You May Need a Travel Agent If...Planning a Vacation? Where Do You Start?

You’ve decided to go on vacation!  A cruise sounds just perfect for your family, you think, so, you can do one of the two following options:

1. Look up what cruise lines service where, because I’d prefer to go out of Florida.  Or maybe Galveston?  Oh gosh, there are like 300 ships in Florida.  Okay, which is better? Carnival?  Royal Caribbean?  Norwegian?  Princess?  Celebrity?  Disney? I’ll check Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Disney.  Should I call?  Look online?  How do I know I’m getting the best price?  Why does my state of residency matter?  Should I call? I have small kids, what line is best? Do I need a hotel the day before?  I’ll check Expedia, Kayak, Trivago, Hotels.com. Oh, gosh, some of those have cruises too. What is better? Should I go through the hotel directly? How do I know it’s a safe hotel?  I’ll check Trip Advisor.  Oh, I can price things there too.  Maybe Hilton?  Hampton Inn? A Disney hotel? Where do I book that? Staybridge? Where has free breakfast?  Any of them have shuttles to the port? Should I call? What is onboard credit?  What is OBC?  What can I use it on?  How much will I get? What type of cabin?  Are insides really dark?  Will it be noisy?  What deck is good?  Why can’t I find one that fits four people?  I guess I’ll call. I heard dining is handled differently on cruises, how does that work?  Should I call?  Is three days enough?  Four?  Seven?  Is Nassau safe?  What should we do about shore excursions?  Is a verandah worth it? What does gratuity cover? Oh, main, late and anytime dining…what should I choose?  What are specialty restaurants? How can I celebrate a special occasion?  Can I decorate my cabin door?  What is muster?  What time will my cabin be ready?  What legal documents do I need for my family? I have a stepchild, should I call? Can I bring my own alcohol? Is there a nursery? Charge for nursery?  Do I need reservations?  Soda? Water?  What do I do about motion sickness?  What is debarkation? I read somewhere luggage pick up is the night before?  How do I get to and from the airport and port?  Should I come in a day early?  What items aren’t allowed onboard?  Should I call? How are the kids clubs?  What times do they run?  What programs do they offer?  How do I sign up for those?  Do they cost?  How much spending money should we plan for?  Do I tip anyone else? What about tour guides?  What do I do with my luggage when we arrive at port?  My Grandma might want to come but is disabled, should I call? How do we link dining to sit with someone else we know?  How do we request that we not be seated with anyone else? What are the adult only areas like?  Is there gambling?  Should I get insurance?  How should I time the flights, can I book one for 10 AM the debarkation morning? And what exactly is debarkation? Do they have accommodations for autism?  Food allergies?  I should call.  How much luggage can we bring?  Is there ice in the cabin?  What are the bathrooms like?  Where do we store our suitcases in the cabin?  What if we don’t want to sit down for a formal meal, what else can we do?  Soda is included, right?  Should I look into loyalty programs?  What do the cruise lines mean by “private island”?   Can I get wake up calls?  I read somewhere there might be a sewage smell in the bathroom?  What difference does it make if the ship is older? Smaller?  Bigger?  What if there is rough waters?  What do we do for breakfast and lunch if dinner is the only planned meal?  Why do we only get to eat in one dining room?  What is rotational dining?  For the flights, should I pay for assigned seating?  Do more open up later?  How much is luggage check?  How much can I bring?  Can we bring golf clubs? I see flights on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, some mixtures that I found on Kayak, I’m not sure what the difference is?  I called, but they aren’t nice.  How far in advance should I buy flights? Should I call the cruise line, when I pick it, and try to get flights that way?  How far in advance should I do online check in? When is final payment due?  Should I book spa treatments in advance?  I found one cruise that is $800 per person and one is $1300 per person, why would anyone choose the more expensive one?  Can we use cash onboard?  Why do I have to put a credit card in?

Or

2. Contact an agent at Travel Time, for free.

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Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, Spa & Convention Center, Tips and Information!

From the moment you step on to the property of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort & Convention Center, you will be filled with the enchantment and romance of Spanish Colonial Mexico. This southwestern-themed resort circles a 22-acre lake, Lago Dorado; a beautiful and welcoming site as you depart your room each morning and return each night. This resort has a reputation of being the “adult” resort or the resort that’s not “kid-friendly.” Well, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. While it definitely doesn’t just scream Disney like many of the other resorts that are geared more towards a younger age group, there’s plenty magical Disney offerings here for every member of the family, no matter the age.

Coronado Springs Resort is divided into three sections: Casitas, Cabanas, & Ranchos. Casitas, the closest section to El Centro (lobby, food, bus stop, and lounge area) is themed after a higher class of Spanish architecture. Clean, sharp buildings are adorned with a variety of lush landscaping and many beautiful water features and fountains.  

           

Cabanas gives more of the beach vibe, themed like a Spanish beach getaway, very rustic , fun and full of life. While Ranchos is very reminiscent of a dry, Mexican desert with rocks and minimal southwestern landscape, you feel as though you have been put in the middle of a southwestern Mexican city that hasn’t seen rain in quite some time. 

However, in the middle of Ranchos, sits an archaeological “Dig Site” and in the middle stands a 50 foot Mayan pyramid! At its base…a giant pool with a slide that drops you right into the Lost City of Cibola, the City of Gold! Adjacent to the “Dig Site Pool” is the home to the largest outdoor hot tub on Walt Disney World property, it’s big enough to hold 22 people at one time! This resort is also home to La Vida Health Club with exercise machines and weights to keep in shape after such great meals! As well as a massive 220,000 square foot convention center for meetings and gatherings of all types. 

After you dry off from the pool or finish with your meetings at the convention center, head back to one of your spacious, Spanish themed rooms so you can get ready and head down to El Centro! This is where everything is happening! At El Centro you’ll find the lobby for check-in, the concierge, & gift shop. 

Plus, The Rix Lounge for drinks and appetizers, The Pepper Market quick service food court for lots of yummy meals, snacks and refillable mug stations, and the delicious Maya Grill for unique Nuevo Latino fusion cuisine that is sure to please! After you’ve grabbed a drink or a bite to eat, walk outside to one of the four bus stops on the property and catch a bus to any of the Walt Disney World resort theme park, water parks or Disney Springs for a great day or night filled with magic and fun!

Coronado Springs Resort is considered a “moderate” resort price wise and is located near Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. All standard resort rooms have either 2 queen sized beds or 1 king bed which is specified when booking.  

This resort also features room types that not all moderate resorts have. Due to the high volume of business related guests, Coronado offers Business Class rooms and 1 & 2 bedroom Executive Suites. Business class rooms come with complimentary access to the “Coconino Lounge”   where a free continental breakfast and evening snacks, sodas, beer and wine are served daily.

A few tips for staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort:

• ·         If you don’t want to walk very far to food and drinks, then secure a preferred room for your stay. You will be guaranteed a room in Casitas buildings 1, 2, or 3 and these are the three closest buildings to El Centro.  Coronado Springs is a very large, spread out resort as it sits on 125 acres and has 1,921 rooms, so if you don't mind a longer walk or a short bus ride to El Centro, then standard rooms will be just fine for you.

• ·         If you are at El Centro when you catch the bus to any of the theme parks, know that this bus stop is the last to pick up and can mean a higher likelihood of standing for the duration of your ride. If you walk to bus stop number 2 behind Casitas building 3, and catch the bus there, it’s the first pick up and you have a much higher chance of snagging a seat. (This is reversed for the Disney Springs bus, it takes the route in reverse order)

• ·         Lastly, no matter where your room is, have a magical trip! Swim in the pool, take a walk around the lake, and visit the 3 Caballeros topiaries for and epic photo op! There is so much to see and do at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, you will never lack for adventure and fun! It’s a fabulous resort that I would stay in again if presented the chance, I had a blast and I know you will too!

Let us make your vacation even easier!  We'll help you plan from the start and can advise you and handle your arrangements, including dining, fast passes, room requests, discount application, and celebrations.  We are the same price or less than if you book on your own, and you get us for FREE!  Have an expert on your side at zero cost to you and contact one of our agents today!

Why working with a Travel Time Planner is better!

It’s free! It’s Smart , and it is takes the stress out of vacation!

Travel Time Agents never charge a fee to help you get the most from your vacation dollars! We offer unlimited knowledge and advice about your upcoming trip , whether it be an Amazing Disney Cruise, A Walt Disney World Vacation, or  Disney Land, You can rest assured , that we have been there, done that, and we have first- hand knowledge of everything there is to see and do on your vacation! We know the best rides, the best shows, the best menu items at the restaurants , and we charge NOTHING for our service to you!

Planning a trip to Disney is not only time consuming, but it is extremely stressful. Sometimes we don’t realize everything that is involved in making your vacation as magical as it should be for your family! 

When you call or book online, a cast member will tell you , Or you will see a list , of some of the available resorts, But which one of the many, many resort rooms is the best fit for my family? Will Uncle John fit on the fold out bed? Which stateroom category will I need to choose?  What is the difference?  Sleeps 5, and Sleeps 5 comfortably, are two different things! We know and will explain, and help you decide! You receive one on one support! They give you price, We give you VALUE!

This is only the beginning, You have a room, you have tickets, and the dining plan, so you are all set! NO!!!! No you are not!  You need to book dining, fast passes, Pirates league? What is pirate league? Where is Be Our Guest?  Can we not just walk in? No! You will never get in that way! But don’t worry! We have your back!  Are you serious? I need to be awake at midnight 60 days out? Yep…we will do that too!

We want to book the Disney Dream , to Antigua…The Dream doesn’t go to Antigua! Let us help you choose the right itinerary! We know how to get you there! Have you swam with the dolphins at Atlantis? YES WE HAVE!

We know that this trip is extremely important, and we know how much money you are going to spend making your dreams come true! Our job is to oversee these plans, help you understand your destination, and all it has to offer, even before you get there! You will have all of your plans intact, knowing exactly what you are going to do each day, and you will have reservations to some of the most amazing attractions that Disney has to offer, while others are telling their children that Bibbity Bobbity Boutique is full and they just can’t have a princess makeover this time…..Those people watching illuminations must be rich, The guys on the golf course are just some famous people, No…they are people who planned!

We make sure that you don’t have dining reservations in Animal Kingdom on your Hollywood Studios day! 

We make sure that you didn’t buy something in your package that you won’t need, and We make sure that you have the best package price available for your trip, EVEN AFTER YOU HAVE BOOKED!

You will NEVER receive a phone call from Disney Travel Company saying, Hello! I just want you to know, that we noticed you booked a standard rate in July, but now that fall is drawing near , we have put out a new promotion, adjusted your reservation , and we have just saved you a LOT of money!! 

YOU WILL GET THAT FROM US!!! 

We have saved thousands of dollars for our clients and we will do the same thing for you!

Vacation in Peru...a review including Machu Picchu, Cusco, Ollanytaytambo, Lima and more!

We travelled to Peru in October 2012. After a 9 hour direct flight from SFO, we landed in Lima, Peru in the middle of the night, and got a room not too far away for just a few hours, as we had to be back at the airport around 6am for our flight to Cusco.  We stayed those few hours at Bed & Breakfast de Kike.  We booked a room that would accommodate the two if us, but we were offered a bigger room upon check in, which we declined. No sense in them cleaning a bigger room for the next guests when we would only be there a few hours. They do include breakfast, however, since we were checking out early, we were unable to try what they had to offer. Our driver picked us up at the airport, and he spoke English quite well. He was right on time, and had us back at the airport on time, as well. 

Once back at the airport, we checked in for our flight to Cusco with Star Peru airlines. I do have to add, some of the things we needed to book prior to leaving the US were VERY difficult to do. The flights with Star Peru being the most difficult of those things. After countless emails with the airline (whom did not speak English), the airline finally agreed to save our seats, and let us pay once we arrived at Lima airport months after booking. They also do not assign seating until you check in, so if you want to sit with the rest of your party, you need to arrive early.  The plane is little, and the flight is not as smooth as a larger plane. Thankfully, the flight is only about an hour and half.

Once we landed in Cusco, we met our driver to take us to Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley). We had decided not to stay in Cusco just yet as Cusco has a much higher elevation than Ollantaytambo, and we were concerned with being able to adjust. We decided to start with low elevations, and work our way up. The drive to Ollantaytambo was about 1.5-2 hours if I recall. Most of the drive was scenic.

Once in Ollanytaytambo, we checked into Hostal Iskay, which was VERY easy to book with a small deposit made via PayPal. The family that operated the hostal were European. We had a fantastic view of the ruins right from our room and “patio”. Our room also had a sunroof, I am not sure if all rooms do. The rooms were spacious and the bathrooms were big.  I do remember the towels not being very soft. Another thing to note about travel in Peru, is conditioner is not commonly placed in bathrooms like soap or shampoo is, and is actually somewhat hard to find even in the towns, so be sure to pack some!

We explored a bit in town that day after a nap, and then went to see the ruins. Everything in town is within walking distance, I don’t think we ever got a ride anywhere unless we were going to another town. 

The ruins

Town from the ruins

The next day we did some shopping and explored town some more, trying not to over do ourselves for our big day the next day!

We dined at various places throughout our time in Ollantaytambo. We had breakfast daily at the hostal, which was included. It was very basic, so if you like a big breakfast, you may need to purchase something in town, too. We also had lunch/dinner at the hostal a few times (not included). I wish I could remember the names of everything we tried, but it was all very good and affordable. I know one night, I wasn’t feeling well, completely exhausted, and I just ordered some soup. I don’t even remember what kind it was, and it was green. But it was soooooo good, Totally hit the spot, and put me in a better mood. Almost instantly felt better.

In town, the two most notable restaurants were Puka Rumi & Orishas Café. We had lunch one day at Puka Rumi, and we were the only people in the restaurant. Once our food arrived (we both had lomo saltado, VERY good), the wait staff disappeared for the rest of our meal. Yup, we literally were the only ones there. We really could have just gotten up and left we waited for them to come back for so long, but of course we didn’t do that. It is typical in many countries in South America that once your food is delivered, that the wait staff not bother you. That means no checking in on you to see how meal is, etc. It is very different and not something we were use to, but it is customary in Peru. 

Pisco Sours from Puka Rumi

We had Orishas Café for dinner one night. The night was kind of chilly, and made the mistake of ordering a vanilla latte to warm me up. It was a very good latte, but I am too sensitive to caffeine and never went to sleep that night! I wish I could recall the name of the dish we had, I just remember mine was chicken, potato, and egg, and it was soooo good!! We love Peruvian food. It was very inexpensive. The restaurant walls are basically just windows, and it sits over a river/steam. Had the sun still been out, or dusk, I am sure the view would have been beautiful.  There was nobody working that night that spoke English, so I am unsure if that is always the case.

The next morning, we got up early (well, he did, I never slept), and walked to the train station.  This was another of the easier things to book, but not as easy as accommodations. We were traveling from Ollantaytambo with Peru Rail up to Aguas Calientes. The ride was about 2 hours, with breakfast included. Beautiful sights of the snow capped Andes Mountains. With Peru Rail, you are seated in the order you book. I am an early planner, so we happened to get front row on the way up! We had a HUGE window right in front of us, so no obstructed views. (Note: the train down fills up quite a bit faster than the train up, due to many travelers hiking the Inca Trail up the mountain and taking the train back).

Andes Mountains from the train

Once in Aguas Calientes, we had time to explore all the little shops before hopping on a bus up the rest of the mountain. The bus tickets are purchased on site, so no need to secure those ahead of time. The bus takes about 30 minutes to make it up the side of the mountain, and it is a very twisty journey. I was terrified the entire time!

But alas! We finally are off the bus and at the entrance to Machu Picchu! Tickets to enter Machu Picchu are also limited, so best to buy those in advance as well. This was another of the difficult things to book. For some reason, their website did not like my credit card or debit card at all, but we finally played around with my boyfriends, and success! We booked our tix early enough to also secure the even more limited pass to hike Huayna Picchu (more on that later).  All the difficult bookings, sleepless night, long flights/drives, and we are finally here! And let me tell you, Machu Picchu is so much more amazing in person. Pictures do not even come close to the beauty of this place. There were llamas various places napping and grazing, too.

It can get very hot being out there in the sun, and I did get sun burnt. But that wasn’t the worst that happened. I was advised ahead of time the importance of long pants/sleeves, and I followed that. Until I got too hot and removed the long sleeves. I was bitten by a few sand flies. We both were, but his bites went away fairly quickly. So please cover up and/or wear lots of bug spray! My bites lasted months, yes, months, needed steroidal cream to get rid of them. Machu Picchu includes LOTS of walking once there. Much of that walking is uphill, so be prepared and wear comfy shoes. Due to the elevation and my lack of sleep, I had absolutely no energy to hike Huayna Picchu. So we had to skip it! Bummer. Still kicking myself.

Just inside the gate of Machu Picchu is a little spot where you can stamp your passport with a Machu Picchu stamp, just a cute little token that you were there.  At the gates to Machu Picchu, there is a restaurant and a hotel. We stepped out of Machu Picchu temporarily to get something to get a snack/drink. Because it is the only restaurant there, you can imagine that the prices there were a bit higher than most other locations in town.  While we were there, it started to sprinkle a bit, so it was a nice little break from the heat.  Also be advised, the restrooms here charge for toilet paper! (And Peru doesn’t allow the flushing of toilet paper, you just throw it in the trash).

We explored Machu Picchu a bit more before getting back on that scary bus to head back down the mountain. Once we were back in Aguas Calientes, we purchased a few souvenirs (there are a ton being sold here). We also had dinner here, but neither of us were very impressed with our food.  So back on the train to go to Ollantaytambo for our last night. We were both so tired, we slept on the train. Our seats weren’t as good as the way up, this time we had a shared table with some others who had been combining their Peru trip with Ecuador/Galapagos.  It was nice hearing about their trip as we were dozing off.

Once we were off the train, I think we walked straight back to the hostal and crashed for the night. We got up in the morning, packed our things, checked out, and had a driver taking us back to Cusco.

Once we were dropped off in Cusco at Ninos Hotel. It is a lovely little boutique hotel that was founded to help feed less fortunate children. While we were still in our room, I realized that Hostal Iskay had over charged us by $30. I wrote them a quick email, letting them know, and next thing I know the front desk of Ninos Hotel was delivering a message that the Hostal called, and would be hand delivering our $30 later that day. I could not believe that, and certainly did not expect that! I just wanted them to know that there was an error, and since we paid cash, I knew they couldn’t reverse it to my card. 

We weren’t in our room long before heading out to explore Cusco. Cusco is a fabulous town, there is so much to explore.  There are lots of people walking around in the Plaza selling things, even pictures asking for money to take pictures with their little lambs (yes, I did it!).

Cusco has a lot more history to explore than Ollantaytambo. One of our favorite parts of the trip, other than Machu Picchu, was exploring was the Cusco Cathedral. It is absolutely breathtaking inside. Unfortunately, they do not allow pix inside the Cathedral. This was definitely the highlight of Cusco for us. There were several churches in Cusco to be explored, but by the time we finished with this one, the others were closed.

While in Cusco, or favorite meals were at Cicciolina. We ate their twice during our stay! The food is Italian, with a Perucian flare to it. The first time there, we ate near the bar. My boyfriend ordered his usual Corona, and then asked for lime and salt. The wait staff all watched him put the salt and lime, and then they commented that they had never seen anybody add salt or lime to their beer! Most everybody in the restaurant spoke English. We also tried the famous Pisco Sour here, in addition to many other places in Peru. Neither of us were fans of it, but we kept trying to hopefully find one we liked. Everybody raves about Pisco Sours, but they just weren’t for us.

After our short stay, in Cusco, we headed back to the airport to head for Lima. This time, we were not quick enough to check in with Star Peru, and we sat in two different aisles on the plane.  When we got to Lima, our driver was late picking us up. Once he arrived, he took our luggage and pretty much power walked to his car while we were trailing behind him to keep up. I had previously contacted our bed and breakfast, asking to add one night since our flight would be very late the next day. B&B Miraflores Wasi Independencia is where our reservations were, and they stated they only allowed 1 night stays, and recommended I transfer my reservation to their other property that does longer stays. No problem. I tried tell this to the driver, who refused, and took us to the original location of our reservation. On top of rushing, and being a terrible driver, the back seat of his car was covered in duct tape, which stuck to my pants. I was not a very happy lady when getting out of his car.

I spoke with the nice ladies at the bed & breakfast (who spoke perfectly good English), and they arranged for a different driver to pick us up and take us to the other location. Much better driver!!! However, the other property was completely unsatisfactory. This property was simply called B&B Miraflores Wasi, and I would never stay there again. The room was large, the bathroom tiny, and the shower never got warm water while I was in it that night (although it did the following morning when my boyfriend showered). The walls here were very thin. Being
upstairs, and with windows and doors closed, and could still fully hear people talking downstairs. I had been arranging for the front desk to send my duct tape covered pants out for cleaning, and then changed my mind since we were flying out the next day anyway. I went to the front desk to retrieve them, and they told me they had already sent them out (yet I could see them in a bag on the chair behind them!). I tried asking again, same response. So finally I let them know they were flat out lying, and that I could see them. After they turned them over to me, we went back to the room, to put them away, and head out to explore Lima.   

We walked to the shopping center that overlooks the coast, and decided we would come back that night to Mangos, so we made reservations at the check in desk. There was a specific table I saw that I wanted (#102), that looked semi secluded, yet had fantastic views, so we requested it. Sure enough when we came back, we were seated there. It was perfect! The food was so-so, but the views were amazing. I would go again just for the view.

view of the Lima coast from the restaurant

The next day, also our last day, we had breakfast at a little spot called Haiti. We had a simple American breakfast, which was like comfort food to us. It was just what we needed. The wait staff was also very friendly, and our waiter spoke English quite well. We then explored the Plaza in Lima. Since it was a Sunday, most of the Cathedrals were closed, so we didn’t get to go inside.  But even the outside of them were amazing. We saw the Cathedral that was home of Francisco Pizarro’s body (he conquered the Incas). We were also able to see the Government Palace, which is where their President lives.

We visited a little shopping area, I think it was called Mercados Inca, which is like a flea market so to speak. Tons of vendors, but we were really only looking for alpaca items at this point in our trip. We bought a 100% alpaca blanket & a few scarves (I still use them!). There is an ATM machine in this little market, too.

Once our shopping was complete, we headed back to our hotel to take a little nap, gathered our things, and headed for the airport to come home! 

We obviously had a few bumps on this trip, but we still had a fantastic time. This is the first time I think either of us visited a place that had so much history no matter where we went. It was also our first trip to a different continent.  

One other observation, I do not know if it is the destination, or the time of year we visited, but we did not see many tourist children, almost only adults. And I do not recall meeting any Americans other than one couple. There were lots of tourists of Europe and other parts of South America. Most establishments had at least basic English speaking staff, with few exceptions.  

I hope you enjoyed, and I hope you add Peru to your list of places to visit in your lifetime!


Let us make your vacation even easier!  We'll help you plan from the start and can advise you and handle your arrangements, including dining, fast passes, room requests, discount application, and celebrations.  We are the same price or less than if you book on your own, and you get us for FREE!  Have an expert on your side at zero cost to you and contact one of our agents today!