The Disney Vacation Breakdown part 4- Wait: The gratuity isn’t included? Giveaway Closed
If you’re like me, and have experienced a Disney Dining Plan first hand, you don’t ever go back…
But…
The first time you do it, you’re a rookie.
And most people don’t know that the dining plan covers everything, BUT gratuity. And there isn’t a place on your receipt to charge it, so you unknowingly stiff your server!
Not that I would do that.
Okay, I admit it.
It happened to me.
But honest- I had no idea until someone told me well AFTER the fact.
And let me just say, I felt like a total a-hat (if you know what I mean) for doing it, because we had always gotten STELLAR service from our wait staff.
Except for Cousin Joey. He forgot about us several times. Not that I’m bitter or anything.
So, now that I know- how do I plan for such occasions being on the dining plan and all? 5 months out, I create envelopes for every. single. restaurant. we. visit. and I fill them with 20% of a $55 check. Why? It’s an average of what each meal costs. And all I have to do, is bring the envelopes with me during the day in my John’s back pack. No muss, no fuss. No calculations, because I’ve already filled, labeled and had M decorate them at home.
I even fill out envelopes for the Bell Man, Mousekeeping and Disney’s Magical Express driver.
Why yes, yes I am an over-planner. Don’t judge me!
So what do I do with these envelopes? I mean, you don’t want them sitting around getting lost 5 months just days from your vacation?
I store them in these:
That, m’dear is a Passporter insert page. Otherwise known as HEAVEN to those of us who are a little-bit OCD when it comes to planning and organizing information on our vacations.
And where can you find these pages?
Well, in a Passporter ofcourse!
It’s amazing. And has all of the information and pockets you might need on your Disney vacation. There are worksheets. There are budgets. And there’s a supporting website and forum that accompanies it to update and answer all of your Disney vacation planning questions.
It also contains incredible full-color images for your enjoyment. It also features your favorite blogger J and I on page 282, under special occasions (yes, our Disney Wedding made it in the book!)!
And no, I’m not reviewing this because we’re in the book. The truth is, we used a Passporter in 2003 for our wedding and have been hooked ever since.
And no, I’m not getting anything for doing this review (HEAR THAT FTC?? You can suck it!).
I really think that this is one of those items, that if you’re my reader and are heading to Disney, you really do need. Even if you’re not my reader (then you’re reading this illegally because it’s not on DomesticDebacle.com and the person who copied it will be in big-time trouble) you need this Disney guide.
Oh yeah, so I guess I let the cat out of the bag…
My good friend (okay, so I think she’s my good friend, but she might think I’m her stalker) Jennifer Marx, co-founder/author of the Passporter and Passporter.com is giving one of my lucky readers their very own 2010 Disney Passporter!!
All you have to do is:
MANDATORY ENTRY:
- Head to www.Passporter.com and tell me what you think the best tip is on Passporter.
Optional Entries:
- Tweet: @DomesticDebacle is giving away a 2010 Disney @Passporterbooks Guide! Head here to enter: http://wp.me/pFIaT-my
- Fan Passporter on Facebook
- Fan Domestic Debacle at www.facebook.com/domesticdebacle
- Post on your facebook page about this giveaway
- Blog about this giveaway, and leave the link in my comments.
Don’t forget to make each entry a separate comment!
The giveaway will end on Friday, May 14th at 10:00am.
Good luck!
Want to see my Disney vacation break downs?
Head here for 1
Head here for 2
Head here for 3
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by DisneyWedding, MommyPR. MommyPR said: The Disney Vacation Breakdown part 4- Wait: The gratuity isn’t included? (AND A Passporter Disney Guide GIVEAWAY!) http://bit.ly/bXqbob [...]
I like the tip: My first tip: Change Your Expectations. So you should lower your expectations to be more realistic!
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Passporter Facebook fan!
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i retweeted
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easy to follow
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i am already a fan of yours.
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Tip I loved…
Plan some down time. Because this was our first trip, I wanted to plan as much as I could, but we were buying five-day Pass Hopper tickets and we were staying for eight nights. We had tickets for some of the night time extras, such as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Cirque du Soleil, so we used those days to relax by the pool. I also scheduled character breakfasts on our “down days.”
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Tweeted: http://twitter.com/sweetgurlang
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Passporter FB fan
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domestic debacle FB fan
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Posted on my FB page
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I’m not sure if I am looking in the right place but the best advice I found is to stay in the mood. It can be hard when there are so many options to not get stressed over your itinerary and snap at one another. Hoping to avoid that!
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tweet!
http://twitter.com/PennyPinchingMa/status/13946435815
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I like passporter on facebook
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I like you too (heather r-d)
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I had no idea that there was a Ladies’ tea at Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge. I like that tip!
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tweeted it
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I fanned Passporter
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I am a fan of Domestic Debacle on facebook already!
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My favorite tip is from the Baby Steps article…LIGHTEN THE LOAD!
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became a FB Fan of Passporter
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posted about the give away on my FB profile
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tweeted about the giveaway
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became a fan of Domestic Debacle FB page
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following Domestic Debacle on twitter
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I just receieved my PassPorter Deluxe Walt Disney World and The deluxe Cruise Line a few days ago. I’m still reading and learning. Even though this will be our 5th WDW trip and 1st Disney Cruise I wish I’d known about the PassPorter a long time ago. This is a wonderful way stay organized for those of us with OCD. I love the Passporter and reading your blog. Keep up the great work.
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