Mickey Mouse Penthouse Suite at Disneyland Hotel in California

Please enjoy the photographs of my recent tour of the Mickey Mouse Penthouse Suite at the Disneyland Hotel!

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Living Room

      

  

  

  

    

  

Guest Bathroom

  

Bar Area

   

  

    

Dining Room

  

Master Bedroom

   

   

Master Bathroom

    

        

Hallway

Kid's Bathroom

    

    

Kid Bedroom

      

  

  

    

  

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!

Getting Engaged at Disney! Magical Moments and Ideas

…..And They Lived Happily Ever After!

Every little girl dreams about their wedding day, but for me it was always about the proposal. Call me crazy when I say this but I knew in my heart that if he didn't propose the right way, then I'd never say yes. Horrible, I know. Here's the thing though – my idea of an amazing proposal wasn't that hard. I didn't want it on a private yacht in the middle of the Atlantic with a 9 piece string quartet! For me, it was simply a Disney proposal!

Luckily for me, I got one!!  This past February, my boyfriend and I planned a weekend trip with our two kids, so that I could participate in the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Little did I know, he was planning on something even more special. 

(of course..there's that darn crane!)

We arrived super early to the park for a Be Our Guest reservation and while we were taking family photos in front of the castle, he told the kids he wanted one "just of mom and dad". It was in that moment I realized something was up. Then he romantically dropped to his knee and asked me. That's right ladies – swoon!

He even was smart enough to go to the front desk at our resort and have buttons premade! Trust me guys, you'll want to have them ready to go! And ladies, the fun attention it brings is fantastic!!

Meeting Gaston, he asked my fiance if he proposed in front of his fountain. When I replied "no", Gaston told him "that's probably a good thing. She'd have said no to you after seeing MY handsome jaw line and she'd be wanting to marry me instead!"

At 1900 Park Fare, Lady Tremaine made sure I was marrying for money and gave my ring a disgusted look. Telling my fiance he could have done better. (JOKINGLY of course...and she whispered a happy congrats to us)

Now, while the castle if obviously the hot spot for getting engaged, I made a list of 5 other romantic/fun ways to propose at Disney. So pay attention boys or better yet, ladies feel free to share this with them ; )

1) Cinderella's fountain. Located behind the castle and to the left is beautifully crafted fountain dedicated to Cinderella. The unique part is that when you bow in front of her the crown is "placed upon her head". What a great spot to make you feel like his princess!

  

2) Snow White's wishing well! To the right of the castle you'll find once again, a beautiful wishing well dedicated to Snow White. How amazing would it be to throw a penny into the well, turn around and there's your prince charming kneeling in front of you!! Now the only downfall to this, is that the smoking section is literally next to it. BUT, don't be discouraged. Not many people know about this spot and I rarely see people there, let alone smoking.

3) Did you know that you can rent a yacht on Disney property?  That's right! Take a tour of Bay Lake just outside of Magic Kingdom and not only will you have an amazing view of the fireworks, you'll have an amazing backdrop for that perfect moment!

(For more information on booking the yacht, please contact your Travel Time agent!)

4) Victoria and Albert's.  Hands down this is one of the most romantic restaurants on Disney Property and can be very hard to get into. They have a dress code you must follow, so don't expect to walk in with shorts and Mickey ears on. But with a view of Magic Kingdom and those fireworks, you can't beat a romantic dinner for two. Want to impress her even more? You can request the Chef's table where you are catered to by the chef himself.

 5) Character Meet and Greet or even on a ride! Character reactions are funny as it is, so add something wonderful like a proposal and they go crazy! Do it in front of Mickey or Minnie! OR even her favorite character around the parks. Even more creative, propose on a ride! You know those photos at the end of the major rides, why not hold up a sign behind her and surprise her at the end, when she's checking out the photo? Something fun and unique.

Here's one last tip and this is probably one of the most important!!!  MAKE SURE YOU GET A PHOTO!!  My fiance knew I wanted pictures of this. So he made sure he did it in front of a Disney photo pass photographer. They are very easy to find and if you mention to them what you're about to do, I can promise you that they will make sure they help capture the moment. If you plan on asking at a dining reservation, pull the waitress aside and hand her your phone or camera. Again, Disney cast members LOVE these events!

Disney is magical. It's one of the reason we all enjoy traveling there. Proposing or even being proposed to at Disney makes the magical feeling that much stronger!

Congrats to all of those who've recently been engaged or even gotten married!

By Agent Brooke

brooke@traveltimetravel.com

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!

The Elusive Purple Magic Band is finally available for Disney Resort Guests!

That's right folks! The elusive purple magic band is now available as an option when you book a stay at Walt Disney World or for those who have annual passes! Up until just recently the only way you get your hands on one of these babies, was to purchase them on property or online at disneystore.com. Previously, the available options were pink, red, blue, green, orange, grey, and yellow. All magic bands are waterproof bracelets that are your key to everything. Simply touch your magic band to enter the parks, utilize your fastpasses, take advantage of your dining credits, charge purchases back to your room, and it even serves as your key into your room! To get your purple magic band log into your mydisneyexperience app today and change your current selection!

By Agent Brooke

brooke@traveltimetravel.com

Carnival Cruise to Grand Cayman Review

Most Fascinating Place I've Visited

In 2009, my husband, son, Dad , sister in law and brother in law took a Carnival cruise to Grand Cayman. We were supposed to be sailing to Cancun also but that stop was changed,  and we spent 2 days in Grand Cayman. The 1st day was the best, we were the only ship in port so we decided to do our excursion then.

All of us thought snorkeling and swimming with the stingrays in Stingray City would be awesome. Getting the excursion off the boat was the best option for us. For $20.00 per person, we were taken to a spot for 45 minutes of snorkeling, which was absolutely amazing. The water was so clear and calm that day.

We got to see the beautiful colors of the fish, conch on the bottom and even turtles swimming along with us. After the time snorkeling, we got back on the boat and headed to Stingray City. It is a fabulous spot where all the stingrays seem calm and they know that people will be there daily to touch, swim and feed them. They seem so docile but we all know they can be deadly killers. My son was kind of scared of them, but had a blast touching and even kissing one! To feed them, all you do is hold a shrimp in your hand and they will glide over your hand sucking up the shrimp. It felt weird, but it was amazing to see these creatures and how they have adapted to the humans in their environment.

After Stingray City, we rode in the van and were dropped off at Seven Mile Beach. Walking into the beach area, there were little lizards scooting around, amazing beautiful flowers and lots of palm trees. Seven Mile Beach is a beautiful place to stop and admire the glistening blue green water. If you love beaches, this isn't one to miss. My sister in law talked us into walking back to the ship, that was a hike~ ha ha. On our way back we were amazed by the iguanas that were just roaming the roads along with us. Some were laying in the sun, others were hanging out in trees and some would run from us trying to take pictures. Finally back on board the ship, we headed out to sea for the night and then back into Grand Cayman the next day. On the 2nd day, we were joined by 3 other Carnival ships. It was crowded so we decided to do a little shopping and the tourist thing. They have Margaritaville and the Harley shop, of course we headed into them. Just walking through the town and gazing at the buildings, I love the feel of the Caribbean. Grand Cayman is an amazing place to visit, I would love to spend a week or so there. I would recommend everyone visiting there at least once!

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!

Chip N Dale’s Fall Harvest Breakfast Review at EPCOT Walt Disney World, Garden Grill Restaurant

The Garden Grill is a restaurant located in “The Land’ pavilion in Epcot. It is known as the rotating restaurant with views of the Living with the Land attraction and excellent character experience dining….AND NOW THEY SERVE BREAKFAST!

It’s no secret to my family that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, lol.

The Garden Grill began offering breakfast Nov 8^th, 2015 hosted by Chip ‘N Dale

Some things to know before you go…

• Breakfast reservations starts as early as 8am (yes! You can get in before the park officially opens)
• This is an All You Can eat Family Style breakfast, foods that will be brought out to you include; Eggs, Mickey Waffles, Bacon, Ham, Tatter Tots, Biscuits and Gravy, Fruit and the deliciously giant Sticky Bun Bake! (look at all that gooey, yumminess up close!)

• I would recommend telling the host or hostess before you are seated that you would prefer a table on the lower level (better views, you won’t be staring straight at a wall)

• During this experience we actually had the characters come by our table twice, but that might now always be the norm, it wasn’t busy at all that morning.

• Try the POG juice, oh so good!
• There were really great character interactions, we didn’t feel rushed at all, and several characters played and goofed around with my boys.

• The characters you will meet are Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Mickey

• Adult cost is $29.99, Child cost was $17.99 (prices could vary depending on time of year)

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!

Travel Agent Myths Exposed! Great Tips for Smart Vacation Planning!

        Hi, my name is Jenny Young and I’m just one of the agents with Travel Time Travel. In this blog I wanted to take some time and talk about some of the myths out there that surround us travel agents. Things that you might believe, and that are keeping you from using an agent like me and colleagues.  Now, while yes some of these may have a little truth to them, the clarification could have you thinking very differently about using an agent on your next vacation. So let’s discuss 10 common myths that follow us travel agents.

1^st: Travel agents are expensive or change extra fees for using them.

     False: I can’t tell you how many people ask me what my fees are for helping them book and planning their vacations. Travel agents are compensated by commission through the companies they work with and should cost you nothing extra in fees. While there may be some agencies out there that change extra for their services, here at Travel Time we do not. In reality having a travel agent can actually save you money on your vacation. By using a travel agent you have someone that is constantly receiving information on deals and special pricing that can save you money and time on your vacation.

2^nd:  All travel agents and agencies are the same.

        False: We defiantly are not! Picking an agent to work with is like picking a doctor. They need to be the right fit for you and your family. Different agents and agencies can specialize in many different destinations and may only be able to book those destinations depending on their travel credentials. Finding the right agency and agent will play a key part in the planning of your vacation. Here at Travel Time we have more the 40 agents working together as a team that specialize in a variety of destinations both domestic and international.  What does this mean for you? Well, by working with an agent from Travel Time this means that while you may be in contact with just one agent, that one agent is in contact with 40 others on your behalf. Just think of all the possibilities this opens up for you and your vacation!

3^rd: A travel agent will cut me out of the planning process.

       False: This is defiantly not what we want to do. We’re here to take the hassle out of your trip not the enjoyment of planning it. An agent will let you be as involved as you want to be. After all it’s your vacation not ours. Agents have a vast amount of knowledge and training and can often recommend alternatives you might not have thought of. We also know when your payments are due and how much. When you can book extra events, like dining, shows, or excursions. Were like little personal organizers helping you through the entire steps not just before your trip, but even during and after. The choices are still always yours to make.

4^th:   No one uses travel agents anymore, they are a waste of time:

        False:  The travel agency industry has increased more than 10 percent in the past few years. Tripology.com reports that travel agents sell 51% of all airline tickets, 87% of all cruises, 81% of all tours and packages, 45% car rentals, and 47% of all hotels. More travelers are choosing to opt out on spend hours on a computer researching destinations and looking for the best prices.  How much time do you spend looking up information? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone do all that for you?

5^th: I could book online myself and get cheaper prices.

       True: Yes you *might* possibly get a better or cheaper price online, but remember you get what you pay for. What is that extra $40 savings really doing for you? Most online companies have extra policies you must adhere by in order to save that extra money. Like no refunds, or changes to your vacation without a fee. Or you can’t pick you airline or even flight time. Is it really worth the savings? Wouldn’t you rather have peace of mind know everything will be ok and taken care? And that no matter the problems that come up, you’ll have someone there to help you understand your options? I know I would feel better. Also know, most travel agents can find the same if not better pricing than you can.

6^th: Travel agents show you only trips that pay them a higher commission rate.

        False: If all travel agents did this we would have no clients. The playing field has evened out in the commission areas these days now. Companies are offering the same percentage rates making no one company better than the other in commission areas. The truth is while agents may recommend the same companies often it’s just because they’re use to working with them and have generated a good relationship with them. They know the ins and outs of the area and are able to make a more magical experience for you, but as always the choice is yours on where and who you want to go through.

7^th: My vacation is too small for an agent to want to take care of.

        False: Travel agents don’t discriminate on any vacation, no matter how big or small.  We’re here to make even your mini-vacation an awesome experience.

8^th: Using a Travel agent isn’t convenient.

       False: Maybe back in the days when you had to rush into an office in between your lunch break to talk to some yes, but now in the days of home based and independent agents no. Now agents are more convenient to work with thanks to new high tech technology, social media, e-mail, and video chat.

9^th: A travel agent will pressure me to buy.

       False:  Travel agents business relies on the loyalty of their clients and the referrals they get from them. If you at any time feel uncomfortable or pressured, you are less likely to use us again or tell your friends of our services. Yes many agents are trained in the business art of closing a deal but it is not used to pressure you into anything you’re not sure of.  Things we may stress to you at time of booking are usually time sensitive matters, like special prices that may need to be booked sooner than later to save you money.

10^th: A home-based agent is less professional or not a real agent.

         False: An agent that may work from home or a home based office is just as professional as someone who has an agency office you can walk into. Agents that work from home work very hard because they have no office you’re just walking into off the street. They have to be creative in how they present themselves and market their business. They have the same training opportunities as office based agents and the room to grow professionally, with connivance of open business hours that are better to fit your flexible schedule. And I am proud to call myself one of these types of agents.   

  I hope some of the information in this blog today has helped clear up some miss information that any of you may have had about travel agents. The reason all of us do what we do is because we love the art of planning a vacation. And love taking care of our clients and their families. And love putting that giant smile on your faces when you reach your destination. When you have a travel agent from Travel Time you don’t just have an agent working for you, you have a friend. And you’re a part of a great and always growing community. 

By Jenny at Travel Time Travel

Jenny@traveltimetravel.com

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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!