Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide

The Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide 2008

I'm going to tell you a little secret...I'm not rich.

I know some of you probably thought I was, since I seem to have enough time to create a lens about Disney World ;-) but honestly, it's just a passion of mine.

I wish that one day I could actually get paid to write about Disney World but while I'm waiting on that exclusive writing gig to drop in my lap, I still have to get up every morning and go to work.

Sucks, I know...but I said that to say this:

You don't have to be wealthy to go to Disney World, just smart.

I know I put off going for three or four years because I just assumed we couldn't afford to take all three of our kids there. In fact, I probably would still be putting it off if a friend of mine hadn't mentioned going last summer.

He was talking about how much fun his family had at Hollywood Studios and I interrupted him to ask, "How the devil did ya'll afford to go to Disney World this year?"

He smiled and said, "I'll show you."; flipped open his PDA and typed out a quick email to me, and then went right back to describing how much fun he had in the Epcot Center for the rest of the guys gathered around.

I went to my computer and opened the email and downloaded the attachment he sent me...it was a file called DW-Guide and it didn't look that impressive, to tell you the truth. Nevertheless, I decided to open it up and print it out, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Needless to say, that next summer I was in Disney World with my wife and three kids...and we've been back twice more since then!

Honestly, I never knew there was so much you could learn about saving at Disney World until I read that book!

And you know what the best part is?

It's written by a former cast member! Talk about behind the scenes access to all that goes on in Disney World!

Her guide covers all the important topics:

• Tickets - when to buy, what to buy, and where not to buy (it's not as straightforward as you think)
  
• Airfare, hotels, and resorts - Compare the offsite hotels to find the best bargain (without losing the service)
  
• Disney World - Rainy day activities, how to beat long lines, and my favorite, hidden entrances!
  
• Disney Magic - Where to shop for souvenirs (don't get ripped off!), the best places to eat, and the BEST downtown attraction.
  
• Much, much, much more! Over 100 pages + future updates! (don't buy a guide that will be outdated next year!)

Bottom line?

I recommend the Ultimate Disney World Savings Guide to everyone I meet, and you can ask my wife if you don't believe me!

(She says that not everyone likes Disney World as much as I do...whatever)

Walt Disney first fell in love with the Orlando, Florida location that was to become home to his World more than 40 years ago in 1963. Two years later, Disney let the rest of the real world in on his elaborate plans at a press conference where he told the public of his many colorful ideas.

Unfortunately, Walt Disney would die before his project ever left the preliminary planning stages but his brother, Roy Disney, saw to it that his dream was realized. In fact, the park was referred to simply as Disney World in all of the initial plans drawn up by Walt himself, but Roy insisted that it be renamed to Walt Disney World in honor of his brother and as a testament to his beloved memory.

Sadly, Roy Disney himself passed away a short two months after the park's grand opening in 1971, and only one short year later would Walt Disney World welcome its 10th million visitor.

Throughout the last three or four decades, the park has undergone an incredible transformation in comparison to its "humble" beginnings of only one theme park, Magic Kingdom, home of the renowned Cinderella Castle. Today there is Epcot, where the main attraction is Spaceship Earth, and Disney's Hollywood Studios, home to The Sorcerer's Hat, and also Disney's Animal Kingdom, where guests visit The Tree of Life.

During the years, new rides, attractions, and other developments have been routinely added to the resort that encompasses over 47 square miles of space, not only to the actual theme parks themselves, but also branching out into countless resorts, hotels, five golf courses, campgrounds, water parks, and restaurants, not to mention a dazzling array of entertaining events and theme shows.

Today, over 60,000 employees busily keep Walt Disney World operating and running smoothly as they welcome millions of visitors from all around the globe.

Historical Walt Disney World Facts and Trivia.

- Splash Mountain, located in Magic Kingdom, was designed based on the animated portion of Disney's 1946 movie, "Song of the South," is 87 feet high, and features a "cast" of 68 animatronics characters.

- There are hidden images of both Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney scattered all throughout the park, and the latter provided the voice for the former, as well as for Minnie Mouse for two full decades.

- Walt Disney, who attended only one year of high school, has won more Oscar awards than anyone else in the world (32) and also holds the honorable distinction of being the only person to win an Oscar as well as a Nobel prize.

- Over 5,000 performers, a 1,076 piece band, and 500 doves were all a part of the park's grand opening ceremony on October 25th, 1971, nearly five years after Walt Disney passed away on December 15th, 1966.

- Mickey Mouse celebrated his 50th birthday in 1978 amidst plenty of fanfare including a televised parade. Six years later in 1984, his friend Donald Duck would also turn 50.

- 2001 saw an elaborate celebration of Walt Disney's 100th birthday with a grand parade in each of Walt Disney World's four theme parks.

Click here to save money on your next Disney World trip...

Walt Disney World is well known as "the happiest place on Earth," where people of all ages can be transported into a magical place and time unlike any other. But, what many aren't aware of is that there are countless interesting facts and bits of trivia behind the park that was once only a dream of two brothers who wanted to create, well, the happiest place on Earth!

Cinderella Castle Trivia

Perhaps one of the absolute most beloved places in all of Walt Disney World is Cinderella Castle, which is also said to be the most photographed structure in the entire world! Welcoming guests to Fantasyland, the building is 189 feet tall and includes 13 gargoyles keeping faithful watch on the outside of the castle, as well as the surrounding moat filled with nearly three and a half million gallons of water.

The four Roman numerals on Cinderella Castle's clock are actually not a mistake as some visitors may first think because in early American colonial times, "IIII" was indeed used instead of the more familiar "IV" to indicate the number four.

The castle also features five ornately designed murals which tell the story of Cinderella through the use of thousands of tiny pieces of Italian glasses comprised of over 500 different colors as well as bits of sterling silver and pure 14-carat gold. Be sure to note the reddish and green coloring of the stepsisters faces as Cinderella gracefully tries on the slipper, which is said to denote their anger and jealousy toward her.

Did You Know?

- If the park were named after Walt Disney's original family name, it would be called "Walt D'Isigny World".

- Epcot covers an area in Walt Disney World that's roughly 300 acres, while The Magic Kingdom is a scant 107 acres.

- The word Epcot comes from the phrase Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

- Rumor has it that Goofy, not Mickey, as once thought, was actually Walt's favorite character.

- The It's a Small World attraction is one of Walt Disney World's longest and features six different rooms; the first, where guests are loaded and unload onto the ride, the European room, the Far East room, then the African room, the islands of the Pacific room, and finally, the white room which celebrates all cultures.

- Only three rides or attractions were in operation on the park's opening day and included the Tropical Serenade, The Jungle Cruise, and the Swiss Family Treehouse.

- Be the first person to ride the Maelstrom in the Norway pavilion in Epcot and you'll receive a Viking hat proclaiming you to be "Viking of the Day".

-1937 saw Walt Disney's first full length animated feature Snow White.

- Snow White soon became the highest grossing film of all time.

-first day of constuction for Magic Kingdom was Tue, May. 30, 1967 and the Grand Opening was Fri, Oct. 1, 1971, construction costs was $400,000,000.00

-Disney's Beauty and the Beast was the first animated film to win the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture- Musical or Comedy.

Walt Disney World Ghosts and Urban Myths.

Supposedly, the Haunted Mansion attraction isn't the only place inside of Walt Disney World where ghosts call home. According to legends and rumors that have existed for decades, attractions such as the Tower of Terror is where employees share tales of a seemingly confused man who roams the park starting here, and then mysteriously disappearing into the night.

If you're ever one of the first, or the last, of the people to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, pay attention and listen to hear if an employee says "Hello" before opening for the day, or "Good night," after the last ride of the night. Instances of the ride shutting down with no explanation have reportedly happened when these two words were not said.

Today at the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, that superstitious ritual is said to occur each and every day and is attributed to a ghost by the name of "George," who was reportedly a welder who worked on the construction team that created the attraction back in the 1970s. George is said to have met his demise while working on the ride and still makes his presence known today, prompting employees to welcome him in the mornings, and wishing him a good night in the evenings.

Of course, the only way to be absolutely sure of legends such as these is to visit the park for yourself and see if you encounter George or any of the others that are said to never have to pay for their admission tickets!