Buys OCTOBER 2000
By Reported by Brian L. Clark, Grace Jidoun, Natasha Rafi, Carolyn Whelan and Brook Crandell Wilkinson

(MONEY Magazine) – PARK AND RIDE In exchange for a little inconvenience, families and other groups can dramatically cut the cost of a Disney World vacation by renting a house a short drive away instead of staying within the Orlando park. Vacation Homes at Disney (www.vacationhomesatdisney.com; 888-288-6608) rents two- to five-bedroom, freestanding homes located about 10 miles--or 20 minutes by car--from the theme parks. A three-bedroom, two-bath furnished home with a private heated pool costs $121 a night from Sept. 16 to Dec. 16. After that, the rate goes to $154. Stay more than a week and you get a 10% discount.

DEVELOPMENT DEAL Snapfish develops photos for only the $1.69-a-roll cost of sending you the prints and negatives in the mail. The catch is that you have to go to www.snapfish.com within 30 days and answer three questions about your buying habits and plans. Otherwise, your credit card is charged $3.99. When MONEY tried it, our prints arrived in eight days and the quality was as good as drugstore processing.

CHEER UP, MATES Bookings to Sydney for the Olympics (Sept. 15 to Oct. 1) have been weaker than expected, so travel experts predict 11th-hour discounts. Check for deals at www.australia.com and with tour operator websites like www.newmans.com, www.swainaustralia.com and www.inta-aussie.com. You can save more if you travel just after the Olympics. Inta-Aussie, for instance, offers round-trip travel from L.A. to Sydney and 11 nights in Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns and Moreton Island for $1,998 per person.

CABIN FEVER Founded by W.W. II veterans who admired the Alpine version, the 10th Mountain Division's hut system (www.huts.org; 970-925-5775) consists of 30 cabins spaced 10 to 15 miles apart in the Colorado Rockies. The huts offer hikers, bikers and skiers rudimentary lodging--bunks, cooking facilities and outhouses--for $22 to $35 per person per night. Booking for summer 2001 starts Oct. 1.

ATTENTION, STUDENTS! If you purchase a Palm handheld between July 15 and Sept. 30, you're entitled to a free CD compilation of Palm software that includes Kaplan test prep material, a condensed Encyclopaedia Britannica, a thesaurus and a bank-account tracking program. Claim your CD by Oct. 31 by downloading a mail-in form at www.palm.com/newspromo/school.html.

AUTUMN LEAVES While New England teems with leaf gazers, fall is the off-season around Lake Tahoe, and the mountainous terrain sports fine foliage of its own. In October and November, Tahoe Season's Resort (800-540-4874) offers a suite with a fireplace and hot tub for $114 a night--or 38% off winter rates.

Reported by Brian L. Clark, Grace Jidoun, Natasha Rafi, Carolyn Whelan and Brook Crandell Wilkinson