Kids rainy day beach activities, Fun for All!

Liz Hough on

Do rainy days at the beach with the kids make you want to pull out your hair?

Here are some fun activities to keep them occupied!

What to do with kids at the beach on a rainy day?

Last week we were staying in an amazing house down on Cape Hatteras before the tropical storms forced us out.  This was my first experience staying down that far on the coast line.  We usually stay in Duck, Corolla, or the Kill Devil Hills area but I did enjoy my brief stay on the Cape.  I knew that it might rain and with little kids if you aren’t taking them into the pool or to the beach, what do you do to keep them occupied?  Besides riding in the elevator for a few hours, yes, the elevator kept them happy for a few hours, we did a few other fun activities. 

 

One of my favorite activities to do at the beach is to make feet or hand impressions of the kids using the local sand.  I found this activity a few years ago on Pinterest and it is still a favorite of mine and the kids.  You will need to bring a few items with you from home including a few picture frames and some plaster of Paris. The process is simple.  All you need to do is take out the glass from the picture frame, place the frame on some newspaper, fill the frame with dried sand, make the kids impression in the sand, fill in with plaster of Paris, let it dry and now you have the kids’ feet forever.  I love that I have a collection of the kids’ feet in sand from the various years of going to the beach. Just remember to make sure to keep the back to the frame for later use.    

 

Another great rainy day activity is making impressions of the kids’ hands and feet with washable paint.  There are so many amazing things you can do with their hands like make a giraffe or elephant.  Maybe make a Christmas gift for the grandparents with their feet.  The kids love getting paint all over them and parents love it too because it washes right off. 

 

 

 

The Dollar Store is one of my favorite places to pick up seasonal crafts for the kids.  Right now they have all their Halloween crafts and decorations out including spooky stickers.  I don’t know what kid doesn’t love stickers!  Mine love putting them all over the place including all over themselves.  For Halloween they have foam cut outs of witch hats and ghosts so I let them decorate these cut outs with stickers and then glue on a stick on the back, and now we have spooky witches and ghosts running around the house. 

Another favorite in our house is dress up.  Buying fairy wings and wands is a fun way to have a magical day inside our very own Pixie Hollow.  We had to beware of Captain Hook and his fellow pirates, however, we did forget to bring inflatable swords and eye patches for uncles and grandfathers to be the pirate pals.  You have to play pirates at least once when you are in the Outer Banks to pay homage.

 

It seems like when you are packing to go to the beach we always make sure we have all the beach toys and chairs, but don’t consider that there may be one or two rainy days on the vacation.  I just grab a few easy crafts that fit into a shoe box, my sand print picture frames, and a few fairy and pirate outfits and you have two days’ worth of stuff to keep the kids occupied. So on your next trip to the beach don’t forget to take these few essentials that will have you crafting memories of a lifetime and the kids laughing with excitement.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Ready for a Deal?

Liz Hough on

I have been reading a lot of negative reviews lately on TripAdvisor, Travel Guide, Oyster, etc.  I am finding that a lot of people who leave negative reviews on these websites is because the hotel or resort they booked was not what they thought they were going to get with their “deal.”  I have to laugh a bit because as much as everyone likes a “deal”, why would you want a “deal” for your vacation?  Most Americans only take 2 to 3 weeks off per year so that means they are working 49 to 50 weeks a year.  I would hate to work so many weeks and then when I take my vacation to be staying at a “deal” hotel or a “deal” resort and be completely disappointed or worse, miserable the entire time.

 

There are amazing deals around us all the time.  I go to Target and get stuff on clearance at the end of the season for my kids and they love it, i.e. princess dresses for those of you who know my oldest daughter.  This is a great deal for me because when they are regularly priced they can be expensive and since she wears them every day, they wear out quickly!  Now when we go to Disney in a couple of weeks I will buy her princess dresses there but I know in advance that I am going to have to pay full price and I am hoping that they are better quality.  I know that I am not going to get a “deal” but I am hoping that I am going to get good “value.”  For weeks now, I have been putting aside princess dress money so I can get a better value dress or dresses for her. 

Now when someone finds out that I am a travel consultant they instantly tell me about their worst vacation ever.  I politely listen and when they are finished I asked them if they booked with a travel agency or travel agent/consultant.  Probably 90% of the time they tell me they found a “deal” on the internet when they did their own research.  I ask them where they did their research and they tell me TripAdvisor or the resorts webpage.  Well, the resort will not post bad reviews of its hotel, and TripAdvisor likes to post the good reviews first.  I ask them if they felt like they wasted their money and their time.  Most of the time I hear an unquestionable Yes!  So if you feel like you wasted your time and money then was it a good “deal?”

 

I also hear that people are disappointed because they didn’t receive the same treatment their friends did when they had stayed there.  When doing your own online research, make sure that you are comparing apples to apples.  A lot of times I hear an apples to oranges comparison, and that is why the same services were not provided.  Resorts and hotels change specials frequently, sometimes weekly, so when you are looking for that same “deal” it may no longer be available.  When doing your own online research, if you feel like you just aren’t finding what fits your needs, it may not be out there.  However, a travel consultant may be able to find it in a few minutes because they know where to look. 

 

To avoid becoming disappointed on your next vacation, and possibly leaving a bad review online, try to make your next vacation a “value.”  You should come back from your vacation feeling happy and proud because of the star treatment you received.  You shouldn’t even realize the amount of money you spent.  You should have indulged in fine food and drinks, splurged on souvenirs, and taken private tours where you were the only ones behind the scenes.  These experiences are unforgettable and is what you will be talking about with your friends and family at your next gathering.  People love to hear these types of travel stories, I love hearing about these travel stories too!

 

So when planning your next vacation make sure to catch yourself every time you say “That sounds like a good deal.”  Steer clear and try to catch yourself saying: “That sounds like a lot of fun and something I would not have done on my last vacation.”

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Why you have to visit Burano, Italy.

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If you are visiting Venice, Italy then you must take a day tour via boat over to Burano.  Burano is known for its lace and brightly colored houses.  It is said that Leonardo DaVinci visited the island in the 1400’s and bought some lace.  Why wouldn’t he buy some lace on Burano!  The lace is handmade using tiny needles and the end product is an intricate masterpiece loved by all.  Thanks to Leonardo, the popularity of Burano lace exploded and became well known throughout Europe.  This helped this little city grew in popularity and increased tourism.  With so many visitors buying a lot of the lace, the city opened a lace making school right on the island.  Today you can go into lace stores all over the island.  You can purchase anything from place mats to decorative lace pictures, and each are as intricate and beautiful as you would expect.  Remember that these pieces are made by hand so the larger the piece the more expensive it will be.

 

 

This is a small piece of lace that I purchased on the island of Burano in 2007.  It is about three inches wide and an inch and a half in height.  It is beautiful!

 

Burano is also known for its brightly colored homes.  The story goes that when the fisherman of Burano come back from a long day of fishing, tired and beaten by the sea, they can easily find their house by the bright color.  I also believe this is helpful at night when the fisherman come back from the bar after drinking a bit too much of that amazing Italian wine.  Homes all over the island, even along the small streets, are brightly colored.  The color spectrum of these homes follows a specific color order.  To change the color means that one would have to go through several channels of approval.  I think this is a great tradition that should be well preserved as it is hard for an island even to be recognized for one amazing tradition let alone two that Burano holds. 

 

This island has so much to offer you including great food so you can grab something to eat after all that lace shopping.  I guarantee that when you take in the sites Burano on your next visit to Italy you will not be disappointed.  Just make sure you buy a small token of lace to bring back with you.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Seaweed Takeover in The Caribbean.

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For the past couple of months there has been a growing issue in the Caribbean, Seaweed!  Now anytime we go to the beach we encounter seaweed and don’t really think too much of it.  We just walk around it and go on our merry way.  But what if there was a wall 10 feet high of seaweed and you couldn’t get around it.  The Caribbean is experiencing this mass amount of seaweed called sargassum.  It washes up on beaches from Mexico to Barbados, and can sometimes pile up so high that you can’t even get into the sea.  This would be a very disappointing vacation if your plans were to lay on the beach and cool off in the clear waters. 

 

So why is there so much of this sargassum this year?  There is a lot of speculation that it is from land pollutants getting into the water.  These nitrogen based pollutants are what the seaweed thrive on and what makes it grow faster and in larger abundances.  Some also believe that it is the warmer climates of the Earth and the shifting of the currents causing more seaweed to come on shore.  Could it be a combination of both, sounds like both pollutants and warmer climates are to blame. 

 

A lot of resorts are putting a lot of money and time into clearing the seaweed from their beaches.  Mexico plans on spending almost $10 million dollars to help remove it from the beaches.  The nation of Tobago has called the seaweed a “natural disaster.”  Some resorts are even putting up barriers out in the sea so that the seaweed can’t make it to the beach.  They are finding that it is helping keep it at bay but because there is so much of it they still have some overflow.  Keeping the seaweed in the sea is a good idea as once it washes up on shore and starts to rot it becomes very stinky and attracted a lot of skin biting insects.  This is definitely not good for tourism in the Caribbean! 

 

One of the other great reasons we go to the Caribbean is to go scuba diving or snorkeling in the crystal clear waters.  We love to look at the beautiful coral, fish, and turtles but the seaweed is so thick that people are having trouble even doing these activities.  It is believed that the rotting seaweed consumes the oxygen levels in the water so the animals are also suffering.  This may lead to the animals finding new homes further away from the shore.  There are some people who are brave enough to get past the wall of seaweed on the beach and get in the sea.   I am sure they want to get their money’s worth, but be aware that you must trek through that same wall of seaweed on your way out. 

 

So if you have a Caribbean vacation planned in the near future I suggest that you may want to find some water sports on the bay side, if available.  Also, consider taking tours around the island that don’t involve the water.  Make sure your resort has a nice pool or several pools that you can enjoy during your stay.  There are still many activities you can enjoy but just be aware of the sargassum.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Do you pay too much in airline fees?

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Traveling via airplane is a convenient way to get you to your destination in a short amount of time or sometimes it is the only way to get you to an overseas destination.   Planes have advanced so much over the years that more people are willing to fly to their destination and prices between airlines have become competitive.  But should this mean that you as the consumer have to pay for not only for your seat but to take your luggage, cancellation or changing a reservation, priority boarding, a snack, to use the bathroom, connect to Wifi, or upgrade to preferred seating.  These additional fees are called “Ancillary Fees” and most airlines are continually trying to figure out how to incorporate them into their business models.   Airlines are saying that the reason they want to charge ancillary fees is because it is better for the clients to “unbundle” these service from the base price as not everyone uses them.  It benefits the client who did not want that snack or have to use the bathroom on a long flight.

 

So where did all this start?  In 2007 the low cost airline Spirit decided that they wanted to charge their clients a fee to check their luggage to bring in additional revenue.  Quickly American Airlines followed by charging clients $15 per piece of luggage and like any snow ball effect, additional airlines started to get on board with charging clients to check their bags.  Today most airlines charge you to check at least your second piece of luggage and the fees can be really high, i.e. $200 plus per piece of luggage.  This means a lot of additional revenue for the airline companies.  From 2007 to 2014 baggage fees went from bringing in $464 million to $3.53 billion a year in additional revenue for the various airlines charging these fees.  The airline that profited the most from baggage fees is American/US Airways and surprisingly United did not make much of a profit from charging baggage fees. 

 

Now have you ever had to cancel or change your reservation?  The fees on this service can sometimes cost you more than checking your luggage.  Unfortunately, there are times in our lives when something comes up and we need to use this service.  Airlines again have profited from this ancillary fee.  From 2007 to 2014 cancellation/change fees went from $915 million to $2.98 billion in additional revenue for the various airlines.  I, personally, have always believed that you should be allowed one change in your reservation in case you need to take an earlier or later flight and not have to pay for this change.  I do understand that you would have to pay for any change in the cost of the flight but I do not believe that you should have to pay both for one change.

 

Do you like preferred seating?  I have personally used preferred seating for overseas flights.  The airline company that I have used give the client up to 6 inches in more leg room when you purchase preferred seating.  Now I did pay an extra $150 for my preferred seating but let’s be honest, on an overnight flight to Europe, I need that extra room to get comfortable to try and get some sleep. I have not paid for preferred seating on flights here in the US so I do not know how much extra room you get or if you even get extra room.  It seems like the flights that I have been getting on lately with preferred seating are those seats right behind first class but do not offer additional leg room.  Honestly, I feel like this should be called “second class” and then the rest of us in the back of the plane can be “third class.”  More airlines are starting to choose this ancillary fee for this service but consumers are not happy as it can force families with small children to either separate on the plane or make them pay this fee, especially when these are the only seats left on the flight.  Some airlines also have confused consumers with offering preferred seating first in the online booking process.  The consumer is confused if this is the only option left not knowing that if they decline they will be given a regular seat upon check-in.  If you are ever confused about preferred seating, call the airlines reservation line. 

 

The good news is that the United States Senate Commerce Committee took a look at all these ancillary fees and has decided they would like to make some changes.  Some of the recommendations that they want the airlines to take into consideration are:

  • disclosure of ancillary fees early in the booking process so it is easier for the consumer to compare flight pricing
  • checked and carry-on luggage fees are based on costs incurred by the airline, airlines should promptly refund fees for any checked bags that are delayed more than 6 hours on a domestic flight
  • airlines need to clearly state that “preferred seating” charges are optional
  • limit the amount an airline can charge for any changes.

These changes would really help the consumer understand what exactly they are purchasing when they want to take a flight.  Having all fees disclosed to you in the beginning of the booking process will help you understand what your options are and if you want to pay extra for the options.  There are many times that I don’t want to pay extra because I am just on a two hour flight.  When I take my 10 hour flights I may want to splurge a bit, but at least I would understand what exactly I am paying for what services to expect for on my flight.  Understanding your rights as the consumer is always important, especially when you are traveling.

 

Have a Great Week!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

When to Buy Travel Insurance

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You plan all year sometimes even two years in advance to take that big trip. You have been saving for years and right before you are supposed to go on this amazing journey something happens. You can’t go! What are you going to do? You read through all the cancellation policies and most of them say “100% non-refundable 6 days prior.” Oh no, you are within that time frame. No refund! All those hard earned dollars down the drain.

Most of us are lucky that this scenario does not happen to us. However, life has a way of throwing curve balls so you want to make sure that when that curve ball comes your way you know exactly where to hit it, with insurance.

There are many insurance companies out there selling travel insurance. The question now becomes, Which one works best for you? Your travel agent is the best guide as to which company will provide the most coverage for your needs. You don’t need to purchase the “Platinum Plan” to get good coverage. Most times their basic plans, or gold plans will cover up to 100% of your non-refundable costs and give you very good health coverage too.

Some things you want to make sure you do when buying travel insurance:

Tip #1: Buy travel insurance within 15 day of your initial deposit to ensure coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.

Tip #2: Only buy “Cancel for Any Reason Coverage” if you really are on the fence about going on the trip. Most medical issues for both travelers and immediate families is covered under their reasons for cancellation plus, this is an added cost that you may not need to pay.

Tip #3: Check what your medical insurance covers for out of country visits. Don’t buy additional medical coverage if you already have good medical coverage.

Tip #4: Renting a car? Check what your credit cards and car insurance coverage for any damage to vehicle overseas. Consider buying additional coverage if you already have high premiums here in the states or you don’t have enough coverage.

Tip #5: Make sure to get a comprehensive copy of your purchased policy from your travel agent. Each state has different policies so make sure you have received the correct one for the state you live in.

Tip #6: READ OVER YOUR POLICY!!! The more you know before you go the better. If you have any questions about the policy call the insurance company for a full explanation.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Ready to Use Your Magic Bands?

Liz Hough on

Walt Disney created Disneyland so one could be in the past, present, and future all in one park while letting your imagination run wild.  He created what has become the most magical places on earth including Walt Disney World.  Since 1971 when the Magic Kingdom opened, Disney employees have tried to make sure that their guests have the best experiences possible.  However, with so many people wanting this experience and the increased popularity of a Disney vacation, overcrowded parks had become a problem.  Disney decided something had to change. They took a big risk and decided to incorporate new technology in this decision and came up with the idea for the Magicband, an all-inclusive wristband.  This was a huge risk has paid off nicely for Disney and goes perfectly with a quote Mr. Walt Disney has said “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”

 

What is a Magicband?  Magicbands are bracelets that you wear around your wrist and have a Radio Frequency Identifiable Device (RFID) in each band.  RFIDs are a great way to store information that can be quickly used later and by the end of this article you will see why they are a perfect way to get around the parks.  Let’s get back to exactly what the Disney Magicband is.  It is a bracelet or wristband with a RFID in it that contains all the information of your entire Disney reservations.  It will have which resort you are staying at, dining plan, Fastpasses, restaurant reservations, and of course your credit card information that is on file.  Now, having my credit card information on a device that is readable is a bit scary to me but when you check into the resort you must enter a unique four digit pin that is linked to your band.  Each person has a unique pin for their band.  You need this four digit pin to make any type of purchase on your band so if your band gets lost a person won’t be able to charge anything to your account.  The other great thing about the bands is that there are no identifiable markers on the outside to let someone know which resort you are staying at.  You may have your first name engraved on the back of the wristband so if your party is large and multiple people have the same color wristbands, you know which belongs to whom.  Also, if you lose your band you simply go to guest services and they quickly deactivate it for you.

 

How do you get a wristband and where do you use it?   For anyone who is staying on Disney property you will get a wristband.  In your My Disney Experience you will have the opportunity to select colors for each member of your party and any names you would like to have engraved on the inner part of the band.  The bands are simple in construction with a Mickey Mouse head imprinted on the top.  If you don’t like your jewelry simple, like me, don’t worry, you can add bling.  Small trinkets are available for purchase at several stores on Disney property.   Now, your wristbands will be mailed to your house or you will receive them at time of check in at the resort.  Once the band is on your wrist it is now the key to your room.   Simply place the Mickey Mouse on the wristband to the Mickey Mouse on the door knob, and you are in your room.  When you are ready to enter the parks you will place the Mickey Mouse on the wristband to the Mickey Mouse on the entrance pole and place your finger on the reader and you are in.  When you are ready to get your check after dining or check out at quick service, simply place the Mickey Mouse against the reader, enter your four digit pin, and everything is paid.  When your Fastpass time has arrived, simply place the Mickey Mouse against the Mickey Mouse FastPass pole and enter the ride.  I think we have a pattern going here: simply place the Mickey Mouse on your wristband to the reader and you are in!

The wristband has revolutionized how easy it has made families to plan their vacation and get around the parks.  You don’t have a room key, a park ticket, a FastPass ticket, and a Disney voucher to carry around anymore.  It is all now on your wrist.  The band is waterproof so if you go to the pool or one of the water parks you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.  It is a bit difficult to get on and off so they recommend that you keep it on for the length of your stay. 

 

Now comes the question of how does all that information get onto the band?  I briefly discussed the My Disney Experience application for choosing your color bands and what you want engraved on the inside. The My Disney Experience application can easily download this onto any phone from the Android or Apple store or by using your computer going to MYDISNEYEXPERIENCE.com.  Once you have made your reservation, make an account here and put in your reservation number.  All of your information will show up including where you are staying, dining information, park tickets, etc.  Set up your profiles for those traveling in your party and you can make yourself a fun Disney character, I am personally Goofy.   You can link tickets to each person accordingly especially if you are going to a special event tickets.  Once you have the profiles set up you can look at the restaurants that are available all over Disney.  On the 180th day from the start of your reservation you can start making dining reservations and linking them to each person.  Once you hit the 60 day mark you can start adding FastPasses to each person to ensure you get on the rides you want at the times you want.   You can add Memory Maker and link that to one person, preferably the ring leader.  All of this information is going to be right on your Magicband.    

 

Now once you get home, that information is still in your My Disney Experience and you can also look at your pictures.  The great thing about the Magicbands is that you can reuse them if you would like or you can always order new ones for your next Disney vacation.  I have to say that, I really enjoyed my experience with the Magicbands and I hope that you have or will too.

On a side note.  Our agency now offers day by day planning for those who do not want to or have the time to plan their entire Disney experience.  We have put together itineraries to fit all families and we will even put together your my Disney experience.  We do charge an extra fee for this service but this will alleviate even more of your stress of planning an amazing Disney experience.

 

Have a Great Week!

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

Less Stress Disney Planning

Liz Hough on

Disney is one of the most magical experiences a person can have in their lifetime.  We all grew up watching Disney movies, wearing Disney paraphernalia, buying Disney toys, and some of us have even had the ultimate Disney experience by going to the parks.  As we get older we still have a place in our hearts for the joy and happiness that Disney has brought to us over the years, and now it is time we pass that excitement onto our children or grandchildren.  We think about taking them to Walt Disney World in Florida to hear their laughter and see their smiles as they ride the rides, eat giant turkey legs, and meet their favorite Disney characters.  Unfortunately, for most people a rush of anxiety hits almost immediately after all these wonderful thoughts.  The anxiety of how much will the trip cost, how am I going to entertain them for a week, which parks should we do, where to eat, dining plan or no dining plan, etc.  Yikes!  The amount of questions that floods one’s head is way too overwhelming that most people decide not to plan a Disney experience or put if off for a while.

Eventually, one has to start planning a Disney experience for the kids.  My advice is to jump in with both feet because I am here to tell you how to make it less stressful.  Yes, less stressful because there is no way to take all the stress out of planning a Disney experience for the family.  However, you can make it less stressful and enjoy the vacation as much as the kids will.

Like any vacation you should definitely start early.  Disney has a lot of properties, restaurants, parks, and experiences and if you don’t start early you could miss out on some spectacular offerings.  For example, most people start a year or 18 months in advance once they have figured out when they want to go.  The best place to start is to pick which resort you would like to stay at.  There are so many great resorts that will cover all of your family’s needs including: budget, pools, themed rooms such as the Princess themed rooms, or great restaurants right in the resort.  Once you have narrowed down your choices of which resort to stay at, you are a quarter of the way done with the planning.

Next, people consider how many days they want to go to the parks.  Most people stay 7 nights or 8 days so I always recommend a 7 day park pass.  This way if your flight gets there early on day 1 you can hit the parks, especially the Magic Kingdom since it is open late, sometimes 1am.  Even though you are staying on Disney property you don’t have to do just Disney.  Universal Studios and Sea World are close by and on a rainy day the Crayola Experience is a great way to keep the kids occupied.  However, you would need to rent a car, book a service, or call a taxi cab.  Once you have considered which parks you want to do you are now another quarter of the way done!

 

Let’s talk about dining.  In the good old days you used to be able to go into any Disney restaurant and get a table.  Things have really changed when it comes to dining at Disney.  You can start making reservations for your dining 180 days prior to your first day of arrival and for an additional 10 days of stay.  Some restaurants are so popular that you if you don’t call at midnight on the 180 day you may not get a reservation.  Getting tables for larger parties is even harder so picking where you want to eat and making those reservations close to the 180 days will surly get you a table.  When it comes to dining you also have to consider whether or not you want to add a dining plan to your reservation, which can only be done if staying on property.  The Disney dining plan is great if you plan to do a lot of nice sit down meals or character meet and eats, as these are costly.   The dining plan also helps if you don’t want to constantly be pulling your credit card out of your pocket.  It is already paid for, but make sure to understand how many meals are included with your plan.  If you miss a meal you will not receive a refund.   If you plan on doing a long weekend in Disney then I would not recommend using the dining plan.  Once you have figured out where to eat and if you want to add the dining plan you done with another quarter of the planning.  75% of your Disney vacation is planned!

 

The last part of your Disney planning experience is your day by day itinerary.  If you have never been to Disney before this can be quite a challenge.  There are so many great rides and shows to see in each park but it is impossible to get to do half of them in a day, especially when there are long lines.  When planning this part you want to plan with the family.  Let your family tell you want they want to do.  This way you can incorporate one thing from each family member into the day and everyone is happy.  Once you have an idea of the itinerary don’t forget to get on your My Disney Experience 60 days prior and reserve your FastPasses for those rides.

Great!  You are pretty much done now.  You only have to show up and enjoy your time at Disney.  One thing to remember is that sometimes thing don’t go as planned but that is ok.  There will always be something else to do.  The kids will not be disappointed by their Disney experience at all and will be talking about all the great memories for weeks after the vacation.

 

 

On a side note.  Our agency now offers day by day planning for those who do not want to or have the time to plan their entire Disney experience.  We have put together itineraries to fit all families and we will even put together your my Disney experience.  We do charge an extra fee for this service but this will elevate even more of your stress of planning an amazing Disney experience.

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

Cruise Planning Mistakes 101

Liz Hough on

CRUISING MISTAKES!

I love to cruise.  Getting out on the high seas is so peaceful and beautiful.  The gentle sway of the ship back and forth really relaxes me.  But there are some things that can really ruin your cruise if you are not prepared in advance.  Now I can’t take all the credit for writing this week’s E-Newsletter.  I read most of these tips on Conde Nast Traveler but I have to share them as they are very good points.   So next time you start planning a cruise make sure to avoid these mistakes:

 

Mistake #1:  Bringing the extra-large suitcase!  Yes, staterooms are getting bigger and bigger and most of the time you can stow your larger suitcases under the bed.  However, this doesn’t hold true for all cruise ships especially those older ships.  If you bring an extra-large suitcase it may have to stay out next to the sofa the whole cruise.  Bring the smaller suitcase and roll your clothes to save space.

Mistake #2:  Not booking your shore excursions in advance.  Nowadays every cruise line uses the internet to make it easier for their cruise clients to make their excursion reservations.  They have them broken down by port, pricing, and activity level.  Some cruise lines are better than others with how descriptive they are but overall you get the idea of what to expect on the excursion.  If you are taking the time to read them online and find one you like then simply add it to your cart.  You can also make a list and send it to your travel agent, but make sure to book early or it may not be available by the time you board the ship.

Mistake #3:  Not bringing your own conditioner.  Most cruise lines provide you shampoo in the dispenser adhered to the shower wall and soap.  Ladies, make sure to bring your own conditioner because you want those formal night photos to look fantastic.

Mistake #4:  It’s HOT – not talking about the weather, but the amazing deals!  A deeply discounted cruise is a great deal, right?  Well, I have always been told that if it is too good to be true it is.  You really want to see Alaska and that deal for May is amazing but are you prepared for snow?  Or how about a really discounted Caribbean cruise in September but be prepared for hurricanes with tidal waves.  Always consider the climate or season for the areas you will be traveling.

 

Mistake #5:  Flying in the same day as your European cruise.  I have always told my clients that they should arrive a few days earlier when taking any type of European cruise.  Sometimes the cruise line does not stay in port overnight the day you board so you will miss out on an amazing city.  Take the time and explore the city where your cruise begins.  Arriving early also allows you peace of mind knowing you will make it to the ship on time.

 

Mistake #6:  This one ties in with Mistake #4.  Not expecting rainy weather on your Alaskan cruise.  Rain and sometimes snow are very common when taking an Alaskan cruise.  June seems to be a good month to try to stay dry but there are no guarantees.  A raincoat and umbrella are a must for an Alaskan Cruise.

 

Mistake #7:  Booking a cruise during a school holiday.  Unless you have children where you have to get your vacations in when they are out of school, booking a cruise during any type of holiday or school break is not a good time for those looking to have a more adult friendly cruise.  This does not hold true to all cruises, but I would try to avoid any Caribbean or Hawaiian cruises during holidays.

Mistake #8:  Assuming everything is included onboard.  This can be a bit confusing for some first time cruisers.  The pricing you receive is for mostly basic amenities unless you are cruising with an All-Inclusive cruise line, which are more expensive.  Specialty dining, fitness classes, spa treatments, excursions, gratuities, and even soda packages are a few of the extras once onboard.  Now a days a lot of cruise lines have been giving away onboard credits for you to try out some of these extra amenities, but don’t be fooled, some are quite pricy and your onboard credit will not cover the full cost.

 

This was a great article written by Heidi Sarna, Bon Voyage Magazine with some additional tidbits from me.  I wanted to share this article with everyone because I believe that at least one of them has happened to us on one of our cruise adventures.  As always, make sure to ask your travel consultant questions about your next cruise.  We are here to make sure that you have the best experience possible and avoid mistakes like those above.

 

The anxiety of how much will the trip cost, how am I going to entertain them for a week, which parks should we do, where to eat, dining plan or no dining plan, etc.  Yikes! 

How to Spot a Dirty Hotel Room

Liz Hough on

How Dirty is Your Hotel Room?  

I have been watching a lot of Hotel Impossible on Netflix lately.  I am strangely drawn to this show where one guy evaluates hotels that are in the decline.  He revamps everything from management, the front desk area, and the cleaning crew’s philosophy on what is actually a clean room.  By the end of the show the hotel looks great, the staff is unified, and bookings start increasing.

It does have me thinking though – if all these places he is visiting have issues with cleaning, am I doing a good job finding inadequacies when I stay at a hotel.  After all, the first thing I do when I enter my hotel room is get out my antibacterial wipe and clean down the remote.  But what else am I missing?  I have come up with a few tips on what to “spot” if you have a dirty room.  I came up with these from my own experiences and from watching the show.  They have helped me on several occasions even when we have stayed in big name, five star hotels.  These tips even hold true if you are renting a house at the beach for a week.  Those cleaning crews really don’t have enough time to clean everything!

Tip #1:  Make sure you have antibacterial wipes or Clorox wipes with you when you go on vacation.  Clorox now has a convenient small pack in the travel size section.  Make sure to wipe down the remote (dirtiest thing in the room based on several studies), any handles i.e. toilet, facets and the inside door, the toilet seat and cover, the telephone even the ear piece, and if you have a kitchen you may want to do a bit more work there if you are planning on using it.

Tip#2:  Check for bed bugs!  Bed bugs are the worst thing you want to bring back with you.  In order to find them you have to pull

Our hotel room in Venice

the fitted sheet back and expose the mattress all together.  Look in the seam of the mattress at the top and bottom curves.  Some people see bugs and some people see what looks like dirt.  Either way, if you find them get another room immediately!  Don’t trust your bed bug spray that you bought at the hardware store is going to work.  Let the hotel call someone in to take care of it.  It you are renting a house, then definitely use the spray but keep all luggage outside until you know it has worked.  The last thing you want is bed bugs to get into your luggage and you bring them home!

Tip #3:  Since I was a child my mother never let me touch the bed cover, duvet, or comforter that was on the bed.  That was always the first thing off the bed on onto the floor.  Hotel policy should be to change them after each guest and clean them but that doesn’t always happen.  After all, they are heavy and thick so how can one person lug 20 of them on their tiny cart.  Check the bed cover for any stains.  The top of the cover typically has bright colors so you may not be able to detect any stains.  Flip it over and look at the white part underneath.  Any stains need an immediate call to housekeeping.  This also holds true for the sheets.

Tip #4:  Check the toilet!  I know that this can be disgusting but from watching the show I have really learned that places aren’t very good at cleaning the toilet.  Just because they lay that piece of paper over the lid that says it has been cleaned, most times, it hasn’t.  When you lift the lid try to look under the lip of the toilet or if you are even more daring take a piece of toilet paper around the lip of the toilet to check it was cleaned.

Tip #5:  Check the shower and especially the shower curtain.  I am finding that more and more hotels are not cleaning their shower curtains.  One time I even had one curtain switched out and the newer curtain had more mold and soap build up than the other one.  This was not acceptable and I told them they needed to find one that was either straight out of the packaging or washed.

Tip #6:  The one thing that most people don’t seem to check is the pillow.  It is very easy to change out the pillow cases, but I know that when I change out my pillow case my pillow sometimes needs to be washed too.  You should check both pillow cases and the actually pillow for stains.  Hotels have tons of pillows so they can easily get you more.

 

Remember, that you are a guest at their hotel.  You have right to request things to be switched out if they have stains, mold, soap scum, are dirty or even broken.  Most of the time the rooms that I have been staying in are brand name hotels and are over $150/night, not your highway motel with a rate at $49/night.  There are many websites that allow the consumer to rate hotels including TripAdvisor, Yelp, and Hotels.com to name a few.  If you may be concerned about the hotel you are going to be staying at you may want to consider checking out the reviews or even making a review based off of your personal experience.  Either way, make sure to protect yourself the next time you are staying at a hotel.

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

When you book your vacation with a member of the Life is Better Traveling Team, you are supporting local families and business.  Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past 4 years, we have become an AMAZING travel agency due to your support!

Please understand we get several requests per day for European vacations. We provide experiences for our clients that provide a lot of value. If you are looking for a budget vacation, that is NOT us.

 

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