family trip

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!

Happy Halloween!

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.

Tips for Traveling with Kids

June 13, 2019 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you so much to Stephanie Novarro for this great information on traveling with littles!

Anyone who know me knows that I love to travel. I have been traveling with my kids since my daughter was 4 months old. Some people look at you like you are crazy and wasting money on trips that the kids will never remember. But others, like me, understand why traveling is so important and they do it to.

Traveling with little ones, whether driving or flying, is different than traveling alone. The first trip we took with our daughter was supposed to be a quick 3-hour car ride down to Galveston for a long weekend. Well at 4 months old you can imagine that the car ride took closer to 6 hours with stops to feed and change her. If you are worried about the travel part of the trip, don’t be and just go with the flow and you will have a great time. Make sure you plan ahead for extra travel time for feedings or potty breaks for the little ones. I will forever remember our daughters first time at the beach.

When you are flying with small kids it is important to make sure you have enough supplies in your carry on to keep the kids fed and entertained. On a recent trip back home to NY we had our two kiddos with us. At the time, our daughter was 2 and still in diapers and our son was only 4 months and still drinking formula. Our flight was diverted to Pittsburgh because of bad weather in the tri state area and eventually a couple of hours later the flight crew timed out. You can imagine what happened next; there we are with 2 small kids, 2 car seats, a double stroller and luggage boarding a bus to a hotel for the night in Pittsburgh. Had I not packed enough supplies in my carry on being stuck in Pittsburgh could have been a disaster.

How we react as adults in these situations will have an impact on our kids. Were we upset that we were stuck in the airport with 2 kids, sure we were but we never let our kids see our frustrations. While we were in the airport my husband and daughter rode the moveable sidewalks back and forth for what seemed like hours. She LOVED it; she thought it was the best thing. They even stopped and got some Hershey Kisses at one of the newsstands.

Some of the things I always keep in my bag for my kids are SNACKS, lots and lots of SNACKS! I like to have more diapers and wipes than I think I would actually need because who knows how many blowouts your kid will decide to have on the plane. I also take crayons and a coloring book, and of course the iPad.

My advice to you is not to be afraid to travel with your kids when they are babies or even young kids. In most cases, the kids are better travelers than some adults. Make the memories with your kids. My daughter loves to fly and loves to talk about all of our past adventures.

Discover Palm Springs!

May 22, 2019 By Marvelous Mouse Travels

Thank you to Jaclyn Vercillo for this fun look at Palm Springs, California!

Palm Springs is about a 3 hour drive from Los Angeles and we love to head there for a quick retreat. California is so big, and has so many different types of destinations. My kids marvel at how each location is so different, but in the same state. Palm Springs feels like a desert oasis filled with lush palm trees while surrounded by beautiful mountains. This time the top of the mountains were covered in snow which was crazy for us! We were in 85 degree weather and our scenery was snow covered mountains!

This time we decided to stay at the Parker Palm Springs. It’s an iconic hotel, originally built as an estate, and designed by the very talented Jonathan Adler. The details and design of this hotel blew me away. It was exquisite and quirky at the same time. Many people come to visit the Parker since it’s so iconic and it has amazing restaurants. What’s great about the hotel is that only hotel guests are allowed past the lobby and restaurant area so you have the grounds all to yourself. And believe me, they are amazing! They have fire pits, hammocks, croquet fields, 2 pools, chess and ping pong, and lush gardens. They also have the most adorable lemonades stand offered only to hotel guests. They have yummy food, amazing lemonade, and adult beverages too.

There are so many great things to do in Palm Springs. Most people go to relax and soak up the sun, but it’s also known for golf and tennis. Traveling with kids we knew we would need a few adventurous items on our itinerary besides lounging by the pool. We decided to visit The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens are first day and we were very impressed. It’s beautifully maintained and they have amazing add ons like feeding the giraffes and camel rides. My kids also really enjoyed the model train exhibit and so did the adults! If you want a little more adventure you should wear your hiking gear and take one of the amazing trails there.

After the zoo we headed back to our hotel for some lounging before our dinner at the amazing French restaurant Mr. Parker’s. Heading to dinner the hotel had completely transformed into a big nightlife crowd. Palm Springs definitely has a night scene! Our dinner was fantastic and they even made my kids pizza so all were happy.

The next day we decided to hit the pool and before we took off for home we visited the Palm Springs Air Museum. To say it was incredible is an understatement. They had so much inventory from the cold war, WWI, WWII, and the Korean War. The museum was huge! Best part was that it is attached to the Palm Springs airport and you get to watch fighter jets and old bombers take off! And if you are really brave, you can take a ride in them!

Basically, Palm Springs has something for everyone. We met a lot of friends coming in for the weekend from cold places trying to escape the snow for a few days and enjoy the heat, a bachelorette party, a babymoon, family trips, couples retreat, and even single travelers just looking to relax.

We loved the Parker Palm Springs but we have visited many other hotels in Palm Springs and they all offer so many unique features that going to Palm Springs is always a new adventure!