Disney® Visa® Cardmembers: Save up to 40% on a stay at Disney’s NEW Resort

Enjoy this special Disney Visa Cardmember offer! Save up to 40% on room rates at the brand new Disney’s Riviera Resort for stays most nights December 16, 2019 through March 31, 2020.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to take in the majesty of Disney’s Riviera Resort, the newest resort—opening December 16, 2019 - at Walt Disney World! Influenced by the grandeur of Europe, this enchanting escape offers beautiful scenery, a wide variety of comfortable rooms and convenient transportation to Walt Disney World Resort theme parks!

The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Length of stay requirements may apply.

Important Details

• Must mention this offer and use a valid Disney Visa Card or Disney Rewards Redemption Card to pay the deposit.
• Disney® Visa® Cardmember must stay in room.
• Offer is nontransferable.
• Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room at Deluxe Resorts and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.
• Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Advance reservations required.

To book your Disney vacation, contact Simply Perfect Vacations. As your Disney Vacation Planner, SPV will help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things we will do for FREE:

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

Maleficent Returns to Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade

Everyone’s favorite villain, Maleficent, is returned to Magic Kingdom® Park this week to re-take her rightful place in Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade…and it looks like she’s had some work done…although she would probably never admit it!

While she still has her same Steampunk style and signature wicked smile, the Maleficent dragon will be sporting a refreshed look, enhanced with new safety features designed to keep her in check. And in true Maleficent fashion, she’s all about making a grand entrance!

For Disney Vacation pricing, contact me! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

To book your Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding a professional Disney Vacation Planner, contact me by: email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; answer a few quick questions to request a quote; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46!

My Viking Cruise Experience

My husband and I went on a Viking Ocean cruise for our honeymoon and it was an amazing experience, a truly luxurious experience. We picked Viking because we wanted a nice experience and, most importantly, we wanted something where there would be no guessing game as to the cost - Viking’s all inclusive pricing was what won us over. 

Our Viking Ship, the Viking Sky.

Most cruises, nickel and dime you from the moment you book your stateroom. On other cruise lines guests have to paying extra for excursions, WiFi, specialty dining experiences, and even entertainment on the ship costs extra. We did not want that.  Viking includes so much value we couldn't say no! On Viking, every stateroom has a balcony; all of the restaurants (even specialty restaurants and room service that most cruise lines are now charging for); one shore excursion in every port; free WiFi onboard; free wine, beer and soft drinks at lunch and dinner; and greatly priced airfare that includes transportation to the port. 

Welcome to your Viking cruise!

We sailed on the Viking Sky for Italian Sojourn cruise that goes from Rome (Civitevecchia) to Venice (or vise versa). Upon arrival to the port getting on the ship was a very easy and streamlined service. The first thing I noticed, which would be a theme for our week on the ship, was not having to wait. We didn’t have to wait to get our luggage taken by porters; did not have to wait to check-in; we did not wait to go through security; nor was there a wait to get on the ship. I love not having to wait, my husband loves it more. (This was something that made our experience that much better and it was also something we didn’t even think about when contemplating which cruise to with.) 

No lines!

After a fast check-in and receiving our security key card we made our way directly to the non-existent security line.  Security was fast, allowing us to to headed directly onto the ship. Right before the ship was a red Viking tent with a few chairs, a basket of apples for guests to take and a pamphlet that had information about the city we were currently in - which was nice for the ports where we went on our own after our included excursion. 

Viking's Red Tent with chairs, apples, city guides and water (on the ship).

After picking up a pamphlet, we boarded the ship and we were handed a glass of champagne! Nothing says "welcome to vacation" like a welcome glass of champagne. 

We headed straight to our stateroom, we were told at check-in that it was ready (another time we didn't have to wait). The first thing we noticed was how spacious it was. 

Large staterooms

The king sized bed was a true king (no split in the middle where two twin beds are pushed together).  Our stateroom also had lots of storage between the closet, two nightstands and built in drawers and compartments.  Plus the bed was tall enough that we could store all of our luggage underneath and not have to see again until it was time to depart. 

A glimpse of the large closet back to our cabin's front door.  

One of the things that sold us on Viking was that all of the staterooms have a balcony, even the lowest priced category has a balcony (which is what we booked)!  Our balcony had plenty of room for two chairs and a large table - perfect for having breakfast on in the morning while enjoying the view of each port we visited!

Every stateroom has a balcony 

Even the desk had storage!  The desktop is where the complimentary bottle of water was placed along with the VOX boxes that are used on excursions.  The desk also held our mini-fridge which was replenished daily with cokes and snacks which included (for us) potato chips and Toblerone bars! Some categories of staterooms will even have alcohol in their mini fridge. Our cabin steward (who was also very friendly) told us that if we prefer a certain soft drink over others, he would give us more of those. 

Complimentary snacks replenished daily. 

Our room also had a seating area with a coffee table and two comfortable armchairs and that were mainly use to place our coats on as Italy was experiencing abnormally cold weather during our honeymoon. 

Seating area with coffee table.  

The piece de resistance of our stateroom was the bathroom! The bathrooms have so much storage too - drawers at the sink and on each side of the mirror there were shelves giving us plenty of space to unpack all of our toiletries! 

Lots of bathroom storage.

The shower wasn’t one of those awkward triangular shaped ones that you can find on most ships. This was a full sized/human sized shower that had plenty of space to shampoo your hair without banging your elbows! The shower also had a little ledge to sit on. 

Human sized showers in stateroom's bathroom.

An unexpected element of the bathroom was the heated floors! This was so nice in the mornings or after a rainy excursion. Large shower, countertops, storage and heated floors - what more could you ask for out of a stateroom bathroom? 


The food was excellent on our Viking cruise. All of it was also complimentary, even the specialty restaurants and room service. This was a big sell for us and we wanted a nice meal (or two) to celebrate our marriage. 

Dessert at the Chef's Table

In the mornings we would have pots of coffee and pastries delivered to the room or we would go to the World Cafe for the breakfast buffet.  At the buffet there were so many breakfast choices including a cooked to order egg station (I got an omelette or eggs Benedict); breakfast meats; potatoes; fruit; pastries; and more! At the cooked to order station I didn’t even have to wait there, being on a small ship was such a perk! (The Viking Ocean Cruises hold 900 passengers compared to mega-liners that hold 5,000 and up. These cruises, in my experience, have a lot of hurry up and wait moments. Never once did we experience this and that was wonderful.) Our favorite part of World Cafe was the pizza; gelato and sushi stations! 

At the main dining room, the Restaurant, we never waited to be seated either.  The Restaurant is the ship’s main dining room, where dinner is served every night. Breakfast and Lunch is served here when the ship is at sea or if there is a late arrival/early departure from a port.  We only ate here for dinner.  The dinner menu has two menus - a set menu that is available every night and a specialty menu based off of where the ship was for the day (this one changes daily). 

The Restaurant

As with all Viking Ocean cruises wine, beer and soda are included at meals - another great perk as we do enjoy a drink with dinner.  The wine changed daily as to what was the included wine but there was always a red or white to select from.  We actually opted for the Silver Spirits package (Viking’s drink package that includes any drinks - except champagne - throughout the day for less than $20 per person per night) so we could have specialty coffees in the morning and drinks after dinner at no extra charge. 

A glass of wine after dinner at the Explorer's Lounge. 

Another spot we enjoyed eating at was the Pool Grille.  We ate here a lot for lunch after morning excursions before heading back out into the city.  There was a Viking Burger that was very good, a Philly Cheesesteak that my husband loved; and various other sandwiches. There was also a salad bar that served rotational items. 

Pool Grille Menu

Our favorite specialty restaurant was Manfredi’s, an Italian restaurant.  Once again, no extra charge for eating here!  The food was outstanding, we ate here our last night and I wish we ate here every night as the food was so good (I want to remind you we were on a cruise sailing around Italy and this food was still amazing). 

Manfredi's Dining Room

Another huge value of a Viking Cruise are the included excursions.  At each port there was at least one included excursion.  We knew that booking our cruise that we wouldn’t have to pay extra to explore the cities we went to - either by booking an excursions that wasn’t included or having to pay for transportation to go sightsee on our own.  The included excursions, in our experience, provided transportation and a local guide to tell us about what we were seeing.  After the tour was over we could take the transportation back to the ship if we desired, or we could stay and walk around in the city center.  A lot of times we did this and would ask our guide where we should eat lunch/what we should do.  All of the guides were extremely friendly - a few went out of their way to walk us directly to a restaurant they recommended! 

In Messina on a complimentary excursion.

We did pay for two excursions on our cruise - I was not going to Italy without experiencing a winery!  These were worth every penny we spent.  A lot of cities we went to, Viking provided transportation from the port to the city center!  So if our excursion was a half day, we could go right back out without having to worry about getting a cab/walking a far distance. It was a very nice and unexpected perk. 


The last big perk of our cruise was access to the LivNordic Spa. 

Hot tub and loungers at the spa

Massages, facials, etc. were not complimentary, those were at an extra, reasonable, cost. There was complimentary access to the hot tubs, heated loungers, sauna and snow grotto.  Yes, there is a room full of freshly made snow as part of the Nordic spa tradition to stimulate one’s circulatory system. I did not do this but my husband did and loved it! 

Snow Grotto

Overall, the ship was gorgeous and the crew were extremely friendly and would go out of their way to help you.  The main stairwell of the ship had an electronic screen that would display a beautiful picture that represented each port.  The ship had a very clean and streamlined look overall.

Changing Picture

The large pool in the middle of the ship, also where you'll find the Pool Grille, had a retractable cover that allowed us to enjoy the area still despite the abnormally cool temperatures Italy was experiencing during our visit.  At night this is where they would play a movie.  They handed out popcorn and blankets for this nightly movie as well!

Pool

If you think that the all-inclusive Viking cruise experience is a perfect fit for you please contact me for pricing! Viking sails all over the world with sailings in Europe, Alaska, Caribbean, Transatlantic and more. All Viking cruises (both ocean and river) that are booked with me, guests will receive a FREE onboard credit to spend as you wish on your cruise! If you have questions about Viking or would like pricing please email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46!

New Years Celebrations at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Planning ahead for big holiday events is very important, and New Year’s Eve is right there at the top of the list. If you are looking for a unique experience outside of the theme parks, Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the place to be. But don't wait to book because party bookings are now available!

To ring in 2019, two New Year’s Eve celebrations are available at Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Pixar Party: A New Year’s Eve Celebration (recommended for families) and Disney Countdown to Midnight, including an option to purchase VIP access to the Ink and Paint Club (recommended for adults without kids). Both celebrations will feature entertainment, music, food and other refreshments, plus a viewing of the  New Year’s Eve fireworks at Magic Kingdom® Park to cap off the night. Here’s what else to expect at each party:

Pixar Party: A New Year’s Eve Celebration (8 p.m.-12:15 a.m.)

This New Year’s Eve, welcome in 2019 with a festive, family-friendly frolic through some childhood joys during Pixar Party: A New Year’s Eve Celebration at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Sarge from Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story films will welcome Guests as they arrive at the second floor of the resort. Once inside, Guests will discover spaces that have been transformed with scenes from beloved Pixar movies. Highlights of the evening include:

• Being enveloped in the worlds of various Disney•Pixar films, like “Inside Out,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo” and “Up,” including meeting some of your favorite characters.
• Kids’ activities, including Boot Camp with Sarge, Pixar Face Painting and a balloon artist creating favorite Pixar characters.
• An interactive DJ spinning Radio Disney hits from his Cars-inspired DJ Rig, complete with tires and road signs right out of Radiator Springs.
• A delicious buffet dinner, including Woody’s Favorite Lemon Thyme Chicken Breast, Wall-E’s Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi, Rex’s Manhattan Filet, Sulley’s Beast White Cheddar Baked Mac & Cheese, build-your-own salad options, desserts, kids’ favorites like chicken fingers and more.
• A viewing of the famous Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Tickets are $190 per person, including tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, call me, Lauren Gonding a Disney Vacation Planner at 800-883-1535 x 46!

Disney Countdown to Midnight (8 p.m.-12:15 a.m.)

This New Year’s Eve, dress up and party during Disney Countdown to Midnight – an evening of dining, dancing and enchantment in the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Discover a world sparkling with magic – everything from a Mickey Mouse mirror ball to Disney Character topiaries – as you move and groove to the high-energy New Year’s Bash Band and a live DJ providing music all night long. Other highlights of the evening include:

• A “cheftainment” station featuring a seasonal menu inspired by some Disney Signature Dining restaurants – with a touch of Disney magic.
• A special appearance by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.
• At the end of the night, Guests will be invited out to the porte cochère, where they will receive a Champagne flute and welcome 2019 with a viewing of the famous Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Tickets are $275, including tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, call call me, Lauren Gonding a Disney Vacation Planner at 800-883-1535 x 46!

Ink and Paint Club experience (7 p.m.-12:15 a.m.)

Offered only as a VIP enhancement to the Disney Countdown to Midnight party and located adjacent to the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, this special reception begins prior to the opening of the main event. At the Ink and Paint Club, Guests will step back in time into a vintage Disney Animation-inspired room with silver Chiavari chairs, metallic tables and references to classic Disney Animation filling the room. Ticketed Guests can visit the lounge throughout the evening, starting with a featured reception from 7-8 p.m. Highlights of this special reception include:

• Photo opportunities with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse with a unique Disney Animation backdrop.
• A pianist providing live entertainment.
• Chef stations featuring king crab, tuna tartare, sheep’s milk ricotta gnocchi, cocktails, Champagne, cordials and more – all included with admission.
• Reserved seating in the Disney Countdown to Midnight Party when it opens at 8 p.m.

Disney Ink & Paint Club is only available as a part of an enhanced ticket that includes access to both the Disney Countdown to Midnight and the Ink & Paint Club for $450 total per guest. Access to Ink & Paint Club must be purchased concurrently with the Disney Countdown to Midnight ticket and cannot be added on at a later date. To purchase tickets, call call me, Lauren Gonding a Disney Vacation Planner at 800-883-1535 x 46!

Universal's First Value Resort - Now Bookable!

Universal Orlando Resort™ vacations will be getting extra affordable when their brand new resort, Surfside Inn and Suites, next August. Surfside Inn and Suites is currently offering rooms starting at $73 a night - how is that for a promotional rate! This promotional rate is valid for stays in a Standard Room for travel between 9/2/19 – 9/26/19 & 12/1/19 -12/19/19. 

To book your Universal Orlando Vacation with a Universal Travel Agent, email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com or answer a few questions here to get vacation pricing!

Artist's Rendering of 2-Bedroom Suites

This brand new hotel, the first in their Value category, has the lowest rates of any Universal hotel. In addition to standard rooms, Surfside Inn and Suites will feature spacious, two-bedroom suites that sleep six, making it the perfect spot for families of any size to experience Universal Orlando™. All suites and rooms are bright and surf-themed. As with all other Universal Orlando hotels, guests will enjoy exclusive benefits like being able to breeze into the parks an hour before other guests* and more. With complimentary transportation, it's a quick hop between the parks and the hotel. Surfside Inn and Suites will open in Summer 2019. A sister hotel, Dockside Inn and Suites, will open in 2020. Both hotels will be part of Universal's Endless Summer Resort, a vibrant and sunny retreat. 

Standard Room

Standard Room 

A bright and beachy retreat for 4, this inviting 313-square-foot room offers two queen beds with separate bath and vanity areas. Pool View rooms are also available.

2-Bedroom Suites 

Step inside this 440-square-foot suite that accommodates 6. The suite feels like a beach retreat and features 2 bedrooms, one room with 2 queen beds and the other with a single queen bed. There is also a kitchenette area, a cool picnic table for meals and hanging out, and a bathroom with separate bath and vanity areas. Pool View and Water View suites are also available.

Dining

Surfside Inn and Suites favors comfort over fuss. Guests will find this free-spirited attitude everywhere, even in their dining options. There’s a food court with a variety of stations serving three meals a day; a pool bar will offer frozen drinks, cocktails, wine and beer; there’s a coffee bar in the lobby and pizza delivery to rooms.

Amenities

When they aren't at one of Universal's three amazing theme parks, guests will be basking at the resort pools or lounging at the pool bar. They'll also enjoy the food court, fitness center, a Universal Studios Store™ and a coffee bar.

Rates and discounts vary by hotel, length of stay, room type, travel dates, season and are subject to availability. Rates are higher on Friday/Saturday and holidays. Rates are per night plus tax and the number of rooms available at these rates is limited. No group rates or other discounts apply. Blockout dates and other restrictions may apply. Reservations must be made 24-hours in advance of arrival and are subject to availability. Travel must be completed during promotional period(s).

Limited Halloween Horror Nights Offer!

New nightmares rule the darkness at Universal Studios Florida™. Haunted houses drawn from the greatest horrors chill the bravest souls. Streets transform into sinister scare zones. Mad laughter echoes from outrageous live shows. And across the park, some of Universal’s most exhilarating attractions tempt with thrilling escapes.

Be sure to add Halloween Horror Nights to your daytime thrills at Universal Orlando Resort™ for the ultimate vacation experience!

Halloween Horror Nights™ Hotel & Ticket Package

Includes 4-Night Hotel Accommodations, 3-Park 4-Day Park-to-Park Ticket to Universal Studios Florida™, Universal’s Islands of Adventure™ AND Universal’s Volcano Bay™, admission to Halloween Horror Nights™ and more on select nights September 14 - November 3.

LIMITED TIME OFFER: Book by June 6 and receive 1-Night Halloween Horror Nights™ Admission PLUS 1 Night Free Ticket^^ (Sunday–Friday) (Valid for bookings now–6/6/18 and use on any 2 Sunday–Friday event nights, 9/14/18–11/2/18).

To book your Universal Orlando Vacation with a Universal Travel Agent, email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com or answer a few questions here to get vacation pricing!

^^ The Halloween Horror Nights Flex Sunday – Friday Plus 1 Night Free Promotional Ticket entitles one (1) guest admission to two (2) 2018 Halloween Horror Nights Event nights on any Sunday – Friday event dates that are valid for ticket type. All ticket usage must be completed on or before November 2, 2018 when the ticket will expire in full. Unused nights will be forfeited. This ticket will be sold between March 22, 2018 and June 6, 2018. The Halloween Horror Nights event begins at 6:30 pm and closing times vary.

Additional Cruise Savings on Rhine Getaway Sailings

Sail Viking River Cruise's 8-day Rhine Getaway on select July and August 2018 sailings and get an additional cruise savings of up to $1,000 per couple PLUS Free Viking Air!  



The Rhine Getaway reveals a rich landscape of beauty and culture. You can overlook the Rhine from Germany’s best preserved medieval castle, savor the various culinary traditions of Alsace, explore the Black Forest region and spend time in Cologne’s Dom, a remarkable Gothic cathedral. With its medieval towns, grand cathedrals and spectacular scenery, it is no wonder the Rhine is one of Europe’s best-loved rivers.

Hurry and email me, lauren@magicaltravel.com for a free vacation quote on this sailing as this offer expires April 30th! Pricing starts at $2,499 a person plus Free Air!

Sneak Peak Video: Happily Ever After

Starting May 12, 2017 at Walt Disney World® Resort, “Happily Ever After" will take its place in Disney Park history to become the third regular nighttime fireworks show to debut ever at Magic Kingdom® Park. This new spectacular will combine the latest in fireworks, pyrotechnics, lasers, hand-drawn animation, original music, a new theme song and much more. All of these elements will work together to tell a heart-tugging story about the importance of chasing your dreams, no matter what, and finding your happily ever after.

The Disney Parks Blog was on-hand this week as the team launched one of the first run-throughs of the show in preparation for the May 12 debut. Check out this video for a sneak peek. I'm not going to lie, this sneak peak video gave me all the "Disney Feels" including goosebumps! After watching this video, I am really excited to see it in person!

To book your Walt Disney World vacation, email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com. As a Disney Vacation Planner, my FREE personalized vacation planning services will help you find a Disney World resort and room that fits your family's needs and wants! I'll help you plan Advance Dining Reservation and FastPass+ reservations (essential to getting the most out of your vacation) more! Plus all of my Walt Disney World clients that book a Package with me gets a FREE Disney Gift Card to use how they wish while on vacation! Email me today to start planning your vacation today!