The day is almost upon us! The day that 2019 Walt Disney World Resort packages are released for booking. Tuesday, June 19th we will be able to book packages (which consists of room plus tickets and the option to add a dining plan). Just a reminder that we can never book a room more than 499 days in advance, so this package release will open rooms through the end of October 2019. Further dates will be released day by day and by the end of summer, all of 2019 will be able to be booked. Package release date is also the day where Disney will announce any changes to the dining plans and I will keep you posted if there are any changes. Reminder: we don't have exact dates for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios yet. The official word from Disney is 'late fall'. 

Terms and conditions snapshot (subject to change): 
For just a $200 deposit you can secure your package with tickets. If you need to make any changes or cancellations there is no penalty as long as you do so more than 30 days prior to travel. If you cancel 2-30 days before travel Disney can keep your deposit, and if you cancel within 2 days you may forfeit your entire package rate. I can also help you with travel insurance so you are protected if case you needs to cancel or leave early for a covered reason. 

If you are looking to travel during the early months of the year through spring break I would highly encourage you to book as soon a possible. Once rooms open up, resorts fill up and the least expensive rooms tend to book up first. As always, if you book ahead of a promotion and one becomes available for your dates and resort I can switch you into a promotional rate room if it is available. Price watching is just one of many services I offer at no charge to clients who book through me.

​If you want to look over the different resort options please review this brochure before you fill out a quote request. 

I look forward to helping you plan your Best Day Ever! 

Over the summer I received an unexpected phone call from my agency owner presenting me with an amazing travel opportunity to represent our agency at a very exclusive training event. I immediately turned it down. Kind of ridiculous, right? I have just gotten so comfortable booking primarily Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line vacations, and know those destinations backwards and forwards that the idea of expanding my business at all was a daunting thought. I texted my husband to tell him what had just happened to which he replied "No way, you are not turning that down, do it!" (yes, he is kind of amazing) So after a few minutes of weighing the pros and cons I nervously called my agency owner back and sheepishly back-tracked and asked if she had already passed the opportunity along to someone else. Luckily she hadn't. I was in! But honestly I still didn't quite feel at peace about making the trip. I was hesitant, as this trip would be way outside my comfort zone. I would be traveling completely alone to a new destination and training with agents I had never met who were not with my agency. Fast forward a few days and our family went to the beach for our usual Saturday at the beach. As we started to pack up I went down to the water's edge to collect and rinse off beach toys as I always do. I saw something shining by the waves and thought it might be a jelly fish (a common siting here), but as I got closer I noticed it was a plastic package, a wrapped cookie. A fortune cookie?!? Huh? I have no idea how it washed up on the beach or where it came from, but I grabbed it to throw in the trash because if I thought it was a jelly fish, certainly a sea turtle would and might choke on it. Before I added it to our trash bag I thought I should at least open it and see what the fortune was. My chin dropped as I read it aloud to my family. 

I mean, wow! Here I was struggling with this trip to this new place because I was comfortable where I was, and here comes this fortune cookie and told me just what I needed to hear, just when I needed to hear it. I mean, God spoke to people with burning bushes, why not fortune cookies from the sea, right? It's not such a stretch! I immediately changed my attitude and have been excitedly anticipation the trip every since!
So, join me next week as I travel to Aulani: A Disney Resort and Spa on the shores of Oahu in Hawaii. {Insert squeal here!} I am excited to learn all about the resort, a new place for me, which is sure to lead to great transformation! I am excited for this new knowledge to benefit my clients and help create even more magical memories for their families. 
You can follow my adventures on Instagram (be sure to check my Instagram Story as well), Facebook or Twitter. And if you want me to check out something specifically at Aulani or in Oahu, leave me a comment or shoot me a message! 

Today Disney has announced it will continue it’s military discount for 2018 at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort! Here are a few of the details. 

Walt Disney World Resort in Florida
Resort stays:

• Active and retired U.S. military personnel can book Disney property resort rooms for a discount for stays most nights January 1st through December 19th, 2018 (black out dates March 24th to April 6th). Rooms for this offer are limited and available today! 

U.S. Military Walt Disney World Tickets:

• Must be purchased through U.S. military sales outlets by eligible military personnel or their spouses with valid military I.D. 
• 4 day Park Hoppers are $226 plus tax
• 5 day park Hoppers are $246 plus tax
• Upgrade to the 'Park Hopper Plus' tickets for $40 plus tax per ticket to enjoy the water parks, miniature golf courses or admission ESPN Wide World of Sports. Restrictions apply. 
• Only 6 tickets per year may be purchased and are non-transferable. 
• Eligible for use January 1st, 2018 to December 19th, 2018. 
• Must be purchased by December 15th, 2018. 
• Can be linked on My Disney Experience ahead of time to make fast passes, but must be activated at the ticket window on property before first use. 

Memory Maker photo package:

• discounted Memory Maker available for purchase only at Walt Disney World Resort ticket service windows for $98 plus tax. 
• No more than 2 discounted Memory Makers per year may be purchased per eligible service member or spouse. 

Disneyland Resort 
​Resort stays: 

• Active and retired U.S. military personnel can book Disneyland property resort rooms for a discount for stays most nights January 1st through December 19th, 2018 (resort block-out dates March 13th to April 18th). Rooms for this offer are limited and available today! 

U.S. Military Disneyland tickets: 

• 3 day Park Hopper ticket available for $168 plus tax
• 4 day Park Hopper ticket available for $188 plus tax 
• Ticket block out dates apply (March 23rd to April 8th, 2018) 
• not valid for Magic Morning early entry 
• Only 6 tickets per year may be purchased and are non-transferable. 

Military Disney PhotoPass Collection

• Available to military members at a discounted price of $49 plus tax 
• Must be purchased at a Disney PhotoPass Sales Center or dining location with valid military I.D. 
• Includes, digital downloads, a voucher for a dining print package and a Disneyland Resort Gallery Disc with stock photos around the parks. 

Who is eligible?
Direct from the Disney websites:

• "Eligible Service Members" are active or retired members of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Reservists, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS), and the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Valid military identification required for purchase. Spouses of Eligible Service Members must present valid and active U.S. Military IDs in the absence of the Eligible Service Member to make a purchase.

Interested in a 2018 resort quote? Head over here and fill out a quote request form!

Disney Cruise Line Summer 2018 itineraries now available to book! Disney Cruise Line has opened bookings through September 2018 and include some new ports as well as some familiar favorites. 

Disney Magic
The Magic will once again head to Northern Europe on 7- 10- or 11- night itineraries that include ports such as the Norwegian Fjords, the British Isles and new next summer- Ireland.

The Magic will also enjoy 5- 7- or 10- night sailings to the Mediterranean featuring stops in Rome, Barcelona, Naples and introducing Genoa, Italy for the first time. 

The Magic will have a 13- night transatlantic cruise departing from Miami and enjoying several ports in Portugal and Spain including Lisbon and Cadiz. 

Disney Wonder
The Disney Wonder will once again head out west to the California coast for 2- 3- and 5- night sailings from San Diego. There is also a 5 night sailing from San Diego to Vancouver, Canada.

Once again the Wonder will take 5- 7- and 9- night sailings to Alaska which features bucket list ports of call such as Tracy Arm Fjord, Juneau, and Hubbard Glacier. 

Disney Dream 
The Disney Dream will continue sailing out of Port Canaveral on 3- 4- and 5- night Bahamian sailings. Some sailings include a 'double dip', or 2 stops, at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. 

Disney Fantasy
The Fantasy will also sail exclusively out of Port Canaveral on 7 night eastern and western Caribbean sailings and a special 11-night sailing to the southern Caribbean including Aruba, Barbados and San Juan. 

If you are interested in sailing on Disney Cruise Line anytime now through September 2018, please request a no obligation vacation quote here. 

One question I've been getting a lot lately is "Should we even bother taking our toddler to Disney?" People have a lot of misconceptions about taking the under 3 crowd to Disney. Since we have taken our 2 year old to Walt Disney World twice this year I thought it would be a perfect time to write this post. I wrote a similar post awhile back about what is the perfect age to go to Disney and you can read that here. But in this post I will just focus on tips when taking your toddler. 

1. Under 3 is FREE!
​Taking a toddler to Disney makes the most sense financially because Disney does not charge under 3 for theme park tickets and for some dining venues.  This can be a considerable savings when you think about the price of tickets. At all character meals and buffets the under 3 crowd can eat free! Consider that these meals are often over $20 per child and this savings adds up. If you book a resort package, toddlers and infants will still get to pick a Magic Band so they don't feel left out, but they are really just for show. No tickets or fast passes will be linked with them, because they are not required. Even if you go to celebrate your child's 3rd birthday, as long as you check in while they are still 2, then they are charged as a 2 year old the entire trip. No one ages at Disney! No future promotion will compare to this discount! 

2. Focus on Magic Kingdom
At other theme parks around the country you will find a heavy concentration of rides with height requirements. While Disney does have some thrill rides that have these requirements, they have so many other attractions for kids of all sizes. Magic Kingdom has the most offerings with popular rides such as Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, It's a Small World , Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Jungle Cruise, Under the Sea with Ariel, and so many more rides, character meets and shows. The other 3 parks have plenty to do for toddlers as well, but Magic Kingdom has always been the favorite for our toddlers. Our last couple of trips we have gotten Park Hopper tickets so we could spend part of every park day at Magic Kingdom. Toddlers love reading the same books over and over, seeing the same TV show over and over and the same goes for rides at Disney. We rode It's a Small World about 5 times last trip because our 2 year old was enamored with the song and seeing the kids in each room. Watching her experience the ride was the most fun for us as parents! 

3. Baby Care Centers
Each of the 4 parks have a Baby Care Center complete with changing tables, high chairs, nursing (or pumping) rooms, and they have a small store complete with anything you might have left at home such as diapers, wipes or baby food. Check your park maps and know where this center is in each park. It's worth seeking out for a diaper change as it's much cleaner and less crowded than your standard bathroom. The nursing areas are quiet and private with comfortable chairs. These areas are a sanctuary for moms of littles and I am always surprised how few people know about them. Each park also has family friendly companion bathrooms, so Dad can bring baby sister to a private bathroom to change her or Mom can pile in the bathroom with all 3 kiddos and not worry about losing one. 

4. Rider Switch Pass
If you are bringing older siblings who enjoy thrill rides, or mom and dad want to get their roller coaster fix on Space Mountain then you need to get to know and understand the Rider Switch program- it's your friend! Your whole family arrives to a ride and tells the Cast Member at the standby entrance that you want to use the rider switch program. The Cast Member will give the parent staying behind a Rider Switch pass, which is a paper ticket (don't lose it!) to return to the ride at a later time and go through the fast pass entrance with up to 2 other people/ kids. This way you don't have to wait in the stand-by line twice and both parents get to experience the ride with the older kids. The older kids get to ride twice and the younger kids don't have to hang around and wait, but can go on a nearby attraction. Everyone is happy! You can use this program with fast passes as well. The first parent and kids can have a fast pass so they don't have to wait in the stand-by line either. This can get complicated when making the fast passes, but it's something I often do for my clients and I'm happy to help them get the most out of this program. Also, check the Rider Switch pass. It often won't expire for several days, so as long as you don't lose it you can wait and use it later in your trip.  

5. Plan to Rest 
As a Disney travel agent one thing I hear so often is "We aren't going to leave the park, they can just sleep in the stroller. We'll power through and make the most out of our day." I can't discourage this enough! While it's true you may check more rides off your list and see more shows by staying in the park from open to close, chances are that by the time fireworks come around the day isn't going to feel nearly as magical as it did when you first entered the park and saw the castle for the first time. Without exception we ALWAYS take a midday break. This includes our 10th Anniversary trip when it was just my husband and I. That afternoon rest time to head back to the hotel and enjoy a nap or pool time and then shower and change for the evening is CRUCIAL to the enjoyment of our trip. It's as much needed for us as the parents as it is for our kids. This is also why we now always stay on property. The one time we didn't stay on property we spent several hours in transportation time per day using shuttles and then even trying to park and take the tram and monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Staying on property really helps to make it so easy to work in afternoon rest time and make the most out of your trip. When thinking of what's important for your vacation, you should think quality, not quantity! 

Going to Disney with a toddler is pure magic! Seeing Disney through the eyes of your child for the first time is truly an experience that cannot be described in words! As your kids get older the experience is fun in different ways, but taking them while they are young and seeing them meet Mickey and Cinderella and Winnie the Pooh for the first time with their eyes wide and taking it all in.... it can't be beat!