Annoucing the Birthday Club!

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Hope you had a nice weekend a great start to your week.

We're just a few short days from Christmas - wrap up those lists (get it, wrap up?) so you have hopefully have a few days of relaxation before the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

About a week ago, I mentioned an idea in our Facebook group about starting a Birthday Club in 2016. The response was very positive, so let's do it!

Here are the details of the Birthday Club:

* Everyone who signs up will get a card from me, during their birthday month.

* From that month's birthdays, I will draw someone to get a special birthday PRESENT as well! Yay!

And the only thing you have to do is sign up! That's IT!

To sign up, please email me (katie@mouseworldtravel.com) your birthday and your mailing address. Also please include your spouse, kids, etc - - anyone else in your family would like a card on their birthday and a chance to win the birthday prize each month!

I always like getting birthday cards in the mail; even in the age of Facebook and computers and email and texts, getting that physical card in the mail is so much fun. I would love to bring a little joy to your birthday with a special card (and maybe a gift, too)!

Have a magical day!

My Travel Planning Services for 2016

Hello, friends! As we're nearing the end of the year, I wanted to lay out my new/revised travel planning services as we go forward into 2016. Thank you to all my past clients, and I can't wait to work with you new clients in the coming year!

Remember, I plan more than just Disney travel so keep me in mind for your hotel stays, all-inclusives resort travel, international travel, etc. If you can travel there, in 90% of cases I can help you!

(Please note - this post was edited on August 11th, 2016.)

My full planning services are included at no extra charge when booking one of the following vacations:

 - Room and ticket package at Walt Disney World or Disneyland with a minimum of a 3 day park ticket and 3 night hotel stay.

 - Room only booking at Walt Disney World or Disneyland of $2,500 or higher.

 - Cruises on the Disney Cruise Line. Please get in touch about my policies for other cruise lines.

 - All-inclusive resort vacation, or a non-inclusive resort vacation booking of $2,500 or above.

 - International travel package bookings of $2,500 or above.

In the following scenarios, a fee of $250 will be charged for my full planning services:

 -  Room and ticket package at Walt Disney World or Disneyland under a 3 day park ticket and 3 night hotel stay.

 - Off-site hotel stays at Disneyland.

 - Room only reservation at Walt Disney World or Disneyland of under $2,500.

 - Park Ticket-only bookings for Walt Disney World or Disneyland

 - Where a Walt Disney World, Disneyland or Disney Cruise Line vacation has already been booked by you (and cannot be transferred to me) but you would like planning services.

 - All-inclusive resort vacation or a non-inclusive resort vacation booking under $2,500.

 - International travel package bookings under $2,500.

In the following scenario, a fee of $400 will be charged for my full planning services:

 - A Walt Disney World vacation where the stay is off-site (not at a Walt Disney World Resort)

The planning fee will be due upon our agreement to work together on your vacation; if the vacation is canceled, the refund of the service fee will be dependent on how much work had been done on the booking.

I also have the following a-la-carte service fees for smaller trips, business travel, etc:

 - Booking hotel rooms only: $50
 - **Advice for airline bookings: $50
 - Booking rental cars: $50
 - Any combination of two services listed above: $85
 - All three services listed above: $125

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The above travel planning information is for my personal planing services and does not reflect the business model of other agents with Mouse World Travel.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions. As always, I am happy to provide no-obligation quotes for you!

Have a magical day!


** Please note, I do not book airline travel. I will advise about choosing flights, my tips for finding the best prices and times, etc but the flights will be booked on your own.

Braving the Holidays at a Disney Park

Good morning! Hope you're all having a great start to your week. The countdown to Christmas is ON, folks...in just a few short weeks, we'll be opening our gifts, spending time with our families and enjoying the festivities.

Oh, you mean you're not done shopping / wrapping / yet? Yeah, me either. We still have time, right?

Since it's the holiday season, I wanted to share some tips about visiting the Disney theme parks during these times of the year. The holidays at Disney are MAGICAL - no doubt about it. The decorations, sights, smells..if you weren't in the holiday spirit already, you WILL be by the time your vacation ends!

But, you do have to go prepared and know what you're up against. You can still have a wonderful, incredible vacation - but here are some things you'll want to know / do when traveling to a Disney park over the holiday season.

* Pack your patience.

If you have patience, you can go up against anything, right? Make sure to allow extra time to get to and from the parks, and know that you'll be dealing with higher crowds everywhere (resorts, Disney Springs, the parks, etc). You'll also have longer waits at the attractions, as well as places like stores, bag check, etc.

Also - be EXTRA nice to the cast members. They are the recipients of a lot of bad attitudes during these busy times, so make sure to be extra sweet to them.

* The crowds WILL be higher during the holidays - no exception.

I've heard a few people who think that the holidays are pretty quiet, since people are at home with their families, right?

Yeah.....nope.

A good rule of thumb is anytime that schools are out of session, the parks will be busier. This is especially true for the holiday season. For instance, the week between Christmas and New Years is THE busiest time of year at Walt Disney World. On New Years Eve last year (2014), Magic Kingdom and Epcot were closed to capacity by 10AM.

Again, you can have an AMAZING vacation during the holidays but know that crowds will be heavier.

* Make some time in your day for relaxing / de-compressing at your resort.

For me, the key to not getting overwhelmed by crowds is to build quiet and rest time into my vacation. After hours of touring the parks, I love to go to the resort and swim (if it's warm enough), read, do puzzles, wander around the resort and take pictures, etc. Allowing yourself some down time will REALLY help your sanity and your mood.

* The same adage applies as during other busy times - get to the parks EARLY.

I always advise my clients - anytime you're encountering crowds, get to the parks at rope drop (opening time) or very soon after. It's amazing how much you can get done, even with just an hour or two before the larger crowds start to descend. 

* Want to get out of the parks for awhile, and not head back to your resort? Go and tour the holiday decor at other resorts.

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is seeing all the varied decor at the resorts. Each resort takes their look/theme and applies it to the decor, so each is a bit different. For instance, at the Beach Club you'll get a, well, beach-y vibe. Animal Kingdom puts a different twist on their decorations, featuring animals and tribal prints and objects.

If you're looking to get some non-park time but don't want to head back to your resort, ride the buses or monorail and head to some different resorts. You might just find a new favorite!

How do you enjoy the holidays at Disney parks? What are some of your favorite things to do?

Have a magical day!

Hey You Guys! I'm Still Here!

Well, LONG time no see, folks! You might have thought - did she fall off the face of the Earth? Did she go on a month-long vacation? Did she FORGET that she has a website to maintain?!

I have no good excuses, but between travels to Hawaii and Disneyland, and getting ready to go to Florida in late December...it's been a zoo. A fun zoo, but a zoo nonetheless.

I wanted to give you a general update quickly, and just keep you posted on some items.

* Yes, I am still doing the Movin with Mickey posts; some of you have asked me about that. Unbeknownst to be, my FitBit was not working for about a week (grrrrr) but now I'm up and running, and just walked for three days at Disneyland so that should prop up my numbers.

I am also looking for folks who would like to share their fitness and health stories, suggestions, tips etc so please get in touch if you'd like to be featured!

* I've been traveling a lot in the last few months and am getting ready to head to Florida after Christmas. I had all these grand plans to really hunker down in October and get my ducks in a row. Then October came and went.....and no ducks. Sigh.

BUT the good news in all this is that I have literally THOUSANDS of pictures to share with you here and on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram so that's fun. Some days, I might just post 10 pictures from Disneyland. Something to look forward to.

* The newsletter will be back in December so keep your eyes peeled for that!

Thank you for continuing to read and comment on past blog posts - I love getting those email notifications when people comment. It makes my day!

I hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!

Have a magical day!

Travel Agents: How We Get Paid

Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope you've had a good week so far. The weekend is upon us, friends, get excited!

On occasion, I will get questions about how we travel agents (TAs) make money, and how we get paid for our services. If you've not worked with a TA before, you might wonder how we earn our living. Well it's your lucky day because I am here to share that top-secret information with you!

(It's not at ALL top-secret, but that just sounded more fun to say.)

A few months ago, I did a post about Travel Agent FAQs (you can find that here) but I wanted to go a little deeper, and give you more information.

* We don't get paid unless we're your travel agent. We're happy to do no-obligation quotes and answer questions if you're considering a vacation, but if a trip is not booked by us, we don't get paid.

One common misconception is that our agencies and/or the suppliers (such as Disney) employ us and pay a salary. There might be some agencies out there who do (such as brick-and-mortar travel offices that might pay a salary instead of commission) but in general, the vast majority of travel agents are commission only.

We also get paid after your trip is over, so we might work with you for months or even a year, and we're paid after your vacation is done.

Think of travel agents as you would your realtor. If you decide to sell your home, they'll spend time with you taking pictures, listing the house, getting it ready to sell, running open houses, etc - but he/she doesn't get paid unless they sell your home. 

We're always happy to do quotes for you, truly; but if you get quotes and then book the vacation yourself, we won't get commission for that vacation. Deciding not to work with a TA is absolutely fine, but please keep this in mind if you're asking for multiple quotes, special information, etc.

* We are not able to give advice, help you plan, take care of your vacation without you booking the vacation through us as your travel agent.

Often, I've quoted travel options and I've not ended up booking the vacation. Which happens, and is no big deal. Sometimes plans change, or people can't take a vacation right now, etc. I never mind doing quotes for people, even if a trip doesn't work out for them right now.

However, on a rare occasion I've also heard back from people who didn't using me as their TA or pay an ala-carte planning fee but still wanted me to give advice about their vacation and help them plan. This is something that I am not able to do.

What most people don't realize (I didn't know this before I became a TA) is that in addition to it not being a great business decision to answer questions for non-clients, it's also a liability issue. Many agencies carry Errors and Omissions Insurance but the insurance only covers clients who we've booked.  If, God forbid, there's a big enough problem that a possible E and O claim would need to be filed, that could hurt the travel agent personally and result in a judgement against them, vs being filed with the agency's E and O insurance.

*I LOVE what I do, and I have fun doing it - but this is still a job.

As I've said 1,000 times here on this blog - I LOVE Disney. Obsessed. I am on some sort of Disney vacation (parks or cruise) at least four times a year. But - I still have bills that need to be paid. If I could pay my mortgage and keep the lights on via a money tree in my backyard, perhaps that would be a different story. But until that money tree sprouts, I need to have income from my job.

Think about a friend or relative who's an accountant. You might ask one or two quick questions but you wouldn't ask them to prepare your taxes for you each year, for free. Their time is valuable and they need to be compensated for doing your taxes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hopefully this was helpful information and gave you some insight on how travel agents work and are compensated.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more posts about my Hawaii cruise, as well as my next adventure - going back to Disneyland!

Have a magical day!

Word Paralysis - Yes it's a Thing

from Pinterest - and my nightmares

Did ya miss me?

Seriously, I apologize that I have been gone for so long. I have no excuse, other than I sit at my computer and feel like I have nothing to write about. Which is lame and not true, but I sit here and just stare at the keyboard, willing it to type on my behalf. (Apple, if you're reading this and could get working on that technology, that'd be great.)

So the other night, I was perusing Pinterest and other blogs that I read in order to hopefully get inspired. Of course, this turned into a time-suck black hole of unproductivity where I mostly found funny memes, recipes I'll never make, and YouTube clips of babies and animals. Seriously, watching a baby paw at a dog who paws back never gets old.

Luckily for me, in the midst of nonsense a gem shone through. I was checking in with one of my FAVORITE sites / favorite people, Glennon Doyle Melton over at Momastery. If you're looking to get both inspired and joyful, while snot crying at the same time, Glennon is your gal.

One of her most recent posts (which you can find here) struck a real chord with me.  Glennon does amazing work, she's a great writer and speaker, and I found we might have a tiny something in common. To my shock, I discovered that we are both sometimes scared to write.

(Like how I just lumped myself in there with a master like Glennon?)

She writes, "After the Alabama event, Sister and I stayed up late in the hotel talking about the fact that here on the blog, I’ve been writing directly from my heart less often than I used to. I think I just started putting weird pressure on myself. This place has gotten so big, and over time I convinced myself that everything I wrote needed to be shiny and shareable and big and amazing. So I started writing essays instead of love letters. Meh. That’s not what we need all the time is it? We just need to show up for each other. Tired, full, broken, sparkling heart to tired, full, broken, sparkling heart. I am not here to prove myself, I’m here to serve you....Showing up > Showing Off. So anyway, here I am. I’m going to write directly to you once a week. Nothing fancy. Just: Here I Am. Also sometimes I won’t. No problem."

The point of her post is MUCH greater than just this section, and I implore you to read it all because she has a really beautiful message. But this particular section hit me over the head.

Let me preface the following by saying: In NO way am I comparing my writing to hers. We're here sharing about travel and Disney and beaches and cruises and all that, and she's literally changing people's lives. But when she says, "I started putting weird pressure on myself...", I felt my stomach drop and the cartoon light bulb was over my head. That's why I haven't been pushing the Publish button - I've been nervous/anxious/scared about it not being good enough.

I've told you all before but we're going to do this again. I LOVE writing this blog. I love sharing with you, and to my shock and amazement, you've loved it right back. Which both excites me, and if we're being honest, scares the crap out of me. I know there are SO many choices out there when it comes to blogs (especially blogs centered on travel and Disney) and the fact that you continue to read mine is really humbling to me. None of you lovely people pressure me in the slightest, but I feel like I have to REALLY deliver the goods so you'll keep reading. Which is weird and bizarre and truly, a total waste of time on my part. I can't make anyone read, or keep reading, so I'm going to (try my hardest to) give that up that pressure.  As a recovering people-pleaser, it'll be a hard road but I'm walking down the path.

From now on, I'll just write. Some days it'll be War and Peace (there I go again; trust me, it'll never be War and Peace) and some days it'll be just me, here I am. Writing about what I love and the places I love. As Glennon says, Showing Up IS greater than Showing Off. So I am committed to Showing Up, and if the only person who reads that day is me, that's OK too.

Have a magical day!

Movin with Mickey Update!

Happy Monday, folks; hope you all had a great weekend!

This will be a quick post, but I wanted to update you on my Movin with Mickey progress. I was able to get in quite a few steps on the cruise so it really bumped up my total! Right now, I'm over 390,000 steps.

I did pretty good on my cruise in terms of getting in exercise and eating well. I still had dessert, ice cream, etc but I also kept an eye on the choices I was making. I came home the same weight as I left, which I consider a win!

I will update you more in another post on my other goals and how those are going, but I wanted to get the steps update out right away this morning.

Have a magical day!

Trip Report - Hawaii bound on the Disney Wonder - Thursday, September 10, 2015

Today was our third (out of five) sea days and guess what was on the plan? 

Relaxation. Yes, I know you’re surprised! :)

After having breakfast with Michelle at Beach Blanket, I got ready for the day and decided I’d like to see the newest Avengers movie in the Buena Vista Theatre.  I’d seen it at home when it was released, but thought it’d be a nice way to spend the morning. 

As I rounded the corner to the theatre, I smelled that “you’re at a movie” smell - popcorn. YUM. I couldn’t resist, and bought some popcorn in a reusable Disney bucket. For $7.50, you got the popcorn and bucket, with refills at $3.50.

The movie was about two and a half hours, so then it was time for lunch! :) (are you sensing a pattern here…..eating and eating and more eating). They were having a BBQ as another lunch option, but the crowd was pretty good-sized so I decided to just do the regular lunch buffet.

After some couscous salad and veggies (OK, OK, I had dessert too….I’m on vacation!), I decided to make my way to Deck 10 to read my book. And there I stayed for about 2 hours. HEAVEN. Michelle recommended a book to me and so while the internet was at a cooperating point, I was able to log into Amazon and purchase it, and download it to my Kindle. Score! :) it was a super relaxing afternoon; I was on a chaise on Deck 10, facing the ocean and just reading and watching us sail peacefully across the Pacific.

Some people have asked about the sea conditions as you cross the open ocean. We had AMAZING weather and it’s been such a calm passage. I haven’t noticed any difference between this cruise and when we’re sailing towards the Bahamas or Caribbean. As I sat here writing this, I was watching the ocean and it was just perfect; small waves here and there, but quite calm. There had been some hurricane activity in the area last week and so we weren’t sure if we would need to go off course and sail around storms, but so far so good.

After a quiet and calm evening, I did some more reading in the room when Michelle and her son went to a movie. Michelle and I then had a fabulous dinner at Palo - antipasti, appetizers, that amazing Filet and of course, the Palo Souffle. We rolled ourselves out of Palo and right into bed. With full bellies, we were asleep in no time!

LIVE from the Disney Wonder - Tuesday, September 8th 2015

Today was our first of five at sea days. These days are my absolute FAVORITE of any cruise itinerary; honestly, if they could do an itinerary where they just sailed around nowhere and you had all sea days, I would book that in a hot minute.

We all slept really well. I am still getting used to the time change, and so I did wake up early, about 4AM (which is 6AM at home). However, I was able to get back to sleep until about 8:30AM so that was great. I’m trying to get on the current time sleeping-and-waking schedule and so far, so good. Once I got up, I went and grabbed some coffee and Michelle and I sat on the balcony, chatting for a few minutes before it was time to get ready for Palo brunch!

Oh Palo brunch…..you guys, seriously ~ I could go ON AND ON. It’s so delicious. At $30/person I feel like it’s well worth it. There are so many great options - fruits, savory items, caviar (YES), pastries, desserts as well as made-to-order items that you can have as well. Michelle and I decided to split a pizza (they will do half and half if you want to try more than one flavor), I got Eggs Benedict (the BEST) and Michelle chose the Chicken Parmasan. You also get a complimentary beverage like a mimosa or sparkling wine and of course soda, tea, coffee, etc are included. Michelle knew (name) from past cruises and so we requested him. Another excellent DCL server! Really, these folks are amazing.

It was a nice leisurely meal, and we were there about an hour and a half. After eating, we decided to visit the cruise shopping options. There is a SUPER CUTE Mickey and Minnie graphic for these Hawaii cruises and I wanted to get a Tervis cup with that graphic. I like having a larger cup to fill up at the beverage machines vs their smaller cups they provide and figured they’d have a special one this cruise, so I didn’t bring one from home. I’ll probably go back and get a magnet and that’ll be the extent of my souvenir shopping.

After changing out of the dress I wore to Palo, I decided to go up the adults area on Deck 9 and do some blog writing. Another thing I love about cruising is all the uninterrupted writing time I have, and so far this cruise has been no exception.

I spent a nice hour or so writing blog posts, and then decided to head to the room for a bit. Having a balcony is SO nice, it was great to spend some time out there with my Kindle and read, watching the ocean go by…..bliss.

Dinner tonight was at Animator’s Palette, one of my favorite menus of the cruise. Michelle and I split the pasta pursettes, which is right up there for me as one of my favorite DCL appetizers EVER. I also had the squash soup, and the beef tenderloin. I typically don’t choose red meat but decided to go out on a limb today and was so glad I did - it was delicious. We also saw the special show they do at Animators with a special guest - Mickey Mouse! This is my favorite incarnation of Mickey Mouse and so I always love this show.

I ended my night in the Rainforest spa, in the saunas and showers. SO relaxing. I also discovered they have the facial cleaners and toners that they use in the spa, free and available for our use.

We ended the night by watching movies in the room, and drifted off to sleep. We got a notice in our room that we were to turn our clocks back an hour before we went to bed - getting closer to that Hawaii time zone!

Thanks for reading; I apologize that my internet has been spotty and I’ve not been able to post live blogs as I would like, so these are a few days behind “real time”. 

Have a magical day!

LIVE from the Disney Wonder! Cruise Embarkation Day - September 7, 2015

Monday morning, Labor Day - you know what that means! Cruise day! We were all so excited. I woke up EARLY (both from excitement and getting used to the time change) and was ready to get cruising!

Michelle and I had chatted earlier that day about the check-in process. She’d wanted to look and see if there were rooms available for upgrade and because of that we knew we’d want to be one of the first ones to check in. We talked to the staff and found out they were doing check-in at one of the ballrooms / meeting rooms at the Pan Pacific, starting at 10:15AM, so arrived plenty early. They had lots of chairs set up, so we were able to wait in comfort. You CANNOT beat going down an elevator from your room and then being right at check in! Score!

We also had a chance to chat with some of our fellow cruisers, and met a very nice couple from Canada. Do you ever find that when you meet people on a cruise, you tend to run into them a lot? It’s the second day and we’ve seen this couple at least four times. :) We also talked to one of the DCL agents, who told us the cruise wasn’t full and so upgrading shouldn’t be an issue. (There are about 2,000 people on our cruise; capacity for the Wonder is about 2,500). We also found out there are tons of Platinum and past cruisers on this sailing, and not a lot of children (which isn’t super surprising with this time of year). Michelle’s son is one of only 50 kids at the Edge club (for 11-14 year olds) so that’s pretty nice also.

If there are available rooms on the cruise on the sailing date, they will offer them at an upgrade price, based on category and room type. From chatting with the agent, we knew there were quite a few Oceanview and Balcony rooms available and initially we’d wanted to look and see if we could get moved to a different Oceanview room. You need to check in before you go to the Supervisor’s desk to ask an an upgrade, though, so I went in the check in line with our passports and info and Michelle went to stand in line at the Supervisor’s desk.

Since we were there early, I was 3rd in line to check in. (TIP - even if you are a Castaway Club member and can go in a different/special line, scope out the one with the shortest wait and go there. Oftentimes, the waits at the “regular” check in will be shorter than the Concierge / Platinum or Silver/Gold Castaway Club lines.) It only took a few moments for them to scan our passports and take our signed check in forms, print our Key To The World cards and give us our lanyards.

Michelle then we into the Supervisor’s line, and was told there were Oceanview rooms available but there was also a Balcony that was a pretty great price. Since it was the lowest category of Balcony room they had, it was MUCH cheaper than the next nearest Balcony upgrade, so she went for it! Yay! We would have been just as happy in the Oceanview room, but having the Balcony is VERY nice.

After we got all checked in, we went up to the room to freshen up and get her son, then made our way to the security lines. Since we were leaving Canada, we needed to go through US Customs before boarding. It was very similar to the process going into Canada; we scanned our passports, got a printed form and then presented them to a US Customs agent. Once we were given the clear, we made the short walk onto the Disney Wonder! They announced us, the crew members clapped and cheered, and we were officially on vacation! YAHOO!!

We decided to go to Parrot Cay that first day for lunch. When you get on the ship, at least one of the sit-down dinner restaurants is also open for lunch, with a buffet style meal. You can also go up to Cabanas / Topsiders / Beach Blanket, which are the cafeteria-style places and have a buffet there as well. I tend to prefer the sit-down places, as it’s usually quieter than going to the cafeteria. Don’t worry about missing out on your favorite first cruise meal items, however, because the menus at both places are exactly the same. :)

After a delicious lunch, Michelle and I went our separate ways. She had some requests to make for excursions and dining, and I wanted to explore the ship. I hadn’t been on the Wonder since 2008 and so I wanted to be sure and reacquaint myself. I got some pretty great pictures, and also got my steps in for the Movin with Mickey challenge! :) Win win!

After the requisite safety drill, we were off and sailing! When you leave the port of Vancouver, you have the most gorgeous sail out with Stanley Park and the mountains in the distance. If you sail out of Vancouver in the future, be sure to make time to sit on deck or on your balcony to watch as you leave Vancouver. It was pretty amazing!

Speaking of dining, we have the BEST dining team. Luisa is from Italy, and our friend and fellow MWT agent Ellen recommended her; they met on Ellen’s Alaska cruise this summer. We were super glad she was available for our serving team. In order to get here we did have to switch from the 8:15 to the 5:45 dining time, but that was not an issue for us. We found out that Ellen had also let Luisa know that we were going to be on the cruise, so I think she was pleased we requested her. We also have Kenan as our assistant server, from the UK. They're both wonderful, we couldn't have better servers. I’ve always had excellent servers on DCL and this cruise is going to be no exception.

We had a delicious dinner at Triton’s; it’s one of my favorite DCL menus. I had the Brie appetizer with a berry jam/compote on the side (TO DIE FOR), the leek and potato soup and the salmon. For dessert, I had another favorite - the Grand Marnier souffle. Good thing I wore my stretchy dress pants to dinner - I needed them!

One of my cruise “splurges” this trip is the Rainforest pass to the spa. For about $20/day, I get access to a special area of the spa where they only sell 30 passes for the length of the cruise. There are AMAZING heated lounge chairs, special saunas and showers, and they also give some some pretty wonderful body scrubs that you can use in the Rainforest or in your room. That and the Pearl Harbor excursions are my “treats” for this vacation. I went into the Rainforest room after dinner, and had a nice relaxing stint there before I went back to the room and to bed.

This is a marathon post :) but I wanted to make sure and tell you all about our first day. Stay tuned for more posts, live from Hawaii!

Thanks for reading along ~ have a magical day!

LIVE from the Disney Wonder ~ Hawaii Cruise, Embarkation Day!

Hello from somewhere in the Pacific Ocean! :) I was hoping to post every day but our internet out here on the Pacific has been spotty. I'll post updates when I can; and when we get to Hilo, HI on Sunday, I'll have even better signal so hopefully I can post some more blog updates. I will also be posting more photos to Facebook and Instagram, so stayed tuned for those!

On Sunday AM, I flew out early from Des Moines and arrived in Vancouver about 11:30AM local time. Michelle (my agency owner) and her son also arrived about the same time, which was great. We went through security and customs at the airport, grabbed our bags, and then got on the train to go from the airport to downtown Vancouver, and the Pan Pacific Hotel.

A quick note about the Vancouver airport; if you’re flying in from the US, you will go through a customs line in order to gain entrance into Canada. Once you get off the plane, customs is the first thing you do (and I didn’t see any chances to visit the restroom before you get in line, so you’ll want to do that on the plane before you disembark). The line can look long, but it moves pretty fast. They have these pretty neat self-serve machines where you scan your passport, answer some questions and then a receipt is printed out. You get in another line (which also moves pretty fast) and then show that receipt and your passport to one of the Canadian customs agents. From there, you are right at baggage claim and then it’s a very easy walk to the train, taxis or shuttles. I would say it took about 15-20 minutes to get through customs.

We then exited the airport and went to the train station; it’s about $6 US to get a train ticket, and it only took about 20 minutes to arrive at the Waterfront station. From there, it was a quick 5 minute walk and then we arrived at the Pan Pacific!

Seriously, you guys - if you sail out of Vancouver, you HAVE to stay at the Pan Pacific. The location can’t be beat; the cruise port is RIGHT at the hotel, so you just go downstairs to do your check in and go through security. They even have a service where they’ll come and get your bags from you, and transport them to baggage services for you! You just attach those baggage tags that come in your documents and they’ll grab them for you. 

The price for a room is about $250-300 per night, but for convenience and ease it can’t be beat. You’re also very close to lots of eating and shopping, as well as places like Stanley Park, so if you’re looking for things to do in the days before you sail there is plenty to do. 

When we arrived Sunday night, we chose to stay pretty close to the hotel and relax; we knew we’d have a busy day on Monday so we wanted to stay close. Michelle and I did end up walking to a market/grocery store that’s about a 5-10 minute walk from Pan Pacific, and getting some snacks and extras we forgot to pack. We then all turned in early, and were getting SO excited to cruise!

Coming up next - Monday: cruise embarkation day!

Bon Voyage! Vancouver and Hawaii, here I come!

Hello, friends! Today is the last blog entry before I leave on my Vancouver-Hawaii adventure on the Disney Wonder. I am leaving home tomorrow afternoon, with an early flight to Vancouver on Sunday morning.

I will be doing a post each day about what happened the previous day, so be sure and stay tuned for those!

I will also be sharing LOTS of pictures and videos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so be sure you're following me there (those links are on the top of this page).

Once we get to Hawaii, I'll also be doing LIVE Periscope videos from the islands, as well as Disney's Aulani Resort, so make sure you're signed up for Periscope if you're not already.

I'm pretty excited to take this journey and am equally excited to have you along!

Have a magical day!

Movin with Mickey Monday - Jennifer Mixdorf from Essentially Mixed

For this month's second Movin with Mickey installment, I had a reader get in touch with me and ask if she could share about her family's journey to health with essential oils.

I myself have been using oils for about a year now and really like them. Jennifer from Essentially Mixed (link here) has written up some good information and FAQs regarding essential oils that she'd like to share. Take it away, Jennifer!

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My family discovered essential oils a little over a year ago and have completely fallen in love!  I wish I had learned about them sooner!  As a pharmacist, I was always skeptical of anything not main stream but little did I know how wide spread their use is and how much my family could benefit from them.  I am so happy that I trusted my good friend and became educated on essential oils.  Essential oils fit right in with my family’s goal of a healthier, more natural lifestyle. I truly believe everyone at least should take the time to learn about them!  So why should you consider essential oils for your family?  Here are some great questions I hear that will help you answer that question!

Q:  Aren’t essential oils like voodoo? [Katie's note - I totally thought this when I first started using them.]
A:  I think everyone is leery about something they are uneducated about.  Essential oils have been used throughout history for their health benefits.  There are references of their use throughout the bible (there was a reason they brought Jesus frankincense!).   I love having something natural and safe for our bodies!  You will be shocked at how effective they are!

Q: Can’t I just get essential oils at my local health food store?
A:  You could but I made the personal decision that I want to use the most pure and potent oils available.  The majority of oils you can find at local stores have additives of unknown sources added to them.  They are required to only have 5% be essential oil.  I have chosen to use oils that come from indigenous sources and have rigorous testing done on them to guarantee 100% purity.  I am completely confident of using my chosen brand on my boys without worry.

Q: How would I know what to use and how to use them?
A:  There are so many great resources out there that give you a step by step guide.  I personally have some great reference books I keep on hand.  I have a great facebook group for anyone on my team that is an amazing resource.  You can post any question and get an answer right away!  The only thing you can do wrong is to not use them!

Q: Aren’t essential oils expensive?
A: I am a total advocate for promoting and maintaining good health.   I would rather spend money now than spend a lot more down the road.  That said, they are relatively cheap.  With high quality oils you only need to use 1-2 drops at a time.  That comes down to pennies per dose!  I can use oils for an upset stomach for 25 cents!

Q: Are you sure they are ok to use on my kids?
A: Yes!  I can speak from personal experience that I have never had an issue using essential oils on my boys.  Since children’s skin is more sensitive than adults, you just need to dilute the oils (mix some of the oil with a carrier oil, I use fractionated coconut oil).  I love to have roller bottles of prediluted oils for my kids, they are so convenient!

I would love to share more information with you and how your family can implement natural health solutions!  Email me for more information!


~ Jennifer Mixdorf
njmixdorf@gmail.com
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I love to feature readers and guest writers on the blog, so don't be shy ~ if you would like to be featured on a future Movin with Mickey post, please get in touch at katie@mouseworldtravel.com.

Have a magical day!

Expenses on a Disney Cruise - Making your Vacation Budget

REAL soon is right!

It's just a short two weeks until I cruise on the Wonder. As I posted a few weeks ago, I'm finalizing my plans, packing list, etc.

Another item that's always on my pre-vacation list is finalizing my vacation budget. Some items are fixed and some expenses are varied, so let's talk about those.

Fixed expenses can include:

 - Your cruise fare.

Yes, you have to actually pay money to cruise. I know, I know...what a bummer. :)

 - Travel expenses to get to the port.

Whether you fly or drive, you'll have some expenses in getting to the port before your cruise. This may include plane tickets, pre and/or post cruise hotels, gas, parking fees, food while on the road, etc. I always estimate on the high side, and add in 10-15% extra for unexpected expenses.

 - Gratuities and tips.

Some might say these aren't in the Fixed category, but I feel they're so important that they're always in that column of my vacation budget. With Disney (and many other cruise lines), the set tips for your cruise are added to your onboard account. You can always increase or decrease those amounts, but please plan on paying those. I've always had exceptional service on cruises and I want to convey that thanks to the stateroom attendant and dinner staff.

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Now let's talk about those expenses that you CAN have, but certainly aren't necessary. Depending on my budget for the cruise, I might add some of these extras into my vacation.

Your extra expenses might be:

 - Excursions

Whether you do excursions through the cruise line or on your own, you can spend some big bucks. I usually pick one (maybe two) excursions over the course of the cruise. For instance, in Honolulu I really want to see Pearl Harbor, so that's my excursion for this cruise.

Also, you can do a little research and see if there are cheaper options to tour the ports, or if there are other reputable companies running less expensive tours. Just be sure that if you decide to walk around or book an excursion through another company that you do your research and keep safety in mind.

 - Spa treatments

The spa on Disney Cruise Line is a magical place, but that magic comes at a price. If you're looking to cut down on expenses, I would stay away from the spa treatments.

If the spa is your "thing" on a cruise, and you're on a tight budget, consider having your spa treatment(s) stand in for excursion and/or souvenir expenses. I did this about a year ago, and had the BEST hot stone massage of my life. It was heaven. SO worth it!

 - Alcohol or extra food charges (such as Palo) 

On DCL, all of your food is included with the exception of some of the Signature dining offerings such as Palo. Palo is adults-only and offers both brunch and dinner. It's $30/person and VERY much worth it, I think. I always include at least one Palo meal in my cruise budget! On the Dream and Fantasy, there is also Remy, a very fancy French restaurant that is $75/person.

Of course, alcohol is also an extra expense. Disney recently revised their carry on policy for alcohol; you can no longer bring on liquor but you can, at embarkation and each port, up to two bottles of wine or champagne or 6 bottles of beer per person over 21. If you like to have a glass of wine or beer during the day and would rather not pay the cruise prices, feel free to bring some on board with you. (They ask that you only consume it in your room.)

 - Souvenirs

I try and limit myself to just a few souvenir items on vacation. On the cruise, I'll typically buy a small commemorative item, such as a pin, a magnet, etc. If I see a really cute DCL Tervis cup that I love, I'll buy that too. On a cruise of this length (10 days), I'm planning on spending less than $50 on souvenirs.

I used to buy a lot. A LOT. And then I moved and started to sort through all the crap (I mean, priceless treasures) that I'd bought over the years and realized that I just don't need all of it. A few small tokens and reminders of the trip work great for me.

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One of my favorite aspects of a Disney cruise are all the free activities that you can do, without spending another dime. You can see the Broadway-caliber stage shows, go to cooking demonstrations, trivia, and fun classes like learning how they fold those sweet towel animals, all for FREE. It's very possible to not spend a fortune in on board charges, and you can still have a GREAT cruise.

What extras, if any, do you budget for on your cruise vacations?

Have a magical day!

Movin' with Mickey Monday - Update + My Healthy Cruising Plan

Hello, everyone! Hope you all had a magnificent weekend! If you followed along on our Facebook page, you saw ALL the great and wonderful news coming out of Anaheim and the D23 event. I'll do a recap later this week, but it's time for a Movin with Mickey progress report so I didn't want to neglect that.

I wanted to give you a general update on how the Movin with Mickey is going - short answer, it's great! In the last 6 weeks I've lost over 9 lbs so that's been great to see. Some of my clothes are starting to get loose, which is always fun!

I am not doing so great on my plan to do yoga a few times a week but am planning on doing that this week. I always feel great after I do it, I just need to make the time.

I also wanted to give an update on how I'm planning on following my eating and exercise plan while on Disney Cruise Line. For those of you who might not know - in early September I am going on a 10 night cruise on the Disney Wonder from Vancouver to Honolulu, Hawaii. I want to enjoy my vacation but not put myself behind fitness and eating wise, so here is my plan:

* Walk around Deck 4 every day for 2-3 miles.

On the Classic ships (the Wonder and the Magic), three times around Deck 4 is a mile.  It's also one of my favorite parts of DCL, such a great place to relax and watch the world go by. I plan on walking every morning or at some point during every day, as both a way to relax and get in some exercise.

* Make sure I get all my fruits and veggies in during the day.

At meals and for snacks, I'll make sure I continue to choose lots of fruits and vegetables like I do at home. One of the great things is not only are there lots of healthy choices available in the dining rooms, you can also get walk-up fruits and veggies as well from the quick service locations on deck.

*ENJOY myself on vacation!

I am not using vacation as an excuse to go wild and throw away the progress I've made - but I also realize that vacations are special, and so I'll enjoy the treats I'll have. Some of my favorite breakfast items on DCL are the Mickey waffles and the Eggs Benedict. I will still enjoy those, but perhaps every other day instead of every morning. I also plan on having a dessert at dinner each night, so perhaps I'll not have the soup or appetizer course each night as well. I'll continue to make good choices while not stressing out about it, because where's the fun in that?

How are you all doing on your fitness and health journeys?

Have a magical day!

Getting my ducks in a row for my Disney Cruise

Hi, all! I realized it's been about a week since I chatted with you here (oops!) but wanted to give you the scoop on what I've been doing.

It's about 4 weeks until I leave from Vancouver on the Disney Wonder for my 10 night cruise to Hawaii, and as a consummate planner, you know I'm already getting my ducks in a row for vacation. I wanted to share with you some things I do, and some of the things I like to bring along with me when I go on Disney Cruise Line.

* Cash in my spare change jar for room service and baggage tips.

I have a coffee cup near my desk where I put my change, and in a few weeks I'll go the bank and cash that in. I don't pay with cash all that often (I use my debit card more often) but I typically find myself with at least $40 in change when cruise time comes around. I like to get that mostly in $5s and $1s so I can have tip money ready for baggage helpers at the airport and hotel, and also for room service on the cruise.

* Finalize my packing list.

As I've mentioned before, one of the oddities about me (hold your laughter, I know there are more than a few!) is that while I LOVE to vacation, I HATE packing. Seriously one of my least favorite things to do. So thus the next item on my cruise-prep list.

I am going to *try* to pack for about 2 weeks in a carry-on bag. I know. Hold me.

But seriously, when I pack a ton of clothes I never wear half of them so I don't feel like lugging around a giant suitcase, and I also would prefer to save the $50 in checked baggage fees. During the day, it's swimsuits, tees and shorts, so that's easy. At night, I do like to dress up for dinner but I'm planning on packing 3-4 skirts and pants, and 3-4 tops, in coordinating colors and patterns, so I can create multiple outfits from just a few pieces. In terms of shoes, I'll bring 2 pairs of sandals, one pair of walking shoes and also a pair of dress shoes.

I am also planning on doing laundry at least once during the 2 weeks so there's no need to pack tons of clothes.

I like to have a list (because, well do you know me at ALL?!) as it makes packing easier, quicker and even less painful. No muss, no fuss. No last minute "should I take that?!" decisions. Just use the list, baby.

* Load up the Kindle.

Probably my favorite vacation activity is reading. I don't find myself doing a lot of (for fun) reading during my normal schedule/life so knowing that I have all that free time to get into some great books is really fun. I'm going to peruse some of the new releases to see which one(s) will be added to my cruise reading list. If you have any favorites, I would love to get some suggestions!

I also really enjoy audio books; those are perfect for the plane, in particular. I have a few credits burning a hole in my Audible.com account so I'll find a few gems there, as well.

* Round up the fun little cruise "extras" to spiff up my stateroom.

On Disney Cruise Line, your stateroom doors are magnetized and so lots of people (me included!) like to bring items to decorate the door. I LOVE the magnets from Hair Majesty Boutique on Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HairMajestyBoutique); I have a few already, and am thinking about getting another one or two to add to my collection, probably the Hawaiian/beach Mickey and Minnie. They're a fun way to spruce up your space, and also help you spot your door (especially in those first few days when you're getting your bearings!).

Just make sure they're magnets and NOT adhesives, as this will ruin the doors (and you'll get a nice, hefty cleaning/repair bill from Disney!).

How to do get ready for cruising?

Have a magical day!

Movin with Mickey Monday - Progress Report

Happy Monday ~ Hope you all had a nice weekend!

As part of the Movin with Mickey series, I want to check in with you all once a month on my personal progress and how I'm doing with my own journey to better fitness and health.

First, I'm tracking my steps using a FitBit and for the month of July, I walked a total of 134,435 steps. I'd like to get that closer to 200,000 steps each month (which is an average of 6,600 steps per day) so that is my goal for the month of August.

Weight is also coming off, which as been encouraging to see. I've lost about 6 pounds since July 1st, and have lost a total of 17". If losing weight is part of your fitness goal, make sure you take measurements in addition to your weight. There were a few weeks in July where maybe I'd not lost weight (or lost very little) but when I measured, I'd lose a few inches each week.

I've noticed that my energy level has gone way up this month, which has been awesome to see. I'm really seeing a difference in how I feel now that I'm not eating processed foods or tons of sugar. All very encouraging!

I'm starting to live by the 80/20 rule. That is, eating well 80% of the time and allowing yourself the 20% for treats, special occasions, etc. You have to live and so there will always be birthday parties, weddings, holidays, etc but if you can commit to making good food choices during most of your week, you're in good shape.

My goals for the next month are the following:

 - Walk an average of 6,600 steps per day
 - Start doing yoga again 2-3 times per week. I really enjoy yoga and I always feel good afterwards, so I'm going to add it in a few times a week.
 - Start adding more variety of fruits and veggies to my diet. I am kind of in a blueberry / pepper /  mushroom / lettuce rut with my fruits and veggies, so I want to branch out and add some more this month that are not my "norm."


What are your fitness goals? How'd you do in July? Please comment or share on our social media pages.

Have a magical day!

The Next Adventure!

from http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/explore-map/

Today I wanted to share with you my next adventure! I'm pretty excited and can't wait to tell you all about it.

From January - early April 2016, I'll be living in Fort Myers, Florida! I'll be staying with my sister (my aunt and uncle also live there) and am very excited. This has been in the works for the last few months but now I've got all the details worked out so I wanted to keep you all in the loop.

I'm so incredibly excited, I could burst.

I'll be able to do a lot of cool things this winter; I'm so excited to share those experiences with all of you. I'll be closer to the theme parks (not just Disney but also Universal, Sea World, etc) and so can bring you even more up-to-date news, pictures and videos. I also want to explore other Florida vacation spots and attractions, too, and share that information with you. I've got all sorts of ideas in mind, but I'm really open to any of your ideas and hope you'll share with me the types of things you'd like to see.

I'm also collaborating with my friend Krista and the Living the Dream Podcast team and will have many more opportunities to bring you along on some awesome media experiences including meet and greets with Disney royalty, movie premiers, openings of new attractions, etc.

I'm very excited to bring you along on this new adventure! Stay tuned for more info!

Have a magical day!

Dining on the Disney Magic

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend.

Today, let's cover dining on the Disney Magic. You've already made your way to port (whether that be Port Canaveral, Miami or perhaps Europe!), you've checked in and your boarding number has been called. First things first - let's eat!

When you get on the boat, you can go up to Cabanas and grab lunch; that's a cafeteria style buffet with LOTS of choices that's good for breakfast and lunch. You can either sit inside the dining room, or there is outside seating as well, which is really nice. Typically, one of the evening table service restaurants is also available for lunch on embarkation day - check the Daily Navigator or ask a Cast Member when you get onboard.

For snacks and grab-and-go, there are many places on board to eat a quick lunch or snack on pizza, sandwiches, fruit and more. On the Disney Magic, you can find these on Deck 9: Daisy De-Lites, Pete's Boiler Bites, Pinocchio's Pizzeria and my personal favorite, Eye Scream and Frozone Treats, where you can help yourself to soft-serve ice cream in flavors that change every day.

For dinner, Disney Cruise Line has what they call rotational dining. This means that each night of your cruise, you'll go to another of the sit-down restaurants and your serving team will follow up. This is very nice because they get to know you, your likes, any allergies or dietary restrictions you have, etc. When you check in you'll get the dining rotation for your cruise, which will be printed on your Key to the World card (a card which opens your stateroom and is also used for charging privileges). You'll rotate among Animator's Palette, Carioca's and Lumieres. Attire for dinner is dressy-casual (they really don't want you wearing swim suits, cover ups, flip flops, etc but nice shorts, capri pants, skirts, pants, etc are all fine). On longer cruises, Semi Formal and Formal nights will be part of the itinerary. You can dress up as little or as much as you like; but don't worry, tuxes and tails are NOT required!

In addition, before dinner each night there will be photographers and characters in the main lobby/atrium area if you'd like a family pictures. These pictures can be purchased at any time during the cruise. There are two main dinner seating times, 5:45PM and 8:15PM. Dinner usually takes between 60-90 minutes. You'll be greeted by your server and assistant server and you'll be given the menu for the evening. If it's a Formal night, or perhaps Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party night, you'll be given special menus. 

Each menu has courses for appetizers, soup/salad, main course and dessert. You can choose WHATEVER you want here; don't feel like you have to choose one from each category. Perhaps none of the appetizers appeal to you, but you'd love to have both the soup of the night and a salad. Go for it! Also feel free to order more of something if you really, really like it. All your food is included so don't be shy if you'd another serving, or if you want to try something else.

For those 18 and older, you can also have dinner at Palo (or brunch on cruises with at least one sea day). For $30 per person, you'll get an amazing dining experience. Brunch is a buffet like you've never seen, with choices from caviar to croissants to fruit and more. You can also order warm items that will be made-to-order such as pizza, Chicken Parmesan and Eggs Benedict. (Psst - for those over 21, you also get one free mimosa with your meal.) Dinner is equally excellent with antipasti service, a phenomenal menu featuring filet, lobster, pasta and more, and the real star of Palo - the chocolate souffle. Order it, just trust me. You won't regret it! Attire at both brunch and dinner at Palo is dress pants and shirt or jacket for me, and dress or pantsuit for women. They request no jeans, shorts, capri pants. tennis shoes or flip flops. If you happen to dine at both the Palo brunch and dinner on your cruise, you'll have the same server (although he/she will be a different server from your regular ones during the evening dining).

Remember that with Disney Cruise Line, all of your food is part of your cruising fee (apart from Palo) - even the room service menu! The only things not included are alcohol, popcorn and snack items at the movies and if you order soda from room service (as they bring you cans of soda). If I go to a movie and want a snack, I order room service and have them bring chocolate chip cookies - an awesome movie snack! :) Otherwise, everything else is included.

I do like to bring a some $1 bills to tip the room service staff; everything on the ship is credit only (on your Key to the World card, you won't use cash or credit cards to purchase items while on board) but with room service I find it easier to bring some $1 bills and tip them with those.

There are self-serve beverage stations on the pool deck with coffee, soda, water and tea - I either bring a Tervis or similar cup from home, or buy one on the boat. They have cups at the self-serve stations but they're a bit small, I think, so I like to bring my own cup.

If you've dined before on the Disney Magic, what's your favorite restaurant? How about favorite grab-and-go place?

Have a magical day!

The Pool at Disney's Grand Californian

One of my favorite parts about staying at the Grand Californian at Disneyland was the amazing pool area. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time out there this trip, but trust me - I'll be back! So many great places to lounge, read, watch the kids, etc. It's a large pool area; there are three separate pools, including a waterslide, a hot tub and a shallow area for little ones who like to splash around.

You can also rent poolside cabanas for the day! I neglected to check the price but they looked awesome; a nice covered place to sit, beverages, towels, etc - perfect for a hot California day!

What Disney resort pool is your favorite?

Have a magical day!

My reivew of "The Wisdom of Walt" by Jeffrey A. Barnes

"Big dreams require big canvases."

As I started reading Jeffrey Barnes book "The Wisdom of Walt - Leadership Lessons from the Happiest Place on Earth", this particular sentence on page 51 hit me upside the head. Like all good advice, it's succinct but powerful. Not only did it resonate with me, it also set the stage for the remainder of the book.

Mr. Barnes is an author, professional keynote speaker and university professor who gives a wonderfully unique and interesting perspective about using lessons from Walt Disney's life, and the creation of Disneyland, as inspirations for success.

With chapters titled "Taking Care of Your Team", Listening to your 'Walter Ego'", "Using Forced Perspective" and my personal favorite, "Telling Stories," Mr. Barnes relays how you the reader can gain leadership skills by using the lessons of Walt Disney and the creation of Disneyland.

One of my favorite sections of the book is Chapter 6, "Mastering the 4 Cs" of Curiosity, Confidence, Courage and Constancy." I've re-read this section a few times - SO many great lessons.

I also really enjoyed that Mr. Barnes gives you space within the chapters to write down your own ideas and thoughts; this was a nice surprise, something you don't see in other books. He asks questions related to the chapter material, and then encourages you to think about what you just read and apply it to your own life. I jotted down some of my own notes; it'll be very interesting to read those a year from now, 5 years, etc and see if any of the answers have changed, or what action steps I was able to put into place.

Some of you might wonder if this book is a good fit for you; I would argue that we're all working towards a goal. Maybe you're working on accomplishing a dream and are looking for some inspiration as you start your journey. Do yourself a favor, and pick up this book!

There's so much I could talk about in relation to the book but we'd be here all day (and for quite a few days, actually). If you're a Disney fan and always like learning more about the history of Disney (from Walt's life to the theme parks), this book is for you. If you're someone who's looking for a "how-to" to jumpstart moving towards your goals, this book is for you. Even the non-Disney fans (or perhaps, not as passionate fans) in your life will really enjoy "The Wisdom of Walt." I plan on sharing it with my parents, my uncle and brother, as I think there are great principles and ideas they could apply to their particular businesses.

As Mr. Barnes states, "Reading this book will change the way you see and experience Disneyland. Instead of being a place of escape, Disneyland will become for you a model of success. Learn how the Park can challenge you to live your dream, inspire you to take action, and teach you how to create your own magic so that every day for you is as fun as a day at Disneyland."

You can purchase the book through Mr. Barnes' website www.thewisdomofwalt.com or on Amazon. Please treat yourself and pick up this book - you'll be glad you did!

Have a magical day!

I was provided a complimentary copy of Mr. Barnes book for my review. All opinions are my own.

Movin with Mickey - David Sevcik and Training his Mom for a Marathon

If you'll remember, every other Monday I'll feature a Movin with Micky post, talking about my own fitness and health goals, and also featuring blog readers who are achieving their own goals and/or helping others as well.

Today I want to feature David Sevcik, from Denver Colorado. David is my cousin and I knew he'd be a great person to talk to about health and fitness as he's an avid runner who has participated in many marathons and other distance races (and has placed very highly in many of them. Seriously, he's CRAZY fast. Those genes didn't trickle down to yours truly.)

David helped his mom (my aunt Lisa) train for her first marathon, so I asked him if he'd share about the training and some of his tips. Take it away, David!

* Tell us about your running background and when you started running.

I started running as a sophomore in high school after deciding golf wasn't for me.  I was never a front runner in high school and finished 7th on our team as a senior.  I then started the Iowa State Running Club where I saw a lot more success.  In our best year the club finished as the 2nd best collegiate running club in the nation.  We lost to a team we had beat just 3 weeks prior.  The same year the running club won the Half Marathon Collegiate Club National Championships as well as I won the race individually.  I've become an avid distance runner with my best ever finish being 49th (27th American) at the 2015 Boston Marathon.

* You mentioned that you helped your mom train for her first marathon; what program did you use in her training? Can you give us an idea of the training schedule?

My mom started running in her late 40's and initially just wanted to finish her first marathon under 5 hours.  She had never ran in her life and had trouble making it a mile without walking.  Her first go around she worked on a training plan through a local church group.  Most of these training plans involve running 3-4 days a week with a few very short runs (2-3 miles) and one very long run (15+).  When my mom mentioned she wanted to run Boston I knew I needed to give her more advice.  We started with 3 days a week running anywhere from 20-40 minutes.  We gradually built her weekly training up to 5 days a week with an hour a day.  The goal was to just run for one hour without stopping.  Pace truly didn't matter as long as it was continuous.  We then built up a mid week and weekend long run.  These runs ended up peaking at 2 hours and 2.5 hours.  Once these were going, we also looked at the course she was going to run and designed certain workouts to mimic the course.  Since her goal was the Des Moines marathon I knew that the first 8 miles were hilly and the last 18 were relatively flat.  So one example of a workout would be to run hill repeats and then follow that with a 3-4 mile marathon goal pace run.  At the end of 4 months she was able to finish her marathon in 3 hours 59 minutes and some change to qualify for Boston.

* Do you follow a particular diet or eating plan while you're training?

As I get older I believe diet is more and more important.  I've never followed a strict diet, but I do watch what I eat before a big workout or long run.  If I know I'm running 20 miles in the morning I won't drink a beer, or have ice cream the night before.  It's important to listen to your body and make sure your stomach is comfortable the following day.  I do think Calcium pills, iron supplements, and a multi-vitamin are beneficial.

* What device(s) do you use in your training, if any? (FitBit, Garmin, etc)

I just use a normal $30 watch that tells me time.  I'm a fan of Garmin, however I think it is important to not pay too much attention to all the numbers and let your body tell you what it should be doing and what it should not.  Don't worry about your pace as much as your time and the overall effort.  I do warn people that as beneficial as a Garmin or other GPS device might be they can also be just as harmful when you let the numbers direct your running

* What advice would you have for someone who's thinking about doing their first long-distance run?

Here's a couple things I'd tell someone doing their first race:

1. Your mind will limit your potential more then your body.  Running is very mental and don't talk yourself into believing anything negative or against your goals.

2. You are only going to get out what you put in.  Starting to run is hard for everyone.  It will take 3-4 weeks to create a comfortable habit, but running consistently is the only way to improve.

3. The proper shoes make all the difference.  Go to a running specialist store.  Do not go Dick's, Scheels, or other big box retailer to find the proper running shoes.  Big box retailers will not do a good job period. Also with your running shoes, your focus needs to be on comfort and the correct style.  The best shoes will not be as pretty as the Nike Free's, but you will be less likely to get injured.

4. Having a personalized coach will help you a lot more then finding a random plan on the internet.  If you want to see your best results it is best to have a personalized training plan that focusses on your strengths and weaknesses, as well as can be built and adjusted around your normal schedule.

Thanks again to David, we appreciate you sharing with us!

Have a magical day!