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Vacation Planning

November 23rd, 2013 at 09:30 pm

Next month we will be taking a road trip. We are all looking forward to our trip; me and DH especially!

After discussing where and what we wanted for our trip we settled on a few days at Disneyland and a few days in Las Vegas.

DL is seven hours of easy freeway travel for us. The park admission is the most expensive aspect of the trip, but this was what we all really wanted. This is our Christmas gifts for eachother and all comes from the Christmas budget. I can't be frugal with the tickets, but I can with everything else. Smile

I booked a package with Costco after doing a lot of price shopping. With their package we get character dining as a perk. The dining vouchers add $145 of value for no added cost and can be used at face value anywhere in the parks. Also a Cars collector pin for each of us (DD trades pins), a free ride photo and a $20 gift card for use in the shops.

With much searching different dates and websites I didn't find a lower price than the package I booked.
(I found booking the same hotel room and purchasing tickets separately cost almost $200 more!)
Naturally I'm going to go with the option that gives me far more goodies for less dough. Smile

The strip hotel in Vegas is $35/night! Love that!
We are looking forward to showing DS the NASCAR car at the M&M store and DD the Bellagio indoor garden and fountains.

I booked directly with the hotel and got a $20 food & beverage credit. Not much, but we can make that cover most of a meal for us.

Speaking of food, our spending will be low. In addition to the high value vouchers for DL and $20 credit in LV, I am very pleased to say I have cc reward points I am redeeming for restaurant gift cards.

The one I am most excited about is for the Rainforest Cafe - one of their locations is in Downtown Disney - SCORE!

I also have a Cheesecake Factory card to use at Caesar's Palace in Vegas.
And California Pizza Kitchen gift card with locations near both hotels we'll be using.

We will take other food items with us. Snacks, soup (easy to heat in a hotel microwave), sandwich stuff, etc..

DH and I have discussed how blessed we are to be able to enjoy time like this without creating debt.

Posted in Travel & New Sights | 4 Comments »

4 Responses to “Vacation Planning”

  1. Jenn Says:
    November 23rd, 2013 at 10:39 pm 1385246350
    1385246350

    A note for you in case you haven't been to Vegas recently: I just returned from a business trip there and THERE WAS NO COFFEEPOT IN THE ROOM. It was a really nice hotel too. But there was a Starbucks in it, with inflated prices and LONG lines every morning. Room service could deliver a pot to the room too - for $10. I spoke with the cab driver on the way back to the airport, and he said that there is an ordinance there about coffee pots in the rooms. I'm still flabbergasted but I guess that's what Vegas does best - earn revenue from the addictions of tourists.

    If your food plans require a microwave or hot water, you should call the hotel in advance. (I had taken oatmeal packets that turned out to be useless.)

  2. Looking Forward Says:
    November 24th, 2013 at 01:49 am 1385257774
    1385257774

    Thanks for the info Jenn!

  3. rob62521 Says:
    November 24th, 2013 at 07:08 pm 1385320089
    1385320089

    Reading Jenn's post ... wow. A few months ago I bought this thing that looks like a thick briefcase. It is a small coffee pot with two cups, spoons, and stainless cannisters for tea bags, coffee, etc. It is called and Executain and I bet traveling executives used to take it along to make coffee or tea in their rooms and avoid the room service cost.

    Hope you have a fabulous trip!

  4. FrugalTexan75 Says:
    November 25th, 2013 at 02:56 am 1385348209
    1385348209

    Sounds like a great trip, and great choices in restaurants! Smile

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