DisneyOnTheCheap

Remember the good old days when you returned your pop bottle at the corner grocer and received a nickel back?

Me neither.

But today, in honor of Earth Day, you can bring three plastic bottles to any Disney Store, and you’ll receive a free gift while supplies last. Rumor has it the gift is a water bottle (the reusable kind – good for Mother Earth). But who knows? Whatever it is, it’s free, it’s Disney and it’s for a good cause.

Click here to find a Disney Store near you.

I know “credit” has become sort of a dirty word in today’s society, but sometimes having the right credit card can help you in your pursuit of savings.  And when it comes to Disney, nothing gets you bargains quite like the Disney Rewards Visa.

My favorite perk is the special meet and greet, complete with a free 5 by 7, that comes with the card.  Last time we visited, our little crew got some private face time with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy in Epcot….it was great! And since two of us had Disney Rewards Visas, we got two free pictures!

I just learned that the card can also get you a 20 percent discount off the regular pice of select tours in the theme parks. These tours include (but aren’t limited to) the Keys to the Kingdom tour or Mickey’s Magical Milestones in the Magic Kingdom, Hidden Treasures of the World Showcase in Epcot and the Animal Kingdom’s Wild By Design tour.

Another perk – 10 percent off your purchases (over $50) at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney. That’s one way to cut down on souvenir costs!

And the most basic perk of all – you get 1% back on all your purchases in a Disney gift card. I know, one percent doesn’t sound like much, but so far we have $250 for our November trip…which means ‘Ohana is free for us!

So check out the Disney Rewards Visa….and reward yourself with extra cash in your pocket.

We have a winner!

William Bonville of Omaha, NE, is the winner of the giveway that celebrated our launch. William will be taking off with his own power inverter, courtesy of the good folks at Black and Decker.

Thanks to all who entered and stay tuned! More giveaways to come!

Sure, the amusements are one-of-a-kind, the theming is out of this world and interaction with the characters is the stuff of a child’s dream. But if you ask my husband, the best part of Disney is the dining, and he had his priority seating choices made long before his 90 day window.

Scott's Dessert at Chef Mickey's

So what’s better than Disney dining?  Well, how about Disney dining…for free? Yep, that’s the offer on the table (pun intended). If you book a full price WDW vacation checking in between August 16 and October 3 (with some restrictions), you can upgrade to the Magic
Your Way Plus Dining plan for the same price as the plain old Magic Your Way package.

Bottom line: this deal will save the average family of four (who are those people?) $101.96 per day.  That’s a lot of souvenir money, doncha know?

Breakfast at Crystal Palace

The small print: your vacation package must include a three day hotel stay and a one day (at least) theme park ticket. And you must book before 6/21/09, using the appropriate code: RYH. If you want to upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan (which gives you three sitdown or counter service meals a day, two snacks, an appetizer with table service meals and a refillable mug) you can do so for $32 per adult per night and $10 per night for the kiddies.  Use code UGR.

So what’s the hold up? Go book your Disney trip with free dining now…and start counting the days until you have to dial to book your space at LeCellier.

Let’s face it – staying off site costs less than staying on site. And now the Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels in Lake Buena Vista are helping you save even more off site – while still being just minutes from the theme park action.

The consortium of seven hotels are offering visitors their 2009 Passport to Savings coupon book for any stay in their establishments. The booklet contains discounts and specials for area dining, shopping and entertainment, as well as maps and schedules for the complimentary shuttles to the Disney parks, water parks and Pleasure Island.

The hotels involved – the Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort, Buena Vista Palace Hotel and Spa, Doubletree Guest Suites, Hilton Orlando, Holiday Inn, Hotel Royal Plaza and the Regal Sun Resort - are considered “Official Walt Disney World” hotels, so guests are already eligible for some special perks, including the ability to purchase theme park tickets at the hotel, advanced tee time at all Disney golf courses and priority seating arrangements for Disney dinner shows and theme park restaurants. Add the great coupon book – and see your savings multiply!

For more information, sign up for the Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotels’ newletter. Then start counting your savings!

I saw this tip on the great CitiesOnTheCheap homepage and thought I’d pass it along…

“The price at the pump is starting to climb again. If you want to pay less every time you fill up, visit GasBuddy.com before you head out to find the best deal near you, wherever you are in the U.S. and Canada. Just enter your zip code and a list of the stations with the lowest gas prices in the area will pop up.

Consumers enter fuel prices at GasBuddy.com, and each entry includes the time of the most recent price update. I’m definitely using this site on my next road trip.

Fill ‘er up.”

Remember Field of Dreams? “If you build it, they will come”?

Well, the same must be true of the blog-a-sphere. Just yesterday, I posted that I wanted to cover the whole Orlando tourist scene, not just Disney alone, since so many people do the whole area when they visit. Well, I just mentioned that yesterday, and by this morning my email was flooded with ideas and offers about what to do (on the cheap, natch) while in the area.

So I’ll be passing on the best ideas from time to time. And this is one of those times! The good people at the Orlando CVB shared that the 50th annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival will be taking place this weekend (March 20-22). This festival is one of the nation’s most prestigious outdoor events, with over 1400 artists competing for less than 300 spots in the show. The event also includes jazz music, kiddie activities, and of course, great food. If you’re interested in hearing more, just click here.

Now, my youngest son is an artist, so this would be right up his alley. I mean, he loves the animation studios at Disney, but man does not live on Lilo alone. This would be a great chance to expose him to what other artists are doing – and to expose my wallet to a break from theme park pricing. And the event is free!

Yes, I know it’s not Disney, but this blog focuses on all things touristy in Orlando, and SeaWorld certainly fits the bill.

The National Wildlife Federation, in conjunction with its Keep The Wild Alive program, is joining with SeaWorld and Busch Gardens to spotlight conservation of endangered species at park locations across the country. A great cause, right? Well, this one will benefit your bank account as well. In Orlando, SeaWorld will be celebrating “One Wild Week” from April 10 to the 16th, the week prior to NWF’s National Wildlife Week. As part of the celebration, all kids 12 and under who come to the park dressed as a favorite animal will get in free (accompanied by an adult paying full price). Considering that a kid’s day pass is almost $65, that’s certainly worth dragging out the old Halloween costumes. And there’s more – park visitors will also receive a copy of NWF´s Keep the Wild Alive poster, which features 25 endangered species from around the world.
So head on down to SeaWorld, raise your consciousness – and don’t forget to say hi to Shamu.

Hey, it’s launch week….and Black and Decker is helping CitiesontheCheap hit the road. Here’s your chance to win a new 100 watt portable Power Inverter from the good folks at Black and Decker, just by sharing your favorite road trip tip.

I know it all depends on where you’re driving from, but from where I sit (that’s South Jersey, y’all) the three or four tanks of gas it takes us to get to Orlando is a lot cheaper than flying. (Remember, I have a party of six.) Then there’s the cost of renting a car once I’m there. If I drive, I have my own car (and tons of luggage) with no added costs. And we have plenty of room for souvenirs!

Of course, the clue to a happy road trip is keeping all the little passengers happy. That’s where the Black and Decker new portable 100 watt Power Inverter comes in. Simply plug this handy dandy little gadget into your car’s cigarette lighter and viola! You have the convenience of a household power outlet, ready to recharge iPods, laptops and cell phones – all without having to stop your car.

Want one? Just add a comment below with your favorite road trip tip. We’ll choose the winner at random (see Official Rules) and notify you here and by email. It’s that simple….so good luck, and let’s all hope the gas prices keep falling.

I just love Downtown Disney. That may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but believe me, it is. I was born completely void of a shopping gene. I abhor malls, and consider Christmas shopping a success if I can do the entire thing online. I hate hate hate to shop. (Do you get the picture?)

But I love Downtown Disney. I love the gigantic Lego displays, I love the pin collectors perched outside (where else?) Disney’s Pin Traders, I even love the huge collection of Mr. Potato Head parts you can cram into a box for a reasonable price at Once Upon A Toy. Downtown Disney isn’t just shopping…it’s an experience.

And, my friends, there are bargains to be had. First there’s the parking – which is absolutely free! You can leave your car in the lot and shop (or eat or play) without paying a cent. Where else in Disney can you say that?

The second bargain – food! Oh, sure, there are some pricey (and really delicious) eateries in Downtown Disney, but my favorite of all is so reasonable I’m tempted to keep it a secret so it doesn’t get too crowded. I’m talking about the Earl of Sandwich, a must-stop for our family every single Disney vacation. (Seriously, forget the “run to Dumbo” advice and run to Earl instead!) The sandwiches are insane, and all hot sandwiches are $5.75. Yes, you read that right. So if you’re tired of the burger and chicken nugget lunches, head to the Earl…just save an All-American for me.

I’ll be featuring some more fun (and cheap) things at Downtown Disney the rest of this week….right now I think I have to go make a sandwich….