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Travel – FACTS not Rumors…

in Airlines/Aulani/Cruise Vacations/Disney Cruise Line/Disneyland/International Travel/Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations/Walt Disney World by

As a Travel Agent specializing in Disney and Universal vacations, I have been working to take care of my Guests directly affected by resort and park closures as well as cruise itinerary cancellations for Disney Cruise Line.

While working with my Guests I have received many questions related to rumors posted on other blogs and social media pages. I am here today to explain the current situation with information direct from Disney and Universal – this is not rumor, this is FACT!

Walt Disney World Resort in Florida:

UPDATE – MAY 24, 2020 – Plans Unveiled for the Phased Reopening of Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks, Resort Hotels and Disney Stores

I have advised all my Guests with upcoming travel plans of the current situation and offered the options available to them at this time. Each Guest must choose how to move forward with what works best for them and their family. I can help you book now.

Disneyland Resort in California:

UPDATE – April 2, 2021 – Disneyland Resort Reopening on April 30, 2021
I have advised all my Guests with upcoming travel plans of the current situation and offered the options available to them at this time. Each Guest must choose how to move forward with what works best for them and their family. I can help you book now.

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa:

UPDATE: September 24, 2020 – Aulani Resort will plan to begin a phased reopening on November 1, 2020
I have advised all my Guests with upcoming travel plans of the current situation and offered the options available to them at this time. Each Guest must choose how to move forward with what works best for them and their family. I can help you book now.

Disney Cruise Line:

UPDATE: July 23, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Resumes Sailings on the Disney Dream
Disney Cruise Line announced plans for a return to service, beginning with the Disney Dream, which will depart Port Canaveral starting August 9, 2021. New health & safety updates will be in effect for all sailings. I can help answer any questions you may have or assist you with booking your next cruise now.

UPDATE: June 8, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Extends Suspension of Sailings
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of additional 2021 sailings.

Disney Dream departures through 8/6/21
Disney Fantasy departures through 8/28/21
Disney Wonder departures through 9/19/21
Disney Magic departures in the U.S. through 11/4/21

UPDATE: May 14, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Suspends All Departures through July 2021
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of additional 2021 sailings for all Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy sailings through July 2021, and all Disney Wonder sailings through July 12, 2021.

UPDATE: April 6, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Suspends All Departures through June 2021, and Disney Magic European sailings through Sept. 19, 2021
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of additional 2021 sailings.

UPDATE: February 24, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Suspends All Departures through May 2021 and Disney Magic Sailings thru August 10, 2021
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of additional 2021 sailings. Sailings are cancelled aboard the Disney Fantasy, Dream and Wonder through May 2021; and Disney Magic through Augsut 10, 2021.  Additionally, based on the conditional sail order provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disney Cruise Line must cancel sailings longer than 7 nights. 

UPDATE: January 27, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Suspends All Departures through April 2021 and Select Disney Magic and Disney Wonder Sailings in May 2021
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of additional 2021 sailings. Sailings are cancelled aboard the Disney Fantasy through April 24; the Disney Dream through April 30; the Disney Magic through May 6 and Disney Wonder through May 12. Additionally, based on the conditional sail order provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Disney Cruise Line must cancel sailings longer than 7 nights. 

UPDATE: January 12, 2021 – Disney Cruise Line Sailings Suspended Through March 2021
As Disney Cruise Line continues to refine protocols for an eventual return to service, they have announced the cancellation of all sailings through March 2021.

Adventures by Disney:

UPDATE – April 1, 2021 – Adventures by Disney Departures Suspended Through April 2021
With the well-being of our Guests and Guides as our top priority and in line with direction from health experts and government officials, Adventures by Disney has decided to suspend most of our adventures through the end of April.

Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations (Florida & California):

Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations in California will reopen on April 16, 2021

UPDATE: June 5, 2020 – Universal Orlando Resort Hotels and Parks are open and welcoming Guests again!

Other Cruise and Land Vacation Destinations:

While I do specialize in Disney and Universal vacations, I also help book and plan other cruise and land vacation destinations and I have been keeping my clients that have been directly affected by closures and cancellations updated about their options.

Cruise Lines:

UPDATE: April 6, 2021 – Currently, many cruise lines have suspended all sailings each with different dates to resume sailing. Please check with your Travel Agent or whoever you booked thru for specific details about your specific reservations.

Land Destinations:

As for land vacation destinations, it depends on the destination, please check with your Travel Agent or whoever you booked thru for specific details about your specific reservations.

Airlines:

Airlines are still operating but on a limited schedule and are adjusting travel dates and times based on occupancy of certain itineraries. Please check with your Travel Agent or whoever you booked thru for specific details about your specific reservations.

If you booked your travel plans thru a Travel Agent and they have not yet reached out to you this is likely because your travel dates are not yet directly affected and they are working to take care of their clients with travel plans that are currently directly affected by closures and cancellations, April and some May travel dates. Please be patient, in this type of situation, it is typically in your best interest to wait until your trip is cancelled by the supplier before making any decisions about cancelling or rebooking your future travel plans.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or if you would like more information about anything. I will share as much as I know and can share. I will also post updates as they become available on my social media platforms, please see the links to each below.

(i.e.: If you are not my client I cannot legally or professionally advise you about your current travel plans, you will need to reach out to whoever you booked thru. But, if you are not yet booked for future travel and wish to discuss future travel plans, I can assist and advise to the best of my ability with the information I have available).

While the White House has issued an April 30, 2020 social distancing guideline, please follow this or the guidelines set by your local state or county. If you are not an essential employee, please stay home. These guidelines are being implemented for the safety and well-being of everyone and the more of us that follow the guidelines the better off we will all be in 14 – 30 days and we will then [hopefully] be able to get back to a more normal way of life again very soon!

Stay healthy, stay home and practice social distancing!

CDC / WHO

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Disneyland Resort in California

in Disneyland/Stay on Property by

I have been to Disneyland in California several times – when I lived in California and again in September 2016 when I participated in the runDisney Coast-to-Coast Half Marathon – I didn’t know at the time, but this was the last year for this runDisney experience in California. However, a lot has changed even since 2016 so I was very excited to be chosen to participate in a Travel Agent learning experience at this Disney Destination!

While we toured all 3 of the Disneyland property hotels, we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel. Even though you are in the heart of Anaheim, this is still a very large property with 3 towers for rooms. We stayed in standard rooms that all had magical Disney touches from the light fixtures to the headboards to the faucets! Everything was so “Disney”.

Trader Sam’s

And we toured a themed signature suite at this hotel – Adventureland Suite – which was AMAZING! This suite takes guests on the most luxurious safari ever. With the feel of an explorers’ camp from the 1930s, the Adventureland Suite features a master bedroom fashioned as a safari lodge with a claw-foot bathtub in the living area. In the master bathroom there is a grotto with a foot spa, steam and rain showers, and lighting and sound effects that make you feel like you’re in a rain forest or savanna. There is also a second bedroom, which makes you feel like you’re sleeping in a safari tent. The Asian/Indian-inspired main living area includes a wet bar, a flat-screen TV hidden behind artwork above the faux fireplace, and a “hidden” closet (hint: try the bookcase). When you’re in this suite, it even sounds like you’re in the jungle: the doorbell “rings” with tiki gods playing drums, and – for the first time in a Disneyland Hotel suite – themed background music plays three separate tracks inspired by the Jungle Cruise, Disney adventure-themed movies and music first created for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.

There are also 3 other signature suites at the Disneyland Hotel – Fairy Tale, Big Thunder, Mickey Mouse Penthouse and Pirates of the Caribbean. All signature suites include concierge level access.

Disneyland Hotel Concierge

All of the property hotels have signature suites and concierge level service. The concierge service is different than Walt Disney World where you book the Club Level room type for concierge level services. At Disneyland Resort you book any room type and then pay additional to add on the concierge services per person per night. And, unlike Walt Disney World, you are encouraged to take food and beverage from the concierge offerings to enjoy when in the parks.

Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa Concierge
Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa Standard Room
Paradise Pier Lobby & Elevator Areas
Paradise Pier Standard Room
Paradise Pier Malibu Suite
Paradise Pier Malibu Suite
Paradise Pier Malibu Suite
Paradise Pier Pool Area

During our resort tours we also enjoyed Brunch at Storyteller’s Café with Mickey and Friends!  This character dining experience offers a delicious buffet with great character interaction for Breakfast and Brunch. It was a fun experience and I would definitely recommend it for your Disneyland vacation!

Dining reservations open 60 days in advance and walk-ins are typically not available.

There are 5 locations for character dining:

  • Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures (Napa Rose) – Breakfast with Disney Princesses
  • Disneyland Park – Breakfast with Minnie & Friends at Plaza Inn – 7 -11 am *Park ticket required
  • Disneyland Hotel – Goofy’s Kitchen – Breakfast & Dinner
  • Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa – Mickey’s Tales of Adventure (Storyteller’s Café) – Breakfast and Brunch – after 2:30 pm there are no characters
  • Paradise Pier – Donald’s Seaside Buffet – PCH Grill is a small venue and characters are only at Breakfast – this dining experience is known for the best character interaction.

There are 2 parks at Disneyland Resort – Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park – and they are only separated by a small courtyard-like area so park hoppers are definitely the way to go with tickets at Disneyland. Disneyland Park is very similar to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort except it’s a bit smaller – or at least seems smaller. This is where the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open Summer 2019.

Note: With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge scheduled to open Summer 2019, non-Star Wars fans should plan to visit NOW before opening date.

Disney California Adventure is similar to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. The two new attractions, Incredicoaster and Guardian’s of the Galaxy, were definitely on my “to-do” list as they were not open yet during my 2016 trip! Neither disappointed but Guardian’s of the Galaxy was my favorite – but one of my favorite rides at Walt Disney World is Tower of Terror and Guardian’s is a similar experience with different theming and a bit different experience but close.

Incredicoaster
Guardian’s of the Galaxy
Radiator Springs Racers
Carsland

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa also offers a secret entrance for guests staying at that hotel. This hotel sits “inside” Disney’s California Adventure and offers great views of the park.

And, if you are looking for a quiet spot to get away from it all – the Alfresco Tasting Terrace is the perfect little spot!

The Downtown Disney area offers shopping, dining and entertainment with many outdoor areas to enjoy during the day and at night. Splitsville is new to Disneyland and more new venues will be opening soon!

I also highly recommend adding MaxPass to your resort package. MaxPass will allow you to make advance FASTPASS selections the day of your visit and also includes PhotoPass. If you aren’t heading in to the parks first thing in the morning, be sure to walk over to the Monorail entrance to activate your park tickets – just enter the Monorail area, scan your ticket and exit – you can then make FASTPASS selections if you have MaxPass. Without MaxPass you will only be able to use the paper FASTPASS system once inside the parks.  With MaxPass you can have mobile FASTPASS selections and also paper FASTPASS selections for the same or overlapping times.

The PhotoPass system is a bit different at Disneyland than Walt Disney World… for ride photos you will want to take a screenshot of your photo code and enter it into your Disneyland Mobile App as the photos do not automatically capture to your account like they do with your My Disney Experience (MDE) account at Walt Disney World.

And, once you link your park ticket to your mobile app, take a photo of it to save to your phone in case your internet is not working once at or in the parks. They can scan the photo of your park ticket instead of needing to open your mobile app.

Disneyland Resort is a great way to kick off a Southern California vacation – Disney/San Diego/Hollywood – and I can book it all for you!

At Paradise Pier there is an Alamo Car Rental office which offers no drop fee to pick up at one location and return to another. So, for example, you could rent a car at Disneyland and drop it in San Diego for your return flight home without any additional drop fees.

If you are looking for a laid back, more spontaneous Disney vacation experience, where you will often see the characters roaming around and interacting with Guests, then Disneyland is for you! Contact me to help you book and plan your Disneyland Resort vacation!!

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Disneyland Resort ~ California

in Disneyland by
Are you thinking about a Disneyland Resort vacation? I recently experienced the Disneyland Resort in California where I participated in the runDisney Disneyland Half Marathon and took part in the final days of the Diamond Celebration, celebrating 60 years of Disneyland. This was my first half marathon and I wanted to do it with Disney! runDisneyThe Disneyland Resort has 2 parks; the original Disneyland and California Adventure Park, the Downtown Disney District and 3 resorts on property – Paradise Pier Hotel, Disneyland Hotel and Disneyland’s Grand Californian. It is an easy resort to walk and explore and the weather is always beautiful in Southern California. And both Disneyland Park and California Adventure Park still use the paper FastPass system for “skip the line” access to many attractions. FastPass Disneyland, the original Disney park, offers many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean) and some experiences only offered at Disneyland (such as Alice in Wonderland, Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse, Finding Nemo Submarine voyage and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride). The castle at Disneyland is Sleeping Beauty’s Castle and, of course, there are many Character Meet & Greets as well as nighttime fireworks, including select nights for Fantasmic!, and the Disneyland Monorail which will transport you around the parks and Downtown Disney District area. Monorail And don’t miss Star Wars Launch Bay if you have a Star Wars fan in your party! Star Wars Launch Bay There are many great dining venues at Disneyland too, both quick service and table service. We chose table service dining at Blue Bayou where your experience includes a view of the boats passing through on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Blue Bayou was a magical dining experience with delicious food and exceptional service. Walt Disney California Adventure Park was added as a second park at Disneyland in 2001. This park is a little more spacious, also offering many magical attractions and experiences – some of which you can also find at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida (such as It’s Tough to be a Bug, Monster’s Inc., Soarin’ Around the World and Toy Story Midway Mania!) and some experiences only offered at California Adventure (such as Radiator Springs Racers, Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and California Screamin’). You can also find a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. Radiator Racers The highlight of your experience at California Adventure Park is Cars Land! In Cars Land you will find meet & greets with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen and you can dine at Flo’s V8 Café. In addition to Flo’s v8 Café, there are many quick service and table service dining experiences at California Adventure Park, all with a little something different to offer. World of Color We reserved the World of Color Dining Package. I highly recommend the dining package for World of Color and you can choose from three restaurants for this experience; Wine Country Trattoria, Carthay Circle Restaurant – both offer lunch or dinner for the World of Color Dining Package – and Ariel’s Grotto for dinner only. Ariel’s Grotto also offers breakfast and lunch but both dining times are character dining experiences and do not include the World of Color Dining Package. Alfresco Tasting Terrace And if you want a quiet place to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks, but still enjoy the magic of Disney, be sure to check out the Alfresco Tasting Terrace at California Adventure Park, where you can relax on the patio overlooking Radiator Springs as you tour the wine country with an expertly chosen flight. Or pair a glass with an assortment of delicious Italian-inspired appetizers. They also offer beer tastings for those who prefer beer over wine – or try both! World of Disney During our Disneyland Resort vacation, we also explored the Downtown Disney District area which offers shopping and dining as well as fun entertainment. The Downtown Disney District is free to enter with a parking fee, but if you dine at one of the participating restaurants you can get your parking pass validated for free parking. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen There are many dining experiences and it was hard to choose but we narrowed it down and experienced lunch at ESPN Zone with dinner at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen where we dined New Orleans style on the balcony. The food was delicious and I would recommend both for your visit. If you are planning to experience Disneyland Resort in California for your next vacation I recommend at least 3 days so that you can experience all of the magic!!

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