Walgreens Friends and Family 15% -20% off--3/31 only

Today only, Walgreens is offering 15% off on most items and 20% off on Walgreen's brand items if you are ordering online or if you print the coupon on thier website.  If you are needing any items from Walgreens, especially if it is personal care items that you have coupons for, today is definitely the day to make those purchases.  The discount is not good on several items so be sure to read the fine print before getting to the register and being surprised.

Angry Birds Rio for Android-free from Amazon!

Amazon is offering Angry Birds Rio for free today for your Android phone.  Click on the link below to download the game to phone.  According to the reviews, Rio has much better graphics and is very fun to play.  Amazon has a great variety of apps for your phone with great prices.  Many are free, which is my favorite price!

Click here to get yours now by entering the mobile number you want it sent to.

Living Social: Escape to Orlando and Daytona--5 night s for $295!

Living Social has posted a great deal on a 3 night stay in Orlando at the Kissimmee Country Inn & Suites with a free continental breakfast and a 2 night stay at the Daytona Inn on the Beach for only $295.  The Kissimmee Country Inn & Suites is a Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel and provides a free shuttle to the Disney Parks.  This deal is good for up to four people and will expire in 6 days.  In the fine print, it says that atleast one person must be atleast 25 to check in and it expires on 4/6/2012. 

This deal can be purchased here.

My first giveaway!- A $25 Gift certificate for www.restaurant.com-ENDED

I have been busting to do a giveaway since I started this blog and thought that since restaurant.com gift certificates can be purchased via this blog, giving away a gift certificate for that site would be quite appropriate.  They have several different restaurants in the Disney area that are just awesome and this gift certificate could be used on one of those restaurants or on any of the other available restaurants on the site. 

Now for the rules:

• This contest ends at midnight est on 3/31/11.
• Winner will be chosen using random.org on 4/1/11--no joke!
• To enter, you must fill in a restaurant on the restaurant.com website that you would like to try, as well as your email address.  These two are required.
• Bonus entries can be used if you follow Loving Disney on Facebook or via Networked Blogs or Google Friend Connect.  If you are already a follower, check the box that applies because you definitely count!

Also, (but not a part of the giveaway-just for fun) please leave me a comment to let me know you've been here and any information you would like to see on the site in the future.

Don't miss out on the great Disney World deals ending tomorrow!

There are many great deals that will be expiring tomorrow night at midnight like Kids Stay and Play free and up to 40% off room rates.  If you are planning a trip for this year, you might want to check on my Disney World-A dream come true page to see all the great deals that will be ending tomorrow.  As always, if you are booking a WDW trip, the deposits would be one nights room rate for a room only reservation with the rest due upon check-in or $200 for a package deal with the balance due 45 days before your check-in date.

Don't miss out.  Plan that magical trip now!

Great groupon deals including pizza in Orlando!

Groupon deals
One of the great deals on Groupon today is $6 for two unlimited buffets at CiCi's pizza in Orlando.  If you are taking a budget trip to Disney World or one of the other local parks, this could be a good way to have a cheap meal. 

If you are heading down the east coast to get to Orlando, you might like to try the Savannah/ Hilton Head deal.  It is $10 for a Ghost or History Carriage Tour.  The tours in Savannah are phenomenal and very educational no matter which one you pick.

If you are looking for something to do with all those wonderful pictures you took at Disney World, you could use one of the Atlanta side bar deals.  It is $20 for $45 worth of photo book products from Blurb.  Another great option is the Las Vegas deal which is $15 for $50 worth of photo books, cards and more from Mixbook.

To look your best before taking that trip, you might want the southern Georgia deal of $68 for an in home Icing teeth whiting kit from Bling.

Groupon is a daily deals site that has online deals as well as local deals.  Many deals can be bought in multiples or as gifts and range from dining deals to magazine deals to health deals to electronics deals.  There's no telling what you will find.  It is also good to check other towns to see what online deals are advertised.  For any of the deals, including the online deals, you do not have to have any connection to the location you find the deal for.  You would purchase it just like you are a resident of that area.

As you can see, there are many great options from Groupon and something for everyone.  Be sure to check out the different towns so you don't miss something you can't live without. 

Happy Shopping!

Vista Print offer on Living Social-$50 worth for only $10

For the next two days, you can get an awesome deal on Living Social.  $50 worth of merchandise from Vista Print is only $10 if you choose the Savannah area!!  This is a great deal and a very cheap way to get items you may need or want to give as gifts to teachers or grandparents.  Vista Print seems to make everything from calendars, invitations,  tote bags, tshirts, pens, business cards, and photo books.  The photo books would be a great way to keep your favorite Disney memories.  We have ordered several times from Vista Print and have been satisfied with the quality of their work each time. 

To get this deal, you can go here.  There is a limit of 1 (I sure wish there wasn't!) so grab yours now before time runs out!

Do you use Extra Care Bucks and Register Rewards?

If you pay full price for personal care items, then you are probably spending quite a bit each month.  If you use coupons with the purchase of these items, you would be saving quite a bit of money, however, if you combined those coupons with a sale and/or a reward from CVS or Walgreens, you would hardly be paying cash for any of these items. 

A couple years ago, I finally learned what I was suppose to do with that pretty red card (the Extra Care card) I had signed up for at CVS and I haven't looked back since!  I had the card for several years but didn't know what to do with it other than let them scan it if I saw something on sale.  That's where I was wrong!  Then, we got a Walgreens in our town!  I was doubly excited.  Since that time, I have saved hundreds, well actually, more like a couple thousand if I was counting, and I hardly pay anything for personal care items or I get them free.  Actually, last night, I bought, shaving cream, a razor, shampoo, conditioner, and a case of water and paid $3.xx for it all at CVS!

I could sit here and tell you what I know about Extra Care Bucks and Register Rewards, but other people that have used them longer have done it already.  http://www.weusecoupons.com/ is a great resource for any type of savings, especially while shopping.  You can learn all about Extra Care bucks here and about Register Rewards here.  Even though I don't usually shop at Rite Aid, they have a similar program that you can learn about here.  These are just a few examples of what you can find on We Use Coupons website.  There are listings for each type of store, big box, grocery, drug store, etc as well as lists of what is currently on sale matched up with the coupons to use and the rewards you will receive to maximinze your dollar.  As soon as the next ad is released (usually way before it is released to the public), it will be posted on the website and the coupon match ups listed. 

I can't say enough about the great deals that can be found on We Use Coupons and the great deals you can get using Extra Care Bucks and Register Rewards.  I think if I paid full price for shampoo or toothpaste or even a razor, I would not be able to stand it after saving so much money like this!  Check it out for yourself and you too can be saving your way to a great a great treat and for me, that would be my next Disney trip!

Flirty Aprons-A great buy and an awesome product

In the last few months, I have ruined several good shirts (and by good, I mean the Disney polos that are $38 each-anything with Mickey is good!) because I would splatter grease on them while frying foods.  One while frying pork chops, one with cubed steak, one with hamburgers, and one with french fries.  Each time, I told myself I had to buy an apron so I could save my favorite shirts.  I never did.

Finally, I saw a post on Sunshine Rewards for a sale at Flirty Aprons on their irrregular aprons.  Since I needed an apron, as evident by the never ending pile of shirts I couldn't get the grease out of, and this would be a great price, I checked out the sale.  To my great surprise, these were not my grandmother's aprons!!  These were fashionable, cute, even hot-looking aprons with frills and ruffles in awesome colors.  They were so cute I couldn't decide which one to buy.  I kept coming back to them throughout the day and finally decided.  I needed Strawberry Shortcake, a pretty pink apron with white polka dots.  Three days later, I had a package in my mail box.  I couldn't wait to see it!  I was frying hamburgers again that night!

I ran in and opened the package and unfolded my new favorite kitchen item.  It was beautiful!!  I had to put it on right then even though I wouldn't be cooking for over an hour.  I love it!!   The fit is perfect.  The workmanship is awesome and I can't tell why it was an irregular in the first place, but I sure am glad it was!  My husband came home and we talked about just how cute my new functional attire was.  The best part was that I didn't ruin my shirt!!  It did exactly as I wanted it to and was an economical fix to my delimna.  Thank you to Sunshine Rewards for the post about the sale and to Flirty Aprons for making me such a cute and functional piece to save my shirts!!

80% off at Restaurant.com through 3/27/11

Save 80% off most Restaurant.com $25 Gift Certificates! Use code DEAL at checkout now through 3/27/11.

restaurant.com has once again come through with an awesome deal on gift certificates.  You can get 80% off by using the promo code "DEAL" during this special promotion.  Check the website to see what restaurants are available in your area, an area you will be traveling to, or even to use to cut down on your dining budget when traveling to Disney World.  There are several awesome restaurants Disney World listed on restaurant.com, like House of Blues (for awesome bbq-and desert!!), Garden Grove, and Bluezoo.  A gift certificate worth $25 would only cost $2!  What a great (and tasty!) way to save some money!

Disney World planning tips: There are types of resorts at Disney World?

Absolutely!  And before you make a reservation, it would be best if you knew the difference in the types of resorts.  That's what we will work on in this section so you will be well informed when you make that big first step.  By now, you have probably realized the discounts on rooms and packages are different for the different types of rooms.  These differences in discounts could mean it's only a few dollars more for you to actually stay in your dream resort.  That's important!

First is the value resorts.  Value just means inexpensive, not cheap on decor or fun.  Actually, I love the value resorts.  There are four value resorts right now with another one being completed to be opened in the future.  The four are All Star Music, All Star Movies, All Star Sports, and Pop Century.  The decorations at the value resorts is over the top!  There are huge icons outside the buildings, such as huge dalmations (as in three stories high!) in front of the dalmations buildings at All Star Movies, huge footballs at All Star Sports, and huge Rubik's Cubes outside Pop Century.  All of the value resorts have atleast two pools that are themed to go with the resort, such as the guitar pool and the piano pool at All Star Music,  These pools are huge, but do not have slides like the Moderate and Deluxe resorts.  If you need a slide, then a value may not be for you.  Each of the value resorts have a food court with many options for quick, tasty dining.  Each room sleeps up to four people, unless you reserve a Family Suite.  Did I tell you how much fun I have and how much I love the value resorts?  My favorite for teens is All Star Music and All Star Movies for smaller children.

Second is the moderate resorts.  The moderate resorts are a little larger than the value resorts and have a slide at the main pool.  The decorations are not so over the top and childlike but have a theme that unlike any other.  The moderate resorts are Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Port Orleans Riverside.  The decorations are a beach theme for Caribbean Beach, an Mexican theme for Coronado Springs, New Orleans Mardi Gras for Port Orleans French Quarter, and an antebellum theme for Port Orleans Riverside.  Each resort has it's own pools as well as food court and restaurant.  Both Port Orleans resorts have access to boat docks for a relaxing trip to Downtown Disney or you can rent smaller boats or bicycles to tour the resorts.  All of the moderate resorts sleep four people except for the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside which sleeps five.  My favorite moderate resort is Port Orleans Riverside for it's relaxing river right outside the rooms and Old South theming.

Third is the deluxe resorts.  The deluxe resorts are Grand Floridian, Polynesian, Contemporary, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, and the Boardwalk resorts.  The deluxe resorts have everything you would expect them to have including valet parking, over the  top pools, plush rooms, queen beds (as oppose to the full size ones at the value and moderate resorts), several table service restaurants, room service, and children's "daycare" style activities.  To eat at the resort table service restaurants, please be sure to make a reservation so that you are not disappointed when they are booked up.  There are character meals that book quickly, like Chef Mickeys, as well as Boma and Ohana.  The most over the top pool, Stormalong Bay, on site is at the Beach and Yacht Clubs and you must have a resort ID to enter.  The Beach Club, Yacht Club, and Boardwalk are the closest to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios, while Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Contemporary are the closest to the Magic Kingdom.  My favorite deluxe resort is Beach Club for it's awesome pool, proximity to EPCOT, and character breakfast at Cape May Cafe.

Lastly is the deluxe villa.  The deluxe villas are Beach Club Villas, Animal Kingdom Villas, Bay Lake Tower, Boardwalk Villas, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Treehouse Villas,  and Wilderness Lodge Villas.  The villas are super deluxe resorts with all the comforts of home including a kitchen and laudry area.  Each villa resort either has it's own pools and restaurants or share with the parent resort.  The rooms are furnished with queen beds and some have awesome views of the parks similar to what the deluxe resorts have.  My favorite of the villas is the Treehouse Villas because they were originally designed by Walt Disney.

So there you have a broad overview of the resort types.  There is so much more to tell about the resorts that will have to wait until we do a more comprehensive look at the resorts.  Keep checking back to learn all about the special parts of each resort;)

Finding deals for travel destinations-Daily deals

If you know you are traveling to a destination out of your area or travel frequently, it may benefit you to check the Daily Deal websites to see what kind of deals can be found in those areas.  One of such sites is Groupon.  Today's deal for Savannah, GA is a Ghost Tour ticket for only $8.  We travel to Savannah often and know this is a great deal.  Since most Groupons are valid for a year, I check the destinations that we travel each day in case there is something great that we might want to do the next time we travel.  I also check the national and online deals since those can be used by anyone anywhere.  I have gotten some great deals using these sites.  A list of such sites (but certainly not all of them since more are showing up all the time) can be found on my Online Deals page.  Happy shopping :)

Disney World planning tips: Looking for a deal on a Resort

No one wants to pay full price for a Walt Disney World vacation and if you have the time to plan ahead, for most of the year, you don't have to.  Disney often has discount codes for the general public to use to receive a savings up to 40% off of the rack rate.  All of the current offers can be found on my Disney World-Dream Come True page and include the code you will need to use to receive these discounts.  Some codes are for room only and some are for package deals which include room, tickets, and dining.  If you are lucky enough to be going at the "right" time of the year, you could even score free dining by using these codes.  To book a vacation using one of these codes, call 1-407-WDISNEY and speak to an awesome cast member.

It's your Lucky day! Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin deal--3/17 only

If you are looking for a great place to stay at the Walt Disney World Resort and want that deluxe feel without the deluxe price, now is your chance.  The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin are offering up a magical deal on St Patrick's Day to all that mention "Lucky" when making a reservation.  From 7 am to 7 pm, book your reservation by dialing 888-828-8850 and mention Lucky to your reservation agent.  You will then receive a special "charm" drawn at random from their "pot of gold" to be applied to your reservation.  You could win two nights free accommodations, beach towels, sushi rolls from Kimonos, 10% off your room rate, a one day Disney park ticket, or any of the other wonderful prizes. One night non-refundable deposit is required.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin aren't just plain resorts.  They are deluxe resorts with super soft beds and awesome amenities.  The Grotto pool is amazing and the the proximity to Disney's Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and the EPCOT resorts make this an excellent choice for a magical stay. 

Don't forget--this deal is only good from 7 am to 7 pm on 3/17/11 and you must mention "Lucky".  This offer is good for stays from 5/1/11 to 9/30/11.  Please post back after calling and let us all know what great "charm" you got.

Chris

Disney World planning tips: Do you need to rent a car?

Planning a trip to Disney World can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.  The decision to rent a car can be an expensive one.  If you are flying into Orlando International Airport and are staying at a Disney World resort, you can take advantage of Disney's Magical Express (DME).  After you make your reservation at the resort, call DME at 407-WDW-MAGIC to plan your arrival.  DME provides complimentary motor coach transportation as well as luggage delivery.  If you are using a participating airline, you can also take advantage of the Resort Airline Check-in Service to make it quicker for you on your flight back home.  The cast members will be happy to provide you with all the details you need to make your arrival and departure as painless as possible so that you can have the most magical trip possible.

Looking for a great deal on Disney World tickets?

Discount Theme Park Tickets - Buy Now

Undercovertourist.com is a great resource when you are looking for Disney World tickets at a great price or for other attractions in the Orlando area.  When you purchase your tickets through Undercovertourist.com, you can rest assured your tickets will be shipped right away and ready to go when you are.  Another important aspect of Undercovertourist.com is FREE SHIPPING!!  Saving money and free shipping all in one place.  Who could ask for more?

Restaurant.com has 80% off!

Save 80% off most Restaurant.com $25 Gift Certificates! Use code SAVE at checkout now through 3/14/11.

Restaurant.com now has 80% off on gift certificates when you use the code SAVE at checkout.  This sale makes a $25 gift certificate only $2!!  Several restaurants around Disney World are also included in this sale including House of Blues and Garden Grove, a great restaurant with a character meal!  If you are planning a budget trip to Disney World and are looking to have some great dining at a budget price, now is your chance.  These usually expire in a year so you have plenty of time to use them.

A blog hop!

Copy the link and add your blog to the list.  Keep hopping!

It's a "Sunshine" kind of day

Over the years, I've looked for ways to save more money for my Disney trips.  One day, I stumbled upon a great site and immediately joined and haven't looked back since.  It was Sunshine Rewards.  Money earned doesn't have to go to Disney with Sunshine Rewards.  You can also take Paypal payouts an apply your earnings to whatever you would like to.  The owners of Sunshine Rewards are super nice and very easy to work with, answering questions super quick and making sure their members are taken care of.

There are several ways to earn money on Sunshine Rewards with a lot of information about each way on the Sunshine Rewards forums.  You could do surveys, shop through the shopping links (which works especially good when buying presents!), freebies or offers.  I have earned almost $200 on Sunshine Rewards mostly from shopping and surveys, but could have been well over $1000 by now if I had more time.  It is possible to earn almost $100 a month just answering surveys!!  When shopping, you can earn a percentage of your purchase back from great stores like the Disney Store, American Eagle, ebay, and 123inkjets. 

If you would like to check out Sunshine Rewards and start earning, you can get there by clicking here.

Are you planning a trip to Disney World?

Disney World doesn't have to be expensive.  There are often great deals to use that will save you lots of money.  From kids stay and play free, to free dining, to room only discounts, there's almost something for every time of year, unless you are traveling on a major holiday.  To see the available discounts that are available to the public, click here.  If you are active duty military, call 407-WDISNEY and mention that you would like to use the military discount and the castmember will help you get the best deal possible. 
Another possible way to get a great deal at Disney World is with a "pin" code.  Pin codes are sent out at random by Disney either via snail mail or email.  If you've never stayed at a Disney World resort or registered on their website, then they don't know to send you a pin code.  A few ways to get on the list that the pin codes could possibly go to are:

• Order a Disney vacation planning DVD (which will also get you in the mood for that trip!)
• Register on the Disney World website
• Research a few WDW vacation packages online and save them.  This doesn't mean you are locked in, just that you "might" want to come back later and book that exact trip.
• Register on the Disney Store website
• Register on other Disney owned websites, such as Family, where you could also find some great articles and craft ideas that your little ones would love.

No matter what deal you use, I wish for you a "magical" stay at my most favorite happy place :)

Are you African American or Hispanic and like to try new products?

For a few years now, I've been a Bzzagent.  Bzzagent is a company that sends you new products or information to test out.  After testing it out, you would then tell your friends about it and report their responses.  I love being a member and getting to try new products and getting great coupons to share with my friends.  My friends love it too!   Bzzagent is looking for new members and you could be enjoying new products in no time.  A new cosmetic campaign just opened up for Hispanic women so if you are either African American or Hispanic, you can go here to find out all about it.