Merritt Grusecki-Marvelous Mouse Travels

10/09/2024

🚢 2025 is going to be a great year to sail on Disney Cruise Lines--their new ship the Disney Treasure will be debuting this Christmas, and the new Disney Destiny will begin sailing next November 2025!

🛟 Booking for the Disney Destiny's first voyages begins this week on September 12th, with early booking privileges for past DCL sailors and Disney Vacation Club members. Their first itineraries will sail out of Fort Lauderdale, with 3, 4, and 5 day itineraries going to Nassau and both of Disney's private ports in the Bahamas! Be sure to book early for the best pricing on this new ship, which will have a pirate themed lounge, Lion King themed dining, a new Hercules broadway style show, and more themed areas exclusive to this new ship!

09/09/2024

🏝️I just got back from my honeymoon in Tahiti and we had an AMAZING time! We took a ten day Windstar cruise on the Star Breeze around the Tuamotus, Tahaa, Bora Bora, Huahine, and Moorea--the blues of the water were unreal, the scuba diving was the best I've ever done, and the food on the ship was incredible! 😍

🛟I highly recommend booking a cruise around this area in French Polynesia so you can visit multiple islands easily--let me know if you'd be interested in booking a Windstar cruise for yourself for an upcoming anniversary or honeymoon at [email protected] or by filling out my vacation quote form pinned to the top of my business page!

24/08/2024

🏝I will be out of the office for the next two weeks as I enjoy my honeymoon on a Windstar Tahiti cruise!!

💻 Please be patient with me as I will not be able to answer messages or post regularly during this time--because: A) I'm on my honeymoon! and B) I'm in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with no service! I will begin answering messages and emails in the order that I receive them after arriving back on Saturday September 7th!

And definitely stay tuned in a couple of weeks as I begin to post all about our wonderful Tahitian adventures!! I will try to update stories as we go if we have service as well!

23/08/2024

🛳 For our cruise around Tahiti, we will be sailing on Windstar Cruises! We'll spend ten days on the Star Breeze, one of their yacht-style ships that holds a maximum of just over 300 people--perfect for an intimate honeymoon cruise!

🚣‍♀️ I'm looking forward to checking out their watersports platform, where you can enter the ocean directly from the ship while it's anchored and check out kayaks, paddleboards, snorkel gear, and more! I also plan to check out their specialty restaurant Cuadro 44, a Spanish tapas restaurant, for dinner! The great thing about Windstar is that specialty dining like that is included in the price of your cruise!

22/08/2024

🛳 This Saturday, we will be flying out to Tahiti for our honeymoon for two weeks! We'll spend a night on the island of Tahiti, then board a ten day cruise heading around French Polynesia, stopping at the Tuamotu atolls, Tahaa, Bora Bora, Huahine, and Moorea along the way!

🏝 I can't wait to relax and explore the islands of the South Pacific!!

21/08/2024

🏰 Disneyland bookings open up today for 2025! 🏰

Check out the original Disney park opened by Walt, meet your favorite Marvel characters at the Avengers Campus, and stroll through Pixar Pier and Cars Land!

20/08/2024

🥂Had an absolutely magical weekend getting married to the love of my life! Say hello to the new Mrs. Oakes! 😍

💻 Now I'm catching up on all of my work emails before we go on our honeymoon next weekend--so excited to be heading to Tahiti soon!!!

16/08/2024

🎊Tomorrow is a big day for me--I'm getting married!!!

I grew up in Michigan, so we are getting married at The Henry Ford Museum in this beautiful courtyard, and then moving inside to have our reception underneath a plane hanging from the ceiling of the museum! I'm so excited!!

Make sure to check out this fascinating museum and the adjoining Greenfield Village if you find yourself in the Detroit area, especially if you have kids!

15/08/2024

💸This is the most common question I get asked as a travel agent for Marvelous Mouse Travels!

And I get it--If my services are really free, then how do I get paid for my planning work? Check out this great graphic made by my friend Allison to explain how it all works!

14/08/2024

📸 Where am I Wednesday--Can anyone guess where I took this photo on my recent Disney World trip??📸

🍽️This is a tricky one!! I'll give you a hint: it's inside a restaurant!

13/08/2024

🧳 It's Travel Tip Tuesday, and in honor of my upcoming honeymoon, I wanted to pass on this tip about passports!

🛫Make sure that when you are booking your honeymoon, your name matches the one on your current passport! It takes time after your marriage to legally change your name and several weeks or months to get a new passport, so be sure to book using your maiden name still so it matches your documents! You don't want a detail like this preventing you from flying off to your tropical dream honeymoon! 😁

12/08/2024

👰‍♀️Apologies if I'm a bit slower to respond to emails this week...

🎊But I'm getting married this Saturday 8/17!!! I'll be a bit busy getting ready in Michigan for the next few days!

And look who I ran into at Kleinfeld when I went in for my final dress fitting! Randy from Say Yes to the Dress! 🤩 So fun!

09/08/2024

🌺Last night, I recorded a podcast with my travel agency Marvelous Mouse Travels on one of my favorite destinations on the planet, Disney's Aulani Resort on the island of Oahu, in Hawaii!

🌴I'll share the link to our podcast as soon as it's published, but talking about how much I love this resort reminded me how much I need to plan another trip here soon!! It is truly a tropical paradise!

08/08/2024

🚢After the Disney Treasure debuts in a few months, the next new Disney Cruise Line ship that will sail out of American ports will be the Disney Destiny! These superhero touches look so cool!💥

07/08/2024

❓Time to play "Would you rather..." Wednesday!

🏰Would You Rather...

✨Stay at a Disney World value resort for a week

OR

✨ Stay at a Disney World deluxe resort for 3 nights

for your Disney World vacation??

This is a tough one to decide for me; I've done both and I have favorite resorts that are value and deluxe!

06/08/2024

🧋Wish I could grab one of these drinks for a today!!

🍪The cookies at Gideon's Bakehouse in Disney Springs are justifiably famous, but they also have the best cold brew coffees! My favorite is their signature peanut butter cold brew, which is always on the menu, but be on the lookout for their unique seasonal specials throughout the year!!

05/08/2024

💻 Check out my latest Marvelous Mouse Travels blog article published today! There are so many awesome events happening at Disney World this summer that I was so lucky to get to see a few weeks ago on my trip, and it's not too late to plan a trip for yourself before the end of the summer! 😁

Now is the PERFECT time to go to Disney World with school break, multiple promotions, and so many special events!

02/08/2024

🍹Cheers to the weekend!

My favorite place to cheers the weekend at Disney World? La Cava del Tequila! This bar hidden inside the Mexico pavilion building at Epcot has the best margaritas I've ever had!

🌶This drink was called the Maelstrom margarita, and had a kick from ginger and habenero infused flavors! So good!

01/08/2024

🧳Adventures by Disney and National Geographic are our Partners of the Month for August!

🌍 These companies organize both family friendly and adults only trips to locations around the world, with transportation, meals, and hotels arranged for you throughout your trip! These tours are the easiest way to travel internationally, especially with a family! National Geographic tours are perfect for travelers who want to be educated about the locations they're traveling to by local experts in their fields, and Adventures by Disney will immerse travelers of all ages in the unique cultures and stories of each location!

💸This month is the perfect time to pull the trigger on one of these bucket list trips, because if you book with me, you'll receive a $500 gift card to help you pack for your adventure! Email me at [email protected] or fill out my vacation quote request form to get started!

31/07/2024

🧳Just booked!🧳

The B family will be spending spring break 2025 at Moon Palace The Grand in Cancun, Mexico! This stunning all-inclusive resort has amazing food, a beautiful beach, and sooo many things to do including a water park and a bowling alley! They are going to have so much fun!!

And because they booked with me, I was able to add extra perks to their stay like free airport transfers, a spa credit, and priority for early check in/late check out times! Thinking about an all-inclusive family vacation? Send me a message at [email protected] or fill out my vacation quote form to get a customized quote for your family!

31/07/2024

🤩🤩🤩

30/07/2024

🧳 Travel Tip Tuesday!

If you're planning a Disney World vacation in the summer time, it is extremely important to stay hydrated!! Walking around in the heat of a Florida summer while not drinking enough water=not good for your vacation!

🥤Make sure you're stopping by the quick service restaurants to pick up free cups of ice water between the rides; sometimes you will need to ask a cast member, but on really hot days they will set out a tray of waters or a water jug with cups nearby for easy access!

29/07/2024

🪸 Meet me Monday!

I have a hard time deciding who my favorite Disney princess is, but Ariel will always be one of my favorites!! Who is your favorite Disney princess??

26/07/2024

🚀Space 220 is such a fun restaurant in Epcot! I finally got the chance to eat here on my last trip to Disney World, and I loved both the food and the atmosphere here! To get to the dining room, you're "shot into space" on an elevator to the Centauri Space Station to have a three course prefix meal before coming back down to Earth!

🍲I ordered the buffalo cauliflower appetizer, the miso glazed salmon, and the blue dome dessert--I loved it all but dessert was my favorite, the dome was made of a delicious rich chocolate cheesecake! 🤤

25/07/2024

🎨 The Animation Experience at Conservation Station inside Disney's Animal Kingdom park is so fun!! You can learn to draw some of your favorite Disney characters (and take a break in the air conditioning) throughout the day during these fun classes included in your park admission. I attempted to draw Zazu last week when I visited! 😂

Which character would you want to learn to draw??

24/07/2024

✨It's Where am I Wednesday!✨

🏨Can anyone name the Disney World resort where you can find this hidden Pluto in the marble flooring??

23/07/2024

🍊Have you experienced the Flavors of Florida event at Disney Springs, Disney World's shopping and dining center? This event runs July 1st through August 11th and celebrates local flavors and chefs from across the state. Taste exclusive menu items, go to live cooking presentations, and book special pairing events at certain Disney Springs restaurants!

🍫I visited The Ganachery, the chocolate shop at Disney Springs, to try one of their exclusive Flavors of Florida items, the Orange Ganache Pop. This pop was outstanding! The fresh orange flavor in the vanilla ganache center was refreshing and delicious, and paired beautifully with the dark chocolate shell. The perfect way to celebrate Florida in a chocolate bar!

22/07/2024

🐎 Last week, I stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa at Disney World! This Disney resort flies beneath the radar of many Disney guests--but I really enjoyed my stay here at this underrated resort!

I loved the cute horse-themed touches, the beautiful natural rock springs themed pool area, and the quick walk to Disney Springs next door!

📧 If you are looking for a resort room with extra space for your large family, a full kitchen area, or are planning to shop and eat at Disney Springs most nights of your trip, definitely send me a message about booking a room at Saratoga Springs for your next Disney vacation!

20/07/2024

😍 I had such an amazing time at Disney World this week! I haven't gone in the summer for a while, and I was so happy that I got to experience all the special events going on right now there! It's not too late to plan your own summer vacation at Disney World--contact me now to get planning and start taking advantage of all the great promotions happening right now, including:

✨30% off resort room rates for stays of 5 nights or longer through October 3rd!

✨ 4 Day 4 Park Magic Tickets starting at $99 per person per day through September 22nd!

✨ Free Dining Plan for Disney Visa cardmembers through the month of July and select dates in September with a non-discounted vacation package!

18/07/2024

🍦Happy Dole Whip Day, everyone!🍦

🍍I can never go to Disney World without getting one of these refreshing treats!

To celebrate, make sure you check out this blog article I wrote about some of my favorite dole whip creations that you can get in Disney World!

https://marvelousmousetravels.com/amazing-dole-whip-creations-to-try-at-walt-disney-world/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0fS5cJ6ydL_8cKFPYhotT9L2LTob2NdK5qEyknQRpQL6xiTxaqjjtslxE_aem_RG7KUh4wNhkD_O7mWyPAPQ

Four favorite dole whip creations currently on the menus at the Walt Disney World Resort. Be on the lookout for new ones to try!