family resort

Let’s Explore Universal Cabana Bay!

June 22, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels Leave a Comment

Thank you Brittani Quezada for this great look at Universal Cabana Bay Resort!

Universal Cabana Bay Resort is prime value onsite resort at Universal Orlando. This resort is fantastic for a family on a budget that wants to enjoy their time at their hotel as well as in the parks. The resort is bright and has retro styled themed through the main areas and rooms. The 50’s and 60’s style continues in to the pool and food court areas.

Cabana Bay offer many features to enjoy on a break day from the parks or even if you just head back for a few hours or rest. With 2 outdoor pools, a lazy river, bowling alleyand arcade, your family has plenty of options for some down time.

For dining options your family can pick 3 dining locations. Bayliner Diner food court offers selections wraps, sandwiches, international meals, pizza, burger, salad, dessert and frozen yogurt. The options are endless. They also offer a grab and go area if you are in a rush to get to the pool or park. The Hideaway Bar and Grill offers adult beverages, wine by the glass or bottle, cocktails as well as smoothies and mocktails for the kids. They also serve nachos and burgers as well as other fast food options. Galaxy
Bowl Restaurant is located inside the bowling alley. They serve snacks, appetizers, full entrees and have a full-service bar!

One of the best things about Cabana Bay is that it offers a wide range or room accommodations. Family suites that can sleep up to 6, two-bedroom suites that can accommodate up to 8, and standard rooms for a family of 4, this resort can something for every family. Rooms that open to the outside pool area or inside are also options for you. Want a room with a view? Many rooms offer pool view, but my absolute favorite view is the Volcano Bay view!!! For just a few dollars more a night you can look out your
window and see the stunning water park! Nothing quite beats waking up the Krakatau Volcano outside the window.

If your family is looking for a FUN and affordable onsite Universal hotel, Cabana Bay is a great option. With the free shuttles to the parks, endless food options and tons of fun on property, this resort is my personal favorite in the value category!

Travel with me to Longboat Key Florida!

May 6, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you Brittney Lapicki for this fantastic overview of Longboat Key!

Looking for an upscale vacation destination that includes white sandy beaches, beautiful golf courses, incredible restaurants and shops, and luxury resorts? Well I have the place for you! Longboat Key, Florida is located on the West Coast between the Sarasota Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. This beautiful island includes 12 miles of private sandy beaches, the perfect secluded destination!

Stay at the Resort at Longboat Key Club, where you can enjoy majestic views and fine dining! Need to relax? Enjoy time at their spa or out on the water using their Yacht Services! Other resort options include the Zota Beach Resort and Hyatt Regency Sarasota!

If you are looking for something to do away from the beach or pool, enjoy time golfing on the Harborside or Island side courses at the Resorts at Longboat Key Club. Enjoy wildlife and nature by visiting the Mote Marine Aquarium and the Quick Point Nature Reserve. Rent Paddle Boats and Kayaks for the day or enjoy a fishing charter out in the Gulf. Sarasota Bay Explorers can also be perfect for those who love nature tours and cruises.

Restaurants on the Island include: Euphemia Haye, Harry’s Continental Kitchens, Lazy Lobster, Maison Blanche, Blue Dolphin Café, and my personal favorite for a great burger or fish, Dry Dock Waterfront Grill.

Looking to get off the island and enjoy some shopping or time in Sarasota? Then take a quick 10 minute ride and you can enjoy shopping, night life, and a number of other fun adventures. St. Armands Circle, located on Lido Key, on island in route to Sarasota is great for outdoor shopping and dining. Enjoy European cuisine at Cafe L’Europe, snow crabs at Crab & Fin, Cuban sandwiches at Columbia, or Coconut Shrimp at Tommy Bahama, followed by ice cream at Kilwin’s.

Continue to Sarasota where you can find the Van Wezel Performing Arts and John Ringling Museum. Baseball fan? Enjoy watching the Orioles during spring training at the Ed Smith Stadium. Other beautiful sites include the Marie Selby Botanical gardens or the Sarasota Jungle Gardens. Stay active by engaging in the Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Ecotour, Snorkeling & Dolphin Excursion, Paradise Adventures, Sarasota Paddle Board Co., Bike rentals and City sightseeing tours. This is a destination that will give you everything you are looking for!

Disneybounding!

April 22, 2020 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

A BIG thank you to Jen McGurn for this fun post!

What on Earth is Disneybounding?

My next Disney World vacation is right around the corner! So of course, I’m planning out what I am going to wear while I’m there.

A few years ago, I stumbled upon something called Disneybounding. A blogger named Leslie Kay started the trend in 2011. Disneybounding is creating outfits that represent characters without full on costumes.

Here is an example of one of my favorite so far.

Generally, the characters and Disney cast members catch on pretty quickly. In this instance, Snow White asked me if we could bake Gooseberry Pies together. It was very cute.

My daughter and I absolutely love Disneybounding. Sometimes we even convince the guys to join us! Generally speaking, we keep our bounds simple and casual because we want to be comfortable while walking around the parks.

We tend to pick basic colored shorts and tees and then I order a character themed bow to attach to my ears for the day. I usually get the bows from Etsy or Hot Topic. Here is a fun Merida bound I did and she loved my bow!

So, as I said, we keep it basic, but some people really go all out. There are Facebook groups devoted to Disneybounding where people share ideas and ask for opinions. When you look up Disneybounding on Pinterest, you will see that people even add pretty cool accessories – from purses and belts to themed jewelry. For hard core Disneybounders, even the shoes need to be a part of the color palette. For me…comfort is key.

We did dress up our bounds a bit for our Disney Cruises. See if you can guess what characters we tried to represent.

For our next visit, I’m trying a few new bounds – I have the cutest ears for a Bing Bong bound and a cute Dalmatian bow for, well, a 101 Dalmatian Bound. I always love coming up with new cute ideas for our trips.
Have you ever Disneybounded? If not, do you think you might?

Aulani ~ A Disney Resort & Spa

November 1, 2019 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you Nikki Kennedy for this post on Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa!

When you get to Hawaii you are exhausted, and even though you just want to sleep the 4-6-hour time change just doesn’t let you! When we stayed at Disney’s Aulani we used this extra couple hour of being awake the best way possible, with a delicious meal overlooking the sunrise over the ocean at ‘AMA ‘AMA! Could there be anything more gorgeous?

I ordered the Captain Crunch French Toast – It’s vacation right? Calories don’t count? It was so dang good I actually tried to make it when we got home!

Of course, since we were in Hawaii we had to order the pineapple as well, soooo yummy! Be sure to schedule your reservations before you arrive on the Aulani website! These reservations go quick! Of course, if you book with me, I will take care of all of that for you!

Family or Group Disney Halloween Costume Ideas

September 29, 2019 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you Megan Guinnup for these great group costume ideas!

It’s that time of year again when the stress of figuring out your clever, puny, “wow, great job!” Halloween costume choice for the year. The struggle is real! Whether you’re heading to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (a hard ticket event with spooky lighting, trick or treating, a Halloween themed parade, fireworks, and characters in their costumes) or just preparing for the 31st, here are some family or group Disney costume ideas for you to consider:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
101 Dalmatians
Ariel and Friends
The Fab 5 (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy)
The Incredibles
Peter Pan and The Darling Family with Captain Hook/Smee and Tink
Winnie the Pooh and Friends
Frozen Characters (Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven)
Marvel Characters
Alice and Wonderland (Alice, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts)

To purchase your tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom for your Fall Walt Disney World vacation contact us at Marvelous Mouse Travels. Parties happen select nights until October 31st!