On The Road Travel

“I wish we could go to Disney right now!” I can’t count the number of times I’ve made that statement. On a recent Friday in, I was looking at park hours and saw that Magic Kingdom would be open until midnight that Sunday. The next thing I knew I was booking a room and flights for a spontaneous visit! Doing all this with only 36 hours until my flight took off had me excited and nervous all at once. It took a minute to clear my thoughts so I could figure out what needed to be done in such a short period of time.   I immediately logged into My Disney Experience and linked the trip to my account so that I could try for FastPasses. I was lucky enough to get 3 that I wanted – no Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but I expected as much only two days out. I then wrote a list of the things that I absolutely needed to bring, and checked into the resort online. The next morning, I checked in for the flight, printed boarding passes, and packed a small carry-on bag with the help of my list. I was ...

Disney vacations are certainly one of the first options many consider for family vacation, but Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, and Adventures By Disney are vacations that should be on the short list for adult-only vacations, too! Many of these highlights are not strictly “adults only,” but they are little things you might miss-out on when bringing along the whole fam. Special Events: Ever wanted to run around Magic Kingdom (almost) all by yourself? With Disney After Hours you get run of one of your favorite WDW parks after normal park hours have ended. There are also events like H2O Glow Nights , a multitude of RunDisney choices, or you could take a specialty cruise around the 7 Seas Lagoon. Food and Drink: Don’t let Disney’s reputation for Mickey pretzels and Dole Whips fool you: truly fine culinary pursuits are also in no short supply. Victoria & Albert's in the Grand Floridian at Disney World is a AAA, five star dining experience. Palo and Rem...

April is EarMarked Month - A time that Disney Destinations celebrates its valued travel agency partners, which includes On The Road Travel. Our partnership with our clients and Disney Destinations is definitely worth celebrating! But Disney isn't all we do either! In honor of this celebration, we thought it would be a great time to share the top 10 reasons why you should book your next vacation with On The Road Travel! 1. Booking with On The Road Travel costs you nothing When you book a vacation with On The Road Travel, there are no extra fees. Because we are a no fee agency, you simply pay for your trip just as you would if you planned on your own, and we do the heavy lifting! 2. We can give you expert advice We spend our days planning trips for clients as well as for ourselves, so when we call ourselves experts, we really mean it! No matter if you're planning your family reunion at Walt Disney World or sailing the seven seas, we have experience and we want to use it to...

Many of my clients wonder if they should wait until their kids are older to take a vacation to Disney.  While bringing a younger child does require more upfront details to plan (that is where we can help!) and may require the ability to adjust plans on the fly, we have found that there are lots of benefits to bringing children under 3 to Disney and have some planning tips to make it easier! Disney was created for the young (and young at heart) Even for a toddler, there is so much to do and more importantly - they will love it!  There are many rides with no height requirements, so your little one can ride with you.  There are also parades, attractions, and character meet and greets that are sure to appeal to the younger set!  Plus, it gives you an excuse to hang out on the “kiddie” rides! And, let’s face it, character meet and greets are more fun with the kids! Making Memories I know younger children may not remember the trip firsthand, but you will! ...

2019 is going to be a huge year for Disney on both coasts. The next twelve months will bring with it brand new entertainment, new restaurants, a couple new hotels in Florida, Mickey Mouse’s first-ever ride, and Star Wars: Galaxy Edge will make its debut in California this summer and in Florida in the fall. Star Wars: Galaxy Edge There has been a lot of anticipation for this Star Wars-themed land. The 14-acre land will open at Disneyland this summer, and it will make its debut in Florida later this year. Each land will have two attractions: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This is the first time that Disney has duplicated the exact same land in two locations. Themed shopping, character interactions and a cantina bar will round out your visit to the Outer Rim’s most mysterious planet, Batuu. Visit Galaxy Edge at Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida and at Disney California Adventure in California. IllumiNations: Reflections on Earth Illu...

Planning for a Disney vacation can be simultaneously exciting and overwhelming! It’s such an amazing trip to look forward to but it’s a challenge to manage all the details in an organized way. Families that include members with special needs have additional details that need to be addressed when planning for time away from home and daily routine. Planning a vacation that includes people with autism and other special needs can best be met by someone who understands their unique needs and the detailed preparation involved in embarking on such a lengthy trip. At On The Road Travel you can plan with me, Dawn K. Zorilo, a Certified Autism Travel Professional (CATP) who also holds a Master’s Degree and New York State Certification in Students with Disabilities. In addition to formal training, I have years of experience working directly with children with special needs and their families. I understand the specific details and challenges that are involved and am ready to help you prepar...

Disneyland Vero Beach One of my favorite things about the holidays is decorating the Christmas Tree. I’m “one of those people” who is highly particular about ornament placement, light stringing, the cascade of the garland, etc, and I take little help from the rest of my family when it comes to decorating the tree. My boys have their own trees that they can decorate any way that they want, but the big tree is mine. When we were growing up, decorating the tree was a task that fell to my dad, with lots of help from my sister and me. Dad’s mantra was, and is, “lights make the tree,” and I could not agree more! So, after I string about a thousand lights on the tree (it’s a wonder the tree does not spontaneously combust), it’s time to place the ornaments. Walt Disney World Disney Cruise Line The real reason I love decorating our tree is that so many of the ornaments come from our family travels. When we travel, one souvenir that I always purchase is an ornament for the tree. If I can fi...

Back in September, you may remember that I embarked on a girls trip with my dear friend, Megan. The first part of our trip saw us conquering all four Walt Disney World parks in one day. The second part of our trip had us setting sail on the high seas for our first ever Disney Cruise. The expectations for the cruise were high: I’ve rarely spoken with someone who wasn’t blown away with their DCL experience. But, having sailed other cruise lines before, I had to see the “Disney Difference” for myself. Spoiler alert: Disney did not disappoint. Here are just a few highlights of what set the Disney Cruise Line apart! Night time entertainment: Specifically for the cruise line, Disney produces Broadway style, and Broadway quality shows. Each night of our three night adventure was a different show that allowed us to connect with some of the more well-known characters (Belle and Beast) and those that are a little less common (Quasimodo or Tarzan). Staff: Every single cast member (aka Disne...

Ticket Pricing is now DATE BASED for Walt Disney World Guests are now able to choose/purchase tickets based on the dates they plan to visit Walt Disney World. Some things to know about the new date-based tickets: - 1-Day base tickets are good for admission on the specific start date selected. There are no longer separately priced 1-day tickets for Magic Kingdom vs Epcot/Hollywood Studios/Animal Kingdom - Multi-Day tickets are good for admission beginning on the start date selected and must be used within a designated time period. This use period below applies to ticket only purchases - tickets purchased in a Walt Disney Travel Company package have different use guidelines. 1-Day Ticket Only the start date selected 2-Day Ticket Any 2 days within 4 days beginning on the start date 3-Day Ticket Any 3 days within 5 days beginning on the start date 4-Day Ticket Any 4 days within 7 days beginning on the start date 5-Day Ticket Any 5 days within 8 days beginning on the start ...

One of the toughest parts of planning a Disney vacation can be what to pack... There are of course your basics of clothes, toiletries, shoes, etc. but Disney can require some special things that you may not think of if it's your first time! Lucky for you, the agents at On The Road Travel have put together a handy checklist to help you prepare for your upcoming vacation! Of course there could be an infinite list of everything you need to pack for your Disney vacation, but as long as you have these essentials, you'll be prepared! To start planning your next vacation, contact your On The Road Travel Agent! You can also connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

TOMORROW is the day! Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios will officially open JUNE 30! In anticipation of this much awaited expansion, here is everything we know so far: As guests enter into Toy Story Land, they will shrink to the size of a toy and join in the fun that Woody, Jessie, Buzz and other toys are having in Andy's backyard. There are two new attractions in Toy Story Land that join the beloved Toy Story Mania which has been in place since 2008. Slinky Dog Dash is a family friendly roller coaster fun for all ages. From what we have gathered, the intensity seems to be about the same as Thunder Mountain Railroad. The height requirement for Slinky Dog Dash will be 38" and it is a Tier 1 attraction for fast passes. Disney describes this as, "Andy's assembled his awesome coaster kit...and Slinky Dog is ready to take you for a wild ride on a crazy coaster - one that gives you a glimpse of all that Toy Story Land has to offer. Come along as Slinky D...

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...

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...

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...

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...