Pick a Pearl at Epcot!

I was a tomboy growing up.  A hardcore tomboy.  I never played with dolls, saw no point in playing dress up, and would not be caught dead in fancy clothes.  Ever.  Well, along the way things changed.  I still enjoy football, but playing in the creek gave way to hair product.  I still love my power tools, but I gave up wrestling for makeup.    I hung up my cleats and high tops and traded them in for  killer heels.  And jewelry...I love jewelry!  While I enjoy the chunky funky jewelry that is fashionable now - I mean who doesn't love a good "statement necklace"? - I still find myself drawn to the classics.  Which is why my heart is all a flutter each time I step into the Mitsukoshi department store.

Tucked back in the Japan pavilion at Epcot is the Mitsukoshi department store.  Just inside, you will find a nice Japanese lady standing behind a huge tank of oysters.  For less than $20 you can have your pick of oysters.  So why would you want a ugly, stinky, old oyster?  For the beautiful pearl inside, sillies!

On our last trip to Disney World I decided that both daughters and I should experience the fun.  We waited for our turn and then we scoured the tank looking for the perfect oyster.  I heard rumors that the uglier the oyster the prettier the pearl, so knowing that my daughers would choose pretty shells, I chose and ugly one  - strictly for scientific purposes, of course.  The official "oyster opener" opened my oldest daughter's pearl first.  Inside she found a lovely little pearl.  She dug it out, cleand it up, and used a gage to measure the pearl.  It measured  7mm.  Not too bad!  The little table drum was banged with great fanfare and applause.  Then she picked up my oyster next.  In a matter of a few seconds she had managed to locate and squeeze out my pear that measured 7.75mm.  That is a pretty big pearl!  After more drumming and clapping we were finally down to one oyster and a very excited 4 year old.  That little stinker got a pair of perfectly matched 6.5mm TWINS!  They were absolutely beautiful.  Each pearl was placed inside a tiny ziptop bag and labeled with the correct size.

I am not a mind reader, but I can imagine that you are thinking.  OK, so now what?!!?  Well, of course the Mitsukoshi department store has all sorts of settings that you can purchase for your pearl.  But we came prepared.  I got a Cinderella carriage necklace that doubles as a pearl cage.  The cage is hinged at the bottom and the bale closes in a way that when the chain is fed through it stays securely closed.  Now my princesses and I have matching necklaces. 

I recommend this for boys and girls of all ages.  Of course, the girls will love the end result, but the boys love the idea of having something rather gross looking disected for their pleasure.  Boys especially like picking out something special for their mom - and if it can be a little gross along the way, then all the better! 

So think about trading in the plush for a little something different next time.  My girls call it their "real" jewelry and I agree. It is neither chunky, nor funky, but it is a beautiful keepsake from our trip.

PS - You can find the carriage necklaces online or you can get them as a thank you for booking your Disney travel with TMC Travel.  You can also find pick a pearl locations at the Beach Club and Downtown Disney, but the Mistsukoshi Department store is the most fun!

It is Small Business Saturday!

What is Small Business Saturday, you ask?  Well, it is a day set aside to remind people to support the small businesses owners, help fuel the economy, and energize your local community. 

How can you support a small business while planning your Disney vacation?  It is super easy!

• Use a Travel Agent that specializes in Disney Vacations - Using a travel agent to plan your vacation will not cost you anything extra, in fact, he/she may even be able to save you some money.
• Check out Etsy.com - There are lots of crafty folks out there!  Use someone else's sewing expertise to have a pillow case embroidered for your cruise, or make a cute t-shirt or outfit for your kids.  
• Check out your local screen printer. - Want some great family reunion shirts printed up?  Find a local t-shirt shop to create something special for you family. 
• Order dog tags for the kids.  Visit your boutique pet store and order tags with your child's name and your cell phone number.  I have seen some local artisans make beautiful stamped metal charms or stamped leather bracelets that will serve the same purpose.
• Subscribe to Touringplans.com.  They can save you tons of time waiting in line.  Their plans are not only based on anecdotal evidence, but cold hard facts. Io consider myself a Disney geek, but I am nothing compared to these guys.  What ever Kool Aid they serve up, I am drinking! 
• There is an app for that!  Check out some of the great Disney apps out there.  Some are created by Disney, but many are created by small businesses who hope to earn enough money to pay for their next Disney vacation.

Those are a few of the ideas that I came up with.  How about you?  How are you going to support a small business today - or whenever you plan your next Disney vacation?

The Perk of Early Planning: The "Must Get" Disney Reservation!

My "must get" Disney reservation is not made for a particular restaurant, made to enjoy a particular food, or even to visit a particular resort.  My reservation is made for a partiular time.

One of the perks to planning your Disney vacation far in advance is that you are ready to go at the 180 day mark, when Disney opens the Dining reservations window.  Planning early means that not only do you get your choice of restaurant, but even your choice of dining time.

For my family that means one thing - a breakfast reservation in the Magic Kingdom before the park opens.  WHAT, you say?  Before the park opens?  Can you even do that?  Absolutely, and it is just magical!

Imagine strolling through the turnstiles of the Magic Kingdom with out a stroller nipping at your heels.  Enjoying the relative coolness of the morning hours, as you enter the park.  Have your camera ready to snap a picture of your child's face as you round the square and the castle comes into view.  Stop for a moment and enjoy - it is the only time you can do so in the morning without the risk of a mini stampede running you over.  Wave a cheerful good morning to all of the PhotoPass photogs ready to snap your picture as you walk down Main Street.  Don't be tempted to stop too soon...keep walking to the hub and find that last photographer.  He or she will be ready to snap your picture in front of the castle in the empty park.  Or by the Partners statue with nobody in the background.  Get ready to snap away and get some of the best pictures of your entire vacation.

The Photopass photographers are usually just standing around waiting for families to stop buy, so they  have lots of time to take pictures.  We had a mini photo shoot the last time we were there first thing in the morning - complete with costume change! 

As we continued across the hub to the castle, we found other photog with a different angle of the castle.  Since we planned for picture time and still had several minutes before our reservation, I handed over out PhotoPass card.  The photographer, said, "Let's do something a little different.  We have the time and the space!"  She snapped some pictures of us as we walked up to the castle holding hands and then some more as we walked back.  How cool is that?  My oldest said she felt like we were shooting a commercial. I'll bet not many folks have similar pictures in their Disney scrap books! 

Once our picture taking was done, we strolled back up the ramp, into the castle and dined with the princesses.  A bonus feature of the early morning reservation is that we finished our meal at 8:55, 5 minutes prior to the park opening.  So as the masses were trucking down Main Street, we were hopping on Dumbo and getting a jump on the day!

So how you can you re-create this experience?  It is actually pretty easy.  On the 180 day mark, make a breakfast reservation on a day that the park opens at the usual 9am. Do not schedule breakfast on an early opening day or if there are Extra Magic hours.  This could mean folks traveling at peak times may be out of luck.  Aim for a breakfast reservation at or before 8:20.  This will usually give you enough time to get a jump on the day by being at the back of the park when the park opens.  Make sure you arrive with plenty of time before your reservations - allow for slow buses, security bag checks, walking time, and of course, plenty of picture time!

There are two restaurants that offer breakfast prior to park opening. The Crystal Palace with Pooh and Friends, which is the more affordable option, requires a credit card guarantee, and costs 1 dining credit on the Disney Dining Plan. You can expect, but are not guaranteed Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and Piglet. Cinderella's Royal Table is the other option. You can expect, but again are not guaranteed, some combination of Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Ariel. Cinderella's Royal Table requires either prepayment in full or 2 table service credits and a credit card guarantee if you are on the dining plan. The princess meal also includes gratuities and a photo package which somewhat offsets the eye popping price tag.

So what if you can only find a reservation 10 minutes before park opening?  I say go for it!  You will miss much of that coveted first hour the park is open with super low crowds, but the experience and pictures are probably worth it - particularly if you have another morning set aside to get an early spin on Dumbo!

So what if you waited to long to book and the early morning time are completely booked up?  All is not lost!  Cancellations happen all the time.  Just be diligent and troll for reservations regularly.  You just might get lucky!

Are you DREAMing of a FANTASY cruise in 2013? Then now is the time to get started!

Well now is the time!  Disney just opened their booking window today for 2013 cruises on the Dream and the Fantasy.

As expected, the Dream will continue 3,4, and 5 night cruises to the Bahamas and Castaway Cay.  The Fantasy - whose maiden voyage is this spring - will continue 7 night cruises to the Eastern and Western Carribbean as well as Castaway Cay.

QUICK CRUISE TIP  #1- If you are thinking of a 2013 cruise, now is the time to book!  Prices on Disney cruises tend to go up and up as they reach capacity!

QUICK CRUISE TIP #2 - If you would never consider a Spring Break or Holiday trip to Disneyland or Disney World because of the crowds - think cruise instead!  The cruises have a fixed capacity and they always sail at or very near full capacity.  So a spring break cruise will not "feel" any different than a late September cruise in terms of crowds.  Prices are a bit higher during these peak travel times, but since you are a smart Disney shopper (and read tip #1) you already know that you can mitigate the extra cost by planning ahead.

As always, I would love to help plan your Dream-y Cruise!  Please let me know if I can help ginger@tmctravelonline.com!

Changes Ahead: Disney World Dining Reservation Policy

If you have not been making dining reservations lately, you may be unaware that Disney has been tweaking their Dining Reservations policy over the past few months. If you have ever stumbled onto a Disney message board, you have inevitably seen a post from a proud park goer boasting that they have booked a breakfast, lunch and dinner reservation for EACH park for EACH day of their vacation. Why would anyone go to such lengths? The reason given is they just do not want to be tied down to a plan…they just want to wake up and go where the mood takes them, and they want to be guaranteed a great reservation. As they delight in their superior ADR prowess, every other reader of the post is getting ready to give it to him…with both barrels. And I can understand why – by making a reservation in each park and perhaps a few resorts that person is keeping the rest of us from getting a coveted dinner at ‘Ohana or breakfast with the princesses. As a travel agent, I find myself scouring the internet looking for cancelations for my clients, in case someone was kind enough to cancel some of their double, triple, and quadruple booked reservations. And Disney…well they are stuck with empty tables, that could otherwise be filled.


Disney has been working to combat this problem in many ways. First of all, you are no longer allowed to double book dining reservations. If you create a reservation for a meal on a particular day, you are given a prompt that you already have a meal booked for that date and time. You will be asked which one you would like to keep, and the other will be canceled. This is a great feature as it not only prevents a accidental (or intentional) over booking, but it saves a step of having to cancel a previously made reservation. Nice!

Disney also has started sending out email reminders. With so many smart phones, families stay plugged in - even on vacation. A quick email is a great way to remind folks where they need to be. And if you need to cancel – they provide both a phone number and a link for you to do so. Easy! If you last minute planners are reading between the lines here, that means 24-48 hours is a great time to troll for cancelations.

Finally, and perhaps most controversially, a new policy effective October 26, 2011, will require a credit card guarantee for new reservations at Signature Dining and most Character Dining locations. Cancellations to reservations made less than one day in advance will incur a $10 charge per person listed on the reservation.

A few restaurants have already had this policy in effect, but the new policy will greatly expand the list. The $10 per penalty is not huge, but will certainly give triple bookers a cause for pause! Only serious diners need apply! While this can be a little frustrating, and some “innocent” dinners may be caught up in the penalty charges, this should mean more reservations available for those who fully intend to eat at the restaurant booked.

A word of advice: Be careful scheduling Signature and Character meals on your arrival day! A delayed flight, or excessive potty stops on your drive can mean that you not only miss a reservation, but will face a penalty if you do. Also, if you plan your trip and fully intend to go, but end up canceling your plans – be sure to cancel your dining reservations as well!

A new phone number has been added, specifically for canceling dining reservations. Avoid those penalties by calling 407-WDW-CNCL within the appropriate cancelation window.

The following locations will require the new credit card guarantee (Note: This is just a credit card guarantee, not a prepayment of your reservation):

• 1900 Park Fare
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
• Artist Point
• California Grill
• Cape May Café
• Chef Mickey’s
• Cítricos
• The Crystal Palace
• Flying Fish Café
• The Garden Grill
• The Hollywood Brown Derby
• Hollywood & Vine
• Jiko – The Cooking Place
• Le Cellier Steakhouse
• Narcoossee’s
• ‘Ohana
• Tusker House Restaurant
• Victoria & Albert’s – $25 per person
• Yachtsman Steakhouse

The following locations still require prepayment of your reservation (or a credit card guarantee if you are on the dining plan):

• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
• Mickey’s Backyard BBQ

Overall, I think these changes will result in a better experience for everyone. Just remember to cancel your reservations if you do not need them – credit card guarantee, or not!

New Disney Discounts Coming October 5th!

I love my Disney Visa for lots of reasons. One reason in particular is that is clues me in on new discounts that are on the way.

A few minutes ago I got an email for Disney Visa holders with some long awaited and much missed room discounts.

For Disney Visa holders traveling from Jan 2 - Feb 20 of next year you can look forward to the following discounts:

• Value Hotels - Save 25% off a room only reservation (except All Star Movies which is 20% off)
• Moderate Hotels - Save 30% off a room only reservation (except Port Orleans French Quarter which is 25% off)
• Deluxe Hotels and Villas - Save 35% off a room only reservation (except Polynesian and Animal Kidngdom Lodge are 30% off) 

Not a Disney Visa holder?  No problem!  The same rates will be availble to you beginning October 5th!  If you are a Disney cardholder or just want to be ready for the October 5th general public discount, I will be available this weekend to book your trip, so give me a call if I can help!

Do your homework...but remember to have fun!

Today is a dreary day in my hometown.  I am recovering from a head cold.  And I am feeling totally uninspired.  I decided to go back and look through some Disney pictures for some inspiration on something Disney related to share with you.  After several minutes scrolling through my pictures, I found myself not thinking about something to share, not making a mental note about something to do or do differently on our next trip, or even jotting down an idea for a family I am working with.  Instead I realized I was just enjoying my pictures and the memories they brought back. 

I am a huge believer than a little Disney Park knowledge goes a long way.  A little planning and strategy will help you maximize your fun and minimize your waits.  Prioritizing your the attractions that you family wants to visit is a great idea.  Scheduling your dining reservations a simple must do. 

Some people feel over scheduled in life and do not want to feel that way on vacation.  They just want to show up and have fun.  And while I agree with that in principal, in practice it can backfire.  Now, I am not suggesting that every family should have a laminated schedule of daily events, in fact, I discourage it.  My goal as a vacation planner is to give the families enough information that they can make the most out of their vacation dollars. 

I often recommend my family's touring style.  We heavily schedule our mornings.  Just call me the Disney Drill Sargent from park opening until noon!  As late comers meander their way through the turnstiles, we have knocked out Fantasyland and are rounding the corner to Liberty Square and Adventureland.  Then we break for lunch.  After lunch we usually wander and explore for an hour  - no agenda - until we head back to our resort for a break.  When we are refreshed we return to the park, often with one or two goals in mind, but mostly to go where the mood takes us.  While no one in my crew would trade the "get it done" morning, we all truly treasure the "wander and explore" afternoon and evenings.

Whether the activity is scheduled or spontaneous, always have your camera ready to go and snap away as the magic unfolds.  You never know when it may happen.  So with that in mind, here are some of the things that had me smiling this morning...

Learning to Hula at 'Ohana.  Yes, they are having fun in spite of the serious faces.  Dancing is serious business in our house, and it must be give the proper attention and respect!

Big Sister's first trip on Splash Mountain.  I am curious as to what part of "Splash" she did not understand!

Little Sister comes from a long line of "ride wimps".  So for her first big girl roller coaster experience, we were not expecting THIS...

Character Meet and Greets are always fun.  Especially if then kids are into it and willing to play along.  Snow White teaching my princesses the art of the "twirl"...priceless!

 We also tried to make the most out of our dining experiences.  Who does not love a 4 year old S'more face at 50's Primetime Cafe? And my oldest thought the ketchup gag at Whispering Canyon Cafe was hilarious!

 Here are my sweet girls wishing on a wishing star at Cinderella's Royal Table.  Can you guess what they are wishing for?  Also, I was happy to watch my picky eater dive into a bowl of noodles at Yakitori House.

And finally I will wrap up this super self-indulgent blog post with two of my favorite memories from our trip and an important lesson I learned.  Both of these photos were literally taken during out last hour in the park after a week long vacation.  We sat down for a moment as a family and talked.  We all agreed we had a fabulous time and were so lucky to have such a fantastic vacation.  I told the girls "This is it.  Last call.  Is there ANYTHING else that you have not done and want to do.  Or any one thing that you want to do over."  I must admit that I was surprised by the answer.  The youngest wanted to drive the cars on the Tomorrowland Speedway since the line was so short.  They had showed no interest in that attraction, but that was fine...ride we will.  I honestly have never laughed so hard in my entire life.  I learned that my 4 year old thought that driving consisted of moving the wheel to the left for a while and then to the right for a while.  It does not matter what it in front of you, in fact, as the picture shows, there is no need to even watch where you are going!  Her giggles as we crashed around the track were contagious, leaving me with mascara streaked tears of laughter down my face.  Who knew that such a simple little ride would yield so much fun?

So what one thing did the oldest want to do?  "Mom, over by the Caroussel, there is this big rock with a sword in it.  I really want to try to go pull out the sword.  I have ALWAYS wanted to do that."  Really?  THAT is your final request?  On the one hand, I was happy that all of the "big stuff" had been checked off her list.  On the other, I was surprised at how such a little thing was such a big deal.  The lesson learned... ask!  I was so focused on making sure they got all of the big stuff done, that I had overlooked the little things.  Sometimes it is the smallest things that can put the icing on the cake.

Thanks for indulging me!