Travel Chats with Lara

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Travel Chats with Lara

Travel Chats with Lara Sharing my personal and professional Disney and Universal experiences with you! This includes my family as well!

I've been helping people plan their trips to the most "magical" places for over 12 years and have enjoyed all of the fun friends I've made along the way. I started planning trips to Walt Disney World and Disneyland as a fun thing to do from home because I was a stay at home mom. This grew quickly to include Disney Cruises, Universal Resorts and even Hawaii at Disney's Aulani resort. For so many fa

milies, visiting Disney World or Disneyland is a right of passage...they went when they were children and want to experience that with their children and grandchildren. I was born in California and loved going to Disneyland with my family. When we moved to the Chicago area, I continued to fly to California to see family which always included a trip to Disneyland. Now you may ask, what about Disney World in Orlando?Can you believe that I never went to Disney World until I was 30? I met my husband a year later and he proposed at the Magic Kingdom behind Cinderella's castle. We took my daughter for her first trip when she was 2 and go back every year. We have also sailed on Disney Cruise line and have been to Universal Studios in Orlando many times too. We have plans to take our first Adventures by Disney trip this June to Europe. Think of me as your vacation "guru", I'll educate you on the things you need to know and will take care of everything else for you. I'd like to quote Walt Disney, who said "Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever".

22/03/2025

Only at Disneyland...I really enjoy the updated version of Snow White! 🍎💎
Who else loves a classic dark ride?

20/03/2025

Tale as old as time...

This is a perfect experience for the young and old to join in the retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Enchanted tales with Belle takes you from Maurice's cottage to the Beast's castle. You are invited to participate by playing a part and afterwards you get a little one on one time with Belle.

18/03/2025

Right back where it all started...my husband proposed in front of Cinderella's fountain ⛲️

Have to take a selfie everytime we are here!

What are your special memories you want to relive at the Disney parks?

15/03/2025

We finally waited in line to see what all of the fuss was about for Gideons Bakehouse.

We really enjoyed the eclectic atmosphere and there was a lot to choose from. We ended up with a box of 3 giant cookes:
🍪 Coffee cake cookie
🍪 Spicey chocolate chip cherry cookie
🍪 Peanut butter cookie

First off, you half to like under baked cookies, because the center of all of these were under baked.

The coffee cake was our favorite, followed by the spicey chocolate (cookie of the month and was spicey).

I also grabbed a peanut butter coffee which was way too sweet for my liking.

Overall we would recommend stopping by and grabbing a treat if the line is short.

13/03/2025

Epcot at night 🌙 is so pretty!

12/03/2025

Do you have a sweet tooth like me? If so, you can create your own treat at Goofy's Candy Company in Disney Springs.

Just pick up a "treat form" and mark off what you want, customize and they make it for you!

So what are you going to treat yourself to today? 🍎🍰🍡

10/03/2025

Disneyland resort has a ticket offer starting tomorrow for its 70th celebration 🍾 ✨️

Tickets are good for dates May 16 - August 14 2025. What will you be celebrating this year and will it include a vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth?

09/03/2025

One of the best themed stores at the Magic Kingdom! A great place to pick up princess stuff and has a great photo op.

07/03/2025

I had heard a lot of good things about Wine Bar George so finally dined here and it was lovely.

George himself was about helping and talking with guests. Our waitress was great at making suggestions for wine and food. The weather and views were wonderful outside on the upper terrace.

Definitely recommend you try on your next trip to Walt Disney World.

Pro tip: enjoy a day, afternoon or evening at Disney Springs.

06/03/2025

We got to see a few of the topiaries for Epcot's Flower & Garden festival pop up before we left. They are amazing!

The Flower & Garden festival is now in full swing with lots to see, food booths and more. This is my favorite festival, so check it out if you're in WDW over the next few months.

05/03/2025

I'm obsessed with the new Disney World bus wraps, they are so cute!

04/03/2025

If you want to treat yourself to good food with a view, then dine at the California Grill 🥂

This is a signature restaurant inside Disney's Contemporary resort with views of the Magic Kingdom.

They currently have a prix fix menu where you get an appetizer, main course and dessert. Everything we had was very tasty and the service was impeccable!

They do have an observation deck to view the fireworks but we prefer to watch them in the park or on a beach.

What is a restaurant you want to treat yourself to on your next trip?

03/03/2025

Did you know that the Grand Floridian has a full service spa?

I treated myself and my daughter to a massage during our last trip and it was amazing! Relaxing atmosphere, courteous and helpful staff.

If you are celebrating or just need a break from the parks, I highly recommend.

28/02/2025

Fun evening for adults!

27/02/2025

There are so many good restaurants that we need to try at Disney Springs...this was our first time at Homecomin' and it did not disappoint!

The atmosphere is relaxing, we ate outside. The staff is friendly and helpful and the food is tasty. Warning, you get a LOT of food!

Definitely recommend and make reservations as it is very popular.

26/02/2025

Welcome to Kilimanjaro Safari, early morning exploring with a lot of animals about.

My favorite thing to do at Animal Kingdom, every ride is different. This time the rhinos got up close and personal 🦏

24/02/2025

Enjoying a lovely boat ride from the Magic Kingdom to our resort...

23/02/2025

As a fan of Broadway shows, this was such a fun exhibit, I wish they could leave it up longer for more people to enjoy.

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https://www.grandluxedestinations.com/our-team/lara-jens/

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Having fun helping tell the story of how Belle and the Beast met 📚 #taleasoldastime #wdw #travelchatswithlara #magickingdompark @grandluxedestinations

#jaminators #epcotfutureworld #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Stopped by for a cookie break 🍪🍰🧁☕️ #gideonsbakehouse #disneyspringsorlando #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Caught the UK band Command Performance rockin out...so much fun! #commandperformance #epcotuk #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

#disneymonorail #monorailorange #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

We finally got to enjoy some wine and food at Wine Bar George. It was a beautiful evening and you can here George in the background agreeing! #winebargeorge #disneysprings #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Happy Friday! Who else ❤️ the peacefulness of the Moana feature 🌊 #moanajourneyofwater #epcot #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Just hanging around waiting to see Bakso... #animalkingdompark #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Just a relaxing boat ride back to the Grand Floridan 😎 #disneyboats #wdw #disneyworldresort #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

Chalk art walk... #epcotfestivalofthearts #chalkart #wdw #travelchatswithlara @grandluxedestinations

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A little about me...

I’ve been helping people plan their trips to the most “magical” places since 2009 and have enjoyed all of the fun “friends” I’ve made along the way. I started planning trips to Walt Disney World and Disneyland as a fun thing to do from home because I wanted to stay home and raise my daughter. This grew quickly to include Universal Studios, cruises and many other destinations. After so many years, I’ve decided to go back to my passion for Disney parks and Universal and just assist with those special vacations. For so many, visiting Disney World or Disneyland is a right of passage for their families...they went when they were children and want to experience that with their children and grandchildren. Think of me as your vacation “tutor”, I’ll educate you on the things you need to know and even do your homework for you.

So to quote Walt Disney, “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, dreams are forever.”