Free Complimentary Airport Transportation Service

At both Walt Disney parks, transportation from the airport to your hotel is something you’ll have to arrange and pay for yourself, this is unless you are staying at a Disney owned-and operated resort at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, in which case you have the option of using Disney’s free Magical Express services. These complimentary airport transportation services, known as Disney's Magical Express Transportation, is complimentary round trip airport transportation and luggage delivery for Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. So you can begin your vacation the moment you step off the plane. It also alows you to bypass baggage claim and avoid the hassle of having to find transportation and drive, as Disney's Magical Express service transports you from Orlando International Airport to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel, and deliver your bags to your room. For more information go to Disneyworld.disney.go.com/Planning-Guides/in-depth-advice/Airport-Service

It's in the Card

Contact the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc. at 800-643-9492 or www.go2orlando.com, and request the Orlando Magicard. The card saved us up to $50 a night on a hotel and entitled us to discounts on a rental car.

Bring/Buy Your Own Child/Baby Stroller

Bringing your own stroller will save you quite a bit of money and ensure that you have the stroller available all the time, such as when you’re going to and from your hotel. (If you will be using Disney’s transportation system, keep in mind that you will usually have to take your child out of the stroller and collapse the stroller while on buses, monorails and boats.)

Another thing to consider if you bring your own stroller is the hassles of getting it to Walt Disney World, particularly if you are flying. (You can “gate check” a stroller, which saves some of the work – just bring your stroller right to the gate at the airport. It will be tagged and put into the cargo hold from the gate.)

If you want to avoid the hassle of transporting a stroller on a plane, maybe consider buying a cheap one upon arrival and giving it to another lucky family or a charity when you leave.

Or you could possibly buy a stroller in advance and have it shipped directly to your hotel. This has the advantage of saving you money AND being less of a hassle (seeing as you won’t have to transport it to Disney yourself). At the end of your trip, either give the stroller to someone or put it back in the shipping box and have the hotel ship it home for you. To ship it to a Disney hotel, it should be addressed as follows:

Hold for guest: (write the full name under which you made the reservation)

Check in date: (insert date)

Hotel’s name and address (which will appear on your confirmation form)

Most people who bring their own stroller recommend a cheap umbrella-style one. They are lighter, making them easier to get on and off buses, and you won’t worry as much about the possibility of the stroller being stolen. (It’s not unheard-of for strollers to go missing in the parks, so it’s a good idea to put something personal on yours. At minimum, write your last name on it using a permanent marker.)

Make the most of it!

Try to to schedule your Walt Disney World vacation around one of Disney’s highly acclaimed annual events and festivals, many of which are included with the price of admission such events include; Epcot's International Flower & Garden Festival, Disney's Hollywood Studio's Star Wars Weekends, Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and Festival of the Masters and Holidays Around the World. These events are all great and will keep you more then entertained through the day, Possibly more depending on the event. You have to figure it's the same amount of normal attractions plus about a day's worth of extra attractions. I know this to be very true with the "Stars Wars weekends". Where Hollywood studio's open's it's doors to Star Wars geeks from around the globe. Just the Star Wars celebrities, shows and other extras and it's hard to get in the normal day at Disney in. Defiantly worth the price of admission.

Free Disney Services

Below I have a list of freebies I know are available at the moment (however, it’s subject to change) that you can take advantage of!

• Disney Maps- Great for scrapbooking pages.

• Disney Vacation Planning DVD- a great way to get your family excited about an upcoming trip. It’s also a good way to learn about new events/offers at the resort!

• Cupcakes- On your birthday, several restaurants in the resorts will give you a cupcake for free!

• Pins- Birthday, First Trip, Anniversary, Just engaged, Just Married and Family Reunion are available at Guest Services, or at check in at your Disney Resort. They are free- so just ask!

• Tour of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

• Drawing class at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Kids activities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Campfire Sing-along and movies at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Lodge

• If you’re staying on site- Disney’s Magical Express will pick you up at the airport, and Disney transportation will take you throughout the resort by bus or boat.

• In downtown Disney, you can get a free sample of chocolate at the Ghiradelli Chocolate Shop!

• If you buy something in the parks and are staying on site, the item will be shipped to your room or resort gift shop for free!

Be A Happy Camper.

Do you have a tent or an RV? If your family likes to rough it, and in Disney terms, that can mean not only electricity and sewer, but even cable TV and internet, so you can cut your lodging bill to as little as $48 a night at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. There’s a ton of inexpensive fun to be had, thanks to two heated outdoor pools, tennis, horseshoes, shuffleboard, fishing, bicycling, boating, pony rides and horseback trail riding, and nightly wagon rides around the resort. And hands down, the most beloved tradition is the nightly campfire sing-a-long and marshmallow roast with Chip ’n Dale, followed by a G-rated Disney double feature on a huge outdoor screen under the stars.

Pass Holder Discounts

Seasonal and Annual pass holders, don't for get to show your passes for special 10% - 15% discounts and offers on dining, car rentals, merchandise, backstage tours, entertainment, sports and recreation (including spa treatments). These discounts are not only good at parks but at resorts as well.