Vacation

Heading out on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Odyssey of the Seas

November 10, 2021 by crystal Leave a Comment

Tomorrow is a very exciting day as we will be boarding the brand new Odyssey of the Seas sailing out of Fort Lauderdale! Make sure you check our Facebook and Instagram pages for pictures and live posts.

In the meantime, here’s a little more about the food options on Odyssey.

Introducing the first Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar. Royal Caribbean International’s transformed Italian dining experience debuts on the new, innovative Odyssey of the Seas. Learn about how the cruise line’s team of experts in food, beverage, product innovation and more cooked up this authentic, fresh taste of Italy at sea. Serving up a menu of Italian favorites – like an array of handcrafted pizzas, charcuterie boards and pastas – as many as 50 wines by the glass and classic cocktails with a twist, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar sets the table for an experience guests of all ages can enjoy.

Myth Busting: Travel Advisor Edition

May 20, 2019 by crystal Leave a Comment

Thank you to our friends at Travel Insured International for sharing!

Travel Advisor Myth Busting

by Travel Insured | Mar 27, 2019

There’s no denying that the travel industry is drastically different than it was a century, a decade, or just a few years ago. Travel advisors used to virtually be the only source of travel information besides the shuffle between outdated pamphlets and books.

Now travel advisors find themselves fighting through the noise to prove that the internet is not the be-all-end-all and that they’re still the travel experts.

With this extra burden to carry, travel advisors are also feeling the burden of stereotypes. Through Travel Insured’s close work with advisors every day, we’ve gotten to see just how mythological these stereotypes are:

Myth VS Fact

Myth: Travel advisors are obsolete.
Fact: There’s no denying that the internet is an awesome travel-research tool. Travel advisors help travelers sort through all of the “internet fluff” to get to the core of what they are looking for in a dream trip.

Myth: Travel advisors try to sell expensive options to get the highest commissions.
Fact: Travel advisors are invested in converting a one-time client to a lifetime client. To do so, travel advisors work with their clients not to create the most expensive trip, but to ensure their trips are exactly how they envision every time.

Myth: Travel advisors require a huge fee for their services.
Fact: Many travel advisors don’t charge a fee at all, and if they do, a service fee is typically minimal compared to the time and stress spent when travelers plan trips on their own.

Myth: Travel advisors book only cookie-cutter trips.
Fact: Travel advisors’ main goal is to create a trip catered to their client’s vacation vision. Whether that vision is Disney, a safari, or a secluded island getaway – travel advisors are skilled to ask pointed questions to plan the dream trip.

Myth: Travel advisors don’t offer more than the internet.
Fact: The travel industry has never been more convoluted since the rise of the Google search. Travel advisors receive special offers as a travel industry insider, have more leverage in travel bookings, and more experience scanning through the internet jargon.

Travel advisors aren’t a thing of the past – they’re a thing of the present and future. Along with travel protection, travel advisors help ensure travelers vacation relaxed, secure, and insured.

Overcoming the fear of Disney World in the Summer

May 7, 2019 by admin

We promise, you won’t melt!

Disney World in the summer. When I say those words what is the first thing you think of? Heat, humidity, sweat, the scorching sun, am I right? What if I told you that you were thinking about Disney in the summer all wrong? When I think of summer at Disney World I think low crowds, not missing school and a chance to save some money. I know people have a fear of the heat when traveling to Disney World in the summer, but I have some reasons that might cure that fear of Florida summers permanently.

Reason Number 1 Smaller Crowds:
There are so many reasons to travel to Disney World in the summer, but the most important of these is that there is a significantly lower crowd. Most people are afraid of Disney World in two situations- the heat and the rain. This is what makes it the perfect time to go. You can walk through the park without having to bump into people. Go shopping or get food without having to push through crowded stores. You can even sit with your family to watch a show or a parade without people sitting on top of you. Most importantly though you can go from attraction to attraction with little to no wait! Just think you can go on your favorite attractions over and over again with little to no wait! Not having to spend hours in lines also means that you have the time and the freedom to truly enjoy all of the amenities that Disney World has to offer. This allows you to come and go between your resort and the parks so you get a better chance to enjoy both. You can do an early morning in the park, head back to your resort for an afternoon dip or nap and then head back to the park in the evenings. You are truly able to go with the flow and live your best life.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party starts mid- August. Look how low those crowds are on a summer day!

Reason Number 2, School and Cost:
The second major reason to travel to Disney World in the summer is to not miss school. There are many parents that take their children out of school during the school year for a trip, you are my people. However, there are many people who can not take their children out of school. Perhaps your child is older and is not in a grade where they can easily miss a lot of school work. A member of the family might be a teacher and is unable to miss work to spend time on a vacation. For these families there is only one option, to go when school is off. The problem with going to Disney World or really any travel destination when school is not in session is that is when everyone goes. This means crowds and usually a higher total trip cost. However, summer in Disney World does not follow this rule. Since people are afraid of the heat in Florida this is the perfect time to travel for the folks that can not miss school. The crowds are light, and the prices are typically lower. It is a win-win situation. You get to go to Disney World for less money and do not have to deal with the crowds that are typically there for spring or winter break. Yes, it is hot, but what is a little heat when you get to have a better-quality vacation for less money?

Ice Cream makes a hot day much more magical, especially if it is Mickey shaped!

Reason Number 3, The Heat:
So, let’s talk about the heat. Yes, it is hot in Florida and it is humid, but where is it not? Most of the US deals with either extreme heat, humidity or both during the summer months. The question is where do you want to deal with that heat? Do you want to be sitting on a field watching your kid play soccer or baseball or watching a Disney World parade? Do you want to be in an air-conditioned office or in an air-conditioned attraction? A hot and humid day at Disney World beats a day anywhere else. At least at Disney World there are Mickey ice cream bars!

So, let’s overcome that fear of Florida summer together. Yes, you will be hot, but that wont change if you stay home. At least if you go to Disney World you and your family get to make amazing, magical memories with low crowds while you get to save some money. So, no more fear instead lets say Disney World this summer for sure!

Tips for beating the summer heat in Disney World
No More Fear!
• Get to parks at opening, take a mid afternoon break and then return to the parks at night.
• Take advantage of your resort pool!
• Upgrade to a water park ticket! There are two water parks with so much to do!
• Take water misters that you can carry with you.
• Use hand held fans that are battery powered or that you can charge the night before! Amazon has some great options.
• Use cooling rags! The Frogg Togg cooling towels on Amazon are awesome.
• Order FREE ice water at any quick service locations.
• Use those snack credits for Ice Cream or Frozen Drinks.
• Take advantage of indoor waiting and lounging areas with air conditioning.
• Ride water rides like Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids.
• Be sure to stay hydrated and take breaks from the sun.
• Escape to a bathroom or a store for a blast of air conditioning.
• Make afternoon full service dining plans to sit inside and escape the heat in the worst part of the day.
• Run through the park in the afternoon rain storms. The park will empty out even more and the rain will cool you down.
• Make sure you use plenty of water proof sunscreen and reapply often. The summer sun can be brutal to your skin if you do not protect it.

2019 Walt Disney World Resort Packages

March 1, 2018 by crystal

We want to keep you up to date on the latest information about the 2019 Walt Disney World Resort packages. Prices and packages for the following year usually come out in the summer months but we know many of our friends are watching and ready to book ASAP! To make sure we get in touch with you as soon as possible, please complete this simple 2 question form. EASY PEASY!

**And we promise we will not bombard you with spam. We don’t have time that! 😉

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

September 29, 2016 by admin

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:

Clean 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 cost

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, 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

Disney adds extra Star Wars Weekend for 2014

February 26, 2014 by crystal

The Walt Disney World Resort will be adding a 5th weekend to their extremely popular Star Wars Weekend series for 2014. The weekends for 2014 will be…

Weekend I: May 16-18
Weekend II: May 23-25
Weekend III: May 30-June 1
Weekend IV: June 6-8
Weekend V: June 13-15

If you would like to start planning your trip to Disney World to experience a Star Wars Weekend, please call or email us today to take advantage of Disney’s spring vacation offer!