Ask Kristin Your Coupon and Disney Questions

I love helping you all save as much money as possible and learn as much as you can about Disney. I get asked a lot of questions in the comments, on Facebook and via email and sometimes, try as I might, I miss your questions and I hate that.

So I am inviting you to post any question you have about Couponing, Disney or anything else on this post. I will post the answers next Saturday.

Answers from Saturday, April 14th:

Are there any specials available in early November?

Not yet. We usually see specials about 4-6 months before your travel date.

What are some suggestions for fun thing for daddy and daughter to do at Boardwalk?

Boardwalk is a very fun resort. They have an amazing pool plus they are right on the Boardwalk. You could swim or take a stroll on Boardwalk or even rent a surrey. If you want to go Epcot, you could complete the missions in the Kim Possible game.

What is the best/cheapest way to get annual passes?

The only thing I can think of is to buy discounted Disney gift cards (such as ones that give you fuel perks) and use them to pay for the annual pass.

You might also check out this tip from Michelle: I have researched the annual pass for our family and have found that they are approximately $50.00 cheaper if you buy them through Triple A Auto Club. Once you get the passes, you are also eligible for AP member discounts (like room discounts).

We plan on buying annual passes within the next couple of weeks and I’m anxious to see the resort discounts will be available before the passes are activated at the parks.

The current Disney discounts with the annual pass can be seen here.

We are going in December, when should tickets be bought?

I’ve been told that tickets are cheapest about 4 – 6 months before you go. If you can fly Southwest, I would book with them. They have great deals and are more friendly if you need to change your travel dates.

Does your husband like Disney as much as you? Do you have any ideas on how to make husband’s like Disney more?

My husband LOVES Disney World maybe more than I do. Disney has a lot of things that would interest men including their ESPN Wide World of Sports and the Walt Disney World Speedway. Maybe you can find something on property that interests him?

 I have a family centered blog too, my question to you is regarding posting pictures of you or your family. Are you ever hesitant to post photos of them? I personally love that you post photos of your experiences, it makes your blog more personable, but I can’t seem to make the leap into putting them out there. Any suggestions?

You could always make up new names for your children that you use just on your blog. That would be a good way to protect their identity.

Do you know any Disneyland trips and/or travel deals? Living in Montana the flights are way cheaper to California than Florida.

Here is the current round up of Disneyland deals. I am now posting this once per week.

Can I use a Disney gift card for food in Disney World, specifically the Food and Wine at Epcot? 

Yes! As long as they accept credit cards, they will accept the Disney gift card.

My cousin is moving to California. Can she buy annual passes for them using the CA resident discount?

She must live in California first and I do believe they only offer a discount if you live in certain areas of California since it is such a big state.  Go here to learn more.

 

How do you format your fax in order to get as many of your request met as possible? 

Hm. I just use please and thank you. Like “May we please be near the Playground? Also if it’s possible may we please be on the bottom floor? Thank you very much for your consideration.”

Would we save money if we bought tickets from Undercover Tourist, used them once, then upgraded to an annual pass?

I think so but I can’t say for sure as I have never done it. Can anyone else chime in?

When is a good time to go during Summer? I am a teacher, so I’ll be off from Mid June to Mid August.

I would go as soon as you get out for the summer. The crowds are really about the same throughout the summer (excluding the week of the 4th of July), but the heat won’t be as intense in June as it is in July and August.

Is the cost of a flight the same if I book it through the Disney website as a package or is it cheaper to do it separately?

I think you will have to price it both ways to compare. I’m not really sure.

Do you recommend off-resort accommodations or a WDW resort?

For us personally, we are on-site snobs. I love all the perks of staying on-site. It really depends on what works the best for your family though. If you only sleep in the room, stay at Pop Century on-property.

Is DVC are worth the purchase?

It can be if you go once a year and usually stay in a deluxe resort. We haven’t been able to justify the purchase for our family just yet. It is cheaper for us to stay at Pop verses the points we would need in the DVC.

Have you gotten your kids involved in growing the fund? If so, how?

They each have their own Disney banks where they save their spending money. I’ll also ask them things like “Do you want to go out for a milkshake or save that money to go to Disney World?”

I know there is no ‘right’ or ‘perfect’ age for Disney but just curious on your opinion on when it would be best to take our boys. They are 3 & 4 right now. We would be going in the winter (which is when they have birthdays too).

I think 4 and 5 would be a perfect age. Or even 5 and 6. I’ve noticed that Emily started to question the magic around 7.