2016 is here and many of us are in the midst of our New Year’s resolutions. Inevitably, my resolutions seem to be repeats of years past: save money and lose weight are always on the list and rarely accomplished. This year, the plan is to save money (and vacation time) for a holiday Walt Disney World vacation. Luckily, my husband and I have stumbled upon a wonderful and free tool by The Walt Disney Company that is sure to make saving for our trip a breeze.
DisneyVacationAccount.com is an extremely easy to use website and is essentially a savings account specifically for Disney vacations. You are able to use this account to fund vacations to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani and Adventures by Disney. Free to use (with no fees or penalty for withdrawing), the purpose of this Disney run site is to make saving for a Disney dream vacation easy and painless.
In order to begin saving for your dream vacation, there are a just two in steps to complete. First, using free budgeting tools, you create an estimated budget. Super user-friendly, you proceed by choosing your vacation destination and approximate month and year of your trip (you can plan up to five years in advance). The second section is where you estimate the total cost of your hotel, theme park tickets, dining and shopping and entertainment. Planning out a budget can be pretty darn stressful, but I found this process to be extremely easy. The many easy to use links included on the estimate page helped when deciding which resort to pick the best theme park ticket option.
Once the budget is complete, you are able to fully create your free account by entering a unique username and password. Now it is up to you how you would like to save. Just like a traditional online savings account, you are able to link your Disney Vacation Savings Account to a pre-existing checking or savings account and it is up to you how and when you contribute. There are many flexible contribution frequencies – monthly, weekly, bi-weekly – as well as lump contribution. The clear cartoon graph on your homepage shows your savings progress keeping you motivated to reach your goal. Plus, for every $1,000 you save you are rewarded with a $20 Disney gift card. (Hey, it’s always nice to get a little something!)
Using the account is just as easy as creating it. You are able to use the savings account directly by booking a vacation through the Walt Disney World website or calling 407-939-7734. Just make sure to have your Disney Vacation account number handy when booking. But what to do if you want to use a travel agent or are a DVC member? Easy! Simply request a withdraw by either depositing the money directly into your bank account or on a Disney Gift card. I can speak from personal experience that withdrawing money into a bank account is quick and easy. Plus, the customer service representatives are pleasant and helpful, living up to the Disney standard.
So, if you’re like me and looking forward to going on an awesome Disney adventure in 2016, head on over to DisneyVacationAccount.com and start saving!