April 30, 2012

Must-Do's for Right Now

I have some good friends.  They know me well.

They know if they want to talk about Walt Disney World, I'm their girl.  They know if they're even slightly considering a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth, it will delight me tremendously.  They also know that I'm always ready to chat about the Vacation Kingdom.  Trouble is - they might not be able to shut me up!

One thing I always encourage them to do is go to the Walt Disney World website and:
1. Register and sign up to receive emails and mailings (http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/)
2. Order the FREE Vacation Planning DVD.

There are definite advantages to completing those two simple steps even if you aren't 100% sure it's your family's next vacation destination.

Here's one:

And, here's the other:


When you register, you will begin to receive emails and mailings from different Disney companies or entities.  Don't worry.  They don't inundate you with stuff.  If you get an email from a Disney affiliated company you're not interested in, it's as simple as clicking Delete.

Now, two names that I do enjoy seeing in my Inbox are Disney Insider and Disney Destinations.  The Disney Insider is a monthly newsletter that contains neat stories, but the one email that will make my heart jump is Disney Destinations.  It has its own newsletter, the HELLO, which features all kinds of things relating specifically to vacationing Disney style.

But here's the best part.  PIN codes come in Disney Destination emails.  Yesh!  A PIN code is a special offer available only to the recipient.  It's usually a darn good deal or a good deal during times when they don't normally offer deals at all.  An example of a PIN code I received gave us priority access at Mickey's Meet and Greet in the Magic Kingdom as well as free special viewing and dessert party during Wishes.  Darn good deal!

Something else I enjoy receiving is Disney mailers.  I can pick them out of an entire stack of mail as they're brightly colored and just have that "Disney-ness" about them.  Besides, it's fun to get mail addressed to you straight from Lake Buena Vista, FL!

These mailers usually advertise the latest special offer and occasionally you'll get the coveted PIN code!  Another perk to receiving Disney mailings is that you can use the colorful artwork for your scrapbook.  That is, if one actually scrapbooked instead of letting it accumulate dust on the closet shelf.

Whether it's electronic mail or real hardcopy paper mail, all are personalized with your family's name. It's like they handpicked the offers for you. We're not in the Disney Movie Club, but I received these personalized stickers and labels in a Disney Movie Club mailing.


My #2 on the list is to order the FREE Vacation Planning DVD.  This is a lively expansive presentation of the entire Walt Disney World Resort from parks to hotels to restaurants to entertainment.  You can select which area you're interested in or just watch the whole thing beginning to end.  Boy, do I get excited when this arrives in the mail!

You can order one every year.  I didn't realize this until our 2010 vacation when a friend mentioned that they had quite a nice collection.   Look at the pretty colors---


This DVD really gets the kids excited about our upcoming vacation.  We've been known to pop ours in during lunch for a nice midday break.

So, what are you waiting for?  Go online to the Disney World website (http://www.disneyworld.go.com/), sign in, and play around with some dates and different resorts or ticket options. Within a couple of days you'll start getting emails. And, who knows?  It might be a special offer that's just the thing to entice you to pack your bags!

Hmmm, it's lunchtime.  Where's that DVD?