One of the trips I’m planning at the moment involves: a cruise, a trip to disney land, seeing a show and a visit to medieval times!

I live in Miami, Florida and all of the elements of this vacation are either in or leaving from Florida. There are two of us trvalling, the second being a college freind who is coming over from Melbourne, Australia.

So there are a lot of bargains out there, if you are prepared to look for them…

Local Resident discounts

Theme parks, Cruises, Restaurants are big ticket ones I have come across for this one. Disney for example provide a 30% discount off park tickets and their hotels for Florida Residents (DisneyWorld http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents/) and California Residents (DisneyLand). Carnival Cruises, along with many others, will offer a Florida resident discount

Membership discounts

Now,  I only have a AAA card right now but always check if you have others. Dont be afraid to ask for them to list out what membership organisations they offer discounts to. Similarly, AAA has a list of places your card will discount your admission/rates at. They even have an iPhone app with a map view!

Look for a Coupon!

My rule of thumb before buying just about anything online is to Google for a coupon. Simply type in (for example) “Medieval Times Discount Code” into Google’s search and just see what pops up. There is usually a bit of trial and error but its usually a good saving if you can find one. Tip: before you google, look for the language they use on their site. Some of them are “Coupon” “Coupon Code” “Promo number” “Discount Code”. Use that language though when you search and your results are likely to be more useful.

Check out these coupon sites: http://www.retailmenot.com

Above all.. the golden rule when discount hunting… DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK! You can hunt around online for details, but often its worth making a quick call to the company and asking if they have any current special offers, resident or membership discounts. It can save you HUNDREDS of dollars.. maybe enough for your next trip!