How To Handle The Unexpected Travel Delays

When you travel as much as we do, you are bound to run into bad travel delays. Most of the time there is really not much you can do to resolve the situation. You are at the mercy of the weather, the airline, or the local department of transportation. Whatever the case may be, you are going to have hiccups. On our latest Disney trek, there was weather all up and down the east coast affecting over 50% of the hubs for our preferred airline. So even though we enjoy all the privileges of my husband's airline status there was no way we were going to make our connection. So what is a poor traveler without much experience to do when this happens? Here is what I have learned traveling with a seasoned business traveler.

Cancelled Flights

Instead of following the herd to the customer service line, get on your cell immediately and try to get rebooked. Call or use the app. Check your email to see if the airline has sent you an alternative to book quickly. The idea here is to get to the head of the electronic line, not the physical line. And then use your phone to find a hotel if you will need one. Be sure to confirm it before leaving the airport. And ask what will happen to your luggage so you know where to pick it up the next morning.

Missing Disney Reservations

It happens. Travel delays cause you to have to miss a dining reservation or some fastpasses. The first thing to do is call or text your travel agent. They will be able to fix the dining issues for you. If you haven't booked with an agent (why is that??), if you are still within the 24 hour limit, you should be fine. If you are inside that limit, explain to Disney that missing your reservation is entirely out of your control. It's likely they will be accommodating and waive the fee for canceling within the 24 hour time frame. Your fastpasses don't come with a penalty, but it is courteous to let them go. Someone else will be so glad you did!

Stay Rested and Fed

If at all possible, keep the children fed and rested. And get some sleep yourself. Also, give yourself permission to recover once you arrive at your destination. You don't have to jump right into your plans. Take an hour, take half a day, do what you need to do to make the rest of your vacation enjoyable.

Check Your Attitude

It's so hard to stay positive when things seem to be falling apart around you, but it helps to remember that the one thing you always are in control of is yourself. You have the power to decide how you will respond to what is happening around you. Give yourself permission to be frustrated and then move on. Treat yourself to a new movie on your mobile device, purchase that book you've been wanting to read, allow yourself to use more data than you would because this is a special circumstance. Do whatever it is you need to do to keep yourself from falling apart along with your travel plans.

What's Your Favorite Candy Bar? Or Why Crowdsourcing Your Trip on FaceBook Is A Bad Call

You've seen it before; someone on your Facebook feed asks for recommendations for their upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. It's likely they have never been and are looking for tips and tricks to get them started. This post may or may not phase you. Maybe you get all excited and recommend all your favorite attractions, and where your favorite parade seats are, and where they just have to get dining reservations. Or you may just scroll right past thinking, that's a nightmare I don't want to get involved with. When I see those posts, I cringe. I cringe because not only will there be a ton of erroneous information, I cringe because their friends are cheerfully letting them know all the things they liked (and didn't) while in no way considering your family's needs and desires. They are telling you what their favorite candy bar is, not telling you where you can find your favorite.

Remember that jingle from Almond Joy and Mounds? Sometimes you feel like a nut; sometimes you don't. This is what a good travel planner can parse out for you. When you are considering a trip to Walt Disney World the last thing you need is the conflicting advice from your friends; some of them like nuts, some don't. What you really need is the help of a Disney travel planner. These people are trained in all things Disney. They have experience and knowledge your friends who went two years ago don't. You need to think about what it is your family likes, what your needs are, how you like to travel, and where you like to stay.

Consider this: Are you foodies, and if so, do you have food allergies? Are you the family that likes to go till you drop, or do you like a more leisurely pace? Does your family like to swim, or do you prefer a playground? Are you into broadway shows, or thrill rides, or both? Do you like a high level of convenience in your trip, or do you want to travel on a shoestring? Do you want autonomy, or do you like to have someone else handle the details? Maybe you want a resort with a lot of kitsch and activity, or maybe you like to stay in a quiet, out of the way place. These are not the questions your friends are considering when they recommend their favorite candy bars. They are assuming you like the same ones they do. Maybe you do, but odds are, there are some things that you like that they just don't.

So the next time you see a Facebook post asking for Disney recommendations, the best recommendation you can give is to refer them to a Disney travel planner, preferably one like me who has been over 50 times and can offer sound advice with up to date, accurate, information on all the policies and practices at Walt Disney World. I can't tell you the number of times I have seen downright incorrect information given by well meaning individuals. It's not that they are trying to sabotage your vacation, but if you listen to only the advice of friends, you are bound to be disappointed. Walt Disney World is constantly changing. They add and take away experiences on a regular basis. It's an amazing trip, but it can also be a disaster. It would be such a shame to think you are going to get one sort of candy bar and end up with your least favorite in return. Call a Disney travel planner. You will be so thankful you did.

Walt Disney World 101 | 10 Of Our Favorite Touring Tips

We are gearing up in the cottage for a Spring Break trip to Walt Disney World! It's been a while since we have braved the madness of a packed theme park. And a little refresher is always a good idea! So today I share my Top 10 WDW Touring Tips with you.

These are tried and true and used on every Walt Disney World vacation we take. Some are obvious, some are not. Some have taken us a while to realize, some have been with us from the very beginning (and I do mean from the VERY beginning!). I can still hear my dad shouting, "Left side, Amy!" I hope you enjoy them and they come in useful for you and your touring party too.

1. Stay To The Left. This may be the single most important tip we have. Our American tendency is to stay to the right. And most tourists will choose the line or the attraction that is to their right. As we've continued to travel to WDW this rule has morphed somewhat into, take the path farthest from the door (or humanity). You'd be surprised how much faster you can get your burger and fries if you just move to the farthest line.
2. Wait To Leave The Parks. It sounds a little nutty, but if you don't have toddlers having historic melt downs, then stay a bit after the fireworks and linger in the shops or buy one last sweet treat. Let the transportation crush happen without you. Waiting to leave the park (especially the Magic Kingdom) can make everyone's night much better.
3. Arrive Early. If you can't manage the late nights, consider arriving for rope drop. The MK has a fun celebration prior to opening and all parks are clean and sparkling early in the morning; often you can get some nice photos with just your family in them.
4. Make A Dining Reservation For The Hour Before Park Opening. Some character meals allow for early entry to the parks. You must have a reservation and all the members of your party before you can go in, but you can eat in the park before it is officially open. This has two advantages; obviously you can maximize your time in that first line or two and you can get some really great photos without the crush of humanity.
5. Get A Haircut At The Harmony Barber Shop. This is strictly a Magic Kingdom experience, but I love doing this! Our first kid had the privilege of having his first haircut there. I HIGHLY recommend this! There was all sorts of kitsch and celebration and they are excellent with a wiggly kid.
6. Watch The Parade From Frontierland. Again, this is specific to the Magic Kingdom, but we have had excellent luck finding a good spot for viewing the parade and it's usually much less hectic. This is not the best plan if you want to see the fireworks after the parade. And as an added bonus, we can hit the Pirates of the Caribbean on the way out!
7. Hit Your Favorite Rides During the Evening Entertainment. If you are not watching the parade, the fireworks, or Illuminations, this is an excellent time to ride your favorite (usually crowded) rides. E-ticket rides were the most expensive and usually most desired rides when Disneyland and Walt Disney World opened. We still have a tendency to refer to them as such around the cottage.
8. Use The Single Rider Lines. If you are not opposed to riding next to someone you don't know, the single rider line can be a great time saver. Usually Mr. Photos From The Parks and Doc can ride the same coaster, or consecutive coasters and come out beaming. 
9. Grab A Button At Guest Relations. Especially if you are celebrating a birthday, first visit, or anniversary, get a button! The cast members are wonderful at making a little extra magic happen. You can even request a birthday phone call at your resort when checking in! 
10. Talk To Cast Members. They are incredibly willing to help, share Disney trivia, tell jokes, trade pins, hand out stickers and trading cards, and just in general make your trip enjoyable. One of my favorite interactions was with a street sweeper in Animal Kingdom who kept my kids entertained with jokes as we were all headed to the exit together. 

Remember to try and stay positive while you're touring and enjoy the time you have, even in the small moments. It's the happiest place on Earth, and you deserve a great vacation! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Life Get's In The Way

You know, I had this great blog post all written up about this amazing Adventures By Disney trip that I was going to take with my niece. We were going to head to London and Paris and be pampered like queens. We were going to meet Beefeaters, and make our own English tea and cycle around Versailles. I was SOOOO looking forward to it. And then, our oven broke, and our furnace crapped out and there goes my vacation budget right down the drain! I'm not going to pretend I'm fine with the whole thing, I really wanted to go on that trip! But, I am going to brush myself off and get busy saving again so we can try to go next time.
And here's my plug for travel insurance. You just never know when things like this are going to happen. I feel like a healthy gal like me probably wouldn't need to "waste my money" on something like travel insurance. But today, if you ask me if it was worth the $700 to get the other $9000 back? Yes it was. Every single penny. Did it seem superfluous at the time? Yes. Was I hesitant to get it? You bet I was. Am I glad I did? So glad.

Life happens. Parents get sick, kid's fall and break bones, and furnaces decide to give up the ghost. We can't control that sort of thing. But we can invest in our own peace of mind. I highly recommend getting the travel insurance. As a travel agent I have seen far too many trips have to be cancelled for circumstances out of our own control. Do yourself a favor and don't skimp.

Have you ever had to cancel your Disney vacation? I'd love to hear your horror stories too! Leave them in the comments below. And until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

WDW Abbreviations Cheat Sheet

Have you ever heard a Disney geek talk about going to Walt Disney World? It can sound like a foreign language! We can frequently be heard saying (or texting) that we are taking the ferry from the WL to the MK and hitting POTC first thing so we can make our ADR for BOG. It can make you wonder what in the world we were talking about!

Disney has gotten so big, and has so many special Disney experiences, that most of who deal with it on a daily basis have learned a sort of short cut language if you will. We speak in a lot of abbreviations, and I know I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to these coded messages

Well, for those of you newbies (or oldies who are struggling to remember!), here's a little cheat sheet for you.

So did you decode the original message? We were taking the ferry from the Wilderness Lodge to the Magic Kingdom to Pirates Of The Caribbean in order to make it to our Advanced Dining Reservation at Be Our Guest! You can see why the abbreviations come in so handy! I hope this helps you decode the Disney speak a little. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Learning More About Walt Disney World Water Parks

As a Certified Disney Travel Planner, I have been learning quite a bit about the WDW waterparks this summer. I thought I would use an entry here to share a little of what I learned with all of you.

My family has never really been much into swimming until the two little ones came along. This summer we have spent well over 50% of our days at the pool. That has definitely changed my thoughts about whether or not to visit a water park durning our next Walt Disney World trip! I have always been on the opinion that the pool at our resort was plenty enough fun for us. Now I am starting to see how we could really enjoy a full day at one of the two waterparks on property.

First, lets talk about the new Water Parks and More ticket add on. With this upgrade you get the same number of visits to 6 resort destinations (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course, and Oak Trail Golf Course) as you do park days.

So if you have a 3-day Water Parks and More ticket, you get to visit 3 Disney Theme Parks, AND  you get 3 visits to any of the Water Parks and More Options You can visit these other options on ANY of the days your are at Disney. It DOES NOT have to be on the same day you visit a theme park. So for instance, if you are going to be at the Walt Disney World Resort for 7 days, you could purchase a 3-day Water Parks and More ticket, spend days 1-3 at various theme parks, days 4-5 at the water parks, and days 6-7 playing golf. It's a great way to enjoy all that the WDW Resort has to offer!

Secondly, there are some ways to guarantee that you get some seats in the shade! I grew up in the days of River Country, watching my dad race to the shelter at rope drop to be sure our group had a place to recover from the sun! Those days are long gone. If you want a cabana-style accommodation at either Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach there are there for the renting! For as little as $60 you can rent an Umbrella area that will accommodate up to 4 guest. You have great seating, loungers and shade. But if you are looking for something a little more like what you might find at Castaway Cay, there are cabana-type areas at both waterparks in the $350 range. These can accommodate up to 6 guests and have a larger set of amenities that come included. For my high maintenance family, this sounds like a dream come true!

If you are a frequent visitor to either of the Disney Water Parks, I would love to hear your feedback! I am sure my family will be trying out one or both on our next Walt Disney World vacation. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

Walt Disney World 101 | 10 Of Our Favorite Touring Tips

It's been 100% crazy here in the cottage this week with school starting, family visits and the planning of a super secret surprise trip to WDW! Even so,  I still wanted to get a post out for today, so I thought I would share 10 WDW Touring Tips with you.

These are tried and true and used on every Walt Disney World vacation we take. Some are obvious, some are not. Some have taken us a while to realize, some have been with us from the very beginning (and I do mean from the VERY beginning!). I can still hear my dad shouting, "Left side, Amy!" I hope you enjoy them and they come in useful for you and your touring party too.

1. Stay To The Left. This may be the single most important tip we have. Our American tendency is to stay to the right. And most tourists will choose the line or the attraction that is to their right. As we've continued to travel to WDW this rule has morphed somewhat into, take the path farthest from the door (or humanity). You'd be surprised how much faster you can get your burger and fries if you just move to the farthest line.
2. Wait To Leave The Parks. It sounds a little nutty, but if you don't have toddlers having historic melt downs, then stay a bit after the fireworks and linger in the shops or buy one last sweet treat. Let the transportation crush happen without you. Waiting to leave the park (especially the Magic Kingdom) can make everyone's night much better.
3. Arrive Early. If you can't manage the late nights, consider arriving for rope drop. The MK has a fun celebration prior to opening and all parks are clean and sparkling early in the morning; often you can get some nice photos with just your family in them.
4. Make A Dining Reservation For The Hour Before Park Opening. Some character meals allow for early entry to the parks. You must have a reservation and all the members of your party before you can go in, but you can eat in the park before it is officially open. This has two advantages; obviously you can maximize your time in that first line or two and you can get some really great photos without the crush of humanity.
5. Get A Haircut At The Harmony Barber Shop. This is strictly a Magic Kingdom experience, but I love doing this! Our first kid had the privilege of having his first haircut there. I HIGHLY recommend this! There was all sorts of kitsch and celebration and they are excellent with a wiggly kid.
6. Watch The Parade From Frontierland. Again, this is specific to the Magic Kingdom, but we have had excellent luck finding a good spot for viewing the parade and it's usually much less hectic. This is not the best plan if you want to see the fireworks after the parade. And as an added bonus, we can hit the Pirates of the Caribbean on the way out!
7. Hit Your Favorite Rides During the Evening Entertainment. If you are not watching the parade, the fireworks, or Illuminations, this is an excellent time to ride your favorite (usually crowded) rides. E-ticket rides were the most expensive and usually most desired rides when Disneyland and Walt Disney World opened. We still have a tendency to refer to them as such around the cottage.
8. Use The Single Rider Lines. If you are not opposed to riding next to someone you don't know, the single rider line can be a great time saver. Usually Mr. Photos From The Parks and Doc can ride the same coaster, or consecutive coasters and come out beaming. 
9. Grab A Button At Guest Relations. Especially if you are celebrating a birthday, first visit, or anniversary, get a button! The cast members are wonderful at making a little extra magic happen. You can even request a birthday phone call at your resort when checking in! 
10. Talk To Cast Members. They are incredibly willing to help, share Disney trivia, tell jokes, trade pins, hand out stickers and trading cards, and just in general make your trip enjoyable. One of my favorite interactions was with a street sweeper in Animal Kingdom who kept my kids entertained with jokes as we were all headed to the exit together. 

Remember to try and stay positive while you're touring and enjoy the time you have, even in the small moments. It's the happiest place on Earth, and you deserve a great vacation! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

How A WDW Expert Made All The Wrong Assumptions About Cruising With Disney

You’ve heard all your friends and family rave about how amazing cruising with Disney is and you have finally bitten the bullet. You’ve decided to book your first Disney Cruise! You love Walt Disney World. In fact, you’ve been so many times you’ve lost track. You dream of one day being a DVC owner (or maybe you already are) and your expectations are high. Yup. This is exactly how we started with our first Disney Cruise. We made ALL the wrong assumptions about cruising based on our extensive knowledge of traveling to WDW and Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort.

If you are in the same shoes we were, here are some things you may want to consider when taking your first cruise on the Disney Cruise Line (or what I wish I had known before we went). With adjusted expectations, your cruise becomes much more relaxed and enjoyable for everyone!

How It Works At WDW	How It Works on DCL
We make our ADRs and Fastpasses well ahead of time. It takes a lot of planning up front, but then we have our plan and go! Fastpass windows are an hour long, so we can flex our schedule for hungry/sleepy toddlers a bit. We generally find it easy to get from one attraction to the next and still have some fun (even magical moments) along the way.	Think of your dining time as an ADR. You have made them all for the same time each night. And remember that the posted times for events in the navigator work like the times guide at a theme park; they are not windows of time (as with the Fastpasses), so if you want to see or do something realize they will start at the time posted. This is a more scheduled vacation, but perhaps less hectic (running from attraction to attraction.)  And we did have some magical moments, like the time we saw Goofy get off the elevator in his pajamas! Or the time he showed up in his pirate outfit in the concierge lounge.
Check in and check out is a virtually painless process for us. It is not demanding and we do not feel stressed while doing it  (although we might be feeling blue that we have to leave.) We often spend time hanging around the resort or at Disney Springs the day of check in and check out. We tend to be amblers.	You’re embarkation and debarkation are highly regimented experiences. Do not go into this with an ambling attitude! You need to be organized and ready for the process on both ends. Debarkation has a very specific process (which you can find in your Navigator app) including leaving your luggage outside your door the night before. Prepare for this. You should check and double check that you have everything you need with you (and that you can carry all of that with you) the morning you leave. You will have it at breakfast and there will be very little room for it in the dining room. You will be off the ship by 9am, so don't consider it a day on the ship. You may also want to have a plan for what to do with that window of time between debarkation and when your hotel room will be available. Disney Springs was a great option for our family.
If I need something, WDW almost always has it. I don’t stress out about packing because we can always just get it when we arrive at WDW. Between the hotel shops, theme park shops and Disney Springs, you can find virtually anything.	The ship’s shops were closed anytime we were in port. This made it very difficult on just a 3-day cruise to pick up anything we may have forgotten at home. I was really unprepared for this! Make sure you pay attention to the packing list Disney supplies and make sure all your essentials are packed! Remember that the ship has limited space and they are only supplied for a week or so. You cannot count on the ship stores making up for your lack of preparedness. Pack with intention. Also, ask a cast member if you really need something (like sunscreen). Chances are they can find something as a stop-gap for you.
Dining with allergies is not hard for us in WDW. Even as foodies we have always had wonderful dining experiences at the WDW resort. We understand the process of meeting the chef and “touring” the buffets for safe food options. We have 3 years of this experience under our belts. We love Disney’s attention to those with special diets and it is a large part of what keeps us going back. We don’t worry about improper handling of foods, and the chefs usually do something to make our meals better than expected.	We struggled a lot with this on DCL. Here's what I would say to those with allergies: 1. Note your allergies and special diets before you leave. Be sure it's on your paperwork so the crew has time to prepare for you. 2. Realize that (at least on the Dream) there is one kitchen for all the allergy free meals and one chef who is preparing them. 3. We never had problems with the peanut/tree nut allergy and the kid foods. They were all already nut free. 4. Communicate very specifically with your service team. They will do what they can to accommodate you. I found I had to speak up more than I was used to doing at WDW. 5. Preorder for the next day and save yourself the hassle! You can preorder every meal if you like, even on Castaway Cay. Remember to be specific, even giving the chef permission to substitute for ingredients that may be off limits for you. 6. Consider packing some go-to snacks for yourself or your kids with allergies, especially that first day. We all know that hungry kids are cranky kids!

Time for a Reboot!

Hello Mousekateers! It's been a while since I've posted on the blog, but since it's February and that's when the blog was born, I thought we'd give it a facelift and a new life! Those of you who've been following for a while will know that I have used a cloud based file system called Copy to share files with you. Unfortunately, they are shuttering that section of their business. So in an effort to keep all my files available to you, I will be rerunning those posts with new active links so you can still get your hands on all that DIY goodness!

And intermittently I will be sharing about our Disney vacations this year and how you can take your best Disney vacation with me as your guide! As many of you know I am a certified Disney Travel Planner. I can plan and book your trip AT NO ADDITIONAL COST. Disney pays my commission, so when you book with me you get my expertise for free!

So expect some fun new ideas, so terrific oldies but goodies and some travel news, all in one easy to find place! Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!