Sprinkle some MAGIC into your daily lives!

Can’t make it to Disney World or Universal Studios anytime soon? When it’s a long time between trips (or really even a few days), I start to miss my Happy Places. To make it bearable, I like to sprinkle magic into my daily life. Often times you’ll see my with my Mickey hat/shirt/necklace or drinking from my awesome new Harry Potter tumbler while I’m out.

I love to listen to Disney music, watch movies, and reminisce over the pictures that I have taken from all of my Disney & Universal trips.

One of the most fun things to keep the magic alive at home is to incorporate the fun into parties that you’re having! Before my kids were too old to tell me they didn’t want these AWESOME parties, I had a great time planning and throwing some fun Disney/Universal themed parties and wearing matching Halloween costumes!

Enjoy the pics below and remember to get your own dose of magic for your next vacation, give me a call! There are NO FEES for booking and planning your trip!!

I Hate to Brag But...

Talking up my skills is something I find difficult in the marketing of my business.  I always feel like I'm bragging or pretending like I know everything when we all know that NOBODY knows EVERYTHING!  

But today I just want to remind you why you should give me a call when you're planning a trip to Disney or Universal.  Or if you're even remotely considering a trip - I'd love to try to talk you into it!  :)

First and most important - I LOVE what I do.  I love everything about Disney and Universal travel.  I love the research, I love the planning, I love the parks!  So when I say I want to help you, I truly mean it.  Yes, it's a job and if you book through me, I'll get paid which is an amazing perk - but I honestly love doing it.  

Even if you are an expert on these types of vacations, you would be helping to support my small business!  Giving me the chance to help you doesn't mean that I just take over and you are out of the loop.  Some of my favorite clients are experts themselves and just use me to verify their plans or answer a question about something they may have forgotten or aren't familiar with. Plus, I'm the one point of contact rather than having to call Disney or Universal and talk to a different agent every single time.  And don't forget about the long wait times to call in sometimes - I'll help as quickly as I can every time and you don't have to tell your whole vacation story when you call in.

What are the other benefits of using a certified travel agent like myself?  

• I work for FREE!!  Ok, so not really.  Disney and Universal both pay me a commission.  But that commission is NOT added on top of your vacation cost.  You will pay the EXACT same thing to Disney or Universal regardless of if you book through me or do it yourself.  
• I research the best dates for the best value/best crowd level/best weather for your time frame.
• I monitor the specials that Disney releases.  Doesn't happen often, but if a special comes out after you've booked that can be applied to your trip, I will do that for you!
• I will get up before sunrise on the day of your FastPass and Advanced Dining Reservation windows.  I will talk with you before that day to find out what you'd prefer so that you get as close to what you want as possible!
• I am available anytime to chat about your trip.  It's really hard to say "here's what to do on your trip" as all families are different.  I love getting to know my clients and helping them decide on a plan.
• I am also available at any time for questions - and if I don't know the answer (it happens!), I have a direct line to Disney and Universal.  I also have relationships with a large number of other travel agents that may have ideas to help us in an unusual situation.  
• Have a problem on your trip?  Call me!  It's a nice feeling knowing you aren't in it alone if a problem arises.

Again, I don't want to brag but I do have these awesome pins that speak for themselves when they say I'm a graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge!

Please give me a call and let's talk about your vacation needs.  And I'd appreciate it immensley if you would give my information to anyone you know considering a trip.  THANK YOU!!

Is Universal Better Than Disney?

Something that has been debated for a while amongst theme-park goers is the question of which one is better - Disney or Universal?  

To be honest, Disney has my heart and I won't ever be able to say that I think Universal is better.  However, depending on your family and situation, Universal might be a better fit for you.  I love all things Disney but I admit I'm pretty much a little kid when it comes to that stuff.  I know a lot of people that prefer Universal and today I'll talk about a few reasons why that might be the case.  Even I have to admit that in the following areas, Universal has the edge!

1 - Security Process

I am all for stringent security at the parks - I really do feel safe there and that's worth a lot.  But in this area, Universal wins hands down.  They have an almost airport like security area in which you send your bags through an x-ray machine and then you go through the metal detector.  When we visited, it was first thing in the morning and we were through security in a matter of seconds.  Also, since it's at the entrance to CityWalk, you go through once and you're good for both theme parks and all of CityWalk until you leave.  

Disney does a thorough, by-hand, bag check.  It's time-consuming and sometimes a bit frustrating.  If only everyone understood the process and got ready before their turn it wouldn't be a big deal, but not everyone reads my blog!!  :)  They also have metal detectors and they randomly send guests through them.  We typically waited 5-10 minutes to get through, which isn't much, but I really loved Universal's streamlined process.  Plus at Disney, if you leave a park and go to another, you get to do the security process all over again.

Universal's Security Checkpoint 

2 - Proximity of Parks to Each Other

Universal is smaller than Disney which can be a great thing.  If you stay on property, you can easily get to both Theme Parks and all of the CityWalk entertainment on foot.  They do have shuttles and water-taxis but it's nice to have the option to walk if you don't want to do public transportation (Don loves this option).  

At Disney, if you want to go from one park to the other, or head to Disney Springs, you can't walk.  The area is just too large.  

The maps below may look similar sized, but looks are deceiving.  Universal is around 800 acres and Disney World is 43 square miles!!

3 - Harry Potter!

OK, so I know that Disney has all of my favorite characters.  I mean they have Mickey Mouse after all.  But the thing about Universal and Harry Potter is that you feel like you are actually in Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley.  Disney has amazing theming but nothing quite so immersive as the Harry Potter areas.  This may all change when Star Wars Land opens up though!  I'll keep you posted!!

 

4 - More Rides for the Big Kids

To be quite honest, I'm happy as a little clam riding Small World, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan...  You name it.  But I know some people like a little more thrill from their rides.  Universal has that.  I won't ride a few of them since I'm a big chicken, but if thrills are what you're after, you can find them there.  Disney has a few too, but as a whole, I think Universal has the edge here.

So is Universal better than Disney?  You decide!!!  And please, give me a call to let me help you plan and figure it out.  Don't forget my services are free and I would love to help you make this decision!!