Why Do I Love Halloween at Disney?

Disney recently made an announcement that I know people were waiting on… at least, I know I was. This year, on select nights from August 10 through October 31, Disney will be bringing back an after-hours Halloween party! Those that have attended Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in the past are familiar with Disney’s Boo To You parade and the amazing fireworks. Everyone waited to hear after the announcement of this year’s celebration, Boo Bash, what would and would not be a part of the event. After all, a different name must indicate a difference experience, right? Continue reading “Why Do I Love Halloween at Disney?”

Pool Days at Disney

Anyone who experiences an extended stay at Disney knows how exhausting it can be if you spend all of your waking hours in the Parks. Trying to squeeze in every last ride and show, and re-visiting your favorite parks multiple times can often result in short tempers and meltdowns (and occasionally it’s even the children that experience these…). For this reason, one of my biggest tips for people vacationing at Walt Disney World is to incorporate a pool day into the schedule. Take one day in which you don’t visit any of the Parks, or even half a day, and spend it lounging on the pool deck with a good book and a margarita. If you take this one piece of advice, you will definitely save your sanity and re-energize yourself and your family. You will thank me later.

You might be asking which Resorts at Walt Disney World offer the BEST pools. All of Disney’s pools, in my opinion, are top quality and greatly themed. However, they do each have their own unique features, so let’s go over some of my favorites. Continue reading “Pool Days at Disney”

The End of Disney’s Magical Express?

For the past ten months, Disney travelers have been dealing with the constant and quickly changing environment at Walt Disney World. Mask requirements, no fireworks, limited park capacity and select resorts yet remaining closed as we push into 2021 are just some of the adjustments we have all been maneuvering through.

Well, Disney isn’t done yet. Today they announced as of January 1st, 2022 they will no longer be providing Magical Express transportation from or to the airport. Disney’s Magical Express has been making Disney resort guests’ lives easier since 2005. The transportation option has always been a free benefit for those staying on property, and in non-COVID pandemic times your checked baggage was collected for you and “magically” appeared in your room several hours after you arrived.

Continue reading “The End of Disney’s Magical Express?”

You Can Travel in Your Own Backyard

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Disney. Eight and a half months, actually. I’m looking forward to being back in the parks – soon. However, in the meantime, and since not traveling goes against my inner desire, I took a look at where we could go locally for a “mini vacation.” Its no joke that anyone associated with or has a business based in travel has been affected during these past months. I believe that the only way to promote traveling once again, is to get out there and do some traveling myself.

Minnesota is a beautiful, scenic location during this time of year. Summer is great, despite the potential for hot and muggy, but once Fall hits I am actually MORE happy to spend my time outdoors. The temperatures become just a bit cooler, the bugs become a bit less, and the colors that saturate the trees are just so glorious to look at and soak up. Therefore, on a Friday morning in early Fall, we decided to head north to Duluth, MN. Continue reading “You Can Travel in Your Own Backyard”

What will be different at Disney?

Disney has made their re-opening announcement. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will finally open their gates on July 11th. Hollywood Studios and Epcot will join them on July 13th. DVC resorts will open as of June 22nd. We have all endured 2 1/2 months without Disney, with another month to go. If I didn’t live 1500 miles away, I would be rushing those gates the moment Disney removed the locks. First, though, we need to all be familiar with the changes Disney is making in order to keep each of us as safe as possible while we are enjoying the magic of the Disney bubble.

Continue reading “What will be different at Disney?”

Never Have I Ever…

With the Disney parks indefinitely closed right now, Disney fans are working hard to avoid baseless predictions about the future and a loss of their Disney magic by posting how they get their Disney “fix” even though they cannot travel to the parks. Disney fans are by far some of the most creative and enthusiastic fans out there, craving that connection and dose of Disney and willing to share it and inspire each other. They embrace the fact that they have been forced to cancel or reschedule their Disney trips and start the countdowns over again. Continue reading “Never Have I Ever…”

Why should you be using My Disney Experience?

If you’ve been going to Disney for a long time, you may remember keycards to open your resort room and enter the parks, and having to physically get “fast passes” for the rides you didn’t want to stand in line for. Your options for planning tools were the paper park map and the How To books that are produced each year. Some people long for those days, and claim they had more freedom with their vacation back then. In true Disney fashion though, an evolving application was created to combine all of these experiences in one place at your fingertips in an effort to save the guest valuable time that they can spend doing other things in the park. Here is my list for why you should using My Disney Experience, and the great things it allows you to do. Continue reading “Why should you be using My Disney Experience?”

What is Happening in 2020?

2019 brought about many changes, in true Disney fashion. Walt Disney himself intended the parks to be in a constant state of change, declaring that that Disneyland would never be “complete” as long as there was imagination left in the world. This past year we said good-bye to the Illuminations fireworks show at Epcot after 20 years. Epcot also began a mass amount of construction for a complete overhaul of the front of the park. Magic Kingdom began construction on a small (haha) rollercoaster called Tron, to be completed in time for the 50th anniversary. Obviously we cannot forget the opening of the immersive Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the two amazing technology rides that Disney pulled together. Continue reading “What is Happening in 2020?”

Disney for Beginners Series – WHERE to Stay

Two of the biggest questions a first-timer has when looking to book Disney is when to go and where to stay. I gave my suggestions and views on different times of the year to visit in my previous blog, so I am going to offer the same for the question on where to stay.

Disney essentially has three different categories of resorts: value, moderate and deluxe. These categorical descriptions describe not only the cost, but also the amenities and even the layout and feel of the resort. I have stayed in all three categories, and each offer pros and cons. Continue reading “Disney for Beginners Series – WHERE to Stay”