all of Walt Disney World. Now I didn't say it was my favorite counter service food in all of Walt Disney World, although it's still pretty phenomenal, but it is definitely my favorite counter service location. The location I speak of is the Flame Tree Barbeque in Disney's Animal Kingdom. After ordering your meal, head directly behind the counter service stand to find a good amount of shaded seating. But instead of stopping at the first section of tables you see (which will also be the busiest), continue on down towards the water to enjoy your meal in the peace and quiet. You will be surprised how many different areas there are to sit at this restaurant even though it seemed like a rather small place when you decided to order your food. The theming in this area is also absolutely gorgeous. There are lovely ponds where you can watch different birds and other wildlife gather or you can sit right next to the water and have the most spectacular view of Expedition Everest that can't be beat in any other area of the park. Most importantly the area is completed shaded, which on the hottest of days can be a blessing! Next time you are in the Animal Kingdom make sure to check out this counter service location. Not only is it a favorite food establishment of mine, the area is just a great place to take a relaxing break from the crowds even if you are not enjoying the food. One of my absolute favorite Walt Disney World tips takes us over to the popular attraction "It's Tough to Be a Bug," at Disney's Animal Kingdom. As you may have noticed above, this week's tip reminds us that you don't always have to follow the crowd. Most times when exiting an attraction such as a 3D film at WDW, it may seem as if there is only one way to go. That is not always the case however so remember this the next time you are pushing and shoving and getting real close to your neighbor. When It's Tough to Be a Bug ends and you file out of the theater, you will most likely follow the large crowd out of the attraction to the right and eventually make your way back to the main drag outside of the Tree of the Life to encounter yet again, more crowds! Instead of following them, notice that if you take the exit to the left there is a completely different trail leading you in the opposite direction of the crowd. This gives you a chance to get away from the masses and also experience the wonder that is the Discovery Island Trails. These trails are a hidden gem in their own right, so it will be a double bonus when you choose to take the path to the left rather then the path more commonly traveled. On this particular trail, you have a chance to experience several different animals, not to mention gorgeous (and quiet!) scenery. I share this tip with absolutely everyone I know who will be making a trip to the world, whether they be a first timer or a frequent guest. The Discovery Island Trails are not to be missed and offer some really beautiful and up close views of the Tree of Life that you can't find anywhere else.
Have a tip that you would like featured on the blog? Contact the Sassagoula Steamboat Company via email or Twitter to submit your tips. |
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