Blog - Mickey's Dream Vacations

Character Meet and Greets

6/28/2016

Meeting characters is my FAVORITE thing to do in Disney. Whether it be with a dining experience, Fastpass + or the old school wait-in-line way, it's a TON of fun! There are so many characters to see and it is a new experience each time you meet them.

My family has created so many memories with the interactions with characters. The first time I took my oldest son to Cinderella's Royal Table all of the princess kissed him and left lipstick prints on his face. Chip and Dale took my hand and we skipped across Frontierland. The step-sisters gush over my boys! My family has all bounced with Tigger!

These are just a few of the magical moments we have had in Disney. If you want to make some of your own contact me today! I would love to share some secrets!

Lisa Liptak
lisa@gomdv.com

Disney According to Mason

6/24/2016

Just in case you can't read it!

Name: Mason
Age: 6

Where Did We Stay: Beach Club
Favorite Thing About Resort: Pool
Favorite Ride: The Seas with Nemo
Favorite Snack: Donuts
Favorite Restaurant: T-Rex
Favorite Park: Hollywood Studios
Favorite Character: Chewbacca
Favorite Thing We Did: Swam
Favorite Store: Lego Store
Favorite Souvenir: Legos
Favorite Activity at the Park: Tattooine Traders
Favorite Non-Park Activity: Beaches & Cream

Mason is Dream Maker Jen's son. Contact Jen to book your next Disney vacation!
jen@gomdv.com

Bibbidi Boddidi Boutique

6/23/2016

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a fun and magical boutique for children ages 3-12. There are 2 locations. One is inside the castle at the Magic Kingdom (Admission ticket required) and one is in Disney Springs. There are a variety of hairstyles and packages offered!

180 days from our planned Disney World vacation, I booked my daughter for her first Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience. I wanted to be sure she got in at the castle, which sometimes sells out faster than at Disney Springs. We wanted that day to be extra special and we knew we would also eating dinner with the princesses later that evening at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Another neat idea is I also wanted to get into the park before it opened to take some pictures in front of the castle without crowds. I got the earliest appointment I could that morning.

We arrived to the park for our reservation and went to the side where they allow guests in who have early reservations. We immediately took a few pictures in front of the castle and then proceeded to our reservation at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. When we came in, friendly cast members greeted us and they checked their list for our appointment. My daughter was given a royal invitation and she sat down for her makeover! We chose the Crown Package and came dressed in our own princess attire.

The Fairy -Godmother-in-Training asked my daughter which hair design she wanted. She showed her a card with each style. She could choose from Fairytale Princess, Disney Diva, and Color Star. I loved that girls are allowed to choose different styles that fit their personalities. My daughter went with Fairytale Princess. The Fairy Godmother in Training gently combed and styled her hair. Another Fairy Godmother in Training came by and let her pick out her eye shadow, face gem, and lip gloss colors as well as painted her nails with the most beautiful golden sparkle nail polish. She was also given a sash and a small cinch backpack to take all of her goodies home in. We got to take the leftover facial gems, nail polish (which has been used at home several times since), and her make-up pallet.

There was also a photopass photographer there to document the experience and scanned my magic band afterwards so it would appear in My Disney Experience for later purchase. If you have Memory Maker, it is included. I brought my own camera as well to take some photos. The appointment took about 35 minutes. After we paid and left, we made sure to stop by Cinderella’s fountain to take some pictures.

My daughter loved her experience and truly felt like a princess! The cast members were amazing and we will definitely be coming back again!

Tips to maximize your experience:

·       Book as early as possible (180 days is ideal)
·       Book earliest appointment to try and get in before the park opens. This is a fun experience and allows for some great pictures without crowds.
·       Don’t be late (even miracles take a little time)
·       Enjoy watching your child enjoy and soak in the magic!

Here are the packages and prices currently offered:

First, select the hairstyle of your choice:
·       Fairytale Princess
·       Disney Diva
·       Color Star
Then select your package:
The Crown Package (starting at $59.95 plus tax)
·       Hairstyling
·       Shimmering make-up, face gem
·       Princess sash and cinch bag
·       Nail polish
The Courtyard Package (starting at $99.95 plus tax)
·       Hairstyling
·       Shimmering make-up, face gem
·       Princess sash and cinch bag
·       Nail polish
·       Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique T-shirt
·       Trendy tutu
The Castle Package (starting at $199.95 plus tax)
·       Hairstyling
·       Shimmering make-up and face gem
·       Princess necklace, sash and cinch bag
·       Nail polish
·       Disney Princess gown of your choice (shoes not included)
·       Wand
·       Crown

The Knight Package ($19.95 plus tax)
·       Hairstyling with gel
·       Mighty sword and shield
·       Confetti

There are now even Frozen Packages available!

The Disney Frozen Package ($164.95 plus tax)
·       Anna OR Elsa hairstyle with braided hair piece and sparkling snowflake hair accessories*
·       Anna OR Elsa costume
·       Shimmering make-up, face gems
·       Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique princess sash and cinch sack
·       Nail polish
·       12" Olaf plush toy
For princesses who already have an Anna or Elsa dress, we recommend:
The Disney Frozen Crown Package ($114.95 plus tax)
·       Anna OR Elsa hairstyle with braided hair piece and sparkling snowflake hair accessories*
·       Shimmering make-up and face gems
·       Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique princess sash and cinch sack
·       Nail polish
·       12" Olaf plush toy
*Disney Frozen Packages are available with Anna or Elsa hairstyling only.

~Alli
alli@gomdv.com

Land and Sea Vacation

6/14/2016

Did you know you can mix & match land/sea packages? I did and my family loved it! We went to Disney World first and then went on a 7 night Carnival cruise.

This trip we stayed at the Grand Floridian and had park hopper tickets. We highlighted the major attractions we did not want to miss and was able to fit everything in by park hopping. A first for me on this trip was dining at Narcoossee's and it was fabulous. I would highly recommend this dining even though is does takes two dining credits. In my opinion, still totally worth the extra credit! We enjoyed our stay at the Grand Floridian and it was a nice stay at Disney once again.

We transferred to Port Canaveral for our cruise. We sailed on the Carnival Magic. Our ports were Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, and Grand Turk. We did awesome excursions at each port! My girls loved the cruise since there was a lot to do for pre teen ages on this ship. If you would like recommendations for excursions at any of these ports feel free to contact me.

Port Canaveral has a variety of cruise lines including Disney sailing out of their port. With the amount of cruise lines they have at least one cruise will leave most days of the week. If you have never done a land/sea combo I highly suggest it. It's the best of both worlds! I had another wonderful family vacation and made many memories that I will cherish forever.

For your next land/sea combo please feel free to contact me for your booking that can include transfers, shore excursions, dining reservations, fast passes, and much more!

Kristy
Mickey's Dream Vacations
225-505-0452
kristy@gomdv.com

Disney Souvenirs

6/9/2016

Everyone likes to remember the good times they had on vacation. For some, it can be a photograph. For others; hearing a song can jar a memory. The easiest way to remember a vacation might be buying a souvenir. We all know that you can’t walk anywhere on Disney or Universal property without being tempted to buy one of their souvenirs! There are just SO MANY!!!

I like to take time in the Pin Trading section and pick out some of my favorite characters, movies and rides. I believe these 3 items pretty much cover all the bases. I know that there are those exclusive/limited edition pins out there but I don’t want to waste half a vacation day waiting in line for a collectible pin. I usually have a few characters that I’ll take the time to search for (like the Grim Grinning Ghosts or Hatbox Ghost) but I won’t be upset if I don’t find it.

Some people like to collect shot glasses or coffee mugs featuring their favorite rides…

While others go straight to the T-Shirt or stuffed animal sections…

Then, there’s always the old reliable Mickey Ears! Why you don’t even have to be a Mickey fan to purchase some ears. They come in all types of characters!

And then there are the souvenirs that you can get for FREE! Yes, I said it, FREE SOUVENIRS! You might be asking yourself, ‘WHERE?’ Well, they’re right at the front of every entrance. They are the Maps of each park! Why would anyone keep these after they’ve left the parks? I’ve discovered how fun it is to look at the park from one year and compare it to the same map from a few years later. Some maps will have entire new rides or in Disney California Adventure’s case; entire new lands! My map from 2001 doesn’t have Carsland on it and the whole Pier section has undergone a change.

So, dear readers, what are some of YOUR favorite souvenirs??? I can’t wait to hear from you!

Here at Mickey’s Dream Vacations, we do whatever it takes to make your Disney Vacation planning as easy as possible. Don’t want to wait until the sales are announced? We can reserve your room and tickets for your chosen days and if or when they DO go on sale, we will automatically apply the discount to your existing reservation! No more scrambling at the last minute to reserve your room before it’s sold out. We do the scrambling and waiting on hold for you!

Don’t know how Disney Dining works? We can explain it! Our experts are here for you! As part of our services we book all of your dining reservations for you. We also create your My Disney Experience for you.

I am an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, what is that?

Our travel agency’s knowledge of Disney products has earned us the distinction of being named an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. We were given this special designation by Disney as a result of our agency’s ongoing focus and commitment to planning customized, magical trips to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line® and other Disney vacation destinations worldwide.

To book a trip with me you can email me at lissy@mickeysdreamvacations.com or call me at 740-357-4101. Please visit and like my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/mickeysdreamvacationsbylissy Refer a friend and if they book with me, I’ll send you something as a token of my appreciation on their day of travel!

What to do on a rainy Disney day!

6/7/2016

Unless your extremely lucky chances are you will experience some periods or days with rain during your visit to Disney. Good news is you don’t have to let inclement weather put a damper on your vacation though I’ll be first to admit I’m seeking indoor shelter if thunder or lightning is in the area. Periods of rain can actually be a good thing and can significantly thin out the crowds making for shorter lines and lots of fun to be had for those who are willing to stick it out but for those that do not wish to here are some suggestions activities to stay dry.

Bowling at Splitsville (Not only is the bowling fun the food here is delicious)

Go shopping

Catch a movie at the AMC Disney Springs

Schedule a spa treatment

Visit Disney Quest interactive theme park

Catch a Cirque Du Soleil show

Resort Hop the monorail resorts

Take a nap and recharge

These are a just a few suggestions and I am sure I have missed many. For more ideas contact your MDV agent! amy@mickeysdreamvacations.com

Character Meet & Greets on Disney Cruise Line

6/7/2016

You will now have the ability to pre-book two Meet & Greet opportunities with Disney Characters through the My Disney Cruise section of DisneyCruise.com. Guests sailings on cruises of 7-nights or longer that feature at least two sea days will also have the opportunity to pre-book a special Character Breakfast online.
Similar to Port Adventures, if you do not pre-book these experiences prior to sailing, they may check availability once onboard.
If you are interested in pre-reserving tickets for the Princess Gathering, Frozen Meet & Greet or a Disney Character Breakfast (if applicable) during your cruise, we encourage you to pre-book these experiences.
Concierge Guests will not need to pre-book these experiences. Character Meet & Greet opportunities and Character Breakfasts will be pre-booked ahead of time by the Concierge Team.

This is something that we will also take care of for you, just let us know what you would like and we will handle the details.

RESERVATIONS NOW OPEN FOR NEW DINING PACKAGE AT TONY’S TOWN SQUARE RESTAURANT AT MAGIC KINGDOM PARK

6/7/2016

When your visit Walt Disney World® Resort, you can enjoy the Main Street Electrical Parade at Magic Kingdom® Park in a whole new way.
Reservations are now available for the new Main Street Electrical Dining Package at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, which includes reserved viewing for the popular nighttime parade.

Your can take a mid-day break and indulge in a delicious three-course lunch, including their choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert and a beverage. Choose from favorites like Chicken Parmigiana, Spaghetti with meatballs or Margherita Pizza. And for dessert, there’s the classic Tiramisú or a decadent chocolate cake layered with a chocolate-hazelnut filling.
During the meal, you'll receive a voucher for their reserved viewing of the Main Street Electrical Parade.
The cost is $45 for adults, $17 for children plus tax and gratuity. It is one table-service entitlement on the Disney Dining Plan.

Ask your MDV agent about adding this on to your package.

2017 Walt Disney World Resort Packages Coming Soon!

6/7/2016

The 2017 vacation packages for the Walt Disney World Resort will be available to book beginning June 21, 2016. These packages will be available for arrivals beginning Jan. 1, 2017. Please note the last date of your vacation can not be booked more than 499 days in the future (most airlines can not be booked more than 331 days in the future).

Fill out this form to get on our list to have prices sent on June 21st.

We will help you from start to finish of your vacation at no extra cost to you!

A DAY AWAY FROM THE PARKS IN CALIFORNIA

6/4/2016

Whenever we go to Disneyland, we always try to plan a few days away from the Parks doing other fun things. Here are a few of our favorites, most of which are FREE:

Beach! Our favorite beach in California is Laguna Beach. There are sand volleyball nets, a playground for the kids to play on, a long stretch of sand that never seems crowded no matter what day you go, and showers to wash all the sand off before getting into your cars. It’s only about a 30 minute drive from Disneyland. I recommending driving down the Pacific Coast Highway for views of the ocean. (FREE)
Head up to Los Angeles to check out the Griffith Observatory. Not only do you get to check out the different telescopes and exhibits, you can also see the HOLLYWOOD sign. (FREE)
TCL Chinese Theater. Compare your feet and hand sizes with the stars past and present. (FREE)
Hollywood Walk of Fame. Check out all the stars on the sidewalk for a few blocks and see if you can find some of your favorites. (FREE)
Santa Monica Pier. There’s an arcade, aquarium, ferris wheel, and roller coaster. There are also some nearby shops and sometimes a local farmer’s market. You can also walk around on the pier and take a walk on the sand. (FREE and FEE)
Check out the Space Shuttle Endeavour. It’s located at the California Science Center at USC and super cool to take a look at. (FEE)
Catch a professional baseball, basketball, or football game, depending on the time of year. (FEE)

Contact me anytime to book your next vacation!
autumn@gomdv.com
505-235-4623
facebook.com/MDVbyAutumn

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