On The Road Travel

In the mid to late 90’s, a battle was raging on the hip hop scene between west coast based rapper Tupac Shakur and east coast based rapper The Notorious B.I.G. This rivalry has since faded in the hip hop world, but it remains in the world of Disney. Ask any Disney fan which park they prefer, Disneyland in California or Disney World in Orlando, and there will be a distinct favorite. For most people, the debate begins at the beginning of both parks. Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. It is the only theme park designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. His apartment is still kept above the fire station. You can see the light in the window before you stroll down Main Street U.S.A. Magic Kingdom in Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. While Walt Disney was the brainchild of Disney World, he did not get to see the project through to completion due to his passing on December 15, 1966, during construction of the complex. East vs. West, Land vs World, is there a tr...

It is not unusual to walk ten miles each day at Disney World, so it almost goes without saying that when “doing Disney” with kids, a stroller is a MUST. Whether you should bring your own stroller or rent one is a question with a less clear answer. Let’s explore a few of the options out there: Bring your own: You can certainly bring your own stroller from home to Disney World. One major benefit to doing so is that it saves you a bit of money, and you’re familiar with how it functions. When you bring your own stroller, don’t forget that you’ll be responsible for transporting it to and from Orlando, including around the airport where you will likely have to gate check it. You will also have fold it up and carry it on to transportation while you're going to and from the parks. Rent from Disney: Photo from DisneyFanatic Disney offers stroller rentals in each of the parks. Disney offers single strollers for $15/ day, and double strollers for $31/day; multi day rentals are availab...

My family recently had the opportunity to sail from New Orleans, Lousiana on the Norwegian Pearl. This trip was one of many firsts for us. Our first visit to New Orleans, our first time sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line, and our first visit to Norwegian's private island, Harvest Caye. The port of New Orleans is unique in itself. It is very small and narrow, which keeps many of the larger, mega ships from sailing from this location. Prior to reaching the ocean itself, you have to sail nearly six hours on the Mississippi River. On our itinerary for this cruise was a stop at Harvest Caye, Belize. Harvest Caye is a tropical paradise located in Southern Belize and expands over 75 acres. This private island was voted the best new cruise port in 2017, and it is easy to see why! On this island oasis, you can choose to spend your day relaxing in a lounge chair near the 15,000 square foot pool that offers a swim up bar, or if you prefer to get your toes in the sand, you can grab a lounger...

I get asked so many times, “Why do we keep going to Disney? All those people! Isn’t it for little kids? Don’t you want to relax?” Well before my family’s first trip to Disney, I asked some of those same questions. I had wonderful memories of Disneyland as a child, and my wife felt we needed to take our boys, ages 5 and 7. So we started working with our On The Road Travel Agent, Chris, and bombarded her with questions. First, she helped us pick a less crowded time of the year with a great promotion, Free Dining, which was my big selling point. She helped us pick a resort, Fast Passes, Magical Express transportation, and, my favorite part, the Dining Reservations. These things can be incredibly overwhelming without a good travel agent. Even though we had everything planned, I was still preparing for the worst as we landed at the Orlando airport. But as soon as we got on the Magical Express transportation, I could feel the excitement - and no stress! A comfortable coach ride, and...