Will you be at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, or the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World on May 24, 2013? Then you better be sure to sleep in on May 23! Because all three parks will open at 6:00 am on May 24, 2013 and remain open for a full 24 hours until May 25, 2013! This event is the kick-off to a "Monstrous Summer" at Disney parks and the crew from Monster U  - Mike, Sulley and more – will be making extra appearances throughout the day.

Sleep? Who needs sleep?

Be well and make monsters… I mean magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

Star Wars Weekends 2013 begins this Friday, May 17, 2013 at Disney's Hollywood Studios and continues every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 9, 2013. Each weekend is packed with celebrity appearances from the Star Wars universe, special merchandise, parades, and more. For the Star Wars fan it is an unforgettable event. For everyone else, it is a reason to avoid Disney's Hollywood Studios on the weekends! 

Crowd levels will be high in the parks but the attractions typically have normal or below-normal wait times since most guests are focused on the special events. So if you don't mind avoiding the storm troopers – consider visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios during this event! It may be your best chance to get on Tower of Terror. 

Be well and may the Force be with you!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Take on Darth Vader at the Jedi Training Academy

 

 

 

Here's a delicious way to make your vacation dreams come true! Book a non-discounted Walt Disney World® Magic Your Way package and get a select Dining Plan – Free*!

Book a value resort – Get Quick Service Dining Plan- Free
Book a moderate, deluxe or villa – Get the Disney Dining Plan-Free

Valid for stays most nights:
September 2, 2013 – September 25, 2013

Book by July 31, 2013

 

 

 

Stay and experience the magic up close. Be close to the heart of all the magic, from the Theme Parks and entertainment to exciting nightlife, shopping and more. Save up to 30%* when you stay at a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotel

Save up to 20% – Select Value Resort Hotels
Save up to 25% – Select Moderate Resort Hotels & Cabins
Save up to 30% – Select Deluxe & Villa Resort Hotels

Book this special deal by 7/31/13
for stays most nights – 8/15/13 – 9/28/13

Contact your favorite Mouse Fan Travel Planner today for a no-obligation quote to take advantage of these great deals! 

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

(Photos Courtesy of Disney©)

*The number of rooms allocated for these offers is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same package. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes campsites and 3-bedroom villas and is not valid at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Little Mermaid Standard View Rooms. Excludes gratuities and alcoholic beverages. Children ages 3–9 must order from children’s menu, if available. Some Table-Service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase. Other restrictions may apply.

* No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Additional per adult charges may apply if more than two adults at Disney Value, Moderate, and Deluxe resorts. Excludes campsites, 3-bedroom villas, and is not valid at Disney's Art of Animation Resort – The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms. 

Are you a Disney VISA cardholder? Here's a delicious way to make your vacation dreams come true! Book a non-discounted Walt Disney World® Magic Your Way package and get a select Dining Plan – Free*!

Book a value resort – Get Quick Service Dining Plan- Free 
Book a moderate, deluxe or villa – Get the Disney Dining Plan-Free

Valid for stays most nights:
September 2, 2013 – September 25, 2013

Book by July 31, 2013

Upgrades are available too!
Guests staying at a Value Resort can upgrade from the Quick Service Dining Plan to the regular Dining Plan for less than $19 per adult, per night, and less than $3 per child, per night.

Guests staying at a Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort can upgrade from the regular Dining Plan to the Deluxe Dining Plan for less than $45 per adult, per night, and less than $20 per child, per night.

Tickets can also be upgraded to add Park Hopper, Water Park Fun & More and/or No Expiration, for an extra cost.

Ask about room discount offers from 8/15/13 – 9/28/13 too! 

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

Disney Cruise Line's original ship, the Disney Magic, turns 15 this year and to celebrate, she is getting a serious facelift! 

The Disney Magic will be undergoing extensive refurbishments during it's dry dock this fall. Let's start with the kids clubs! The Oceaneer Club will be getting all-new play areas including Marvel's Avengers Academy, Andy's Room and more. The Oceaneer Lab will be getting a pirate theme.

Next up is probably the most exciting updates – the pool area! Three new water play areas are being added – AquaLab, an interactive water playground for kiss ages 3 and up, Nephews' Splash Zone for kids under 3, and the AquaDunk – a 3-story body slide that starts with a nearly-vertical drop!

The spa is being updated as well as adding a "Teen Spa," the staterooms are being redecorated, and the lobby will be reconfigured and get a new chandelier!

I can't wait to experience all the new magic the Magic has to offer! I'm booked on her in 2014 – to plan your "Magic"-al Disney Cruise Line vacation, contact your favorite Mouse Fan Travel Vacation Planner today!

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

I remember when my son was little, packing almost an entire suitcase with diapers, wipes, goldfish crackers and disposbale bibs. No more! Save on luggage fees and your sanity, and order the must-have items to be delivered to your resort for the day you check in. There are a couple of methods for doing this. 

In my opinion, the easiest (but maybe not the cheapest) is to place an order with GardenGrocer.com. GardenGrocer.com serves the Central Florida area and many guests use them to order groceries and supplies for their stays. When you log on to the site, you will choose a time slot for your delivery – order early as time slots do go quickly! Ideally, you want to time your delivery for the same time as your arrival but this can be tough to do. You do not need to be present to accept delivery – bell services will store your food and refrigerate your cold items until you arrive. But they have limited space, so do try to time it carefully! 

I have also heard of guests ordering supplies from www.amazon.com, such as diapers, etc. Obviously, this will not help if you need milk, etc. but Amazon's prices on baby and dry goods are cheaper than GardenGrocer's. Call your resort to get the correct address for delivery and the box will be waiting for you when you check in!

So that's it! My favorite tips for keeping it simple when traveling with young children. Bottom line – you are going to have your hands full no matter what! Less lugging means more free hands for hugging. The oldest magic in the world!

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner
 

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

It's amazing how the tiniest of humans require the greatest amount of equipment, isn't it? Traveling with babies and toddlers can mean lugging everything from bottles to baby monitors to portable cribs. But great news for parents taking their tots to Walt Disney World – you can arrange for most equipment to be waiting for you at your resort! While Walt Disney World Resort rooms offer a Graco Pack & Play, if you want a full-sized crib, you may have to look elsewhere. 

We've already covered my love for Orlando Stroller Rentals, but for cribs, monitors, and more, check out A Baby's Best Friend. A Baby's Best Friend rents everything from full-sized cribs to toddler beds to exersaucers. Even swings and safety gates! You can even rent a rocking chair. The equipment is sanitized and steam cleaned between each rental. 

Next week – don't lug diapers, snacks and formula! 

Be well and make magic wherever you go…

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

My son is now 9 so it's been a while since I had to grapple with the monster that is traveling with a toddler but I remember it well. Packing for a weekend away felt akin to supplying the troops on D-Day. 

The good news is that an entire industry has risen out of the needs of families traveling to Disney with small children! Gone are the days when you had to pack formula, diapers or even a stroller. 

For the next few blogs, I'll be sharing my tips on what you should bring from home, what you can leave at home, and how to make touring the parks easier with little ones. 

But for today – let me start with my favorite tip! Almost every mother I know has more than one stroller. Even if they only have one child! There is a lightweight stroller, the jogging stroller, the stroller that the infant carrier fits into… I get asked all the time, "Which stroller should I bring to Disney?" My answer? "None of them!" 

Orlando Stroller Rentals has you covered. They offer a variety of stroller for rental during your stay. Single stroller, double strollers, sit & stand strollers, even special needs strollers. The stroller will be waiting for you at Bell Services when you check in and you can leave it with them when you check out! Best of all, their prices are better than renting from Disney AND the strollers are way more comfortable than the hard, molded-plastic strollers that Disney rents. 

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Photo Courtesy of Disney©

I have been struggling with what to write for two days now. (Which is why this post is a day late.) And I'm still not certain what to say as I sit here glued to my computer watching the events in Boston and Watertown continue to unfold. All I know is that this is a time when people come together and out of the madness, goodness rises. As Mr. Roger said, "Look for the helpers."

Already the emails have begun to arrive asking the inevitable question – "What about Walt Disney World? What are the security procedures?" 

It is inevitable and understandable that when something like the events at the Boston Marathon occurs that people question security surrounding major tourist attractions and events. 

Let me be as reassuring as possible with some facts:

Walt Disney World employs over 1000 security personnel. 

Guests entering Disney parks enter through security check points and bag checks. Those of you who have been there may have grumbled once or twice as a security guard looked through your bags with flashlights or made you unzip every pocket, now have a new appreciation for their throughness. 

There may be other security measures in place that we are completely unaware of because those are the best kind. If they broadcast every thing they do, how effective would they be? 

The Disney community and all of us at MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel are keeping all of those in Boston in our thoughts and prayers. 

As always – Be well and make magic wherver you go.

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

On Monday, April 15, 2013, I was taking my son to his first Red Sox game at Fenway park. It was his 9th birthday and we were overjoyed to be celebrating his birthday in the city where he was first placed in our arms. I lived outside of Boston briefly as a child and again when I went to Wheaton College in Norton, Mass. The city has always been important to us. Patriot's Day is a special day in Boston and the feeling of excitement was palpable as we walked around. 

The Sox won in the bottom of the 9th inning and we headed to back to our hotel to thaw out a bit before heading over to Copley Square. As we were walking out of our hotel room overlooking the Charles, I heard an alert from my phone and glanced down at it. And then the sirens began. 

I am still in shock and grieving the loss of life and the many injuries sustained that day. And like many of you, I felt an overwhelming urge to do something… anything. We made the decision to continue our trip and support the city of Boston with our presence, our tourist dollars, and some random acts of pixie dust. Nothing big, just a way to give back and share a little kindness for the city that has given us so much. 

I know I have mentioned Random Acts of Pixie Dust before and I encourage them again as a small way to make the world a better place. But if you are looking for a more direct way to help the city of Boston and the victims of the explosions here is some information:

 - Donations can be made to Massachussetts General Hospital at MGH Developmental Office, 165 Cambridge Street, Suite 600, Boston, MA 02114.

- Donations can be made to Boston Children's Hospital Marathon Relief effort: https://giving.childrenshospital.org/ways-to-help-boston-marat hon?utm_content=sf11735271&utm_medium=spredfast&utm_source=twitter&utm _campaign=Social+admin&sf11735271=1

Be well and make magic wherever you go. 

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Photo Courtesy of the Boston Red Sox©