How do Travel Agents Make Money??

It’s been quite some time since I talked about how the travel industry works with travel agents and how we’re paid. It’s not as straight-forward as you might think! So, here’s the lowdown on how I get paid doing this fun job…. 

The only reason I bring this up is that I talk to people often that book on their own because “they didn’t want to bother me.”  That puts both of us at a disadvantage! Booking on your own means you won’t get my expert advice (I also won’t be able to help if issues arrive on a trip that I didn’t book), and I don’t get paid!  

There are two main things that should make you want to bug me and have your friends and family bug me too!

1 - I LOVE planning trips to the destinations that I consider “my favorites”.  Every time I log in or call about a trip, I head right down memory lane.  I only book vacation spots that I love and am excited to work on.

2 - I actually make money doing this.  I know, it’s crazy that I’m paid to do something I truly love.  I would probably do this for free, but I have bills to pay just as you do!

People always get a little uncomfortable discussing money, but let me give you the basics.  You pay Disney/Universal/Sandals… the same price whether or not you go online, call it in, or have a travel agent do it for you.  The exact same price.

If a travel agent books a Disney World trip for example, Disney pays the travel agency a commission and then the agency pays the agent a portion of that commission.   So even if I did nothing but book the trip, you aren’t paying a dime more than if you did it yourself.  But on top of helping you figure out the best plans for your trip, I’m there for questions, checking for potential discounts released after booking and helping with any issues that arise during travel.

The reason Disney is willing to give a portion of their profits to a travel agent is that they know that the Guest is more likely to enjoy their vacation.  There’s a much better chance of Guests returning to Disney again and again if they are given guidance by someone with a knowledge and passion for their product. 

One little interesting nugget is that most vendors do not pay commission until AFTER the trip has ended. Then of course, there’s a bit of lag time as the agency has to get collect payments and then send out the agent portion. So it’s often a couple of months after the trip before I’m paid.

And if the Guest cancels the trip? Most likely, I’m not getting paid at all. I completely understand when circumstances change, but just keep in mind that any travel agent you use is probably doing a fair amount of work for free when it comes right down to it.

So why would you NOT want to use a travel agent?  Let me answer some of the most common reasons…

*  I want the cheapest rate and can do that myself.  —  Nope!  You just aren’t going to find it cheaper on your own.  And I will monitor and possibly find a cheaper rate as it gets closer to your trip.  I will apply it automatically and let you know!  And if time is money, I’m saving you tons of it by doing the leg work for you.

*  I love Disney too and want to plan it all myself.  — This one is totally understandable as I feel the same way!  But the cool part is, I can book it and then let you take over the planning if you like.  I will still be there for questions, will still monitor for better deals and be available if issues arise.

*  How do I know you won’t up-sell me?  —  Trust me, I am the queen of getting a good deal.  I spend way more time then I should figuring out how to save a penny or a bit of time.  I will never lead you towards spending more just to spend more.  I want you to get the absolute most out of your vacation for the least money and hassle.

So PLEASE consider contacting me when you’re thinking about a trip.  And I would be so appreciative if you would forward my information to your family and friends.  Word of mouth is the absolute best advertising I can get! I’ve got those bills to pay, you know!  :)

PS - if you refer a friend and they book a trip, your next meal is on me!  I'll contact you to find out your favorite restaurant and send you a $10 gift card to the place you choose!  Easy!!

Disney World Resort Spotlight: Port Orleans French Quarter

On my recent trip to Disney World to do the runDisney Dopey Challenge, I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter resort. This is one of the resorts I had never stayed in until this visit. We’ve stayed at Port Orleans Riverside as a family and all thought it was a once and done, but I imagine I’ll be returning to French Quarter! Read on to see what is so great about this resort…

The theming is amazing as it is in other Disney resorts. It’s a beautiful resort based on a New Orleans theme. Lots of jazz references and Mardi Gras colors!! But what sets this one apart from Port Orleans Riverside is the size.

There are 4 resorts in Disney World that are considered to be in the “Moderate” category - Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. French Quarter is the smallest resort by far.

Number of rooms per resort:

  • French Quarter - 1008

  • Caribbean Beach - 1536

  • Riverside - 2048

  • Coronado - 2384

There are several benefits of a smaller resort…. Less people at the food court, the gift shop, the pool and the buses. But the biggest benefit for me was a smaller footprint. No matter which room you are in, you have at most a 5 minute walk to the main building and transportation. This was HUGE during Marathon weekend. I know the point of my trip was to run 48.6 miles over the course of 4 days, but something about the walks to/from the bus and my room seemed extra difficult. I literally was within a 30 second walk of the bus stop and I don’t know if I could have taken a step further.

We’ve been at amazing resorts like Animal Kingdom Lodge and had about a half mile walk (not really exaggerating here) from the bus to our room. That is a bit overwhelming when you’re exhausted, pushing a stroller, dragging luggage or heading to/from the pool.

I’ve also never done the Resort Refillable Mug (free drinks over the course of your trip!) since it’s always such a hike to the food court. Even with my tired feet and legs, I feel like I cost Disney some money in Diet Coke over the course of my stay. It was so quick, I sometimes headed back over just to fill up my cup again.

The only downside to French Quarter is that to get to the parks, your only transportation is by bus. I do love the Skyliner from Caribbean Beach. But honestly, the buses come so often and are so close to the rooms that I feel like I didn’t miss the Skyliner that much. (I did have to hop between Epcot and Hollywood Studios a couple of times just to ride the Skyliner as it’s a lot of fun, though)! If you’re a big Disney Springs fan, there is a boat there that is a fun and relaxing ride down the Sassagoula river!

Love the boats to Disney Springs along the Sassagoula!

The other moderates all have multiple internal bus stops and French Quarter just has one. I love that I know if a bus comes, it won’t already be full and my next stop is the park. At the other resorts, you sometimes have to stop at 3 other stops prior to getting to yours and I’m just too impatient for that!

The pool is amazing!! It has a fun slide and even has a great splash pad area for smaller kids. Another benefit of Port Orleans resorts is that you can pool hop between French Quarter and Riverside. Most other resorts require you to be a guest at that resort to use the pool. But if you’re staying at either of these, you are free to use both pools!

The food is great although if you know me, I tend to eat kids’ meals and am not too adventurous so I’m not the best food critic. But all that I had was really good.

The best food there, by far, is at Scat Cat Cafe - beignets!!! These things are huge and made fresh when you order them. I have a feeling they are used to seeing it there, so they didn’t call the DEA on me, but it did look a bit suspicious since I had powdered sugar all over my room!

Mickey Beignets!!! An order of 3 comes with a dipping sauce. SO GOOD!!

The rooms were refurbished in 2018 so have the new style of wood floors and flat-panel TVs mounted on the wall which gives a bit more counter space in the room. They also have the beds that are open underneath so that you can store suitcases there instead of wasting floor space elsewhere.

Overall, I can’t say enough great things about this resort. If you’re thinking about heading to Disney World, give me a call. I’d love to talk about your needs for a resort and see if this is as great a fit for you as it was for me!! And remember, it doesn’t cost you a penny more to book through me than it does to book directly through Disney - and you’ll get my expertise and love of Disney to help guide you!!

Miller Twins 50th Birthday Extravaganza - by guest blogger Lori (Lisa's Twin)

When Mouse first mentioned going to Disney for our 50th birthday, I agreed, mostly assuming this little adventure would never actually happen. Not because I didn’t want to spend a glorious week with my very best friend in the whole wide world, but because I absolutely could not imagine myself spending a week in a place I never, not once, had a desire to go. I’m also not a traveler - I’ve pretty much perfected my routine and don’t care to vary, not even a little bit. I also don’t care for children - at all. (I figured Disney would be thick with them (and I was right), but aside from being goosed by a small child while waiting in line for Peter Pan, it was mostly hilarious watching them throw MAJOR hissy fits when things weren’t working out for them and watching their exasperated parents).

One of the things Mouse sent me before our trip that I really appreciated was a spreadsheet with our itinerary. I am not a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of person, so this was much appreciated.

Day 1 - Travel Day + Universal Studios

One thing Mouse and I agree on is FIRST FLIGHT OUT. We do not agree on last flight back, and we can visit that later on in this post – turns out I was right about this one. 😊 Anywho, all went off without a hitch traveling to Orlando. All went great getting to Hard Rock Hotel, except as predicted, we couldn’t check into our room yet. This left me in the hotel lobby digging for my magic wand in my packed suitcase and trying to arrange my backpack “just right” all while Mouse was standing there in a huff and tapping her foot (not really, but she may as well have been) because we were *delayed by 3 minutes and it was a catastrophe*. Oh, and it’s at this time that I realize it’s hotter than hades and I am already dehydrated. All was right with the world about 45 minutes later, though, because I was at Platform 9 ¾ and on my way to HOGWARTS!

We spent day 1 and 2 at Universal. Most of our time was spent at Hogwarts, casting spells and trying like mad to forget we were born Muggles. For those of you who don’t know, Mouse has quite a sweet-tooth. I do not. Seriously, if my mom didn’t swear she had both of us on the same day 6 minutes apart, I really might question this whole twin business because we are so very different. But Mouse had to have the Butterbeer, in fact, she had to be monitored in order to not make herself sick. As you can see by my photo above, Butterbeer sounds much more appealing than it tastes.

Day 3 – Epcot, Boo Bash, Magic Kingdom: I LOVED Epcot. SPACE! NATURE! This place was super, super cool. I should back up and note that we checked out of Hard Rock on this morning and moved over to POP Century for the remainder of the trip. This day is where my feet really started to turn against me and I wondered how sympathetic you know who was going to be. Had motherhood changed her? Had she grown kinder in her advanced age? Spoiler alert: NOPE.

While at Epcot, we changed into our Halloween costumes for the Boo Bash at Magic Kingdom. The Boo Bash was just like regular Magic Kingdom, except that you get free candy, free popcorn, free sodas and free ice cream. By the time we left there, we each had 4 or 5 bottles of diet coke in our backpacks, bags of free candy and had eaten two or three ice cream bars each. Mouse, however, also cashed in on the popcorn – stashing several bags of it in her backpack which I assume she took home to her boys (haha, she did not share). By this time, we had walked around 30,000 steps and I was questioning why I had agreed to the Boo Bash when I knew that my bedtime is 9PM and we wouldn’t be leaving Magic Kingdom until much later. When we arrived back to Pop Century after midnight, we got off the bus and started walking toward our room – which was roughly a mile from the entry – when I saw a poor woman in front of me who I could tell was miserable. I mean, her feet HURT. I could tell with every step that she wanted to cry. About that time, Mouse turned around and looked at me and, apparently, I was walking exactly the same as that poor soul.

We locked eyes and started crying we were laughing so hard.

Day 4 – Magic Kingdom: Good times, but I think this park would have been loads more fun if you had small children with you. OR, if you had seen alllllllllllll of the Disney movies, which I hadn’t. I didn’t have a clue what was happening most of the time and I was on serious overload at this point. We did ride Space Mountain 5 or 6 times, and I will say that Disney indeed puts the “Magic” in Magic Kingdom when it comes to special effects, details, little “extras”. Oh, and fireworks. I was mighty impressed with the fireworks at Magic Kingdom – I cannot imagine the amount of cash they spend each night. (Epcot fireworks are AMAZING, too, by the way).

Day 5 – Hollywood Studios: Holy cow, people. Star Wars. That’s it. I am not a Star Wars nerd – no offense to those of you who are. But this place was magnificent. Magnificent! It’s absolutely incredible. You must see it for yourself especially if you’re a Star Wars nerd. And don’t forget Toy Story! So fun!

Day 6 – Animal Kingdom + Travel Day Home: This place was super cool, too. The Safari was awesome, the Everest roller coaster was fun, Avatar was amazing! We stayed here until about noon when it was time to leave for the airport. Ms. Mouse was a sad little mouse, but it turns out we were going to get a whole extra night to spend together!

There was a tropical storm in the area so our flight was delayed out of Orlando. We arrived in Atlanta waayyyy after our flight to OKC had departed. We hopped a flight in Atlanta to Houston, stayed in a very sketchy hotel near the airport and flew home the next morning.

All in all, I had the BEST time. We have been home for 7 weeks and my blisters healed (3 days ago). Was it worth it? YES. I think the only way I enjoyed Disney is by going with someone who knew what to do and where to go, etc. We were very lucky it wasn’t crowded at all while we were there, but I can’t imagine just heading off to Disney with no direction because there’s just not enough time in the day to see everything and do everything because that would have been a cluster and a half.

Do yourself a favor and talk to Mouse before you take a trip. She can make all the reservations, get you discounts if available, tell you which transportation to take from which hotel to which park (because you do not want to get on the bus to go to Epcot when you can just get on the air tram thingy – trust me on this one), etc etc. AND, it doesn’t cost you a dime.

With any luck, she will be sympathetic to you if you get blisters. Heck, she can probably even recommend which kind of shoes to wear.

What Changes can you Expect at Disney World Due to Covid?

Disney World may be different right now, but I can assure you that it's still Magical!  Today I want to let you know about how things may have changed since your last visit.  Keep in mind that the situation is always evolving so this is how it stands in November 2020.  I REALLY HOPE that someone reading this a few years from now will be amazed at how crazy 2020 was for Disney and the world since it’s all back to normal by then!

But for now, here is what you can expect…

Masks

Most people are used to these by now.  In Oklahoma, we have to wear them indoors pretty much everywhere.  The difference at Disney World is that if you are on property you must wear them AT ALL TIMES.  The only exception is if you are stationary and actively eating/drinking, in a pool, in your resort room or in a mask relaxation station.  So you may be outside and may be well over 6 feet away from anyone, but you still must wear your mask.  

We did this in August and it was HOT and we survived.  If you or your kids aren’t used to wearing a mask though, I would recommend some practice ahead of time.  You don’t want to get there and realize your mask is uncomfortable or won’t stay up on your face.  Make sure you have a mask that you can wear for hours on end.  You also want to have several masks per person per day.  They get wet and sweaty and stinky.  Having extras to swap them out is a game-changer.

Hand Sanitizers and Hand Washing

Don is a certified germaphobe so we are used to sanitizing and washing often at Disney.  But now, it’s much easier to keep your hands clean.  Disney provides hand sanitizer throughout the park and there are hand washing stations if you’d rather use those.  I would recommend taking your own sanitizer as there were some times we didn’t want to wait in the line that formed at the dispenser on the way off of the ride.  The machines dispense a little slowly and we are an inpatient group!

Temperature Checks

Before entering the parks and Disney Springs, you are now required to stop for a temperature check.  It’s quick and easy, but just one more stop before you get to enter the park, so plan a few extra minutes to get through that line.  If you have a fever, you can wait in the cool-down area for a few minutes.  They’ll check you again and if it’s still high, you will be denied entry.  

Social Distancing

Throughout the parks now you’ll see markers on the ground within each queue to show you where to stand so that you’re separated from the group ahead of you.  You would think people could do this on their own, but the markers do help.  

You are also distanced on attractions and Disney transportation.  For those of you that prefer not interacting with strangers, this is a dream come true.  The downfall is that it translates to limited capacity.  For example, a bus that previously transported 50 guests to the park now may only transport 10-15 depending on how many groups are on board.  And while it’s nice to have rows to yourself on Slinky Dog and Pirates, attractions may have longer lines since they are not seating all rows/seats.  

One thing to think about is not to be overly concerned when you see a queue for an attraction stretch out into the park - especially on something like Space Mountain where the queue is normally contained indoors.  Just remember that there should be 6 feet of space between every party so the line goes much faster than it looks.

Be aware though, you could happen upon an attraction right before they start a cleaning cycle.  Depending on the attraction, this could increase your wait time by 5-15 minutes.  But most posted wait times are a bit inflated for this reason, so odds are you will wait less than what is posted.  If you’re in a hurry to make a dining reservation then you might want to avoid a line that has a wait time that would interfere.  Otherwise, hop in line!  You’ll most likely be done faster than you expect.  And I know I’m weird but waiting in line at Disney is still more fun than waiting in line at the grocery store, right?  :)

One other small drawback to social distancing is that Disney isn’t utilizing Single Rider lines currently.  In the past, if you didn’t mind riding with strangers, you could skip pretty far up in line to fill in where there was an empty seat due to odd numbers of people in a party.  I’ve done this many times and it’s a great way to get on the ride quickly!  Hopefully this is an option that will return.

Some Missing Offerings

Here’s a bit of bad news for you - some things are not available now and may or may not be back in the future.  They are:

Fireworks/Nightime Shows - no fireworks but there are projections (currently for Christmas) on some of the park icons that make for great photos!

Parades - we’re not huge parade watchers (requires patience to get a good spot which you know we don’t have) so we don’t miss this too much.  And they have replaced these with sort of “mini” parades called Character Cavalcades which I love even more!

Character Meet and Greets and Character Dining - I do really miss this as I love to get a hug from my fav Disney pals (looking at you, Mickey!), but for some this isn’t a big deal.  A lot of kids would rather wave at them from a distance and that’s perfect for the Character Cavalcades.

Park Hopping - this is a no-go at the moment, but it’s coming back and we have a date!  Started January 1, 2021 you’ll be able to hop again!  You’ll still need a Park Pass reservation for your first park and then after 2pm you can enter another park.  I can’t wait for this - I love to hit more than one park per day.

FastPasses - no FastPasses right now.  But honestly, with limited capacity at the parks, we did just fine without them.  

Mousekeeping - currently resorts are not cleaning rooms during your stay.  They will bring you towels and empty trash upon request.  

Some Good Changes 

So now that the bad news is out of the way, here’s some good news!

Mobile Ordering - this has been around for a while and I’ve always recommended it but very few people take advantage of it.  Now it’s basically required at all counter service locations.  There are a couple of locations that still have walk-up service but expect to use Mobile Ordering.  I can’t imagine doing it any other way to be honest.

Table Service Check In - Now when you have a Table Service reservation, you check in on the Mobile App rather than visit the podium.  This is a huge improvement.  The podium area was always crowded and loud and checking in was a pain.  Now you can check in as you’re walking to the restaurant and by the time you get there your table will most likely be ready!

Enchanced Cleaning - I could do without the stoppage of attractions for cleaning, but it is amazing to see how the parks are being CONSTANTLY cleaned.  I don’t know if that will continue post-Covid as the parks were cleaned well above my expectations already.

Limited Capacity/Smaller Crowds - the limited capacity could be seen as a negative if you want to go and can’t get a Park Pass reservation, but I love how empty the parks feel.  Some days are obviously more crowded than others but having pictures without a million people in them and no strollers running up on my ankles was awesome.

Great Deals - there are some HUGE cost savings now through the Spring - don’t miss out on those!

There will never be another time like this (we hope) at Disney World.  I’d go back to the way things were last year in a heartbeat.  But you can go safely and have a Magical trip for sure!!  I did a past blog post on our trip in August that you can read about here if you just can’t imagine why a person would go to Disney World during a pandemic: http://www.tripsbymouse.com/blog/2020/9/9/yes-i-took-my-kids-to-disney-world-during-a-pandemic-heres-why-id-do-it-again-in-a-heartbeat

If you’re going to work/school, grocery store, running errands… trust me when I say that you’ll be amazed at how safe you feel at Disney World.  And if you decide to go, please consider calling me and using my travel agent services.  It’s free and I can save you time (and sometimes money!) over booking and planning the trip yourself. It supports my family and I would greatly appreciate it!

How to Keep Busy at Disney During Shorter Park Hours

As per usual in the world right now, nothing is usual. One thing that is very unusual is that you may find yourself on a Disney World vacation with time on your hands and no park to go to. Parks have limited operating hours currently depending on the day you are there.

If you are a normal, sane person, you may think, “Sweet! Now I can relax a bit on my trip!” We know I am not that normal, sane person, so my mind says, “But I paid all this money and came all this way - entertain me until I drop dead of exhaustion!”

So for those you of that think like me, here are some options to entertain you until you drop…

Early/Late Table Service Dining

I typically don’t suggest a lot of Table Service dining because once again, I’m looking to fit in as much as I can in the way of attractions. But if a park has late opening hours (Epcot usually), use that morning to have a fun breakfast! There are a couple of modified character breakfasts you can do also and more open up as we go, so by the time you read this you may have more options. The good thing about a breakfast before you go to the parks is that you can really fill up and if you time it right, you could even skip lunch which saves more time for those rides!

The same idea can be done with a late dinner. Looking at the calendar today, Animal Kingdom is closing at 5pm. I tend to eat dinner early, but that’s early even for me. So you could easily find a great dinner spot after your day and not have to eat dinner at 10pm. One option is to get an Advanced Dining Reservation for a few minutes before the park closes and have the park to yourself as you walk out. Or you could try a restaurant at one of the resorts you’ve been wanting to visit. Disney Springs has a lot to offer too! And since you’re not in a hurry to make it to your next attraction, you can actually linger over your meal for once at Disney.

Miniature Golf

My boys love mini-golf and I do too. But I never feel like it’s going to be more fun to play mini-golf than the fun I’ll have in the parks so we never do it. But when you don’t have the option of a park, what’s stopping you? We had a great time at Fantasia Gardens on our trip. They are currently closed for the season, but don’t worry… the other course - Winter Summerland - is now open! I’ll do a longer blog post on how Disney does mini-golf (spoiler alert - they get it right) in an upcoming blog post.

Resort Activities and Swimming

Here’s one that most kids love and often miss out on. Pools! The resort pools are awesome - and heated for you colder people (like myself). If you stay deluxe or moderate, you’ll even have a water slide. The pools aren’t open super late (currently closing at 9pm) but if you’re leaving a park at 5, that gives you a lot of time. Most have some sort of bar/restaurant near the pool area so you can really relax. Keep in mind that Disney doesn’t allow park hopping, so you can only use the pool at your resort.

Resorts also have a lot of activities that go unnoticed. There are Movies under the Stars, bike rentals, fishing… Often there will be a scavenger hunt or craft for the kids. Be sure and check with the resort front desk for the schedule of what’s happening while you are there.

Disney Springs

I mentioned Disney Springs in the dining section, but just know there is a lot to do there! Of course, there’s a lot of dining and shopping. But you can also see a movie or go bowling! The NBA Experience isn’t back open yet, but that may be an option soon. Since there is no admission fee or ticket needed to enter Disney Springs, it can get crowded and may close due to capacity. Just have a back up plan in mind if that’s the case while you are there.

Soaking in Your Surroundings

One of my favorite things to do at Magic Kingdom is just to find a bench on Main Street and soak up the atmosphere. If the park is closed, though, you can still do something similar. One evening, we took the Skyliner over to the International Gateway at Epcot but instead of going to the park, we headed over to the boardwalk for pizza and ate by the water. We ended the evening at Beaches and Cream where we made ourselves sick on ice cream. It was the perfect end to our day!

Just remember, it’s fun to be spontaneous and have a few “extra” hours that you don’t normally have on a Disney vacation. I, for one, can’t wait until I can Park Hop and spend every waking hour in a park, but I know that’s not for everyone. But keep in mind that you do need to plan a bit if you want Table Service dining as it’s currently limited and you will need an Advanced Dining Reservation. I can help you with that of course!! Contact me - it won’t cost you a penny!!





















Tips for Distance Learning/Remote Working while at Disney World!

Are you still working from home and are your kids doing distance learning school? Well, then you just might be the luckiest family on earth!

If you don’t have to physically be on campus for school or in your office, then who’s to say where you get your work/school done? Why not get your assignments done during the day and then instead of hanging out at your house for the millionth night in a row, you just pop over to a Disney park for the afternoon and evening? Talk about a reason to whistle while you work!

So if you are smart enough to decide to do this, you might be looking for a few tips to help it go smoothly. I’ve got a few ideas…

Wouldn’t this make a great office view?!?

Wouldn’t this make a great office view?!?

Get Your Work Done Early

This is no time to dilly dally. Unless you have specific hours that you have to be logged in, why not get your work done early? The faster you can get your stuff done (and still do it well…), the more time you’ll have to play. Even better - if you can do your assignments anytime, do them in the late afternoon/evening and rope drop the parks each morning! You’ll beat the crowds and depending on the time of year, beat the heat.

Pick your Resort Wisely

If you have multiple family members that will be working and schooling, it might be worth paying a bit extra and staying in a villa with separate rooms. That way you’ll have a little privacy and quiet, especially if you have to be on video chats.

We were really lucky once and were able to stay in a villa at Animal Kingdom Lodge. With the separate bedroom and living area, there is plenty of room to work. Oh, and if it were me, I’d work out on the amazing balcony!!

Bring Plenty of Juice

No, I’m not worried about you staying hydrated - although you do have to keep an eye on that in the summer! I’m talking about battery power. Don’t forget to bring your power cord for any devices you’ll be using in the room. And you for sure want to have a portable charger if you’ll be on call or need to do anything in the parks. Using the Disney app takes a lot of battery power and add to that any work you have to do and you just might have your battery die on you if you’re not careful.

Also, if there is anything major that you MUST do at a specific time, be sure to log on a bit early to make sure you have a good connection. Disney wi-fi isn’t up to par with the rest of Disney’s services so you might need to try a different location or call the Help Desk if you can’t connect. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this.

Don’t be Sneaky

Be sure and let your work/school know that you’ll be traveling. It’s great to have a backup person that you can call if you get caught up in the magic of the parks and end up being a little late to work. And most teachers would rather know that you are out of town and might be a little late on assignments. Easier to let them know ahead of time then have to explain it when you’re already stressed about missing a deadline.

MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ALL…

Sorry for yelling, but please hear this part!! Make sure you have a travel agent that can help with all Disney specific issues so you don’t have to worry about anything. Luckily you know just the person that can help - ME!

There are some great specials right now - take advantage of it and enjoy remote work/school more than you can imagine! Also, read here if you have safety concerns about traveling right now… http://www.tripsbymouse.com/blog/2020/9/9/yes-i-took-my-kids-to-disney-world-during-a-pandemic-heres-why-id-do-it-again-in-a-heartbeat

Call me!



Yes, I took my kids to Disney World during a Pandemic… here's why I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Last year I went to Disney World alone to be there for opening day for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.  Although I had an amazing time, it was truly a work trip as I wanted to be able to give first-hand knowledge to my clients.  As you can imagine, it ruffled my kids’ feathers as they were disappointed to not go.  They understood why (I was able to go VERY cheaply and without a guarantee of us getting the new land, I didn’t want to risk the money to take them), and I promised them I would take them back the next year.

Who knew that 2020 would be the year of canceled dreams.

But when Disney opened back up, I knew I still wanted to take them.  To be quite honest, I haven’t been overly worried about us getting the virus.  We are all healthy with no reason to be terrified.  We take the normal precautions of hand-washing and avoiding others the best we can and I knew from past experiences with Disney that they take cleanliness seriously.

I have a ridiculously short time to spend with my boys before they head off to college and their lives without me.  A week with them away from all of the daily grind was something I was not willing to give up.  I didn’t want to look back 10 years from now and realize I missed out on something priceless due to fear.  

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So off we went!

Disclaimer...  it was just Andrew and Luke that came with me.  Don and Ryan aren’t huge Disney fans (where did I go wrong) and had decided the year before that we should go without them.  I think after hearing our stories of the week they really regretted that decision! 

From the moment we got to the airport, we wore our masks THE ENTIRE TIME.  Masks were on in the airport, on the plane, on the Magical Express, in the parks, on the attractions…  The only time we were allowed to take them off was when we were in our hotel room, in the pool or stationary and actively eating/drinking.  I really thought this would be worse than it was.  I hadn’t worn a mask a ton as I work from home and don’t have a lot of commitments outside of home.  And it was August in Florida so you know it was HOT and HUMID.  But it wasn’t too bad.  When we really needed a break we just were forced to get a snack (translation: Dole Whip) and sit in the shade.  That’s what we would normally do on a trip so nothing new there! 

Wearing the mask did frustrate me when it came time for pictures.  I love PhotoPass photos and I hate that you can’t see me smiling from ear to ear at my Happy Place, but I know underneath that mask is my dopey smile.  I just wish there was at least one “mask off” photo they could do since at that moment we weren’t within 10 feet of anyone including the photographer.

Speaking of having no one around…  like I said, I’m not overly worried about getting sick.  At the grocery store, if someone gets within my 6 foot bubble, I don’t think much about it.  I try to stay out of other people’s bubbles but know I’ve accidentally walked up on someone.  But at Disney World, there were so few people that I truly never noticed anyone close to us!  Every single line for every attraction had markings for social distancing.  Every attraction seated people in a way that they weren’t close to each other.  Sadly, this meant no stretching room in the Haunted Mansion and no pre-shows on other attractions. If I were a first time guest, I might not even notice the difference.  I hate that some people miss out on those experiences but having such small crowds definitely made up for it. In lines where social distancing is difficult, Disney has added barriers between areas where guests might get a little too close.  

Waits were short or non-existent.  Park hours were short and park hopping isn’t allowed, but we did every attraction we wanted to do multiple times.  Other than the After Hours party I did once, I don’t think I’ve ever ridden so may rides in such a short time.  

I missed the Character Meet and Greets but Luke and Andrew were relieved to not have to do that part.  Apparently I’m really weird for being over 4 years old and still wanting to do that.  I did enjoy the new way they have of sending the characters out for quick glimpses but am still sad that the only time I saw Mickey was for 5 seconds as we were leaving and it was only the back of his head!

As far as cleanliness, I think we used over a gallon of hand sanitizer each.  It was at the entrance and exit of every ride, shop, restaurant and randomly throughout the park.  There were also hand washing stations. The longest lines we waited in were due to the fact that Disney would shut down the ride periodically to clean the vehicles.  You could also see Cast Members throughout the parks and throughout the day wiping down high-touch surfaces.  Honestly we would have had to actively try to catch the virus if we wanted it and I doubt we would have been successful.  

Ironically, we sit in quarantine right now due to Ryan testing positive for covid.  So the three of us were able to travel to Florida, have a week in the parks and travel home with no issues.  Ryan most likely contracted it from a friend at school. 

Imagine if I had canceled our trip and missed out on memories that I will never forget to avoid a virus that ended up in our house anyway.  Time is SO short.  I will never regret taking this trip with 2 of my favorite people in the world and I am so thankful for this time as I know how fast it flies. (Excuse me while I go cry over my boys growing up for the 100th time this week).

Obviously now is not the time to travel if you are at-risk or would worry the entire trip.  But if you feel comfortable going to the grocery store, trust me when I tell you that you’ll be even more comfortable at Disney World.  Call me and let’s talk about getting your trip planned!