A Disney Vacation In a Box

So, I had such a fun time creating my own Destination Date Nights and then planning a Japan staycation for my friend, that I decided to do it again. We were meant to go to Walt Disney World in 2020, and then again in 2021, but with Covid, and then all the terrible laws and government since then, we postponed and then outright cancelled our vacation. Our friend was going to meet us down there. 

A bit of a behind the scenes pic

The disappointment from us all has been understandable, and we'll eventually get back down there for this trip, but for now that's not happening. Since we aren't able to take that trip, and she had never been, I decided that she should still get to have that Disney magic at home, whenever she felt the need.

Every staycation needs a backdrop, in my opinion, and to make this one extra special, I planned a two-step backdrop. At some point, I plan to do a Disney party, focusing on the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, so I figured I'd use the castle backdrop anyway. I purchased the one above on Amazon, set it up in the backyard, put on our (subtle) Disney gear, posed in front of it, and then took a bunch of photos. One of them was good enough to keep, and then I edited, cropped, and uploaded that one to make a new background. 

Other backdrops you might like: 

• nighttime castle and World Showcase Lagoon
• nighttime castle with stars
• daytime Disneyland castle
• Christmas on Main Street
• Halloween on Main Street
• It's A Small World
• Spaceship Earth, or you can design your own with a public domain pic on Zazzle (get up to 60% off your first purchase with my link). I use the seller Canadapromo for all my tapestries. They aren't as heavy and they are machine washable. 
• Don't forget the clamps to hang your background!

While I waited for my background to be printed, I put together the rest of the staycation. I wanted this to be an "experience", so there was a story and a layering system to everything in the box, meaning she would have to experience the trip in the way intended. Here we go:

Disney is more than just a castle, so I picked three of my favorite attractions and got the prints made of them. These help set the atmosphere. "Some people are just happy to be at the parks, surrounded by all the sights and sounds." 

"Jump on the monorail to City Hall and get your Birthday button, then head to your meet and greet with all the princesses." Some of our favorite things and must-dos were on the list to start off this staycation. If it's your birthday, anniversary, first trip, or whatever, a free button from City Hall is always fun. I tried to come up with a way to do a meet and greet that wasn't super cheesy, and knowing that I was going to include an actual birthday card, this pop-up card was an easy choice. 

I knew she would be spending her birthday with her mom and grandma, and souvenirs are always fun. Mouse ears are the ultimate souvenir, so I ordered 3 different princess ear headbands for them to all get in on the fun: Anna, Ariel, Belle. 

Of course, my visit is never complete without treats. Ya'll know I have a churro budget, and when she and I went to Disneyland a few years ago, I had 4 in 3 days, and Dole Whip, and popcorn, and some other things I probably didn't need. She loves sweets as well, so I wanted her to be able to enjoy her own churros at home, Mickey (and Donald) ice creams, and then I tossed in some Mickey cups I found at Party City to be used for sodas, adult beverages, or mini popcorn buckets. (Here are some similar ones on Amazon.) 

Parades and rides are hard to replicate at home, but luckily, there are people who film all the things, so I made YouTube playlist of some of the best rides and entertainment, then I included this at-home VR headset that you put your phone in, start your video, and then wear it like goggles. Stroll down Main Street, browse shops, watch a parade, ride Space Mountain. You name it, you can find someone who's filmed it on YouTube.

And, of course, no trip to the Magic Kingdom is complete without fireworks. Sure, they could watch fireworks on YouTube as well, and I included a link to a few, but what about fireworks at home in your house?! A company called Uncle Milton made a whole line of fireworks simulation toys about a decade ago. They were discontinued, but I found a bunch on ebay. This one is the fireworks light show launcher, which gives you all the best parts of fireworks. It makes the fireworks launch sound and projects static fireworks wherever you point it.

I wanted one for myself, and then I found out they had a Pixar version, so I bought both versions. They were used, but they worked perfectly and was the cherry on top of my staycation box. I sent her the Pixar one, which also projects Disney characters in the "sky" with the fireworks, and kept the generic one for myself and future party planning. (I wish I had thought to look on ebay when I wanted this for the end of a Weasley Wizard Wheezes themed Harry Potter party.)

This whole staycation fit into an extra large FedEx box (approximately: 11-7/8" x 10-3/4" x 11"), which is not huge, but a lot of items fit inside, and more would have fit if I hadn't wanted to layer things in a specific way. You, obviously, don't have to include as many things I as I did, or you can include more if your budget allows. 

Who would you send a staycation in-a-box to and where would you send them?

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Summer Vacations Can Be More Affordable

Travel is expensive. Travel in the summer is even more expensive, and airfare is rising quickly right now with demand and gas rates way up. Luckily, there are ways you can save on all parts of your trip, including activities. You can even find deals on entire vacations. 

Here are the sites I recommend checking out. 

Rakuten - formerly Ebates

Get paid to shop! Here's how it works: Sign up is quick and easy, then you're ready to shop! When you have a hankering to buy something, say, at Sephora, go to Rakuten, sign in, click on Sephora and it takes you straight to the main website. You must go through Rakuten, so they can track your purchase. At checkout, make sure you use the same email address you used to sign up on Rakuten and within a few days, your purchase will show up in your account. You can track your cash back total to see how much you saved and then every quarter, Rakuten sends you a Big Fat Check (if you choose that method) or a Big Fat Payment via Paypal. You even get $30 right now just for signing up and making your first qualifying purchase.

Groupon & Living Social

For those of you who don’t know what Groupon and LivingSocial are, they are daily deal sites that usually give you 50-90% off an attraction, restaurant, service or activity. We subscribe to each city we're traveling to (and use it at home as well) 3 months before we are due to travel and find great discounts on things wee were already going to see and do. Don't forget that you can also buy whole vacations on both of these, which can save you tons, especially if you're not picky as to where you want to visit.

Travelzoo

Travelzoo has a Top 20 each week that they put out with their best deals, but you can also search for trips and portions of your trip directly on their site for cheaper activities, tours and more!

CityPASS & GoCard

If you have a list of must-dos on your list, check the ones offered on the city card of that destination to see how many are offered on that card. You can save up to 55% on a list of attractions and activities when you use GoCards or CityPASS. If they aren't available for either of these cards, because you're going out of the country or just because they aren't, just Google "city card [destination city]" and often you'll find something that works.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, or PayPal cash.

Crowdtap

It's sort of like Swagbucks, but all you do is take short surveys about things like food products and banking. Usually, they take less than 5 minutes each and you can rack up points really quickly if you waste an hour or so on the site while watching TV or whatever. Use my referral link for Crowdtap and get a free 100 points to start.

With just a few extra steps in planning, purchasing, or saving for your trips, you can actually save enough to take a better trip, or even take another trip later in the year.

What are your favorite summer destinations?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may be compensated for your clicks. This allows me to run this block regularly and bring you better tips, overviews, and more. Thanks in advance.

National Travel & Tourism Week

National Travel and Tourism Week starts tomorrow, so I wanted to kick it off by talking about some of my favorite budget travel tips and destinations, and then destinations I have on my short list. Then, hopefully, you all can tell me about the places you've loved and would love to go to in the comments.

My Faves

While we haven't been super world travelers, we have gone to some pretty great places. I love going to new destinations and learning about different people and cultures and history. Some of my favorite places have been:

• London - Clearly, since we've visited 3 times now and will go back again.
• Edinburgh - Everything there is gorgeous and I can't wait to go back and also travel around other parts of Scotland.
• Ecuador - I'd narrow this down to just Quito, but the country is beautiful and the people are lovely and the food is delicious (and really cheap).
• Williamsburg, VA - Growing up nearby probably helped, but this little town is quaint and historic, plus Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens are must-dos.
• San Diego - I love California and have been to some amazing towns there. San Diego has it all: a big city with a small city vibe, walkability, green spaces, great food. You name it!
• Victoria, BC - This beautiful town has a little bit of everything for everyone. It feels a bit European, but it's more accessible. 
• Philadelphia - I could have spent a few more weeks in this city, exploring the waterfront and city art. 

My Short Wish List

We've been including an extra trip in our schedules to get away from the bleak winters that can seem to drag on. Last January we went to Tucson, AZ and we already have next year planned. Here are some of my next trip wishes:

• Palm Springs, CA - We'll be visiting with my mom in January 2023.
• Reykjavik, Iceland
• Austin, TX - I think we may get there in January 2024.
• Toronto
• Sacramento - Yes, we've been there before, but we have family there and the city is super cute. We'd like to spend more time there.
• Denver - I know there's more to see in the Mile High City, but we have been talking about going to visit the Meow Wolf installation there.
• Albuquerque - There is the original Meow Wolf installation here, and we also have friends who have moved to Las Cruces to visit.

Some Budget-Friendly Travel Tips

I have a load of travel tips that can help you save money and time. Here are just a few:

• Use Turo - Traditional rental car companies are great, but rates can also be crazy high, especially right now when they still don't have full fleets, and during the high season. If you can't find a good deal, try renting from an individual. I use the Turo app whenever I need to rent a car to see if I can support a person instead of a corporation.
• Book attractions ahead of time - So, I'm a big proponent of having as much planned and taken care of before I leave for vacation, but booking ahead of time can actually save you a lot of money, since many places have online discounts.
• Make lunch your main meal - You know I love eating. I keep snacks in my day bag. I plan whole days around where I want to dine. I always look for street food. I'm sure, like me, you like to go to nice restaurants when you travel. For these, I try to make lunch reservations for these places, because you get the same great food, but at lower prices.
• Pack light - Carry-on packing is the only way I travel now. If I do check a bag, it's only for coming home from a trip with extra things I've purchased. I have perfected planning a small capsule wardrobe for each trip, which you can do, too, with a little practice. 
• Travel in the off-season (or shoulder season) - High season is the most expensive time to travel and visit destinations. You'll also be looking at crowded attractions and activities. Look to travel outside of that timeframe and save money on airfare, accommodations, and even rental cars. You'll also save time, even if opening hours are shorter, because there will be shorter lines and fewer people everywhere. 

I hope you're excited about your next trips and doing them better, even on a budget. Tell me where you're going or where you enjoyed going in the past.