The majority of families visiting Disney World have a maximum budget they need to stay under. The good news is that Disney has accommodations for every price range; with the most inexpensive being their line of Value Resorts.

There are five Disney World Value Resorts: the All-Star Movies Resort, the All-Star Music Resort, the All-Star Sports Resort, the Pop Century Resort and the new Art of Animation Resort. Each of these properties offer complimentary airport transportation, shuttle bus service within the resort, extended theme park hours, and free package delivery to your hotel so you don’t have to carry your souvenirs around the park all day.

All in all, value resorts provide the most important amenities for your stay. Keeping in mind that families are only in their hotel room at night, each value resort has enough dining and entertainment options to satisfy the kids for several hours. They all have on-site swimming pools, playgrounds, arcades and food courts.

While the listed amenities are similar across all five properties, you will notice the Pop Century and Art of Animation resorts are by far the most popular choices. The AoA property is the newest one, so it is no surprise that it draws the lion’s share of attention these days. The Pop Century resort opened in 2003 (renovated in 2010) and has been a consistent success ever since.

With both of these resorts you will pay a small premium per night compared to the other value resort options. The Art of Animation charges, on average, $179 per room night, and the Pop Century charges $170. The All-Star family of resorts charge an average of $159 per night in comparison. Is the added expense worth it? Here are some of the benefits families mention for paying the higher price…

For the Pop Century Resort:

- Updated rooms from completed renovation in December 2010.

- Great swimming pools. Pop Century features 3 different swimming pools – the main flower-shaped Hippy Dippy Pool, a smaller bowling-themed pool and even a Computer Pool shaped like a monitor. Little ones can play in the Goofy Kiddie Spray Area, which is an interactive play fountain.

- Timely bus service. This is one of the best “secrets” about Pop Century. Because they do not share a bus route with other value resorts so the wait times are much shorter.

- Better room layouts. Some travelers are convinced that the rooms at Pop Century are larger than those at the other value resorts. This may or may not be true, but even the feeling of more space can be gratifying.

- Extensive food court. There is something for everyone at the food court located in the resort’s Classic Hall. Choose from several dining stations including the Pizza & Pasta Shop, Grill Shop, Ethnic Shop, Sandwich & Salad Shop, Healthy Choices, and more.

For the Art of Animation Resort:

- New construction, so the grounds are very clean.

- Fun room themes (Cars, Nemo, Lion King) and comfortable beds.

- Choice of 3 wonderful swimming pools: The Flippin’ Fins, Big Blue, and Cozy Cone.

- 2 bathroom family suite upgrades available.

Despite the “fun factor” involved with staying at AoA, there are drawbacks to choosing the latest and greatest value resort. Some families do not like the immense size of the resort, which contributes to longer lines and noise levels in the common areas. And depending on your room location, you might need a 5-7 minute walk to get to the main dining hall and pool.

Overall: Pop Century is still the best value resort.
If you look past the novelty of AoA you are ultimately paying more for the same amenities at Pop Century. That is an important consideration since this review is focused on value resorts. Pop Century might even be a better value now that the crowds are flocking to the newer property. This should result on thinner crowds and less noise at Pop Century, making it the perfect escape after a long day at the parks. If you look around at the comments people are making about Pop Century you will likely agree that is well worth considering as the Best Disney Value Resort.

What’s the only thing better than a Disney World vacation? A free trip to the Magic Kingdom of course! Here is my 2013 list of sweepstakes and contest have Disney World trips as prizes.

NOTE: I am NOT connected in any way to these contests, and it is up to you to read the rules of each one before entering. You’ll find that some allow multiple submissions while others have stricter guidelines.

The listings are sorted in order of expiration date. I update this page throughout the year (about every other month) so check back for new opportunities!

Experience the Magic Sweepstakes from Southwest Airlines
Grand prize includes 4 round trip air fares by Southwest Airlines, ground transfer between airport and Disney World Resort, 4 nights room accommodations at a Walt Disney World Resort, (4) 5-Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper Option, 1 Disney Gift Card with a value of $500.00, 1 Disney’s Magical Celebration “in room” décor package, 1 Character Dining experience, and 1 Character Meet and Greet with photo opportunity.

Deadline to Enter: May 6, 2013
Click Here to Enter

From You to Orlando Sweepstakes by FromYouFlowers.com
The Grand Prize consists of one trip for two people to Orlando, Florida. Prize package includes Round-trip coach class air transportation, 3 nights hotel accommodations, 1 full size rental car, 2 single day/single park admission tickets to winner’s choice of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or SeaWorld Orlando, $550 in spa treatments at an Orlando-area spa, and a $100 gift certificate for an Orlando-are dining experience.

Deadline to Enter: May 12th, 2013
Click Here to Enter

Lysol Kid Who Touches Everything Contest
Grand Prize is an all-expenses paid family vacation to Disney World in Orlando, FL. Prize package to include either a 4 day/3 night vacation package worth $4,100 OR a 7 day/6 night vacation package worth $6,100. (Vacation length subject to availability).

Deadline to Enter: May 25, 2013
Click Here to Enter

Win a Fairytale Wedding from Disney and Sephora Sweepstakes
This Disney Princess Jasmine Fairytale Giveaway includes the complete Disney Reigning Beauties Jasmine Collection by Sephora, round trip airfare for two, Alfred Angelo bridal gown, and a 5-night Disney’s fairytale Honeymoon at Walt Disney World Resort.

Deadline to Enter: June 14, 2013
Click Here to Enter

VisitOrlando.com & Orlando Family Vacation Sweepstakes
Win a Grand Prize of a 4-night trip for 4 people to Orlando, including accommodations at the WorldQuest Orlando Resort with complimentary daily breakfast. Travel includes round-trip airfare to Orlando and ground transportation to and from the airport. 2-day tickets per person to winner’s choice of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando or SeaWorld Orlando.

Deadline to Enter: Expires June 30, 2013
Click Here to Enter

One of the hardest things to estimate about your first vacation to Disney World is the cost for each line item in your budget. In this post I want to share an example budget that might help you predict more of the secondary costs. Obviously each family has different needs, but I think this is a decent outline of what to expect.

Sample Disney Vacation Budget:
- Smith Family – 2 adults and 2 children under 9 years old
- Traveling from Cincinnati, OH
- 6 day / 5 night vacation
- Summer 2013: Leave 6/23/13 – Return 6/28/13

Travel Costs:

- Direct Fight Airline Tickets (round trip) = $1259.29

- Mini-Van Rental Car (with 2 child seats) = $618.00

- 2 Bedroom Suite at Nickelodeon Suites Resort (1 mile away) = $2351.00

Park Admission

- 4 Day Magic Your Way Park Hopper Ticket from Undercover Tourist
2 Adults @ $268.64 each & 2 Kids @ $251.25 each = $1039.78

- 1 Day Admission to Universal Studios
2 Adults @ $91.90 each & 2 Kids @ $85.95 each = $355.70

Food Budget and Misc.

- Food ($70 adults per day & $40 kids per day) = $660.00

- Souvenirs ($60 per day) = $360.00

- Gas for Rental Car = $100.00

- Emergencies and Special Treats = $500.00

 Total Disney Vacation Budget   $7243.77

A couple things to note about this particular example…

- I found room nights as low as $129 while researching this budget, but I used the Nick Resort because I know it is close, fun for kids, and the separate bedrooms are a big plus for parents.

- The food budget is a little high, especially if you bring snacks with you.  Nonetheless this budget allows for flexibility in your dinning selections.

- If you do a little research you can find complimentary alternatives to renting a car.  However, having a car lets you explore more of the Orlando area and is much more convenient then waiting for shuttles.

- The Universal Studios trip is obviously optional, but it can be fun to see other sites outside of the Disney World resort area.

- The summer time frame is considered peak season at Disney World.  Cheaper rates on flights and hotels can be found in off seasons like February, April, September, and October.

- Driving from Cincinnati (instead of flying) would save about $1600 on flights and rental cars if you figure 1500 miles/28 miles per gallon x $3.60 per gallon. With these calculation the price of gas would be $192.

You might be surprised to learn that Disney World is not a very WIFI friendly location. That being said, new access points are being added every year. Here are you’re best bets for finding a free WIFI location in 2012:

First off, Disney did a lot to enhance their connectivity in 2012 when they announced that all Walt Disney World Resorts would offer WIFI. This includes the popular moderate and value resort properties. Guests are able to access this free service from the lobby areas as well as their rooms. Note that the Fort Wilderness Campground is not included on this list.

The more difficult search for WIFI begins when you leave your hotel room. There are no public access points available in the parks, so you’ll need a smart phone with data plan to get online there. Disney did say they hope to have a public network setup in all 4 parks by 2013, but so far nothing has been rolled out.

If you are staying off-site at any of the area hotels be aware that the majority of them charge a daily fee for Ethernet access. You can get lucky at some of the larger properties like the Marriott World Center that feature meeting and banquet rooms. Here you can often find an open signal in the lobby area coming from the event spaces.

For those of you who prefer a coffee shop setting to sit down with your laptop I found a handful of locations surrounding Disney World that advertise free WIFI…

Starbucks 8369
8200 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL 32821

Panera Bread
8600 Vineland Ave
Orlando, FL 32821

McDonald’s
1596 West Buena Vista Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-8401

Panera Bread
E Sandlake Rd
Orlando, FL 32836

Starbucks 13566
6075 Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy
Kissimmee, FL 34747

PJ ‘s Coffee and Wine Bar
54 Riley Rd
Celebration, FL 34747

Barnes & Noble
8358 S Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809

Oddly enough, none of the merchants in Downtown Disney list WIFI access as a feature. I have read unconfirmed reports that Fuego Cigar Bar & Lounge, Wolfgang Puck Cafe and Pollo Campero have free WIFI so those might be good places to check out.

Leave a comment below if you know of any other WIFI spots near Disney World.

No doubt it can be intimidating to try and organize all of the projected costs for your Disney World vacation. However there is a great online tool you can use to get an instant quote on your hotel room, theme park tickets, and dining accommodations.

Deep inside the Disney World website there is a handy resource called the Vacation Package Guide. By entering a few simple parameters you can get an accurate quote for a custom made vacation package that suits your needs.

Just recently I used this tool to price a six day vacation for a family of four with children ages 4 and 7.  The results were were well suited to my needs and the price was surprisingly affordable.  Here is an overview…

Customized Package for July 15, 2013 to July 20, 2013
Resort Category: Disney Value Resort Hotel
Resort Hotel: Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Room Type: Standard Room
Package Type: 6-Day Magic Your Way Package Plus Disney Dining Plan
Package Price Start at: $2,500 USD

This package averages out to be just under $100 per person/per day and includes hotel, food, and park tickets. So the only thing left to calculate is travel costs, rental car (if any), and souvenirs. I would project $1,200 for plane tickets and $600 for a rental car. Throw in some cheap souvenirs and gas money to put the whole trip at $4,500. That’s a pretty good price for a summer vacation in my opinion.

Now the cool thing about this Vacation Guide is you can customize the results to match your taste. For example, under the hotel price category the system offered this suggestion…

This resort recommended for its:
-Affordable comfort and convenience
-Celebration of the love of music and affordable family suites

It then provided an option to upgrade my accommodations without changing anything else in the package…

You might also like:
Resort Category: Disney Moderate Resort Hotel
Resort Hotel: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Room Type: Standard Room
Packages Start From $2,340 USD

These types of suggestions were also provided for food and park tickets, making it simple to upgrade or downgrade features to meet your budget and preferences.

So the bottom line here is that you don’t need a scientific calculator to get a Disney World vacation quote. There are resources like this one available for free right on the DW website. This is the perfect way to get pricing for your trip while you are still planning your vacation. Oh, and I forgot to mention…no email or registration is required to use it!

Happy Planning!

Disney World might well be the best place to celebrate your child’s birthday. Where else can you combine the usual birthday traditions with amazing rides and your favorite Disney characters? But DW is more than just a great backdrop for your child’s special day, if you plan ahead you can enjoy some great freebies as well.

The “Couponing to Disney” Blog wrote a fun article sharing some of the perks one special girl has received on her annual birthday trip to the Magic Kingdom. Here are some of the highlights…

- A special birthday button created by a cast member.
- Free dessert from one of the table service restaurants.
- Resort room decorated with a birthday card, balloon, and picture from Minnie Mouse.

You can read the full article here.

Celebrating an anniversary? How about some free champagne? That is exactly what Amanda Jenkins and her husband received on a recent trip.

Here at Disney Vacation Specials we get a lot of questions about the expired free birthday admission promotion. As far as I know there are no plans to renew this special offer, but if you plan ahead and let Disney know you are bringing a special guest then you are sure to enjoy a fun treat or two!