Disney Parks gave Mickey Mouse fans the best birthday gift this year, free park admission on a guest’s birthday. What’s in store for 2010? Free admission for those who volunteer! Last month, Disney Parks announced the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.” program to celebrate the spirit of volunteer service.

Here’s the deal:

• American and Puerto Rico guests can visit www.DisneyParks.com and Canadian guests can visit www.DisneyParks.ca beginning January 1, 2010, to search for available volunteer opportunities. Many opportunities will be ideal for the entire family;
• One million people who spend a day volunteering with one of the participating organizations will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park. Guests must register for opportunities through “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” program;
• Disney is working with the nation’s largest volunteer network called HandsOn Network which is part of Points of Light Institute. HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the U.S. and connects more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies;
• While the program begins Jan. 1, it ends December 15, 2010, or until tickets have been distributed;
• Volunteer opportunities are in the United States (including Puerto Rico) or Canada and open to U.S., Puerto Rico or Canadian residents;
• Eligible volunteers must be at least 6 years old;
• Tickets distributed under “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.” are not valid:
  • For Walt Disney World Resort: March 29 – April 8 and July 4, 2010;
  • For Disneyland Resort: February 13 – 14, March 21, June 21 – 22, July 4, November 21, and December 11 – 12, 2010.

Who knew volunteering would not only make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside but would garner free admission to play with the Mouse. Visit www.DisneyParks.com for additional details about “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.”

Fall’s around the corner and the perfect time to grab the gal pals for a girlfriend getaway before the holidays rush in. Think you can’t afford one? Well the good folks at Budget Travel magazine have found eight affordable destinations ideal for a girlfriend getaway including Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Flip to page 25 of the Fall/Winter 2009 issue of Girlfriend Getaways to read the article or visit the online version here.

Here are some of the things to do when visiting Puerto Plato:

• Stay at the Sun Village Resort on Cofresi Beach for comfy and affordable accommodations;
• Take advantage of some of the excursions from the resort such as a river rapids rafting trip down the Yaque del Norte, one of the Dominican Republic’s largest rivers;
• Scoot on over to Paradise Island for snorkeling the waters to view colorful fish and spectacular coral reefs;
• Allow some pampering time at the resort’s new foot spa is also noted as a must-do pampering. Try the Hot Volcanic Stone Massage and Fresh Coconut Body Polish;
• Check out the town of Cabarete, just east of Sun Village to watch kite-boarding daredevils;
• Eat at the French-Caribbean restaurant called Bliss in Cabarete with a yummy entree of shrimp flambeed with aged rum.  Bliss is open 5 to midnight Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Reservations are accepted (Tel: 829/865-6444).

Who’s ready? Book your Puerto Plato vacation accommodations now because there’s no better time than the present.

Live the jetsetter’s life - at least for a little while - with JetBlue’s All-You-Can-Jet pass. Now through August 21, 2009, customers can purchase one of these passes for $599 to visit as MANY JetBlue destinations as often as they like between Sept. 8 and Oct. 8, 2009. Better yet, travelers will have access to every available seat on every flight. But wait, there’s more! Book travel or make changes up to three days before departure and there are NO blackout dates. When the All-You-Can-Jet pass is purchased, 35 TrueBlue points from JetBlue’s customer loyalty program will be awarded.

Did we just hear angels sing? Or was it the strum of a harp? This opportunity is a traveler’s dream. While one can’t cross the globe, they can fly to the 56 intriguing domestic and international destinations JetBlue flies including Cancun, Mexico; Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; and Orlando, Florida.

“Get extra face time with an important client; become a groupie for your favorite band; grab a ticket to the away games; extend summer with some extra rays in the Caribbean; take a spontaneous trip to see the extended family; or grab some genuine jambalaya or clam chowder,” said Robin Hayes, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for JetBlue Airways.  “You can do it all as often as you like in a month without emptying your pockets. It’s our answer to the ultimate road trip.”

We really like the way JetBlue thinks! Drink margaritas in Cozumel, Mexico one weekend and roll the dice another in Las Vegas.

Customers who purchase a pass can book new travel or make changes or cancellations to previous pass reservations without penalty up to three days before departure.

All travel using the All-You-Can-Jet pass must be booked between Aug. 12 and Oct. 5. Changes or cancellations made less than three days before departure will be subject to JetBlue’s $100 change/cancel fee. All pass purchases can be made by calling 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583). Customers must be TrueBlue members to take advantage of the pass. For more information about TrueBlue, or to register to become a member, visit www.jetblue.com/trueblue.

Have the All-You-Can-Jet pass? This is how to book your flight: call 1-800-JETBLUE (538-2583) and providing reservations crewmembers with the pass holder number, which is received when purchasing the pass. The pass is inclusive of taxes and fees for all domestic flights. Additional taxes and fees for Puerto Rico and international flights are not included. Customers can upgrade to Even More Legroom seats on each flight for an additional $10, $25 or $40, depending on the flight length. Other terms and conditions apply. Additional information is available at http://www.jetblue.com/deals/all-you-can-jet/tc.pdf.