At the top of my Disney World bucket list was staying at Disney’s Polynesian, and I finally checked that off last month! In this review, I’ll share my experience of staying in a Standard View Studio at the Disney Polynesian Villas.

You can also check out my review of the new pools, dining and more at the Polynesian in this post!

Disney Polynesian Villas Standard View Studio

The Polynesian received a major upgrade in 2015 with a redesign of the lobby, upgrades to the pools and dining, and addition of the DVC villas and bungalows. Read more...

If you are driving a car to or around Walt Disney World in Orlando, you’re going to need somewhere to park it. Here are all of the most common questions about Disney World parking answered in one convenient place.

Is there free parking at Disney World?

Yes and no. There is a fee to park at the theme parks (unless you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel which includes free parking at the theme parks). Read more...

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is likely the most popular annual event at Walt Disney World. It is also an enormous event – the size and scope of the festival can be overwhelming for sure!

To make the most of your day (or more) at the festival, it helps to have some insider tricks from someone who’s been many times before. I’ve been six out of the last seven years and have lots of ideas for saving you time and money. Read more...

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, especially at Walt Disney World! In this post, I’ll show you how to take an affordable Disney World Christmas trip that captures all of the holiday magic.

I’ll even tell you how much you’ll save using each of my tips and give an overall cost for the ultimate budget-friendly holiday trip.

When Does Disney World Decorate For Christmas?

The first question people usually ask about visiting Walt Disney World around the holidays is “When do they put the decorations up? Read more...

One of my favorite perks of staying at a Disney World hotel is the free ride to and from the airport on the Disney Magical Express.

In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about using the Disney Magical Express from someone who has used it over twenty times – that’s me!

What is Disney Magical Express?

Magical Express is coach bus service from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to all Disney World resort hotels and back again. Read more...

The annual Epcot Candlelight Processional is a holiday ritual for many people. The massive choir, live orchestra, and celebrity narrator have to be seen to be believed!

Lines build VERY quickly for the three nightly performances of the show, and often people who have been waiting in line for an hour+ will be turned away. The best way to be sure of getting a seat for this show is to get a Candlelight Processional Dining Package (which some people call the “dinner package”). Read more...

I have stayed at all five of the Disney Value Resorts in Walt Disney World and while I love the overall experience at these resorts, there are definitely some highlights and lowlights!

In this post, I’ll rank the Value Resorts and share my recommendations for first-time visitors and families.

Disney Value Resorts Ranked

There are five resorts in the “Value” category at Walt Disney World. Here they are with my rankings from best to worst:

1. Disney’s Pop Century Resort
2. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
3. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
4. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
5. Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

I’ll explain my rankings next with lots of detail and pictures! Read more...

I’ve already had readers asking me when they should book their trips for next year, so I’m excited to share that Disney World has released 2019 packages and room rates!

Here are five reasons to consider booking your 2019 Disney World vacation now:

1) Making a Disney World package reservation only requires a $200 deposit which is totally refundable up to 30 days before your trip. You’ll have lots of time to set money aside and accumulate discounted Disney gift cards to pay off the balance on your trip! Read more...

I’m so excited to welcome my readers to the new home for my Disney content… The Budget Mouse!

The Frugal South started out as a place to share my money-saving strategies for everything from groceries to entertainment to travel.

Over the past few years it’s become clear that my posts about saving money on Walt Disney World travel are by FAR my most popular posts. So I wrote more Disney posts and The Frugal South grew into a place of about half Disney stuff and half other money-saving stuff… which made it a kinda confusing place! Read more...

Disney recently announced that they will begin charging a parking fee of up to $24 per night at all of their Walt Disney World Resort hotels.

But don’t fear! There are several ways around paying the new Disney World resort parking fee so it might not ever affect you. Read on to learn all of my suggested ways to avoid the new fee!

Disney World Resort Parking Fee Details

Parking fees have long been standard practice at many Orlando resorts, including the Swan and Dolphin and Universal resorts. Read more...

For a limited time, my preferred discount ticket Walt Disney World ticket provider is offering an additional $5 off three-day+ tickets when you opt for electronic delivery!

You can already save up to $68 per person when you get your tickets from Undercover Tourist, so saving even more just sweetens the deal!

I suggest opting for e-delivery of your tickets anyway so you get them as soon as possible. Read more...

One way to enjoy the incredible food at Walt Disney World is to use a Disney Dining Plan. The plan changes slightly from year-to-year, but 2018 brought a big change – alcoholic drinks are included in all dining plans!

People frequently ask me if they should get the dining plan for their vacation and my short answer is – it depends! This decision has gotten even more complicated with the addition of alcohol to the plans. Read more...