Thank you Karen Fitting for these great photo tips!

Following these simple tips will not only help you have a more enjoyable vacation, but also an easier, faster time compiling the memories later for a photo album to show off your travels.

Vacation photo tip #1: Prepare.  Have a system in place for capturing the memories you collect before you leave.  Consider an accordion file, pre-labeled with each day of the trip, something like a coupon organizer.  Pre-fill it with paper and an archival pen.  Better yet, get some themed Journal Cards and colored markers.  While on vacation, this stays open in the room so you can drop receipts, brochures, maps, postcards, anything picked up along the way into the proper section. 

Vacation photo tip #2: Re-cap every day.  Allow 15 minutes every day to jot down significant memories.  Remember that funny story, places visited, how you felt doing different activities.  To maximize your efficiency, use journal cards and an archival pen.  Each day’s notes can be slipped into the proper section of your organizer.  This can become a fun family activity with each person writing their own memory from the day.  

Vacation photo tip #3: Get at least two.  That’s two copies of brochures, maps, postcards, flyers, etc. One can be used to cut, tear and used while traveling as well as used in your scrapbook (if you wish).  The other can be retained to help you write important things about the place or event when you return home.

Vacation photo tip #4:  Photos to capture.  Signs, streets, view from your hotel room, view from the pool/water back to your hotel room. I use these pictures to help me document where we have gone, activities we participated in and the place(s) we stayed.  Remember to get into some of the pictures!  If you can afford the photo package for your destination, it’s an easy way to get pictures of everyone.

Vacation photo tip #5:  Delete.  Yes, this is OK.  Delete the bad pictures – the ones that do not contribute to the story.  Use waiting time to delete from your device(s). 

 

Bonus vacation photo tip:  If you like to send holiday cards with family photos, consider bringing props, like Santa Hats, on vacation.  These are often the best times to get the annual holiday card shot!

Thank you to our awesome MMT agents Chelsea Gianna and Marisha Gordon for this helpful information for the phased opening of Universal CityWalk!

 

Universal CityWalk has officially reopened as of 4pm today! While it is open again, things are a little different than they were before. Hours are from 4pm-10pm and only a limited number of venues are open.  Currently open venues are: Bubba Gump Shrimp co Restaurant & Market, Margaritaville ( Lone Palm & outside dining only), Red Oven Pizza Bakery (Mobile Orders only), Voodoo Doughnut, Universal Studios store, Hart & Huntington Tattoo (retail store only), select merchandise carts and Hollywood Drive-In Golf. In order to help keep guests safe, all open venues will be operating at limited capacity.  This will help ensure social distancing is followed.  Team members will also be continuously and thoroughly disinfecting all high touch surfaces, tables & chairs and cashless payments will be accepted at all open venues. Parking is complimentary at this time and only self parking is available.  To actually get into CityWalk you will go through a temperature screening process with touchless thermometers, then move through security screening and finally down the walkway into CityWalk.

All guests and team members must comply with the following: 

• Temperature checks will be required and anyone with a temperature of 100.4+ will not be admitted.
• Face mask required for all guests ages 2 and up starting at the security checkpoint. If you do not have a mask there will be paper masks available for free at the temperature checkpoint as well as cloth masks for sale. (Current pricing is 1 for $6 or 3 for $15)
• Practice social distancing and keep at least 6 of space in between your travel party and others. There are markers on the floor indicating this distance, and Universal asks that you please stand on the markers until the travel party ahead of you moves forward.

These are the current guidelines, hours, and open venues as of today.  As things change we will keep you updated as always!

 

Even if you have visited a destination in the past, it is still a great idea to use a travel agent to book you vacation and here is why…

 

Let’s talk all about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World!  I’ve been lucky enough to have had the chance to visit a few times and I love how each visit is a totally new experience! There is so much to do and explore on the planet of Batuu which is Disney’s largest expansion ever!

This post will be all about the rides.  There are two rides in this land: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the newly open Rise of the Resistance.  Smugglers Run gives you the chance to pilot, be an engineer or be a gunner on the ship that made the kessel run in 12 parsecs!  Once you make it  through the queue you’ll enter a holding room where you are introduced to Hondo Ohnaka of Ohnaka Transport Solutions.  Chewbacca has graciously lent the Millennium Falcon to Hondo to make a couple of deliveries and you’re hired to deliver! You’ll then make your way into the Falcon itself to the “Chess room.” [TIP: This room is great for pictures] You’ll be handed your credentials which will be a color and have either “pilot”, “engineer” or “gunner” written on it. When your color is called, it’s your turn to step into the cockpit of the Falcon! If you are a pilot you will either control the up/down movements or left/right movements.  Left pilot controls left/right and Right pilot controls up/down. [TIP: If you want to pull the lever to jump into lightspeed, make sure you’re Right Pilot] Next up is the 2 engineers. If your pilots are not so great at navigating the galaxy, you’ll have a lot of work to do! When the buttons beside you light up green, press them quick to repair the Falcon! Finally we have the 2 gunners. You’ll be in charge of pressing buttons to fire at anyone who stands in your way.  When your mission is over, hopefully you will have made it back safe and sound.  Hondo will assess how much damage was done to the ship and you’ll be paid accordingly.  Smugglers Run is so much fun and is a different experience each time you ride!

The newest ride is Rise of the Resistance and I can assure you there is absolutely nothing like it in the world!  It is an incredible experience that will leave you speechless from before the ride even begins! The queue starts with you heading into the caves of the Resistance’s newest base on Batuu, you’ll head deeper in until you arrive at the armory which is where the Resistance keeps all its weapons, and flight suits. Once you’re through the armory you’ll be taken in groups for briefing. In the briefing room you’ll encounter BB-8 and a few other familiar faces who urge you to join the Resistance in fighting the First Order.  You’ll receive your mission briefing and then head outside to your transport shuttle. [TIP: Make sure you look to you right before heading onto the transport] Take a look around and then hold on because you’ll be heading into space! Things take a turn for the worst when you transport gets intercepted by a First Order Star Destroyer! General Hux warns that your transport is about to be boarded.  When he doors open you are inside the Star Destroyer and have a whole army of Storm Troopers with their blasters aimed right at you!

You are then brought to the detention block because you are now first order prisoners. You will be split into smaller groups to be brought into your cells, where you have stormtroopers keeping guard. Help arrives in the form of Resistance fighters who are here to break you out. This is where you’ll head out of the hole in the wall that your allies have created and board your vehicles each led by a droid.  Then hold on as you make your way throughout the Star Destroyer searching for a way out! You’ll dodge lasers, race under AT-AT’s and even come face to face with Kylo Ren! If you make it out of there you’ll hopefully make it to your escape pod back to Batuu!  

This ride is NOT to be missed.  Even if you are not a Star Wars fan, this ride is unlike anything Disney has ever done and you will be severely missing out if you decide to skip it.

If you do make it to the parks to ride Rise of the Resistance, there are some important things you need to do to ensure that you’ll be able to ride. Rise does not have a typical standby line like Smugglers Run does. Rise uses boarding groups. How do you get a boarding group? Follow these steps below!

As of now, this is the only way to ride Rise of the Resistance, but we’ll be sure to update you if/when Fastpasses become available for this attraction!

I’d love to help you plan your next galactic adventure!  If you’re interested in taking advantage of my free planning services, you can contact me at Chelsea@MarvelousMouseTravels.com

https://marvelousmousetravels.com/2020/02/13/8771/

A big shout-out to Amy Wold for this incredible review of gluten-free options at Walt Disney World!

Meal #1: Raglan Road at Disney Springs

This was our first full day at Disney, not a park day, and we had no plans really for most of the day. I had heard about gluten free fish and chips at Raglan Road, so was excited to try them, but on the My Disney Experience App it looked as though there was no table available. My husband walked over to the restaurant while I shopped for a phone case ☺ and there were plenty of tables! (Moral of that story: if you really want to eat somewhere, check – maybe they hold out tables for walk ins? Maybe the app didn’t know what it was talking about? Maybe we were lucky that day? Not sure.) The fish and chips. OH.MY.WORD. So delicious! I still think about them a lot…. The batter was crunchy. The fish was flakey. Perfectly salted. The tartar sauce was the exact right blend of flavors with the fish. I need to go back! Bonus: the dishes were super cute, the servers were super nice, and the live music and dancing was super fun! 

Meal #2: Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge

This restaurant was chosen because my Dad is a malt connoisseur, and this restaurant serves unlimited malts. I was in the mood for a lighter meal, so decided to order some sort of red quinoa cakes served with greens and sauce and a wedge of something that looked like roasted cabbage. The quinoa cakes were mushy, the sauce and greens were good, and the thing that looked like roasted cabbage was so bitter I couldn’t eat it. Yuck. Two thumbs down. The service, however, more than made up for it! Our server was the best. At one point we had all the ketchups on our table, she brought my husband an enormous glass of water with a four-foot-tall straw, I dropped my fork to which she said, “too bad!” We all had a blast thanks to her. (Most of my group liked their food too – just don’t make the ordering mistake I made!) Shout out to Chante, the most awesome cast member!

Meal #3: Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel

Our dinner reservations this day were at La Hacienda de San Angel. This is a beautiful newer restaurant at the Mexico pavilion built down on the water. I recommend it just for the ambiance alone, but the food is great too! I imagine it would be a really cool spot to watch Illuminations – just request a window seat. We had gotten so hot over at Hollywood Studios that day, and were afraid we were going to be late, so did our best speed walking from the boat to Mexico. When our server offered us smoothies, we all gladly accepted. Fruity cold goodness that really hit the spot! I love shrimp, so decided to order the gluten free version of Tacos de Camarones (shrimp tacos.) These were delectable! The flavors were perfect. Dessert was Flan de Maiz (a custard.) SO GOOD! Definitely try it. I just love the ride (Cabellaros) in Mexico, which is what we did after our meal.

 

 

Meal #4: Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge

This is a family favorite restaurant, and this time did not disappoint! They have gluten free naan! Let me type that again: GLUTEN FREE NAAN!!!! And it is good! Holy cow. If that is the only thing you order you will be happy. I have never found gluten free naan anywhere else. So, we ordered the bread service that comes with a large assortment of sauces to eat with it. Yum. Oh, wait, there is more: for my entrée I ordered the Potjie Inspired, where you pick two dishes (but then our server talked us into ordering a third? What? Not sure what happened there, but we did it!) I chose the butter chicken, paneer tikka, and cilantro-coconut vegetables. Here’s my review of each dish in order: delicious, delicious, and really delicious! The only bummer was that we had a ton of food leftover but were heading back out to the parks so didn’t want to take it with us. Oh, I almost forgot about dessert. I ordered the African Triple Chocolate Mousse. It was gorgeous and delicious. This meal deserves a moment of silence.

Meal #5: Le Cellier at Epcot

Another family favorite! I have eaten here three times, and the first two times I can safely say I had the best steak I have ever eaten in my life. This last time was good, but not as good as I remembered the first two times. My husband says it is because I should have ordered my steak medium rare instead of medium well. He ordered a medium rare steak and said it was the best he has ever had. So, knowing that, if you go, order the filet mignon cooked no more than medium rare. This steak comes with mushroom risotto, asparagus-tomato relish, and truffle butter sauce. Being the third-place steak in my entire life is still really good! I definitely recommend it. For dessert I ordered the maple crème brulee. I’m a fan of maple (we live pretty close to Canada), so this wasn’t anything new, but very very tasty. I love the caramelized top of crème brulee. Yum!

Meal #6: Polynesian Village Resort’s Ohana

This one was new to us. Everyone I talked to who had eaten here raved about it. Thankfully, I was able to grab us a dinner reservation at 3:30 pm on our Magic Kingdom day. It actually worked out really well because that is the time of day when the park is most busy. Let me set the stage…we arrived by monorail. I love this resort! Immediately you are greeted with a relaxing, beautiful, tropical paradise. Flowers, greenery, water features, and torches all around. We were slightly early, so waited in the lobby to be called. If you ever need to just relax on your Disney vacation, that is one place to do it. As you are brought to your table the cast members cheer and tell you that while you are there, you are family. (Ohana!) I’m not going to lie, it made me tear up. I didn’t know what to expect food-wise, but the food was just so fun, delicious, and interesting! There is a big fire-grill right in the middle of the restaurant. First, they brought out bread, for the gluten free people it was not bad but nothing to rave about. The gluten-eaters at our table raved about their Hawaiian rolls. A spinach salad accompanied this. The salad was great – no complaints. This is a family-style restaurant, so they bring out big plates for everyone to share. Since we had both gluten free and not at our table, the table was full! Next, they brought out a big plate with grilled chicken legs and wings, veggies, and rice with some sauces on the side. We remember there were two sauces, and only one was gluten free. All the of this food was flavorful and perfectly cooked. The gluten-eaters had the same but noodles instead of rice. All of us loved it. Then, they start coming around with huge skewers of grilled shrimp, steak, and grilled chicken. The flavor of these grilled things is out of this world! I would describe it as smoky but not overpowering. The shrimp was my favorite, then chicken, then steak. This one, like the fish and chips, is one that I still crave a lot. For dessert the gluten eaters had a bread pudding a la mode that they said was delicious, and us gluten-free peeps were served a delicious banana cake. The banana was subtle, and I think I tasted a pinch of cinnamon, but oh so good. Meanwhile, as we were eating, a man walked around serenading us with his voice and ukulele. Also, the kids were invited up for coconut races and all of us were given leis. I adored everything about this experience. <3 Definitely putting this on my family favorite list!