Adventures by Disney- Central Europe

Our Central Europe ABD was one of the greatest metropolitan adventures we've ever done!  Prague was a beautiful city to explore with so much history to learn.  We had some AMAZING food experiences throughout the trip, but one of my favorites was our walking food tour through Prague.  Never have I had so many authentic, delicious bites and I'm really missing the sausages right about now.  

Salzburg was probably my favorite city with beautiful scenery everywhere.  Salzburg was also my favorite stop because our Sound of Music tour was out of this world!  So many movie moments and even a special treat at the gazebo (shhh... can't tell but maybe you can figure it out from the pics!).  We truly enjoyed our dinner at St. Peter Stiftskeller restaurant and loved getting to know our trip mates even better.  One of our Salzburg days, we had to option of hiking to the Ice Cave, or going to a local farm for a cheese making class.  We chose the cheese making and it was the BEST morning ever!  We toured the small family farm, learned how to make cheeses from the farmer's wife, and had an amazing cheese tasting time.  I love that ABD incorporates alternate activities if there's something that might need one.  We chose the cheese making since we had been in Norway and Iceland prior and were ready to not be around ice. Ha! 

Another day in Salzburg was spent in the salt mine (super fun!) and at a local brewery for beer tasting!  If you don't drink, no worries... ABD always makes sure everyone is covered and they offered a number of non-alcoholic drinks including a local lemonade made with hops.  It was delicious!  

We made our way to Vienna for the last few days of our trip. We started our time with a tour of Shonbrunn Palace and a strudel making demonstration.  Absolutely yummy! An evening private after-hours  tour of the Vienna Zoo was really fun, as was the dinner inside the zoo under the Emperor's Pavillion.   The next day was full of more fun with time at the Spanish Riding School (we went inside the stables while everyone else had to watch from behind the glass walls), and a private waltz class with a great teacher.  I was SO proud of my husband and 15yo son for taking part and rocking the waltz!  Definitely will always treasure the memory of waltzing with my hubby in Vienna... and we would have NEVER done that without ABD! 

Something we really appreciated on this particular trip was the amount of on your own time given, especially in Vienna.  There are SO many choices of things to do, or you can just take it easy and take a nap.  YOU get to decide your pace for free time!  We've learned to really value that free time built in.  We've found that when ABD gives you on-your-own time, it's because there's interesting things to see, do, and eat in your location.

By: Heather Williams

Jo@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!

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Returns to Walt Disney World Resort Nov. 8

From live entertainment and spectacular fireworks to festive décor and an oh-so-jolly parade, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party offers magic, cheer and enchantment for Guests of every age. Here’s a look at some of the fun your Clients will experience at this annual yuletide after-hours event:

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade
It’s a holiday parade brimming with cheer! Gingerbread men, elves and others dance down Main Street, U.S.A. with favorite Disney Characters. Plus, Santa joins in the fun to wish Guests a "Merry Christmas!" from his colorful sleigh!

Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season
Brilliant white lights explode in the air above Cinderella Castle in this breathtaking music and fireworks show.

Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle
As a gift to Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother waves her wand, and with a bibbidi-bobbidi-boo enchants the castle with sparkling white lights. Magnificent icicles seem to form instantly over the parapets and towers of the royal palace, as the lights wink and shimmer to a medley of heartwarming Disney tunes.

A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas!
Buzz Lightyear, Mike Wazowski and Stitch fight holiday doldrums across the galaxy in this jolly musical revue chock full of the coolest dance numbers.

Celebrate the Season Show
‘Tis the season to give gifts, and Mickey’s present to Minnie is not to be missed! Goofy, Donald and others get into the holiday spirit with their own version of The Nutcracker in this jubilant musical spectacle.
And More!

• Meet-and-greet opportunities with favorite Disney Characters
• Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa
• A magical snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place from 7 p.m.-12 a.m. at Magic Kingdom Park on Nov. 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29, Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18, 2015.

www.traveltimetravel.com or 1-855-468-8896

Gingerbread Cookie~ Recipe!!!

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Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa 

Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients
2 sticks softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 eggs
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground star anise
1 teaspoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
Ingredients for decorations optional
1/4 cup milk
1 cup colored sugar granules

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until smooth using an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
2. Sift all the remaining dry ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl and mix well. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until a dough forms
3. Remove dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap; place in refrigerator until firm, two to four hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets.
5. Remove dough from refrigerator and allow dough to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes, until pliable. Divide dough in half and place on floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out until about 1/8 inch thick. While rolling, flour the work surface and rolling pin as needed.
6. Cut out desired cookie shapes with cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to a greased cookie sheet, placing them 1 inch apart.
7. Lightly brush cookies with milk and sprinkle with sugar granules as desired.
8. Bake until firm and edges begin to darken, 10-14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Baby Centers at Walt Disney World

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  Baby Centers by JenniferM@traveltimetravel.com

  So you're traveling to one of the Disney parks with a baby or toddler? Are you stressing over how you'll handle diaper changes, feedings or even the dreaded potty training time? Have no fear, Baby Care Centers are located in each park (with exception of water parks, resort hotels, and Downtown Disney)! Each care center has the following to offer:

• Private nursing rooms
• Changing rooms
• Feeding area
• Kitchen with microwave, oven and sink
• Cozy living room area with TV, chairs, and sofa
• Also an on site shop that offers formula, baby food, diapers, wipes, sunscreen, over the counter medicine, and even clothing.

At Walt Disney World you can find a center at each park, which are centrally located for quick access. At the water parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney the bathrooms have changing tables for guest. At Magical Kingdom the center is located near The Crystal Palace. At Epcot the center is located near Odyssey Center. At Hollywood Studio it is located right near the entrance. Then Animal Kingdom's center is located by Creature Comforts.

At Disneyland the care center is located near Plaza Inn. They also have a location at Disney California Adventure, which is located near Ghiradeli Soda Fountain. 

Each location also acts as a lost child location. So if a cast member finds a child who has lost their parents they will take the child to this location. If you have a lost child find your nearest Cast Member and they will assist you.

As a parent of a toddler knowing all this makes me stress less and I hope you find all the information very helpful! 

Contact Jennifer M

Jenniferm@traveltimetravel.com

1-855-GOT TTWM  Ext  133  

No More Guest Assistance Cards at Disneyland/WDW

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The existing Guest Assistance Card (GAC) program is set to be discontinued and replaced with a new system on Wednesday, October 9th at Disneyland and DCA. The existing Guest Assistance Card will cease to exist on October 9th.

In its place will be an entirely new program called the Disabled Assistance System (DAS). The DAS will work similarly to the “return passes” issued at popular rides like Star Tours 2.0 and Radiator Springs Racers, where currently a GAC holder gets a Fastpass-style return time hand written on a card based on the current Standby wait time. But with DAS, that concept will be rolled out to several dozen high-wait attractions in Anaheim. Instead of going to the actual ride to get a return card, a DAS holder will report to one of several Guest Relations kiosks that will be set up around the parks, with a current plan to have four kiosks in Disneyland (Fantasyland alone gets their own kiosk) and three kiosks in DCA. The DAS holder will present their card and tell the Guest Relations CM which attraction they want to ride, the CM will look at the current wait time via the official Disney Mobile Magic app on an iPad, and will then write out a return time for that attraction and subtract 10 or 15 minutes to make up for the travel time to and from the kiosk.

Only one ride reservation on a DAS card can be made at a time, so if the current wait for Space Mountain is 60 minutes and your return time is written for 45 minutes later, a DAS holder will not get another return time printed on their DAS until the first one has expired. A person with a DAS card could go and do anything else in the park in the meantime; watch a parade, see a show, have lunch, go on low-wait time attractions, pull a regular Fastpass for any other attraction, etc. But only one ride time can be reserved at a time with DAS, unlike the existing GAC which serves as basically an open Fastpass for any Fastpass lane in the park or an access card to go up the exit on any other type of attraction. The DAS changes that quite dramatically.

The DAS cards will be issued only at Guest Relations offices in both parks, and the DAS kiosks are only for checking in for a specific ride. There will be no different stamps on the DAS like the current GAC with its half dozen stamp codes; you will either be issued a DAS or you will be instructed to use a wheelchair or other aid for your mobility issue. DAS will only be issued for one day at a time, although folks who can prove they are staying at a hotel for a few days could get a DAS dated for a short length of stay.

The person who is disabled and who has the DAS issued to them will also have their digital photo taken at Guest Relations, and the photo will be printed on the front of the DAS card and used by CM’s at the attractions to confirm that the DAS holder is actually going on the ride. The photos will prevent a current form of abuse, whereby one member of a party gets a GAC issued to them but then insists to the CM’s that they don’t want to ride they just want their children or friends to go in through the exit and skip the line while they wait nearby on a bench. Or worse, children or others in the party are coached into telling the CM’s that they are the person listed who was issued the GAC. To use a DAS, the person the DAS is issued to must be present at the kiosk and at the attraction and must go on the ride for the DAS privilege to work for the rest of the party.

There are more radical changes in DCA, where all queues and park facilities meet ADA requirements for wheelchair accessibility. In DCA, a person in a wheelchair or ECV won’t receive any extra courtesies or services beyond those visitors who are not in a wheelchair. People visiting DCA in wheelchairs likely won’t qualify for a DAS, and will now experience the park as everyone else does, including waiting in Standby lines and juggling Fastpass return times. The task of implementing that culture change will be more intense in Anaheim than Orlando as there are currently 55 attractions at Disneyland Resort that use a ride vehicle, and about 35 of those have wheelchair accessible queues. Comparatively, there are a total of 46 attractions at Walt Disney World’s four parks combined that use a ride vehicle, and 38 of those have wheelchair accessible queues. There are more rides overall at Disneyland Resort compared to WDW, and more of them in Anaheim are not wheelchair accessible.

At Disneyland Park there are 20 rides that have been identified as non-wheelchair accessible, and at those 20 rides an accommodation of going through the exit or a Fastpass lane will be offered to those in wheelchairs. A person in a wheelchair doesn’t need a DAS to get access at those attractions, thereby limiting the issuing of DAS cards in that park. Disneyland’s operations teams are studying ways to restore the wheelchair accessibility designed into the queues of some newer rides, like Indiana Jones, to allow a DCA-style equity to exist at as many Disneyland rides as possible. It should be noted that the work implementing DAS, which has had lots of executive involvement from both coasts, has now generated serious discussion in TDA on creating a five-year plan of capital expenditure to go in to those older rides and retrofit them with wheelchair accessible queues. But that’s still a few years away.

The goal behind DAS is to still offer service to those who may need it, but to also eliminate the wild excesses of the GAC system which operated on most days and on most rides as an unlimited Fastpass card and/or a backdoor pass to slip in via the exit with a much shorter wait. The one exception to the DAS program is made for Make-A-Wish children. A new Genie lanyard has been created for Make-A-Wish children that will act like an unlimited Fastpass and instant backdoor access card (basically the same thing as the current GAC with the “green light” stamp on it), and it will be sent to the families just before their visit directly from the Make-A-Wish headquarters in Phoenix. The Make-A-Wish cards won’t be kept on Disney property, at the specific request of Disney to avoid any ability to use that courtesy for anyone other than qualified Make-A-Wish visitors.

Guest Relations and Attractions Cast Members in both parks have already been scheduled classroom training for the DAS program through late September and early October. The Guest Relations team will get the most intensive training day, as they’ll be on the front lines of this new system as they try and reel in expectations of Annual Passholders used to having a GAC with easy access to any ride they wanted. Staffing for Guest Relations is being beefed up as much as possible beginning with roll-out day on Wednesday, October 9th, and the Security department has also been asked to help staff officers in Guest Relations centers in Disneyland and DCA to help with anyone who may get verbally abusive or threaten violence against those Guest Relations CM’s doling out the more restrictive DAS cards.

Written by Disney Treasures — September 17, 2013