If taking the family to Disney World is on your "bucket list", definitely head over and sign up for info and special offers from Disney! They are always running special promotions, like free dining plans, that can make your dream family trip a much more budget-friendly reality! This is how we ended up getting free park tickets when we went (it was part of a promotion they were having at the time). 

The Smithsonian Museum Day is coming up next month on September 24th, which means FREE admission (2 per household) at participating museums nationwide! Head over here to check the details and participating museums, and to register to get your tickets (you HAVE to have to special Museum Day tickets in order to get into the museum for free on that day). 

There are some travel deals going on right now that can save you some serious money on upcoming vacations! Here's a roundup:

Eversave:Over half off a five-night, all-inclusive stay for two at The Palace at Playa Grande in the Dominican Republic! Only $1,875 (up to $4450 value) - Use promo code LUXURY to Save an additional $100!

$49 for $100 gift card to over 1,000 Sunshine State hotels with the Florida Hotel Card ($100 value)!

Lifetime membership tp the Signature Travel LLC (the premier luxury travel club), scoring you discounts (for the rest of your life!) on hotels and travel packages, as well as weekly HOT deals as low as $100 for a vacation! Only $499 ($4,000 value- that's a HUGE discount)! Best part- NO yearly fees or blackout dates!

Saveology: For only $20, get a $50 Hotel Card to put toward booking at 55,000 already low-priced hotels and more at www.thehotelcard.com!

Be sure to check out the NEW Groupon Getaway deals- they have a TON of travel deals at huge discounts!

Saveology has a pretty great deal- for only $20, you can get a $50 giftcard to put towards the cost of a hotel room. This is valid at over 55,000 hotels around the world! This is an excellent way to save a bit of extra money on your next vacation. This can be used IN CONJUNCTION with special hotel prices on thehotelcard.com (powered by Expedia)- just put it in like a coupon code, and it will take $50 off your reservation! Head over here to grab yours. Expires in 1 year.

I have had a LOT of people tell me that the best and cheapest way to "do Disney" is to go and sit through a time-share presentation to get free tickets- I even know people who honeymooned that way. Usually you still have to pay for accomodations and get the tickets for free. I never even know where to look for offers like that, and then I came across this one! You can purchase at least 2 tickets to Disney World in Orlando, and get 5 nights at Calypso Cay (for up to 4 people) for FREE! Now, you WILL have to sit through a 90-minute timeshare presentation, but it seems like it would be TOTALLY worth it to get several hundred dollars worth of accomodations for free, especially at a Disney Good Neighbor Resort . So, if you have been wanting to take your kiddos to Disney but can't quite swing the pricey getaway, definitely check out this offer. You can sign up now and then take your trip sometime in the next 12 months- so you can even go next summer! That allows you to get this great deal, and then start saving up for other stuff (like extra tickets, food, and Mickey Mouse Ears!). 


To help you plan your trip, be sure to grab the FREE Disney Planning DVD!

I have had a LOT of people tell me that the best and cheapest way to "do Disney" is to go and sit through a time-share presentation to get free tickets- I even know people who honeymooned that way. Usually you still have to pay for accomodations and get the tickets for free. I never even know where to look for offers like that, and then I came across this one! You can purchase at least 2 tickets to Disney World in Orlando, and get 5 nights at Calypso Cay (for up to 4 people) for FREE! Now, you WILL have to sit through a 90-minute timeshare presentation, but it seems like it would be TOTALLY worth it to get several hundred dollars worth of accomodations for free, especially at a Disney Good Neighbor Resort . So, if you have been wanting to take your kiddos to Disney but can't quite swing the pricey getaway, definitely check out this offer. You can sign up now and then take your trip sometime in the next 12 months- so you can even go next summer! That allows you to get this great deal, and then start saving up for other stuff (like extra tickets, food, and Mickey Mouse Ears!). 

Just wanted to remind you about this freebie- if you are currently or ever planning on going to Disney, you can score a FREE Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD to help you plan! I am going with some girlfriends (and NO kids, lol!) in October for my birthday. :) You could also surprise a pal with this DVD if they are going, or use it as a creative way to let your kids know you are going (like, slip it into the DVD player in the car on your way down, if they don't know where you are headed).

Planning or dreaming about a vacation to Disney? Grab your FREE Disney Parks Vacation Planning DVD! I think my kiddos would probably just enjoy watching this, lol! 

I don't usually post anything this expensive, but this is SUCH an incredible deal! Eversave has an awesome deal on a 4-day, 3-night stay in Cancun- stay at the Gran Caribe Resort and Spa (a Trip Advisor Top 20 resort!) for only $299! This includes ALL meals and drinks and a stay in a junior suite- up to an $800 value! If you break it down, that is only about $38 per person per day for a resort stay and all meals- that is REALLY awesome! If you have an anniversary or honeymoon coming up, or are still looking for a family vacation, this is it! This price is for 2 adults, but kids under 5 can stay for free (up to 2). This really makes a special getaway affordable, which is nice in these times of cutting back. Does not include airfare. Head over to Eversave to grab this deal!

If you or a member of your family  is on active duty, reserves, or National Guard, you can get FREE admission to Anheuser-Busch parks this summer as part of the Hero Salute program! Here are the details from their website:
Any active duty, activated or drilling reservist, or National Guardsman is entitled to free admission under the Here's to the Heroes program. He or she need only register, either by clicking here and submitting his or her information or in the entrance plaza of participating parks, and show a Department of Defense photo ID. As many as three direct dependents of military personnel also are entitled to free admission. Dependents may take advantage of the offer without their service member, though an adult must accompany minor dependents, and dependent ages 10 and over must present valid dependent I.D.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg, SeaWorld San Antonio and Sesame Place are seasonal operations that will remain closed until spring 2011. Military personnel interested in visiting those parks should check operating schedules. Click here for Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Click here for SeaWorld San Antonio. Click here for Sesame Place. The remaining parks, SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and SeaWorld San Diego are open year round.
Valid for one complimentary single-day admission per person, per year, during the regular operating schedules at one of the following: SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay or Williamsburg, Sesame Place, Water Country USA, Adventure Island. Not valid at Discovery Cove and Aquatica. Christmas Town at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Va. is not included as part of this program.
(thanks Hip2Save!)