Disney Redefining Princesses

Disney’s gotten a lot of criticism, from me and from plenty of others, for its dedication to princesses.  But today I’m here to give Disney some serious kudos for its latest Princess-related ad.  You can watch the clip on YouTube. It’s just awesome.  If you’re not able to watch it at the moment, the ad features a variety of girls, from all ages, races, and backgrounds, and the voice over repeats that “I’m a princess.”  But in between saying that, the narration says other fantastic things as well, such as “it’s important to stand up for myself.  It’s more important … Continue reading

Win a Disney World Trip in the Fantasyland Sweepstakes

Now that the new Fantasyland is up and running (though not every single aspect of the park is open yet), it’s time for Disney World to offer fans a chance to win a free trip there.  The Disney Store is currently running a sweepstakes to win a 5-day, 4-night vacation at Disney World. Although the sweepstakes is in honor of the new Fantasyland, the prize doesn’t revolve too much around it.  Guests could win and choose to spend most of their time outside the Magic Kingdom, if they wanted.  Grand prize winners get to spend one night in the Cinderella … Continue reading

How to Get More Fun for Your Money

You can be happy with less money. It all depends on how you use it and what it does for you. Apply your money in the ways that will make you happiest. Be purposeful in how you spend your cash, and your life will be enriched, even on the tightest budget. Choose Experiences Instead of Materials Experiences can be one of the best investments of your money. Long after the money is spent, you will look back on the time with many fond memories. Money that is used toward experiences generally leaves people feeling that it was absolutely worth it. … Continue reading

Special Offers at Aulani, Disney’s Hawaii Resort

As winter approaches (or does more than approach, slamming some parts of the country with storms), we already want to turn our thoughts toward spring.  While there’s nothing we can do to make the months go by faster, perhaps what we can do is avoid the cold weather for a while by vacationing somewhere warm.  A dream vacation for many is Hawaii, and for Disney fans, that can mean one thing: Aulani. Disney’s Aulani Resort, located on Oahu, has recently joined the list of Disney destinations that get their own special offers page.  The resort is so popular that even … Continue reading

Frugal Seasonal Family Getaways

If you can deal with dirty looks from your kid’s teacher, then consider heading off on a pre-Christmas getaway.  Families working with a tight budget, who want to sneak in a winter vacation before Santa Claus comes to town, must act now. Dozens of family-friendly vacation destinations are offering money-saving deals for clans who complete their travel before Christmas Eve, including: California:  Don’t wait to do Disney during your child’s winter break from school.  Rather, if you want to save big on hotel accommodations, travel during the first three weeks of December.  That’s when you will find deals like the … Continue reading

Can You Afford a Winter Getaway?

You certainly can if you hit the road in the next three weeks. From popular newspapers to morning news shows, travel experts are popping up just about everywhere today hammering home the latest and greatest industry catchphrase:  “dead zone.” A travel “dead zone” is defined as the weekend after Thanksgiving until roughly the week prior to Christmas.  It’s a time when most people have little incentive to travel far from home.  Consequently, hotels, rental car companies, cruise operators and commercial airlines offer a slew of travel bargains in order to remain profitable between the two busiest holidays of the season. … Continue reading

A Year in Disney Fandom: D23 Events for 2013

Any D23 members wondering what will be on the official Disney Fan Club’s schedule for 2013 don’t need to wait any longer.  The official D23 website and the official Disney Parks blog have both posted announcements of the fan club’s 2013 events. The most exciting news to come out of D23 for 2013 is the announcement of a second year of Fanniversary.  The event, which is open to the public (but D23 members get first registration), is a must-attend celebration for any Disney fans.  It’s hours spent reveling in the best of Disney movies, history, park attractions, and more.  Special … Continue reading

What Are Disney Alliances?

Note the outside corporate sponsorship listed on the sign Browsing through my Facebook one day I saw an advertisement on the side, for the official Disney Alliance Facebook page. I’ll let the Facebook page speak for itself, pulling its description from under the “About” heading: “Welcome to the official Facebook Page of Disney Corporate Alliances! Learn about the latest news, promotions, and experiences our Alliance Partners help create across Disney Parks and The Walt Disney Company.” Basically, Disney Alliances, and all of its related websites (though so far that just seems to be Facebook and Twitter), are just there to … Continue reading

Married at Sea: Disney Cruise Weddings

I’ve never written much about a Disney wedding, which is strange because I’m a blogger both for our Disney and our Marriage categories. But if you read my marriage blogs you know that I’m not a fan of big, fancy weddings, and a Disney wedding would certainly be that. Previous Disney bloggers have written a lot on the topic, so I didn’t have anything new to offer. Until now. I just learned that the Disney Cruise line offers wedding and vow renewal packages. I’m always up for writing about a new Disney thing I didn’t know existed, and we’ve never … Continue reading

Holiday Disney World Deals

Looking to take a holiday Disney World vacation? If you try to take your trip right over Christmas you’re not going to get any special offers from the park, but vacation just after Thanksgiving through mid-December, or in early January, and Disney World has a host of deals of which you can take advantage. If you book by October 31, you can receive up to a 30% discount at select Disney resorts for trips taken between November 1 and November 16, or November 24 through December 22. Remember that Disney World holiday celebrations often last weeks. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas … Continue reading