Magic Travel

26/02/2025

My favorite thing - saving money on a Walt Disney World vacation!

Book a 5 night or longer stay between May 1 and July 25, 2025 to save a bundle.

Custom Disney vacation planning from a Disney expert. Graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge.

20/02/2025

More good news for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! If you are a Disney resort guest, then you get to enter each park 30 minutes earlier each day than non-Disney resort guests.

This is a HUGE advantage for those looking to get a jump on some of the long standby wait times.

Unfortunately, not all rides are included in Early Entry.

Yesterday it was announced that the Virtual Queue ride option for Guardians of the Galaxy is going away on February 25. Now the good news - Guardians of the Galaxy will be included in the rides available during Early Entry at Epcot!

If you're a morning person and willing to arrive at Epcot no later than around 7:30 to 7:45am then you can save yourself the added expense of purchasing a Lightning Lane Single Pass for this ride. Just don't stop anywhere along the way from the park entrance to the ride entrance and you get to experience the Guardians with ease!

19/02/2025

BREAKING NEWS! Virtual queues to be discontinued for Tiana's Bayou at the Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot effective February 25, 2025.

Virtual queues help to restrict the number of guests attempting to access new and popular rides. Without them these rides might have standby wait times up to 4 hours or more - do you remember when Flight of Passage opened in Pandora at Animal Kingdom? I do, and I remember standing in line for more than 4 hours. It was tough.

Now that the "new" has worn off these two rides' guests will either use the regular standby line or you will still be able to purchase a Lightning Lane - the Multi Pass version for Tiana and the Single Pass version of for Guardians of the Galaxy. And, I HIGHLY recommend purchasing if you can. This will save you a lot time.

17/02/2025

Later this Spring an 18 month long 70th Anniversary celebration will kick-off at Disneyland in California. There are many exciting new experiences coming to commemorate this milestone.

Beginning on July 17 a new attraction I hope many get to see, "Walt Disney: A Magical Life", will premiere at the Main St Opera House.

As you step into the theater, you'll get to experience the incredible story of Walt Disney’s life. Through remastered footage and audio recordings, you'll be taken on a cinematic journey that leads from Walt’s early endeavors to the bright lights of Los Angeles and beyond. And when the curtain rises, you will be transported to Walt’s office. Through the magic of Audio-Animatronics storytelling that he helped pioneer; Walt will share some heartfelt stories and words of wisdom. Can you imagine? It will be like seeing Walt in person!

At the conclusion of the show, as guests leave the theatre, they'll get to see just how...

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” - Walt Disney

I can't wait!

16/02/2025

If you think European River Cruises are just for adults, then think again! Adventures by Disney partners with AmaWaterways for unbelievable family friendly cruises on the Rhine, Rhone, Danube, and Holland/Belgium.

These cruises are different from Disney Cruise Line Ocean Cruises in that they offer a variety of excursions. The cruise also offers Disney-trained Adventure Guides, engaging programming and entertainment for all Adventurers, a variety of cuisine onboard the ship, authentic cultural activities, onboard meals, including wine & beer at lunch and dinner, private tours, and exclusive insider access opportunities.

There are special events, itineraries, excursions, and yes, adventures for your tweens and teens. These adventurers will be grouped by age to explore ports with their own Adventure Guide to learn local customs, foods, art, music, and so much more.

Children must be at least 5 with 8 years of age being suggested.

When you book your 2026 Adventures by Disney European River cruise by April 30, 2025 you will save $500 per person.

15/02/2025

Eeeekk - take journey through the new Ministry of Magic Harry Potter World at Universal Studios Orlando Epic Universe opening May 22, 2025!!!

This looks so cool.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1B8EFUgH8q/

14/02/2025

Wishing much love to everyone today!

13/02/2025

Still haven't don't your Valentine shopping? I can help!

11/02/2025

New Walt Disney World snack alert! Yes, sometimes I feel like discovering new snacks is the greatest part of my Disney trip.

Most often I wish I had the ability to try even more, but that just never works out!!!

Here are snacks that were new to me on my last Disney visit - not all of them are new offerings.

First, the beignets near Tiana's Bayou at the Magic Kingdom. I had been wanting to try these, but every time I was near the location I was either not ready for a snack or the line was long. All I can say is - save room for the beignets! They were wonderful. Freshly fried, covered in powdered sugar, and filled with a drizzle of just the right amount of honey - so delicious!

Next, I finally made it to Gasparilla Island Grill, at the Grand Floridian, for the chocolate Mickey shaped cream puff! This chocolate choux confection is filled with a light chocolaty pastry cream that is delicious! I would highly recommend Gasparilla's as a nice escape from the Magic Kingdom for a quick service lunch or dinner. Be sure and add this snack to your order!

Everything at the Cake Bake Shop Bakery (located next door to the restaurant at the Boardwalk) is sprinkled with edible glitter. It makes everything shimmer and is so pretty. Even this delicious orange, white chocolate, macadamia nut cookie was sparkly. And, it was one of the best cookies I've ever had!

Last, we tried the seasonal popcorn creation at the Kernel Kitchen. This custom popcorn heaven is located at the very back of the Main Street Confectionary at the Magic Kingdom. Typically you can select from plain, buttered, kettle, or a seasonal flavored popcorn. During this visit a Valentine popcorn was on the menu which included pink colored strawberry flavored popcorn. I opted for the butter flavor instead. Then layered on that was milk and white chocolate drizzle, Valentine M&Ms, crushed chocolate Oreo cookies and mini marshmallows. This popcorn will stay fresh for 2-3 days so it is a great snack to grab as you are leaving the Magic Kingdom and then have in your room for a little late night sweet treat!

If you have photos of your favorite Walt Disney World snack(s), please share. I'd love to see so I can add them to my next snack adventure!

10/02/2025

My favorite movies were always big, sweeping sagas with a soundtrack that stays with you. They don't seem to make movies like this anymore - too bad.

In 1977 such a movie hit theaters and is still one of my all-time favorites - Star Wars: Episode 4 A New Hope.

The opening of the film introduced us to Luke Skywalker. Fans of the film are familiar with the projection of Luke's life and his journey to be a Jedi Knight.

If you've visited Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland or Walt Disney World you've had a chance to step into that world created by George Lucas. In Galaxy's Edge we've all had the opportunity to meet Chewbaca, Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, The Madalorian and Grogu and now we are being teased that the greatest character may be coming soon.

This photo appears to be Luke Skywalker meeting his faithful R2 unit R2D2. Just like A New Hope - I hope this is true!!!

09/02/2025

On our most recent Walt Disney World adventure my sister and I got to experience the Club Level services at the Polynesian Village Resort.

First, staying "Club Level" makes you feel like a movie star. When you arrive at your resort you are escorted to the Club Level area by a Cast Member for a private registration process. The Club Level Cast Member will ask lots of questions about anything you might need during your stay - dining reservations, help with park or rides, lounge offerings etc. The only thing our Club Level Concierge couldn't do for us was get us into Trader Sam's Grog Grotto - darn it!

At the Polynesian the club level rooms are located in the Hawai'i longhouse called the King Kamehaha Club. This building is perfectly situated near the main pool with theme park views. All Disney resort club level building or floors have private access.

We were not aware, and pleasantly surprised, that the King Kamehaha club lounge has a perfect view for the Magic Kingdom fireworks and takes place during the evening dessert service, so it was like we had our own private fireworks dessert party!

In addition to the evening dessert service the club level lounge also provides a buffet breakfast, afternoon snacks, evening hors d'oeuvres, and late-night desserts and cordials. Soft drinks and bottled water are available all day. Beer and wine can be requested at any time but are primarily presented during the evening hours.

I have also stayed "club level" at the Grand Floridian, the Boardwalk, and the Beach Club. All the deluxe resorts provide the service along with Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower - the only moderate resort that offers the service.

Staying club level can be dangerous - once you've tried it, it is hard to go back to a plain old room!

08/02/2025

Summer 2026, yes 2026, Disney cruises will be available for general booking on Monday, February 17! If you've cruised before with Disney then you may be able to book earlier.

You will definitely want to take a look at the unbelievable cruise itineraries Disney has in store.

From the pristine shorelines of Alaska and the charming cobblestone streets in the British Isles, to sun-drenched beaches in The Bahamas and the vibrant, historical cities of Italy, there will definitely be a cruise that is perfect for you.

I have had my eye on the British Isles cruise for a while so I'm excited to see this itinerary return. And, with 2 new ships sailing from the US, the Caribbean options are even greater than before.

So, even if you haven't booked your Summer 2025 vacation yet, why don't you go ahead and get 2026 in the books?

07/02/2025

Has a trip to the exotic South Pacific been on your bucket list? Well, if it has then here is some great news for everyone in the North Texas area.

There are now direct, non-stop flights from DFW to Fiji!

And, the prices are surprisingly affordable.

Surrounded by natural beauty and a rich, living culture, Fiji is home to some of the world’s happiest people, ready to welcome visitors with open hearts and warm smiles.

And from DFW it is now easier than ever for your clients to get there!

Let me give you a quote today.

28/01/2025

Good morning friends and hello from sunny Orlando, Florida. The weather is unbelievable this week here in Florida and I am loving the 70° days with lots of sunshine.

For this trip my sister and I are working on experiencing all the new things at Disney World.

Yesterday we enjoyed a brunch/lunch at the new Gwendolyn Roger's Cake Bake Shop at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

We are in love with the Cake Bake Shop! For our brunch I had a Croque Madame and I made the mistake of getting the Pomme Frites rather than the arugula salad which I should not have done. Dana had the quiche and she said it was out of this world. As you can see from these photos we would have been much better off to share something - the portions are HUGE! There was nothing wrong with the Pomme Frites - they were delicious and came with a delicious garlic aioli, but there were enough of them to feed a family of 4.

There are so many things on the menu that sound divine that we had a really difficult time making a decision. They do have a lunch special with a half sandwich and 1/2 salad or cup of soup with many options. Next time this is what we'll go for. You can check out the menu on the Disney website - wow do they have some outstanding sounding appetizers, salads, and sandwiches/entrees.

Of course, the cake is what folks come to the Cake Bake Shop for and there was no way we could order dessert - the slices of cake are also ginormous! So, we opted for a sparkly orange, white chocolate macadamia nut cookie that we shared.

We are going back tomorrow for Afternoon Tea. I'll report on that later.

No, the Cake Bake Shop would not be for everyone. As you can see from these photos it is very "girly". But they do have plenty of menu items that would satisfy a male palette as well.

We give the Cake Bake Shop a 10 out of 10!

24/01/2025

Now you can get a whole lot more Whoa! and save a whole lot of dough!

Four day park tickets for the price of two. Come on let's go.

23/01/2025

20/01/2025

Villains will take center stage at the new "Villains : Unfairly Ever After" when the new show debuts this summer at Hollywood Studios.

The show has been in the works for more than 2 years. Guests will experience cutting-edge stage design, thrilling effects, and catchy live musical numbers that will celebrate the villains everyone loves to hate.

Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, Maleficent, and others will employee the Magic Mirror to help prove they are misunderstood. The audience can then decide!

It will be wonderful to have this new entertainment at Hollywood Studios - especially for those who are villain fans!

19/01/2025

A brand-new nighttime parade will premiere at the Magic Kingdom this Summer and I could not be more excited.

I'm not a huge parade fan, but the nighttime parades really appeal to me and I have missed this sort of event at Disney.

“Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” will draw inspiration from the rich history of nighttime parades at Magic Kingdom and will include floats dedicated to Disney animation characters both old and new!

Plus there will be thousands of twinkling lights!!!

As soon as I have a firm date of this premiere, I'll let you know. You will want to have this one on your "must do" list for your visit to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.