You can catch this crew all summer long, along with "campus" cheerleaders who will teach you the Monsters University fight song!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Monstrous Summer 2013 - Part 2 of 3 - Who to see, what to know, andwhere to go this summer at Disney...
Be sure and check out Mike and Sully's Monsters University Stage Show at Hollywood Studios. This Homecoming Party features the monsters of rock, Scare Supply, and are joined by our favorites, Mike Wazowski and James P. "Sulley" Sullivan!
You can catch this crew all summer long, along with "campus" cheerleaders who will teach you the Monsters University fight song!
You can catch this crew all summer long, along with "campus" cheerleaders who will teach you the Monsters University fight song!
Monday, May 27, 2013
How To Budget And Pay For Your Disney Vacation
As die-hard Disney fans, my family has been to Disney World more ways than I can count. Not times. Ways. You see, a trip to Disney World (or Disneyland) isn't cheap. Some families are lucky enough to go annually, and some save up for that once-in-a-lifetime trip. For us, we go based on our budget. That means sometimes we stay in a moderate resort onsite during a free dining promotion, and yes, we have stayed at the (literally) $20 a night hotel and driven to the parks each morning, we have stayed at local timeshares, and even rental houses nearby. Here's how my family budgets for our semi-annual trips - hopefully some of these will help you too!
1) Choose the time of year you'd like to go. This can be based on temperature, crowd level, your personal work vacation schedule, and cost. Working with a vacation planner (like me!) can help you pick the best time of year to go. You can literally vary THOUSANDS of dollars, all things being equal, just based on the time of year you go.
2) Once you have your dates set, ask yourself how are you going to get there? (Your vacation planner can help with this too.) For some families, flying makes sense. For those with frequent flyer miles, or those close to their favorite major airline hub - I won't keep it a secret, I do fly a lot, and Southwest is my favorite airline - and a low number of family members, it may make more sense to fly. For instance, if it costs $211 round trip for three family members to fly to Orlando, that's a total of $633. However, if your family has four children, that flight just became $1200. It's not for me to judge whether that expenditure is affordable or not, so for other families, driving makes more sense. Depending on where you live and the gas mileage of your vehicle, driving can cost between $150-300 total. Your travel planner can also create a spreadsheet that tells you if you'd save the most money driving your own car and renting. If I am going to Disney on business, I will fly, but for my family, driving is always more budget-friendly for us. Similarly, if you live in Washington state, it may be more budget-friendly for you to go to Disneyland in California, than Disney World in Florida.
3) Time of year, check! How to get there, check! Now, where to stay: Never assume that staying at a Value resort on property is always the most affordable - it truly depends on the promotions being run at the time you arrive. Let's say Guest A wants the dining plan, and to stay on property. They choose to go starting September 1st, and stay at Pop Century, with a dining plan.
Guest B goes one day later, and upgrades her resort to a moderate resort, and the same dining plan. She saves literally $600 over Guest A!
Guest C goes one day later, and chooses a value resort during free dining week, and upgrades to the same dining plan. She saves $700 over guest A, AND $100 over Guest B! Working with your travel planner will help you with saving the most money you can. All of these families had the same age and
number of guests, and it's hard to imagine the same family can save that much but it's true. And remember, what's good for one family isn't perfect for another. An on-the-go family may be much happier with a quick service dining plan and may feel as if they've bought more than they needed with a plus dining plan. You can bring in many a goldfish cracker and water bottles in a collapsible ice cooler, that will help stretch your hard-earned dollars even more and complement that dining plan you've chosen.
3B) Don't overlook Good Neighbor hotels, especially at Disneyland. Good Neighbor hotels are hotels that are near Disney property, still come with many of the vacation package perks, such such as Extra Magic Hours, where you can go to one of the Disney parks earlier than the rest of the crowd not staying onsite, and usually come with shuttle service to the parks. Typically, if Disney is offering a sale promotion, onsite properties will be more affordable, but if there isn't a sale, and you're open to a Good Neighbor hotel, be sure and ask your travel planner to check for you.
4) Saving for your trip: If you have already saved up the money to go, congratulations! If you haven't, here are a few trips to put a little extra back each month.
5) Paying for your trip - one of my very favorite things about a Disney vacation (which is true with most Good Neighbor hotels as well, but NOT true with staying at any other type of property offsite) is that you just need a $200 deposit to reserve your vacation. You can then make payments using your saved money as often as you like until 45 days before you depart. At that time your full balance is due. But what better way to take what can seem like a huge figure and make payments on it, interest-free, rather than placing the entire balance on a credit card at one time and making interest payments on it?
So there you have it. Work with your travel planner (that's me!) to choose the best dates that can literally save you hundreds of dollars, don't overpay by paying for someone ELSE's perfect vacation - pay for what's right for you, save for your trip, and by all means, take advantage of Disney's wonderful payment plan option. And hopefully, I'll "See Ya Real Soon".
°o° ~ Karen
Mission: Mouse Blog
5/27
1) Choose the time of year you'd like to go. This can be based on temperature, crowd level, your personal work vacation schedule, and cost. Working with a vacation planner (like me!) can help you pick the best time of year to go. You can literally vary THOUSANDS of dollars, all things being equal, just based on the time of year you go.
2) Once you have your dates set, ask yourself how are you going to get there? (Your vacation planner can help with this too.) For some families, flying makes sense. For those with frequent flyer miles, or those close to their favorite major airline hub - I won't keep it a secret, I do fly a lot, and Southwest is my favorite airline - and a low number of family members, it may make more sense to fly. For instance, if it costs $211 round trip for three family members to fly to Orlando, that's a total of $633. However, if your family has four children, that flight just became $1200. It's not for me to judge whether that expenditure is affordable or not, so for other families, driving makes more sense. Depending on where you live and the gas mileage of your vehicle, driving can cost between $150-300 total. Your travel planner can also create a spreadsheet that tells you if you'd save the most money driving your own car and renting. If I am going to Disney on business, I will fly, but for my family, driving is always more budget-friendly for us. Similarly, if you live in Washington state, it may be more budget-friendly for you to go to Disneyland in California, than Disney World in Florida.
3) Time of year, check! How to get there, check! Now, where to stay: Never assume that staying at a Value resort on property is always the most affordable - it truly depends on the promotions being run at the time you arrive. Let's say Guest A wants the dining plan, and to stay on property. They choose to go starting September 1st, and stay at Pop Century, with a dining plan.
Guest B goes one day later, and upgrades her resort to a moderate resort, and the same dining plan. She saves literally $600 over Guest A!
Guest C goes one day later, and chooses a value resort during free dining week, and upgrades to the same dining plan. She saves $700 over guest A, AND $100 over Guest B! Working with your travel planner will help you with saving the most money you can. All of these families had the same age and
number of guests, and it's hard to imagine the same family can save that much but it's true. And remember, what's good for one family isn't perfect for another. An on-the-go family may be much happier with a quick service dining plan and may feel as if they've bought more than they needed with a plus dining plan. You can bring in many a goldfish cracker and water bottles in a collapsible ice cooler, that will help stretch your hard-earned dollars even more and complement that dining plan you've chosen.
3B) Don't overlook Good Neighbor hotels, especially at Disneyland. Good Neighbor hotels are hotels that are near Disney property, still come with many of the vacation package perks, such such as Extra Magic Hours, where you can go to one of the Disney parks earlier than the rest of the crowd not staying onsite, and usually come with shuttle service to the parks. Typically, if Disney is offering a sale promotion, onsite properties will be more affordable, but if there isn't a sale, and you're open to a Good Neighbor hotel, be sure and ask your travel planner to check for you.
4) Saving for your trip: If you have already saved up the money to go, congratulations! If you haven't, here are a few trips to put a little extra back each month.
- Do you have a daily expenditure you can cut back on? For example, do you have a $5 coffee that you buy every day, where you can substitute it for a $2 daily drink? Or that $5 drink once a week?
- Can you cut back on services? For instance, getting a slightly slower internet speed, or bundling services for telephone and internet may save you money.
- What about personal shopping, can you freshen up existing wardrobe pieces with accessories, scarves, and belts in pops of color instead of buying a new wardrobe for a season or two?
- What about the kids - we all know they grow whether we want them to or not. Is there a mom-swap club near you that swaps good-quality kids clothes, or a consignment shop that would help you stretch your clothing budget for a season?
- And lastly, can you cut back on eating out while you're saving for a vacation?
- Once you have that money saved back, put it away so you don't spend it!
5) Paying for your trip - one of my very favorite things about a Disney vacation (which is true with most Good Neighbor hotels as well, but NOT true with staying at any other type of property offsite) is that you just need a $200 deposit to reserve your vacation. You can then make payments using your saved money as often as you like until 45 days before you depart. At that time your full balance is due. But what better way to take what can seem like a huge figure and make payments on it, interest-free, rather than placing the entire balance on a credit card at one time and making interest payments on it?
So there you have it. Work with your travel planner (that's me!) to choose the best dates that can literally save you hundreds of dollars, don't overpay by paying for someone ELSE's perfect vacation - pay for what's right for you, save for your trip, and by all means, take advantage of Disney's wonderful payment plan option. And hopefully, I'll "See Ya Real Soon".
°o° ~ Karen
Mission: Mouse Blog
5/27
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Star Wars Weekends 2013 - Part 1 of 3 - Who to see, what to know, andwhere to go this summer at Disney...
Part 1: Who to See...
You know it, you love it - Star Wars Weekends is back at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Who to see: Actors and voice actors from Star Wars amd Star Wars: The Clone Wars are back for this annual event. Each weekend, the following stars will appear as well as your hosts, James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein. Here's a list of scheduled celebrities for this year's event:
Weekend I (May 17–19)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Weekend II (May 24-26) - Also Memorial Day Weekend, AND 24-hr day weekend
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Jim Cummings (voice of Hondo Ohnaka – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Jim Cummings (voice of Hondo Ohnaka – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Weekend III (May 31 – June 2)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar – Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Weekend IV(June 7-9)
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca – Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Tom Kane (voice of Yoda – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca – Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
Tom Kane (voice of Yoda – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
Things to do:
1) Take your photo with a “life-size” rancor. For you Star Wars newbies, a rancor is a giant beast, and Jabba the Hutt’s prized pet in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
2) See “Obi-Wan & Beyond” (each event day), a special show which stars James Arnold Taylor.
3) See a martial arts demonstration by the actor who portrayed Darth Maul in the special show “Visit to the Maul” (Weekends I and II) featuring Ray Park.
4) “An Ewok’s Tale – my short story” (Weekends II and III) stars Warwick Davis. Guests get a unique look into the fascinating world of this Star Wars legend.
5) Catch Chip and Dale dressed as Ewoks, and even grab a photo with them.
6) Permanently cast yourself in stormtrooper gear.
Yes, D-Tech Me is back, an experience where you can literally have your own likeness made into a 3-D figurine. A few simple 3-D full-face scans later, and voila! You have a permanent Stormtrooper in your mailbox a few weeks later. For hard-core fans, this one-of-a-kind souvenir is more valuable than a Picasso print!
Make sure you arrive early, as the shows do fill up quickly, and lines will form early for celebrity autographs. (And send me a picture of your D-Tech Me figurine! I might just feature it on my Facebook page!)
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Now We're Getting Somewhere...
Guess what, guess what? I'm super excited to share with you that as Mission: Mouse seeks to become a solid, respected brand, we now have an official logo!
I'm so excited about it! The logo itself was born one night while I was doodling some ideas, and my friend Kristin over at Iwancio Inspired Design (http://www.facebook.com/iwancioinspireddesign) helped bring it to life and turn it from a stickie note drawing to a trademarked logo!
I cannot wait to share some of the other things going on behind the scenes (pay no attention to the girl behind the curtain) but it's all in due time.
For now, I hope you love our new logo as much as I do!
With faith, trust, and pixie dust,
Karen
I'm so excited about it! The logo itself was born one night while I was doodling some ideas, and my friend Kristin over at Iwancio Inspired Design (http://www.facebook.com/iwancioinspireddesign) helped bring it to life and turn it from a stickie note drawing to a trademarked logo!
I cannot wait to share some of the other things going on behind the scenes (pay no attention to the girl behind the curtain) but it's all in due time.
For now, I hope you love our new logo as much as I do!
With faith, trust, and pixie dust,
Karen
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
New Disney World Sale Released for Late Summer...
Eenie Meenie, Miney Mo. To Which Disney Resort Should I Go? Not sure which Disney Resort is right for you this Fall? Will certain specials steer you one way or another? Here's a little insight to help you decide. Disney has released their Disney-Visa-Cardholder-Only discount for hotel rooms for the late summer. Need details? Here you go: Save up to 30% on Walt Disney World Resort hotel stays, most nights 8/15/13 – 9/28/13. Discounts off basic room-only rates vary based on the resort.
- 5% off – all Deluxe suites, All-Star Movies, Animal Kingdom Lodge (savannah view and Club Level), Animal Kingdom
- 15% off - Art of Animation (all room types except the Little Mermaid rooms), All-Star Music, All-Star Sports, Pop Century
- 20% off - Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans-Riverside, and Ft. Wilderness Cabins as well as Wilderness Lodge
- 30% off – Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard/pool view rooms), Yacht and Beach Club, Beach Club Resort Villas, Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Polynesian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, and Contemporary resort and Bay Lake Tower.
The fine print: Ft. Wilderness campground, some 3-bedroom villas and the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation Resort are not included in this offer. Some resorts, room types and date combinations will not be available. If you don't have a Disney Visa, don't worry. Non cardholders can have these sale rates in just a few days.
Now I know what you're thinking. "Karen, I want an entire package. not just a room." No worries! I can add tickets and your choice of dining plan, which will still save you money overall.
More fine print: You have to book by 7/31/13. If you're choosing room-only, you need only pay for one night's room and tax up front, and the rest is due upon arrival. If you choose to do a full vacation including tickets and dining, the full balance is due 45 days prior to arrival. Still confused? Just contact me and I'll help you choose the right resort for your family. See ya real soon!
°o° ~ Karen
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