On The Road Travel

We love helping anyone experience the magic of Disney – but for first time visitors – there are some bits of magic that you need to know so you don’t miss out! Advanced Planning – We all know that a good vacation starts with planning, but a trip to Walt Disney World takes the planning up a notch. Disney has over 40 square miles of property in central Florida and it is full of activities for your vacation. It is no wonder that researching and narrowing down what you want to fit into your vacation is no small feat! There are several things to plan in advance but two things we want to highlight here are table service dining options and FASTPASS+ (aka Fast Passes). Have you ever made a dining reservation 6 months in advance?! Well, for your trip to Walt Disney World, reservations for table service open up 180 days in advance, and the most popular reservations fill up fast (see below for some more information on the famous character dining options)! There are many counter service ...

Hints of spring have begun to pop up and what better way to embrace this new season than to add to our team! Please join us in the comments below as we welcome Lisa Myers to our On the Road Travel team as a Travel Agent Specializing in Disney Destinations! Lisa is an Iowa native and went to Iowa State University where she met her husband/Prince Charming, Larry. They now live in Kansas City and have two daughters. Lisa and Larry love to travel as often as they can, but their favorite family vacations are always centered around a Disney Destination. Even when at home, a lot of their time is spent researching and planning for their next trip to Disney! Lisa’s love for Disney started at a young age when she went to see The Little Mermaid at the movie theater. Then, as a teenager she saved her money from her summer job to help “fund” her first trip to Walt Disney World the following spring break (if you want a fun story, ask her about their flight and what happened when she arrived at...

This week, Disney Parks announced the dates for two Magic Kingdom special events - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Photo from WDWMagic Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a fantastic family-friendly event that you will look back on and treasure. Listed below are a few of the many reasons to check out these great nights at Magic Kingdom! Special Shows and Parades - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom is the only place you will be able to see Mickey's Boo-To-You-Parade, the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, or watch Happy HalloWishes. --Mickey's Boo-To-You-Parade - The Headless Horseman begins the festivities and is followed by a collection of Halloween themed floats featuring Disney characters in Halloween costumes. The parade is held twice during the party (at 9:15 pm and 11:15 pm). Photo from Disney Parks Blog --Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular - The Spelltacular stage show takes p...

I’m the type of traveler that likes to have everything paid for before I get there. I try to make it all-inclusive as much as possible. Therefore, we usually purchase the Disney Dining Plan as part of our vacation to Walt Disney World. We keep it simple and just get the Quick Service plan. This means that we aren’t tied down to several reservations at sit-down restaurants. As of 2018, this plan comes with two quick service meals and two snack credits. If you plan the snacks correctly, they will fill you up just like a meal! Some of our favorites include: Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar Churro Sweet Bread (Kringla Bakeri, Norway, Epcot) Soft Pretzel (Germany, Epcot) Chocolate Covered Banana (Disney Studios) Kaki Gori (Flavored Ice Cone, Japan, Epcot) Minnie’s Strawberry Bar (many park locations) Caramel Ginger Ice Cream (China, Epcot) Shakes & Stuffed Pretzels (Animal Kingdom) Make-Your-Own Fudge Cookie, Marshmallow Treats and Gingerbread Cookies (Goofy’s Candy Co., Disney...

Park tickets are one of the biggest expenses of a Walt Disney World vacation, so it’s important to make the right decision. My hope in this post is to help give you a little background so you can make this tough choice with your On The Road Travel Agent. The first decision you have to make when taking a trip to Disney World is how many days you wish to spend at the parks. This really depends on the pace of your family and the kind of vacation you want to have. I’m a big park goer, so when we take a trip to Disney World, we typically visit a park every day, or at least 80% of the days we spend there, and the Park Hopper feature is well worth its cost for us. So first and foremost, you need to consider who will be in your traveling group and account for their interest and ability as a park goer. I’m usually the youngest in my group and I’m 23, and my parents are the oldest at 52, so we can generally keep going all day long. That very likely isn’t the case for your group. I know it se...

Preparing for a Disney World vacation is so exciting! There are endless opportunities for fun with a variety of experiences that appeal to all ages and interests. So, for those of you who do not want to miss out on favorite characters, use the following information as a guide organized to help you select the experiences that are most important to you. Remember, details are subject to change so always double-check for accuracy using the My Disney Experience app or in-park Times Guide. Meet & Greet Opportunities Take pictures with your favorite characters and get some autographs, too! Photopass is usually offered at these experiences. Check your guide map or MyDisneyExperience to see exactly where you can meet these characters. Magic Kingdom Alice in Wonderland, Ariel, Buzz Lightyear, Daisy, Donald Duck, Gaston, Goofy, Merida, Mickey, Minnie, Peter Pan, Pluto, Rapunzel, Tigger & Winnie the Pooh, Tinker Bell Epcot Aladdin & Jasmine, Alice in Wonderland, Anna & Els...