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In case you missed it, click here to start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Day 6 – Ketchikan, Alaska I originally started out thinking that Ketchikan would be my least favorite port based on all the research I’d done, but it ended up being our favorite! We slept in this morning, all those late night adult activities were catching up to us and all ashore wasn’t until 11:15am, so we were all happy to get a little extra rest. Eddie and I woke up around 9:00am and went to Cabana’s to grab breakfast.  We found ourselves going to the same thing each day to eat.  For me, one slice of French toast, custom ordered omelet, 2 slices of bacon, and diced potatoes (no wonder I gained weight on this cruise!).  For Eddie – bowl of oatmeal with fruit, granola, etc., eggs, bacon or sausage, and a hash brown patty.  (Sorry, never took pictures of our breakfast!).  After Cabana’s, I went straight to work out (3 miles on the treadmill).  Eddie went back to the room first, and by the time he was ready to go work out, I had already finished and was back in the room.  Hunter was just waking up.  I took a shower and then caught up on my trip notes.  Our shore excursion tickets listed our meeting place in the Azure Club at 12:00 noon.  Knowing we wouldn’t be eating soon, we went upstairs and grabbed a quick bite – even though it hadn’t been that long since we’d ate.  I grabbed a roast beef sandwich from Daisy’s Delights and Eddie and Hunter had a couple slices of pepperoni pizza from Pinocchio’s. Our excursion today in Ketchikan was booked through Disney (booking direct is less expensive, but it was sold out – we booked in April, so kind of last minute for an Alaskan cruise – so I had to purchase through Disney to get it).  The excursion was the Bering Sea Crab Fisherman’s Tour, and it was on the Aleutian Ballad crab boat, which had been featured on Deadliest Catch in Season 2.  The boat sustained major damage when capsized by a 60 foot rogue wave, and was given a complete overhaul and made into a tour boat.  Pretty cool, huh? We headed for Azure around 11:45 and there was a table set up inside signing people in for the different excursions booked through Disney.  We were given an Elsa sticker to wear and were told to listen for our group to be called.  We were called right at noon and followed our guide outside.  We met up with a representative of the tour, and followed her over to the Aleutian Ballad.   We got to the boat and noticed there were already people onboard (I assume those that booked direct), but most of them were upstairs.  I don’t know if they were made to go to the top and the bottom was saved for Disney?  Even though all seats are great, I was glad to be on the lower level.  The temperature wasn’t bad (mid-50’s) and it was nice and partly sunny, but on the water it does tend to get cool and I thought being lower might help with that. Following our guide over to the Aleutian Ballad Once onboard, Captain Paul introduced himself and his crew, including fishermen Dave & Terry.  These guys were awesome!  They kept us captivated with their personal stories on the sea and were great story tellers and very funny.  I started to get cold and one of the ladies (working there for summer / college) brought me an extra coat and started passing them out to other guests.  They had hot tea, hot chocolate and coffee for guests onboard as well.  The boat is outfitted with several bathrooms, a gift shop that shows a rotating loop on the tv of the wave that took down the Aleutian Ballad.   My husband will be doing a full review of the excursion that you can find on our blog soon under “Reviews“.  Here’s just a few pics of the highlights – but be sure to go and read his review – this was the best excursion ever – and when we go back to Alaska (yes – we are already talking about our next trip), we plan to do this excursion again! Passing out heavy coats for those that needed them There were bald eagles EVERYWHERE! The crew took this pic with everyone onboard who wanted one at the end The tour lasted about 3 hours, so we arrived back to town around 3:15pm.  We went over to one of the gift shops and they had these reversible coats outside listed for $19.99.  There were several colors, and some had “Alaska” embroidered on the front, but the one that we liked had a “Ketchikan Alaska” patch on it.  Eddie and I both got one and Hunter went inside and found an “Alaska” camouflage hat that he liked.  We love gift shops and spent quite a bit of time in here.  We bought the other kids some candy to take back and Hunter also bought an “Ulu Knife” and Eddie bought a t-shirt and hat combo that was only $14.99.  We left there and it was starting to drizzle a little bit, so we put our new coats on.  We walked over to another gift shop and Hunter found an Alaska hoodie there.  After leaving there we went to find the “Welcome to Ketchikan” sign and stopped for some pictures.  At this point it was around 4:30 so we started to walk back to the ship and get freshened up for dinner. Lots of rain in Ketchikan Wearing our new Alaska Jackets! I looked at the navigator once back onboard and saw that Mickey & Minnie were doing meet and greets.  Since we had not yet met them in their Alaskan gear, I really wanted to go.  They were also meeting later in the night, and we were too late for the afternoon meet with Mickey, but we went to get in line for Minnie.  We did get to see Mickey leaving, so I snapped this pic: We were towards the front of the line for Minnie so that didn’t take long.  I had really wanted a pic with Mickey & Minnie outside in their Alaskan gear, but they were never outside for photos like I’ve seen on other sailings.  I had one photographer tell me it had something to do with this sailing combining Juneau day / Endicott Arm the same day.  So I was a little bummed about that, but I do think our extra stop in Icy Strait Point (Hoonah) was worth it. Eddie and I stopped for more pictures in the atriumwith the Ketchikan background and then headed to dinner at Animator’s Palate. Tonight was the animation magic show which is truly amazing!  When you are seated, your server gives everyone these to draw their own character (even the adults!). We all participated and Svetlana took our drawings when we were finished and gave us the menu’s.  This was a new menu, so I did take some pics: Svetlana had told us the night before that there were new additions to the menu (before it was very limited with only one appetizer choice) and I was glad, because what I saw on the app didn’t appeal to me.  The meal ended up being our favorite meal served in the dining rooms of the trip!  We loved the Malaysian Chicken Satay (skews of chicken with a peanut sauce and cucumber (delicious)! We all also had the Lobster Bisque (very tasty!): I got the Garlic Marinated Shrimp & Pasta (very good): Eddie got the Blackened Chicken salad (My favorite!  We switched plates halfway through, lol – although he loved the salad too). Hunter got the Chicken Schnitzel which he loved: Before our desserts came, the animation show started and we really enjoyed seeing our characters, and the creativity of others come to life! For dessert, I had the Amaretto Cheesecake with sour cream (really good): Eddie had planned to get the Regional Inspiration of some Alaskan bread budding with strawberry.  Svetlana advised him against it, and brought him some White Chocolate Bread pudding from Tiana’s instead.  I had that on my cruise in March and knew it was a great choice!  Hunter got a repeat of his dessert from the night before – chocolate lava cake with ice cream. After dinner we went to Crown & Fin for some more trivia before heading to see the Family Magic Show with Billie Kidd in Azure.  I didn’t take any pictures, but we enjoyed her family show much more than her adult show. Then it was time for the meet & greet with Mickey in his Alaskan gear: We stopped by the DVC desk to see if we could make an appointment for the next day.  After going to the presentation, we had a few more questions.  While waiting for the cast member to check schedules, Daisy was walking up the hall (Belle was also walking down the other end of the hall) and she stopped for a quick pic: Afterwards we headed back to Azure for more adult games.  I was really ready to go to bed, but Hunter really enjoyed going to the activities at night, and they were doing Match Your Mate.  Eddie and I tried to get picked again, but they usually take the couple who has been married the least amount of time (there was a honeymoon couple onboard), the couple that has been married the longest, then for the middle couple, they make you do a dance-off contest.  Well, Eddie definitely carries me in these contest, because I have ZERO rhythm, not to mention I don’t love being up in front of a crowd anyway, much less showing off my dance skills (that I was not blessed with, lol).  But I figured, hey, I’m never going to see these people again, just do it.  So I got up there and did the sprinkler, the robot, etc. while Eddie was unbuttoning his shirt (he had a t-shirt on underneath) while dancing to “I’m Sexy and I Know it.”  It was hilarious and the crowd loved him.  We were up against about six other couples and we were second in line and got a ton of cheers.  The last couple in line had a big family group with them and Rod called them the winners. Boo!  Oh well, one of these days we’ll get picked.   We stayed until the end and then headed off to bed around 11:00pm.  Tomorrow was a sea day, so we were happy that we would be able to sleep in again. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #DisneyCruise #Ketchikan #TripReport

Did you know that Disney has their own private island in the Bahamas?  Castaway Cay is one of my favorite places in the world! You can walk right off the ship onto Castaway Cay and enjoy free chairs, umbrellas, hammocks, water-slides and a splash area for the kids.  You are also treated to a fabulous (also FREE) buffet lunch at Cookie’s BBQ (or Cookie’s Too BBQ) or on the adult only side – Serenity Bay Adult Buffet (which includes steak from Palo!).  Characters are out and about for meet and greets in their beachwear, not to mention a FREE 5K on the island for every cruise that stops there!  What’s not to love?! Let’s take a tour of this beautiful island, starting with the walkway from the ship: If you are planning to head to the Castaway Cay 5K first thing, you can drop the kids off at Scuttle’s Cove (the island’s kids club): Next head over to the 5K (Don’t forget to go read my review of the Disney Castaway Cay 5K) Or, go ahead and find out a great spot to lounge: Snorkeling equipment is available for rent on the island (or you can bring your own) and this entire area is roped off for snorkeling: Life jackets are provided free to use (must wear while snorkeling) Grab a drink at a bar: Take the kids for some fun on Pelican’s Plunge (life jackets are available for use): Grab a free wagon, stroller or jogger if you need one: Now let’s head over to Serenity Bay (the Adult Only Beach on Castaway Cay): You might just even catch Jack Sparrow stumbling by: Grab some lunch at the Adult Buffet: Did I mention after all that there is also all you can eat ice cream?? There’s also an area called “In Da Shade” with basketball, pool and other games that the teenagers (or big kids) would enjoy: Excursions are available on the island such as jet skis, parasailing, bike riding, tube rental, sting ray encounters and more! Be sure to stop on your way back to the ship for some pics: Are you ready to go yet?  What was your favorite thing to do at Castaway Cay? Be sure to check out my Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #CastawayCay #DisneyCruise

Day 5:  Part 2 Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier When I left off on Part 1 we had just finished up the afternoon game of Bingo and the Captain had announced that viewing of Endicott Arm had begun.  We headed up to the top deck after grabbing our camera and coats.  It was cold and windy!  Crew members were passing out blankets (which I gladly accepted).  Some of the pics we took: We started seeing icebergs right away We went back inside to get Hunter and grab some dinner – but first we stopped for more pics! We were skipping the dining room tonight and decided to just eat from the pool deck.  We ate fast to rush back out for more pics because we were at the glacier! Seals on the iceberg We figured we had enough pictures at this point and it was still pretty cold, so we headed back inside to meet up with Mr. Incredible before the 8:15 showing of Incredibles 2 in the Walt Disney Theater: After the showing of Incredibles, we headed to Azure for “intuition”, followed by a variety act with Billy Kidd.  We didn’t love the show, but it was okay.  After the show, there was an 80’s Flashback Dance that was a lot of fun.  As usual Eddie jumped right in and busted a move.  I did a few dances and Hunter sneaked out and went back to the room, lol!  We stayed for a few dances and then went back to the room as we were pretty tired at this point.  Up next – Ketchikan! Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #DisneyCruise #Juneau #TripReport #DawesGlacier #EndicottArm

Garden Grill (Chip & Dale’s Harvest Feast) is a character meal serving breakfast, lunch or dinner at Epcot in Future World – the Land Pavilion.  The restaurant rotates very slowly (so you really don’t even realize you are moving), but gives you a different view every time you look up, including a look at the “Living with the Land” ride.  Ingredients grown within the land pavilion are used in some of the food!  Considered farm to table, the lunch and dinner menu offers salad, pot roast, veggies and dessert.  It is all you can eat, so you can just ask for more if you run out!  View the different menus here.  Characters you will find here are of course – Chip and Dale, along with Farmer Mickey and Pluto. We visited Garden Grill for dinner on our December 2017 trip, and it ended up being one of our favorite meals.  The food was really good, as well as the character interaction. The Land Pavilion: Garden Grill restaurant: Service was pretty quick, our waitress quickly took our drink orders and then brought salad and rolls out to the table: Dale was the first to come by – the way I remember which is Chip and which is Dale is by remembering Chip has a small black nose – I think of “chocolate Chip”, lol. garden grill review Chip was right behind: garden grill review Noah was excited, lol After Chip & Dale came by, our main dishes were brought out: We had a skillet wtih pork roast, turkey breast, and Italian sausage, green beans, dressing (or stuffing to some), and mashed potatoes,.  (The new menu looks to have replaced the Italian sausage with carved pork with apple chutney).  They also brought out a plate which I assume is mostly for kids – macaroni and french fries – but we adults loved these too!  Everything I had was tasty, except I didn’t love the green beans or the Italian sausage. Farmer Mickey was the next to come by and visit: Noah obviously isn’t a character guy Pluto was up next: Something was very funny…… Finally, it was time for dessert: Berry short-cake with vanilla bean whipped cream and some cookies with mickey sprinkles.  The dessert was good, but we would have liked it much better with some ice cream instead of whipped cream. Overall this was a great meal – one that I highly recommend!  Be sure to check out my other Disney restaurant reviews! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you.

In case you missed it, click here to start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Day 7 – Last Day at Sea How did this day arrive so quickly?!  At this point Hunter said he was ready to go home, while Eddie and I looked at each other and said “I could do another 7 days.”  We slept in again until around 9:00am.  Then it was off to Cabana’s for breakfast for our usual fare, although this time we also tried the biscuits and gravy that we kept wanting to try.  They were actually really good!   We got back to the room and showered and it was already time to head for Bingo.  There were two rounds of Bingo scheduled today and we had planned to go to both (we have won the jackpot before, so now we are hooked!).   We got there early knowing it would be crowded, to get our seats and cards/handsets.  We didn’t have any luck this session.  The people behind us won a door prize and also won some money on the first game, but they were pretty disappointed when 6 other people also won!  One of the people who won that split jackpot actually had Bingo on two of her handsets, so she got 2/7 of the payout.  First time I had seen that happen! Bingo ended around 11:45am and Eddie and I wanted to go look in the gift shops since our first day we were specifically shopping for Alaska merchandise and didn’t look at the regular items.  We didn’t find anything that we had to have this time.  We were scheduled to meet with the DVC rep at 1:30 and there was a ventriloquist (Michael Harrison) scheduled for 2:00pm in the Walt Disney Theater that we were hoping to go see, but we didn’t make it out in time.  We met with Rob with DVC and were really seriously thinking about buying in since we go to Disney so much.  We took the information so we could go and talk about it and told him we would get back with him.  We headed upstairs to meet Hunter after the show (we had told him we would be waiting in Preludes outside the theater).  The show let out around 2:45 but we never saw Hunter, and apparently he forgot that he was supposed to meet us.  We stayed there in our seats and had a discussion about DVC, but ultimately decided we weren’t going to pursue.  We felt like all of our vacation money would be tied up into DVC, and we really enjoy traveling – and not just with Disney.  You can exchange points and use them at other hotels, so it isn’t strictly Disney, but I’ve always heard those points don’t transfer well and didn’t want to take any chances.  We headed back to the room and then grabbed Hunter for another round of Bingo!  This was the last Bingo session for this cruise, and the payout is highest on that last day.  I don’t think I realized up until this point that the prices of the packages change with each session.  On my 3-night cruise, I remembered paying $60 for the “Family Pack” which includes 2 electronic sets and 1 pack of paper cards.  This cruise it had been $80 both times we’d played, but for this last session it was $120!  Ouch.  Note:  there are smaller packages you can buy.  In the middle of bingo games they give away some door prizes by flashing names of everyone who has purchased a bingo package and if it stops on your name, you win.  Well, Eddie’s name was called!  We won this Disney Cruise Line lunch bag which also had a cute sailor Mickey luggage tag and a cruise key chain inside: Unfortunately that was the only thing we won this session, but we can’t complain.  We won $88 the first game and then a door prize, and like I said, we have won the jackpot before on another cruise. After bingo, we headed for another Pub Quiz with Rod.  Afterwards we stopped in the gift shop “Sea Treasures” and bought an Alaska t-shirt (one for me and one for Eddie). By this time it was time for dinner and tonight was Tiana’s Place with the regular Mardi Gras menu and I was really excited.  I had really enjoyed Tiana’s on my girls cruise in March.   Since this was our last night we made sure to take some pics: For my appetizer I ordered the Sausage Andouille Fritters:  (I had ordered these on my last cruise and really enjoyed them).  I liked them again this time, but the guys tried it and they didn’t like them: The guys both ordered the Shrimp & Grits and really liked them: Eddie and I also tried the tomato bisque (very good): For my entrée I ordered the Roasted Pork Tenderloin which I really enjoyed: Eddie & Hunter tried the Cajun Spiced Sea Bass on Shrimp Jambalaya:  (I had this on my last cruise and enjoyed it): Svetlana also brought the table some Artichoke Ravioli to try:  It was pretty good, but nothing I’d want for my meal: The desserts were what I had been waiting on!  I told Svetlana we wanted one of each:  Beingets, Banana Foster Sundae and White Chocolate Bread Pudding.  They were all so good, just like I had remembered: This was the last night in the dining rooms so I asked Svetlana and Istvan if I could take a picture of them: Best Servers Ever!! Istvan was so great! After dinner we walked outside to check out the beautiful scenery again and take some pics since this was our last night of the cruise. We were greeted with this beautiful sight as well: We decided to skip Dreams (we’ve seen it before) and the adult shows tonight and get packed up and to bed early for our early morning debarkation. Sunset on our final cruise night – so sad to be leaving!!! On the way to the room I took this picture: This is what is on the carpet in the hallways of the ships, and it helps you navigate where you are headed (Forward or Aft).  If the map is upside down, you are headed Aft (back of the ship).  If the map is facing you, you are headed Forward (front of the ship).  Pretty cool and only took me 6 cruises to figure that out, LOL. We were greeted with this on the bed (not sure exactly what it is?)  Something with its legs crossed.  Either a human or Gumby, LOL. We packed everything up except what we needed for the next day and headed to bed. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #CruiseReviews #DisneyCruise #TripReport

In case you missed it, click hereto start with Day 1 of the Trip Report. Disembarkation Day – Vancouver Sightseeing This morning our breakfast was scheduled for 7:00am since we were on the Main Dining schedule.  We knew we didn’t have to be off the ship until 9:00am (out of our room by 8:30), so we left our bags in our room and headed to breakfast.  We were sad to say goodbye to Svetlana and Istvan and told them we would be sure to request them as our servers next time we are on the Wonder.   Breakfast went pretty quick, and we went back to the room and did a final sweep of the room before heading out around 8:00am or so.  Walking out we had to stop by this table to pick up the knives they had “confiscated” that we had purchased in Alaska.  Once you return on ship from a port, they take anything you’ve purchased that is not allowed on the ship (such as alcohol or knives, etc) and give you a card with a number on it.  You give that card to the staff at the table to collect your items.  It was a seamless and quick process. It was a beautiful sunny day in Vancouver.  We had a Vancouver Delights tour scheduled with LandSea Tours, but we weren’t due to meet the representative until 9:30am.  So we found a bench and just enjoyed the beautiful weather and seeing some behind the scenes action for the Wonder: Loading food and supplies for the next sailing About 9:15am we headed to the front entrance to meet our LandSea representative.  He asked us to walk across the street with him just because it was easier for the driver to navigate to that side.  I had done a lot of research, and there was a Vancouver tour that Disney was offering for the same price, but that tour didn’t have as many stops as this tour, and this tour also delivered us to the airport and stored our bags.  They had a regular Vancouver City Tour that was around 4 hours long, and this one (Vancouver Delights Tour) which was 7 hours long.  We didn’t have to be at the airport until 8:00pm, so this one worked perfect for us. Our driver picked us up and then made some stops at a few other hotels and then we were on our way.  Our driver, Summer, was a local and very informative.  Our first stop was at the Granville Public Market.  We had heard this was very similar to Pike Place Market in Seattle which we loved, and this was an accurate description.  In fact, I think I enjoyed Granville Market a little more, and would love to go back and spend a full day there.  We were given an hour to shop, eat, etc.  I wished we had stopped here closer to lunch, because they had so much that looked delicious that I would have loved to try!  We did buy a scone and some chocolate chip cookies to snack on later.  Here are some pics of the market area: After we left here, our next stop was the Vancouver Lookout.  Admission was included in the price of the tour which was awesome.  It would have been $17.50 (CAD) each otherwise.  We had great 360 degree views from the lookout, and there were signs posted all over giving some history of the sights in Vancouver.  We spent about 30 minutes here before heading out. View of Canada Place and the Disney Wonder from the Vancouver Lookout Tower While driving to each location, Summer was great about pointing out other areas and giving us some history or details (such as the beach area with logs placed all around to watch the sunset, the Rogers Centre stadium, the Olympic Cauldron, etc). Our next stop was at Stanley Park where the totem poles were located.  Stanley Park was PACKED and Eddie and I were so glad that we had got up early the first morning of our cruise and experienced Stanley Park where we felt like we were the only ones there! Our next stop in Stanley Park was at Prospect Point.  This offers beautiful views of Lions Gate Bridge and Vancouver.  They have a café there and some outside tables as well.  On the way to Prospect Point we passed a Stanley Park Brewery that is being built.  We can’t wait to come back to Vancouver and spend more time. There was a gift shop at Prospect Point so of course I had to buy a Christmas tree ornament: After our scenic pictures, we got back on the bus and headed to Capilano Salmon Hatchery and then the Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Admission was also included in the price of the tour.  The Salmon Hatchery was neat and had some beautiful trails: Next was the Suspension Bridge: The Suspension Bridge was so crowded! Canada Day was the day before which is why they had the flag up. That was pretty cool to see. We walked the bridge across and back and then got some lunch.  It was around 3:00pm at this point and we hadn’t ate since breakfast on the ship.  We stopped at Logger’s and got a huge hot dog and fries.  Eddie and I split one, but Hunter had his own, lol. This was their indoor sit-down restaurant Definitely big enough to share (unless you’re a teenage boy, lol!) We were all given these certificates when we were getting ready to leave Capilano Suspension Bridge: Isn’t he cute? Our driver dropped off the others at their hotels (there were about 4 stops).  That was another great thing about this tour….we were given priority at the Vancouver Lookout and at the Capilano Suspension Bridge (no waiting in line) and the bus was small, we had 19 people in our group.  We were dropped off last at the airport, and we did tip Summer well.  Not only was she a great tour guide, we would have had to pay around $43 for a taxi to take us to the airport, not to mention all the admission fees we would have had to pay to the sites we visited.  This tour can’t be beat, and I am definitely recommending this to all of my clients who go to Vancouver, either for a cruise or just to visit Vancouver. By the time we got to the airport, we were starting to get tired.  We arrived around 6:00 or 6:30pm, and we couldn’t check in until 3 hours before our flight (8:00pm).  Luckily Vancouver airport has a nice food court outside the terminals where we sat and relaxed until we could check in.  We decided to wait to get something to eat until we had went through security since we had a late lunch.  The process was a little quirky, we used the kiosk to check-in, then were told to take our bags to another location in the airport to be checked.  Once we got there, we were told that once we arrived in Chicago (our layover), that we would need to collect our bags and re-check them.  We were a little frustrated by this because we only had a 1 hour and 20 minute layover.  It was something to do with being late at night and security, etc.  Thankfully once we got to Chicago everything went pretty quickly, but it was a hassle having to go through security again.  Especially when it was 5:00am and our bodies were functioning on very little sleep. We made it back to our home airport around 9:30am and were home by 11:00am.  We immediately took a nap and set our alarms for 2:00pm so we wouldn’t sleep all day.  That worked well.  We were ready to go to bed at our usual time of 10:00pm that night.  We did sleep pretty late the following day, but we needed it.  We are glad we had that extra day to readjust before heading back to work. Well this is the end of this report, I hope you enjoyed it!  Please send me a message if you have any questions about Alaska!  We absolutely loved this cruise and are already trying to figure out when we can go back again.  Eddie said he never wants to do another Caribbean cruise again, LOL (I wouldn’t go that far, haha!).  But seriously, the scenery cannot be beat.  God’s creation is absolutely stunning and we were very fortunate to be able to go on this adventure. Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #Alaska #Skagway #DisneyCruise #Ketchikan #Juneau #TripReport #Vancouver #Excursion #CruiseReviews

My husband and I recently attended the Passholder Play Time event at Toy Story Land.  This was our first time ever passholder event and let me tell you – it did not disappoint!!! Our event time was scheduled from 7am – 8am, with entry to begin around 6:45am.  We got to our bus stop that morning right at 6:00am and a bus came up immediately (just like the sign says!): These signs are stationed at the Disney resort bus stops to let you know how approximately how long you’ll have to wait. We always found them to be pretty accurate! We were the only ones on the bus!! We were at the entrance by 6:20am and were greeted with the sight of all of the Cast Members awaiting our arrival: This was super cool; we were only the 3rd or 4th people to arrive.  We waited up front talking to a nice cast member until it was time to let us in.  The cast member told us that it was open to 300 passholders, but we weren’t sure if that was per hour, or for the entire 2 hours. First in line! Once open, the cast members walked us over to Toy Story Land.  The sun was just beginning to rise, so it was still all lit up which was pretty cool. We headed straight for Slinky Dog Dash.  We did have to tap our magic bands (similar to a fastpass) but only had to do that the first time.  After that we went through a separate line. Pics of the empty queue: Our first ride: Our 3rd ride: Our 5th ride: Our 7th (and final) ride: By the time we finished our 7th ride (we thought about going for 10, but we were both feeling a little nauseous after the 7th time), it was only 7:30am.  We walked over to Alien Swirling Saucers for our first ride.  On the way over we stopped for some PhotoPass pics: The CLAW!!! We walked right on to Alien Swirling Saucers.  This wasn’t our favorite ride and wasn’t something we wanted to ride a second time, even though we could have walked right back on. We stopped for a bathroom break and then took some more pics: As you can see, the park was pretty empty – it was amazing!! Afterwards we headed over to the Woody & Jessie meet and greet.  This would be our longest line of the day…..which was about 10 minutes total.  The characters are out in the sun with no shade cover, so they take breaks frequently.  We had some cute interaction with them and ended up with a shirt full of stickers: Next we were off to meet Buzz and to get our Photopass picture by the entrance sign: After meeting Buzz, we decided to head over to Woody’s Lunch Box for breakfast.  I have heard good things about this quick service meal, and it did not disappoint.  You can check out their menu here. Eddie ordered the Breakfast Bowl: Breakfast bowl with potato barrels, eggs, green onion, and smoked brisket country gravy I ordered the Smoked Turkey breakfast sandwich on sourdough: Smoked turkey, swiss cheese and egg on sourdough bread – yummy! Everything was really good.  We decided to go ride Toy Story Mania next.  It was another walk on. Eddie beat me. Ugh! We were hoping the cast member would let us stay on for a second ride (because some of the queue lines were empty), but there was someone at our number, so we had to get off and get back in line.  No worries though – we walked right back on again!  On our way out we took some more pics: Then ran into a Photopass photographer who offered to take our picture: At this point it was around 9:00am so we decided to leave Toy Story Land now that the park had opened to everyone else and it was getting crowded.  As we walked out right at 9am, we saw that the line for Slinky Dog Dash was at a 60 minute wait! We walked towards Rock ‘n Rollercoaster and stopped for some Photopass pics since the streets were pretty empty: We walked right on Rock ‘n Rollercoaster.  When I say walked right on – I mean it!  We didn’t even see the pre-show with Aerosmith!  That has never happened!! Check out this EMPTY queue!!  Now keep in mind – passholder play time had ended and the park was open to everyone!  I cannot stress the importance of early park arrival!!! Next we walked over to Tower of Terror.  Another walk on, although we did see the pre-show Twilight Zone video. We finished up around 9:35am and decided to go into the shops to look at the Toy Story Land pins (my husband has a severe Disney pin addiction), along with anything else we might want, lol. We were out at the bus stop by 10:15am, and back at our resort (Port Orleans French Quarter) by 10:40am. Did I mention this was the BEST.PARK.DAY.EVER?!!   We were so lucky to be able to get tickets to experience this event – I wish we could experience all of the parks like this! Click here to read my other Trip Reports! As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you. #HollywoodStudios #AnnualPassholder #SlinkyDogDash #PassholderPlayTime #ToyStoryLand

We all know that the Disney parks are decorated beautifully during the holiday season, but did you know that you can also get a little Christmas in Disney Springs?  In recent years, Disney Springs has put up a “Christmas Tree Trail” which includes themed trees from Disney characters and Disney movies.  New trees are added each year – with this year including the following themes:  Haunted Mansion, Star Wars, Four Parks (with a monorail), Nordic Winter and Nostalgic Mickey & Minnie. The magic begins on November 8, 2018 and runs through January 6, 2019.  There are a total of 27 trees.  The trail is complete with Christmas music, falling snow and of course – the gorgeous themed trees.   We have been the past 3 years and last year they had Photopass photographers stationed throughout which was a nice touch!   The trail is open from 11:00am to 11:00pm.  At the end of the trail, you’ll also find Santa’s Chalet where you can meet the man himself!  Santa will be there November 8, 2018 to December 24, 2018, 11:00am – 11:00pm.  The line for Santa can get long, so you can check in at the podium, give your cell number to one of Santa’s helpers, then go shop, eat or just enjoy the sights.  You will receive a text message notifying you when to return to take your place in line to meet Santa! Here are some pics from our trips to the Christmas Tree Trail – I seriously want to pack up these trees and take home to decorate my house! One of my favorites – Minnie Mouse tree! As I mentioned, last year they had Photopass photographers stationed in the trail, here’s one of us and you can see the “snow” falling around us. I can’t wait for another visit this year to see the new trees!  Don’t forget there’s also special Christmas/Holiday themed shopping, eating & holiday performances at Disney Springs.  While there try one of my favorite quick service restaurants – Blaze Pizza or Polite Pig!  You can find a list of holiday happenings at Disney Springs here. As an Independent Travel Agent with Mouse Counselors, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, I offer concierge travel planning for Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland® Resort, Adventures by Disney®, Aulani and all other destinations at no cost to you.  Message me today if I can help book a magical vacation for you.

The Grand Canyon. Enormous. Majestic. Kid friendly? Believe it or not, the answer is yes! Despite the fact that our children, ranging from 10 to 18 years old, were less than enthusiastic about adding the Grand Canyon to our family vacation this year, it turned out to be one of their favorite parts of the trip out west. What do I mean by less than enthusiastic? I believe the word “boring” was used once or twice. As far as they were concerned, they’d already seen the Grand Canyon time and time again in photographs. But a photograph isn’t the same as seeing it in person, and seeing this incredible landscape in person is anything but boring. As soon as we arrived, they quickly realized that the pictures didn’t do it justice. They were in awe. Imagine that, a 10-year-old in awe of something over a million years old. Now, that same 10-year-old girl is learning about the Grand Canyon in school, and she proudly tells her classmates, “I’ve been there!” Not only has she been there, but she’s taken photos there (some goofier than others) and she’s made memories there—memories that she’ll cherish for the rest of her life. So yes, your kids may groan about how “boring” a bunch of rocks may be, but don’t rule it out. We didn’t, and we’re so glad because of it. With that said, the Grand Canyon probably isn’t the ONLY place you want to visit on a vacation to the Southwest, as two days there is more than enough for your children. That’s why I recommend visiting any of the many places close by. In fact, we took a day trip out to the Canyon from Las Vegas! If you’re interested in learning more about building a family vacation around the Grand Canyon (or adding it to your already-planned vacation in the area), contact me for a quote today!

I hear it time and time again, “I would never pay for a travel agent.” or “I don’t need one. I can do it myself.” or “I like having control of my own vacation.” Everyone has a reason for NOT using a travel agent, but most of these people may not actually understand how a travel agent works. So, let’s clear the air, shall we? First and foremost, it’s FREE. Yes, you read that right. Using a travel agent is absolutely free to you. When you enlist a travel agent to help plan your vacation and take care of all the tedious booking, you don’t have to shell out an hourly fee or an upfront charge. Secondly, you aren’t actually “losing control” of your vacation. If you book a cruise through me, you can still access your cruise planner account to choose your own excursions, buy your drink packages, sign up for specialty dining, etc. It’s all still right there, at your fingertips. You can access your Disney account to make dining and FastPass+ reservations or you can ask me to. Either way, you’re still in control. The only thing you must allow the agent to do is book the trip, make payments on the trip, and handle any changes/cancellations to the trip. And seriously, why would you want to call a 1-800 number just to be on hold for 45+ minutes when someone else can do that for you? This is about saving you the hassle, not taking away your control. See, having a travel agent is similar to having an insurance policy (without the cost, of course). By booking through me, you’ll always have someone there to take care of things whenever something unexpected comes up. I’m looking at you, Hurricane Dorian. We plan our vacations far in advance. That’s the nature of the industry. But we can never really know for sure what’s going to happen when the time comes to take that trip. Will you have time to sit on the phone with Royal Caribbean or Disney or Sandals or any number of resorts if something suddenly changes? I will. I’ll figure out what your options are and present you with the best scenarios for adjusting your travel plans. You don’t have to worry about any of it. If that doesn’t already have you sold on booking with a travel agent, don’t worry. What I’m about to tell you might just put you over the edge… Travel agents get you the BEST deals. We have access to hundreds of suppliers that regular travelers don’t, meaning that there are deals out there you’ll never be able to find without booking through me. And I assure you, if it’s out there, I’ll find it. In fact, if I book your vacation with a great deal only to discover a newer, greater deal months later, I can automatically add the better offer to your vacation. Big corporations like Disney aren’t going to do that for you, but I can. Just like I can sometimes provide special perks like Onboard Credits for cruises, special group rates, and more. As you can see, there are several reasons why using a travel agent to book your vacation is beneficial to you—and I haven’t even mentioned the wealth of knowledge we all have regarding destinations and activities—but to me, the most important reason to book through a travel agent is the simple fact that you’ll be supporting a small business. I’m not a multi-billion-dollar company; I’m a mom. I’m a mom who’s paying for her kids to go to college, to take dance lessons, to inevitably go over their cell phone minutes. I’m a mom who loves to travel hassle-free with her family, and I want the same easy, convenient experience for yours. That’s why you should book with me. So, what do you say? Are you starting to see the perks of booking through a travel agent? If the answer’s yes, don’t waste any time waiting. Request a quote with me today!

Have you ever heard the saying, “You get what you pay for?” Right, of course you have. How about when it’s applied to your family vacation? I only ask because this sentiment could not be any truer when it comes to booking a cruise for your family. Believe me, I understand the appeal of what looks like a great deal. I’m guilty of buying things just because they’re on sale only to never even use them. I get it. But at the end of the day, a deal is only as good as what you’re getting out of it. If you’re paying $199 per person for a cruise and it feels a little too good to be true, it probably is. The moment you board that ship and see that it’s sporting outdated 80s décor, pink walls, old carpet, one outdoor movie screen, and maybe some added entertainment if you’re lucky, you’ll wish you’d spent the extra money on something that’s worth it. Let me explain why. Most cruise lines go to the same destinations. You’ll rarely find a port that doesn’t play host to most of the major players in the industry, which means you’ll never have to choose your cruise based on WHERE you want to go. Instead, base your decision on HOW you get there. Why? Because the majority of your vacation time is spent on the ship, so you want some nice activities and amenities for your family to enjoy. Newer ships, such as Royal Caribbean’s “amplified” line up, include things like ice skating, laser tag, rock climbing, Flow Rider surf simulation, VR trampolines, mini golf, and so on and so forth. Your ship isn’t like an airplane or a taxi, taking you from one destination to the next; it’s your resort. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to book the most expensive, grandiose ship on the water in order to enjoy an incredible cruise. You can book a high-quality ship at an affordable price if you know what you’re doing. That’s where I come in. You tell me exactly what you’re looking for in a cruise experience, and I’ll use my wealth of experience to lead you in the right direction. So, contact me at tammy@mousecounselors.com or by requesting a quote online, and I’ll tell you what ships I would recommend based on your family’s budget and needs.

Hey traveling couples, Eddie here. I decided to give Tammy a break and handle this blog myself. In September, Tammy and I decided to take a quick trip to Disney World for the International Food and Wine Festival. COVID obvisouly made it a different experience from year’s past but it was worth it! Safety first, so before entering every park, each guest must walk through a health tent. Taking Temperatures at Entrance Plenty of social distancing We entered EPCOT via the International Gateway near Boardwalk, so we started our food and beverage tasting in France. What better way to start than with a drink! Grey Goose Slushy I’ll cut to the chase. There were several food favorites but Brazil has the best option: Crispy Pork Belly and Cheesy Bread. Crispy Pork Belly A very close second was Morocco’s hummus fries. Morocco also has the Kefka Pocket (ground beef with carmalized onions, garlic, and spicy tomato). Hummus Fries My mother’s side of the family is Italian, so I crave pasta, cheese, onions, and ham. And what better place to taste all those food ingredients mixed together than in Germany. Germany? Oh yeah! Do yourself a favor and get you some Schinkennudeln. Delicious! Grubbing on Schinkennudeln We originally walked past the Spain kiosk but my curiosity turned us around and we decided to try the Shrimp Paella. This dish was surprisingly delicious. The spices were subtle and flavorful. Wait, maybe this should’ve been my #1 option. Hmmm. Shrimp Paella The Festival Market used different kiosk spread througout the World Showcase. Several of the kiosk contained merchandise from the Flower and Garden Festival too. Grape Themed Mickey Ears Grab a growler This year’s festival was great, even with the COVID limitations. The weather was warm the day we visited (99 degree heat index) but we made sure we stayed hydrated and paced ourselves accordingly. The crowds picked up mid-afternoon but there was plenty of space to socially distance, sit, and enjoy our food and wine selections in the shade. Always a must do!