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Holiday Treats Galore!

December 19, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

It’s the yummiest time of the year! Take a look at these delicious treats our Marvelous Mouse agent Mary Alys Foutz and her family experienced on their recent Walt Disney World vacation!

You can never go wrong with cupcakes! There are so many festive choices this time of year, you are sure to find the perfect one! Check out Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom, they always have a great selection!

One of my personal favorites the Mickey Crispy Treat gets a holiday makeover and taste better than ever!

Let’s talk milkshakes for a minute! Just A Dream Away Shake, I love the name and I bet it’s amazing! Salted caramel with a silver sugar churro! Yes, please! You will find this deliciousness at Auntie Gravity’s in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.

I love the classic carrot cake whoopie pie at Disney’s Hollywood Studios so I’m really excited to try this Red Velvet whoopie pie for the holidays! Red Velvet cake, cream cheese filling and sprinkles, perfection!

Do you love pecan pie? Are you a rice crispy treat fan? If so you will definitely want to try this Rice Crispy Pecan Pie from Disney Springs!

These are just a few treats for you and your family to enjoy this Christmas season. Don’t forget about the Holiday Cookie Stroll at Epcot! Calories don’t count on vacation, right?

 

 

Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney, Epcot, Food, General Travel, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Special Events, Uncategorized, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Christmas, family resort, family travel, family trip, holiday travel, Walt Disney World

Navigating the Airport with Ease!

October 26, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

If you have flown in the last few years, you know probably already know that getting through airport security can be stressful and may even lead to significant delays.  Before I became a Travel Agent, I used to work for Homeland Security as a TSA officer, and I have picked up a few tips that will help you navigate security easily and hopefully as quickly as possible. 

Get to the airport two hours early.

First one you have probably heard over and over again, but it is essential, especially in larger airports.  While most of the time, this will leave you with spare time at the gate, it’s better to be safe than sorry.  Many times, an entire checkpoint can be close for various reasons which can cause major delays, having extra time will ensure you make it to your flight on time. Don’t count on the airlines holding the flights even when there are significant issues with security.  

Find the checkpoint with the shortest wait times.

If your airport is the hub for a major airline, the checkpoints furthest from that airline will typically have much short wait times.  Several airports are actually, now posting wait times near the airline check-in counters.  If you are in a larger airport, take a peek at these and see which ones are shorter.  But be sure you can get to your gate through that checkpoint first, many airports are set up where you can only access specific gates through certain checkpoints.  Some airports are even listing wait times on their websites.   Now if those numbers are low, don’t think you can now get to the airport later than the two hours, things happen, and those numbers can drastically change quickly.

Have your IDs and tickets out and ready to go

Once you arrive at TSA, have your IDs and tickets ready.  To help expedite, each person should be holding their own paper ticket, even kids.   Kids under the age of 18 do not need an ID to get through TSA, but the agent at the podium may ask them their name to verify they are the person on the ticket.  If you have digital tickets, make sure they are open on your phone and ready to go. Don’t wait until you step up to the podium to open the app.  Also, have a printed back up in just in case.  Phones are not always 100% reliable (cell service is out, battery dies, it decides to update at that exact moment, etc.), if you can’t pull up your ticket you will have to get out of line and back up to the airline check-in counter then back through the line.

Take out those toiletries.

To get through the line as quickly as possible, be sure to take out your toiletries, even if they are within the legal limit.  The limit is each item can be no larger than 3.4 ounces each, and they must all fit into a quart-sized bag, and only one bag per person (3-1-1 rule).  If you have them out, they will not need to search your bag if something looks slightly large or just strange.  Plenty of bags are pulled and searched just because the agent on the x-ray couldn’t tell what it was.  If they are in a bin, the agent can pick it up to make sure it is good to go.   

It’s not just liquids.

The rule above is not just for liquids. It also goes for gels, aerosols, and paste.  That includes toothpaste, body scrubs, lotions, and even butter.  Yes butter, you would be surprised what people fly with. If it is weird, you are better off taking it out of your bag and putting it in a bin.  Things like the five pound Hersey Kiss you got at Hersey Park, or the giant bag of jelly beans, or the human femur (yes it happened), or your dog’s ashes.  Even though all of those are ok to fly with, they look very strange on an x-ray.  If you take them out of your bag, you will avoid having your bag pulled, swabbed, and searched.   Also, just because you bought it at the airport does not mean it can go past security.  Be sure to purchase those toiletries and gifts like snow globes after you get past security at the gate.   The exception to this is duty-free liquors, but they need to be packed correctly by the shop, and you must have your receipt.  

Laptops out

One of the biggest reasons why bags get checked is laptops and other large electronics left in the bag.  If you don’t have a bag designed to have the laptop one side, take the laptop out of your bag and place it in a bin by itself.  If it is small enough, you can put stuff on the side but not on top or under it.  That goes even for jackets or hats.  If they can’t get a good view, they may have to re-run the bin slowing down the process and causing you a delay in getting to your gate.  Even if you do have a bag where the laptop is by itself, make sure there is nothing else in that section like papers, folders, or other electronics.

Everything out of your pockets

If you are traveling with a child under the age of 13, the entire family can go through the metal detector.  Stay together as a family until everything is in the x-ray machine, and then the officer at the metal detector should wave you through one at a time.  If you guys split up, they won’t know that you are all in the same family and may send some of you through the AIT (the body scanner).  Everyone over the age of 13 still needs to take their shoes off.

If you are not going through the metal detector, you will be going through the AIT (Advanced Imaging Technology).  Be sure to take off your shoes, hat, jackets, belts and everything out of your pockets and send it through the x-ray.  That means everything. Even tissues will be picked up.  Also, if you are wearing ‘bling’ on the back of your jeans, don’t be surprised if the machine picks it up.  Might want to save those for non-traveling days or you might end up getting a brief pat down to your backside (or where ever the bling is).

TSA Pre-Check

These tips will help you get through faster and without issue, but the number one way to get through security fast is to sign up for TSA Pre-Check.  The cost is around $85 for five years, so about $17 per year.  You do need to fill out an application and do a background check, but after you are approved, you can leave your shoes on and everything in your bag. You can even wear your favorite pair of blingy jeans.  On average passengers with Pre-check wait 5 minutes or less to get through security.

Thank you to our Marvelous Mouse agent Jennifer Suissa for this great information! When you are ready to plan your next vacation reach out to one of our travel experts!

www.marvelousmousetravels.com/contactus

Filed Under: All-Inclusive, Disney, General Travel, Universal Parks Tagged With: adult trip, Christmas, covid, family travel, family trip, flights, flying pack list, holiday travel, packing tips, travel, travel tips, vacation, when to fly

Christmastime in Nashville!

March 31, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

It’s never too early to think about Christmas travel! Thank you Arlene Sealy for this fantastic information about your visit!

If you’ve ever considered Nashville at Christmastime, the Gaylord Opryland Resort is the place to visit! We visited for New Year’s Eve and also got to experience the Christmas decorations throughout the resort. The resort has 9 acres of indoor gardens and waterfalls. They also have so many areas to explore including the numerous restaurants, stores, and an indoor/outdoor water attraction park. I stayed there and had a wonderful experience. Our room had a view of the light show that happens every night. Within that area of the hotel we experienced a water show with music.

The entire hotel was decorated plus there were numerous activities for both children and adults. We experienced the ICE show, with the theme of the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. All sculptures are made of ice which means the auditorium had freezing temperatures. You need to bring your weather gear, but you are provided with a full-length parka to be worn as you explore.

                          

I was blown away by the Christmas decorations in every area of the resort. Make sure to carry the map they provide, because you will get lost. The resort also provided opportunities for Sleigh Rides, visits with Santa, gingerbread decorating contests, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly Feast, a riverboat cruise in the hotel, and many more family-oriented activities prior to the New Years celebration.

For New Year’s Eve we got tickets to the Bluebird Café and listened to music in the round. What an amazing experience. We were entertained by Grammy Award winning song writers. They entertained us with their music and stories about how they wrote songs. I plan on taking another trip with my granddaughter so we can experience the magic of Christmas in Nashville.

Filed Under: General Travel Tagged With: Christmas, family travel, holiday travel, hotel, kids, travel

Disney’s Very Merrytime Cruise

September 18, 2019 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you Megan Guinnup for sharing with us a few of the fun things waiting for you on Disney Cruise Line’s Merrytime Cruise!

The holidays are such a magical time of year that it only makes sense that the Disney Cruise
Line would celebrate the magic of the season on board their ships each year from November
through just after December 25th. You can even spend actual Christmas on a Disney Cruise!*
Here are some of the activities and events that are unique to a Disney Cruise with a Very Merry
Time itinerary:

Santa Claus Meet and Greet
Characters in their holiday attire
Tree Lighting Ceremony
Gingerbread Decorating (by reservation and books up quickly)
Themed Activities and Crafts for Kids
Story Time with Mrs. Claus
Mickey’s Winter Wonderland Ball – frozen fun in the lobby

 

*Plus, on December 24 and 25, enjoy these additional treats on a Very Merrytime Cruise:
Cookies on Christmas Eve
Special holiday towel animals
Caroling with the kids and crew!

 

 

 

 

 

Merry time sailings start as early as November 1st so you can start the holiday celebrations as
soon as the day after Halloween!
Contact a Marvelous Mouse Travels Agent to set up your magical holiday sailing.

Filed Under: Disney, General Travel, Special Events, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Castaway Cay, Christmas, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Parks, family, family travel, family trip, holiday travel, kids, orlando

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