Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Happy Holidays! If you are at Walt Disney World this week or next week, keep an eye on park hours. Some parks have been extending hours each day!

Whatever your celebration at this time of year, I wish you joy, health, and magic in 2012. The Snippets will be on vacation until 2012.

Until we meet again…

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Disney Cruise Line has cancelled the following 2012 Mexican Riviera cruises departing from Los Angeles on the Disney Wonder: Dec. 9, Dec. 16, Dec. 23 and Dec. 30, 2012. No word on why these itineraries have been cancelled or where the Wonder will be going instead! If you are currently booked on one of these itineraries, your Travel Planner will contact you to discuss your options.

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner
 

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

The 100th episode of the PassPorter Moms Podcast is now available at http://www.passporter.com/podcast/passporter-moms-podcast12142011.php  I can't believe we've done 100 episodes!!! Thank you to all our listeners and to our supporters. Including Beci Mahnken and MEI-Travel & Mouse FanTravel!

This episode also includes a trivia contest with chances to win ipods, PassPorter Moms Travel Mugs, and copies of PassPorter ebooks. Good luck and happy listening!

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Will you be at Disney's Hollywood Studios between Christmas and New Year's Eve? Then check out this limited engagement in the ABC Sound Studio theatre!

From December 25 through December 31, 2011, “The Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special” will offer shows featuring improvisational holiday-themed skits created by performers – including alumni from the Comedy Warehouse on Pleasure Island – from suggestions given by audience members.

Show times (subject to change) are 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:45 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. daily.”The Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special” is included in park admission.

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

A new Fantasmic Dining Option is being tested at Disney's Hollywood Studios between December 18 – 31, 2011. The new “A Taste of Hollywood To Go – A Fantasmic! Dining Experience” gives guests the option to enjoy a picnic plus reserved seating for Fantasmic! Guests pick up their picnic meals between 11:00 am – 90 minutes before their selected Fantasmic! showtime at Min & Bill's Dockside Diner. This must be reserved in advance by calling 407-WDW-DINE, a credit card guarantee is required. You can even use a counter service credit for this meal!

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Thanks to technical issues last week, there were no Snippets so I'm making up for lost time by doubling up this week. Santa is delivering a new laptop next week!

Back to the business at hand… It's A December to Remember! Many of my friends and clients are already in Orlando or on their way to help Deb Wills and the AllEars.Net team celebrate 15 years of Magic starting later this week. If you are in "The World," keep an eye out for them or consider attending one of the meets that are open to anyone! You can find the schedule here: http://allears.net/decembertoremember/

I have been an AllEars devotee for over a decade and can't recommend this site enough for comprehensive Disney information. So I want to congratulate Deb and her team on 15 incredible years! You all rock! And thanks for letting me be a small part of the fun over the years. Wish I could be there in person this week, but I am there in spirit!

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Today, December 5, 2011, would have been Walt Disney's 110th birthday. As a tribute to the man who made this all possible, here are a few of my favorite Walt quotes:

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." Walt knew that having a vision was worthless without people to execute it. His Imagineers continue to do this to this day!

"Whenever I go on a ride, I'm always thinking of what's wrong with the thing and how it can be improved." Next time your favorite ride is down for a rehab, remember this quote. Disney theme parks are constantly evolving, something Walt himself insisted on. And continuing in this thread…

"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world." And grow, and grow, and grow! With so many new things in store for Disney in 2012 - the Fantasyland expansion at Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line's newest ship – the Disney Fantasy, and continuing work on Shanghai Disneyland – Walt's dream will continue to inspire the company he built for many years to come.

Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

Happy Thanksgiving! This is my favorite holiday as it has all the wonder of the holiday season without the commercialism of December. And the yummy food doesn't hurt either!

I am thankful this year for all of the usual things – my incredible family and friends, the health of my loved ones, etc. But I am also so thankful to be working every day at something I am truly passionate about – Disney! To get to wake up and help make magic for people is an incredible blessing in my life. Even better because I get to do it so many ways! Through this blog, the PassPorter Moms Podcast, and my work as a Travel Planner for Mouse Fan Travel, I have magical moments every day.

So thank YOU for all of your support! And as always… Be well and make magic wherever you go!

Sara Varney
Travel Planner

Greetings fellow Mouse Fans!

So you've made it to Walt Disney World and you've even been on some rides. But you notice that someone in your group is not exactly feeling the magic. Now what? First, run through the things we've already discussed. Hungry? Thirsty? No?

The next thing to consider is overstimulation. This is not just for kids! Disney barrages you with sensory experiences – sights, sounds, even smells. It can be a bit overwhelming! It is important to take breaks and either go back to your resort for some downtime, or at the very least, consider finding a quiet spot in the parks and taking a few minutes to relax.

Heat is also an issue in Florida. Find a shady spot and grab a drink! Better yet, go back to the resort for some pool time or even a nap in the air conditioned room. You would be amazed how much taking a break can reinvigorate your entire group!

My last piece of advice is – it's ok to split up! There is such a thing as too much togetherness. So if someone needs a break and everyone else is raring to go, by all means, pick a time and a place to meet back up and go your own ways. Grumpy may actually be happy to see you when they return!

If, after all this advice, you just can't get someone to leave "Grumpy" behind, don't let it spoil your vacation. Not everyone feels the magic in the same way, and that's ok!

Be well and make magic wherever you go.

Sara Varney
Travel Planner