Exclusive Room Discounts at Walt Disney World.

We're all looking for ways to save money and a Disney vacation can be a luxury, especially these days.  The good news is, if you're looking for some great savings, you're in luck, because the agency I work for, Pixie Vacations, has some exclusive offers on rooms and reduced prices on tickets. These room offers are the lowest you'll find and come with tickets that are 10% off and include a free water park admission plus the option of adding the dining plan. 

Here's how it works:

Book any of these offers and you may also purchase theme park tickets for 10% off. In addition, you'll automatically receive one free water park or DisneyQuest admission per ticketed guest.

Book as many nights as you like, but at least three of those nights must be included in the dates listed below. There's some flexibility with arrivals and departure dates based on availability (in other words, in some cases, you'll be able to check in prior to these dates or stay later than the ones posted--ask me for details).

IF another discount comes out or if you receive a pin code, I'll switch you over if it's a better deal for you. There's no penalty for doing this.  What I've usually found is that free dining works better at the values, while the moderate resorts require you to weigh both offers carefully. We can usually beat free dining at a deluxe resort with these discounted room offers.  Please note that most of the dates listed below are not free dining periods.

These rooms are booked directly with Disney. While you may make this into a traditional package, they are considered a "room-only" booking. This works in your favor, as the cancellation policies for room-only bookins are more flexible than with a package.

Here's a brief look at what we have:

Epcot's Flower and Garden Festival:

•Travel Dates April 7, 2013 to April 14, 2013

•Resorts: All Star Movies (value), Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate), Coronado Springs (Moderate), Polynesian (Deluxe) and Beach Club (Deluxe)

Early Summer Offer:

  

•Travel Dates: May 23, 2012 to May 30, 2013

•Resorts: All Star Movies (Value), Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate), Coronado Springs (Moderate), Polynesian (Deluxe) and Beach Club (Deluxe)

Star Wars Weekends:

 •Travel Dates June 7, 2013 to June 10, 2013

•Resorts: All Star Movies (Value), Pop Century (Value), Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate), Coronado Springs (Moderate), Polynesian (Deluxe), Beach Club (Deluxe)

Fourth of July Offer: 

•Travel Dates: July 1, 2013 to July 8, 2013

•Resorts: Pop Century (Value), Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate), Coronado Springs (Moderate), Polynesian (Deluxe), Beach Club (Deluxe), Grand Floridian (Deluxe)

2013 Food and Wine Festival:

  

•Travel Dates October 4, 2013 to October 9, 2013

•Resorts:  All Star Movies (Value), Port Orleans Riverside (Moderate), Coronado Springs (Moderate), Polynesian (Deluxe) and Beach Club (Deluxe)

If you'd like more information, please contact me at ChrisW@pixievacations.com or call me at 919-889-5281.  My clients who book under this offer will receive a free monogrammed tote bag and/or a gift card.

Dumbo's Interactive Queue.

There's a lot going on at Disney World right now that's both innovative and fun. At the top of my list is the interactive queue for the new Dumbo.  If you haven't been to Disney World in a while, they've moved Dumbo from its previous location in the middle of Fantasyland to Storybook Circus, where Mickey's Toon Town Fair used to be.  They've also added a second Dumbo and a fastpass option, which has dramatically decreased wait times. But perhaps the most welcomed addition is the new interactive queue. 

Standing in front of the two Dumbos, you'll have the option of doing the standby line the right or, if you have a fastpass, taking the fastpass option on the left. Skip the fastpass.  Your kids will love the interactive queue option on the right.  We waited around ten minutes, sometimes less, to get into the play area. When you get up to the front, a cast member will ask how many are in your party and then hand you a pager. Now say, for example, you have a total 35 minute wait for the attraction. You'll spend around 25 minutes in the play area, turn in your pager to the cast member at the front, and then wait another 10 waiting for the ride. It might sound like a long time, but trust me: Your kids won't want to leave. And depending on the age of your kids, you'll enjoy sitting and relaxing on the benches.

There are slides, fake fireworks to shoot off, and plenty of things to climb and jump on. Do you see those netted areas up there? They're big enough for an adult to run around in too, so you can join your kids. There's a back stair behind the "burning" building in the picture above that grown ups can use if they don't feel like climbing up. There's also a play area for young toddlers right in the middle with seating for the adults. If your kids are 5-years old and up, they should be fine running around on their own. The ground is soft and there's not a lot of potential for accidents.

Just a couple of warnings. There's no restroom in the interactive queue. You'll have to turn in your pager to the cast member at the front and she'll  give you a fastpass to go through the other side of Dumbo once you're ready.  You'll go out the back door and walk straight over to the Storybook Circus bathroom, which is right next to the train station.  The other issue is the back door.  The play area holds 175 people. With that many kids and grownups running around, it can be difficult to keep up with your kids. Since no one is manning that door, it would be easy for a small child to open it and walk outside. I'm hoping to see some measures put in place to change that, as the potential for some sort of incident is there.

I think this is one of the smartest things I've seen come out of Disney Imagineering in a long time, turning the long wait times for Dumbo into fun. I literally couldn't get my kids out of there. And that, may be it's only fault, which isn't a bad one to have.