Disney for Less than the Beach

We've been putting off this trip for a while now.  As anxious as my husband and I were to see our children be dazzled by the wonder of all things Disney World we really wanted our children to remember it! With kids being almost 7, 4.5 and 20 months we realized our older two were nearing a prime age at which the "magic" would really be there for them and we decided to go for it, even knowing another trip may be needed down the road for our youngest to create some memories.

The cost of a Disney vacation was something we struggled with justifying for a while.  Its expensive isn't it? We certainly thought so. I know most other families feel that it is. It wasn't until I inquired with a local travel agent one afternoon to explore pricing that my perspective changed a little bit at least comparatively speaking.

I began to add of the cost of our yearly trip to the southern Gulf of Florida or the Outer Banks of North Carolina and realized the numbers just weren't that far apart after adding everything up. I was shocked by what that same amount of money could get us at Disney World.

We are frugal vacationers, and unfortunately that takes a little bit away from the enjoyment of the trip but it makes it more affordable. When we vacation we rarely dine out, usually once for dinner during the week and then obviously during the trip to and from we stop for meals here and there whether driving or flying. All that being said our costs tend of be on the lower side of average.

Devils advocate here for a second... Yes you could vacation for less by snipping money here and there, or by choosing a sub prime vacation rental home with a less desirable location, yes, yes, yes. However, in our family's experience we usually spend money on a nicer, more desirable location and save by not dining out every day and by cooking in our rental for most if not all meals. Based on our experiences over the years this is how it breaks down.   *Note there is a range for certain items as cost can vary significantly here.

A few additional notes on more ways to Save! 

        

• Want free money for your trip? sign up for a Chase Disney Visa and get a $200 account credit just by spending $500 in your first 90 days of having the card! Its really simple, plus you can keep earning points towards your vacation as you continue to use the card! Click here to apply!
• This card also offer 6 months of 0% financing for Disney Travel expenses, allowing you to pay for your trip over time if you choose.

• Once you book you can pay your trip off slowly using gift cards. If you purchase your gift cards at Target using a RedCard you save 5% off of the value. $100 in gift cards there will only cost $95. 

• You could opt not to do a dining plan and possibly save money by being cautious about what you buy in park, by bringing snacks you purchase from outside or by sharing meals while on site. Our choice to add a dining plan was due to the fact that we wanted to pay for the trip all at once and not worry about skimping here and there and just enjoy ourselves and our children without worrying about every swipe of our credit card or how much each meal costs. Also choosing to utilize Quick Service dining options over table service will save you money on tips!

• Check benefits from credit cards you may have, you may be able to purchase Disney Gift Cards or book your flights at no cost! We had saved enough credit card points on one of ours to completely cover the cost of all of our flights to Orlando. 

• Get someone on your side! If you book through the Disney Website they aren't going to call you if a promotion comes up that applies to your travel dates!! Work with a travel agent, they help guide you to choose the best option for you and work to find you savings wherever possible. She saved us nearly $500 by following up with us after we booked our vacation! The services are FREE! Small Earth Travel a local mom run business specializes in Disney travel and is offering an exclusive room credit to anyone who mentions Lehigh Valley Find and Go Seek when they inquire about pricing

So here is where my big Aha! moment occurred. Last summer (2016) We skipped our annual beach vacation for a few reasons but mainly because it never felt like a vacation.  If you have ever ran across this saterical article on the internet before and really resonated with you you make subscribe to my same school of thought... the a quick quote from the article gives you the gist,  I highly recommend reading the full version though when you have a minute.

" area mom Catherine Yardley has spent a much-needed vacation performing all her usual household chores while in closer proximity to the ocean, sources confirmed. “Isn’t it nice to just get away for a while and relax by the water?” Yardley said as she wiped down the kitchen counter and then took out the garbage, tasks she would normally perform at a distance of 200 miles from the beach instead of 50 feet. “I just love that I can be scrubbing the bathroom, look out the window, and see the tide coming in. We should do this every year!”" The Onion, August 9, 2013 VOL 49 ISSUE 32   Lifestyle

Maybe this isn't your feeling, and for those of you that don't feel this way while on vacation with the family at the beach I commend you and ask you forward all tips on how to enjoy such a vacation promptly! I need to know how its done.

So now for the Aha! If I'm spending all of this time and all of this money and putting forth all of this effort to go on "vacation" shouldn't it actually feel like a vacation?! After all the price break downs and cost comparisons something began to stand out. There was something REALLY different between the two vacations I had just priced out. One involved my managing a house/condo by doing dishes, sweeping sand from the floor 12 times a day, making beds and cooking 2-3 meals a day and the other didn't require any of those things! The second option (our Disney vacation) included meals each day that would be served, prepared and cleaned up for us, housekeeping services and every ounce of entertainment a kid could possibly want! For the relatively minimal price difference between the two options we decided to try the option that actually gives me a break from my day to day life!

To start there are a tremendous number of resources out there available for helping you plan your trip, blogs, crowd calendars, You Tube videos, the Disney World website is even a great resource the list of resources is extensive and you could spend weeks planning. This for me may have been the most overwhelming part and the reason we put off the trip for so long. The last time I took a trip I was 18 years old and literally had nothing to do with implementing the travel plans. 

 Needless to say it has been a "few" years since I've visited so A LOT  has changed.  I had an overwhelming feeling of cluelessness, i knew nothing about planning to visit Disney, how to get discounts or what things were MUST see. I had no idea where to start... I knew nothing about the resorts, amenities, transpiration options or dining plans. I needed help because while I was excited about taking this trip with our kids I didn't want the planning process to become a second job.  

So we reached out to a local Travel Agency - Small Earth Travel with some questions about our trip and was thrilled with all of the detail and experience they offered at no cost to us! She was able to recommend dining spots, attractions our kids won't want to miss and suggest a resort that best fit our needs for budget and convenience. 

We were able to book our trip through Dana at Small Earth Travel for a cost that was even less than we were able to price on the Disney website due to her ability to alert us to savings options that came available that Disney released after we chose our resort. I think a little known fact is that utilizing a travel agent actually doesn't cost a traveler anything.  We benefited greatly from Dana's knowledge of the resorts, restaurants, promotions, and amenities not to mention that she was able to save us nearly $500 on our hotel! 

I truly hope the information here was helpful to anyone considering traveling to Disney in the near future! We look forward to providing a fun report from our trip when we return! 

We have partnered with Small Earth Travel to help Lehigh Valley families plan their own magical vacation. Send an inquiry to Dana at Small Earth Travel to get a quote and to take advantage of an exclusive room credit promotion she is offering for our readers! There is no obligation to get a pricing quote and there is never any fee to use their services!

Apply today and be on your way to earning $200 in FREE Disney Gift Cards!

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclaimer: 

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area and helps make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live. In order to make it possible to continue doing this we must find ways to generate income from our work. At times you will see posts from sponsors who pay us a fee to help them spread the word about their business or event. You may also come across affiliate links from businesses that give us a very small portion of your purchase should you decide to purchase from any of our affiliates.  Barters and fees that we receive from our sponsors and affiliates help make the website the best it can possibly be, they put food on our family's table and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net alive - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for you support.

Neighborhood Organics - Lehigh Valley Produce Delivery

Happy (almost) new year everyone! Its been a crazy year in this house between a move, two school changes, toddlerhood for our youngest kiddo and much more. We're excited for what 2017 will bring both in our home and in the Lehigh Valley. We've been blessed in the past 6 months to run into a few incredible local services that have literally made our life so much easier, happier and simple.  Most recently Small Earth Travel and Neighborhood Organics have been major life savers.

Its easy to get started with your first order! 

Just click here to save $10 on your first box!

We're excited to introduce Neighborhood Organics! We will dive headfirst into some of the details of this healthy, time saving option for bringing more Organic produce into your home at an affordable rate and do some Myth Busting on some common misconceptions about produce delivery. 

Neighborhood Organics is a Lehigh Valley area produce delivery service that allows members to select their own items and for delivery.  A variety of box sizes are available. Weekly, bi-monthly and single deliveries are available. Members select their product items on Sundays and they are delivered throughout the region on Thursdays. Its super easy to cancel a delivery is you are going to be on vacation or bump it back as week if you find you don't need the items that week.

This is something I was truly skeptical about. Would I actually shop less if I was having these items delivered to me? I knew that there are other things I would still need at the store that I couldn't have delivered, so I was curious to learn if it actually saved me money on my grocery bill. After three weeks of trying the service I am honestly surprised to report it did, but maybe not for the reason I expected. My initial perspective was that the fees I would pay for my box would come out of our grocery budget. This of course is true but its not where the full cost savings came into play. You can even save $10 on your first box by creating a account and ordering here.

The savings really came into play because my extra trip to the store (or only trip) was completely eliminated because the few fresh things (Bananas, grapes, apples, lettuce) I would usually need were brought to me. By eliminating this stop  I saved by not buying all of the other unneeded things I'd toss into my cart while grabbing the few items I actually needed. I didn't throw cookies or the (fill in the blank) my kid was begging for while heading to the check out line. You can't buy what you don't see. This, in my opinion was unexpected and one of the best benefits of the service. Not only was I saving time not making extra trips to the store but by not BEING in the store I wasn't buying things we didn't need.  Additionally I wasn't buying items that were processed, unhealthy choices for our family! 

I began to plan ahead to use the items we had in our box!  I'm not a good meal planner, I usually pull something together in the morning for the evening's meal, It is rare that I plan much further in advance than that.   By knowing what was coming in our delivery on Sunday I planned to use the items by grabbing things to cook with them during my regular trip or used things I already had in the house. I found myself being a little but more creative in planning our meals and trying dishes I never had before! 

Its no secret that using more fruits and vegetables in your cooking is better for your family.  The challenge for me is actually making sure I pick up that extra veggie or fruit while shopping. The truth is I'm just not likely to do it.  We always have the basics in the house because my kids eat a ton of fruit, but I use a lot of frozen veggies in the winter, and tend not to grab for the fresh ones during this time.  By having items I wouldn't usually grab at the store I found a renewed interest in cooking up items we wouldn't usually have.  I often find that being a busy mom, my kids come first in my shopping, I buy for them, getting what they need and my needs come second which means I don't always make the best choices for my own meals. I've found that by having more produce available to me eating a little healthier has gotten a bit easier.  Neighborhood Organics has really introduced a nice new variety of  items into our kitchen especially during this season and I'm thrilled with that. 

This isn't a CSA which gives you only items that they have available for the week. Neighborhood Organics provides you with a wide variety of fruits and Vegetables from which to fill your box with. You choose 1 or 2 of each of the items on the list to complete the box.  No unwanted items will arrive which means you will like and use each and every items that comes in your door. Don't miss their marketplace selections on the ordering sheet. These high quality additions to your order include farm fresh local eggs, freshly baked bread, local honey and more! See above for a sample photo of the items we chose for our most recent order! 

If you simply re-pourpose the amount of money you would spend on produce during a typical shopping trip and shift it to pay for your Neighborhood Organics Delivery you will find that the majority of what you would have spent anyways at the store will pay for your order, the delivery is included at no cost and your will save additional money by staying out of the store because you won't need an extra trip to refresh items that you've run out of. 

No! No you won't! As mentioned above you select your items and by choosing only items that fit your diet, and your family's needs you will easily be able to consume all of the items in the box you have chosen. Choose a delivery option that works for you. They have a number of sizes available and offer delivery every week, twice per month or just once if you want to try it out. Check out their site for yourself! you can easily set your preferences to NOT include items your family is allergic to or don't eat regularly. 

See their website for their different box sizes and for a sample order form.

Yes! It really is. All of the items we have received have been superior or equal to those we would pick up at the grocery store. Neighborhood Organics freshly sources (locally when possible) their items just for their customers with the highest quality standards in mind.  

A huge thanks to Neighborhood Organics for letting us try and review their Produce Delivery Service! Check out Neighborhood Organics for a fresh start! 

Save $10 on your first box by clicking here! 

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclosure

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area. We help make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live.  At times you will see posts from sponsors who offer a product at no cost in exchange for our honest opinion. Barters and fees that we receive from sponsors help make the website the best it can possibly be, these put food on our family's table and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net functioning - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for you support.

Out of the Box Gift Ideas for Kids!

Gifts of toys and material items can be really fun for kids! There is certainly a place for them of course but sometimes the overload of toys and stuff during the holidays can really be a lot for both the kids and the parents that need to find a place to put all of these new things! We've been working on some great gift ideas that are a little bit outside the norm, a bit Out of the Box.  We have some traditional gift ideas as well as some experience gift suggestions that will be sure to please.

A Subscription Box!

No matter if you opt for a single month or a full year a subscription box can be a pretty cool way to bring something a little special into your house that is engaging, hands on and creates a great way for parents to interact with their kids and learn something at the same time!

Green Kid Crafts offers some pretty cool STEAM (Science, Technology, Art, Engineering and Math) activities delivered right to your house! There is plenty of time to order one of these in time for your little one to open one on the holiday. Sign up for a subscription

Some of their holiday themed boxes are actually discounted up to 70% right now,grab one before they're gone!

                                           

Bramble Box provides monthly subscription boxes and pretend play kits to kids ages 3 - 8. Each themed box provides fun, educational and engaging dramatic play props and activities, delivered right to their door every month. Each box is mom-designed and, of course, tested by kids!

A new themed box is produced every month; past themes include Post Office, Detective and Bramble Bakery. Subscriptions can be ordered month-to-month, on a 3 months or 6 months basis and also annually. 

One of these creative options would be an awesome way to spread your holiday gift through the whole year!

Little Passports offers the chance for your child to explore the world one entertaining box at a time! 

Choose from a variety of kits geared towards a variety of ages and interests! Click here to use the code to save 15% off your subscription

Gift A New Experience!

Maybe your kiddo has been begging to try karate, or dance or theater classes, but you just haven't have the time to sign them up yet. These options are great local programs with stellar reputations in the community that would provide a great WOW factor especially for older kids. Many of them also would be a great option to "gift" something to a toddler or baby who doesn't understand the value of toys.

Lehigh Valley Martial Arts

As the premier martial arts program in the Lehigh Valley LVMA is fully prepared to instruct a child of any age at any experience level.
Click here to inquire about a class location in Palmer, Emmaus, or Trexlertown!

gymtiME
Offering tumbling classes, gymnastics and sports enrichment programs for kids aged 10 months and up gymtiME is a great experience gift for the curious gymnast or adventurous mover you have at home!
Mention Lehigh Valley Find and Go Seek when you call to register to save 10% off of your registration fee!

More than Music 
More Than Music LLC offers engaging music and art classes for preschoolers and toddlers.  Families sing along with instruments, move about and play!  They offer both art based drop in classes and full sessions of their You and Me music classes. Punch cards for drop in classes are available for the Ju-Ju Monkey classes or gift a certificate for a full session!

My Smart Hands
These energetic and educational classes are wonderful for babies and toddlers. They offer an opportunity for young children to socialize and work on early communications skills using sign language in a fun setting with a loving caregiver or parent. Punch cards are available for their drop in classes or purchase a gift certificate for a full session of sign language learning!

Elite Sports Academy
Is it off season for your baseball or softball star? Keep their skills sharp with a high quality sports training program at Elite Sports Academy. Grab a punch card to their weekly open play sessions for the little ones, these sessions are a great way for kiddos to run off some energy during the cold winter months!




Sing N Move

Sing N Move offers very popular Kindermusik classes for children, with new sessions every few weeks there's lots of opportunities to get in on a class. Gift the gift of music to your little one this season! Classes available for babies through age 5!

Unique Stocking Stuffers 

We absolutely LOVE these Pura brand bottles. Our kids have had them for a few years and its wonderful to be able to continue to use them long after they outgrew bottles. Just change to top and your bottle becomes a sippy which transforms into a straw cup and so on! They are eye catching, eco-friendly , plastic free and super easy to clean. Available at Ju-Ju Monkey in Allentown!

These awesome Kid-O Magnatab products are fantastic. They provide children with a hands on opportunity to practice writing/drawing with awesome sensory feedback as each little magnetic sphere pops into place. Check out the video demo above! Call ahead or shop online to view current stock Available at Ju-Ju Monkey in Allentown!  

See their full holiday gift guide here!

Games, Puzzles, books and oh my!  Ditch the technology for a minute and consider grabbing a new storybook or chapter book for your little reader.  Let's Play Book's recently expanded store is the perfect place to find something special.  Gift a parent child date experience to your kiddo and pair it up with a stop at Sweet Memories or Sugar So Sweet and select a special book or toy together.  They will love the extra one on one time and you can be sure to choose something they love!


Memberships

A membership to Please Touch pays off in just about 2 visits for a family of 5. Make an excuse to visit multiple times with a membership for 2017 and save using the code GIFT2016! 

How about tickets to to The Crayola Experience!   Their exhibits and activities change so there is always something fun to see and do!

Save $4 on your admission

 Just reserve your tickets before you go! Click this link to take advantage of the offer!

A Lehigh Valley Zoo membership offers experiences year round including discounts to special programs and events including their annual Winter Light Spectacular! 

A Handmade Touch

Check our our other holiday gift guide from this season featuring 6 local crafters who create personalized gifts that really are special and sure to bring a smile to someones face!

Sponsorship/Affilite Disclaimer: 

lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net only exists because of hours upon hours of work that comes directly from the heart of a mom who wants to make the Lehigh Valley a better place to raise your family. Because of our effort we publish a resource that makes your life as a parent easier, makes the Lehigh Valley more welcoming to a family new to the area and helps make the Lehigh Valley a more vibrant and engaging place for families to grow and live. In order to make it possible to continue doing this we must find ways to generate income from our work. At times you will see posts from sponsors who pay us a fee to help them spread the word about their business or event. You may also come across affiliate links from businesses that give us a very small portion of your purchase should you decide to purchase from any of our affiliates.  Barters and fees that we receive from our sponsors and affiliates help make the website the best it can possibly be, they put food on our family's table and allow us to keep doing what we do! By patronizing the businesses who support us and by choosing to opt in to offers we share you keep lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net alive - making it possible for us to continue to provide information and engaging content for years to come. Without you and without our valued sponsors the website could not continue to operate. We love all of our LVFGS Families and thank you for you support.