FREE Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD

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If your family is planning a magical vacation to any of the Disney Parks this Summer (or even over the next few years), you may be interested in requesting a FREE Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD (no longer available)!

My boys at Disney a couple years ago… oh how time flies!

Your FREE DVD will include:

* A complete tour of the 4 Theme Parks, 2 Water Parks and over 20 Resort hotels at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
* A tour of the Disneyland Resort in California, including 2 enchanting Theme Parks and 3 Resort hotels
* Affordable ways to play and stay during your Disney vacation
* Pocket-sized planning guides, planning tips, and information on special events, and more!

This offer is only available to U.S. and Canadian households. One per household.

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Comments 38

  1. Andrea

    I initially thought I was getting a free disney vacation, ha,ha,ha !!!………too bad

  2. aesha

    priceless pix!

  3. Jennifer

    If anyone needs assistance planning a Disney vacation, I’m an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. 🙂 Check out my website for more information.

    • jennifer e

      my family and i are planning on going to disneyland next summer. would love to get some help on the planning! will be definitely checking out your site. thanks!

  4. Bev

    Is that your Grandma behind the boys, with the stroller? She looks familiar!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      That’s what I was thinking too 🙂

    • Collin

      Yep, it sure is! 🙂

  5. rosiesdiner

    One of my sons works at Disney World, so I’ve been there many times. The best time to go is right after labor day. Everyone else has taken their vacation and are back in school. The parks are empty at this time. DO NOT GO AT CHRISTMAS!!!! That is when the park has it’s highest attendance. The lines will be very long, and you will spend alot of money and have a terrible time.

    Once there go early, get fast passes for the rides you want to see. This will save you time and waiting. At midday, go back to your hotel and rest, use the pool, etc. Then go back to the park. If you don’t take a break and let your kids take a nap in the afternoon they will not be able to stay away for the fireworks at the end of the day, and that is the best part of the park.

    Try not to eat in the parks it’s to expensive, they will charge you $3.00 for a bottle of water. (be sure to take a bottle of water and refill it, water fountains are hard to find but are marked on the maps. They’re is one behind the castle and close to the pirate ride.) Don’t try to hop from one park to another, you will waste to much time. Go to one one day and another the next. Hope this helps

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Are people allowed to bring their own food into the parks? Own bottled water/juice/little cooler in stroller?

      • deb

        My 3 kids grew up at Disney.
        When we would go they each had their own backpak-LOADED with food to get them thru the day so we didn’t have to spend $$ in the Park. We became very good at this-the kids just knew this was our routine and never bugged us about the overpriced junk food.
        Sometimes we’d break in the middle of the day-drive off the prop for pool/rest time at the nearby hotel-then back in eve till park closed.
        We lived in Ft. Myers-so only a few short hrs away.

        If you go-hit Pirates and Haunted House first! Lines form quick, long and it is HOT!

      • Tammi

        This is not announced anywhere, but one of the workers told me that you can go up to any food place and get cups of ice water for free. This worked out just fine for us to get water anytime and they would even give us 2 free cups at a time!

      • Jennifer

        Q. Can food be brought into Walt Disney World® Resort and Theme Parks?

        A. Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Resort. If you have items that need to be refrigerated, please ask the front desk Cast Member to have a refrigerator placed in your room. Please check with the front desk to see if there is a charge for use of the refrigerator. Guests are allowed to bring food items, such as snacks or foods that do not require heating, into any Walt Disney World® Theme Park. Just inform a Security Cast Member.

        Hope this helps 🙂

        • Laura

          Wow,that’s awesome! Good to know the next time I go!

        • Jennifer

          Disney Land in California Outside Food Policy is different than Disney World:
          The official policy reads: “With the exception of food items for Guests with specific dietary restrictions, food or beverage items are not permitted into either of the Disneyland Resort theme parks.” However, “unofficially” if it is just some non-perishable snack items eaten discretely not using their tables etc. I don’t think you will be bothered.
          Hope this helps. 🙂

          • Laura

            Oh, ok. Thank you so much! You are so helpful!

      • Laura

        I believe bottled water is the only thing you can bring. I’ve been to Disneyland many times (I’m from L.A.) and I can’t recall a time when you ever could bring your own food in.

    • Kristi

      I used to work at the Magic Kingdom, and you can also go to any of the restaurants (at any park) and ask for a glass of ice water, and it is free. Then you don’t have to search for the water fountains or restrooms! 🙂

      • Tammi

        Kristi, we must have been posting this at the same time!

        • Kristi

          🙂

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      do Florida resident get discount on the tickes?

  6. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    on swagbucks i keep seeing a popup of disney vac for very cheap has ne one else seen this? its like $40 a ticket and saying 7 night vac for $99 per person??????

  7. deb

    If you’re headed to FL before Sept. 5th you can really get a deal at Busch Gardens in Tampa.
    Buy your tickets before July 31st for $79 Adults/$71Kids 3-9 and enjoy FREE FOOD/DRINK during your entire days visit! All you can eat takes on a whole new meaning!

    My sisters just returned and couldn’t believe all the great food available with this plan!
    To give you just a tiny idea of costs inside park-bottled water is $2.50. each.
    Just not too much roller coasters…ya want to keep the food down LOL!

  8. Brittany

    Cute picture Collin! We went in 09′ also when they did the free military promo 🙂

  9. Amy

    Does anyone know what month would be the best to go on the Disney Cruise? I am looking to book the cruise that leaves Florida and sails to the Bahamas. Thanks!

  10. Anne

    Thanks for the reminder. We are going in March 2012. I didn’t know about the water that is good to know!

    Do they still have the special pass thing for kids with special needs? My 5 year old has special needs and it really helped us last time.

    • Megan

      Yes they do, just stop by guest services on your way in. You can also get a special pass if you use a stroller as a wheelchair so you can take it directly to the loading area of the ride and they’ll have it ready for you when you get off.

      • Anne

        Good to know! She does use a stroller quite a bit since she wears braces on both legs.

  11. anita

    Don’t forget if anyone is a member of the military to stay at the Shades of Green resort in the Magic Kingdom. We have traveled from Pittsburgh to Disney World every other year since 2001 and we stay at the Shade of Green Resort. It is on Disney property- so you get all the benefits of staying onsite- but it is owned by the military- so you stay cheap- according to your rank. It is a beautiful resort -it was redone a few years back and that year they put us up in the contemporary for the same price as what we would have paid at the Shades of Green. I would highly recommend staying at the Shades of Green for anyone who is eligible to stay there. You can go back to your room and have lunch- swim- relax- go to the sports bar for lunch( so much cheaper than the parks) and then go back to the park for the rest of the day. The Shade of Green also has their own bus system- so you are not stuck on the crowded Disney buses.

    • Deb

      If this resort is anything like the Hale Koa on Waikiki, you will LOVE it!
      We’ve stayed at the Hale Koa property twice and it’s driectly on the beach. They go our of their way to make the military feel extra welcomed!
      And that Sunday Brunch! WOOOOOOOOWzers!

  12. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    has ne one done a timeshare for disney deal and had good experience?

  13. Jean

    We went to Disney over Xmas break with our 2 and 3 year old. The lines were longer for sure, but we had an iPhone app that told us the forecast of each park and how long the rides were. They were surprisingly accurate! We had a GREAT TIME and didn’t feel too overwhelmed.

    We got our tickets from Undercover Tourist (undercovertourist dot com). You save SO much (tax and shipping included in the price in case you are price matching with Disney’s website). If you sign up for Mousesaver’s (mousesaver dot com), you get a newsletter on the 15th of each month that has a secret link to Undercover Tourist with extra savings.

    We stayed at an awesome condo in Kissimmee located on Orlo Bronson Parkway, about 5 miles from Disney. It was a dream! The owners have several condos for rent and we will definitely be back the next time we visit Orlando. Their website is godisneyvacation dot com and we stayed in “Animal Planet.” They just did a Toy Story theme one that looks like a lot of fun to stay in. I highly recommend Scott and Anthony’s condos. Great price (plus I got to do 20 loads of laundry in 7 days lol!).

    There’s a Super Target down the street from the condo (and Disney). It has a HUGE selection of Disney merchandise so I would shop there for souvenirs instead of the parks. I also bought lots of snacks and sandwiches to bring into the park.

    Don’t go to the Houlihan’s … bad service, bad food (and we have never had a bad experience at a Houlihan’s except for this one). There’s a Chinese place nearby that’s really yummy. I don’t recall the name, but it has a bunch of numbers in it 😉

    PS. We also did Seaworld because I had enough points on my cc to get free tickets! My kids loved it! We bought cheap $1 ponchos from Target and sat in the “get wet” area for the dolphin, Shamu and walrus shows. I think they are having some military discounts at Seaworld so you military families will have to look into that!

    • Jean

      I meant to say “Animal Kingdom” not “Animal Planet” lol

  14. Sarah

    Thanks for the info. we are trying to plan a surprise trip for our 8 kids and maybe grandpa can come (lost grandma last year). Any other places to get good deals on tickets for large groups like ours. We will have from 10 to 14. (depending on which grandparents/aunts & uncles go)Thanks in advance. You can email me at csshirk@q.com with DISNEY in subject line. Thanks again!

  15. Collin (Mrs. Hip)

    We typically ship a large box of snacks from our home stash about4-5 days prior to our trip and Disney always has it waiting for us in our room when we arrive.

    Every year on black Friday–I but a cheap toaster for 2-3 dollars and we ship in our box along with pop tarts, bagels, etc and then we do breakfast for cheap in the room every day before we get going.

  16. erin

    Were going in sept and I was wondering if there are any Android apps anyone rec for disney?

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