All Categories

Ground Transportation Options

1/23/2023

Original: February 2022
Updated: January 2023

If you are flying into the Orlando International Airport (MCO) for your next trip to Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort, there are several new transportation options that are available for you to book.

For those that have used Disney's Magical Express over the past 2 decades, finding a new way to get from the airport to your resort may seem daunting, but there are so many options made to fit every budget & need.

All About MagicBands & Magicband+

8/1/2022

Since 2013, Walt Disney World resort has offered MagicBands as a way to connect data, such as park tickets, room keys, in park payments & PhotoPass information, to guests through the use of a plastic bracelet embedded with identification technology.

MagicBands have gone through a few transformations over the years, but still remain an efficient method for resort & in park guests.

Let's explore what the MagicBand does, the differences in MagicBand & MagicBand+ as well as if you getting MagicBands is a good option for your family.

Mickey's Very MerrY Christmas party pros & Cons

7/11/2022

For the first time since 2019, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) is returning in 2022.

Evening & After Hours events like this are separate ticketed events with reduced capacity that offer experiences that are not provided to the regular park day guests.

MVMCP will occur on 24 select nights between November 8 - December 22. The party begins at 7:00pm & runs until midnight. On these nights, regular park hours end at 6:00pm & day guests exit the park before the party officially begins.

Let's dive in to some pros & cons to help you decide if this event is a good fit for your family or travel group and if you need to adjust any of your other plans due to the party schedule.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Pros & Cons

5/5/2022

After a 2 year hiatus, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) is returning in 2022.

Evening & After Hours events like this are separate ticketed events with reduced capacity that offer experiences that are not provided to the regular park day guests.

MNNSHP will occur on 37 different nights between August 12- October 31. The party begins at 7:00pm & runs until midnight. On these nights, regular park hours end at 6:00pm & day guests exit the park before the party officially begins.

Let's dive in to some pros & cons to help you decide if this event is a good fit for your family or travel group and if you need to adjust any of your other plans due to the party schedule.

Favorite shops

2/4/2022

Trip is booked. Parks are decided... but do you need new Disney themed gear for the parks?

No. You don't need it... but you may really want it.

Some people go the matching, custom shirt route. I tend to lean towards shirts that we will reuse in everyday life. Here are some of my favorite shops.

How to gift a trip

12/1/2021

As my kids get older, gifting experiences over more stuff has become something that is more & more appealing. I love the idea of creating memories over clutter. I cannot tell you what I got for Christmas when I was 10, but I can tell you about riding the Tower of Terror on our family vacation that same year.

The hang up can some times be in HOW to present the experience as a gift. When it comes to Walt Disney World & Universal Orlando, there are so many ways to give the surprise. Here are 7 ideas that you can use.

Planning 101 : When to Go

5/11/2020

There are a lot of factors that come in to play when planning a Disney vacation. One thing that must be decided before you can even begin the process is WHEN to go.

This must be done early because pricing and availability fluctuates throughout the year. It’s impossible to get a quote without dates.

There is not a WRONG time to go, but there may be a RIGHT time for your family based on what is important to you. Here are a few questions we process through when choosing our trip dates & some suggestions for when to go based on your answer.

Do we want to go during a certain time of year/season/type of weather?

I want to go to Disney World... now what?

12/29/2019

If you are planning a trip to Disney or a Disney Cruise anytime soon, here are our top tips.

1. Get a certified Disney planner. If you do not currently know of one that you want to use, I would love to help! A certified planner will guide you through all the details & be on the lookout for the best deals & experiences.

2. Decide WHEN you want to go & WHO is going on your trip.

3. WHERE to stay is next as well as HOW MANY days you want to be in the parks. I personally love a mixture of park days & resort days.

4. Once your trip is booked, cozy up on the couch & watch The Bucketlist Family’s 30 Stays in 30 Days videos from Walt Disney World. You will be able to see so many aspects of Disney & it truly helps you narrow in on the things you most want to do as well as helps your kids begin to understand what is in store.

5. Do not over schedule yourself. It’s very easy to get sucked in to wanting to do all the things. This is a sure fire way to not be able to enjoy yourself. We recently took a trip that included resort days (where we hopped around to various Disney resorts to look around, eat, enjoy fun transportation options & play games) and it was AMAZING to have slow days where we got to discover things instead of always having to be on the way to the next thing.