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Disney

Top 5 Reasons Why I Switched From Giving Gifts to Giving Experiences

September 29, 2016 by admin

Experiences as a family

We have all been there: birthdays, Christmas, Easter, watching as our children unwrap gift after gift after gift. If your children are anything like mine, they get so excited after opening each one but in a day or three the excitement fades and you are left with the task or adding these new gifts to the abundance of “stuff” your children already own. Even if you’re one of those on top of it moms who weeds out the junk before the overabundance of gifts arrive or you’re one of those moms who are great about rotating toys and clothes, the bottom line is our children just have too much stuff. To help combat this, I have implemented a change in my house. I no longer buy my children gifts; instead, I buy them experiences. Whether it’s a season pass to an amusement park, or a vacation to some awesome location, my children have been having a blast! Here are my top five reasons why I think you should join me and make the change:

Experiences with OlafClean up the clutter

By giving my children experiences I have seriously cut down on the clutter in my house. My children now have toys that they actually play with and enjoy. Plus since there aren’t so many (there are still a ton) they are able to play more freely and without having to yell “mom I can’t find my (insert random toy here)”! I also have found that my children now play longer without coming to find me. It seems that since they have less they aren’t as overwhelmed and they are really able to enjoy their stuff!

Experiences are more meaningful

Let’s just be honest. That toy little Johnny just has to have or he will die, we all know if we are lucky he will play with it for a couple of weeks and then it will join the bin of forgotten toys. I remember for Christmas I bought my son a $50 Paw Patrol truck. By Easter he told me he was done with it and I could hand it down to his cousin! Seriously! But with an experience you are giving your child something that they will be able to enjoy and build awesome memories from. That’s something that a piece of plastic will never give you.

It’s the same costExperiences with Mickey and Minnie

Again let’s be honest, as parents most of us spend way too much money on our children. We go into debt giving them piles of gifts so we can post on social media how beautiful our trees are and what a great celebration our children have. So why not spend that money on a vacation? I’ve had clients tell me that a Disney trip costs too much, but once I point out how much they spent on birthdays and Christmas they realize its usually the same (or cheaper). Still there are the hold outs that say “but my child enjoys opening gifts, I can’t just give them a piece of paper”. To this I say get creative. If you want to give them things to open then give them items they will use on their trip!

Family Memories

When your child is all grown up and they start to have little ones of their own ( I know,unnamed3     scary thought) are they really going to remember that beloved item that they just had to have? The chances are pretty slim. But chances are they will remember that awesome trip to Universal Studios, or that Disney cruise or that year long season pass to Bush Gardens. They will remember the time they spent with their parents, their siblings, and their extended family. They will remember the laughs, the inside jokes that come from experiences and even all the mishaps that eventually become treasured memories, for the rest of their lives. What’s better is they will relive these memories with their siblings for years to come and will often reenact them with their children.

Time is Ever Ticking Away

And with it your children’s childhoods. Before you know it they will be grown up and (hopefully) out of your house. The days of tripping over toys will be gone, but so will the days to take their pictures with a favorite character, or snuggle close with them during that firework show. My eight year old today told me the Disney princess were fiction, but she would still pretend they were real the next time we go to Disney. I swear it was a punch to my gut. I can only hope that on our next trip the magic returns for her. But that’s how quickly it can happen. One day our children are these bubbly wide eyed beings amazed by everything around them, and the next they are starting to look at life with a critical eye. So what are you going to do with the time you have left with them in the wonder and amazement phase? Are you going to waste that moment on pieces of plastic that will be forgotten, or are you going to spend it making memories that will last both of you the rest of your lives?

 

~Elissa Colón

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Filed Under: Adventures By Disney, Cruise, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Fun, Disney World, Travel Fun Tagged With: Cruise, Disney, Elissa, Elissa Colon, Travel Agent, Vacation

River cruise now available from Adventures by Disney

April 14, 2015 by crystal

Adventures By Disney is adding river cruising to their list of exciting adventures! Sailing wiABD Logo Stacked colorth AmaWaterways, the travel industry’s premier luxury river cruise line, Adventures by Disney river cruises offer a new way for you to experience the heart of Europe in a way that is active, immersive and easy.

In 2016, Adventures by Disney will offer sailings along the Danube River, allowing your Clients to explore the iconic locations and hidden gems in eight destinations across four countries – Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

These 8-day/7-night active departures will take your Clients off the beaten path in search of the culture, art and unique stories intrinsic to each European city and town visited.  From medieval activities at Devin castle in Bratislava and a walk along the tree tops in Kopfing to a visit of locations filmed in “The Sound of Music” in Salzburg and biking in every port, the opportunities for exploration are endless!

 

When?

These exclusive Adventures by Disney sailings will take place July 7-14, July 14-21, July 21-28 and July 28 – Aug. 4, 2016. A special holiday themed sailing, departing Dec. 22, 2016, will also include visits to the renowned Christmas markets in Budapest and Vienna, a Vienna Boys Choir Christmas performance in the Hofburg Palace Chapel and a special holiday menu lunch.

 

Who?

Adventures by Disney is family friendly but there are minimum age requirements and recommended ages for any of their adventures. For the river cruise itinerary, the minimum age is 4 years old, but Adventures by Disney recommends the experience would be best for children ages 8 and older.

 

What is included?

With an Adventures by Disney River Cruise vacation, you can rest easy knowing that the essentials for an unforgettable family vacation are included with your stay:

  • Deluxe cruise accommodations in an outside stateroom
  • Your choice of multiple excursions daily
  • Services of Adventure Guides, on-board Cruise Director, on-board staff, and many local experts
  • All Gratuities
  • Fine dining with all meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) on-board the ship
  • Unlimited local wine, beer, and soft drinks with every lunch and dinner on-board
  • Select meals off the ship for added experiences with regional cuisine
  • Cocktail reception, special welcome dinner, and Captain’s Gala Dinner
  • All entertainment on-board the ship such as a nightly piano lounge, baking class for kids, karaoke nights and more
  • Bottled water in all state rooms replenished daily
  • WiFi

 

river cruise for the family

For more information or to book this adventure, please contact us today!

Filed Under: Adventures By Disney, Uncategorized Tagged With: Adventures By Disney, AMAwaterways, Austria, Disney, Europe, Germany, Hungary, River Cruise, Slovakia, Travel Agent

Disney World Refurbishment List

March 27, 2014 by crystal

Refurbishment list from the Disney World Resort theme parks as listed on March 27, 2014

refurbishment
Disney Parks Refurbishments List
March 27, 2014

Filed Under: Disney World, Travel Fun, Travel Tips Tagged With: central Florida, Disney, Disney Parks, Disney Vacation, Epcot, Florida, Magic Kingdom, Travel Agent, Vacation Planning

Disney’s Frozen Activity Pages

November 25, 2013 by crystal

Enjoy these fun activity pages courtesy of Not The Car Media.

FROZEN Activity Pages

 

disney-frozen

 

Disney Frozen opening November 28, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Disney Movies & Merchandise Tagged With: Disney, Disney's Frozen, Frozen

What is the Best Age to Visit Disney World?

July 8, 2013 by crystal

We often hear “I want to wait until she/he will remember it” or “I want to go while they still believe in the magic”. The truth is, every age is a perfect time to visit the Walt Disney World Resort.

Babies and toddlers can be easy to take because they will often sleep in their stroller. Pre-schoolers are of course much more aware of all that is going on. Elementary school age children still love the characters and aren’t too cool for Mickey yet. Middle and high school age children are great because they can stay out late and don’t need you to ride their favorite roller coaster. And going as an adult turns you into a small child again.

As for remembering the trip, you never know what they will remember. I first stepped foot in the Magic Kingdom when I was about 16 years old. I remember very little other than how amazing it all was. My second trip was right after I married my prince charming (about 14 years ago).  We talk about that trip and frankly, there’s a lot we don’t remember. Of course from both of those trips there are key moments, or magical moments, that stand out but those are primarily of things that we have pictures of.

In addition, the trip is not just about the child(ren). You as the parent or grandparent will be making your own memories. The 2 year old may not remember the first time she hugged Minnie Mouse, but YOU will never forget that magical moment when she squealed and ran to Minnie for the first time. You will never forget the crazy afternoon rain shower when you and your 4 year old got drenched and went puddle jumping while everyone else ran for cover. You will never forget that little boy being tall enough (and brave enough) to hop on Tower of Terror for the first time. The memories belong to each one of you…not just the baby, toddler, preschooler, or big kid.

The important thing is take the time to make those moments happen before it’s too late. As specialist in planning family vacations, the team at DWB Vacations wants to help you plan those moments. Our services are personalized to fit your family and your needs…not just generic advice for anyone that happens to pick up a book. And when you book through us, our services are no cost to you. In fact, we usually are able to save our clients money over booking it themselves.

Filed Under: Disney World Tagged With: central Florida, Cinderella's Castle, Crystal Burriss, Disney, Disney Dream, Disney Parks, Disney Photographer, Disney Vacation, Disney World, Epcot, Florida, Holidays, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Magic moments, Magical Memories, Travel Agent, travel consultant, Travel Planning, Vacation Planning

The Kiss That Saved a Trip

June 27, 2013 by crystal

Lauren M., a friend and client of DWB Vacations shares her story of Disney magic and how a royal kiss saved their trip…

We arrived for our Disney trip, with my 6yr old son and 3yr old daughter. It was Christmas and the park was beautiful. My daughter who is painfully shy only had one thing on her mind…seeing Snow White. She would not meet or touch or talk to any other Disney character, in fact, they all sent her to tears if they even looked her way. But not snow white; she is my daughter’s favorite. So my mission that trip was to find Snow White.

Our first day was spent at Magic Kingdom, riding every ride there, well everyone except my daughter, she was too scared. We saw Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora, none of which my daughter cared about.  I asked about Snow White and was told the best place to find her was Epcot. So, the following day we set out for Epcot…after an 8 hour day still no Snow White (we evidently ate breakfast at Akershaus on the only day Snow White wasn’t there). Our next day was spent at Downtown Disney and our hotel, promising our princess that we would find Snow White.

The next and last day of our trip we headed back to Magic Kingdom, and our search began….then, finally near the front of the park right beside Tony’s Town Square, there she was…Snow White.  It was 2:30pm. There were only about 10 children in line so we claimed our spot, autograph books ready…we got closer and closer, we were next..my daughter had the biggest grin on her face, finally something for her. Then bam! A cast member stepped in front of us and said “Sorry, Snow White has to go” Wait! What?! I begged, please just one more, we have searched all week. “No, sorry ma’am, Snow White has to go she’ll be back tomorrow” I looked at my daughter and her eyes were full of tears, heck, my eyes were full of tears. I carried her away, crying and broken hearted. Walking up mainstreet back towards the castle a cast member in a  suit approached my daughter and said “Oh please don’t cry. Here is some pixie dust” and sprinkled her head. My daughter could not stop crying. I explained that we had been searching for Snow White for 3 days and it was our last night in Disney and we got cut off as we were next in line. The cast member told me to meet her at the building by the entrance at 6pm and she was going to see what she could do. I agreed.

We met our angel at 6pm thinking we were going to see Snow White, but the cast member instead handed my daughter Snow White’s headband signed by Snow White and told her to wear it to the 9pm Parade and gave us instructions to sit in VIP. My daughter was devastated, she didn’t want the headband, or care about the parade, she just wanted to meet Snow White. There isn’t much that makes my daughter smile.  She is a very timid child, but Snow White could make her smile. Nine pm arrived and we had our spots in VIP for the parade (beside Trace Adkins and his family by the way).  The parade began and my daughter had on her headband as instructed. Then we saw her… Snow White! The cast member in the VIP section mentioned, “Wow! Snow White always rides on a float.  That is strange she is walking.”  Then it happened..Snow White came out of the parade, walked over to our section, picked up my daughter and gave her the biggest hug and a huge lipstick filled kiss on her forehead. And I almost died. My daughter was smiling so big and didn’t wash that kiss off for 2 days. I cried like a baby and I will never ever forget the look on my daughter’s face for the rest of my life.

Princess Kisses

Filed Under: Disney World Tagged With: Disney, Disney Magic, Disney Parks, Disney Vacation, Disney World, Florida, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, Magical Moment, Most Magical Place on Earth, Princess, Snow White, Travel Agent, travel consultant, Travel Planning, Vacation Planning

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