Top 10 Ways to Save Money at Disney World in 2013

If possible, plan your Walt Disney World Resort trip during the off-season and you will usually discover significantly lower airfares and hotel/resort rates.

Check out some of the free things to do at Disney World such as strolling around Disney’s Boardwalk and Downtown Disney Area, or hiking through the Disney Wilderness Preserve.

Take the family to one of the all-you-can-eat buffets that lie just outside Disney World property such as Sweet Tomatoes, Boston Lobster Feast, Golden Corral, Ponderosa or Sizzler.

Look for free publications such as I Love Orlando magazine, which contain a multitude of discount coupons to Disney area attractions, restaurants and specialty shops.

Check out comprehensive online guides to Disney World such as orlando-florida.net for in-depth information on finding the best deals on Disney World tickets, accommodations and vacation packages.

For larger families, reunions or any other get-together at Disney World, it may make better financial sense to look into renting a spacious villa.

If you are visiting one of the Disney World theme parks with young children, don’t forget to bring along a backpack with some snacks or juice boxes.

Instead of spending a fortune at a Disney character breakfast, take your kids to Town Square at Main Street, U.S.A. in Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park for autograph and photo opportunities with Disney characters.

Choose the appropriate Disney World ticket deal based on your family’s length of stay in Orlando and remember not to overdo things – you will want to schedule time for rest and relaxation during your trip.

Purchase such necessities as film and sunscreen before you arrive at Disney World, since prices at the theme parks are more expensive for such items.

 

 

 

Top 10 Closed Disney World Attractions

1. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: Despite an extensive “Save the Toad” campaign, Disney’s Magic Kingdom replaced Mr. Toad with The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in 1998 (see Mr. Toad video above).

2. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: One of the original attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, 20,000 Leagues closed in 1994.

3. If You Had Wings: Sponsored by Eastern Airlines, If You Had Wings was one of the few rides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom that rarely drew a line. It was replaced by If You Could Fly in 1987 and now Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin stands on the site.

4. Horizons: This Epcot ride made its debut in 1983 and closed in 1999 to make way for Mission: SPACE. It has developed somewhat of a cult following over the years.

5. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter: This thrilling attraction opened at the site of the former Mission to Mars in Tomorrowland in 1995. ExtraTERRORestrial gained a cult following but has since been replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape.

6. World of Motion: Sponsored by General Motors, World of Motion was one of Epcot’s original attractions. The ride offered a humorous look at the history of transportation and closed in 1996 to make way for Test Track.

7. Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It!: Based on the hit ABC TV show, this Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction closed in 2006 along Mickey Avenue. A new, yet-unnamed attraction is scheduled to occupy the soundstage in the near future.

8. Plaza Swan Boats: Opened in 1973, the D-ticket Plaza Swan Boats embarked from two Magic Kingdom loading docks: one near the entrance to Tomorrowland and the other near the Plaza Restaurant. The Plaza Swan Boats stopped running in 1983.

9. Mickey Mouse Revue: One of the Magic Kingdom’s original attractions, Mickey Mouse Revue opened in Fantasyland in 1971 and featured an audio-animatronic orchestra of popular Disney characters singing such classics as “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee.” The Mickey Mouse Revue closed in 1980 and was shipped to Tokyo Disneyland. Mickey’s PhilharMagic now occupies the site.

10. Flight to the Moon: Hosted by Mr. Tom Morrow, this “state-of-the-art” Tomorrowland attraction opened on Christmas Eve, 1971 and became hopelessly outdated by 1975 when it was replaced by Mission to Mars. Stitch’s Great Escape now occupies the site.

Top 10 Florida Roadside Attractions Trivia

Started in 1957, the Gatorama “alligator & crocodile adventure” in Palmdale is one of the few remaining Florida roadside attractions.

Jungle Island in Miami first opened in 1936 as Parrot Jungle. Winston Churchill visited the attraction in 1946.

The rather controversial St. Augustine attraction, Tragedy in U.S. History Museum, which closed its doors for good in 1998, boasted having Jayne Mansfield’s “death car” and Bonnie & Clyde’s “getaway car” in its collection.

Billed as the “Alligator Capital of the World,” Gatorland features such lively shows as the world-famous Gator Jumparoo.

Established in 1946, the Theater of the Sea in Islamorada is the second oldest marine mammal facility in the world.

Built during the Great Depression as part of a Works Progress Administration program and opened in 1935, the Key West Aquarium was Key West’s first tourist attraction.

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm moved to Anastasia Island in 1920 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The bizarre masterpiece of obsessive genius Ed Leedskalnin, Coral Castle in Homestead has been referred to as “America’s Stonehenge.”

A unique outdoor museum, Dinosaur World in Plant City is billed as the “world’s largest dinosaur attraction.”

Established in 1947, Weeki Wachee Springs still features its ever-popular live mermaid shows. Several movies have been filmed here over the years such as “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” (1948) and “Neptune’s Daughter” (1949).

Top 10 Florida Roller Coasters

Top 10 Ways to Save Time at Disney World

1. Arrive at Disney World early – at least a half hour before it officially opens – so you can get a jump on the crowds.

2. Use Disney World theme park maps and tip boards to develop a plan in order to visit as many attractions as possible.

3. Don’t follow the crowd – Many people will go to the right and move clockwise throughout Disney World’s theme park, so try going left and moving counterclockwise.

4. At Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park, beat the crowds by hopping aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad, which has train stations in Main Street, U.S.A., Frontierland and Fantasyland.

5. If you want to experience such immensely popular rides as Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Soarin’ at Epcot, make them your first stop since they tend to draw some of the longest lines at Disney World.

6. If you love a parade, stake out your spot early since they usually draw crowds. Also, by picking a spot toward the beginning of the parade, you will get a jump on everyone else. You will have finished the parade and made it to the most popular rides while most of the crowd is still watching the parade.

7. Take advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS, a free reservation system that helps you to avoid crowds at the most popular rides and attractions.

8. Avoid driving to or from Disney World on Interstate 4 during rush hour, which usually runs from 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM.

9. Eat a good breakfast before you get to Disney World. Once there, try to eat lunch a little earlier or later than usual to avoid crowds (before 12 PM or after 2 PM). Eat while the restaurants are empty and everyone else is on the rides or watching a parade.

10. If you are planning to dine at one of Disney World’s themed restaurants, make reservations well in advance if possible. Just call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463).