How we did Disney on a Budget

We have taken splurge trips to Disney World, budget trips, and everywhere in between. All have been equally as magical.

Here is how we planned a last minute, budget trip to WDW for our family of five.

Purchase Disney Gift Cards with Target Red Card for 5% off

We always know (or hope) we’ll be going back to Disney World or Disneyland at some point in the future. One way that we save up for those future trips, is by buying Disney gift cards from Target in advance over time. Did you know that when you use your Target RedCard, you save 5% on those gift cards? That adds up, especially if you spend $100’s, $1,000 or more in gift cards. It’s not often you get a deal on gift cards so take advantage! There is another exception however. Usually in December, Target runs a one-day sale on all of their gift cards for 10% off! It is a smart and easy way to stock pile those Disney gift cards for your upcoming trip. What can you use all those gift cards for you ask? Pretty much anything at the Disney resorts. We use them to pay for our Disney resort accommodations, park tickets, food anywhere on Disney property, and souvenirs.

Be Flexible with Accommodations

Another way we saved big this trip is that we booked the cheapest Disney resort room we could find for our family of five. We always stay on property at Disney World, and probably always will. Disney makes it way too easy to justify renting a car and staying off property, and for how much we are back and forth at the parks, it just makes sense for our family. For this budget trip, I found a room deal at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. The resort was going through some major renovations at the time, and is most likely why it was so cheap. None the less, we knew that with the length of our stay being a little shorter than a week this time, that we weren’t really going to be spending any time at our resort because all our time was going to be spent at the parks. The deal we found for the popular, large moderate resort was around $130/night (plus taxes and fees). Whaaaat? That is pretty much unheard of so we jumped at the chance. That price fit in our budget perfectly for our 5-night stay.

Getting Ready for bed after a long day at the parks

The pool at our resort was huge and had awesome water slides

One of the biggest ways we save money during every Disney trip no matter what our budget it, is on food. Our best tip that we give friends heading to WDW for the first time, is to send a box of snacks, food, drinks, etc. to the resort about a week before your arrival. We have even had necessities from Amazon like diapers and sunscreen delivered to the resort for us. Once you arrive at your Disney resort, make sure to mention of it when checking in. This is not unusual for the resorts and they most likely have it safely stored in the back for you. Another tip is to take a refillable filtered water bottle and refill it for free with ice water or drinking fountains while in the parks. We love eating at our favorite Disney restaurants, but for this trip, we decided to pick one favorite restaurant to have a special table dinner at one evening. Every other meal was eaten at a quick service restaurant (minus breakfast, which was our own oatmeal that we had packed and brought in our suitcase).

Our view from the table…watching all the animals outside the big window!

Use Airline Points to Book Flights and be Flexible

Another way we were able to cut down on costs was with our flights. We used our Southwest rapid reward points to book all of our flights which saved us a ton, and we have done this on previous trips as well. If you don’t have a Southwest card or an airline card, just look periodically for flights, and in order to get the best prices be flexible with your travel dates. We tend to find that the cheapest days of the week to purchase plane tickets are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We ended up going to Disney World at the beginning of January when everyone was going back to school because once again it was cheaper as it’s not a very popular time. The weather is cooler, holiday decorations are coming down, and the park crowds are thinning out. It was however the perfect time for us because we weren’t interested in going at the perfect time or when weather would be warmer. Our main concern was to do this trip as inexpensively as possible and we definitely accomplished our mission. Till next time Mickey!!

There you have it, all our tips and tricks on making our Disney World budget dreams come true. We hope we gave you some good tips and new ideas on how to plan a last-minute budget friendly vacation to Walt Disney World. Do you have any secrets on how to save money that you would like to share? We’d love to hear them.

XOXO,

The Joneses ( Mike and Kristin)

February 2, 2019 2

Our Perfect Stay at Howard Johnson Hotel and Waterpark near Disneyland

Here is a short highlight video of our stay at the Howard Johnson Hotel and Waterpark in Anaheim, California. A few months ago, I surprised my daughter with a trip to Disneyland. Our good neighbor hotel was just a few minute walk to the gates of the parks. Stay tuned for a full review of our stay at Howard Johnson Hotel. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel to follow along with our travel adventures!

October 11, 2018 0

Why January is the Perfect Time to Visit Walt Disney World

We just got back from our 3^rd trip to Disney World (2^nd for Landry) and I’m already dreaming of our next trip back. This time around our choice of travel time was based mainly on price. I scored a major deal on accommodations. Of course, because we based where we stayed on price alone, we had one option really. We ended up at the Caribbean Beach Resort which is part of Disney’s moderate resorts. We have never stayed at the Caribbean Beach, and were stoked to check it out. I can’t tell you much about the resort itself, for one because we were literally at the parks from sun up to sun down every single day of our 5 day trip so we were only in our rooms to sleep at night. Secondly, because the resort is currently undergoing major renovations, so not everything is open right now. This post isn’t about a review of Caribbean Beach Resort (stay tuned for a post on that to come). I’m going to get right down to business and lay out for you my 4 reasons why you should consider a trip to Walt Disney World in January.

4 Reasons to head to Disney in January:

Low Season: If you want to save some cash on your Disney vacation or maybe you have a strict budget, low season is something to highly consider. Room rates at resorts are down to entice vacationers after the holidays and when kids are back in school. Here’s a tip for you, and something I always do (except for this trip because we actually bought a Room+Park Ticket package because the price was too good to pass up), book your room as early as possible. As long as you don’t buy a package you can stalk the Walt Disney World website or call up to a week before your arrival to see if there is a lower price on the room you booked or on one at another resort. You can modify your accommodations as many times as you want without a penalty up to as far as a week before your trip. This is one of the biggest ways we save money. I have in the past switched resorts multiple times to get a better deal leading up to even a week before our trip and have saved hundreds of dollars.

2. Low Crowds: Of course with it being January and with kids back in school, Disney World is going feel somewhat like a ghost town. Well, if it’s your first visit, probably not, but to those who have visited during busy times (over the holidays, summer, spring break, etc.) like us, it’s going to feel like you have the parks all to yourself. Just keep in mind, that January is a month where Disney plans more ride closures and refurbishments because of this very reason, so if there are attractions that are not to miss on your list, you’ll want to check the Disney website to see if they will be up and running so you don’t have any disappointments when you arrive.

* Disclaimer: The weekend we arrived was Disney marathon weekend. The parks were busier and the buses were unreliable for pick up times. In the mornings, the buses from our resort had to take a different route to the parks. After the weekend of marathon weekend things settled down and were less hectic. You can find the schedule for future Disney Marathons here.

It’s still Christmas for the first week of January: Walking into Magic Kingdom on January 6^th, we were not expecting it to be Christmas. From the holiday music, to the decorations on Main Street, even the castle was draped in lights. It was the best-unexpected surprise. We got just a tiny little taste of what it would be like to visit during the holiday season, and it was magical.

Mild Temps: Of course, a visit to Disney World in January usually requires packing in layers, if you’re from a colder climate like we are, anything feels warmer than what we would be experiencing here at home. For the first couple of days on our trip we had coats on, mainly at night when the temps would drop after the sun goes down. It did warm up for us each day we were there and by our last day the kids were actually swimming. All resort pools are heated year round. You just never know what kind of weather you are going to get in January, but just pack accordingly and I promise you’ll be riding so many rides you won’t care what the weather is doing.

I have to be honest, we had never really considered a Disney trip in January before, but our schedule, budget and circumstances all aligned so we bit the bullet. We took our much-anticipated Disney trip in January and we didn’t regret it.

Did I convince you to visit Disney World in January? What is your favorite month of year to go?

January 23, 2018 1

Our Week in Isle of Palm/Charleston, South Carolina

Mike injured himself days before we left for South Carolina. I dropped the GoPro in murky ocean water and then Tanner found it because it happened to brush against his foot. We celebrated his 11th birthday with an boat and island tour of the barrier islands. Our nephews tried sushi for the first time and liked it, and watching the kids meet the ocean for the first time wasn’t bad either. Just a very short recap of our relaxing week. If Isle of Palms and Charleston isn’t on your travel list they should be. Hope you enjoy the video we made of our time there. Thanks for watching! If you like it and want to see more travel videos in the future, you can head over to our YouTube channel to subscribe. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @thesejonesys and Facebook (These Jonesys) as well.

November 9, 2017 0

A Couple’s Getaway Week in Puerto Rico

When our oldest was 5 and our 2^nd born was 18 months, and before baby number 3 was born, Mike and I were lucky enough to travel to Puerto Rico without kids. The weather was beautiful at the end of November early December, and the people were the friendliest we have found anywhere we have traveled thus far. Even though Mike was technically there for a work convention, we had some time to explore in and around San Juan when he wasn’t working. We stayed at a beautiful resort on the beach that sat along side what was then Trump International Golf Club. I can’t find the name of the resort and Trump International has since gone bankrupt. Had I had known I would be writing a blog post about Puerto Rico in the years following our trip, I would have done a better job documenting our week. Regardless, there are so many options for resorts or hotels in Puerto Rico. Here’s a short breakdown of what we did during our week in Puerto Rico.

Golf in Puerto Rico

We golfed the beautiful golf course near our resort that sat right on the ocean. It tempted me of course to hit golf balls into the ocean, because who doesn’t want to do that a time or two? I also met Chi Chi Rodríguez there as well. If you don’t know who Chi Chi is, he was a very popular PGA player who walked the fairways with the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino to name a few. He was also the first Puerto Rican to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. We stalked him for a hole or two before getting up the courage to interrupt his game for a quick picture. He was beyond gracious and so funny. I think he told me at least a handful of jokes (as they are his specialty) before I let him finish the rest of his round, half hoping he would ask us to join him (kidding).

Chi Chi Rodrígues and I

The prettiest hole with the best view

Old San Juan

We mostly relaxed during the days at the pool or beach, but there was one day that we took a shuttle to Old San Juan. On the way there our bus driver was so enthusiastic about showing us around his hometown, stopping at food trucks along the back roads near the beach, and telling us what to try. Our next stop was Old San Juan where we walked around the San Juan Old Historal Site andCastillo de El Morro, an old Spanish fort. I definitely want to bring our 10 year old here some day. He loves history and would find everything about this place fascinating.

After our walking tour of Castillo de El Morro, we hit up the streets of Old San Juan. It really was the prettiest little town I have ever been in and a couple hours here just didn’t cut it. I don’t have any photos of our time spent walking Old San Juan, and I’m not sure why. Maybe my phone or camera died, but take my word for it, it was so inviting and so relaxing, we could have spent all day exploring the old cobblestone streets Old San Juan.

Vieques Bioluminescent Bay

One of the most unique experiences we had while in Puerto Rico was kayaking out to Vieques Bioluminescent Bay. We arrived in the evening at dark and proceeded to kayak for 30 minutes through a tunnel of mangroves until we reached a clearing. The organisms in the water react when something moves through it. Every time we would paddle the water would glow. It was so magical. We had a clear sky that night and the stars were so bright, I didn’t know whether to look down into the glowing water or up into the twinkling sky. We would definitely do it again. It was just such a peaceful relaxing activity.

We highly enjoyed our time in Puerto Rico but feel we barely scratched the surface on what Puerto Rico has to offer. We can’t wait to go back and bring the kids next time.

So there you have it, a very brief recap of our time in Puerto Rico. Next time we visit I’ll write a bit more of an informative post for those who haven’t been and not sure what to do or where to stay. This was an impromptu trip that I had no input with the planning so I didn’t research much before leaving. What are your favorite things to see and do in Puerto Rico? Favorite family friendly places to stay? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below as we hope to take our kids back with us someday.

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May 16, 2017 2

3 days in The Black Hills with Kids

Last summer we ventured on a little trip with friends of ours and headed to the black Hills in South Dakota. Having never been to the Black Hills, we knew we were in good hands as our friends have been many times and were great guides to us. Part of the fun of road tripping to the Black Hills is all the stops along the way. You can read about all the fun places we stopped on our way out here. When we arrived in The Black Hills it was late afternoon. We decided to head to Mount Rushmore right off the bat. The sun was setting and the kids were ready to get out and stretch their legs. The great thing about Mount Rushmore is that it’s easy to get to and it can be as long or as short of a visit as you want it to be. Ours was more on the shorter side (sorry Mr. Presidents). We made just enough time to admire and take photos of the iconic rock sculpture, watch a short clip on the history of how it all came together, and walk around a bit. It was really all the time we needed there and then it was time for dinner. We stopped for pizza on the way down the hill from Mount Rushmore in the little town of Keystone. The drive to our house was about a 45 minute jont up into the hills, and with the deer coming out we didn’t want to be making that drive at dusk (which happened this night) or when it was dark.

Day 1 (or 1st afternoon): Mount Rushmore

For our time in the Black Hills we rented a house from VRBO in Lead, and it was in a ski resort area. It was so quiet and peaceful up there which made the long drive to and from the main events each day worth it. Plus, the drive was beautiful so we didn’t really mind it.

Day 2: Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park

The next morning we headed to the Crazy Horse Memorial. Our 10 year old was really into the history of the rock sculpture of Crazy Horse and loved walking around in the museum. We enjoyed a quick hoop dancing demonstration, and the kids loved getting up and trying their own hoop dance. It was fun and educational.

After Crazy Horse we ventured over to Custer State park and walked around Sylvan Lake. We could have spent an entire day here at the lake, and now we know for next time how to best utilize our time for Sylvan Lake and Custer State Park. We didn’t make it to the wildlife viewing part of Custer or drive through the so-called nail biting needles road, as it was getting late and we needed to head back down the windy road that leads up to Sylvan Lake to get home before dark.

Day 3: Cosmos and Keystone

We opted for a quirky little visit at The Cosmos Mystery Area. Here we got a short tour of the property where they say weird things happen because of the magnetic hills and the gravitational vortexes. Something to be experienced for yourself. It was definitly entertaining and something different. The kids thought it was really interesting and had a blast on this short tour.

Walking crooked..

After our Cosmos experience we headed into Keystone. We visited the popular tourist stop Rushmore Tramway Adventures. We took the kids up the hill via a chairlift and proceeded to have lunch at the top. After lunch we headed back down the hill but this time riding the alpine slides. My kids loved this so much. Landry (our 3 yr old) was with me and kept saying, “Go faster mom!” I was going pretty slow for safety precautions and even after me saying, “We’re going fast,” he wasn’t having it. “No we’re not. We’re going slow.” He’s too smart for his own good.

Once at the bottom, I talked Tanner into going ziplining. I have always wanted to zipline and they had one here. He was a champ about it and we can now check zip lining off of our bucket lists. After the ziplining, we all headed over the the 1800’s train. The train ride was so relaxing and peaceful and was definitely a highlight of the trip and a must do again for all of us.Visiting the Black Hills was the perfect little getaway for us. It was a slow relaxed trip. The kids were able to run and explore and just be kids. For a mid July trip, the weather was perfect. Such a memorable summer trip. We can’t wait to go again.