Hello Everyone!

March is roaring in like a lion here in the Northeast – let’s hope it goes out like a lamb….

Hopefully the information found on my website will help you in planning all of the details that go into a wonderful Disney World trip. A great place to start is the Disney Vacation Plan Step by Step Guide. Have fun!

I would like to express my extreme gratitude to all who have made a donation to the website, especially David M. from the U.K. It gives me great pleasure to know that the information I provide has helped another family enjoy the magic of Disney World. Your donations help defray the costs associated with creating and upkeeping the site. See the Chip In section to donate or learn more. Thanks again.

If you are a new subscriber to the Scoop and have some extra time, you can catch up on old issues.

I had many many requests for the Disney planning spreadsheet files last month and quite a few downloads too. Since posting the files in a new location on an external web host, they have now been downloaded almost 6000 times!

As always, if you have any feedback or questions, please send me a note.

Starting March 30, 2009, luggage service will no longer be available for arrivals to Orlando International Airport after 10:00 pm. You’ll have to take your luggage to the Disney Magical Express Welcome Center. You and your luggage will then be transported on the bus together.

Boatwright’s Schedule Change

As of February 22, 2009 Boatwright’s no longer serves breakfast. Boatwright’s is located at Port Orleans Riverside. Please check your dining itineraries and make any necessary changes. My family really liked the food court at Riverside. For more dining info, check out the Disney World Dining or Resort Dining
sections.

2009 Holiday Dining Surcharge

During Holiday seasons, Disney raises the prices at many of the fixed price restaurants. You can expect to pay about $4.00 more per person for ages 10 and up, and $2.00 more per person for ages 3 to 9.

The price increases really only matter if you are paying out of pocket for your meal – the Disney Dining Plan price remains the same during these periods.

Of course, your tip calculation will be based on the higher prices whether you are on the Dining Plan or not – so be prepared.

The 2009 dates (so far) affected by the surcharges are as follows:

• April 5 - April 18, 2009
• May 24 - July 11, 2009

Discounted Tickets

If you are not using a Disney vacation package, you can either purchase your park tickets directly from Disney at the gate, or you can get discounted Disney World tickets from an outside vendor.

These vendors buy tickets in bulk and pass the savings on to you – the consumer! I recommend buying your Disney tickets or tickets for other Orlando attractions from Maple Leaf Tickets.

They offer competitive pricing paired with over twenty years of industry experience. They’ll even deliver your tickets to your resort hotel or directly to your home before your vacation!

More Info:

• Tickets and Packages Overview
  
• Magic Your Way Tickets Overview
  
• Annual Pass Overview
  
• Florida Resident Tickets
  
• 2009 Disney Ticket Prices
  
• Discounted Tickets for Disney and Other Area Attractions
  

Give the Gift of Disney Stock

I’ve always heard about the deal where you can give (or get!) a share of Disney Stock as a gift. I just thought I would pass along the idea to all of you. Now is a great time to buy stock – considering the state of the markets today. So, check it out. You can even buy a Framed Share of Walt Disney Stock through the My First Stock Program – that would make a really unique gift for a baby shower, a graduation, or even a birthday!

Find the Cheapest Airfare

If you are looking to find the best price you have got to check out Kayak.com. If you have ever booked your own airfare, you know what a pain it is to manually check all the different airlines for the best deal. Kayak is a travel tool that searches 140+ travel sites all at once and finds the cheapest fares for you – for flights, hotels, and even rental cars. After you get all of the results for your desired travel dates, you can then compare the results from all of the sites together – and there are many ways to filter and sort the results – all done instantly! Hotels searches are also offered, so check it out if you are planning to stay offsite in an Orlando area hotel. You can even buy direct from the airlines or agencies - Kayak is not a travel agent. And of course, Kayak is free!

Buy 4 Nights – get 3 FREE!

• Buy a 4 Night Disney World Package and get 3 Nights free including Magic Your Way theme park tickets. This offer is good at all Disney Resorts and is based on availability.

• Good for most dates between now and 8/15/2009.

• In addition, if you travel between now and 3/29/09 you’ll receive a $200 Disney Gift Card when you arrive!

• When traveling between 3/30/09 - 4/1/09 and 4/19/09 - 8/15/09 AND you stay at either Disney's Old Key West Resort or Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, you'll receive a $100 Disney Gift Card.

• Use the following codes when booking:
  • RWZ: Vacation Package for dates between 1/4/09-3/29/09
  • WTY: Vacation Package with Quick Service Dining Plan
  • RXA: Vacation Package with Basic Dining Plan
  • MPL: Vacation Package with Deluxe Dining Plan

• More Info:
  
  • Disney Resorts
    
  • Disney Resort Room Size Comparison
    
  • Disney Resorts Dining
    
  • Disney Resorts Maps
    
  • Disney Ticket and Package Overview
    

This month’s tip comes directly from one of your fellow “Scoopers”! Thanks to Carol B. for this great tip.

“We are leaving for Disney soon and have decided to do a 10 day countdown. Each morning I will have an item waiting for the boys before bedtime (to make sweet dreams) or maybe at breakfast (to have a great day). Some ideas are luggage tags, sunglasses, swim trunks, snacks, sunblock, travel pillow, rain ponchos, beachball/floaties and souvenir money!”

• 2009 Disney Holiday Dining
  
• June 2009 Park Hours have been added.
  
  
  • Magic Kingdom Hours
  • EPCOT Hours
  • Disney Hollywood Studios Hours
  • Animal Kingdom Hours
  • Blizzard Beach Hours
  • Typhoon Lagoon Hours
  
  
• The Extra Magic Hours were updated to include June 2009 dates.
  

To stay up-to-date with the recent additions, please visit our What’s New page. If you have a Disney or vacation-related idea that you wish to share with all of us, or if there is some topic you would like more info about, please contact me!