Walt Disney World 101...Part 3

I hear so many first-time visitors question the need to visit every park at Walt Disney World. Some have heard that certain parks are not as "kid-friendly" etc and that is simply false information which is why I felt the need to briefly describe each of the 4 MAIN parks that make up Walt Disney World. I hope this short video helps clarify what each park can offer guests of all ages.

Walt Disney World 101...Part 2

This segment discusses the various ticket options that someone will need to consider when planning a Walt Disney World vacation.

Walt Disney World 101--Part 1

A very long-overdue series related to booking a Walt Disney World vacation. This the first part in a series that I have planned which are directed more towards the 1st time Disney vacationer. Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments. And as always...thanks for watching and reading.

Tips For a Less Stressful Holiday Travel Season

Family memories are what the holiday season is all about. It is a time for us to take a break from the stresses of life and remember the things that make life more meaningful. But for some...their holiday will get off to a less than relaxing start and the sad thing is, most of the troubles that come with holiday travel could have been avoided. I hope these tips in this short video help you have a more enjoyable holiday season if you are among the thousands that will be flying to and from their holiday destination.

Travel Tip of the Week...Understanding the Real Costs of a Flight

Hotel Reviews...Take Them With A Grain Of Salt!

Travel Tip of the Week: Stay Calm!

If you are the type to not stay calm when things are not going your way during your travels...this video is for you.

Walt Disney World Quick Service Dining Options

As the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan starts to gain some popularity, I wanted to give our top quick service or counter service (as they are also known as) options along with a snack option or two that you might not have thought of.

First...our #1 quick service (counter service) option is in Epcot. Sunshine Seasons is downstairs in the “Land Pavilion.” Unlike some quick service options where you have your standard chicken strip, hamburger, hotdog, pizza option...Sunshine Seasons offers everything from Mongolian Stir Fry to Rotisserie Chicken to Wood-grilled Salmon. All of their choices qualify for a counter service credit on the Disney Dining Plan. Another reason this is a favorite is because you are indoors in a nice cool spot which can’t be beat on those hot Florida days. And here is a tip that Disney probably would rather not be advertised; when you eat at most counter service restaurants within the parks, the drinks are filled and handed to you over the counter which means NO refills. Sunshine Seasons has a drink station similar to those found within the Disney resorts which means you can make your way back over there for a refill. All of these reasons make Sunshine Seasons our best overall pick for a counter service option.

Next pick would be the Columbia Harbour House in The Magic Kingdom. If I were to grade the food itself, it would get a B-. They do have different options (not as abundant as Sunshine Seasons) such as fried fish baskets and a sandwich called “The Lighthouse Sandwich” which includes hummus, tomato and broccoli. The thing that makes this a top choice for us when visiting the Magic Kingdom is the fact that they also have an abundance of inside, air-conditioned seating which is not always the case in the parks. You can go upstairs and grab a table by the window and watch happy visitors as they stroll between Fantasyland and Liberty Square. Give it a try if you haven’t already.

Moving on...our next choice would be the Flame Tree Barbecue in Animal Kingdom. Again...the food gets a B to B-. If you really are not a barbecue fan, this may not make your list, but we like it because of the plentiful shaded seating that it offers. Since it is located in Disney’s largest park, having a shaded place to sit and rest is a must and you will most likely be able to find a seat at the Flame Tree Barbecue (and I also love BBQ).

I am going to switch gears as we move on to Hollywood Studios. We really do not have a “favorite” counter service option in this park. You have the standard choices such as hamburgers, pizza, cold sandwiches etc. A lot of the counter service options do not have a tremendous amount of indoor seating which means you may be forced to sit outside in the heat. So I am going to mention our favorite snack and resting spot that is somewhat off the beaten path. If you walk past Mickey’s hat and head to the left, you will come to Commissary Lane. As you make your way to the end of Commissary Lane, you will then find the Sci Fi Dine-in Theater Restaurant. Once you get there...walk on past that and you will see a little shop called “The Writer’s Shop.” I am always shocked to see how many people pass by this little shop without even peaking inside because here again you will find air-conditioning, comfortable seats, books to browse through and a variety of coffees to choose from as well as sodas and water. In addition you can find great muffins and pastries and other snacks to choose from as you take a break. It is such a quiet spot...I am almost hesitant to give the tip as to keep it a secret.

Last recommendation I will give is again related to snacks. Our must-do on every trip now is to make our way to Adventureland in The Magic Kingdom and buy a Dole Whip. To us...there is no better way to spend a snack credit. They are a great alternative to the standard popcorn, ice cream bar, or bottle of water option.

Well there you have it. There are our choices for quick service meals and snacks. Hopefully these will help some of you who may be planning your first visit to “The Happiest Place on Earth” or maybe give some of you “veterans” some other options that you may have passed up on previous visits. If you have been before...what are some of your favorite options for quick (counter) service meals? What are some must-do snack items that you buy on every visit? Please leave a comment or question.

Travel Tip of the Week: Airline Travel

Traveling Tip: How to Pack a Suit

A good friend of mine has asked me to provide some tips on how best to pack a suit when traveling. You can do research on the internet and find out quickly that there are different ideas of which packing technique is the best. A lot of links will advise packing a suit in a garment bag and then place that bag in your regular suitcase folded up nicely etc. Most of these tips then go on to recommend that you remove the suit immediately upon arriving at your destination and hang it up in the bathroom as you run hot water to help "steam" any wrinkles out.

I want to provide you with one link and one video that I believe show the best comnbined options for packing a suit and arriving at your destination with minimal wrinkles and creases. First clink on the one below to see a step by step illustration how to best pack a business suit.

Packing a suit

Next...here is a video that shows you the best way to make use of the space in your suitcase when packing. Pay attention to the tip regarding tissue paper and apply it to the tip in the link above.

I hope this helps minimize those awful creases and wrinkles that plague travelers who need their suits or meetings, events, presentations etc quickly upon their arrival at their destination.

If you have additional packing tips that you would like to share, please leave a comment. Also...if this has been helpful in any way...I would love to hear from you.

Travel Tip of the Week-Beach Vacations

Read the Fine Print

I am sure you all have seen the famous hovercraft by now as it makes it grand entrance onto your television screen. The blue-suited pilot steps out to deliver the good news to some of the vacationers as the story goes. The good news is how “some” of the men or women will be receiving a rebate for part of their vacation costs because they booked with Orbitz online. The story (commercial) goes on to explain how someone booked their same hotel at a cheaper rate so these lucky travelers are getting refunded the difference which is $100 for the purpose of their commercial. But there is always a sad part of the commercial; there is always one poor soul who doesn’t get a refund because they didn’t book with Orbitz and the famous blue-suited man will then expound, “I think we have learned a valuable lesson here” implying you should only book with Orbitz who gives you this “wonderful price guarantee.”

Now here is the reality of this sort of commercial. First, there will be those who make a decision to book with Orbitz solely based on that commercial and with the idea that they will get a rebate if the price drops. Second, there will be those who book with Orbitz based on the commercial because they will also assume that Orbitz’s prices must be the lowest if they are going to give that sort of guarantee. And third, there will be those who never get rebates because they never read the fine print and they will still assume they got “the best deal.”

It is my job, as a travel professional, to help people weed through those sales ploys so travelers know exactly what they are paying and what they are getting for the price. So let me give you the “Terms and Conditions” of the “Low Price Guarantee” so you can see for yourself how hard it will be for anyone to get a refund from Orbitz.

1. Orbitz Price AssuranceSM is available to any customer who makes a qualifying pre-paid hotel booking through the Orbitz.com Web site. Qualifying booking must occur on Orbitz.com on or after May 1, 2009
2. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to pre-paid hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com, and only for rooms booked using a valid credit card with a United States or Canadian billing address.
3. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to the hotel room cost and does not apply to differences based on taxes, booking, or processing fees.
4. If Orbitz finds, after you have booked your hotel, that another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same hotel, meaning the same check-in/check-out dates, room type, room description, number of rooms, number of travelers, at the same hotel and subject to the same restrictions, that is at least $5 lower than the hotel you booked on Orbitz.com, Orbitz will refund you the difference up to a maximum of $500.00 per reservation.
5. The confirmed hotel reservation you booked on Orbitz.com will be compared to the same reservation subsequently booked on Orbitz.com for drops in rates up until the day you stay. Rates are compared with like room descriptions, so for example, if a single room with two double beds is booked on Orbitz.com, it will not qualify for Orbitz Price Assurance if compared to a single room with one king bed found on the Orbitz.com Web site.
6. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to lower room rates that are available on other Web sites, to rooms you cancel or change, or to reservations booked prior to yours.
7. If your qualifying hotel booked on Orbitz.com is canceled or changed by you after booking, your claim or any potential refund will not be valid or issued.
8. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotel rates that are not available to the general public. Rates not available to the general public include, but are not limited to, corporate discount rates, private rates, government rates, military rates, meeting rates, wholesaler rates or consolidator rates.
9. Orbitz Price Assurance is only available on pre-paid hotel rooms, and is not available on hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com where you pay the hotel directly, or reservations of five or more rooms.
10. Pre-paid hotel rooms qualify for both Price Assurance and our Low Price Guarantee.
11. Only hotels displayed with a "Price Assurance" symbol are covered by the Price Assurance Program.
12. Orbitz Price Assurance is for individual rooms booked on Orbitz.com and does not apply to package rates, such as rooms booked as part of a travel package.
13. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotels booked on Orbitz.com that have been reduced as a result of promotional code, dollar off coupon, loyalty program discount, or stay free offers. If you make a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for Price Assurance; if another traveler makes a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for a refund based on that traveler's reduced rate

There are more terms and conditions that are pretty standard after these that explain how they reserve the right to terminate this offer at any time etc., but I think you get the picture. If you read the parts in bold you will see that Orbitz makes it almost impossible to qualify for their “price assurance” program. So if you make a room reservation with them under the assumption you are protected against any lower price being found, think again and read the fine print. Also...if you remember the commercials, they show the man in the blue suit giving back checks in the amount of $100. If you read the terms again, you will see that it is almost impossible for you to have a room rate booked that someone else will come along on the same site and book it $100 cheaper than you did. False or misleading advertising anyone???

I say all of this to say, PLEASE know what you are paying for when it comes to travel. I see this sort of thing a lot and is not applicable only to sites like Orbitz. There are “deals” offered all the time that have caveats and terms that must be met in order to qualify and are often used and lead-in deals meaning they get you to look at their site or company under the assumption you are getting a great deal only then to learn that the deal is not applicable to you. But so many go ahead and book with that person or company because they were “sold” before they ever booked anything.

Again...it is my job to help you understand what you are paying for and also to help you have the best vacation possible which sometimes does not mean that you got the absolutely lowest price possible. Sometimes the lowest price means staying in a room in a much less desirable part of the hotel where it might be noisy or "miles away" from the pools or restaurants. Sometimes the lowest price means that you will be leaving for your vacation at the crack of dawn or arriving late in the night. Do you want to spend you entire first day of your vacation en route and in airports? A lot of travelers would not consider that an ideal start to their vacation.

Have you always found the "lowest price" also meant you got a "great deal?" Is price the only factor when looking for vacation options? Would you book with someone like Orbitz because of their low price guarantee? I am interested to get your feedback. Have you booked a trip based on a really low price to only later find out that some of the details were not that desirable? Please leave your feedback or comments.

Travel Tip of the Week...Which cruise cabin should I choose?