 |
|
Be Prepared Before You Go- Travel Tips/Cutting Costs |
|
|
Additional Ways to Help Cut Costs:
Saving money on theme park and attraction tickets is easy as well. Simply purchasing them ahead of time either at home via your computer from a number of websites (many of which are listed in this guide) or through your local AAA office can many times save you far more than if you purchase the tickets once you’ve arrived in Florida. If you do choose to wait until you have arrived however again you can save money by purchasing your tickets at the Official Visitors Center located on International Drive (listed previously). Rarely will you find discounted tickets to the larger theme parks anywhere
else.
Ordering your theme park tickets in advance will generally save you around 10%, sometimes more, and if you have more than just a few tickets to buy, the savings can be substantial. You can choose to have your tickets sent to your home (however shipping charges will then apply though they are generally not terribly high). The difficulty with having them mailed however is that you must order them far enough in advance to allow sufficient time for them to actually reach you before your departure. Another option (and personally the option I have used most often when ordering tick ets directly from the parks) is to have them held at the ticket window until you are able to pick them up. The line is substantially shorter at the guest services window (where guests can pick up prepurchased tickets) than at the regular ticket windows. It may take a few minutes longer to do it this way (even though I usually advocate any and all time saving measures be taken) however picking them up at the park ensures that you won’t forget them at home or equally as bad…loose them all together.
-Purchase your tickets from AAA (the American Automobile Association), either at your local office or online. The savings run roughly around 10%, and you can again, avoid standing around, waiting in some rather lengthy lines at the park. Just remember to keep them in a safe place (with your travel documents for instance) so they aren’t forgotten at home where they will be of absolutely no use to you in Florida. AAA members can also save money on tickets purchased at the gate (if they remember to show their membership card that is), however the savings are generally a bit higher when you purchase your tickets from home (at your local AAA office or online). Additionally, AAA members, if they remember to show their card, can receive a discount at select restaurants and shops throughout the theme parks too.
-Smaller attractions, recreational venues, and area restaurants often times have printable coupons on their websites. In addition, a seemingly endless array of area guides, though often times really a collection of advertisements and coupons, are available in most hotel (and sometimes restaurant) lobbies and are chock full of money saving coupons for you to use.
-Vacation packages can reduce your expenses by a substantial amount however only under certain instances. Many packages offer airfare and accommodations, while others offer everything under the sun, including attraction tickets, recreational activities, dining and more. Packages however can only save you money if they include what you want -- not what you don’t. You need to decide what, if anything, they’re offering that is of interest to you. If it includes options that you have no interest in whatsoever, or if there are additional activities (or options) that you will have to add on (which of course will cost extra) simply to create a package that you really want, it may not be the best way to go. The only way to know if the package pricing is better (or worse) is if you take the time to tally up all the costs, including fees, add-ons, extra charges, taxes and so on.
Then and only then can you determine if the package actually saves you money over planning and purchasing everything piecemeal.
-Be sure to thoroughly check the discount travel sites including Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz , Cheaptickets, travel.com, leisuretravel.com, priceline, and hotwire (among others) if you’re looking to save a few dollars on airfare, car rentals, hotels, and more. Even if you choose not to book your vacation through any of the sites, they allow you to view several of the more popular airlines, rental car companies, and hotels in an easy to read chart which allows you to quickly and easily compare prices. It also allows you to narrow down the choices to a select handful of companies and carriers that you consider worth pursuing further (likely through the companies own Website).
-Booking your vacation through a travel agent can often cut expenses, though sometimes only slightly, when you are considering purchasing a package. Often times airfares and hotel costs can be reduced dramatically if you purchase a complete package (including transportation, hotels, car rental, attraction tickets, and at times additional activities or services), though be advised; read the fine print to be sure there are no hidden costs or additional fees, all of which can substantially add to your bill.
-Retail outlets like B.J.’s Wholesale Club, Filene’s Basement, and others often offer discounted vacation packages. Of course the usual suspects, including the airlines, hotels, visitor bureaus, and at times the theme parks occasionally offer discounts as well. Packages can be found absolutely everywhere. Many of the major airlines including Delta, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, and United Airlines, to name just a few, all offer vacation packages that can include far more than just the airline tickets.
For more information regarding airline vacation packages be sure to check out the following websites:
American Airlines www.aavacations.com
Continental Airlines www.coolvacations.com
Delta Airlines www.deltavacations.com
Northwest Airlines www.nwaworldvacations.com
United Airlines www.unitedvacations.com
American Express Travel Services also offers vacation packages that include special services and extras for American Express Cardholders.
-It should also come as no surprise that Walt Disney World, Sea World, and Universal Orlando all offer vacation packages of their own. Again, they can include a combination of services including but not limited to airfare, accommodations, park tickets, dining arrangements, and recreational activities, in addition to numerous other options should you choose to include them in. Details can be found on the park websites or by calling their information line:
Disney www.disney.com Tel. 407-WDISNEY (407/934-7639)
Universal www.universalorlando.com Tel. 800-711-0080 or 407-363-8000
SeaWorld www.seaworld.com Tel. 800-327-2424 or 407-351-3600
Other sites worth surfing include www.Mousesavers.com as it offers a variety of discounts and deals.
-Saving money on area hotels, attraction tickets, and restaurants, is as easy as signing up for motor clubs such as AAA (though there is a fee to join –details regarding the benefits are listed in chapter 2), sending for the Orlando Magic Card (which is free and available through the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau), or buying a copy of the Entertainment Book (available to purchase online for cities and areas throughout central Florida), each of which offers savings in one form or another.
|
|
|
Want to Save Some Cash?
|
During the off- season, which admittedly can be hit and miss depending on where the holidays and school breaks fall on the calendar, you can usually find some rather good deals on airline tickets, car rentals, hotel stays, and even entire vacation packages. If you’re on a tight budget, the savings can be substantial - it does however require a bit of flexibility on your part. Be sure to check with a variety of hotel chains (though I highly recommend calling the actual hotel itself as they often run their own specials, particular to their hotel, that may not be available when contacting the main reservations department), the airlines (who often run web only specials), your favorite travel agent, the visitors bureaus, and even the parks themselves for the most up to date information regarding their current pricing, package deals, and latest promotions.
Another sure way to save some money is to travel on “off” days and include a Saturday night stay when you can. This will often reduce your airfare expenses, and at times your hotel costs, by a rather substantial amount.
|
|
|
|
More Ways to Save:
Many of the area attractions offer discounted tickets to Florida residents, students, and senior citizens (among other groups). Such discounts are generally not listed in the reviews throughout the site, so if anyone in your group falls into those categories, be sure to ask when you are booking or purchasing tickets. Also be sure to ask if there are any coupons or discounts currently being offered at the time you are booking or purchasing your tickets (these of course are generally available to everyone). Many times the attractions feature printable discount coupons right on their website –and they’re usually good for more than one person (often times the entire family). Various tourist magazines (often found in hotel or restaurant lobbies) offer coupons as well.
If you’ve ordered a vacation planning kit form the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau you’ll have an Orlando Magic Card - yet another source of savings at various area attractions. Just because you may be unaware of a deal doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist so be sure to check out all avenues - it could very well save you more that just a few dollars in the end.
|
|
