Travel Tip of the Week: Should I Buy Travel Insurance?

Hope this answers some of questions that revolve around the subject of travel insurance.

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.

Good Offer or Disney PR? A Survey

Please take a moment to answer a few questions. Just curious to see more reaction and opinions about Disney's latest "Give 1, Get 1" promotion. Thanks for participating.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

"What Will You Celebrate?"

I feel that one of my jobs as a travel professional is to help my clients cut through some of the promotional hype that we get bombarded with on a daily basis and make sure everyone understands what they are getting for the money etc.

In the case of Disney's latest promotion announced earlier today, I want to make sure everyone knows exactly what they will get in return for what they will give. As a way of extending Disney's "What will you celebrate" promo, Disney announced a new "Give one, get one" deal. The idea is that they want you and I to be volunteers and, in return for our efforts, Disney will reward us with something. By tying it into the "Celebration" promo, you might automatically assume that the offer is somewhat the same, but that is not true. The "Celebration" deal offered guests either a free day in the park (not to be combined with any package deal), a gift card in the amount of a day's park pass to be used inside the parks etc, or a special fast pass card. Most clients and guests did not qualify for the free 1 day admission so the next best option was the gift card. I know several who used the gift card and loved it.

I was actually expecting the same offer to be applied to the "Give one, get one" deal, and was surprised to learn that it did not. Here are the options, besides a free day in the park, once you "qualify" for the promo:

• Disney's Special FASTPASS® card for certain attractions for themselves and up to five additional members of their party
• A collectible Ear Hat figurine with exclusive trading pins
• Donate their ticket to a non-profit organization designated by Disney Parks

Again...you need to know that the free day in the park will mainly apply to those who live in Florida near the parks who can drive over to spend the day and who would not normally purchase a Disney Package Vacation. So that leaves most guests with choosing between the 3 other options listed above which, as you can see, no longer includes a gift card in the amount of a one day pass.

While I love the idea of more people doing community work and volunteering, it seems that this promo leaves a little to be desired in the way of benefit to the guests as much as it gives Disney some great PR especially since they are ending the current "Birthday Treat" option (end of 2009).

I also want you to be aware that not everyone will be able to qualify for the offer. The terms and conditions will lay out a specific set of organizations that you have to volunteer with in order to qualify. After doing some research, I found that most of those organizations are only in the larger cities which will make it impossible for so many guests to qualify who live in more rural settings.

More details of the "qualifying organizations" will be coming out later this year and I will be keeping everyone up to speed as things become more clear etc. I hope this helps everyone see the true picture behind this particular promotion. And please do not think I am out to bash Disney. I love Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line, but I never want to get to the point that I over hype something just because I personally like that company or destination.

Please feel free to ask any question or leave a comment in general.

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

Be More Than a Tourist

A tourist, by definition, is someone who travels. So why then is a travel professional (me) telling you to be more than a tourist. Let me further explain. I want you to be more than a tourist, I want you to be a traveler. Is that clearer? Maybe not, so let me give you another definition. A traveler is defined as someone who “travels or has traveled to distant places or foreign lands.”

The two terms may seem synonymous, but they are not. Both the tourist and the traveler go to visit places beyond their own towns and cities, yet the tourist is not the same as the traveler. I can drive 3 hours to the east of my hometown and visit a city in which I have never stepped foot in before and be a tourist. I can go learn of its history and see its highlights and be 100% a tourist, but not a traveler. That city or town 3 hours away would still be a town I could relate to. The same types of folks would probably be in that town as they are near my home. I would have food choices that would be well within my comfort zone. I may or may not seek out anything that would be a “new experience” for me because I would not be forced to. So many like to travel only to those places that offer the same comforts of home and where they will not be forced to see things through the lives and eyes of people completely different from themselves.

A traveler, on the other hand, will embrace the “new.” They will seek out the unfamiliar and different as they journey across the country and around the globe. Each step or mile that a traveler takes is soaked in as part of the experience. Now I am not saying that you have to get a passport and plan a trip to across the ocean to a new Country. But what I am saying is that more “tourists” need to look at their trips as journeys and look at destinations that take themselves out of the norm. People need to start their journey from the time that they leave their home and until they return.

Try to look at things through the eyes and lives of others as you traverse from place to place. Take each moment and soak up the sounds and smells of each destination. Each place has more to offer than what is in the tour guide books. There are people who can teach you so much more just by being observant of how life is going on around you. The temptation is to always seek out the familiar when traveling to a new place, but I want to challenge you to search for things that you have never seen or tasted before and use your journeys as stepping stones to personal growth.

We all need to slow down and see the things around us when we take our journeys. My most memorable moments from any of my travels has been the interaction with those who make those places their homes and it is those moments that make me more than a tourist.

So are you a traveler? Do you like to see and experience people and cultures that are far different than your own? When and where was the last place that you journeyed to where you were taken out of your comfort zone? What was that experience like?