FREE Dining or Room Discount??

Posted on May 11, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

People always think that FREE dining is the best promotion Disney offers but depending on your family size, what type of dining plan you prefer and where you want to stay its not always true. FREE always sounds better but what about 30% FREE room? Here is a comparison of the deals so you can have an idea of which one is a better deal for your family.

If you are a smaller family, have children under 9, and are staying in Deluxe or Deluxe villa then a room discount is a better offer, especially if you are doing the quick service dining plan.

Family of 4 (2 adults and children ages 4 and 6) staying at the Beach Club in a pool view for 6 nights with 6 day base ticket and plus dining will save  $873 with FREE Dining and save  $903.76 with 30% room discount.

A couple staying at the Grand Floridian for 6 nights with a 6 day base ticket and plus dining will save $667.08 with FREE Dining and save $746.52 with 30% room discount.

If you are a larger family staying in a value or moderate resort then the FREE dining is a better offer.

Family of 5 (2 adults and children ages 10, 12, 14) staying at Fort Wilderness Cabins for 6 nights with 6 day base ticket and plus dining will save  $1667.70  with FREE Dining and save $479.16 with 25% room discount.

Another thing to consider is the ages of the people in your family. Families with children under 9 will not save as much as families with children 10 and older with free dining since the children 10 and older are being charged the adult rate for dining. Families with young children may save more with room discounts depending on resort choice.

Does this seem confusing or overwhelming? It can be especially if this is your first trip to Disney. The best part is, if you are booking with Magical Memory Planners we will figure this all out for you and be sure you are getting the lowest price for your families needs. Request your free quote today.

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FREE Dining and Room Discounts Open to Everyone

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Disney has opened its FREE Dining Promotion and Room Discounts to the general public today. These offers are the same as the ones opened earlier this week to Disney Visa Cardholders.

FREE Dining Promotion

Arrive anytime September 2-25, 2013. Minimum 3 night stay and 2 day base ticket.

    • FREE Quick service dining for value resorts
    • FREE Plus dining for moderate, deluxe, and deluxe villa resorts

Room Discount Offer

Available most dates August 15 – September 28, 2013. This can apply to just your room or you can add tickets, dining, and photopass + if you wish.

Value

  • 20% off for All Star Sports, All Star Music, and Pop Century
  • 15% off for Art of Animation (Family Suites only)

Moderate

  • 25% off for Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside  and Fort Wilderness Cabins

Deluxe/Deluxe Villa

  • 30% off for Beach Club and Villas, Yacht Club, BoardWalk Inn and Villas, Wilderness Lodge and Villas, Animal Kingdom Lodge – standard & pool views, Contemporary – garden wing & Bay Lake View, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West
  • 20% off for Grand Floridian and Polynesian

*Both offers are not available for Fort Wilderness Campground, 3 bedroom villas, and Art of Animation – Little Mermaid standard rooms.

**Both offers must be booked by July 31, 2013. There are a limited amount of rooms available with these offers so book soon.

Request a free quote from your MMP or fill out a  free quote request.

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Free Dining and Room Discounts for September

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Everyone has been eagerly awaiting the Free Dining Promotion and they are also going to get a room discount offer (although you can’t do both)

Free Dining is available to Visa Cardholder for arrivals September 2- 25, 2013. As in the past value resorts will get free quick service dining and the moderate, deluxe and deluxe villas will get plus dining for free. There is a 3 night minimum stay and 2 day base ticket purchase to get the discount. Offer must be booked by July 31, 2013

Disney Visa Cardholders may prefer to use the room discount instead. Here are the discount for room only reservations:

Value:
*20% for All Star Sports, All Star Music, and Pop Century
*15% for Art of Animation family suites (LM rooms excluded)
*5% All Star Movies

Moderate:
*25% for Coronado Springs, Caribbean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside  and Fort Wilderness Cabins
*5% for Port Orleans French Quarter and Coronado Springs Suites

Deluxe/Deluxe Villas:
*30% for Beach Club, Yacht Club, BoardWalk Inn, Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge – standard & pool views, Contemporary – garden wing & Bay Lake View, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, BoardWalk Villas, Beach Club Villas, Villas at Wilderness Lodge.
*20% for Grand Floridian and Poly
5% for Animal Kingdom Lodge Club Level and Savanna Views, Contemporary Club Level and Magic Kingdom View and suites, Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas – Jambo and Kidani, and Bay Lake Tower

These discounts are for Aug 15 – September 28, 2013 and must be booked by July 31, 2013

3-bedroom suites, campsites, and Little Mermaid are excluded from both offers.  Both of these offers are currently available to Disney Visa Cardholders.

Request your free quote today!

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Disney Lost and Found

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

We just got back from an amazing week in Florida visiting my parents. After picking us up at Orlando International they surprised me by saying we were going to go to Downtown Disney for dinner. I was traveling with my 3 children ages 8, 5, and 3. We were so excited and quickly decided to eat at the T-Rex Cafe for the first time.

My 3 year old fell asleep in the car on the way over so when I transferred him to the stroller I tucked him in with his most precious blanket, “Gee”.  I wasn’t sure how he would wake up since we had been traveling most of the day and I wasn’t sure what to expect at the T-Rex Cafe. I thought having is Gee with him would be a good idea.

He woke up fine and although he was unsure of the loud and dark moments that came about every 20 minutes he was fine. We had a great meal and the kids were so chatty telling Grandma and Grandpa all about our trip in the airplane and all the fun we were going to have.

After we ate we left in shifts as some had to use the bathroom, pay the check and the restless wanted to go to the Lego Store. We spent some time in the Lego Store, had a fun time dancing at the bandstand, and ice cream at Ghiradelli’s. As it started to get dark we decided to ride the boat around Downtown Disney and got off at the Pleasure Island stop. After a quick stop at the bathroom we got back in the car to head to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. As we were getting back on the highway around 10pm the kids were getting tired and my 3 yr old asked for his Gee. OH NO!!!!! I knew we brought it with us but when was the last time I saw it!!!!! It was too late to go back so we settled him down and went back to the house.

We have NEVER lost a Gee before. I wasn’t sure how we would survive. I called the restaurant the next day and got the info on Disney’s Lost and Found.

Disney has one lost and found location where all the items from all over the property are taken with the exception of the resorts. The resorts have their own lost and found. Everything from Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon is sent at the end of the day to the Theme Parks Lost and Found. (If you notice you lost something right away you can check at the end of the day at the theme park guest services)  When you call you will be asked the date the item was lost, the location it was lost and a description.

You can call Theme Parks Lost & Found at 407-824-4245. They are open 9am-7pm 7 days a week. If your item is found you can go pick it up at the east side of the Transportation and Ticket Center. You can drive there since they have a 15 min parking area or take Disney transportation. Ask the Cast Member you speak to about the best way to get there from where you are. If you have already gone home they can mail it to you as well.

We lost the Gee on Tuesday night. I called on Thursday but they didn’t have it. I called again on Sunday and they DID have it!! We stopped by the Transportation and Ticket Center on our way pack to the airport. They had our Gee with our name on it waiting for us. What a relief!!!!

Lost and Found Tip: Put your name and cell number on things especially cameras, ipads, cell phones (someone else’s number), and kids toys.

Theme Park Lost & Found

407-824-4245

 

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Beaches BFF Weekend Getaways

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Beaches Friends Forever (BFF) Girls Getaways

Bff Weekend

Beaches Resorts is the perfect place to grab your best girl friends and have a girls getaway weekend. In addition to your stay at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort Villages & Spa or Beaches Ocho Rios you will get to participate in exclusive activities just for your BFFs. These activities include:

  • Welcome Cocktail Reception
  • Skincare Classes
  • Beach Bonfire Pajama Party
  • Private Catamaran Cruise
  • Jewelry & Wine Soiree
  • Seaside Yoga & Meditation
  • Farewell Dinner
  • and More!

Your trip will start out right with a welcome goody bag. You will also receive more special gifts such as a $200 Red Lane Spa Credit. After all, what girl doesn’t need time at the spa! At the gift shops you will receive a 10% discount for SHOPPING! You will remember your special trip with a 5×7 photo.

Don’t forget at Beaches Turks & Caicos and Beaches Ocho Rios you will enjoy  crystal clear turquoise waters, unlimited premium drinks, and amazing food. What better way to catch up with your best friends and relax? Check out these dates and get plan a girls weekend for you and your BFFs.

September 26-30, 2013 for $1399 per person at Beaches Turks & Caicos

May 1-5, 2014 for $1499 per person at Beaches Turks & Caicos

October 25-29, 2014 for $1499 per person at Beaches Ocho Rios

Request your FREE Quote today and get your Girls BFF weekend on the calendar!!

 
Normal booking procedures apply. Price is per person and is based on availability and double occupancy. Offer is not combinable with any other promotion. Space is limited and additional nights are available at published rates. Activities are subject to change. Child rates apply. Suite & Concierge rooms available at an additional cost. No reduced rate for shortened stays. Spa credit not redeemable for cash. Offer may not be applicable for group bookings. Airfare is not included in this price.
 
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Disney Special Event Tickets 2013

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Disney Special Event Tickets are now available for 2013. These special events include Night of Joy, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP).  All these tickets can be purchased in advance through Magical Memory Planners. Not only will you be guaranteed a ticket instead of finding it sold out at the gate, you will also get a discount on advance purchase. Tickets are non-refundable.

Here are the dates and specifics:

Information on Night of Joy: Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7, 2013

advance purchase price:
$55.00 + tax for 1 night
$99.00 + tax for both nights

day of event:
$65.00 plus Tax

Scheduled to appear on September 6, 2013*
Skillet
Mercy Me
Michael W. Smith
Steven Curtis Chapman
Audio Adrenaline
Mandisa
for King & Country
Moriah Peters
We As Human
City Harbor

Scheduled to appear on September 7, 2013*
Newsboys
Toby Mac
Francesca Battistelli
Building 429
Group 1 Crew
Matthew West
PLUMB
Jamie Grace

*entertainment subject to change without notice

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates are:

September 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, and 29
October 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
November 1.

Pricing for the Halloween parties is as follows:

Advanced Sales for September dates (excluding September 29): Ages 10 and up $59.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $54.00 plus tax. Same day sales for September dates (excluding September 29): Ages 10 and up $65.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $60.00 plus tax.

Advanced Sales for September 29 and October/November dates: Ages 10 and up $62.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $57.00 plus tax. Same day sales for September 29 and October/November dates (excluding October 31): Ages 10 and up $67.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $62.00 plus tax.

Advance sale prices is not available for October 11, 18, 25, or 31.

Premium Night (October 31): Ages 10 and up $73.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $68.00 plus tax.

This year Active and Retired U.S. Military, including members of the U.S. Coast Guard and active members of National Guard or Reservists, may purchase discounted Halloween party tickets to select event nights. They may also purchase additional tickets for up to five family members or friends.

These dates are: September 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, and 27.

Prices are $41.30 for ages 10 and up. Children ages 3-9 are $37.80 plus tax.

Military staying at Shades of Green receive the same discount, but their tickets are also tax exempt.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates are November 8, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, and 22. December 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 20.

Pricing for the Christmas parties is as follows:

Advanced Sales: Ages 10 and up are $62.00 plus tax. Children ages 3-9 are $57.00 plus tax. Same day sales: ages 10 and up are $67.00. Children ages 3-9 are $62.00.

Advance Sale prices are not available for November 22, December 6, 13, 19, or 20.

Premium Night (December 20): ages 10 and up $71.00. Children ages 3-9 are $66.00.

There is also a military discount on select nights for the Christmas party. Dates are November 8, 11, 14, 15, 17, and 21. Prices are $43.40 plus tax for ages 10 and up. Children ages 3-9 are $39.90. For military staying at Shades of Green the prices are the same but are tax exempt.

You can pre-purchase all your Disney Special Event Tickets by filling out a ticket quote form.

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T Rex Cafe Downtown Disney Review

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

TRex Cafe ReviewMy family recently enjoyed dinner at T Rex Cafe Downtown Disney. We were a group of 6 with no reservations at 5:30pm on a Tuesday night. Our group included three adults and three children ages 8, 5, and 3. There was no wait and we were able to get a table quickly.

My kids were so excited when we walked into the restaurant. The decor is amazing. TRex CafeMy 3 year old just kept yelling, “wow, this is amazing!” There were several different areas including an ice cave and coral reef area. The rest of the restaurant was filled with dinosaurs and “plants”.

The menu had a wide array of items such as burgers, ribs, chicken and seafood. I ordered the fish and chips. The portion was huge and it was very delicious. The platter included 4 large pieces of fish along with waffle fries and cole slaw. T RexMy son stole 2 pieces of fish off my plate so there are only 2 pieces shown. The fish had large pieces of fish in it, not just breading or chopped up fish. The coating was a beer batter that was light although it was fried. The cole slaw was also very delicious. It tasted very fresh and wasn’t soggy or heavy.

Two of my kids had cheeseburgers that were kids size and my other son had the kids dinosaur chicken nuggets. The chicken was ok but not much different then something I could find frozen at the grocery store. Their meal came with chips or carrots. They enjoyed it so I guess that is what counts.

Throughout the meal, about every 20 minutes, the T Rex Cafe restaurant would get dark and all the animals would start moving and making noise. This was fun for the older kids but my 3 year old wasn’t as thrilled. He was concerned the first time around but it didn’t bother him as much the next time.

We were pretty stuffed by the end of the meal so we didn’t get any dessert there. We got ice cream from Ghirardelli’s instead a little while later.

The T Rex Cafe Downtown Disney is 1 table service credit on the dining plan. They do save space for walk ups so if you can’t get a dining reservation or want to eat earlier then the time you have I would check it out. I thought the food was good and it was a very entertaining meal. My kids have asked every night for the past 6 nights if we are going to T-Rex Cafe for dinner so I would say they had a good time too!

 

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A Day at Animal Kingdom

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

We answer your questions, we give advice, and help you plan your magical vacation; then we get to take our families to Walt Disney World. What is it like when a travel agent takes her family to Disney World? Well, let me tell you.

We are in Florida visiting family so this wasn’t a full Disney vacation, but you can’t be an hour away from Disney and not spend any time in the magic! We decided to go to Animal Kingdom for the day. Last year we visited Magic Kingdom and Epcot so I thought this year we would hit Animal Kingdom. On this visit my children are 8, 5, and 3. I made reservations for a character lunch at the Tusker House Restaurant at 1:40pm so that we would have a chance to visit the characters. The park hours today are 9 am-7 pm and according to touringplans.com the crowd levels are at a 3.9 out of 10 so it should be a great day!

This is how are day went…

We had to travel from a little over an hour away but we want to get there when the park opens so we left the house at 7:30am. We arrived at the park around 8:45 am and got a great parking spot in unicorn 24. We probably could have walked to the park but the kids wanted to take the tram so off we went.

Tip: If you plan on taking the tram don’t load up your stroller since in a few steps you will have to unload it to fold it up for the tram.

We went through security and headed into the park. We walked onto Discover Island and went to the right toward “Its Tough to be a Bug”. Animal KingdomRight before the entrance we saw Dug and Russell from the movie Up and stopped to get our autographs and picture. Then we went to see “Its Tough to Be A Bug”. After that we  went back to the right to head to Camp Minnie-Mickey to see the 10:30 am show of Festival of the Lion King. Its a long walk into that area but the show is worth it.  After the show the bathrooms and characters are mobbed so we did it before. The Festival of the Lion King show was awesome as expected and then we followed the mob out of Camp Minnie-Mickey and worked our way to Africa.

The next stop was the Kilimanjaro SAnimal Kingdomafaris. There was a 60 minute wait but the fastpass return time was during our lunch reservation so we decided to get in line. Of course about 20 minutes into the line my youngest had to use the bathroom. I left the line with him and headed for the nearest bathroom. We checked with the cast member and he said we could get back in line after our trip to the bathroom. (the rest of our group was still in line) I felt terrible about trying to get back in the line so the cast member said we could go to where they collect the strollers from the line and wait for our family there. When our family got to that point we jumped back in the line.  We really enjoyed the safari.

After the safari was a quick ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch on the Wildlife Express Train but we didn’t do much since we had to get back for our lunch reservation. We never made it to the main building. We did an activity at the Kids Discovery Club and then rode baAnimal Kingdomck.

We got to the Tusker House just in time for our lunch reservation. We had a great meal here and worked with Chef Mary for my daughters dietary needs. She was AMAZING!!! I contacted Disney ahead and filled out the form but forget to mention it at check in. My mistake but they caught up quick. ALWAYS remember to remind them when you check in if you have a special dietary need. We had a great picture with Donald Duck and then met Goofy, Daisy Duck, and Mickey Mouse inside.

After lunch we decided to skip the parade, although at 3 pm people were already lining up, and went over to Dinoland USA. The first stop was the Dinosaur ride. My 3 year old did not like it but the other kids did. It was definitely scary and dark at times. Next we decided to split up and I took the older two on Primeval Whirl while my youngest rode TriceraTop Spin a couple times. We had a few minutes before heading over to the 5 pm show of Finding Nemo – The Musical so I took my daughter on TriceraTop Spin and then it was off to the show.

Finding Nemo – The Musical was also a great show. We sat in the far right of the left section when looking at the stage in the 3rd row up from the middle. These were great seats. The actors move around a lot and we got several up close views of Marlin and Dory since they exit on the left side several times.

After the show we decided to split up again. I took my daughter to ride Expedition Everest and the boys went to play in the Boneyard. Its just a playground but everything is more fun in Disney. They had a great time while we rode Expedition Everest. Thankfully there was only a 5 minute wait so my daughter and I rode the ride twice. Expedition Everest is a great roller coaster. Although it may not be the scariest one out there is has some great features such as a pretty fast speed as well so going both forward and backward. My favorite part is going backwards in the dark really fast.

After we all met up together we ran over to Kali River Rapids in Asia. It was our last ride of the day and some of us got really wet. Everyone enjoyed it! We wanted to try and squeeze in one more trip on the safari but there wasn’t enough time. Instead we just made our way back out of the park to the trams.

We had a really fun day although I don’t feel like we did everything. With the exception of Kilimanjaro Safaris we never waited more than 10 minutes for a ride. We missed the parade and didn’t stop for any of the animal encounters. As I always say, “Enjoy everything you do and don’t try to do everything!” That’s exactly what we did. We will just have to come back again!

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Kids Flying Games

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Kids Flying Games

Planning on flying with your kids on your next vacation? Here are some great kids flying games to keep them busy on the airplane.

List of games or activities that your kids will enjoy on your next flight.

Apples to Apples – This is a great game to play on an airplane. You don’t need a lot of rooKids Flying Gamesm to play and you can even play across the aisle or with the rows in front or back of you. They also have a version for everyone from kids, Disney (a great way to get into the spirit of your headed to Disney), Junior, or Bible edition. This game is also fun for everyone. I have as much fun playing as my kids do (ages 4-8). Lastly, the game can be small. Take the cards out of the box and put them in 2 sandwich size bags. You don’t need to bring all the red cards either.Kids Flying Games

Memory Games – This is another game you can play on your tray table. Don’t bring the whole game though. Just 8 pairs should be enough. You can play on the tray table and keep the game in a zip top back. They also have so many variations you can find one for any preschooler.

Puzzles – The tray tables are about 16 by 9 (although they vary by airline) so you should be able to do a small puzzle. Take it out of the box and put it in a zip top bag so that its easy to bring in your carry-on. I found some great puzzles with 24 or 48 pieces that are small enough and are in a zip top bag. They were only $2.99 at CVS.

Dice Game – One example is pig. Its easy to play and all you need is a die or two. You don’t need a lot of space the game can fit in your pocket.

Card games – War, go fish, crazy 8s, etc. These games are great for the plane too but may only work for 2 players or the players may need to be close together. It is compact though.

Of course you can also do the old standby of iPod, iPad, Kindle Fire, etc. Make sure you are fully charged and have head phones. Not all airlines offer wifi so make sure you have the items you want uploaded before you go.

They say “time flies when you are having fun”. Make your next flight fly by with these kids flying games.

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Reader Appreciation Giveaway

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Magical Memory Planners

Giveaway

We have so many amazing readers on our blog. We wanted to do something to thank you so here is the giveaway. Leave a comment on any of our blog posts and you will be entered to win a set of Disney lithographs (similar to the ones you get if you pre-order a movie). The winner can choose either Brave, Fining Nemo, or the Avengers. Comments that are submitted from now until 11:59pm WDW time on April 30th will be included. We will pick 3 winners on May 1 and contact you via email to get your mailing address.

Comments must be relevant comments and not “I want to win” or “If I win I pick the Brave Lithographs”. Some ideas are to check out our MMP Page and leave a comment bragging on your favorite MMP and why they are the best, check out our Autograph Mats and leave some feedback, learn more about Grocery Deliver to Disney and leave some feedback if you have used Garden Grocer, leave a response on our Disney Cruise Planning series, or check out any of our amazing articles.

Good luck and thanks to all our clients and readers!

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