travel agents Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Top 5 Frequently Asked Disney Vacation Questions

Paula — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 11:26:46 +0000

This is a sponsored conversation with local business Click the Mouse London. Let’s face it, a Disney trip is a rite of passage, an experience you have to share with your kids at least once. Even if your kids aren’t big on princesses or Mickey Mouse, you don’t want your kids to miss the chance to experience the wonder and joy only a major theme park can offer. In both Disney and Universal parks, the immersive experience can’t be beat and the level of service is second to none. But if you aren’t very familiar with Disney and Universal (like you didn’t know that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is not actually at Disney) or you are intimidated by making arrangements yourself, then you should consider booking your vacation with an Authorized Disney or Universal travel agency. Ryan Starkweather and Lauren Starr run Click The Mouse London, a local travel agency specializing in Disney and Universal travel packages for families from London to Windsor and surrounding areas. Their business and passion is making Disney dreams come true for other families. Recently I sat down with Ryan and Lauren to hear some of their client’s most frequently asked Disney vacation questions. The Top 5 Frequently Asked Disney Vacation Questions Is the Dining Plan Worth It? In short, yes. We always say, you are going to eat so why not pre-pay? You book the Dining plan when you purchase your trip, which means you can pay in advance for your food. We really enjoy it because it lets us feel like our trip is all-inclusive. The Tiers Explained Quick Service Tier 1 Now if your kids can’t sit through a meal or you don’t want many sit down meals you should consider the Quick Service (first tier) dining plan. It has two snacks and two cafeteria-style/quick service meals per person per night stay (credits are based on the number of nights you stay at a Disney resort). Because you are not eating at sit down restaurants you don’t need to worry about gratuities. Use snack credits for breakfast, or to try all the new snack options that pop up around the parks. Disney Dining Plan Tier 2 The Disney Dining plan (second tier) gets you 1 table service meal in addition to your 1 quick service meal and 2 snacks. Many different restaurants offer character meals (where characters like Cinderella or Mickey Mouse visit your table while you eat) but these can be pricey if you pay out of pocket. When you purchase the Disney Dining plan, you can use table service credits for these meals (although a select few take two credits per person). Deluxe Plan Tier 3 We can’t imagine eating enough food to make the Deluxe plan (third tier) good value, but for families that want to have two sit down meals and a quick service meal each day plus two snacks this is the right plan. New in 2018 is the bonus that all three plans offer an alcoholic beverage with each quick service and table service meal! How old do kids need to be to go to Disney? Disney prides themselves on making rides for all ages and we agree. With a few exceptions, like Expedition to Everest, Space Mountain, Flight of Passage and Tower of Terror, 95% of rides are geared to all ages. Where else can you guarantee that you and your kids will have fun? A lot of people say to us: I have an 18 month old, are they too young? We say you will remember that trip forever and you will experience the magic through your kids’ eyes. The first time we took our daughter to Disney she was 8 months old and that is one of our favourite trip memories. Generally, a trip to Walt Disney World is something many families want to do before their kids are 10 years old and Universal is somewhere they visit with their tweens. But this all depends on your kids and their temperament. We try to buy experiences for our kids instead of toys as much as possible. Some of our most vivid memories are of our kids on vacation. When should we use our Fast passes? We think mid to late morning is usually the best time. This fluctuates if you are going back to your hotel for a break from the heat – which we usually recommend. After you use your third Fast pass you can go online to get a 4thand 5th Fast pass. By squeezing your passes in during the morning you can maximize your riding potential. Do I need a park hopper ticket? Generally we would say no for Disney. If you have smaller children and are visiting for at least a few days or if it is your first visit, we don’t think you need the park hopper. Travelling between parks can waste time. However, there are certainly advantages to this ticket upgrade. First, it gives you lots of flexibility in your day. If you want to start at one park, ride all the rides but then see a special show at a second park in the same day you can. It also works well if your family is divided on their must sees. For Universal we recommend their version of the hopper ticket. If you want to ride the Hogwarts Express, you need a park to park ticket and we think this ride is one you need to ride both ways! Why should I book my vacation with a travel agent? There are many pieces to a successful Disney family trip. Flights, resorts, dining packages and Fast passes all require advance planning. We hear from clients that this is daunting. Many people have heard they are supposed to book things in advance but they aren’t sure what a Fast pass is or where to meet characters for dinner. We love helping people with this. We will wake up at 6 am to book your dining or stay up until midnight to book your cruise excursions. You can also call us when you are on holiday with questions. Special Needs Disney Travel Arrangements? No Problem. We book many trips for people with autism and sensory challenges, says Ryan. With my background in developmental services, I am able to find all the quietest spaces if that’s what you need for travelers with sensory issues. I can arrange for special equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, or commodes and can get those sent to your resort affordably. So What Does it Cost to Use Click the Mouse Services? Having us at Click the Mouse London build out your trip and help you with your itinerary is free, because Disney and Universal pay agents a commission. The price you pay when booking with us is the same as if you booked directly with a travel provider. The difference is that we will provide you with personalized, consistent support from start to finish, says Ryan. Don’t Settle for Bad Disney Advice The thing about Disney and Universal is that if you get bad advice you won’t know any better and you could miss out, or be left feeling like it’s not quite as magical. Click the Mouse London helps you stack the deck in favor of the best family vacation yet. Here’s How to Contact Ryan and Lauren: Click the Mouse London offers free no-obligation estimates to Disney and Universal as well as Disney Cruises. You can ask for one by clicking on the link above today to get your trip started. Read more: http://www.mouseducktravel.com/

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A Doorway in Yelapa and Travel Tuesday

Paula — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 21:43:32 +0000

Travel is a doorway in Yelapa. What do I mean by that exactly? Well, travel itself is a doorway to another world, another culture, a geography, a lifestyle. It is bright. Travel is full of potential. It is a bit surprising. Travel can be confining, liberating, original, scary or safe. Like a doorway in Yelapa. My Favourite Pastime Travel is my favourite pastime out of all the possible diversions in life. In fact, travel plus writing, well it doesn’t get better than that. I am a strong believer in family travel and my kids travel with me as often as we are able. We are a team. They are great little travellers and of course they enjoy all the benefits of that. Meeting new friends, learning new things and conversing with people who speak different languages. Travel as an Adult As a child I didn’t travel much because we didn’t have the income to be able to see the world. We took regular yearly vacations to a cottage. That was a three hour drive away. I loved the beach and I still do. Sometimes, a simple road trip can be enough of a vacation to rejuvenate the spirit and the body. I anticipate this summer visiting a cottage again. Even the sound of a cottage screen door can evoke a certain atmosphere and the feeling of home away from home. Choosing Family Travel Before we had kids we travelled a bit. Mostly to warm climates and fun leisurely spots. After we had kids we went into a period of shock where we were both incredibly happy to be a family but also unable to afford to travel with a baby. As both kids transitioned to school full time my ability to generate income grew and so we considered family travel. Could we do it? Would it be worth it? Could we afford it? Would the kids remember any of it? We also have a disabled child to consider so none of our decisions are taken lightly. In fact they are often weighed and measured endlessly before we leap. We started our youngest with very small road trips to see how we could handle the changes. To Flights We upped that incrementally over the years, so we have been able to see Mexico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Disney Florida, and many other areas of Florida, Ontario, and Quebec. This, happily has proven to be an extremely positive experience. Our kids both travel well and they enjoy family travel with us. I intend to keep that love alive as long as I can. I hope to one day be that Grandma travelling with her grandchildren and children on a cruise ship where intergenerational travel is so common. Family Cruises This year we took our first ever cruise. In my head I am planning another cruise to follow up on that great experience. This past year I have visited several countries, and I have been really blessed to be able to travel as I have. Colombia was a doorway to so many things. It was a doorway to remembering what really matters in life and a reminder to always give as much as you can to people, especially children who need help. Puerto Vallarta was a beautiful diversion and some sweet time spent with only my older daughter right before she turned 13. The cruise was a time to explore many new places and try some awesome things such as snorkelling with stingrays and nurse sharks. My kids have also zip lined and parasailed and ridden donkeys down a mountain with us. Skiing and More Recently they travelled with us to Mont Tremblant where we learned how to ski. Skiing itself is a doorway to the outdoors and better health, fitness and happiness. There are many moments as a parent when you take pride in something your kids do. Sometimes they happen almost daily and sometimes you need to look a bit harder for them. I find these moments often when travelling with the kids. Maybe because I slow down long enough to see them for what they are. Family Pride Is there anything better than listening to your child speak French confidently with someone she just met in Quebec? Or hearing the kid’s club coordinator tell you that your eight-year-old daughter was teaching all the kids and adults how to speak French? Or hearing a child holler on a beach in Cancun: “Man, that little girl can hit!” as you spy your six year old drive a baseball down the beach. Travel is a Doorway Travel is a doorway to so many things. Just like this doorway in Yelapa. You never know what exists beyond that doorway until you take it. It’s a surprise, a picture, a photograph, a memory.And travel is a privilege in a world where many don’t have a proper door, or access to a home, or ability to travel. Travel is a doorway in Yelapa. Join Me Every Tuesday Every Tuesday I host a perpetual travel linkup here: Leave your favourite travel posts here for others to read and I will also leave you a comment.

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