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Garden Grill (Chip & Dale’s Harvest Feast) is a character meal serving breakfast, lunch or dinner at Epcot in Future World – the Land Pavilion.  The restaurant rotates very slowly (so you really don’t even realize you are moving), but gives you a different view every time you look up, including a look at the “Living with the Land” ride.  Ingredients grown within the land pavilion are used in some of the food!  Considered farm to table, the lunch and dinner menu offers salad, pot roast, veggies and dessert.  It is all you can eat, so you can just ask for more if you run out!  View the different menus here.  Characters you will find here are of course – Chip and Dale, along with Farmer Mickey and Pluto. We visited Garden Grill for dinner on our December 2017 trip, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals.  The food was really good, as well as the character interaction. The Land Pavilion: Garden Grill restaurant: Service was pretty quick, our waitress quickly took our drink orders and then brought salad and rolls out to the table: Dale was the first to come by – the way I remember which is Chip and which is Dale is by remembering Chip has a small black nose – I think of “chocolate Chip”, lol. garden grill review Chip was right behind: garden grill review Noah was excited, lol After Chip & Dale came by, our main dishes were brought out: We had a skillet wtih pork roast, turkey breast, and Italian sausage, green beans, dressing (or stuffing to some), and mashed potatoes,.  (The new menu looks to have replaced the Italian sausage with carved pork with apple chutney).  They also brought out a plate which I assume is mostly for kids – macaroni and french fries – but we adults loved these too!  Everything I had was tasty, except I didn’t love the green beans or the Italian sausage. Farmer Mickey was the next to come by and visit: Noah obviously isn’t a character guy Pluto was up next: Something was very funny…… Finally, it was time for dessert: Berry short-cake with vanilla bean whipped cream and some cookies with mickey sprinkles.  The dessert was good, but we would have liked it much better with some ice cream instead of whipped cream. Overall this was a great meal – one that I highly recommend!  Be sure to check out my other Disney restaurant reviews! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you.

In case you missed it, click here to start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Day 7 – Last Day at Sea How did this day arrive so quickly?!  At this point Hunter said he was ready to go home, while Eddie and I looked at each other and said “I could do another 7 days.”  We slept in again until around 9:00am.  Then it was off to Cabana’s for breakfast for our usual fare, although this time we also tried the biscuits and gravy that we kept wanting to try.  They were actually really good!   We got back to the room and showered and it was already time to head for Bingo.  There were two rounds of Bingo scheduled today and we had planned to go to both (we have won the jackpot before, so now we are hooked!).   We got there early knowing it would be crowded, to get our seats and cards/handsets.  We didn’t have any luck this session.  The people behind us won a door prize and also won some money on the first game, but they were pretty disappointed when 6 other people also won!  One of the people who won that split jackpot actually had Bingo on two of her handsets, so she got 2/7 of the payout.  First time I had seen that happen! Bingo ended around 11:45am and Eddie and I wanted to go look in the gift shops since our first day we were specifically shopping for Alaska merchandise and didn’t look at the regular items.  We didn’t find anything that we had to have this time.  We were scheduled to meet with the DVC rep at 1:30 and there was a ventriloquist (Michael Harrison) scheduled for 2:00pm in the Walt Disney Theater that we were hoping to go see, but we didn’t make it out in time.  We met with Rob with DVC and were really seriously thinking about buying in since we go to Disney so much.  We took the information so we could go and talk about it and told him we would get back with him.  We headed upstairs to meet Hunter after the show (we had told him we would be waiting in Preludes outside the theater).  The show let out around 2:45 but we never saw Hunter, and apparently he forgot that he was supposed to meet us.  We stayed there in our seats and had a discussion about DVC, but ultimately decided we weren’t going to pursue.  We felt like all of our vacation money would be tied up into DVC, and we really enjoy traveling – and not just with Disney.  You can exchange points and use them at other hotels, so it isn’t strictly Disney, but I’ve always heard those points don’t transfer well and didn’t want to take any chances.  We headed back to the room and then grabbed Hunter for another round of Bingo!  This was the last Bingo session for this cruise, and the payout is highest on that last day.  I don’t think I realized up until this point that the prices of the packages change with each session.  On my 3-night cruise, I remembered paying $60 for the “Family Pack” which includes 2 electronic sets and 1 pack of paper cards.  This cruise it had been $80 both times we’d played, but for this last session it was $120!  Ouch.  Note:  there are smaller packages you can buy.  In the middle of bingo games they give away some door prizes by flashing names of everyone who has purchased a bingo package and if it stops on your name, you win.  Well, Eddie’s name was called!  We won this Disney Cruise Line lunch bag which also had a cute sailor Mickey luggage tag and a cruise key chain inside: Unfortunately that was the only thing we won this session, but we can’t complain.  We won $88 the first game and then a door prize, and like I said, we have won the jackpot before on another cruise. After bingo, we headed for another Pub Quiz with Rod.  Afterwards we stopped in the gift shop “Sea Treasures” and bought an Alaska t-shirt (one for me and one for Eddie). By this time it was time for dinner and tonight was Tiana’s Place with the regular Mardi Gras menu and I was really excited.  I had really enjoyed Tiana’s on my girls cruise in March.   Since this was our last night we made sure to take some pics: For my appetizer I ordered the Sausage Andouille Fritters:  (I had ordered these on my last cruise and really enjoyed them).  I liked them again this time, but the guys tried it and they didn’t like them: The guys both ordered the Shrimp & Grits and really liked them: Eddie and I also tried the tomato bisque (very good): For my entrée I ordered the Roasted Pork Tenderloin which I really enjoyed: Eddie & Hunter tried the Cajun Spiced Sea Bass on Shrimp Jambalaya:  (I had this on my last cruise and enjoyed it): Svetlana also brought the table some Artichoke Ravioli to try:  It was pretty good, but nothing I’d want for my meal: The desserts were what I had been waiting on!  I told Svetlana we wanted one of each:  Beingets, Banana Foster Sundae and White Chocolate Bread Pudding.  They were all so good, just like I had remembered: This was the last night in the dining rooms so I asked Svetlana and Istvan if I could take a picture of them: Best Servers Ever!! Istvan was so great! After dinner we walked outside to check out the beautiful scenery again and take some pics since this was our last night of the cruise. We were greeted with this beautiful sight as well: We decided to skip Dreams (we’ve seen it before) and the adult shows tonight and get packed up and to bed early for our early morning debarkation. Sunset on our final cruise night – so sad to be leaving!!! On the way to the room I took this picture: This is what is on the carpet in the hallways of the ships, and it helps you navigate where you are headed (Forward or Aft).  If the map is upside down, you are headed Aft (back of the ship).  If the map is facing you, you are headed Forward (front of the ship).  Pretty cool and only took me 6 cruises to figure that out, LOL. We were greeted with this on the bed (not sure exactly what it is?)  Something with its legs crossed.  Either a human or Gumby, LOL. We packed everything up except what we needed for the next day and headed to bed. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #CruiseReviews #DisneyCruise #TripReport

In case you missed it, click hereto start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Disembarkation Day – Vancouver Sightseeing This morning our breakfast was scheduled for 7:00am since we were on the Main Dining schedule.  We knew we didn’t have to be off the ship until 9:00am (out of our room by 8:30), so we left our bags in our room and headed to breakfast.  We were sad to say goodbye to Svetlana and Istvan and told them we would be sure to request them as our servers next time we are on the Wonder.   Breakfast went pretty quick, and we went back to the room and did a final sweep of the room before heading out around 8:00am or so.  Walking out we had to stop by this table to pick up the knives they had “confiscated” that we had purchased in Alaska.  Once you return on ship from a port, they take anything you’ve purchased that is not allowed on the ship (such as alcohol or knives, etc) and give you a card with a number on it.  You give that card to the staff at the table to collect your items.  It was a seamless and quick process. It was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver.  We had a Vancouver Delights tour scheduled with LandSea Tours, but we weren’t due to meet the representative until 9:30am.  So we found a bench and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and seeing some behind the scenes action for the Wonder: Loading food and supplies for the next sailing About 9:15am we headed to the front entrance to meet our LandSea representative.  He asked us to walk across the street with him just because it was easier for the driver to navigate to that side.  I had done a lot of research, and there was a Vancouver tour that Disney was offering for the same price, but that tour didn’t have as many stops as this tour, and this tour also delivered us to the airport and stored our bags.  They had a regular Vancouver City Tour that was around 4 hours long, and this one (Vancouver Delights Tour) which was 7 hours long.  We didn’t have to be at the airport until 8:00pm, so this one worked perfect for us. Our driver picked us up and then made some stops at a few other hotels and then we were on our way.  Our driver, Summer, was a local and very informative.  Our first stop was at the Granville Public Market.  We had heard this was very similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle which we loved, and this was an accurate description.  In fact, I think I enjoyed Granville Market a little more, and would love to go back and spend a full day there.  We were given an hour to shop, eat, etc.  I wished we had stopped here closer to lunch, because they had so much that looked delicious that I would have loved to try!  We did buy a scone and some chocolate chip cookies to snack on later.  Here are some pics of the market area: After we left here, our next stop was the Vancouver Lookout.  Admission was included in the price of the tour which was awesome.  It would have been $17.50 (CAD) each otherwise.  We had great 360 degree views from the lookout, and there were signs posted all over giving some history of the sights in Vancouver.  We spent about 30 minutes here before heading out. View of Canada Place and the Disney Wonder from the Vancouver Lookout Tower While driving to each location, Summer was great about pointing out other areas and giving us some history or details (such as the beach area with logs placed all around to watch the sunset, the Rogers Centre stadium, the Olympic Cauldron, etc). Our next stop was at Stanley Park where the totem poles were located.  Stanley Park was PACKED and Eddie and I were so glad that we had got up early the first morning of our cruise and experienced Stanley Park where we felt like we were the only ones there! Our next stop in Stanley Park was at Prospect Point.  This offers beautiful views of Lions Gate Bridge and Vancouver.  They have a café there and some outside tables as well.  On the way to Prospect Point we passed a Stanley Park Brewery that is being built.  We can’t wait to come back to Vancouver and spend more time. There was a gift shop at Prospect Point so of course I had to buy a Christmas tree ornament: After our scenic pictures, we got back on the bus and headed to Capilano Salmon Hatchery and then the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Admission was also included in the price of the tour.  The Salmon Hatchery was neat and had some beautiful trails: Next was the Suspension Bridge: The Suspension Bridge was so crowded! Canada Day was the day before which is why they had the flag up. That was pretty cool to see. We walked the bridge across and back and then got some lunch.  It was around 3:00pm at this point and we hadn’t ate since breakfast on the ship.  We stopped at Logger’s and got a huge hot dog and fries.  Eddie and I split one, but Hunter had his own, lol. This was their indoor sit-down restaurant Definitely big enough to share (unless you’re a teenage boy, lol!) We were all given these certificates when we were getting ready to leave Capilano Suspension Bridge: Isn’t he cute? Our driver dropped off the others at their hotels (there were about 4 stops).  That was another great thing about this tour….we were given priority at the Vancouver Lookout and at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (no waiting in line) and the bus was small, we had 19 people in our group.  We were dropped off last at the airport, and we did tip Summer well.  Not only was she a great tour guide, we would have had to pay around $43 for a taxi to take us to the airport, not to mention all the admission fees we would have had to pay to the sites we visited.  This tour can’t be beat, and I am definitely recommending this to all of my clients who go to Vancouver, either for a cruise or just to visit Vancouver. By the time we got to the airport, we were starting to get tired.  We arrived around 6:00 or 6:30pm, and we couldn’t check in until 3 hours before our flight (8:00pm).  Luckily Vancouver airport has a nice food court outside the terminals where we sat and relaxed until we could check in.  We decided to wait to get something to eat until we had went through security since we had a late lunch.  The process was a little quirky, we used the kiosk to check-in, then were told to take our bags to another location in the airport to be checked.  Once we got there, we were told that once we arrived in Chicago (our layover), that we would need to collect our bags and re-check them.  We were a little frustrated by this because we only had a 1 hour and 20 minute layover.  It was something to do with being late at night and security, etc.  Thankfully once we got to Chicago everything went pretty quickly, but it was a hassle having to go through security again.  Especially when it was 5:00am and our bodies were functioning on very little sleep. We made it back to our home airport around 9:30am and were home by 11:00am.  We immediately took a nap and set our alarms for 2:00pm so we wouldn’t sleep all day.  That worked well.  We were ready to go to bed at our usual time of 10:00pm that night.  We did sleep pretty late the following day, but we needed it.  We are glad we had that extra day to readjust before heading back to work. Well this is the end of this report, I hope you enjoyed it!  Please send me a message if you have any questions about Alaska!  We absolutely loved this cruise and are already trying to figure out when we can go back again.  Eddie said he never wants to do another Caribbean cruise again, LOL (I wouldn’t go that far, haha!).  But seriously, the scenery cannot be beat.  God’s creation is absolutely stunning and we were very fortunate to be able to go on this adventure. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #Skagway #DisneyCruise #Ketchikan #Juneau #TripReport #Vancouver #Excursion #CruiseReviews

My husband and I recently attended the Passholder Play Time event at Toy Story Land.  This was our first time ever passholder event and let me tell you – it did not disappoint!!! Our event time was scheduled from 7am – 8am, with entry to begin around 6:45am.  We got to our bus stop that morning right at 6:00am and a bus came up immediately (just like the sign says!): These signs are stationed at the Disney resort bus stops to let you know how approximately how long you’ll have to wait. We always found them to be pretty accurate! We were the only ones on the bus!! We were at the entrance by 6:20am and were greeted with the sight of all of the Cast Members awaiting our arrival: This was super cool; we were only the 3rd or 4th people to arrive.  We waited up front talking to a nice cast member until it was time to let us in.  The cast member told us that it was open to 300 passholders, but we weren’t sure if that was per hour, or for the entire 2 hours. First in line! Once open, the cast members walked us over to Toy Story Land.  The sun was just beginning to rise, so it was still all lit up which was pretty cool. We headed straight for Slinky Dog Dash.  We did have to tap our magic bands (similar to a fastpass) but only had to do that the first time.  After that we went through a separate line. Pics of the empty queue: Our first ride: Our 3rd ride: Our 5th ride: Our 7th (and final) ride: By the time we finished our 7th ride (we thought about going for 10, but we were both feeling a little nauseous after the 7th time), it was only 7:30am.  We walked over to Alien Swirling Saucers for our first ride.  On the way over we stopped for some PhotoPass pics: The CLAW!!! We walked right on to Alien Swirling Saucers.  This wasn’t our favorite ride and wasn’t something we wanted to ride a second time, even though we could have walked right back on. We stopped for a bathroom break and then took some more pics: As you can see, the park was pretty empty – it was amazing!! Afterwards we headed over to the Woody & Jessie meet and greet.  This would be our longest line of the day…..which was about 10 minutes total.  The characters are out in the sun with no shade cover, so they take breaks frequently.  We had some cute interaction with them and ended up with a shirt full of stickers: Next we were off to meet Buzz and to get our Photopass picture by the entrance sign: After meeting Buzz, we decided to head over to Woody’s Lunch Box for breakfast.  I have heard good things about this quick service meal, and it did not disappoint.  You can check out their menu here. Eddie ordered the Breakfast Bowl: Breakfast bowl with potato barrels, eggs, green onion, and smoked brisket country gravy I ordered the Smoked Turkey breakfast sandwich on sourdough: Smoked turkey, swiss cheese and egg on sourdough bread – yummy! Everything was really good.  We decided to go ride Toy Story Mania next.  It was another walk on. Eddie beat me. Ugh! We were hoping the cast member would let us stay on for a second ride (because some of the queue lines were empty), but there was someone at our number, so we had to get off and get back in line.  No worries though – we walked right back on again!  On our way out we took some more pics: Then ran into a Photopass photographer who offered to take our picture: At this point it was around 9:00am so we decided to leave Toy Story Land now that the park had opened to everyone else and it was getting crowded.  As we walked out right at 9am, we saw that the line for Slinky Dog Dash was at a 60 minute wait! We walked towards Rock ‘n Rollercoaster and stopped for some Photopass pics since the streets were pretty empty: We walked right on Rock ‘n Rollercoaster.  When I say walked right on – I mean it!  We didn’t even see the pre-show with Aerosmith!  That has never happened!! Check out this EMPTY queue!!  Now keep in mind – passholder play time had ended and the park was open to everyone!  I cannot stress the importance of early park arrival!!! Next we walked over to Tower of Terror.  Another walk on, although we did see the pre-show Twilight Zone video. We finished up around 9:35am and decided to go into the shops to look at the Toy Story Land pins (my husband has a severe Disney pin addiction), along with anything else we might want, lol. We were out at the bus stop by 10:15am, and back at our resort (Port Orleans French Quarter) by 10:40am. Did I mention this was the BEST.PARK.DAY.EVER?!!   We were so lucky to be able to get tickets to experience this event – I wish we could experience all of the parks like this! Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #HollywoodStudios #AnnualPassholder #SlinkyDogDash #PassholderPlayTime #ToyStoryLand

We all know that the Disney parks are decorated beautifully during the holiday season, but did you know that you can also get a little Christmas in Disney Springs?  In recent years, Disney Springs has put up a “Christmas Tree Trail” which includes themed trees from Disney characters and Disney movies.  New trees are added each year – with this year including the following themes:  Haunted Mansion, Star Wars, Four Parks (with a monorail), Nordic Winter and Nostalgic Mickey & Minnie. The magic begins on November 8, 2018 and runs through January 6, 2019.  There are a total of 27 trees.  The trail is complete with Christmas music, falling snow and of course – the gorgeous themed trees.   We have been the past 3 years and last year they had Photopass photographers stationed throughout which was a nice touch!   The trail is open from 11:00am to 11:00pm.  At the end of the trail, you’ll also find Santa’s Chalet where you can meet the man himself!  Santa will be there November 8, 2018 to December 24, 2018, 11:00am – 11:00pm.  The line for Santa can get long, so you can check in at the podium, give your cell number to one of Santa’s helpers, then go shop, eat or just enjoy the sights.  You will receive a text message notifying you when to return to take your place in line to meet Santa! Here are some pics from our trips to the Christmas Tree Trail – I seriously want to pack up these trees and take home to decorate my house! One of my favorites – Minnie Mouse tree! As I mentioned, last year they had Photopass photographers stationed in the trail, here’s one of us and you can see the “snow” falling around us. I can’t wait for another visit this year to see the new trees!  Don’t forget there’s also special Christmas/Holiday themed shopping, eating & holiday performances at Disney Springs.  While there try one of my favorite quick service restaurants – Blaze Pizza or Polite Pig!  You can find a list of holiday happenings at Disney Springs here. As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you.

The Grand Canyon. Enormous. Majestic. Kid friendly? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! Despite the fact that our children, ranging from 10 to 18 years old, were less than enthusiastic about adding the Grand Canyon to our family vacation this year, it turned out to be one of their favorite parts of the trip out west. What do I mean by less than enthusiastic? I believe the word “boring” was used once or twice. As far as they were concerned, they’d already seen the Grand Canyon time and time again in photographs. But a photograph isn’t the same as seeing it in person, and seeing this incredible landscape in person is anything but boring. As soon as we arrived, they quickly realized that the pictures didn’t do it justice. They were in awe. Imagine that, a 10-year-old in awe of something over a million years old. Now, that same 10-year-old girl is learning about the Grand Canyon in school, and she proudly tells her classmates, “I’ve been there!” Not only has she been there, but she’s taken photos there (some goofier than others) and she’s made memories there—memories that she’ll cherish for the rest of her life. So yes, your kids may groan about how “boring” a bunch of rocks may be, but don’t rule it out. We didn’t, and we’re so glad because of it. With that said, the Grand Canyon probably isn’t the ONLY place you want to visit on a vacation to the Southwest, as two days there is more than enough for your children. That’s why I recommend visiting any of the many places close by. In fact, we took a day trip out to the Canyon from Las Vegas! If you’re interested in learning more about building a family vacation around the Grand Canyon (or adding it to your already-planned vacation in the area), contact me for a quote today!

I hear it time and time again, “I would never pay for a travel agent.” or “I don’t need one. I can do it myself.” or “I like having control of my own vacation.” Everyone has a reason for NOT using a travel agent, but most of these people may not actually understand how a travel agent works. So, let’s clear the air, shall we? First and foremost, it’s FREE. Yes, you read that right. Using a travel agent is absolutely free to you. When you enlist a travel agent to help plan your vacation and take care of all the tedious booking, you don’t have to shell out an hourly fee or an upfront charge. Secondly, you aren’t actually “losing control” of your vacation. If you book a cruise through me, you can still access your cruise planner account to choose your own excursions, buy your drink packages, sign up for specialty dining, etc. It’s all still right there, at your fingertips. You can access your Disney account to make dining and FastPass+ reservations or you can ask me to. Either way, you’re still in control. The only thing you must allow the agent to do is book the trip, make payments on the trip, and handle any changes/cancellations to the trip. And seriously, why would you want to call a 1-800 number just to be on hold for 45+ minutes when someone else can do that for you? This is about saving you the hassle, not taking away your control. See, having a travel agent is similar to having an insurance policy (without the cost, of course). By booking through me, you’ll always have someone there to take care of things whenever something unexpected comes up. I’m looking at you, Hurricane Dorian. We plan our vacations far in advance. That’s the nature of the industry. But we can never really know for sure what’s going to happen when the time comes to take that trip. Will you have time to sit on the phone with Royal Caribbean or Disney or Sandals or any number of resorts if something suddenly changes? I will. I’ll figure out what your options are and present you with the best scenarios for adjusting your travel plans. You don’t have to worry about any of it. If that doesn’t already have you sold on booking with a travel agent, don’t worry. What I’m about to tell you might just put you over the edge… Travel agents get you the BEST deals. We have access to hundreds of suppliers that regular travelers don’t, meaning that there are deals out there you’ll never be able to find without booking through me. And I assure you, if it’s out there, I’ll find it. In fact, if I book your vacation with a great deal only to discover a newer, greater deal months later, I can automatically add the better offer to your vacation. Big corporations like Disney aren’t going to do that for you, but I can. Just like I can sometimes provide special perks like Onboard Credits for cruises, special group rates, and more. As you can see, there are several reasons why using a travel agent to book your vacation is beneficial to you—and I haven’t even mentioned the wealth of knowledge we all have regarding destinations and activities—but to me, the most important reason to book through a travel agent is the simple fact that you’ll be supporting a small business. I’m not a multi-billion-dollar company; I’m a mom. I’m a mom who’s paying for her kids to go to college, to take dance lessons, to inevitably go over their cell phone minutes. I’m a mom who loves to travel hassle-free with her family, and I want the same easy, convenient experience for yours. That’s why you should book with me. So, what do you say? Are you starting to see the perks of booking through a travel agent? If the answer’s yes, don’t waste any time waiting. Request a quote with me today!

Have you ever heard the saying, “You get what you pay for?” Right, of course you have. How about when it’s applied to your family vacation? I only ask because this sentiment could not be any truer when it comes to booking a cruise for your family. Believe me, I understand the appeal of what looks like a great deal. I’m guilty of buying things just because they’re on sale only to never even use them. I get it. But at the end of the day, a deal is only as good as what you’re getting out of it. If you’re paying $199 per person for a cruise and it feels a little too good to be true, it probably is. The moment you board that ship and see that it’s sporting outdated 80s décor, pink walls, old carpet, one outdoor movie screen, and maybe some added entertainment if you’re lucky, you’ll wish you’d spent the extra money on something that’s worth it. Let me explain why. Most cruise lines go to the same destinations. You’ll rarely find a port that doesn’t play host to most of the major players in the industry, which means you’ll never have to choose your cruise based on WHERE you want to go. Instead, base your decision on HOW you get there. Why? Because the majority of your vacation time is spent on the ship, so you want some nice activities and amenities for your family to enjoy. Newer ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s “amplified” line up, include things like ice skating, laser tag, rock climbing, Flow Rider surf simulation, VR trampolines, mini golf, and so on and so forth. Your ship isn’t like an airplane or a taxi, taking you from one destination to the next; it’s your resort. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to book the most expensive, grandiose ship on the water in order to enjoy an incredible cruise. You can book a high-quality ship at an affordable price if you know what you’re doing. That’s where I come in. You tell me exactly what you’re looking for in a cruise experience, and I’ll use my wealth of experience to lead you in the right direction. So, contact me at tammy@mousecounselors.com or by requesting a quote online, and I’ll tell you what ships I would recommend based on your family’s budget and needs.

Hey traveling couples, Eddie here. I decided to give Tammy a break and handle this blog myself. In September, Tammy and I decided to take a quick trip to Disney World for the International Food and Wine Festival. COVID obvisouly made it a different experience from year’s past but it was worth it! Safety first, so before entering every park, each guest must walk through a health tent. Taking Temperatures at Entrance Plenty of social distancing We entered EPCOT via the International Gateway near Boardwalk, so we started our food and beverage tasting in France. What better way to start than with a drink! Grey Goose Slushy I’ll cut to the chase. There were several food favorites but Brazil has the best option: Crispy Pork Belly and Cheesy Bread. Crispy Pork Belly A very close second was Morocco’s hummus fries. Morocco also has the Kefka Pocket (ground beef with carmalized onions, garlic, and spicy tomato). Hummus Fries My mother’s side of the family is Italian, so I crave pasta, cheese, onions, and ham. And what better place to taste all those food ingredients mixed together than in Germany. Germany? Oh yeah! Do yourself a favor and get you some Schinkennudeln. Delicious! Grubbing on Schinkennudeln We originally walked past the Spain kiosk but my curiosity turned us around and we decided to try the Shrimp Paella. This dish was surprisingly delicious. The spices were subtle and flavorful. Wait, maybe this should’ve been my #1 option. Hmmm. Shrimp Paella The Festival Market used different kiosk spread througout the World Showcase. Several of the kiosk contained merchandise from the Flower and Garden Festival too. Grape Themed Mickey Ears Grab a growler This year’s festival was great, even with the COVID limitations. The weather was warm the day we visited (99 degree heat index) but we made sure we stayed hydrated and paced ourselves accordingly. The crowds picked up mid-afternoon but there was plenty of space to socially distance, sit, and enjoy our food and wine selections in the shade. Always a must do!

You want to visit Disney World during COVID but you’re unsure how safe it is. Well, this blog is for you. In July 2020, Disney World opened its doors with limited capacity and many new safety protocols were in place to keep their guests safe. Temperature checks at entrances, social distancing in lines, sanitizer stations, partitioned stantions, and limited bus seating are some of the new experiences at Disney parks. We arrived at Disney early evening. Since we were staying at the Yacht Club we decided to take a stroll on the Boardwalk over to restaurant Trattoria al Forno. The evening was warm with clearing skies, and the walk over was quiet. It was almost as if we had the Boardwalk to ourselves. Empty Boardwalk Our first full-day was a visit to Hollywood Studios to check out the newly opened Mickey and Minnie Runaway Railway and the possibility of getting a Boarding Group number for Star Wars’ Rise of the Resistance. On our walk to Hollywood Studios, we passed the Skyliner. This is where we first saw the new social distancing placards on the ground. The placards identified the safe waiting distances between guests, as was the case for this extended waiting line at the Skyliner. Please Wait Here Before entering any of the Disney parks, guests must pass through a temperature check point. Wearing masks was mandatory. The only time you were not required to wear a mask was when you were eating or drinking while stationary…this rule was strictly, but politely, enforced. Temperature Check Point Masks Mandatory Masks? Check. Time to get our Mickey on, so we begin our wait for Runaway Railroad! Aside from the temperature checks and mandatory mask wearing, the most noticeable COVID protocol was the expanded social distancing measures. Remember those “Please Wait Here" placards? Well, they are everywhere. The placement of placards extended wait lines swirling down sidewalks and streets. The extended lines create an image that wait times are forever, but the lines actually move fairly quickly. The image below illustrates the area where the Runaway Railway spilled out to the vast concrete areas in front of the former Chinese Theatre. There are patio umbrellas strategically placed to provide shade for waiting guests. See placards on ground. Once inside the Runaway Railway, the permanent stantions were outfitted with sturdy plexi-glass and metal framing. Here we go! Notice the cast members are masked up with face shields. If you haven’t seen or experienced the new Skyliner, here’s a quick pic. The Skyliner connects EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and the resorts of Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Riviera. Once back at the Yacht Club, we decided to have some relaxation time. Even the pool area was COVID-proof. There were signs reminding guests of COVID regulations and plenty of space between lounge chairs for social distance….which we didn’t have to worry about because we had the quiet pool to ourselves! Yacht Club Quiet Pool Later in the afternoon we headed back to Hollywood Studios for our #42 Boarding Group (2:40 PM) for Stars Wars Rise of the Resistance. Social distancing was still in full effect. Tammy was admiring the Stars Wars gear along the route to help the Resistance. Psst…she’s not a big Star Wars fan so this photo was staged. Guests ultimately end up outside prior to boarding an escape pod. Everyone was assigned a numbers for proper social distancing. This was your number throughout the remainder of the ride. I’m not easily impressed but Disney…WOW…you really impressed me with the Death Star hanger bay. It was stunning. Death Star Hanger Bay Even the storm troopers were masked up. After Rise of the Resistance, we headed over to Rock’n Rollercoaster. My hair is proof I was obviously still shocked from my experience on the Death Star. If you’ve ridden Rock’n Rollercoaster before, you know this scene is out of the ordinary. Never before has the line spiraled like this. With the heat index at 99 degrees, this was the hottest wait of the day. Everybody below was socially distanced in line. The permanent plexi-glass closest to the boarding area really complemented the “city" feel. After a long, hot, exhausting day, it was time to head over to Disney Springs for dinner. This was our opportunity to see the COVID measures on the Disney buses. All of the seats were numbered and dividers were added in between seats grouped together. Before stepping onto the bus, the driver would ask how many people are in your party, then assign you a seat number. The straps hanging from the overhead rails were zip tied unusable, so there is no standing allowed. The days of seeing 50 people crammed on a bus are over for now. Well, that concludes our hot, late summer, visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You can also check out our visit to EPCOT for the Food and Wine Festival. We hope our story and pictures help you feel comfortable and safe visiting Disney during COVID. If you’re excited and want to book a trip, you know the best person to call is my talented wife and Disney-expert, Tammy.

Hi, I'm Eddie (My friends call me Fast Eddie but that's a story for another time). It looks like my beautiful, talented, travel agent wife, Tammy, has handed me the reigns for this blog. I question her decision but if you're married, I know you understand the art of compromise. Here's a picture of compromise when your wife tells you to get on the swing when you don't want to. Now, I think you should know right up front that I'm not as eloquent with the written word as Tammy, but I am honest and to-the-point…which I think most people appreciate. If you're into connecting with an authors feelings or intimate thoughts, you can try reading some of Tammy's trip blogs on the Grand Canyon, Disney World, or Alaska! Having provided that disclaimer, lets get started! Trying to celebrate a wedding anniversary in the middle of a World Pandemic is difficult, but we haven't let COVID slow us down yet (Disney During COVID and Unico 20.87). So off we go! Before we take you straight to Excellence, this blog may be your first introduction to Mexico! If so, WELCOME! After you arrive to the Cancun International Airport and depart immigrations, you will have to pass through a rental car and resort sales area. If you have pre-arranged transportation to your resort, which we highly recommend, you don't need to stop in this area. Just keep walking to the double doors that lead outside to the transportation hub. Here you will see all the private transportation and public transportation options. Tammy and I prefer pre-arranging transportation with Kalido and Amstar. Each of them have provided great service. Tip and shameless plug:  If you book your trip with Tammy, not only will she help you select the perfect resort, she will also prearrange your transportation for you (her travel agent service is at no cost to you!) This is the hub where your transportation greeter will escort you and your baggage. Here you will meet your driver. We selected Kalido for this vacation. Our driver was Adriano Sosa. He was one of the best drivers we've ever had. Kalido drivers have always been polite, helpful, and safe. As soon as we exited our van and before we enter the resort doors, the Excellence staff sanitizes your luggage, provides hand sanitizer, and requires guests to walk on a sanitation pad. Entrance through the front doors of Excellence offers the view of a seemingly ordinary lobby area. But when you take a few steps forward, the lobby opens up to this spectacular view! The COVID precautions continue at the check-in desk with temperature cameras and plexi-glass. Excellence staff decorated the room door to help us celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Oscar did a fantastic job helping with the luggage and showing us the room. We had a fantastic swim up room in Building 7 with a king bed, full-size tub, and beautiful view of the lazy river outside. This room was fabulous. Having said that, there is one area for improvement. What is difficult to know by looking at this picture is how small and low these bathroom mirrors are fixed. For anyone shorter than 5'3", they will struggle to see more than the top half of their head. Like most resort showers, there are two shower heads, with one being a large rainfall element. The shower dimensions are huge. The winner of the mini-bar contest goes to Excellence! Forget the mini-bottles…They provided full bottles of liquors for consumption during the stay. So, if the all-inclusive alcohol at all the bars wasn't enough, you could still stumble back to the room. Or, if a subtle evening is more your speed, you could enjoy a quiet evening with a drink on the patio. The actual mini-bar was reserved for some delightful beverages too. After we unpacked and settled in, we decided to take a stroll around the resort. The pools and beach are stunning. The Prelude Terrace Bar provided a festive environment for bands and musical entertainment. Stars Theater was a fabulous open-air venue that provided entertainment every evening at 9:00PM. During our stay, the theater hosted a range of options from Fire Dancers to the Michael Jackson Tribute Show. Excellence is home to Aroma, a specialty coffee and pastry restaurant. The drink menu offers a variety of options for guests. There were 20 different flavors of sorbet. Check 'em out! The pastries and donuts were unbelievably fresh and hand-delivered every morning by the pastry chefs themselves. Aroma also has pre-made sandwiches for a quick bite. Perfect for a meal-on-go before you head to the airport. One of our favorite restaurants was Spice. You didn't need reservations unless you wanted the traditional dog-and-pony hibachi show. We opted for a quiet table and ordered off the menu. The decor, lighting, and food were all perfect. Although chicken teriyaki wasn't on the menu, the kitchen was kind enough to replace the steak teriyaki with chicken for Tammy. The tenderness was perfectly moist. Better than any Asian dish we've had back home. I opted for the Kung Pao that was packed with flavor. But the best stuff of the night was dessert. The Banana Tempura with warm chocolate sauce was sinfully good. OH. MY. Every restaurant was perfect. The food. The atmosphere. The service. But I won't bore you with all the details of every menu item we savored, but I have to devote a few sentences to our meal at the Indian restaurant Basmati. I can't adequately describe the flavor, spices, and aroma this dinner delivered. We love Indian food and have never tasted anything this good. The Korma Chicken (cashew nut, rich poppy seed flavored finished with rich cream) and Chicken Kadhi (chicken, green pepper, onion, tempered with roasted blended spices) was off the chart. The kitchen was also able to prepare a dish of Butter Chicken that wasn't on the menu. This meal was the highlight of all meals. Here are some delicious pictures of other food favorites we enjoyed! Oh! I almost forgot to mention the most important meal of the day…breakfast. Tammy and I chose to enjoy breakfast two mornings at The Lobster House which provided some great views. And like most great resorts, the drinks were plentiful and delicious. Tropical Buzz Having stayed at Unico a few months ago, we were eager to see how Excellence Playa Mujeres compared.  It was almost on even par in all areas. There were two clear areas where Excellence exceeded expectations – the food and the beach.  Every single meal was fantastic and the beach had plenty of lounge chairs, palapas, a long stretch of area to walk and activities such as jet skis and parasailing just steps away. There are a lot of resorts that provide wonderful service and amenities in Cancun. Excellence Playa Mujeres ranks in our Top 2 (A trip report of our Top 5 resorts coming soon). As we wrap up this trip report, here are some positive elements if considering Excellence Playa Mujeres: Plentiful Beach Palapas Lounge Chairs in Pool Breakfast views at The Lobster House Large room shower Wide Beach Agave restaurant (Awesome Mexican Food) Spice (Great Asian/Better than Unico) Basmati Indian Restaurant Toscana Italian Dinner/Breakfast Also….Excellence Playa Mujeres has some wonderful art. Check out a few of these landscape sculptures. These sculptures as scattered throughout the property and add to the elegance. When we returned home I noticed that we didn't have a lot pictures of ourselves from this Anniversary retreat, but I'll leave you with one of my favorites during our dinner at Toscana. #adultsonlyallinclusive #excellenceplayamujeres #mexico #playamujeres

Thinking about vacationing at Secrets Cap Cana? Read this first. Tammy and I have visited other Secret Resorts (Secrets Akumal and Secrets Maroma) but this would be our first vacation to the Dominican Republic and Secrets Cap Cana. Let me say, it did NOT disappoint! From the moment you arrive, the Secrets brand of open-air lobbies welcomes you home. Cap Cana has one of the widest and most beautiful beaches we've ever visited. Lobby bar area Plenty of seating through the lobby Frequent visitors to Secret Resorts will recognize Coco Cafe. Strategically located in the lobby with fantastic views over the property. View from outside Coco Cafe Lets take a look inside Coco Cafe real quick. Muffins, Donuts, Cake. Yes, please. Lets cut to the chase. Here's the pool area. View from the beach. Early morning walk view Luis helped me every morning The best feature of Secrets Cap Cana is the view of the beach from the pool. Fantastic. View from our pool location Obligatory :quot:Wish You Were Here:quot: photograph. Tammy and our two travel buddies, Angela and Julie, enjoying some quality pool time. Can:apos:t vacation without a :quot:drinks in the pool:quot: picture Want a night time picture of the pool? Here you go. Swim Up Rooms provide same colorful glow Special Occasion Seating In The Pool The Preferred Club Pool area was small but intimate. Seating was understandably very limited during COVID-restrictions. Oceanfront Bungalow Here is the headliner…The Beach! Tammy was my model this evening. Preferred Club Beach Area View from our beach chairs under the Palapa Bali Beds Available for Extra Fee Early morning strolls provided some of the best picture opportunities. Beach Wedding Setup The clear water wasn't beaming with fish but I was able to see several conch shells. I placed it back where I found it. One last stop – the fitness center, just in case you want to burn off some calories. The center had plenty of well-maintained machines and weights to keep up with any fitness routine. Standalone Facility next to Building 9 Secrets Cap Cana is a fantastic resort. I wish we could've stayed a few more days. Stay tuned for a review on some of the restaurants we visited.