I’m Also Going to Universal Hollywood! 6.23.12

Giveaways that are still open: Runnur mini "backpack" | $400 in Paypal cash

After a long discussion about how it would make more sense, financially, to wait another year to go to London and Paris on our big vacation of the year, we have decided that this year will go to our old standby: Disneyland. Now, as much as I love Mickey and the gang and am looking forward to doing all the new things, we really can’t spend an entire week there, so we also plan on hitting up Universal and possibly Knott’s Berry Farm, which neither of us has visited in over a decade. In my last post I gave you 5 ways to save your time and money in the parks and this time I’m going to give you 5 more. Between airfare and park tickets and food and parking and souvenirs, you can rack up some serious credit card debt if you aren’t careful, so make the most of your budget and try not to splurge on too many churros. Your wallet and your waistline will thank you.

See all the shows – Parades, shows, street parties, dancing water. It’s all included in your ticket, so take advantage of them. I’ve seen better productions at Disney than I have elsewhere that I’ve paid a lot of money for. Aladdin is still, hands down, my favorite Disney production and would easily cost you $100+ for a ticket if it came to a city near you. These shows give you a chance to rest your feet, see some really great entertainment and are also short enough that you don’t have time to get bored before it’s over. 30-40 minutes is the perfect production time for little ones, too. Plus, if they can sleep through an earthquake, this might be the best thing to do while they take a nap if it coincides with their usual naptime and you don’t want to leave the park just yet.

Avoid the gift shops – They are everywhere and while they are fun to browse in, those high price tags kind of make me have heart palpitations. I once forgot to bring spare batteries and had to buy some in one of the merchants and two AA batteries cost me over $10! Why do they mark stuff up so much? Simple: People. Will. Pay. For. It. Save your pennies, or in this case, your Jacksons and Franklins, and window shop only. Look off-site for souvenirs (perfect for those with little ones who want shirts and hats and toys and stuffed animals) and anything that you can’t get elsewhere that is calling your name, you can go back for. I think you’ll find that you save a bundle this way and come home with a lot less “stuff”.

Make dining reservations – Yes, this is not really a money-saver, unless you split entrées, which I always suggest for those with small children. Your kids will eat better and you’ll save money if you share an entrée with them or between two of them. French fries are not a vegetable, nor are pasta sauce or ketchup. But I digress. Making reservations for dining is the best way to save time inside the parks, because you could wait up to 90 minutes for a table otherwise, especially during the busiest months. 

Make reservations well ahead of your trip (or as soon as you can) and try to aim for meal times just outside of normal ones, which will both lessen your chances of still waiting for others to finish and give you shorter lines when you are done eating and everyone else is in search of nourishment. What times are best? Lunch: 11-11:30am or 1-2pm. Dinner: 5-5:30pm or after 7pm. Remember, this is what you have snacks for. Some theme parks (Disney World resorts for sure) allow you to make breakfast reservations before the park officially opens. This means you can eat and be the first in line at the most popular rides. Double score! (Bonus dining hint: Some surrounding hotel restaurants, like Menage’s K’ya, and Downtown Disney restaurants, like Catal, are members of OpenTable and you can make reservations online, have a table waiting and get points toward free dining!)

Don’t buy two tickets for one day – Sometimes you’ll travel to a theme park for a special event, which will require its own admission ticket. We do this for Disney’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The park closes down early for the general public and partiers can enter between 6pm and 7pm for the celebrations and special activities. If you will be spending a significant amount of time at your destination – 4 or more days – skip paying for another day’s admission and use the early part of the day to do things not theme parky, like maybe sightsee in a neighboring town, go to the movies, enjoy the pool, or just chill and do laundry while you read a book. You can save hundreds of dollars this way, depending on how big your travel party is. You’ll be refreshed and ready to hit the park again in the evening while everyone else is looking haggard and ready to fall into bed from a full day of stimulation.

Use public transportation and free shuttles – Unless you have a big travel group, paying $15+ to park is just not a reasonable use of your money. In Anaheim, you can walk or use the Rapid Transit system to get to and from the parks. The shuttles cost $4 per person per day, but less if you buy a pass for the days you’ll be staying. In Orlando, all the hotels have free shuttle service to all the parks (though they don’t run all day in the off-season, so you can get there early and come back late).

So, now you know my top 10 ways to save big at theme parks. Get the most for your money and waste less time standing in line and dealing with the “I dunno, what do you want to do” moments. Make a plan, stick to it and you’ll be happy you did, even though you think I’m planning OCD. You’ll thank me when you don’t miss out on riding California Screamin’ or the Transformers: The Ride on your trip, because you have the map memorized (maybe) and your schedule. If that’s not how you want to do things, you can always have me plan your trip for you!

What are your favorite ways to save and what do you think I must see/do on my trip in the fall? Comment away!

Super Useful Travel Links 6.22.12

Summer is officially upon us and that means ¾ of the country will be traveling somewhere. I don’t make this up – it’s an actual factual statement! That is a good portion of the American public packing up their things and vacationing for several days to several weeks. Of course, that also means that a lot of places – the beach, the mall, the pool, any theme park or water park, museums, zoos – will be overrun with tourists, and even locals. And those places aren't stupid either. They try to suck as much money out of you as possible. The hotels and airlines get in on the action, too. Actually, they might be the start of the action, and the rest follow suit because they know you will pay $22 for a bottle of sunscreen if you forgot yours at home and are already at the beach and probably won’t go back, put on pants and drive to Target to get some at a quarter of the price. Your wallet weeps, the seller cheers and so goes the sounds of summer. In case you need a more realistic description, it’s you going “Gah! $22?!” and then the happy “ching” of the cash register.

Now that you’re frantically scribbling down “sunscreen” at the top of your packing list (with three underlines and an exclamation point), lest you forget it and be an example to others, I am here to bring you some links to things I also find useful or thought-provoking this week. If you still haven’t planned a summer vacation yet, but are dying to go somewhere to spend your hard-earned dollars, here is a good breakdown of where to go this summer to save big and still have fun. (These are suggested by the good folks at HomeAway):

• June – Yes, it’s almost over, but there’s still a week to go and I know there are plenty of travelers planning road trips, so these are still feasible: Yosemite, Phoenix, Santa Monica, Oregon (woot!), Atlanta, Seattle, Santa Cruz, Connecticut, Boston and Great Lakes (Michigan). That’s a lot to choose from with completely different landscapes and things to do.
• July – AAA estimates that cheap gas prices are going to encourage more travelers to get out on the road over Fourth of July. If you want to be among them, check out these affordable destinations: the Jersey Shore, Miami Beach, South Padre Island (Texas), Kennebunkport (Maine), Long Island, Santa Monica, Dayton Beach (Florida), Cape Cod, Hilton Head (South Carolina) and Pebble Beach.
• August – It’s getting hot now, so it’s so much easier to pack lighter on an August trip. Here’s where to save some bucks (and lose some) this month: Carmel, Boston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Buffalo (New York) and Chesapeake Bay (Maryland).

Speaking of road trips, there are a bunch of apps that can make car travel so much easier. With everyone having a smarty phone nowadays, Techlicious has rounded up their favorites to help you make the most of your time crammed in with your loved ones, from finding cheap gas to finding things to do while you’re on your asphalt adventure. Make sure to remember your car charger!

While you’re driving across this great country of ours, you'll want to pack some food stuffs, because stopping at greasy spoons and fast food joints not only gets old, but it also gets expensive and unhealthy. A good old fashioned road trip should include a big cooler full of eats from home. I like stopping at nice rest areas, national parks or scenic overlooks and busting out my sandwich making skillz. Citibank’s blog also suggests these things.

Have you ever misplaced your cell phone and started freaking out that your “whole life was in there!”? You’re not alone. In fact, according to a study, more people get upset over losing their mobile than they do about losing their wedding ring. On that list are many other techie flip-out moments, like “outlet rage”. How attached are you to your gadgets when you travel? See if you are in the new norm, according to Intel Corp.

Sears wants you to travel more…and also make more money off you. Starting in July, they’ll be offering select vacation packages that you can purchase through their site SearsVacations.com. The catch? You can put your vacation on layaway, make payments and make it more affordable…or think it’s more affordable if you make payments and end up paying more than you can actually afford. This is where you will definitely want to price compare. It’s always better to put away funds and still save money on your trip than pay over time and spend more.

Are you in need of luggage for your next trip? FareCompare wants to make sure you get the right carry-on bag for your needs. I am very picky about my bag and with good reason. I use it, a lot. If I don’t want to look at it and it’s inconvenient (not enough pockets, no compartments, wonky handle height), then I’m not going to get my money’s worth out of it before I start shopping for a new one. Make sure you learn before you buy. Rick Seaney wants to help!

So, have you found anything cool or interesting on the interwebs of late? If so, make sure you link up in the comments!

Join Ebates and Win $100

You read my blog, so I know you like saving money. Not joining and using Ebates is leaving money on the table that you could be keeping in your pocket. It’s super easy to use, too. Sign up for free and log in through Ebates anytime you even think about making a purchase.

There are hundreds of stores available, including many travel sites, that give you cash back just for letting Ebates track your order. Each store offers a set amount of cash back, ranging from 1% to 26%. I’ve gotten 52% once on a Daily Double! Your cash back accumulates in your account and every 3 months they cut you a “big fat check” or send you a “big fat payment” via Paypal. Easy, right? Plus, with your first purchase, you’ll also get $5 deposited into your account or a gift card of your choice. Who else pays you to shop?!

Want more incentives besides free money and discounts on your buys? Ebates shows you all promo/coupon codes available for each merchant on their page and gives you $5 for each friend you refer. I never buy anything or make travel bookings before checking to see if my preferred merchant is listed. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up now!

Now through Wednesday, you can get double cash back at a dozen stores during Health and Beauty Week. You can earn up to 40% back on your purchases. I like to use my big fat payments for my vacations, but what you do with yours is up to you! Get a head start by entering now to win $100 from Ebates. You only need to have a valid account and enter with your email account used to sign up at Ebates.

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