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Walt Disney World Resort is a sprawling resort complex consisting of theme parks, a shopping district, hotels and more. There are a host of methods to get around the entire resort, including bus, boat and monorail.

Let’s take a look at all the ways to navigate Walt Disney World, whether you’re looking to rent a car or rely on those good old feet to get around.

How to get around Disney World

Boat

You’ll find a few different boats within Walt Disney World. The biggest (and most well-known) is the ferryboat that takes guests from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) to Magic Kingdom. The TTC is where those who are driving into the park will leave their vehicles.

Many different resort hotels also have water taxi access. If you’re looking to take a water taxi to Magic Kingdom, you can do so from any of these resorts:

  • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

  • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

You can also use a water taxi to get to either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is available to guests staying at these resorts:

  • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas.

  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas.

  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.

  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel.

Bus

Disney operates a vast system of buses throughout its Orlando resort. This means it’s possible to take a bus from any Walt Disney World Resort to any of the theme parks, water parks or Disney Springs.

Even if you’re not staying at a Disney property, you may want to take advantage of the bus system to get yourself from one park to another. This is especially true if you don’t have a car.

Disney’s buses are free to use and run 45 minutes prior to park opening until 1 hour after park closing.

Car

It’s possible to park at any of Walt Disney World’s theme parks, though you’ll need to pay $25 per day to do so.

If renting a car doesn’t catch your fancy, you may want to consider ride-sharing. Because so many hotels are close to Walt Disney World, it may actually cost less to use a ride-sharing service to drop you off at the entrance rather than paying the fee to park.

🤓Nerdy Tip

If you’re arriving from Interstate 4, take exits 64, 65 or 67 to get into the parks.

Disney has also partnered with Lyft to offer the Minnie Van service. You’ll need to have the Lyft app and pay for the service. This allows you to request a polka-dot van that’ll seat up to seven guests, and each van comes with one complimentary car seat. It can also be faster than waiting for complimentary transportation, which can be pivotal during those late-night returns.

On foot

This is a little tongue-in-cheek, but it’s as valid as any of these other options. There are a handful of Walt Disney World resorts that are within walking distance from the theme parks.

If you’re wanting to visit Epcot, you can walk from any of the following hotels:

  • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas.

  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas.

  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel.

  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel.

If you’re looking to visit Magic Kingdom instead, you can also opt to walk from these hotels:

  • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

Monorail

If you’re not staying at a Walt Disney World hotel, you’ll likely find yourself on the monorail at least once. This is because anyone wishing to visit Magic Kingdom by driving in will need to either take the monorail or the ferryboat to get to the entrance of the park.

However, the monorail also connects Magic Kingdom and Epcot, which makes it simple to figure out Disney World transportation between parks.

Finally, those who are staying at any of these properties will use use the monorail to travel directly from their hotel to Magic Kingdom:

  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.

Skyliner

Disney’s Skyliner opened in September 2019 and creates a new link between many of its properties and theme parks. The Skyliner is a massive gondola system that operates much like one you’d see on a ski slope.

The Skyliner has two main stops, one located at Epcot and one at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you’re staying at any of these Walt Disney World Resorts, you’ll be able to take advantage of the Skyliner system, though you may need to make a connection to do so:

  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

  • Disney’s Riviera Resort.

  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Disney World transportation recapped

Disney does transportation well. This is a good thing since Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom averages roughly 57,000 guests per day, and nearly everyone needs to take advantage of its transportation services.

If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World resort, you have plenty of options for getting around without needing to rent a car. And even if you’re staying off-property, you can take advantage of Disney’s complimentary transportation services to make your way through the resort.

(Top photo courtesy of Walt Disney World)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

Source: nerdwallet.com

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Whether you prefer to travel by land, sea or plane, almost nothing compares to the thrill of seeing new places.

However, once you’ve been on the road for long enough, you may be tired of the packing and repacking, checking in to flights and out of hotels — not to mention the unsuccessful attempts at claiming your half of the armrest.

If this sounds like you, you may want to consider buying a recreational vehicle (RV). There are plenty of perks: It can save you money, it feels like home and it gives you more freedom than other types of travel.

Let’s look at the best time to buy an RV and some of the benefits of owning an RV.

When is the best time to buy an RV?

You’ll want to take a few factors into consideration.

It may be tempting to invest in an RV when the sun is shining, the trees are blooming and the fresh summer days are yawning ahead.

Don’t. It’s during the best weather that prices for RVs are at their peak. Think early spring to early fall, when the roads are good and families have time off.

🤓Nerdy Tip

Like cars, RVs also come out with new models. Take advantage of last year’s model — or buy used — to spend less out the door.

Instead, like other purchases, you’ll want to buy your RV when demand is low.

The best time of year to buy an RV is around late fall or early winter after the high season has passed. This may mean waiting a bit before you can hit the road, especially if you live somewhere with a colder climate, but it can save you money in the long run.

Why buy an RV?

We’ve already discussed the best time to buy a travel trailer, but what if you’re on the fence? There are plenty of reasons to buy an RV, though you’ll want to do research to be sure it’s the right move for you.

It can save money

Is owning an RV worth it? An RV is a big purchase — there’s no doubt about that — but in the long run, it can save you money overall.

Of course, this will depend on how much you travel, how many people you travel with and the budget you typically have, so you’ll always want to crunch the numbers to be sure the purchase makes financial sense for you.

If you tend to splurge on travel or have a large family, vacation costs can quickly add up. Plane tickets, rideshares, meals out and hotels will all run up the tab.

RVs can be an expensive purchase upfront, but there’s something to be said for having a place to sleep, a kitchen to cook meals in and space for extra people without paying more.

You can bring pets

Everyone who’s ever owned a pet knows how hard it can be to travel. Whether you’re planning on leaving them with a sitter (which costs money) or taking them with you (which also costs money), there are added logistics around traveling when you have animals.

Bringing your own RV allows you to take your pets with you without paying extra. It also means you won’t need to be separated from your furry friends.

It gives you more freedom

Anyone who’s ever flown to a destination and stayed in a hotel knows that transportation options are limited.

If you’re in a city center, you can use public transit or walk, but otherwise, you’ll likely need a rental car. This can seriously inhibit the types of places you can visit unless you’re willing to pay for a rental vehicle, or several rideshares (if available).

While an RV isn’t going to help you navigate narrow cobblestone roads, it gives you the freedom to travel wherever you like at any pace you want. And because your vehicle is also your bedroom, you have more flexibility of where to stay, especially in remote locations.

It can earn you serious points

You should always maximize the rewards you earn on your spending. This is true for everyday purchases but especially for costs you incur while traveling.

A whole host of travel credit cards focus on rewards for airfare and hotels, but if you’re traveling with an RV your biggest expense is likely to be gas.

If you’re more interested in earning points, you may also want to consider the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Credit Card, which earns 8x Wyndham Rewards points on gas purchases. Since free hotel nights at Wyndham start at 7,500 points per night, it’ll be easy to rack up enough rewards for plenty of stays.

🤓Nerdy Tip

You can also rent vacation homes from just 15,000 Wyndham points per bedroom per night thanks to the company’s partnership with Vacasa.

It feels like home

Perhaps the biggest perk of purchasing an RV is filling it with all your things. These things then come with you, wherever you are, and you never need to worry whether your bag will incur fees for weighing more than 50 pounds.

This means you’ll have your own cups, blankets, ergonomic pillows, clothing and more on hand with no fuss. That can be worth a lot in peace of mind and comfort.

Buying an RV recapped

Buying an RV is a big decision and one you’ll want to consider carefully.

While it can be expensive, choosing to travel with an RV can provide some significant benefits over other methods of travel. This includes the ability to pack as much as you’d like (including bringing along your pets), extra freedom to travel where you want and no per-person ticketing costs for things like airfare.

Before you buy an RV, be sure to do the math to make sure that it makes sense for you. You’ll also want to wait for the best time of year to buy, when prices and demand are at their lowest, to ensure that you get the best deal.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

Source: nerdwallet.com

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The latest figures put the average honeymoon cost at around $4,800, Brides.com reports, adding that the average honeymoon lasts eight days.

There are plenty of ways to save on or save for a honeymoon, though.

Here’s what you need to know about the average honeymoon cost and paying for a trip you’ll never forget.

The Honeymoon Tab

The Knot, a wedding-planning platform, cited a pre-pandemic average honeymoon cost of $5,000, based on an internal study of more than 27,000 couples who married in 2019. That is atop the average cost of a wedding, which The Knot put at nearly $30,000.

The average cost of a honeymoon has increased in the past few years, reflecting couples’ desire for more experiential travel, The Knot says, with more than 60% of American couples traveling outside the continental U.S. for their honeymoon.

Of course, the honeymoon outlay could be much higher if a couple goes on a luxury getaway or takes an extended trip.

Big-Ticket Honeymoon Items

The cost of a honeymoon can depend on location, amenities, and even the season couples decide to travel. Typically the cost will include:

• Plane, train, or automobile travel

• Accommodations

• Any excursions

• Food and beverages

• Taxes, tips, and fees

Essentially, it’s the same as any other big trip. The only extras may come because you want to make this trip the best it can be (and we don’t blame you).

Ways to Cut Honeymoon Expenses

There are still plenty of ways to save money on a honeymoon. As mentioned, location can play a major factor in the cost of the trip, but there is a secret a lot of travel insiders know and don’t share: Shoulder season.

Shoulder season is that awkward time between the high and low seasons of different destinations. It’s not necessarily that a place is less desirable to visit, but merely a less popular time to go.

The shoulder season in the Caribbean is the early fall (in the Northern Hemisphere, September to November), which is the midst of hurricane season, meaning fewer people tend to book during this time. Honeymooners could score great deals on flights and accommodations, and find more restaurant and excursion reservations available.

Hawaii, a perennial honeymoon destination favorite, has shoulder seasons of April through June, after all the school breaks end, and September to December, right before the holiday travel rush.

Check to see when your desired location’s shoulder season may fall, and if you wish, book in this window for the chance to save a little money.

Two other ideas:

Forage for great fares. Another way to cut back on typical honeymoon expenses is to hunt for the best flights possible if you’re traveling by air. This can be done by signing up for newsletter or alert services like Next Vacay, which sends daily emails with cheap flight deals, or similar services like Scott’s Cheap Flights and Skyscanner.

Use points or miles. One more way to lessen the financial strain of a honeymoon is to dig into credit card rewards such as points or miles. Check to see if your points can be used on flights, accommodations, or activities, and use them as you please. Don’t forget to check on any of those frequent flyer miles you’ve got hanging around either.

Paying for a Honeymoon

There are a number of ways couples can finance their honeymoon. Here are a few.

Join a honeymoon registry. The first, and perhaps most festive for a wedding, is to ask your friends and family to get involved with a honeymoon registry.

A honeymoon registry is a new twist on the wedding registry tradition. Rather than ask for gifts like china that comes out of the closet once every 10 years, couples can instead ask their guests to gift them money that they may use toward their honeymoon.

Some couples take the honeymoon registry a step further by registering at places like Honeyfund or Zola for specific honeymoon items rather than a blanket ask. This can include a specific hotel stay or merely an upgrade, scuba lessons or ski tickets, or dining at one special restaurant during the trip.

Carve out a honeymoon savings fund. Another way to finance your honeymoon is by starting your own honeymoon budget. Once you’ve decided as a couple where you’d like to travel on your first trip as the newly betrothed, you can estimate how much the trip will cost.

From there, you can start a fund where you put in a little each day, week, or a month from income or through any cutbacks you’re willing to make to your personal budgets to turn this dream trip into a reality.

Decide to camp out in Uncle Jeremy’s backyard. And grill hot dogs for days. It will be unforgettable. Just sayin’.

Take out a personal loan. A personal wedding or honeymoon loan can be used for just about anything you want. Yes, that means it can be used to cover any and all costs of a honeymoon.

The Takeaway

The average honeymoon costs around $4,800. But clearly, that number can vary greatly depending on when and where honeymooners travel, for how long, and the level of luxury. With more couples lusting for experiential travel, the average tab has grown.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. Checking your rate takes just a minute.

SoFi’s Personal Loan was named NerdWallet’s 2023 winner for Best Online Personal Loan overall.

Photo credit: iStock/DragonImages

SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

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Source: sofi.com

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The era of low mortgage rates is over. Embracing this reality will hasten your owning a house that meets your needs.

Low rates flourished for 11 years, as the 30-year mortgage remained below 5% from February 2011 to April 2022. Since then, it has remained mostly above 5%, averaging 6.72% in June in Freddie Mac’s weekly survey.

Some forecasters predict that rates will decline over the next 12 months. But they don’t foresee rates dropping below 5% anytime soon. If you want to buy a home, it’s tempting to be in denial that this is happening. But as you start to accept that we’re now in a time of higher rates, you can achieve closure (literally, when you close on the purchase of a home).

“People are still working through their five stages of grief on this mortgage rate stuff,” says Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Bright MLS, the real estate listing service for the mid-Atlantic region. “And I think you have to reach the stage of acceptance at some point that certainly rates aren’t going to come down to where we were back during 2020 and 2021.” (When the median 30-year rate was 2.99%.)

Forecasters predict a modest decline in rates

Let’s brighten that grim outlook by detailing how Fannie Mae, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Realtors all forecast a gradual, moderate decline in mortgage rates through at least the first three months of 2024.

Those three organizations are not alone in their prediction that mortgage rates will go down, but no one expects rates to plunge back to where they were two years ago.

“I still think we’re going to see rates stabilizing and then moving slowly down this year and we’re going to end 2023 at 6%,” Sturtevant says.

Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com, said in an email that “our base expectation is that it will take until the end of this year or early next year before mortgage rates get back to 6%.”

A dissenting voice comes from Zillow, where senior economist Orphe Divounguy said by email, “Buyers should not count on any dramatic rate falls in the next few years.” Mortgage rates, he said, will end 2023 above 6%.

One takeaway from these forecasts: Sure, mortgage rates might drop a little. Maybe. If the forecasters are right. But if you hold out for dramatically lower rates, you’ll probably wait in vain. And if they do fall substantially after you buy, you can refinance.

Inflation is the wild card

What if you want to do your own research? Economists monitor tons of data when forecasting mortgage rates. But if you ask them what regular folks should keep an eye on, they reply as one: inflation.

According to Hale, “It’s not linked one-to-one with mortgage rates, but an easing in the pace of general price increases will help bring mortgage rates down for two reasons.”

For starters, diminished inflation will hasten the end of Federal Reserve rate increases. Second, lenders will “stop baking in a larger inflation premium into mortgage rates.” They do that “to account for the fact that future dollars that are used to pay back the investment aren’t as valuable,” Hale explained.

Most people gauge inflation by the price of gasoline and eggs. Your boss’s boss’s boss swears by the consumer price index. The monetary policymakers at the Federal Reserve rely on an inflation measurement called core PCE, for personal consumption expenditures. “Core” means that energy and food (gasoline and eggs) are stripped out because their prices are volatile.

The Fed’s goal is to keep core PCE around 2%, but it has been higher than 3% for more than two years. From January through April (the latest data available), core PCE was 4.6% or 4.7%. Core CPI has been higher but falling.

“As long as inflation eases, that’s the main factor that will bring our mortgage rate down,” says Nadia Evangelou, senior economist and director of real estate research for the National Association of Realtors.

But if inflation stays spitefully high, mortgage rates will remain elevated.

If you’re pining for 3% rates — they’re not coming back

Let’s say the Fed eventually succeeds in taming inflation to 2%. That will be worth celebrating, but it doesn’t necessarily mean mortgage rates will wander south of 5%.

The Mortgage Bankers Association forecasts the 30-year mortgage will dip below 5% toward the end of 2024, but Fannie Mae and the Realtors don’t predict rates will fall that far.

Do what makes you happy

It’s not realistic to put a home purchase on hold in the hope that mortgage rates will return to 2020 and 2021, when the 30-year mortgage held its breath under 4% the entire time. The median rate over the past 30 years is 5.77%. That’s the reality that we’ve returned to.

If you want to buy your first home, you’re probably going to pay well above 5% on a 30-year mortgage, and you’ll have to establish a budget with that in mind. If you’re a homeowner, you dread giving up your current low-rate mortgage and getting a higher-rate loan on the next house. That’s understandable, but as Miranda Lambert once sang, “there’s freedom in a broken heart.”

Whether you’re looking for a bigger place or a smaller home, or one better located for schools or your commute, you might end up satisfied — even after trading a low rate for a higher rate.

Source: nerdwallet.com

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You booked your flight and are ready to travel, but where will you sit on the plane? Your ability to choose your seats with JetBlue depends on which fare you purchased and your elite status.

In this guide to JetBlue Airways seat selection, you’ll learn what you need to know to pick the best seats for your next flight, including any fees that apply and what the seating charts look like.

How JetBlue seat selection works

JetBlue operates a variety of seat types on its aircraft, including economy, Even More Space and Mint seats.

So, how much is seat selection on JetBlue? The answer depends on which fare class you buy and the flight selected.

Blue Basic passengers pay a fee to select seats more than 24 hours in advance, while everyone else can pick seats at no extra charge. Upgrades to Even More Space vary based on the flight and which seat you choose.

JetBlue seat selection fee

NerdWallet conducted an analysis of fees among U.S. domestic airlines. On average, JetBlue has one of the lowest seat selection fees at just $4 per passenger.

Your fees will vary based on your flight, fare class and seat selected. All fares, except Blue Basic, can choose any economy seat without paying extra.

Ticket types and seat selection rules

JetBlue offers five fare classes to meet passengers’ needs and budgets. Each fare class has different benefits and restrictions that passengers need to be aware of before buying their ticket.

Basic economy

Blue Basic fares are the basic economy tickets offered by JetBlue. These tickets have numerous restrictions that allow JetBlue to offer lower fares. Blue Basic tickets do not allow carry-on bags, and there is a fee for checking a bag.

Passengers cannot select their seat more than 24 hours in advance unless they’re willing to pay a JetBlue seat selection fee. There is a fee of $100 to $200 for changes or cancellations. Additionally, these fares only earn 1x Base TrueBlue points versus 3x points for other fares.

Core

Core tickets are the standard economy seats on JetBlue flights. Passengers buying Blue, Blue Plus or Blue Extra fares choose these seats when booking their flight, at check-in or any time before departure.

Benefits of each fare class vary, but all three include a carry-on bag and charge no fees for changes or cancellations. They also earn 3x points for the flight. Blue Extra tickets offer the most benefits, including no fees for same-day switches or standby, early boarding and priority security access at available airports.

Even More Space

Even More Space seats provide up to 7 inches of extra legroom, early boarding and other benefits. Although Blue Basic fares do not include advance seat selection, these passengers can upgrade to Even More Space — for a fee — and select an available seat.

Mint

Mint fares are the premium cabin seats on JetBlue flights. These seats feature fully lie-flat seats, with adjustable firmness and a massage feature. There are three types of Mint class seats:

  • Mint Suites.

  • Mint Studios. 

Mint passengers enjoy high-end dining, an artisan wine list, Wanderful wellness kits, Tuft & Needle sleep kits and more.

JetBlue seats for elite members

Elite members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program are called Mosaic members. There are four levels of Mosaic elite status based on how many “tiles” a traveler has earned.

Mosaic members can upgrade their tickets to Even More Space seats at no extra charge if seats are available. Level 1 members can upgrade during check-in, while Level 2 and higher members get Even More Space seats during booking.

When you reach Mosaic 3, you get four certificates to upgrade your ticket to Mint seating, based on availability. At Mosaic 4, you receive an additional two certificates.

JetBlue partners with American Airlines to offer reciprocal benefits for elite members. AAdvantage Gold members and above receive complimentary Even More Space seats at check-in if they’re available.

JetBlue plane seating chart

The airline uses nine different types of planes, and each plane has a different layout. Your JetBlue seat selection varies based on which plane is flying your route. Before booking your flight, you can see which plane is flying and the seating configuration.

Pick your dates of travel, number of passengers, departure and arrival cities at jetblue.com. On the search results page, you’ll find a variety of flights to choose from.

Click on “Seats” to see which plane is flying and what JetBlue seat selection options are available.

You can also view the JetBlue seat map during the booking process. After selecting your flight, you’re prompted to select your flight before checking out.

How to pick seats on JetBlue

During the checkout process, you’re given the option of selecting your JetBlue seats. If you don’t select a seat when buying your ticket, you can choose later online, through the JetBlue mobile app or at check-in.

Blue Basic fares must pay a fee for selecting a seat more than 24 hours in advance of departure time. The price varies per flight and location of the seat you’ve chosen.

“Core” seats are available at no charge, and they are available for all passengers.

Passengers flying Mint class fares receive exclusive access to premium seats at the front of the plane. They can select their seat during checkout or at any time before their flight.

JetBlue seat selection rules recapped

JetBlue seat selection rules vary based on which fare class you buy. All passengers, except Blue Basic, can choose their seats at any time from booking to check-in without paying a fee.

Blue Basic passengers can select their seats for free within 24 hours of departure, or they can pay a small fee to choose ahead of time. JetBlue flights offer three seat types — economy, Even More Space and Mint premium seats.

The airline offers one of the best seat selection rules, with all economy seats available to every passenger. For passengers willing to splurge, they can upgrade to Even More Space or Mint seats for an extra fee.

(Top photo courtesy of JetBlue Airways)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

Source: nerdwallet.com

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Believe it or not, you can go to Disneyland when it’s not crowded.

If you’ve been there, this may not seem possible — especially if you’ve visited only on the weekend or during summer. But there are ebbs and flows to crowds at Disney parks. Depending on how you like to travel, whom you’re traveling with and what your budget is, the best time to go to Disneyland will differ.

Let’s look at when’s best for you, no matter your travel situation.

For first-timers

As you may expect, Disneyland Park is the original; it opened in 1955. The park contains Sleeping Beauty Castle and fan favorites such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Haunted Mansion.

Disney California Adventure Park, meanwhile, opened in 2001. Originally modeled after the various landscapes you’d find within California, the park has since seen significant retheming and now contains a land dedicated to the “Cars” movie, one focused on Marvel movies and a pier based on Pixar’s films.

If this is your first visit, you’ll want to do your best to experience everything. We recommend a minimum of two days: one for each park.

You’ll want to consider nonpeak periods when the resort is less crowded to maximize your time. Generally, Disney is extra busy and crowded during the following periods:

  • Spring break: typically late March and April.

  • Holiday weekends: Memorial Day and Labor Day.

  • Summer: mid-June to the end of August.

  • Halloween and weekends in October.

  • Thanksgiving week.

  • Winter break: second half of December through New Year’s Day.

Though you may find periods that are busy outside these windows, these are the big ones you’ll want to avoid. It will be difficult to deal with the crowds, and you’ll probably pay a premium for hotels and accommodations.

For families

If your children are school age, you may be limited as to when you can visit Disneyland. This means you may end up at the parks during peak periods.

Though it’s not possible to avoid crowds, there are still times that can be better than others.

This is thanks to some of the special events Disneyland puts on. These include Princess Nite and the Oogie Boogie Bash, both of which take place after the park closes (the park closes early to accommodate these parties).

The Oogie Boogie Bash is especially popular for kids because of the unlimited trick-or-treating. There are also character meet-and-greets, a special parade and the ability to ride all the standard rides.

For crowd-haters

Listen, we dislike crowds, too. There’s a reason entire websites are dedicated to figuring out when Disneyland will be crowded. If this is you, do yourself a favor and visit only during the offseason.

Though it isn’t often that you’ll find hardly anyone at the Disneyland Resort, there are some times when it will be as close to empty as possible.

This includes many weekdays throughout the year, especially during January, February and March.

It’s also relatively empty at the end of August before Labor Day weekend brings huge crowds. September as a whole is also empty, as is the two-week period after Thanksgiving before winter break starts.

For the frugal traveler

A visit to Disneyland can be pricey, especially if you need to travel in from out of town. Disneyland operates a dynamic pricing structure that’ll charge you from $104 to $179 for a one-day ticket.

To find the cheapest days, you’ll want to check out the price calendar. Typically, periods of least demand — those with the lowest ticket prices — also coincide with the lowest cash prices for flights and hotels.

You may also want to consider using points and miles to keep costs down. Several chain hotels are within walking distance of Disneyland, including Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and IHG, which makes redeeming your points easy.

Disneyland is near six airports in Southern California, making it easier to find flights on all major airlines. With so many options, it shouldn’t be difficult to find a way to redeem your miles.

For adults

Disneyland isn’t just for children. Though many of its attractions are meant to appeal to little ones, Disneyland also has adult-oriented activities. Disney California Adventure is a great example, with refined eateries and plenty of different drinks to sample.

The park also offers a rotating selection of festivals throughout the year, featuring pop-up pavilions. These pavilions provide limited-time food and drink offerings and are popular with adult parties.

Disneyland also offers nighttime events that are great for adults, including Sweethearts’ Nite, Throwback Nite, Pride Nite and Star Wars Nite.

The best time to visit Disneyland, recapped

The best time to visit Disneyland will depend on whom you’re traveling with, your preferred travel style and your budget. After all, you’re not going to be looking for the same entertainment options with your adult friends as you would if you’re traveling with your children.

No matter when you decide to travel to Disneyland, you’ll be in good company. Just don’t forget to grab yourself a churro.

(Top photo courtesy of Disneyland Resort)

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2023, including those best for:

Source: nerdwallet.com

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Many older adults have high levels of regret about their finances, according to responses to a 2020 survey of Americans over age 50 conducted by the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study.

The survey found that nearly 60% of participants regretted not saving more for retirement, 40% regretted not buying long-term care insurance, 37% regretted not working longer, and 23% regretted taking Social Security too early.

But financial regrets aren’t inevitable and don’t have to be permanent. Even after you’re retired, you have options to make course corrections.

Here are four expert tips to help you avoid or mitigate financial mistakes in retirement.

1. Plan for long-term care expenses

“One mistake individuals might make after retirement is not considering long-term care planning, including the potential need for nursing home or assisted living expenses, which can deplete their assets and put a strain on their loved ones,” attorney Celeste Robertson wrote in an email. Robertson’s Texas law firm provides legal services related to family law, estate planning, probate and guardianship.

“Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and supports in their remaining years,” according to the U.S. Administration on Aging. And they need three years of care, on average.

Long-term care can cost thousands of dollars per month. Most long-term nursing home care isn’t covered by Medicare, so you’ll need to find another way to pay.

2. Account for inflation

Nearly two-thirds of retirees said inflation and the rising cost of living was the “biggest financial shock” in retirement, according to surveys conducted from January to March 2023 by Edward Jones and The Harris Poll.

Respondents cited inflation as a shock more often than the combined total of the next three top responses — unexpected medical or dental expenses (22%), major home expenses or repairs (20%), and significant declines in the value of investments (19%).

If your earlier retirement planning didn’t account for high inflation, it might be time to reexamine your retirement finances.

“It is never too late to take action — adjustments during retirement can still make a big difference,” Lena Haas, head of wealth management advice and solutions at Edward Jones, wrote in an email.

3. Keep managing your investments

Whether it’s to deal with inflation or for any other reason, you might want to revise your investing and/or withdrawal strategies to help your money last in retirement.

It’s a mistake to look at your retirement investments as “set it and forget it,” Andrew Meadows, senior vice president of HR, brand and culture at Ubiquity Retirement + Savings, wrote in an email.

“Even though you’ve retired, you’ve still got your retirement funds to manage and it’s best to ensure it matches your current lifestyle than the one that was actively working and contributing,” Meadows added.

4. Prepare for surprises

Even with a good monthly retirement income, your finances need to be ready to deal with surprises.

“When people do retirement cash flow, one thing that they don’t really plan for is large expenses,” says Justin Prasad, a financial advisor in North Vancouver, British Columbia. Unplanned expenses such as a roof replacement or a large unexpected medical bill could cause problems, Prasad says.

And those problems might be harder to deal with now than in the past. Higher inflation means those unexpected expenses might cost more than before, while you’re also spending more on the day-to-day cost of living.

There are options to recover from a big financial hit in retirement, but they might look different depending on your circumstances.

Prasad has seen clients take out reverse mortgages, delay retirement, take on part-time work or re-evaluate when to draw on certain sources of income, for example. He recommends working with a qualified financial advisor to find the best option for your circumstances.

Source: nerdwallet.com

Apache is functioning normally

Still in the dark about how to make money online? Side hustles are all the rage, but not everyone has tried one. You’re a beginner, and that can be the case at any age.

The internet has opened up a lot of ways to make side money, but so many options can be overwhelming. That’s why we say to do a little personal discovery first to decide what you like. Then dive in with a positive attitude and flexible mindset. Because the money is out there, but it isn’t guaranteed.

Here are four steps to get you started.

Step 1: Take inventory of your skills

The term “side hustle” assumes you already have a full-time obligation, like a job, school or family responsibilities. If you’re going to spend your precious few hours of free time on another form of work, you ought to do something you enjoy. Start with a personal assessment of your interests and emphasize the ones with online earning potential. Grab a piece of paper and jot down your answers to these questions:

  • What do I like to do the most? Consider the hobbies, interests and activities that bring you joy, but add a work slant because you probably won’t get paid to watch videos.

  • Of the interests listed, which ones do I do well? Narrow down your initial list to the areas where you have the most skill. Do you write well? Do you know the ins and outs of a certain category of collectible merchandise?

  • What kind of work would I be happy doing for hours on end? Make sure going all in on a potentially paying hobby won’t make you hate it.

Step 2: Focus on monetizable skills and ideas

Did you identify any skills with earning potential? You can probably answer this with common sense. You’re more likely to be paid to design a logo than make a meme.

Do you know how to code and do you like it? How about writing website copy, articles or marketing emails? You might have a future in freelancing, and that’s a side hustle tailor-made for making money online.

Maybe you listed vintage fashion as a top interest, and you know more than most about clothes. Do you like selling stuff and communicating with potential customers, too? Because reselling clothes is a way to monetize a hobby (and support a habit) from your laptop. If you have crafts or bespoke products to sell, you could open an Etsy shop online.

Once you match a passion, skill or idea with a monetizable opportunity, you can find the right online service or platform to facilitate your business.

Track all the money you make

See the ins and outs of your cash, cards, and bank accounts at a glance.

Step 3: Research the top places to make money online

There are plenty of online platforms that can connect you with customers, gigs and tasks. The hard part is narrowing the list down to the ones that are worth your time. We can help you focus on real ways to make money online (and offline, for that matter) and explore home business ideas. The work you did in the skills inventory step should help you quickly eliminate the noncontenders.

Be realistic about how much you can make

Once you pick a skill and a platform, you can give your online side hustle a try. How much money you’ll make (and when it comes) will vary.

Online freelance work may take time to gain traction, but you can pick a site like Upwork or Fiverr that connects you with paying clients and post your pitch today.

Places to sell stuff online typically have few barriers to entry, which is great for beginners. But make sure profit margins are worth your time. Selling a used book on eBay for $7.50 won’t amount to much side money when you factor in fees and shipping.

Using an online service to get task-based work can be a way for a beginner to make real money with less wait time. Depending on where you live, quick gigs like driving people or delivering packages and groceries can be in high demand. And signing up for gigs through a service like Uber or Instacart can connect you with customers and have you driving in no time.

Walking dogs is one of the highest paid side hustles by average hourly wage, according to an analysis from online tutoring platform Preply. Rover and Wag are two sites that match dog walkers with paying customers.

Other ways may require more patience

Some popular ways to make money online, like starting a blog, making YouTube videos or sharing influential advice on social media can require a lot of effort and time before you’ll see a dime. Don’t let us discourage you from your dreams of content creator stardom, but influencers typically need a sizable following to see big money.

Step 4: Evaluate and pivot

Flexibility is key when it comes to making money online. Give it a couple of weeks (or months) and evaluate your progress. If the dough is low, you might need to adjust your approach or switch to another platform. Maybe it’s time to pivot to a different monetizable hobby. Go back to your skills inventory and give something else a try. Enjoy the experience, and don’t quit your day job.

Source: nerdwallet.com

Apache is functioning normally

The Supreme Court has blocked President Joe Biden’s student loan debt relief plan, saying his administration lacked authorization under the HEROES Act to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower.

Some 43 million borrowers won’t see a cent of the debt cancellation promised by the White House last year. Under current guidance from the Education Department, borrowers must get ready to resume student loan payments starting in October on their full student loan balance.

On Friday afternoon, Biden announced that his administration was pursuing a student debt cancellation plan B. This route leans on a different legal avenue than the one struck down by the Supreme Court, and the process could take a year or longer. But a plan B remains far from guaranteed, and there is no timeline yet. Take steps to prepare for repayment now.

“Now that we have the decision, we can move forward,” says Betsy Mayotte, president and founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors. “There are a lot of borrowers who have been in limbo waiting to see what was going to happen.”

What did the Supreme Court decide?

The court ruled in two cases, and struck down the cancellation through the second case. All nine justices unanimously dismissed the first case, Department of Education v. Brown, because they found the plaintiffs had no standing to sue since they “fail to establish that any injury they suffer from not having their loans forgiven is fairly traceable to the Plan.” The two plaintiffs — individuals who claim they weren’t eligible for part or all of the relief — said they were harmed by not having the opportunity to participate in a notice-and-comment period for the program.

In the second case, Biden v. Nebraska, the court found that at least one plaintiff, the state of Missouri, had the right to sue. Six states sued jointly — Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina — alleging the relief would harm tax revenue in those states in addition to the finances of certain state-based loan agencies.

With standing established, a 6-3 majority of justices declared that Biden’s student debt cancellation plan, enacted under the 2003 HEROES Act, was unconstitutional. Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the opinion of the court, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

“The Secretary asserts that the HEROES Act grants him the authority to cancel $430 billion of student loan principal. It does not,” wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the majority opinion. “We hold today that the Act allows the Secretary to ‘waive or modify’ existing statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to financial assistance programs under the Education Act, not to rewrite that statute from the ground up.”

Justice Elena Kagan penned the dissent, joined by fellow liberal justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

How did we get here and what’s next?

President Joe Biden’s student debt cancellation plan, first unveiled in August 2022, promised to erase up to $10,000 per individual borrower earning less than $125,000 annually or per married couple earning less than $250,000, and up to $20,000 for those who received a need-based Pell Grant while in college. The White House said that 90% of the relief would go to borrowers earning less than $75,000 per year.

Roughly 26 million borrowers applied or were automatically eligible for relief — and 16 million of them were approved by the Education Department and subsequently sent to loan servicers. The White House opened debt relief applications in October but closed them a month later as lawsuits swirled. The Supreme Court soon agreed to take on two of the lawsuits and held oral arguments for student debt cancellation on Feb. 28.

If you were among the millions of borrowers counting on this relief, you still have options to lower your monthly payments and even get some of your debt forgiven. Here’s what else borrowers need to know, and how to prepare for the impending end of forbearance.

What should I do now?

Get ready to make payments

Federal student loan payments are set to resume soon, with no possibility of further forbearance extensions. Interest will start accruing again on Sept. 1, and borrowers will have to resume monthly payments on their full student loan balance starting in October.

“Take your time, get very organized, identify where your loans are, what your repayment expectations are, sit down and actually create your own budget or spending plan,” says Stacey MacPhetres, senior director of education finance at EdAssist by Bright Horizons, an education and child care company. “And then take the time to figure out what you need to do.”

If you set money aside during the payment pause, consider making a lump sum student loan payment toward your balance before Sept. 1 to avoid racking up interest.

Find your servicer and set up payments

Check to see who your servicer is. Roughly 44% of borrowers now have a different federal student loan servicer than before the pandemic, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. You can identify your servicer by logging into your studentaid.gov account with your FSA ID or calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243.

Your servicer can help you do the following:

  • Check that your contact information is up to date.

  • Determine the amount you owe, the size of your monthly payments and when your first bill will be due.

  • Set up auto-pay. If you had this set up before forbearance, you’ll need to sign up again.

Expect long wait times when calling your servicer, cautions Scott Buchanan, executive director of the Student Loan Servicing Alliance. You may also be able to check some of this information on your servicer’s self-service online portal to avoid the customer service bottleneck.

Ask about income-driven repayment plans

If you anticipate not being able to make your student loan payment, your servicer can set you up with different payment plans and relief options. Consider asking about income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, which cap monthly bills at a set percentage of your income and erase remaining student debt after you make payments for a set number of years. If you earn below a certain income threshold or have lost your job entirely, you could pay as little as $0 per month under an IDR plan.

And a new IDR plan is in the pipeline that could cut monthly payments in half for most borrowers with undergraduate loans, and fast-track some with lower balances to forgiveness.

“I don’t know whether that plan will be ready to go in the fall,” Mayotte says. “But I know that there is a strong desire by the administration to get that plan, whatever it looks like, up and running sooner rather than later.”

If your student loans are in default

A temporary government program called Fresh Start could help if you had student loans in default before the payment pause. The program gives these borrowers the opportunity to re-enter repayment in good standing and access IDR plans and other relief.

Though borrowers will have one year to enroll in the Fresh Start program once forbearance officially ends this fall, they should apply as soon as possible, advises Michele Shepard, senior director of college affordability at The Institute for College Access & Success. The application is already open. You can sign up for the Fresh Start program today by going to myeddebt.ed.gov and logging in to your account, or calling the Federal Student Aid Office at 1-800-621-3115.

What if I can’t repay my student loans?

Shortly after the Supreme Court announcement on June 30, Biden announced a 12-month “on-ramp” repayment program. Borrowers who can’t make payments won’t fall into default until a year of missed payments, but interest will still accrue, so you should pay if you can.

Contact your servicer before you miss a payment. Ask about your options to lower or temporarily suspend payments through student loan deferment or forbearance. Start with an IDR plan, which sets payments at a portion of your income and extends your repayment term. These options can help keep you out of student loan delinquency (when a payment is late by as little as one day) and default (when a payment is at least 270 days late).

Don’t skip student loan payments. Defaulting on your loans can set off a devastating cascade of financial consequences, says Kristen Ahlenius, director of education at workplace financial wellness company Your Money Line. This can include credit score hits, seized paychecks and more.

Other ways to get help

Some nonprofit and legal organizations can offer student loan help as you navigate a return to payments. But be aware of scams, and avoid debt relief companies and anyone offering loan forgiveness. Only the government can forgive your student loans.

Here are some vetted student loan help resources to consider for information, advice or both; they are established organizations with verified histories:

“It feels like there’s a lot of fervor and panic right now,” MacPhetres says. “But there’s time, there’s opportunity, lots of repayment options and the servicers are there to help.”

Source: nerdwallet.com