Disney Vacation Savings Account--A New Service From Disney

In the last few days, Disney announced a new service:  Disney Vacation Account.  The service allows you to create an on-line account, set a savings goal, deposit money via credit card or debit card into the account, track your progress, and then book your Disney Vacation either on-line or via phone with Disney Reservations.  Click here to get started.

When I first saw this service, I was skeptical, but intrigued.  There are perks—a $20 Disney Gift Card for every $1,000 deposited (and used) for a Disney Vacation that has been in the account for at least 120 days.  This is better than any interest bearing account.  The tracking system is full of visual reminders, if you need to see the progress.  You can also customize the account to make regular deposits with reminders, or one-time-only deposits of amounts that you determine.

The first step is to estimate your savings goal.  This has links to the various sites—Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani Resort, even Adventures by Disney, so that you can determine how much your vacation will cost.  It even breaks down various parts of your total budget including transportation to your destination.

Creating your plan is next.  You can name your vacation, determine the time-line for your vacation, and start saving.

Then, over time, you can track your progress and book your vacation.

Sounds like a dream and makes shopping for a Disney Vacation a one-stop-shop, which is part of what we love about Disney.

The questions came next.  What about those of us who use travel agents that are authorized Disney travel specialists but not a part of Disney Reservations?  Can we use the Disney Vacation Account to make a payment on a reservation not made directly with Disney?  The answer is “yes” though it would require an extra step by contacting Disney and asking them to apply a payment from your Disney Vacation Account to your reservation.

Someone on-line was under the impression that when booking with an independent travel agent, you had to pay for your entire vacation up-front.  Nope.  We make the appropriate deposit, depending on whether we are planning a land or sea Disney vacation, then pay off our vacation by the deadline.  With the Disney Vacation Account, it makes it seem as if you have to have all of your money saved before making the reservation. 

What about various pay-off deadlines depending on your type of vacation?  The Disney Vacation Account does set the default end goal 2 months prior to when you want to take your vacation.  This works for all Walt Disney World and Disneyland vacations, but does not for Disney Cruise Line which has a minimum 75 day prior to sail date paid in full deadline.  Also, Adventures by Disney does require a paid in full when making the reservation. 

If you plan your Disney Vacation Account, which also budgets for transportation, do you also make your air reservations through Disney?  Well, you certainly can.  Disney is happy to make your airline reservations for you, though you may pay more, use various carriers for multiple legs of your trip, and not have flights at convenient times for you and your travel party. (We did this once and that is exactly what happened.)  So, you could deposit your funds for transportation into the Disney Vacation Account, and then withdraw them to pay for your transportation when you are ready.  This, sounds like extra steps to me. 

Will we be using the Disney Vacation Account?  Not yet.  One reason being is that our next Disney Vacation requires pay-off within the 120 day mark, so we will leave our money in our savings account rather than transfer it. 

If you decide to give the new service of Disney Vacation Account a try, let us know how it works for you.

Adventures By Disney--Touring the World With Disney

A package arrived in the mail recently addressed to Williams Family; it was from Adventures By Disney.  This was our third package since December.  Inside was a beautiful brochure highlighting all of the Adventures By Disney tours for 2014.

Why do we keep getting packages, even gifts, from Adventures By Disney?  In the summer of 2009, we took our first Adventures By Disney tour—click here to read more.  I say “first” as we would love to take more!

You may not be familiar with Adventures By Disney as advertising is very limited—a small portion of the Magical Express return trip video is dedicated to Adventures By Disney, and a channel on the TV in your resort room or stateroom on a Disney ship is dedicated to Adventures By Disney.  Somehow, Adventures By Disney gets lumped in with Disney Vacation Club membership advertising so guests make the assumption that Adventures By Disney is only for members—NOT TRUE!

I would describe Adventures By Disney as a concierge-level way to see the world—Disney style.  There are 24 world-wide tours for 2014 including all the continents except Antarctica.  Want to see Machu Picchu?  Galapagos Islands?  Adventures By Disney can get you there.  And, they can also give you a world-class experience at Disneyland or be added to your Disney Cruise if sailing the Mediterranean in 2014.

Here is what you get with an Adventures By Disney tour:

• A group of up to 40 guests and 2 Adventure Guides.
• A nice balance of planned entertainment, experiences, and meals with opportunities to explore on your own.
• Some of the finest and exclusive accommodations included—without you making the reservations.  Most of the time, you don’t even have to “check in” as you give a key by your Adventure Guide.
• A welcome and greeting at the destination airport, luggage handling throughout the tour, and transfers throughout the trip once you have arrived.
• Adult only and kids only activities—the Adventure Guides typically arrange activities for the kids for at least one night of the tour.
• VIP access to locations, to experts, and to events.
• And, of course, that Disney service that is known world-wide!

What impressed me most, in addition to our amazing accommodations and incredible experiences, was the service.  Our Adventure Guides were able to anticipate what we would need before we needed it and had it waiting for us.  As mom, a.k.a. vacation planner, I didn’t have to worry or plan for anything.  Just pack and show up.  No trying to reserve a room on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon 1-2 years ahead.

Adventures By Disney is great for families and yet also offers whole tours that are reserved just for adults.  On our tour, we had a couple celebrating their anniversary.  They were happy to be with other families.  There was a mom traveling with her three kids and another mom traveling with her daughter and two moms with their daughter.  And, there was a dad traveling with his adult son who had a mobility disability that was well accommodated for.  So families of all shapes and sizes made up our tour group.  We became an extended family of sorts sharing a wonderful experience.  Just as a note—everyone on our Adventures By Disney had been to one or more Disney parks AND had sailed at least once on a Disney cruise ship.

An Adventures By Disney trip must be paid in full within 14 days of booking the tour.  This is different than paid in full expectations for theme park/resort stays and Disney Cruise Line sailings.  Costs for the tours vary based on number in the party, ages, and time of travel; costs are per person. 

If you would like more information, I recommend contacting your travel agent or Adventures By Disney.

And, while an Adventures By Disney tour is most likely not in the cards for us for 2014, it very well may be in the years to come.  I have already told our travel agent that if anyone is looking for “testers” for tours to sign us up!  The husband and boy told me Scotland was on their wish list.  Got it!