Category Archives: Disney

Disney On A Dime: Our Frugal Disney Trip

Posted on by Posted in $$$ High Price, Browse By City, Browse By County, Browse By Price, Disney, Family, Orange, Orlando, Theme Park .
frugal disney

frugal disneyOK, before you roll your eyes at me and tell me I sold out to the mouse, please understand that I have no intention of ever giving up our exciting frugal adventures. The wife and I decided that it was about time that we actually took a real family vacation together. So where does the family that practically goes on a frugal trip every weekend go for a vacation? Disney World of course! I can’t wait to tell everyone about our Frugal Disney Trip!

Over the past year we have scraped, pinched, and hoarded every single penny we could, knowing that we wanted to visit Mickey and Minnie Mouse in Orlando for a few days. Seeing as we have an almost three-year old, we figured the time itself would be a great way to save some money. Our oldest will be 3 in a few months, so we figured we would go now before we actually had to pay for him as well. We live about an hour and a half away, so we debated on wether or not to do a few day trips, over the course of a week, or actually stay somewhere locally. It turns out, we scraped together enough cash over the past year to not only pay for our week trip to Disney World, but to also pickup annual passes! Continue reading →

Disney’s Car Masters Weekend

Posted on by Posted in Annual Events, Browse By City, Disney, Family, FREE, Orange, Orlando, Theme Park .
Car Masters Weekend

The Logo is from 2011, but the event info is for this year!

This year, you won’t want to miss Disney’s Car Masters Weekend! Now in its third year, you can share in the magic with all of the Disney Cars characters. This would be a great way to celebrate fathers day weekend. This free event is hosted at Downtown Disney and does not require theme park admission.

What Car Masters Weekend Has To Offer:

  • Cars Meet ‘n’ Greet — Take pictures and get to know some of your favorite Characters from Cars and Cars 2, including Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile.
  • Downtown Disney Car Show — Lock your eyes on over 150 classic, muscle and exotic cars along the promenade. Pick your favorites and see which ones win awards.
  • Auto Personality Appearances — Fill up your schedule with special appearances by automotive legend Chip Foose, as well as Disney•Pixar’s Cars filmmaker Jay Ward. Purchase exclusive Chip Foose merchandise—you could get it signed by the man himself!
  • Disney•Pixar’s Cars Movie Marathon — See some of your favorite characters back on the big screen during a double feature of Disney•Pixar’s Cars and Cars 2 at AMC® Downtown Disney 24.
  • Car Masters Merchandise — Take the event home with you by making a purchase from a large selection of Cars-themed merchandise and event-specific souvenirs.
  • Exclusive Disney Activities — Race over to play Disney Infinity; then get revved up for future Disney film releases with interactive fun. Continue reading →

Disney Art of Animation Hotel

Posted on by Posted in $$ Moderately Priced, Disney, Lodging, Orange, Orlando .
disney art of animation cars

As you may already know, I’m not the first one to scream “Lets Go Visit The Mouse!”, but a few weeks ago the Mrs. and I headeddisney art of animation outside out on an adventure and didn’t really know where we would end up. We started heading South, and discovered India Fest, Checked out Vero Beach, but ultimately wound up in the Mouse’s back yard. Eventually we went to the Disney Art of Animation hotel.  Little guy is still too young to really enjoy Disney World, and lets face it, I’m very cheap and didn’t really want to pay for tickets to the park. Instead we checked into a Disney Hotel and went exploring!

We ultimately wound up staying at the Coronado Springs Hotel, but the wife had heard about a new Pixar themed hotel that she wanted to check out. We had never been there before, so I figured it would be a great way to kill some time and we could see what all the hype was about.

For starters, it’s not necessarily a “Pixar” hotel, as we had first through, although they do use many of the Pixar characters. Secondly, if you are using Apple Maps on your iPhone, don’t bother mapping it, just ask a cast member where to go. The resort is ultimately near the value resorts, right next door to Disney’s Pop Culture resort so just follow the signs. If you use the map on your phone you will get lost if you don’t have the actual address. It picked up on another hotel in the area that wasn’t even affiliated with the mouse.

disney art of animation finding nemo

Continue reading →

Downtown Disney Orlando To Become Disney Springs

Posted on by Posted in Disney, Family, FREE, Orange, Orlando .

That’s right, Downtown Disney Orlando is set to get a major overhaul! Downtown Disney Orlando has long been a favorite location for my family since it’s FREE and there is ample parking. We have gone quite a few times just to walk around and people watch. I’m glad to announce that Downtown Disney Orlando will be in the very near future referred to as Disney Springs.

Downtown Disney Orlando Becoming Disney Springs

Artist’s Conceptual Rendering of Downtown Disney Orlando Transformation

Downtown Disney Orlando Expansion Brings New Shops, Dining, Entertainment to Guests and Economic Boost for Central Florida

PR Newswire
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., March 14, 2013
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Walt Disney World Resort today announced the multi-year transformation of Downtown Disney Orlando into Disney Springs, a unique destination that will treat guests to significantly more shopping, dining and entertainment amid beautiful open-air promenades, meandering springs and waterfront charm.
Disney Springs will feature an eclectic and contemporary mix from Disney and other noteworthy brands. From boutique shops to unique flagship anchor stores, guests will be able to explore a variety of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences and discover options unlike any other currently available in Central Florida.  “Disney Springs will be a timeless, vibrant place where Walt Disney World guests and local residents can relax, shop, dine and be entertained in an imaginative setting where they’ll instantly feel at home,” said Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Featuring distinctive brands, world-class restaurants and unforgettable entertainment, Disney Springs will be brought to life with the same focus on storytelling and attention to detail that goes into our theme parks, resorts and cruise ships, resulting in a welcoming space that only Disney could create.” Disney Springs will double the number of shops, restaurants and other venues for guests to explore, resulting in more than 150 establishments. In addition, Staggs noted, Central Florida stands to benefit from the expansion with more jobs, tax revenues and business opportunities. Drawing inspiration from Florida‘s waterfront towns and natural beauty, Disney Springs will include four outdoor neighborhoods interconnected by a flowing spring and vibrant lakefront. In addition to a new gateway with a signature water tower and grand entry, the destination will feature: Continue reading →