I've been thinking about the best and easiest ways to save the most when planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Some of them are simply not available to all guests, but since I don't know each and every one of you personally, I thought I'd compile a list in the hopes that some of you would discover that you qualify for savings! Here they are, beginning with the most savings:
1. Be friends with a Cast Member--especially management. It's a fact that all CMs get some sort of discount that can be offered to guests, but these tend to be based on seniority. For example, CMs in Disney's College Program may only get 6 days of Maingate privileges (walking up to 3 guests in to the Parks on 6 separate days) while a salaried manager may have a Maingate pass that can be used every day of the year. Tickets are almost always the most expensive part of any Disney vacation, so knowing someone who can help you cut out that cost can be invaluable. In addition, CMs can offer guests incredible savings on Resorts (usually 40% off rack rates) and often special event tickets. And, savings notwithstanding, you never know what special treatment might come your way through your favorite CM. We've been blessed to have private character meetings, VIP parade viewing, and instant Fastpass access! These are privileges we don't take for granted, but they sure are nice!
2. Be active or retired (career) military. My dad is a Vietnam Vet, and I really, REALLY wish Disney would extend their military discounts to ALL veterans...but at this point, these deals only apply to those currently serving in any branch of the armed forces or those who retired after lifetime service. In other words, a tour of duty won't cut it...you have to be career military. But if you or a family member is and has valid military ID to prove it, you can snag some great deals, including up to 30% off Resort rack rates. Military Salute park tickets can be purchased for the military personnel and up to 5 guests for $156 each for a 4-day park hopper (price goes up to $169 on September 28). Plus, if you're military, you can stay at Disney's Shades of Green Resort--a lovely military-only resort where cost is based on your rank.
3. Live in Florida. Probably the next best discounts are those available to Florida residents. They come and go throughout the year, but residents are offered room discounts as well as special seasonal passes and discounts on regular Magic Your Way-type tickets. For example, a 3-day base ticket is around $191, and a 4-day is $212. You can add the park hopper option for just $29.50. For just $223, a Florida resident can get a "Weekday Select Pass" that allows them to enter any of the four main parks on weekdays only for an entire year, with a few blocked dates (does not include free parking).
4. Have a annual pass or belong to the Disney Vacation Club. Of course DVC members have already paid for their resort stay, in theory (there are lots of variables), but they are also offered discounts on annual passes and park tickets. And while those holding annual passes have already purchased park admission, they are often given significant discounts off Resort rack rates.
5. Be a part of a youth group. If your cheer squad, soccer team, or Boy Scout troupe takes a trip to Walt Disney World, you will qualify for group rates on both tickets and Resort rooms. Be advised, they do limit the number of adult chaperones who buy tickets--they know that every parent would offer to chaperone a Disney trip...and bring along the rest of the family too, if the price is right!
6. Homeschool your children. Typically once a year in the fall (although they have been in January too), Disney hosts Homeschool Days. This fun event allows homeschoolers to gather at one of the least crowded times of the year to enjoy a special presentation with like-minded families. This year, the event is October 9 and the theme is "On with the Show." In addition to the awesome program Disney produces, families can get great deals on park tickets--a 4-day park hopper costs around $181! (Note: families are again restricted on how many adult tickets you can purchase--no more than the number of students, unless you have only one student which allows for both parents to purchase tickets.) We're attending, so come out and join us!
7. Get educated. If you're still educationally minded but not actual homeschoolers, you can attend one of Disney's YES (Youth Education Series) programs. These 3-hour programs are super fun and informative, ranging in subjects from animal behavior to American history. The ticket prices aren't quite as good as the Homeschool Days, but they're still significantly discounted off gate prices. A 4-day park hopper will set you back around $$197 per attending student up to $323 per attending adult. Again, there are restrictions on how many adult tickets you can purchase.
8. Be Canadian. Disney Stores in Canada often sell park tickets, and with shifts in the exchange rate, you can sometimes get a significant discount on tickets this way.
9. Work for a company that sponsors a theme park attraction (or has any other affiliation with Disney). Often large corporations sell discounted Disney tickets. And if you're lucky enough to work for an attraction sponsor, you might even have a private lounge at your disposal while touring the Parks. It's always a good idea to check with your company's human resources department before purchasing tickets.
10. Belong to AAA. Discounts among clubs are varied, but members can typically save a few bucks off gate prices for tickets. In addition, AAA travel agents have access to all the latest discounts.
If you don't qualify for any of the above, take heart! There are still great discounts available throughout the year to the general public. Ticket vendors, room-only discounts, and free dining abound...you just have know where and when to look for them. That's why you read this site, right?
Showing posts with label YES Programs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YES Programs. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Disney Announces 2013 Homeschool Days
Disney has just announced its 2013 program for Homeschool families, and it looks like a super fun one--especially for this theatre-loving family! Here is the description:
Disney Homeschool Days: On With The Show
Glamour! Excitement! Applause! It's all that and more when you're in the world of theatrical entertainment! Check out what it takes to be a part of a modern day production at Homeschool Days at Disney's Hollywood Studios! Participants in this program discover real-world application in the "ABC's" of an exhilarating production. The creative team and technical crew provide insights into the collaboration, communication, and creativity that it takes to bring the lights up and call for Showtime!
Participants will be able to:
Identify and articulate a variety of technical disciplines necessary for stage or show production.
Articulate the role of constructive criticism in performance arts and discuss application to everyday situations.
Identify and discuss fundamental responsibilities of creative and stage management teams.
Articulate the value of preparedness, presentation, and focus in performance arts and demonstrate these elements in everyday situations.
Define risk-taking and articulate the value of intelligent risk-taking.
Disney Homeschool Days 2013 will be on October 9. In addition to the program mentioned above, students have the option to add additional programs from the Disney Youth Education Series, via individual enrollment (additional fee applies). And, of course, there are discounted tickets available to those attending and their families (there are limits to the number of tickets you can purchase, based on the number of students enrolled). Prices for these packages aren't as great as previous years, but they're still discounted considerably from regular Disney gate prices.
As a homeschool family, we heartily endorse Disney Homeschool Days! It's a great way to enjoy the Disney Parks while getting a unique "behind the scenes" peek at the Disney experience. The presentations are of stellar quality and appeal to kids of all ages. And the dates for the programs are typically among the least crowded in the Parks. If you're a homeschool family, this is a great time to visit WDW!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Trip Report (Abridged)
We're back! Still not quite "settled in" due to the craziness we came home to--funerals, x-rays, and house closings! Oh my! All that to say, it may take a few weeks before I'm able to "unpack" all the information I want to share with you. So, this trip report will be an abridged version.
First, let me say that we, as always, had a great time and were a little sad to come home. Crowds were quite manageable, and we never waited more than about 20 minutes for anything. Of course, part of that was because we simply refuse to...if a line was longer than that, we'd either pull a Fastpass for later or simply skip it. We didn't miss any attractions on our "must do" list, and rode most of our favorites multiple times. We had a particularly good morning at the Studios with our friends, the Spivey family, where we were able to ride Toy Story Midway Mania at opening with no wait and again later with a FP. We basically walked on to nearly every major attraction there, with the exception of Tower of Terror and Rock N Rollercoaster, for which we chose FP, since none of the kiddos wanted to ride either of them. It was fun to start our trip with friends, but we didn't see much of them the rest of the week, as our schedules didn't quite synch. Still we "bookended" our time at WDW with them, as we left Epcot together after Illuminations on our final night in the Parks.
We were also able to spend quite a bit of time with my cousin Camille, a WDW Cast Member. It was great fun to see her, and we miss her already! And having a CM friend or family member does have its perks. Aside from the obvious Park entry (which we only took advantage of one day, since we had purchased our tickets through the YES programs), we were treated very well by some of her CM friends. (We heard things like, "Why don't you not wait in that line, and instead take these Fastpasses.") And one of the highlights of my trip is always a visit to the Cast Connection store, where you can find discounted merchandise and even food. My daughter and I got the most adorable Mickey ponchos for only $5.99! So very cute--and they have ears! (Can't locate the photo at this time, but I'll be sure to share it later.)
I'll do a full post on the Art of Animation Resort. The short version of my review is that I LOVED being in a brand-new room. The theming was perfect for our girly-girls, and this Resort seems to be a step up from the other Value Resorts. But I do wonder how it will fare over the next 5 years. Some of the decor doesn't seem to be especially durable.
We had hoped to catch a preview of Enchanted Tales with Belle, but to no avail. We even had a CM tip as to where to be and when, but nothing materialized. Bummer. Still, the new castle walls were gorgeous, and we agreed that the new Dumbo setup with the "play while you wait" area is a stroke of genius! I did have one complaint about the new Storybook Circus area: the Casey Jr. Splash area, with it's many fountains, gets you wet...really wet. And some parents--particularly those from other cultures that don't share our modesty standards--were undressing their children down to their underwear. I'm not talking toddlers here, people--big kids...some as old as 7 or 8. Seriously. I heard one CM tell a mother (in line for Dumbo) that she would need to put a shirt on her daughter (about 6, if I'm correct) before they would let her ride. But, other than that, this underwear-fest was largely being overlooked. Call me a prude, but I just want to put it out there: People of the world, we here in America like to keep our clothes on in public. Even when we're hot. Even when we're wet. And especially if we're over the age of 2. Thank you for complying!
Both our YES programs were great as usual, but I think my oldest daughter probably soaked in more actual learning at hers. (Youngest daughter had a rather disruptive/ill-behaved little boy in hers that seemed to require most of our instructor's energy...definitely detracted from the learning.) I highly encourage homeschool families to take advantage of these programs! We have done Wild By Nature, Ocean Discoveries, and Synergy in Science so far.
A couple of random observations, or rather confirmation of observations we've made previously: Our family does not enjoy Animal Kingdom. We swore we would not go this year, but we talked ourselves into it so that we could eat at Flame Tree BBQ. After riding Kali River Rapids twice, we had to "kill time" to wait for the restaurant to open. Not really worth it, when there are so many other good eateries around the World. The other observation: Disney transportation is slow. In nearly any case, we can get from any part of the World to any other part in our own car much faster than using any form of Disney transportation. We spent the better part of one afternoon traveling from one Park to the other, when we could have done it in our car in less than 20 minutes. Lesson learned--or, rather, re-learned.
Finally, we didn't have many new dining experiences (mostly hit our old favorites), but we did dine at the Rose & Crown on our final evening and were able to view Illumination from their private, roped-off area. Sadly, the weather was less-than-cooperative. :( Still, we donned our ponchos and carried on. We were seated indoors, but even so were let into the private area just before the fireworks began. And, perhaps because of the bad weather, we were nearly alone in there! I'll offer a more complete review of the restaurant itself in a later post.
That about covers the Cliff's Notes version. I hope to carve out some time soon to give you more--and include lots of photos!
First, let me say that we, as always, had a great time and were a little sad to come home. Crowds were quite manageable, and we never waited more than about 20 minutes for anything. Of course, part of that was because we simply refuse to...if a line was longer than that, we'd either pull a Fastpass for later or simply skip it. We didn't miss any attractions on our "must do" list, and rode most of our favorites multiple times. We had a particularly good morning at the Studios with our friends, the Spivey family, where we were able to ride Toy Story Midway Mania at opening with no wait and again later with a FP. We basically walked on to nearly every major attraction there, with the exception of Tower of Terror and Rock N Rollercoaster, for which we chose FP, since none of the kiddos wanted to ride either of them. It was fun to start our trip with friends, but we didn't see much of them the rest of the week, as our schedules didn't quite synch. Still we "bookended" our time at WDW with them, as we left Epcot together after Illuminations on our final night in the Parks.
We were also able to spend quite a bit of time with my cousin Camille, a WDW Cast Member. It was great fun to see her, and we miss her already! And having a CM friend or family member does have its perks. Aside from the obvious Park entry (which we only took advantage of one day, since we had purchased our tickets through the YES programs), we were treated very well by some of her CM friends. (We heard things like, "Why don't you not wait in that line, and instead take these Fastpasses.") And one of the highlights of my trip is always a visit to the Cast Connection store, where you can find discounted merchandise and even food. My daughter and I got the most adorable Mickey ponchos for only $5.99! So very cute--and they have ears! (Can't locate the photo at this time, but I'll be sure to share it later.)
I'll do a full post on the Art of Animation Resort. The short version of my review is that I LOVED being in a brand-new room. The theming was perfect for our girly-girls, and this Resort seems to be a step up from the other Value Resorts. But I do wonder how it will fare over the next 5 years. Some of the decor doesn't seem to be especially durable.
We had hoped to catch a preview of Enchanted Tales with Belle, but to no avail. We even had a CM tip as to where to be and when, but nothing materialized. Bummer. Still, the new castle walls were gorgeous, and we agreed that the new Dumbo setup with the "play while you wait" area is a stroke of genius! I did have one complaint about the new Storybook Circus area: the Casey Jr. Splash area, with it's many fountains, gets you wet...really wet. And some parents--particularly those from other cultures that don't share our modesty standards--were undressing their children down to their underwear. I'm not talking toddlers here, people--big kids...some as old as 7 or 8. Seriously. I heard one CM tell a mother (in line for Dumbo) that she would need to put a shirt on her daughter (about 6, if I'm correct) before they would let her ride. But, other than that, this underwear-fest was largely being overlooked. Call me a prude, but I just want to put it out there: People of the world, we here in America like to keep our clothes on in public. Even when we're hot. Even when we're wet. And especially if we're over the age of 2. Thank you for complying!
Both our YES programs were great as usual, but I think my oldest daughter probably soaked in more actual learning at hers. (Youngest daughter had a rather disruptive/ill-behaved little boy in hers that seemed to require most of our instructor's energy...definitely detracted from the learning.) I highly encourage homeschool families to take advantage of these programs! We have done Wild By Nature, Ocean Discoveries, and Synergy in Science so far.
A couple of random observations, or rather confirmation of observations we've made previously: Our family does not enjoy Animal Kingdom. We swore we would not go this year, but we talked ourselves into it so that we could eat at Flame Tree BBQ. After riding Kali River Rapids twice, we had to "kill time" to wait for the restaurant to open. Not really worth it, when there are so many other good eateries around the World. The other observation: Disney transportation is slow. In nearly any case, we can get from any part of the World to any other part in our own car much faster than using any form of Disney transportation. We spent the better part of one afternoon traveling from one Park to the other, when we could have done it in our car in less than 20 minutes. Lesson learned--or, rather, re-learned.
Finally, we didn't have many new dining experiences (mostly hit our old favorites), but we did dine at the Rose & Crown on our final evening and were able to view Illumination from their private, roped-off area. Sadly, the weather was less-than-cooperative. :( Still, we donned our ponchos and carried on. We were seated indoors, but even so were let into the private area just before the fireworks began. And, perhaps because of the bad weather, we were nearly alone in there! I'll offer a more complete review of the restaurant itself in a later post.
That about covers the Cliff's Notes version. I hope to carve out some time soon to give you more--and include lots of photos!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Disney Homeschool Days in October
If you're a home educating family like we are, you're always looking for unique, fun, ecucational, and--of course!--inexpensive field trips. Walt Disney World fits the bill. Really. Yes, even the inexpensive part, when compared with other vacation venues...as long as you know how to find the savings. Fortunately, Disney is offering great ticket discounts to homeschooling families for their annual (semi-annual? over the last few years the dates have been a bit erratic) Disney Homeschool Days.
This year's program, slated for October 25, puts the focus on primates and preserving their habitats (a less-than-subtle promotion of Chimpanzee, now in theatres). The one-hour presentation included with your registration/ticket purchase will undoubtedly be both informative and entertaining, but you also have the opportunity to schedule additional Youth Education Series (YES)programs during your stay. These are typically 3 hours in length and cost $28 per student per session. We've found them to be a perfect balance of learning and fun, especially for younger students.
While we won't be attending this year's event (we had our trip planned before the dates were announced; we are, however, attending a YES program through individual enrollment), we have attended Disney's Homeschool Days in the past and thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a sense of commaraderie, as you are surrounded by other home educating families. And it doesn't hurt that Disney typically schedules these events during the least busy times in the Parks, since we homeschoolers like to vacation in the off-season. (Our Homeschool Days program was in Disney's Hollywood Studios, and the crowd was as light as I had ever experienced.)
For more information on this year's event, click here.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
YES Programs Introduce "Kingdom Keepers Quest"
My 7-year-old daughter loves the Kingdom Keepers novel series by Ridley Pearson. (OK, I admit it...I like the books too!) We were super excited to hear that Disney's Youth Education Series has introduced a unique educational experience centered around the books: The Kingdom Keepers Quest. The post mentions that this is for groups of 10 or more students (no age specs given). Here's hoping that they open this up to homeschoolers for individual enrollment!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Fall Homeschool Days Announced
I've been anxiously awaiting the announcement of dates for the fall Homeschool Days at Walt Disney World. After a great experience at last year's Homeschool Days (you can read about it here), we were all set to go again this year. But after multiple calls and emails to no avail (Disney seemed to be dragging their feet a bit in releasing the dates), we decided we needed go forward with planning our fall vacation. Instead of the Homeschool Days, we're taking advantage of Disney's individual enrollment for their YES programs (a similar experience to Homeschool Days that you can read about here).
All that explanation to say...today I was perusing the Youth Programs website and discovered that they actually had a listing for fall registration for Homeschool Days! No, you cannot register just yet...and they don't have the complete list of programs...but they did list the date and theme of the special presentation that is included with your registration/ticket purchase.
The program will be October 3, and here's a brief summary of the presentation:
Sounds fun! We're a little sad that we won't be hanging with our fellow homeschoolers this year, but I'm super excited to instead be spending my 40th birthday at our family's favorite vacation spot.
All that explanation to say...today I was perusing the Youth Programs website and discovered that they actually had a listing for fall registration for Homeschool Days! No, you cannot register just yet...and they don't have the complete list of programs...but they did list the date and theme of the special presentation that is included with your registration/ticket purchase.
The program will be October 3, and here's a brief summary of the presentation:
Join us as a Walt Disney World® Resort Chef uses his culinary expertise to teach your homeschooler how to create a healthy lifestyle through the science of food. During this interactive presentation, students will hear why it's important to eat a balanced diet, how to make healthy food choices and even learn to prepare a delicious, good-for-you recipe.
Sounds fun! We're a little sad that we won't be hanging with our fellow homeschoolers this year, but I'm super excited to instead be spending my 40th birthday at our family's favorite vacation spot.
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