Keeping the *Magic* Alive at Home

Keeping the *Magic* Alive at Home

Written by: Erica Ellis – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner; Content and Photos Contributors – Jo Anne Smoot – Magical Tripcations Owner, Kimberly Evans, Josh Murray, Michelle Canchola, Jessica Daniel, Philip Hardy, Glenn & Shelley Frost, Emily Dula, Jeff Hathcock – Magical Tripcations Travel Planners Top 5 ways our Travel Planners are bringing Disney Magic into our lives while staying at home We are living through an unprecedented time in history!  COVID-19 has brought so many changes to everyone’s lives and we are grateful to be safe at home.  And for the first time ever, the Disney Parks are closed.  With all of that, it doesn’t mean that our Travel Planner team isn’t missing the absolute magic of the parks!  Here are some things we have done to help the time pass a little more quickly and keep the magic going at home. Make it Mickey Shaped!  As I always say, everything tastes better shaped like a Mickey & that’s a #FACT!  There are so many ways to bring magic into your cooking.  One way is to shape your food like Mickey’s silhouette.  There are waffle makers that can help you out, or simply create the shape with cookie dough the next time you make a batch of chocolate chip cookies!  A Mickey waffle maker was a perfect Christmasgift a few years ago! It’s been used so manythe last couple of months. Disney Parks Blog has been sharing so many great things through all of this!  Some of my favorite have been park & resort recipes for Disney favorites!  These #DisneyMagicMoments are a fun way to transport you to your...
#PrincessGoals

#PrincessGoals

Written by Maritza Navarro – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner If you have a princess-obsessed little one and want to meet them at Walt Disney World, here are some tips and tricks that have been learned over several Walt Disney World vacations: Tip 1 – Character Meals The easiest way to meet princesses quickly is to book a princess themed character meal.  The most coveted of these is Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom which is based on availability for either breakfast, lunch or dinner.  There you will meet and take a formal photo with Cinderella and meet four other princesses at your meal.  Another option is at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, located in the Norway Pavilion inside the World Showcase at EPCOT.  This is based on availability for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  You will take a formal photograph with Belle in her yellow gown and then meet four other princesses at your meal.  Another option to consider for a princess meal, on a smaller scale, is at Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. There you will meet Rapunzel and Princess Ariel, along with Flynn Rider, and Prince Eric.   This is only available for breakfast and it’s a delicious meal.  The final option is at 1900 Park Fare (dinner only) inside the Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where you will meet Cinderella, Prince Charming, Cinderella’s step-sisters, Anastasia and Druzella, and Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s step-mother.  This is such a fun dinner with amazing character interactions. If you are on either the Disney Dining Plan or the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan, all of these options would be...
Celebrating your birthday at Walt Disney World

Celebrating your birthday at Walt Disney World

Written by Erica V. Ellis – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner Disney vacations are special and magical, no matter when you take them.  Add a birthday to the mix and it becomes even more magical!  Here are our Top 5 ways to celebrate your birthday while at Walt Disney World! Let your Magical Tripcations Travel Planner know that you’ll be celebrating a birthday while on vacation! Your planner will add that tidbit of information on to your reservation.  When you scan your Magic Bands at park entrances, for fast passes, etc., the cast members will be alerted to this.  You’ll probably get lots of extra “happy birthdays” during your stay. If you aren’t given a birthday button at check-in, make sure you ask for one at your Disney Resort’s front desk or at any of the guest service locations at the parks. Once you have it, wear it proudly!  It’s always fun to hear “happy birthday” from cast members and park goers.  Who knows, maybe you’ll get some extra pixie dust because of it! Talk to your Magical Tripcations Travel Planner about a special gift package or room celebration through Disney Floral & Gifts. It can be as simple as a small cake in your room, or a full-on room makeover to help you celebrate the special day.  Prices vary and can satisfy pretty much any budget.  For my daughter’s third birthday we ordered her a special Princess Gift Basket and a small chocolate cake that was delivered to our room the evening of her birthday.  When we arrived back to our room, the surprise was waiting for her and...
Top Three Disney Terms:  My Disney Experience, MagicBands, and FastPass+, OH MY!

Top Three Disney Terms: My Disney Experience, MagicBands, and FastPass+, OH MY!

Written by Jennifer Jamieson – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner     Congrats, you’re going to Walt Disney World!  Or maybe it’s more along the lines of… congrats, you want to think about planning a trip to Walt Disney World but you’re feeling a little overwhelmed from the first website view.  MagicBands, My Disney Experience and FastPass+, OH MY!  But wait, what?  What do these words mean?   We’ve said it before that planning a trip to Walt Disney World involves several moving parts. Getting up to speed on Disney Speak can be challenging and confusing but, our team of travel planners are ready and able to walk you through everything you need to know about My Disney Experience, MagicBands, and FastPass+ so you can leave the OH MY behind.    Here are some of our tips to tackling the top three Disney terms you need to know before you head to the most magical place on earth. Top Three Disney Terms:  My Disney Experience (MDE)   When planning your Walt Disney World vacation, you can build your itinerary online at MyDisneyExperience.com and access your plans from the My Disney Experience Mobile App on your smartphone.  Once you link your tickets and reservations to your account, your resort and dining reservations appear in your plans.  You can build your itinerary from start to finish online including Advanced Dining Reservations and FastPass+ selections and update your reservations on the go from your smartphone.  You can also use the mobile app for park maps, current wait times, restroom locations and where to find your favorite Disney Characters.  Traveling with a big travel party?  You can connect to everyone in your travel group...
Character Hunting at Disney World:  Tips to Magical Moments

Character Hunting at Disney World: Tips to Magical Moments

Written by Jennifer Jamieson – Magical Tripcations Travel Planner Do you remember the first time you met Mickey Mouse?  Or do you know someone who dreams of meeting their favorite princess or a character from a galaxy far, far away?  A trip to Walt Disney World© is as magical as it is memorable and no experience adds to the magic more than meeting your favorite character, princess, or villain.  However, quite a bit has changed over the years when it comes to meeting Mickey and the gang. Most characters do not roam the parks but have set spots or venues where they reside and you line up to meet them, grab an autograph and snap a picture. There are four Disney Parks at Disney World and not all characters can be found at one single park.  Being prepared ahead of time with an idea of which characters are at the top of the list will save you time and ensure that you capture moments with the favorites on your list. So, where do you start?  Before leaving for the house of the mouse, do a little research on where to find the characters you are most interested in meeting.  You can find information on specific park attractions, shows and character meet and greets on the Walt Disney World© website.  Or you can ask one of us!  To help you in your quest to meet Mickey, a Princess or two, Chewbacca or Winnie the Pooh, here are our go-to resources for character hunting at Disney World and tips to magical moments. Minnie is so sweet! Character Meet and Greets Each...
10 Magical Steps to Planning a Disney Vacation

10 Magical Steps to Planning a Disney Vacation

Planning a Disney vacation doesn’t have to be overwhelming especially when using a Magical Tripcations Disney Travel Planner!  We have created this list of 10 Magical Steps to Planning a Disney Vacation to show you how easy it is to plan your dream Disney vacation.  Magical Tripcations is an Authorized Disney Vacation Travel Planner and full service travel agency with accredited membership under Cruise Line International Association (CLIA).  We are a team of highly qualified travel planners and are dedicated to providing you with superior customer service, expert advice and truly personalized travel planning services.  Best news?  Our planning services are FREE when you book your vacation package with us.  We will save you hours of research, answer all of your questions, and provide you with a seamless vacation, one magical step at a time.  Need more information?  See our Why Use a Disney Travel Planner blog post here. 10 Magical Steps to Planning a Disney Vacation Step 1 – Contact Magical Tripcations for a Package Quote A travel planner will be in touch with you within 24-hours of receiving your request for a quote and provide you with a travel questionnaire to.  Or, if you prefer, he or she can give you a call.  After you complete the questionnaire, your travel planner will prepare a quote based on your travel needs and email the quote to you within 48-hours. Did you know if you’re traveling to Walt Disney World® or Disneyland®, a $200 deposit is all that is required to book your reservation and begin the planning process?  Read on for how this makes planning your Disney vacation even easier! Step 2 –...