​So many people ask what I do and how it's possible that my services are free for my clients: There has to be some sort of catch, right? The answer? There's no catch, I promise! I'm a travel agent, so when I book a vacation for a client, I am paid by the company that I book the vacation through. This costs you absolutely nothing because every single trip that you book with any company, whether it is through an agent or on your own will cost you exactly the same price, so it makes sense to book with an agent who knows the destination and will be your only point of contact during the planning process vs getting a new person each time you call with a question. 

The benefit to using a travel agent is that we handle all of the research, planning and booking so that all you have to do is show up and have fun! As a travel agent who specializes in Disney Destinations, I go a few steps above and beyond for those who book through me by setting up all of their dining and Fastpasses, handling any issues that may arise, acting as a liaison between my clients and Disney, and creating a customized itinerary for every single client. If you did this on your own, you'd be putting in hours upon hours of work, which can be stressful when you have so many other things to worry about, especially if you have never been to the destination that you are booking! I am happy to take all of that on because I love what I do and travel, especially Disney travel, is a huge passion of mine! 

Already booked your trip and feeling overwhelmed? It's not too late If you've booked directly through Disney within the last 30 days and have not paid in full. You can transfer your vacation to me and I can take over the planning! This costs you absolutely nothing and the process is simple! 

Not booking Disney? Great! I can still help and can book nearly every destination imaginable, including Universal, all inclusive resorts, cruises and tours! Best of all, I provide the same exact level of service that I do for my Disney clients by taking care of the details like setting up flights as part of your package, activity reservations, transportation to/from the airport, etc. 

On top of the above, I am a seasoned military spouse and the benefit to that is that when I work with my military clients, they can rest assured that I get it! I've been there, I've lived this life, and I understand deployments, trying to take leave, budget constraints and everything else that comes along with trying to take a trip as a military family who is at the mercy of an unpredictable schedule. If you book and ever need to cancel or reschedule (I myself, have had to do this a few times!), I am here to advocate for you! I am also well versed in the discounts that our service members and their families qualify for, and work to find you the best options for your needs and budget. 

For my non military clients, I am constantly on the lookout for discounts and if I'm not able to apply one at booking, I watch for new discounts and automatically apply them to your reservation when they are available for your resort and travel dates. Getting a discount is never a guarantee, but your chances are much higher when you have someone on your side working to get one for you, including spending hours on the phone when you are unable to or checking daily for openings. 

All of that said, wouldn't you say it's a whole lot easier to book with an agent? If you're thinking about traveling soon, message me and I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have! 

Hope you have a Magical day! 

​Jennie

2018 Military Salute Rates have been announced and the popular 4 Day Park Hopper for Disneyland and 5 Day Park Hopper for Walt Disney World have returned! Here are the much anticipated details! -

Ticket Dates: January 1-December 19, 2018
Resort Discount Dates: January 1, 2018-March 24, 2018 and April 6, 2018- December 19, 2018 (With a blackout from 3/25/18-4/6/18)
​
There have been no ticket blackout dates announced with this year's offer for Walt Disney World, which is fantastic news for those trying to plan around Spring Break! Disneyland, however, will have ticket Blackout Dates from March 23, 2018 - April 8, 2018, so be sure to plan around those dates. 


Walt Disney World Resort Discounts

4 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $226.00
4 Day Park Hopper Ticket with Park Hopper Plus: $266.00

5 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $246.00
5 Day Park Hopper Ticket with Park Hopper Plus: $286.00

Park Hopper Plus is the new version of Water Parks and More, and when added to a ticket allows entry into Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the number of days on your ticket, IN ADDITION to your park days. For example, if you are staying for 8 nights and have a 4 Day Park Hopper Plus Ticket, you can do 4 days in the main parks and then 4 MORE days exploring the water parks, miniature golf courses and the ESPN Wide World of Sports. It's an amazing value for sure and only $40.00 more to add on to your Military Salute discounted ticket. 

Room Discounts are as follows*: 

Value Resorts: Up to 30%
Moderate Resorts: Up to 35%
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: Up to 40%

*Excluded categories include Campsites, Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, 3 Bedroom Villas, Suites, Copper Creek Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, and Bungalows at Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.


Disneyland Resort Discounts

3 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $168.00
4 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $188.00

Room Discounts are as follows: 

Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel: Up to 30%
The Disneyland Hotel: Up to 35%
Disney's Grand Californian Resort and Spa: Up to 40%

Tickets can be purchased through your local base ticket office or, if you do not have one near you, the Orlando ITT office for Walt Disney World and the Camp Pendleton ITT office for Disneyland, both of whom will overnight your tickets to you for a $10.00 fee. I've used the Orlando ITT office many times and have always had a great experience! There is a limit of 6 tickets per Service Member, however, if there are more than 6 immediate family members who need tickets, an exception will be granted. Example: A family of 2 adults (including the Service Member) and 5 dependent children will be granted the ability to purchase a 7th ticket. 

Rooms are going very quickly for this much anticipated offer, so for more information or to request your free, no obligation quote, feel free to message me or any of our other fabulous Fairytale Journeys Travel Agents and we will be happy to assist with making your next vacation magical! 

For those who have been following the D23 Expo in Anaheim this weekend, today was a HUGE day of announcements for the Disney Parks on both coasts with major changes on the way! Here are just a few of the things that you can expect in the next few years: 

Walt Disney World Resort:

Resorts and Transportation: 

New Gondola System called "Disney Skyliner to connect Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, Hollywood Studios and Epcot, as well as an "Uber" type "Minnie" van service to transport resort guests will be debuting soon! 

Star Wars Themed "Experiential" resort in the works

Epcot

A brand new Ratatouille ride in the France Pavilion, along with a Guardians of the Galaxy attraction to replace the Universe of Energy

A Space Themed Restaurant offering an "Out of This World" experience coming to Future World near Mission: Space

Magic Kingdom

Tron Coaster announced for Tomorrowland

Kansas City Theatre coming to Main Street USA

Hollywood Studios

"Star Wars Land" now has a name! "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge"

"Toy Story Land" is opening in the Summer of 2018! 


Disneyland Resort

"Paradise Pier" at Disney California Adventure will become "Pixar Pier" 

Immersive Super Hero experience coming to Disney California Adventure

Disney Cruise Line

THREE new ships in the works with even more ports of call planned! 

​As an old school Disney fan, I'm definitely sad to see some of the older attractions go, but am SO excited to see what the future holds! Disney Imagineering is the absolute best, and if Pandora: The World of Avatar is any indication of the quality of the upcoming changes, I can promise you that all of the plans that were announced today will be nothing short of incredible! 
​
Planning a Disney Destinations Vacation? Let me do the work for you! Send me an email at ftjbyjenniec@outlook.com

2018 Walt Disney Travel Company packages have been released as of this morning, and with these new rates, came notable changes to the Disney Dining Plan. As they do each year, prices have risen slightly to $52.49 per adult/per night ($21.75 per child aged 3-9/per night) for the Quick Service Dining Plan, $75.49 per adult/per night ($25.80 per child aged 3-9/per night) for Plus Dining, and $116.24 per adult/per night ($39.90 per child aged 3-9/per night) for Deluxe Dining. All of the plans still include a resort refillable mug, but the most interesting addition to the mix is the inclusion of one specialty non-alcoholic beverage or one single serving mixed cocktail, beer or wine beverage for guests that are 21 and over with each Quick Service and Table Service meal entitlement. That's huge for those who like to enjoy a glass of wine, a beer, a cocktail or even a "mocktail" with their meals, especially considering the out of pocket cost of some of the specialty beverages available at the restaurants. 

According to the Disney website, Non Alcoholic Specialty Beverages include: 

Artisanal Milkshakes
Smoothies
Premium Hot Chocolate
Soda, Coffee, or Tea

Specialty Alcoholic Beverages include: 

Beer or Cider
Wine or Sangria
Mixed Drinks and Specialty Cocktails

I think that this will definitely be a hit for those who are on the fence about getting the dining plan, especially with the added value of being able to get a specialty beverage with meals! 

Ready to plan your trip? Send me an email at ftjbyjenniec@outlook.com for your free, no obligation quote! My services are 100% personalized and 100% FREE for my clients! 

We had such an incredible time at our annual Fairytale Journeys Travel conference in September! Getting hands on training on all of the new and exciting attractions and experiences that Walt Disney World has to offer was a blast! To see just how much fun we had, check out this video of our FTJ agents, including yours truly (I'm in the purple ears and matching top in the dancing parts and a gray shirt singing near the end with one of my favorite co-workers!), dancing around WDW! 

So you've decided on your resort, picked out your dining plan and have decided how long you'll be staying, now all you need to do is select the right ticket option for your family to complete your vacation package! Not sure where to begin? Disney has several ticket options available to fit your needs and budget. For more information, read on! 

Let's start with a BASE TICKET. A Base Ticket allows you to visit one park per day for the number of days that you choose. For example, a 4 day Base Ticket will give you access to one park each day for four days. It's completely customizable and you can add on options like the Park Hopper or Water Park Fun and More. 

The PARK HOPPER option can be added onto your Base Ticket for an additional fee. Park Hopper Tickets allow you to visit more that one park in a day, or even all 4 if you so desire. If you'd like to ride a few rides at Magic Kingdom before hopping the monorail over to Epcot, you can do that with no need to purchase another ticket. It's a great options for families who want to add flexibility to their vacations. 

WATER PARKS AND MORE is another ticket option that gives you access to Disney's Water Parks, Mini Golf, and the ESPN Wide World of Sports. If you add this option, you get the same number of days that are on your Base Ticket. For example, if you buy a 3 day Park Hopper ticket with Water Parks and More, you'll get 3 days in the parks and 3 MORE days enjoying all that the Water Parks and More option includes, so that's 6 days of fun! 

If you need help deciding which ticket option works best for your needs, I'm here to help! You can email me anytime at: ftjbyjenniec@outlook.com

In this part of my WDW 101 Series, I'm going to walk you through Fastpass+ and touch briefly on My Disney Experience. If you've never been to Disney World, you may be wondering exactly what My Disney Experience and Fastpass+ are. My Disney Experience is the absolutely vital website/app that contains all of your vacation information, including your resort confirmation, dining reservations and Fastpass+ reservations. It's the very first website that I ask my clients to visit so that they can set up their accounts and link their resort reservations. It is also where you will customize your Magic Bands and complete Online Check-In for your stay. I will go into details on all of the available features, why it's important and how to set up an account in a future post, but for now we'll focus on Fastpass+. 

Fastpass+ an electronic pass that is booked through your My Disney Experience account that allows you to skip long lines on the most popular attractions at the four theme parks. Fastpass+ can be booked up to 60 days in advance for Walt Disney World Resort Hotel guests and up to 30 days in advance for guests who are staying off site. You can book up to three selections in advance per day and all of your choices must be in the same park each day. After you have used up your initial three, you can book one at a time throughout your day as you ride the rides from your My Disney Experience app, or at a Fastpass+ Kiosk, which can be found in several locations throughout the parks and are always manned by friendly cast members who are ready to assist you with your choices. 

Attractions that are available for Fastpass+ reservations include: 

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Avatar: Flight of Passage****
Na'avi River Journey****
Expedition Everest 
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Dinosaur
Primeval Whirl
Kali River Rapids
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo- The Musical
It's Tough to Be a Bug 
Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost

****These rides will be operating on a tiered system with the other attractions at Animal Kingdom. You may choose from one of the new Pandora: The World of Avatar attractions and then can choose your other two Fastpasses as you normally would. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios (On a Tiered System, so Only 1 Choice can be made from Tier 1 and 2 Choices from Tier 2)

Tier 1
Slinky Dog Dash
Alien Swirling Saucers
Toy Story Mania

Tier 2
Rockin' Rollercoaster
Star Tours
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Fantasmic
Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing Along Celebration
Muppet Vision 3D
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Disney Junior- Live on Stage! 


Epcot (Also tiered. Choose 1 from Tier 1 and 2 from Tier 2.)

Tier 1
Soarin'
Test Track
Frozen Ever After
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

Tier 2
Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Mission Space
Meet Disney Pals at the Epcot Character Spot
Living with the Land
Journey Into Imagination with Figment


Magic Kingdom

Ariel's Grotto
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Enchanted Tales with Belle
The Haunted Mansion
"it's a small world"
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's Philharmagic
Monsters Inc Laugh Floor
Peter Pan's Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Princess Fairytale Hall (Two Options available- One for Cinderella and a Visiting Princess and the other for Rapunzel and a Visiting Princess)
Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
Meet Mickey at Town Square Theatre
Meet Tinkerbell at Town Square Theatre
Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid

*Items in RED are the attractions that I recommend booking in advance and the ones in BLUE are the ones that you absolutely need to book in advance to avoid the longest waits. That being said, if, for some reason, you have to book after your 60 day or 30 day mark and those rides are unavailable, one of the perks of booking your vacation with me is that I can come up with a strategy to help you tour the parks more efficiently and help you get to those rides during the times that crowds are lighter. 

Valid Theme Park admission is required in order to book Fastpass+, so your tickets must be linked to your My Disney Experience account before you can make your selections. If you have booked a room and ticket package or a room, ticket and dining package, your tickets will be automatically linked as soon as you link your reservation, but if you have purchased your tickets separately, you'll have to link the tickets manually. 

To do this from a computer, you would log in to My Disney Experience and in the upper right hand corner, hover your mouse over the logo. A box will drop down with several link options to click on. Select "My Reservations and Tickets" and when the page loads, scroll down to "Tickets and Passes." There will be an option to link your tickets, which you would click, and then follow the instructions. To do this from the My Disney Experience app, you would tap the menu button on the upper left hand corner of your screen, then scroll down to "My Reservations", scroll across to "Tickets and Passes" and tap on "Manage Tickets and Passes." You would then click on "Link Tickets & Passes" and  scan in your tickets via the barcode on the back or put in your ticket confirmation number manually.

After linking your tickets, you can make your Fastpass+ reservations once you hit your 60 or 30 day mark by clicking the "Make Selections" option on your My Disney Experience dashboard. You would select your preferred date and park, and then it would give you a list to choose from. After you are finished with each one, it will give you the option to select another Fastpass for the same day until you've made all three selections or make Fastpass reservations for a different day. 

Need to know more about how Fastpass+ or My Disney Experience works? I'm here to help! Send me a message and I'll be happy to answer any questions that you may have! 

2017 Military Salute Rates have been released as of noon today! Walt Disney World has added a 5 Day Park Hopper option and Disneyland has added a 4 Day Park Hopper option, which is so exciting! As is the norm with Disney, ticket prices have gone up slightly for the 4 Day Park Hoppers and 4 Day Park Hoppers with the Water Park Fun and More option added, as well as the 3 Day Park Hoppers for Disneyland. Here are the much anticipated details! -


Ticket Dates: January 1-December 19, 2017
Resort Discount Dates: January 3-December 19, 2017
Blackout Dates: April 9-23, 2017

Walt Disney World Resort Discounts

4 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $209.00
4 Day Park Hopper Ticket with Water Park Fun and More: $246.00

5 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $224.00
5 Day Park Hopper Ticket with Water Park Fun and More: $261.00

Room Discounts are as follows*: 

Value Resorts: 30%
Moderate Resorts: 35%
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: 40%

*Excluded categories include Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, 3 Bedroom Villas, and Bungalows.

Disneyland Resort Discounts

3 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $156.00
4 Day Park Hopper Ticket: $181.00

Room Discounts are as follows: 

Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel: 30%
The Disneyland Hotel: 35%
Disney's Grand Californian Resort and Spa: 40%

Tickets can be purchased through your local base ticket office or, if you do not have one near you, the Orlando ITT office, which will overnight your tickets to you for a $10.00 fee. I've used the Orlando ITT office many times and have always had a great experience! There is a limit of 6 tickets per Service Member, however, if there are more than 6 immediate family members who need tickets, an exception will be granted. Example: A family of 2 adults (including the Service Member) and 5 dependent children will be granted the ability to purchase a 7th ticket. 

For more information or to request your free, no obligation quote, feel free to message me! 

Last week, I spent five glorious days in Walt Disney World for our annual Fairytale Journeys Agent Conference, where I had the privilege of learning and experiencing several new things to share with you! One of these new experiences was Club Villain at Disney's Hollywood Studios and I am so excited to tell you all about it and give my honest review of the evening's events. 

First, lets talk about what it is and what it costs: 

Club Villain is described on the Walt Disney World Website as "a frightfully fun dance-and-dine event featuring some famous fiends!" There is music, singing and dancing, as well as some delicious (and I mean absolutely tantalizing) New Orleans inspired cuisine and specialty (UNLIMITED!!!) cocktails designed for each villain! The event only occurs on select evenings and there are usually two showtimes offered. 

The cost is $129.00 per person, including children, and separate theme park admission is required. Tax and gratuity are included. This experience currently does not accept the Disney Dining Plan, but Annual Passholders do get a nice discount. 

Now, I know that some of you may be thinking: "I don't know, Jennie. It seems kind of steep. How could paying $129.00 per person possibly be worth it?" 

Stick with me on this one, because if you think about what you're getting and a breakdown of what it would cost if you were to go purchase what you get in the parks, it will make much more sense! I'll start by outlining how the evening's events unfolded, and then add in a cost breakdown where it's appropriate. I'm also going to throw one thing out there- if you want to bring the kids, be aware that children are allowed to attend, and are welcome to participate in the events, however, if you do not like the idea of "leaving your morals at the door", as outlined by your host of the evening, then it may be best to take the money that you would have spent on the event and pay for a sitter. (If you decide to go that route, I can recommend several great options!)

Moving On! 

At 5:00 PM, one of my fellow agents and I walked over to the Sunset Showcase, which is located near Rockin' Rollercoaster. We checked in with one of the cast members and were each handed an invitation with our table number and our Villan Meet and Greet times printed on on it. We walked in and were immediately blown away by the atmosphere! All along the top of the wall were projections of Doctor Facilier's "Friends from the Other Side" and in each corner was an elaborately themed meet and greet set made for each villlain that would be appearing that evening. In the center of the room, and surrounded by dining tables, was a dance floor, and at the head of the dance floor was a DJ booth, where DJ Thibodeaux was spinning upbeat dance music all night. We walked around and perused that evening's offerings, which included (but was not limited to) Creamy Polenta with Fire Kissed Corn, Shrimp Sauteed with Andoulle Sausage, Voodoo Sticky Pig Wings, Gumbo, Dirty Rice, an Herb Rubbed Striploin of Beef with Haricots Verts and every dessert you can imagine themed for each villain. On both sides of the room were bars serving specialty cocktails, and the best part was that all of it, including the bar, was all you care to consume. It. Was. Magical. 

We wasted no time in finding our way to the food stations and bars. My first course was the Creamy Polenta with Fire Kissed Corn and Shrimp sauteed with Spicy Andoulle Sausage, Okra, Tomatoes and Onion, which was an elevated version of Shrimp and Grits. It was SO good, that I had to have seconds (and thirds...)! I wish that I had taken a photo of it, but I polished off each serving in no time! I did manage to snap a picture of one of my cocktails though- the Bleeding Hearts Sangria. 

Then, there was the entertainment! In addition to the fun dance music that played in between acts, we were treated to a show by the one and only Dr. Facilier, the club manager, Kanzo and their dancers. Kanzo started the show by inviting us to his club and introducing Dr. Facilier, who then introduced his villain friends: The Queen of Hearts, Maleficent, Cruella De Vil, and The Evil Queen. Each did a small dance number while introduced and went over to her respective spot in the room. My favorite by far was the Queen of Hearts! She was so funny and so much fun to watch in between meet and greets! 

The entertainment continued with Kanzo and the dancers, and can I please say how incredibly talented these performers were? The singing and dancing were as good as anything that I've ever seen on Broadway. Just look for YouTube videos and you'll see what I mean!

Before we knew it, it was time to meet the villains! We didn't have to wait long at all and they were able to take time to chat with us and make us feel like we were part of their stories! It was awesome! After meeting each villain, we went back to our table for desserts and more fun! We continued to be blown away by the talent of the performers and soon, the event had come to an end. After a final song and dance with the villains, Kanzo sent us on our way with this line: "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here!" We walked out and continued our evening by riding rides and catching the Star Wars Galactic Spectacular on our way out!
​
So let's talk about value...How does it compare to, say, a Broadway show? 

Let's begin by taking a look at a Saturday Night at Club Villain with 2 Adults and 2 Kids: 

Club Villain Tickets: $129.00, including Tax and Tip x 4: $516.00
Unlimited Creole and Villain Inspired Food and Desserts: Included
Unlimited Villain Inspired Cocktails: Included
Unlimited Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Included
Incredible Entertainment: Included

Total for an Evening at Club Villain for a family of 4: $516.00. 

Now we'll see how it stacks up against one afternoon at a Broadway Show in New York City with 2 Adults and 2 Kids: 

Lion King Saturday Matinee Performance in Mezzanine Seats: 129.00 + Taxes and Fees= 177.38 Per Person x 4= 709.52

Pricing for Reference can be found by clicking on the 2:00 PM Saturday Showtimes HERE.

​Lunch Before Performance at Bourbon Street Bar & Grille with menu items similar to those served at Club Villain: 

Chicken and Andoulle Gumbo: $8.00
NY Strip with Two Sides: $30.00
Shrimp Creole: $24.00
Kid's Entree: $7.00
Kid's Entree: $7.00
Before Dinner Cocktails x2: $20.00
Shared Bourbon Bacon Brownie for Dessert: $9.00

Total: $105.00 before Tax
20% Tip: $21.00

Menu for Reference can be found HERE. 

Total for Food, Drinks and the Show: $835.52

The verdict?

In my opinion it was worth every single penny and then some! Everything, from the food to the entertainment to the drinks, was incredible! If you're still on the fence, see the above breakdown and compare what you are getting to see if it makes sense to you and your family. As always, if you have any questions about this or any other event at Walt Disney World, please feel free to contact me and I'll be happy to help you! For more information on Club Villain, click HERE. 

Here are a few photos from the event: 

Being a military spouse, much of my client base consists of military families, and the main question that I get from them as they are researching potential resorts is if they should book a room at Shades of Green (the MWR owned resort located on Disney property) or at a Walt Disney World owned resort. Today, I'm going to give an unbiased view on both options to help those of you who qualify to get a military discount decide which option is best. We'll begin with a quick history lesson.

Shades of Green is a military only resort that is located across the street from Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and near the Walt Disney World Transportation and Ticket Center. When it opened, it was called "The Golf Resort" and was later named "The Disney Inn." The location, though close to the Magic Kingdom, was not on the monorail line, which was a major drawback for guests who were wishing to stay on Disney property. As a result, occupancy was very low. Eventually, Disney decided to lease the property to the Army MWR, who was looking for a new resort property in Orlando, and by 1996, the resort was so successful, that the MWR purchased it for 43 million dollars. It's price point, location and spacious rooms have made it a very popular resort for military families to enjoy while on a Walt Disney World vacation. 

Moving onto the Disney side of things- during the economic downturn of 2009, Walt Disney World decided to release a Military Salute discount that has proven quite successful. It offers 30-40% off of resort stays and substantially discounted 4 Day Park Hopper tickets. Because of these discounts, many military families found that a Walt Disney World vacation could be affordable and Disney has graciously continued to renew this discount each year since it began. With these discounts, Disney has been able to compete very well with Shades. 

Regardless of resort tier, all Disney Owned Resort guests will get the same perks: 

FREE parking at all Disney Theme Parks and in your resort
NO resort fees
FREE transportation to/from the airport, if flying
FREE reliable transportation to/from all Disney Parks
FREE Delivery of purchases to your resort so that you don’t have to carry them around all day.
Early access to FastPass+ reservations (60 Days before arrival, vs 30 days for off property guests)
Extra Magic Hours, which means access to the parks an hour before off property guests and up to three hours longer in the parks after the off property guests have left.
Complimentary MagicBands, which act as your room key/ticket/payment method during your stay.
Access to the Disney Dining plan.

While Shades guests will enjoy Extra Magic Hours and delivery of park purchases to their rooms, there are a few things that you should know prior to booking. Parking will cost $5.00 per day at the resort on top of parking fees at each of the Disney Parks which will cost $20.00 per day. You will also pay for the airport shuttle that picks you up if you do not rent a car, though it is discounted. If you want Magic Bands, you'll have to buy them separately and if you want to make FastPass+ reservations in advance, the earliest that you'll be able to do so is 30 days before arrival. Also, room costs are based on rank, so the higher up in rank you are, the more you will pay. It's always best to compare the costs of both options and weigh the value of choosing one over the other. 

Today, both options are great for military families who are looking for the convenience of staying in the middle of the Magic. At Shades, you can enjoy spacious rooms with complimentary wifi, a spa, a gym, laundry, tax free shopping, bars, an arcade, several restaurants and quick service food options, swimming, golf, and tennis. At the Disney owned resorts, amenities vary, depending on resort category, but all have well appointed themed rooms with complimentary wifi, a quick service restaurant, arcade, swimming, playgrounds, pool bars, outdoor movies, a gift shop, laundry, airline check in, free transportation to/from parks and Disney Springs, free airport shuttle bus, free parking, and many, many other perks that set them apart from the competition. 

Ultimately, where you decide to stay is purely up to you, and I'm happy to assist you in choosing the best fit for your family. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!