Sailing the High Seas and Visiting Mickey 10.13.10

A couple of reminders:

• Find me on Facebook – The first 500 members of my page will be entered into a drawing to win one of two great bags from Travelon. Suggest my page to all of your friends and double your chances to win, because if they win, you will also win a “referral” gift for your effort. These bags and items will be great for any travel and with the holidays coming up, I know you’ll be traveling and bringing back more than you left home with. They also make awesome gifts for any of the travelers in your life that are on your Christmas/Hanukkah list. Recap: “like” Shereen Travels Cheap, suggest it to everyone you know, so we reach 500 super quick and get a chance at those prizes before December. If you don’t win, don’t worry. We’ll be doing similar goal-related prizes in the future. REMEMBER, YOU CAN LIVE WORLDWIDE AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE PRIZES! You don't have to live in the U.S. 
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Mahogany Bay, Roatan

Now, with all that out of the way, welcome back! I apologize for the lack of entry on 10/9, but I was feeling under the weather and mourning the end of my vacation to the Caribbean and Orlando. I was busy doing further research to help my fellow travelers travel better and get the most out of their trips! Okay, so I also had fun and was able to chill and get away from work. Everything I want in a vacation! I think I may have jinxed myself a bit with the last blog entry, but I'm one to look at the positives in things, so we will ignore that anything "off-schedule" happened.Here’s what I can now tell you about saving money and time on a cruise and Disney/Universal.

Who knew a cruise could be so Go, Go, Go? Not me, but this being the first one my husband and I have ever taken, we were pleasantly surprised. We followed the advice I give everyone and got an inside cabin to save money. We figured we wouldn’t be seeing our room all that much and we were right. Also, with the lights off, the room was so dark that we were able to REALLY sleep after long days.

Getting the most we could out of the cruise, every night we’d take a look at the schedule for the next day and map out our day to maximize our activity. We played trivia, sang karaoke (well, Eric did), went to the shows, played adult dodgeball, went to deck parties, attended an art auction, played mini golf, learned (I use that term loosely) how to fold towel animals and ate in the dining room every night and any other time we could, where we were already paying for people to wait on us. Eating at the buffet can be convenient, but we always had a table in the dining room, the food was better and you didn’t have to get anything yourself. We don’t drink, so that helped us save even more, though we splurged on the soda program for the week, which was $6 per day per person, but you could drink as much as you wanted for that cost instead of paying $2.95 for each soda you had. Drink 3 and you’ve already saved money. Plain coffee, juice and ice tea were free, but you had to go up to the buffet to get it.

We never once made it to the pool or gym, though every day we had plans to do one of those. We did our best to keep on the move from one activity to another by taking the stairs often and walking from one end of the ship to the other. It helped us walk off our extra desserts and gear up for port days, which promised more walking to sightsee and shop.

There will be more than enough to keep you busy on the ship without wasting time laying by the pool or drinking all day. I know a lot of people go on cruises to do just that, but you are paying for food, room and entertainment, so take advantage of it. If you lay by the pool all day, you’ve just paid a bunch of money to do what you can do closer to home (or depending on where you live, do AT home).

Drinking all day seems like an awesome idea, until you see your bill at the end of your stay. Not only are drinks marked WAY up, you are also charged an 18% gratuity on top of drink prices. Most people don’t know this and then also tip at the bar, paying what might be 3-4 times the cost of the drink. The goal is to save money and do more, not spend more and do less, so limit or cut these two activities out altogether. Your sign and sail card may seem like a magic wand, but they are still charging you every time you hand it over for anything and those charges can add up fast. If you still want to drink, here are some better options:

• Attend the Captain’s dinner/party. Free drinks are generally served at this and, as far as I can tell, are unlimited until it is over.
• Attend a liquor tasting. These can be free or come at a small price. On our cruise you could taste 5 different martinis for $20…and then probably not taste anything else until the next day.
• Drink in the port cities. You’re on vacation. Party! It'll end up being much cheaper and you get the chance to enjoy the local drinks.
• Buy alcohol while in port for WAY cheaper than on the boat or at home and then throw a “We bought a lot of cheap booze” party when you get home (because they’ll confiscate it until the end of your cruise)…or enjoy it on the rest of your vacation if you have plans to extend your trip after your cruise ends.
• If you're worried about all the alcohol on board, friends of Bill W (and also Jimmy K) have the opportunity to take in meetings each day onboard.

Brahma Bull

Here are some other ways to save money:

• If you can get something free, take it. If the jewelry seminar claims you can get free jewelry for attending, they will probably give you a coupon to redeem in port, but that is still free jewelry, so go spend an hour, enter the raffle at the seminar (because there’s always a raffle), get your coupon and then go to the store in port, get your free gift and continue with your day. The way they get you is by assuming you will hang around to buy something. Unless it was on your list to begin with, don’t get suckered in. Price compare! It’s likely that one of the “non-approved” stores farther away from port will have similar merchandise at a fraction of the price. We encountered a lot of this. Even stores in port would have the same merchandise as others and the price difference would be huge. Just because they are not on the “approved” merchants list you are given, doesn’t mean they are bad, just that the ship doesn’t get a commission from any sales they make.
• Book excursions on your own before you leave home. I saved at least half over the cruise line’s excursion prices by finding reputable companies and booking online. Don’t worry, if your boat can’t dock, like we couldn’t in Grand Cayman, you won’t be charged and any deposit you put down will be refunded (or it should – read the fine print).
• Save money on spa services by booking them on port days. You can get these discounts even if you book them before you leave for the day or after you will have come back on board. You can save up to $50 off sea day prices, but you need to book in advance. Take a spa tour or brochure to see what’s offered and then decide on the service(s) you want and book from your cabin phone. Personally, I wouldn’t pay more for these services than I would at home, so that’s another consideration.
• Avoid the casino as much as possible. I love to gamble and can spend all my money at the slots if given the chance. Only take money to the casino that you can afford to lose and don’t use your sign and sail card (also known as your room key) to charge money to your account. If you don’t win, that amount is added to your charges at the end of your cruise. I know, boo. I was able to restrain myself and only spend a nominal amount on slot machines. I declared it money I would have spent in Grand Cayman on things I didn’t need.

Houses along Mahogany Bay, Roatan

On the end of our cruise we drove to Orlando and did 4 days at Disney and Universal. Here are some great theme park tips to save money and time:

• If you plan to spend the whole day in one park, don't pay for the park-hopper option. At Disney, this can save you up to $54 per person per day. Park-hopping might be beneficial at Disney and most multi-day passes now come with it included, but in places like Disney World the time it can take to get from one park to another is time wasted that could have been spent on riding a ride again or trying a new restaurant or watching a great show.
• Save time by purchasing an Express Pass (or Front of the Line Pass). While Disney has Fastpass that is clearly the best way for parks to handle long lines, most parks make you pay separately for this option. If you will have a limited amount of time in a park that has many shows or rides or both, buy one and save your sanity. Universal is great to spend the extra money on, because they have so many rides and shows, that if you only had one day to see it all, you would miss most of it just waiting in line for The Mummy or Jurassic Park...or even lunch. For $14.99+ per person (depending on the day and season) you can skip the lines to all the rides and get in a much shorter one, some shows will even let you in faster, and get more out of your admission than you would just being frustrated standing in long lines all day and only seeing a quarter of what you wanted. This worked out extremely well for us last year when we visited Universal Orlando. We did make the mistake of splurging on park-hopper passes, too, but it worked out in our favor when there were no lines for anything at Islands of Adventure and we were done by 3pm and then just went back to catch the few things we missed at Universal the day before. And since Universal closed later than IOA, we ended up having a bonus 3 hours. Score!
• Save an extra day off your ticket prices if you'll be attending any special events. We bought tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom. The official start time is 7pm, but with a little research, you will find that you can actually enter the park with only these tickets at 4pm. With the park closing at midnight, that's a whole 8 hours of park time. We decided this was enough for us and skipped buying equally priced tickets for the rest of the day. It gave us time to chill out and check out Downtown Disney and enjoy a leisurely lunch.

Shipwreck off the coast of Mahogany Bay, Roatan

• Get to the parks as soon as they open. Either start at the back of the park and make your way forward or head straight to one of the rides that always has a super long queue, like Rip, Ride Rockit, Test Track, Splash Mountain or Toy Story Midway Mania. You'll beat the crowds by doing it early. You know the ride you want to get on THE MOST? That's the ride you should head for. That way, you'll be assured to get on it and not be disappointed later. Another smart tip, if you don't have to take a shuttle back to your hotel at a specific time, go close to park closing. As long as they are still letting people in, even if the line is an hour wait and will be running after closing hours, you'll still be riding it. Usually, crowds have thinned out near the end of the day, so lines are shorter and it's easier to jump right on.
• Buy your tickets for everything online. This will save you from waiting in a long queue, before having to queue up again to get INTO the park, and in some cases it will even save you money. Universal knocks $10 off box office prices on their online tickets.
• If you can, get a map and time schedule online before you go so you make a plan of action. This way you can work around any shows, concerts or parades you definitely want to see ahead of time and not have to stare at the schedule for 20 minutes with a pen and sticky notes and waste precious park time. Disney will post park hours and other information on their websites, but for more in-depth help, turn to sites like AllEars.net and my personal favorite for all things Walt Disney World: Tour Guide Mike. 
• Enjoy the free shows and street festivals. Epcot and California Adventure have annual festivals, like the International Food & Wine Festival. During this Festival at Epcot, they put on the Eat To The Beat Concert Series. The featured band will play three 30 minute concerts per day over a period of 2-3 days and then will be replaced by a new band. At this time they also have food demonstrations and other free activities. Many other theme parks have similar festivals that are included in your regular admission. If you can go on vacation around these times, you'll get more out of your ticket prices.

Captain EO is back - see it at Epcot and Disneyland

• Make reservations for dining. You'll be able to get in pretty much right away instead of having to wait for a table to open up. If you go during a busy time, try to make reservations a little before or after regular dining hours (11-11:30am or after 1:30pm for lunch and dinner from 5-6pm or after 7:30pm usually works well). Another idea is to leave the park for lunch or dinner. At Disneyland and Universal this is usually really easy, because right outside the gates you have Downtown Disney or Citywalk. The restaurants out there are generally less crowded than those in the parks.
• Bring snacks. Save money by bringing your own snacks and not spending a bundle on unhealthy foods like churros, buttered popcorn, funnel cakes, ice cream and pretzels with cheese. Of course, sometimes you just have to spend the $5 and go for it. Make sure you aren't starving when you do it, so you can share with others in your party instead of having to buy everyone their own.

Sleeping Beauty Castle at night

While I was gone, I took along some extras that were totally invaluable to me, so I thought I would pass them along to you here:

• Quikpod Tripod – while it’s not an actual tripod, it is super cool and handy, and you only need one hand to use it. Attach your camera to the top, set the angle on the Quikpod and the self-timer on your camera, pull out the telescoping handle, press the shutter button and pose for your picture. Now, no one in your group needs to be left out of another vacation photo, because you need someone to take the shot. I’ve been known to use window sills, my purse, glasses and more to take a picture of my husband and I. Now, I just whip this baby out and take a great photo and even get background in the shot. Otherwise, I could just photoshop our faces into any of my other great pictures. Lots of times you don’t want to ask a stranger to take a picture of you or there may not be anyone around. I love mine…plus, if you’re in a shady part of town, it can double as a weapon!

• Travelon Pack Flat Back-Up Bag – This bag does exactly what it says. It packs flat into a full-size carry-on bag and takes up very little space. I just packed it between rolled clothes layers. If you have a smaller carry-on, you can bend it to fit that, too. When you buy souvenirs and way too much other stuff you don’t need (or Christmas gifts, which was our problem), unzip it and it unfolds into a full-size carry-on that can fit in the overhead of the plane or under the seat. It has reinforced handles and a shoulder strap. The bottom is flat, so it is easy to maneuver, too.

• Healthy Back Bag by Ameribag – These bags come in a lot of colors and fabrics and several different sizes. I talked to a lady in Epcot who was asking about what fabric mine was because she wanted one like it to go with others she had. I have two different ones, but they are both nylon, because they are light and easy to keep clean. You can get them in microfiber, cotton and leather, too. I have a medium and a large. I take the medium with me if I’m going somewhere with my dog and need to take extra stuff and keep my hands free, though I could take it on trips, too. I take the large one on vacation, because it can hold my camera, keys, several water bottles, snacks and even a change of clothes or extra shoes if I need it to.  These are excellent for people who have children, too. They can double as a diaper bag and not hurt your shoulder. My husband doesn’t mind carrying it either. The best part about these bags is the pockets. There are pockets galore! The main zipper is also towards your body, making security awesome. The outsides are bit water repellant, too, so you don’t have to worry about anything inside getting wet if you’re getting on Splash Mountain.

• I've taken a laptop on most of my vacations, but I recently got an Acer Aspire One netbook computer. It takes up half the space of the laptop and doesn't require me to take a special bag as it fits right into my purse. it is just as fast as my laptop and it even fits in the small hotel safes provided in most rooms. It keeps me connected and has a built in microphone camera for video chatting, like Skype. I will never go on another trip without it.

Frequent Flyer miles are really invaluable in getting free travel. Here are some great ways to get them right now: 

• Book a Budget rental car through American Airlines and save 30% off your rental and receive QUADRUPLE AA miles. That's 200 miles per rental day! Valid on rentals booked through the end of the year.
• Sign up for E-Miles and take short surveys and participate in featured opportunities to earn mileage.
• Join e-Rewards and earn points to trade in for frequent flyer miles by taking surveys emailed to you.

My Downhill Vacation 10.6.10

I suppose this could incorporate all the things that ever went wrong on every vacation rolled into one big nightmare, but I like to be optimistic. Even though something probably WILL go wrong, it probably won’t be disastrous to your whole trip. I want to talk about snow vacations. With it now being officially fall and all, winter is right around the corner, which means many snow destinations will be opening for the ski season. If you aren’t quite into cold-winter sports, this could work in your favor, because you could go before the first flakes fall and save a bundle. 

Please join me on Facebook to get more updated deals and tips every day.

• We are doing a giveaway for the first 500 fans who sign up on our page and the people they were referred by (if applicable-both must be fans of the page), so join us and suggest all your friends to join. 2 lucky people will win items from Travelon and 2 others (potentially) will win referral gifts.

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Subscribe to my blog on the right or on Kindle, so you can take me wherever you go!

It’s sometimes hard to find good deals on ski destinations. Between lift tickets, optional equipment rental, airfare and hotel, a cold weather destination can be brutally expensive. With everyone flocking there, the hotel rates skyrocket, so it’s great to find a deal at all.  You can see the Top 25 U.S. Ski Destinations HERE courtesy of TravelHero.

And Frommer’s offers up 5 Ski Destinations in the Rockies That Won’t Break the Bank.

Find wonderful package deals to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in France to ski your heart out from Expedia. Prices are based on when you travel, so find some travel dates that work for your budget and start brushing up on your French. Also, every dollar you spend will get you ThankYou Points that you can use toward the purchase of future travel from Expedia. Rewards start at just 1,000 points.

Fly Iceland Air from Boston, New York or Seattle from $499 per person for the Golden Circle Getaway. While Iceland is not known for skiing, it is a great cold-weather vacation and now is the ideal time to see the Northern Lights, too. Included in this package is airfare, hotel, daily breakfast and the Golden Circle Tour for 3 days/2 nights. You may add on extra days to the end of your stay (up to 5) for a reasonable nightly rate. Packages are non-refundable, so you might look into getting travel insurance. Check out QuoteWright.com

• Now, you can stay in great locations in Canada, including Banff and Whistler through Hotels.com for as little as $53 per night. Book by Oct 11th for travel by Oct 25th.
• You can also stay in Vail, CO to get your ski on and take advantage of specials, including 3rd or4th night free and 20-50% off. Great rates already, starting at $99 per night or even less if you don’t mind staying outside the city. Booking and stay-by dates vary.

Remember, Hotels.com offers price-match guarantee and doesn’t ever charge to change or cancel your reservation (unless it is for a same-day reservation). Their call center is open 24 hours a day for your convenience. Plus, stay 10 nights, get one free with their Welcome Rewards program. Free to sign up and use and your credits don’t expire!

• Ski Tahoe and stay in The Ridge Tahoe for as low as $54 per night. Buy one night, get one free. Hotel has an indoor sports complex, private shuttle service, indoor swimming pool, health club, tennis courts, putting green & driving net, racquetball courts, on-site ski shop, health club, ping pong & billiards rooms, children’s playground and casino shuttles for a fee. Book by Oct 14th, add airfare and save even more on your vacation.
• Experience the breathtaking views of Alaska and stay for as little as $67 per night in top-rated Expedia hotels near Anchorage.

Buy season passes. If you plan on skiing for more than a day in some locations, it could be more cost-effective to buy an entire season pass. When you’re ready to leave, see if you can sell (read: transfer) your pass to someone else. That way you both get discounted rates!

Buy your tickets online to save time, and sometimes money. Don’t wait in the long line when you can just go right to the slopes.

Buy a Gold Pass. If you are skiing in Colorado all season long, this might be the pass for you. It’s spendy at $3,000, but it gets you access to 21 ski resorts all season and can be transferred to friends or family members, so you get the most use out of it. Only a limited number are sold each season, for obvious reasons, so if you want one break out your credit card.

Ask if there is a student discount (you know, if you actually ARE a student). This could save you quite a bit on lift tickets.

Purchase Skier’s Insurance. If for some reason you can’t use your season pass, you’ll be covered to get a refund. Restrictions do apply and cost depends on the cost of your season passes, so please read this carefully. Many resorts already sell SkiersGuard when they sell you your passes and you can add on the cost right then and there. Generally, it is 6% of your purchase price. 

Learn to ski or snowboard in Tahoe for cheap or FREE! 

Skiing in New England and looking for bargains on tickets? Check out Family Ski Trips. 

  

Do you practice yoga? Let BootsNAll show you how to take it on the road with you when traveling. 

Normally, I tell people to stay off-site when going to Disney, but this is one of the best deals I’ve come across. If you want to stay at one of the resorts once in your life, this might be the time to do it. You can also add Disney Dining Plan to your package.
Save $300 on a 4 day/4 night Disneyland Resort package and receive a 4-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket for each guest in your party (family 4 pack). Book by December 1 for stays from October 1-December 16.

How many times have your heard the story of Sleepy Hollow and the Headless Horseman? Now you can take a lantern tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Pasadena California for only $20 per person. If you are too scared to go at night, save $5 each and take a daytime tour. Advanced reservations are required.

Travel Channel has a list of the Scariest Halloween Attractions in the U.S., including the Bates Motel, The Queen Mary and Eastern State Penitentiary. 

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet! 10.2.10

Oh, I love no holiday more than Halloween. It’s better than Christmas in my opinion. I like to do up my whole house all spooky, enjoy it for the entirety of October and into November, throw a party with creepy food and music and dress up. Sometimes, I’ll have several costumes for the season. One for a party, maybe one for another event and one for handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. (My costume closet is vast.) This year, as well as last, I have an extra one to throw in for vacation, as I’ll be attending the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in Walt Disney World. Many park days at the Magic Kingdom in Sept-Nov are cut short for this party that requires a special ticket to get in. From 7pm to midnight, many of the park guests come dressed in costume to enjoy 5 hours of trick-or-treating, dancing, nighttime thrill rides (only specific rides will be open during that time, not the whole park), Hall-o-wishes fireworks display, an all-villain musical show in front of the castle, villain meet and greets, amazing park decorations and, best of all, a special parade opened with the Headless Horseman on horseback. It’s all totally Disney and so out of their normal festivities that it’s worth putting off your vacation until that time of year. WDW isn’t the only theme park that throws a big bash for Halloween though. And if you’re into SCARY for Halloween, you’re in luck!

Please join me on Facebook to get more updated deals and tips every day.

• We are doing a giveaway for the first 500 fans who sign up on our page and the people they were referred by (if applicable-both must be fans of the page), so join us and suggest all your friends to join. 2 lucky people will win items from Travelon and 2 others (potentially) will win referral gifts.

Subscribe to my blog on the right or on Kindle, so you can take me wherever you go!

Follow me on Twitter for more great tips and deals.

Many things have been lost, including whole aircrafts and their passengers, never to be found. It’s probable that your flight to Bermuda will be uneventful and your hotel stay and beach visits totally serene.

• 
  
  CheapTickets is offering 3-7 night packages to Bermuda, including round-trip airfare and hotel, starting at only $578 per person. Some include 3nd night free, 30% off your stay or free dining!
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  Walk the streets of Jack the Ripper, visit the Vampire Museum and try not to get drugged Hostel-style on this amazing trip. Included:  International round-trip airfare, 6 nights (2 each in London, Paris and Amsterdam), Eurostar travel between cities, HOTEL accommodations, taxes and daily breakfast. Make your own itinerary in these awesome cities and immerse yourself in culture and history.
  

  

  
  

Are you afraid of the dark? Maybe do what I did and stay at an Eco Lodge. With no electricity, you'll be frightened until the sun comes up. 

Hotwire loves to give you deals. Stay in 4-Star hotels for considerably less than regular price. Take yourself to the site of your favorite horror movies with these amazing deals.

• Spend $69 per creepy night in New Orleans and walk amongst the streets of the infamous vampires and voodoo priests and priestesses.
• Pray you don’t get trapped in a seemingly abandoned house only to be terrorized by a chainsaw wielding murderer in Dallas, Texas from only $59 per night.
• Stay far enough away from the streets of Jack the Ripper and the Black Plague with a visit to Manchester, England from $49 per night.
• That creepy “doctor” from Hostel was from Germany. It’s a sure bet he won’t show up on your vacation, especially if you are staying somewhere nice, like one of these hotels in Frankfurt from $45 per night.

Read any Sephen King novel to find out why New England is so scary. Not to mention that Lizzie Borden and the Salem Witch Trials happened in the area, too.

• Expedia is still offering Free Nights with the purchase of 3+ nights at one of their participating hotels. Stay in a New England hotels from $44 per night and trek through some of Stephen King’s famous landscapes from his books. Book by October 12 for travel through December 15^th for these cheap rates.

A cruise may not sound menacing, but what if you’re cruising to creepy locations? That’s got to be a plus, right? I scoured the internet for some fun sounding vacations that were spooky in nature. Visit the home of Dracula, with a cruise stopping in Romania, and hope you don’t get sucked into the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. You could see nothing out of the ordinary, but you will be guaranteed to see something breathtaking on either of these trips:

• In 2011, take the Passage to Eastern Europe cruise from Viking for 11 days from $2256 per person. 8 guided tours in 5 countries, including Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. Many meals are included Add a 3-night extension to the end of your cruise to visit Transylvania and the Black Sea for an extra $699 per person.  The Viking Primadonna Cruise Ship is a smaller ship that has enough room for 148 passengers. Every state room is an outside stateroom and the ship boasts 2 bars/lounges, a restaurant, boutique, hair salon, atrium, free wireless internet, laundry service, whirlpool and sauna and more. This package does not include international airfare, but it does include transfers if you purchase air with package. You may choose to purchase air separately or through Viking Cruises.

• Norwegian Cruise Lines would like to take you on a 7-night cruise to Bermuda. Cruises sail out of New York or Boston and stop for you to enjoy King’s Wharf in Bermuda. Aside from all your meals and entertainment on board, you’ll receive free traveler’s insurance for you and your companions and an onboard credit.

Win a New Year’s Eve trip to London!!

This is truly a fantastic package to win. See below for everything included:

ENTER NOW for a chance to win a spectacular New Year’s Eve trip to London for two. The winner will receive complimentary round-trip travel, airport transfers, and six fabulous nights in a private (and luxurious) one-bedroom apartment at Cheval Residences in central London. And that’s just the beginning. Imagine the two of you enjoying . . .

• Dinner at the world-famous Absolut Ice Bar London located in the heart of Mayfair – its bar, walls, table, chairs, cocktail glasses are all made from ice.
• An evening at the historic Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho, the heart of the London jazz scene.
• A guided tour of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and a visit to the Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition, followed by afternoon tea in the Brasserie, overlooking the Thames.
• A special tour of the Tate Modern, followed by a restaurant meal on the 7th floor, overlooking St. Paul’s and the City of London.
• A behind-the-scenes tour of the new Wembley Stadium, home to both great soccer and rock concerts.
• A daytrip to Paris with Eurostar – visit Paris in just two hours and 15 minutes, and when you return to St. Pancras International Station celebrate with complimentary bubbly at Europe’s longest champagne bar.

London Passes that will give you free admission to over 60 top London attractions. Meet the Beefeaters and ravens and see the crown jewels at the Tower of London, visit St. Paul’s Cathedral (where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married), or float past thousands of years of history aboard a Thames River Cruise.

There are so many things to do around Halloween time that it took a bit for me to whittle down the list. I want to do everything and give you a million options, but I restrained myself. This section will be longer than normal though. Aside from Disney's Mickey's Party, other theme parks have fun and scary Halloween festivities.

• Knott's presents Knott's Scary Farm. Save $6-23 on your tickets by buying them online instead of at the gate, where they will be $56 each.
• Universal puts on Halloween Horror Nights. While ticket prices don't waver, you're sure to get your money's worth while riding select rides and being scared out of your wits with roaming creeps, themed haunted houses and scare zones. It's like being in your very own horror movie. 
• Busch Gardens in Tampa offers up Howl-o-Scream. Much like Universal, they have scare zones, haunted houses and themed entertainment. You can't get cheaper tickets for this event either, but it'll scare your pants off, which you maybe can't put a price on.
• Sea World has a great event for the little ones and admission is included with your regular park ticket. It's called Spooktacular and it offers trick-or-treating, silly and spooky shows and kids are encouraged to come in costumes.

Now, that's just the major theme parks that have fun activities. There are plenty of other activities the world over that you can get in on. Here are some inexpensive things you can do during the fall season or any other time of the year.

• The Dungeons are on my list of kitchy and kinda scary (if you're afraid of the dark and mirror mazes where you might be followed) and must-do attractions. The site offers best price guarantee and you can get discounted deals if you purchase a combination ticket with Madame Tussaud's and/or the London Eye. If you plan to visit off-peak hours, you can save up to 50%! You must purchase your tickets online though. Each dungeon (located in London, York, Hamburg, Edinburgh and Amsterdam) walks you through the "streets" of history and winds you through creepy stories and rides that take you from one area of the dungeon to another

• Paris Catacombs. There are miles of underground tunnels underneath Paris full of human bones that were put there when the cemeteries became overcrowded. Even now they are still crowded, but with tourists. Get there right at opening and beat the crowds. Lines can stretch up to 2 hours long and with prices at only 5 Euros per person, it's one of the cheaper things you can do in France. If you want to skip the lines and go on a 2 hour guided tour with a small group. Viator can help you with this if you're willing to pay more than 5 Euros. For a little more than $54 per person, you are guaranteed access into the Catacombs, which is extremely limited.

• Plenty of creepy things have come out of London. One of the most famous? Jack the Ripper. He was never caught and you can walk the same streets on a London night with a small group for around $15 per person. Feel some of the fear those women must have felt while standing in a dark alley and hearing about the gruesome and brutal murders that happened on the very spot.
• New Orleans has always claimed to have a rich history in the occult and creepy myths. For an hour and a half walk among the darkened streets on the New Orleans Vampire Tour for only $20 per person. Many other walks are available, but who wouldn't want to believe in the undead and the horrible things that happen in the shadows of the city?
• New England always seems to be the backdrop for creepy and bizarre happenings. Stephen King loves to write about New England in his scary novels, too. One such story, which happens to be true, is the tale of Lizzie Borden in Massachusetts. Not only can you stay in the very house both her parents were murdered in (whether she did it or not, as she was never convicted, but moved to live outside of town where she was shunned for the rest of her life), you can also take a tour of the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast. As cheerful as a B&B sounds, this one claims to be haunted. People have claimed to have had many encounters with ghosts while staying there, but if you can't get in to sleep there or are too scared, take the tour. They are only $12.50 per person and occur only during daylight hours, so there's (mostly) nothing to be afraid of.
• Portland's Shanghai Tunnels are quite a tourist attraction. There is a whole city of tunnels under the Oregon town's downtown area. For $19 per person you take a flashlight tour of the tunnels and learn about how people would be pulled into the tunnels (often drunk), have their shoes stolen and forced into slave labor. 

• Winchester Mystery House. Tour 110 of the 160 rooms of the house that took 38 years to build and has stairs that lead to nowhere and doors that open into walls. There are several tours to choose from, including a flashlight tour special for specific October dates. Tours range from $25 to $33 per person and should be purchased online.
• Almost anywhere you go that has open land will have a corn maze. You can go during the day or the evening and enjoy getting lost in a labyrinth of corn! The daytime maze will be fairly tame and the maze at night is dark and may have several spooky surprises. Though you may not be able to take advantage of pumpkin picking, you CAN stop at the general store they have set up and get some local foods to take home, like pumpkin butter and huckleberry candy (okay, that's what we have here in Oregon). 

Check out some fun musicals for Halloween season. Search for discounts on great theater in London on BroadwayBox. Two musicals that might be of particular interest to you are Thriller Live and Wicked.

Do you need a costume for any of your holiday outings? Purchase costumes and accessories through ebates to get cashback and discount codes at costume retailers.