July 2nd, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Fellow Mouse Fans!
Ok, so now I’ve convinced you that you need trip insurance. Which one to choose? Not to sound like a borken record but this is another area where a travel planner can be helpful. Disney does offer trip insurance but you may be able to obtain better coverage at a lower cost through another provider. Some things to consider when choosing:
1) Are there any pre-existing conditions in your travel party?
2) Do you live in an area where Mother Nature regualrly wreaks havoc with travel plans?
3) Are you planning on adding to your family in the near future? (This especially comes in to play with cruises when women more than 24 weeks pregnant are not allowed to cruise on many cruise lines.)
Compare coverage and cost and choose wiselt. Also choose quickly as some policies require you to purchase insurance within days of placing your deposit.
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Fellow Mouse Fans!
Ok, so now I’ve convinced you that you need trip insurance. Which one to choose? Not to sound like a borken record but this is another area where a travel planner can be helpful. Disney does offer trip insurance but you may be able to obtain better coverage at a lower cost through another provider.
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July 1st, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Today’s FAQ: Why do I need trip insurance?
Trip insurance is a critical part of protecting your investment in your vacation. And make no mistake - vacations are investments! Not only financially but also in the memories your family creates together while traveling. Trip insurance is rarely used for anything you could predict, it’s always the thing you didn’t see coming. Believe me, dear readers, I learned this the hard way.
On a family trip to Walt Disney World, on the last night of our trip, a family member was very badly injured after tripping and falling. This resulted in their being hospitalized for 4 days and all of us extending our trip, changing our flights, etc. Hundreds and thousands of dollars in fees, extra hotel nights, food, rental cars, etc. Much of which could have been reimbursed if ANY of us had trip insurance. Alas, we were not as smart as all of you will be going forward.
Trip insurance is important for everyone but especially for families with children. Let’s face it, things happen! Children get sick or break bones at what always seems to be the worst possible moment. Trip insurance can really be a life saver in these situations.
So for your next trip - wherever you go - PLEASE consider adding trip insurance. Your travel planner can help you choose the coverage that is right for your family. It’s a small price to pay for a little peace of mind.
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Today’s FAQ: Why do I need trip insurance?
Trip insurance is a critical part of protecting your investment in your vacation. And make no mistake - vacations are investments! Not only financially but also in the memories your family creates together while traveling.
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June 30th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Sorry for my absence! A tornado blew through my Connecticut town on Friday and ran right through my backyard. We were without power for over 51 hours and are still in the process of cleaning up and re-building. We were lucky - we only lost one very large tree and sustained minor damage. Others in our town were not as lucky but no one was killed and there was only one minor injury. Thank goodness!! So this week the Snippets may be interrupted.
Tomorrow’s FAQ is inspired by this weekend. Coming up: Why do I need trip insurance?
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Sorry for my absence! A tornado blew through my Connecticut town on Friday and ran right through my backyard. We were without power for over 51 hours and are still in the process of cleaning up and re-building. We were lucky - we only lost one very large tree and sustained minor damage.
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June 26th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok, let’s wrap up this Dining Plan FAQ, shall we? Last but not least - FREE DINING! Now through July 26, 2009, you can book a Magic Your Way Package for travel from August 22 through October 3, 2009 and receive the basic dining plan for FREE! This is by far one of Disney’s most popular promotions. But is it a great deal?
For most families, the answer is yes. But as with everything in life, there are exceptions! Are you an annual passholder or do you have unused tickets from a previous trip? Than you may get a better deal with the current room only deals that are available now for dates in the same time period as Free Dining. Annual Passholders do have the option to purchase the dining plan and the savings on your hotel room may offset the cost of the dining plan!
A good travel planner can help you figure out what is the best deal for your family. A little number crunching can go a long way to ensuring that you get the most bang for your vacation buck! So contact your favorite MEI & Mouse Fan Travel Planner today to plan your fall Walt Disney World vacation today.
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok, let’s wrap up this Dining Plan FAQ, shall we? Last but not least - FREE DINING! Now through July 26, 2009, you can book a Magic Your Way Package for travel from August 22 through October 3, 2009 and receive the basic dining plan for FREE! This is by far one of Disney’s most popular promotions.
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June 25th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
So we continue on with our Dining Plan 101 series. Next up - The Quick Service plan!
This year Disney introduced the Quick Service Dining Plan for those of you who prefer a lighter meal or simply can’t bear to take time out of your commando park touring to sit down for a meal. (Hey - I get it! There are times it is hard to drag me away from Expedition Everest!) The Quick Service Dining Plan includes 2 quick service meals (aka counter service meals), and 2 snacks per person, per night’s stay. It also includes one resort refillable mug per person (ages 3+). It costs $29.99 per night per adult and $8.99 per child. Let’s take a look at a quick service meal to see what kind of cost we are looking at. Take Cosmic Ray’s at the Magic Kingdom:
BBQ Rib Meal: $10.49
Chocolate Cake: $3.59
Soft Drink: $2.49
Total: $16.57
For our second meal, let’s look at Pecos Bill:
1/4 lb Cheeseburger with fries: $6.59
Carrot Cake: $3.59
Soft Drink: $2.49
Total: $12.67
So between these two meals, the Quick Service Dining Plan has already paid for itself and you haven’t even gotten snacks yet!
Back to those light eaters…If this sounds like more food than your family would ever eat, then the dining plans may not be for you. A la carte can be the way to go! Many quick service meals lend themselves well to being split to make your money go even further.
Tomorrow: A Dining Plan wrap up!
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
So we continue on with our Dining Plan 101 series. Next up - The Quick Service plan!
This year Disney introduced the Quick Service Dining Plan for those of you who prefer a lighter meal or simply can’t bear to take time out of your commando park touring to sit down for a meal. (Hey - I get it!
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June 24th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok, so now you know where you might eat and what you might eat. Let’s look at how much that might cost. Take, for example, a meal (dinner) at Tutto Italia in the World Showcase. The Dining Plan’s table service meal includes an entree, dessert and soft drink but not gratuities.
Entree: Lasagna al Forno $24
Dessert: Cinnamon Ricotta Cheesecake $9
Soft Drink: Soda $3
Total: $36 plus tax
The Dining Plan costs about $39.99 per adult, per day so in this scenario, the Dining Plan has basically paid for itself as I haven’t included the cost of a counter service meal or snack yet. However, there are situations in which the Dining Plan may not work for your family. Next up - light eaters?
Be well and make magic wherver you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok, so now you know where you might eat and what you might eat. Let’s look at how much that might cost. Take, for example, a meal (dinner) at Tutto Italia in the World Showcase. The Dining Plan’s table service meal includes an entree, dessert and soft drink but not gratuities.
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June 23rd, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok now, did everyone check out the menus at AllEars.net? Good! Now think about how your family normally eats. The basic Dining Plan includes one table service meal per person, per night’s stay. Now for my family, that is perfect as I want the opportunity to relax and eat a leisurely meal once a day. But for some families, especially with older kids, that may just be too much time away from the rides! If this sounds like your family, the Quick Service Dining Plan may be for you.
Keep in mind that your table service credits can also be used for character dining experiences. The pace of these meals is dependent on how badly you want to see every possible character, but if you don’t mind missing a couple, a buffet character meal can be a great compromise between a leisurely sit down meal and a rushed counter service meal.
Tomorrow - computing the cost…
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Ok now, did everyone check out the menus at AllEars.net? Good! Now think about how your family normally eats. The basic Dining Plan includes one table service meal per person, per night’s stay.
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June 22nd, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
This week’s FAQ: Is the Dining Plan worth it? (That’s right - I said this week’s FAQ. It’s a big topic!)
This has to be the single most asked question I get. And it may be the toughest to answer! Because the answer is, "It depends." Depends on what? Your family, your eating habits, etc.
So this week I’ll be attempting to break down the Disney Dining Plan for you. First off, here is the first place I recommend everyone check out: www.allears.net Specifically - the Menus. The first thing I recommend any family do is think about where they would ideally like to eat while at Walt Disney World, check out the menus and look at what they would likely order. How much would dinner cost for your family?
I’ll be back with more tomorrow!
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
This week’s FAQ: Is the Dining Plan worth it? (That’s right - I said this week’s FAQ. It’s a big topic!)
This has to be the single most asked question I get. And it may be the toughest to answer! Because the answer is, "It depends." Depends on what?
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June 19th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Today’s FAQ: Are there non-smoking rooms available at Walt Disney World Resorts?
Answer: Good news! (Well, for the non-smokers anyway…) All Disney Resort rooms are now non-smoking. This includes the balcony! The good news for smokers is that there are designated, conveniently located, outdoor smoking areas in all the resorts. Check your resort map for locations.
Have a great weekend and to all the Fathers and Father Figures out there - Happy Father’s Day!
Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
Today’s FAQ: Are there non-smoking rooms available at Walt Disney World Resorts?
Answer: Good news! (Well, for the non-smokers anyway…) All Disney Resort rooms are now non-smoking. This includes the balcony!
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June 18th, 2009 - by Sara V
Greetings Mouse Fans!
No FAQ today - sorry! It’s raining here today as it has been for most of June so I began thinking about rainy days at Walt Disney World.
To paraphrase Longfellow, Into each vacation, a little rain must fall. What to do when this happens? Turns out there are plenty of options! My personal favorite? Ignore it! Layer a bathing suit under your clothes, grab a poncho and some flip flops and hit the parks! You’re going to get wet on so many rides anyway (Kali River Rapids anyone?) what’s a little more water? Animal Kingdom is a completely different park on rainy days as different animals prefer the cool, wet weather.
For those of you who prefer to stay dry, a rainy day is a perfect opportunity to thoroughly explore your own resort as well as others! Hop the resort monorail at the Ticket & Transportation Center and resort hop your way around the Seven Seas Lagoon. Have tea at the Grand Floridian, grab some Kona Coffee at the Polynesian and then when you are fully caffeinated, hit the arcade at the Contemporary!
Last but not least is my other favorite - shopping!! A rainy day usually means a trip to Downtown Disney for me. Check out a movie, grab some lunch and check out World of Disney.
Whatever you do, don’t let it spoil your fun. Be well and make magic wherever you go!
Sara Varney
Travel Planner
Greetings Mouse Fans!
No FAQ today - sorry! It’s raining here today as it has been for most of June so I began thinking about rainy days at Walt Disney World.
To paraphrase Longfellow, Into each vacation, a little rain must fall. What to do when this happens? Turns out there are plenty of options! My personal favorite?
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Sara’s Snippets - July 2, 2009