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Posts Tagged ‘Disney World Vacation’

A Hidden Mickey is an image of Mickey Mouse concealed in the design of a Disney attraction. Hidden Mickeys started out as an inside joke among the Walt Disney Imagineers. It has been said that when EPCOT center began, it was to be for adults, not children, therefore, Mickey was to be left out. But the Imagineers, in a form of quiet rebellion, began adding subtle Hidden Mickeys.

Eventually, the Imagineers included Hidden Mickeys most anywhere — when designing buildings, putting the finishing touches on a new attraction or hotel, hiding silhouettes, profiles, and other images of Mickey Mouse in murals, queue areas, and even golf course sand traps.

The word quickly spread of these subtle tributes to Walt’s famous mouse and soon it became a tradition for Disney fans everywhere to search for Hidden Mickeys in Disney theme parks.

Originally, it took the shape of a head and ears silhouette – one large circle with two smaller circles in the appropriate place on top. But Hidden Mickeys can take on many forms, including Mickey’s profile.

Because new ones are continually being added and older ones removed, the total correct number of Hidden Mickeys will probably never be known. But that doesn’t stop Disney enthusiasts from tracking them down, and rejoicing at each new find.

They’ve been discovered hidden in murals, fences, shows – you name it, you can probably find a Mickey hidden somewhere in it!

The search is fun for the entire family, and adds a sense of adventure to your Disney World Vacation. How involved your search becomes will depend on the ages of your children. And obviously the most serious “searchers” are usually adults. Keep in mind that some Mickeys appear to be hidden and some deliberate. The deliberate ones won’t count if you’re doing a serious Hidden Mickey search.

There are two ways to approach the Hidden Mickey search:

1. Arrive in the Magic Kingdom with no clue as to where to find Hidden Mickeys. Rather, rely only on the observation skills of all family members to discover them. This is the most challenging option. If you decide on this course, be sure to keep score and make a game out of it. Have a prize already decided for the winner which can be given out on the day of departure.

2. The second, easier, method is to do a little research before you go. Read up on where they are located, then you will know exactly where to look for various Hidden Mickeys. An official Walt Disney World list can be obtained by visiting Guest Relations at any of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Not as challenging a search, but still holds the fun of discovery.

Here are a few advance tips:

Magic Kingdom

The Haunted Mansion boasts “999 Happy Haunts,” but it also has one “mouse” – a Hidden Mickey formed by an arrangement of dishes on the table in the attraction’s banquet scene.

A Hidden Mickey enjoys a day on the river in the final scene in Frontierland’s Splash Mountain. A pink cloud floating high above the Zip-A-Dee Lady steamboat looks very much like a profile of Mickey lying on his back.

Epcot

Mickey goes to Norway, the Gateway to Scandinavia. A Viking dons a pair of Mickey Mouse Ears on the mural above the queue line for Maelstrom, the pavilion’s boat ride attraction.

At Spaceship Earth in Epcot Future World, Mickey is hidden in his own constellation of stars just beyond the attraction’s loading area.

Disney-MGM Studios

A Hidden Mickey can be found in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The child actress who vanishes from the Hollywood Tower Hotel one stormy night is clutching a Mickey Mouse doll in the attraction’s pre-show.

Two Hidden Mickeys were placed in the tile floor in the rotunda area of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster attraction.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Look for Mickey in the Pizzafari restaurant in Discovery Island. His silhouette can be found on a wall mural hidden among leopard spots.

The Boneyard in DinoLand U.S.A., in the woolly mammoth dig site, Mickey has been formed with a fan and two hard hats.

There are more than 25 Hidden Mickeys at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. He is hidden in murals, tree trunks and paintings of animals.

The Maharajah Jungle Trek is Hidden Mickey treasure land! There are several in the drawings on the ruins just as you enter the tiger habitat.

Resorts

Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course presents a Hidden Mickey in the form of a giant sand trap that lies next to the green.

Golfers at Disney’s Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge Golf Courses will notice that Mickey’s head is used as a putting green at the course clubhouse area.

At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, a Hidden Mickey is found on the weather vane atop the convention center.

Unfortunately, no one – not Imagineers nor Cast Members – has ever kept official track of where the Hidden Mickeys were originally placed. Since attractions change or are enhanced throughout the years, Hidden Mickeys can disappear and others appear or reappear for many reasons. Therefore, there is no official count.

Since there’s no chance that all the Hidden Mickeys will ever be found, the search for them goes on and on. So go ahead – jump in and join the fun. Create your own family game and let it simply add to the magic of your Disney World vacation.

Please note: If you see a Disney World guest wielding a magnifying glass, you’ll know you’ve come upon a very dedicated, VERY serious Hidden Mickey fan. You might want to stand back and give that person plenty of room!

What you are about to read

 

… will save you loads of money !

Many families get quite a shock when they calculate what it will cost them to have a Walt Disney World holiday.

You’ll need flights, accommodation, car hire/driving costs, food, passes to Walt Disney World (they are expensive – children are classed as ages 3-9 years old and costs not much less than adult prices), entertainment, and more…

I am going to show you how to have a budget-wise Disney holiday.

Tip # 1. Do it Yourself

Book your Disney World vacation online.

You will find the cheapest rates by booking each component separately yourself – air, accommodation, car hire and even theme park tickets.

You can book way in advance and still get the same savings as if you had booked last minute. The difference is that booking last minute can cause you stress. So Relax !

Take your own food and drink. If you’re taking a charter flight, you can pay far more than you want to pay for in-flight food and drinks. You might not even enjoy it.

Tip # 2. Rent Orlando Villas  direct from the owner.

Stay in a privately owned villa or vacation rental home within 20 minutes drive of Walt Disney World.

People in Europe have been holidaying in private villas for years. Many Europeans and North Americans now own villas in Orlando all within 20 minutes drive of Disney.

These privately owned homes belong to families just like yourselves. Because these families vacation in their homes as well, they are fully equipped with everything that you could hope for.

The price you pay is where the bargain comes in if you book directly from the owner of the property. Vacation homes near Disney  can start from as little as $89 to less than $160 per night for a whole family sized house. Price often depends on the season and quality, level of privacy and amenities of the villa that you want.

Your whole family could have room to themselves instead of cramming together in the same hotel bedroom.

Plus, you can have lounge, private pool, spa, game room, full kitchens and much more than I can mention here.

To make your holiday even cheaper, split the cost of your villa with another family.

Orlando has many huge villas that can sleep 2-3 families. Many have multiple master bedrooms. So each family can have a master bedroom and extra bedrooms for the rest of the family. They also have multiple bathrooms and multiple living/dining areas.

So if you don’t mind sharing with friends or family you could save even more money on accommodation.

Sign up for newsletters on Orlando vacation rentals websites. That way you can keep abreast of special deals available.

Look out for last minute deals from private villa owners.

Once you rent a private villa you won’t want to ever use a hotel again.

Tip # 3. Go Off Season

Prices plummet when the kids are back at school! You save more than 50% on flights, and at low season, Orlando vacation rentals are much cheaper.

Flights:

You would be amazed how much you can save in airline tickets if you go low season, especially if your family is large.

Sign up to newsletters with your favorite airlines to hear about the best flight deals first.

Seize the specials by looking out for bargain flight offers in good time.

Many websites specialize in finding air fare deals. Use farefinders. These are websites that search for cheap airfares.

Look out for newspapers that offer flight discounts that involve collecting tokens. Some have ‘buy one get on free deals’ on flights at specific times of the year.

Don’t fly at weekends if there are surcharges.

But, who wants to go to Walt Disney World when kids are Back at school?

If you are a bargain hunting holiday-maker, you might consider it if you realize the savings you could have.

Tip # 4. Spend Less on Your Family’s Food

Food is expensive in the theme parks without a doubt.

You can eat meals in your Florida Villa and save money. You get a fully equipped full-size kitchen. You don’t have to cook. You can fill the refrigerator with food from the Supermarket.

Bring snacks and drinks with you from your villa, to the Disney Parks, especially on hot and humid days when your kids need to drink lots of liquids all day long. Freeze drinks in a drinks cooler and take them with you frozen.

You and your family can return to your villa for lunch and a rest and go back to the Theme Parks refreshed and fed.

If you drive from home to your holiday villa, shop before you go. Bring your favorite items from home.

Have breakfast at restaurants that allow kids to eat free. They advertise this in their windows.

Look out for restaurants offering free kid’s meals.

Pick up money saving booklets from the local Supermarket. They are loaded with money saving coupons.

Look out for coupons that save you money at full service restaurants as well as your fast food chains like McDonalds.

You can find some good deals at Walt Disney World if you choose carefully. A family of four can easily spend $50 for little more than a snack.

A better option is for you to splash out once or twice in the Disney World ‘Parks on the ‘all you can eat character meals’ or on ‘fun themed restaurants’. This can make your holiday even more memorable and make for good photo opportunities.

Popular buffet restaurants with fairly good prices include character breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, and the Polynesian Resort’s dinners where food is cooked at a firepit, games are played with the kids, and food is brought to your table time and time again. The Boma restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge has a huge selection.

Also, for a bit more than $50, you and your family could eat a full buffet at a fun restaurant such as the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, which has Winnie the Pooh and his pals in attendance.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets are $15-$29 per person. Kids have their own meal choices, plus a make your own sundae bar. There is a good selection for parents and your glass of drinks will be refilled to your content.

Tip # 5. Save money on Theme Park Tickets and General Entertainment

It’s always wise to spend some time developing an itinerary before you buy your Theme Park tickets, because the right passes for you depend on how you plan to spend your days.

Be sure to check all your options. You may be overlooking a special deal for which you qualify, such as Florida resident, military/civil service, and corporate discounts.

There are lots of legitimate ways to get discounted Walt Disney World passes.

Unfortunately, there are also lots of places where you can get ripped off.

So be very careful.

The WalMart at 4444 W. Vine in Kissimmee, has a travel agency called Wal-Mart Vacations that sells discounted Disney World tickets. The prices are discounted about 5%. But, they may not carry every type of ticket.

Pick up a money saving coupons booklet from the local supermarket. It is not just for food.

There are also money saving coupons in those booklets for admission discounts to places like Universal Orlando, Sea World, Busch Gardens and more.

Some popular events are also promoted at times such as Disney on Ice, “buy one get one” coupon.

You can even save money on adventures like go-cart racing, with free ‘buy one get one free coupons’.

Tip # 6. Free Admissions at Disney!

Visit Disney’s resort hotels (for example when you dine at Boma), but you do not have to dine.

Tour the grounds, marvel at the gardens and architecture, listen to the music, and mingle with the cast members.

If you do dine make sure you give yourself a lot of time before dinner, so that you have plenty of time to savor the sights in daylight.
/>Tip # 7. Car Hire Savings

Look out for car rental savings from almost all of the national car hire companies.

Tip # 8. Airport Parking

Book your airport parking in advance. It is much more expensive on the day.

 

Check your car insurance or roadside assistance membership for special offers on airport parking.

Some airport hotels offer one night pre-flight stays that include holiday parking.

Look out for other parking offers.

Book your cab/minivan in advance. Negotiate a deal with the driver to pick you up on return as you are giving them double business.

Tip # 9. Buy Low Cost Travel Insurance

Compare prices and make sure that it has what you need. If you’re going away more than once in the year consider an annual policy.

I always save loads of money whenever I go to Disney, and I still have a Disney holiday in luxury and style… you can too!

 

In order to enjoy a holiday, you should have a place of your own and not worry about too many people crowding into a hotel room. When you have made up your mind to take that Affordable Walt Disney World Resort Vacation, you can take a pick from the various private rentals available in Orlando area. If you were to look around on the Internet, you will find there are many companies that run rentals of private villas and cottages for visitors.

In case you don’t have any clues about these cottages, you can touch base with other travelers, who would have benefited largely thanks to these private condos. The Orlando area surrounding the park has plenty of options, from 1 room studio apartments to 3bedroom luxurious villas facing the beach.

The budget you have allotted for accommodation will determine the kind of private vacation home you opt for. If you are a group of say 5-7members, you will need rooms if staying at a hotel, whereas if you pick up a villa or cottage, all of you can fit in with enough space to move around. An added advantage is that these places come furnished with functional kitchens and laundry services as well. So you could use them and save loads of money which can be spent going on that Kali river ride once more.

The closest highway is the 192, which is within driving distance from the Disney world is where most of the private homes, villas and the best restaurants are situated. You can relax in one of these homes, make a day trip to the Disney world, come back at night all set for a few hours of rest. Away from the hustle and bustle of the Disney hotels, these homes offer comfort and style and make your Affordable Walt Disney Vacation much more exciting. There are even a few stores where you can pick up a Mickey T shirt or some other souvenirs for your friends back home at a cheaper price.

While choosing the place to stay, check around before settling on one, for there might be some offering discounts and freebies to the park which you don’t want to miss out on. Some of the villas come in a package deal that offer discount tickets to the rides or a coupon to enjoy the Dinoland USA, a visual treat for you and your children.

Also check beforehand if the homes come with basic amenities such as well equipped kitchen, hot water in the bath which will be necessary during those winter months and air conditioning for summers and finally, if they provide car rentals as well.

Since all of these private rentals compete against each other vying for that customer, they offer interesting deals that you might miss out on if you are not careful. So, while booking your Affordable Disney Vacation, have a discussion with the agency about all that they offer and information pertaining to other services that you might require.