Embarking on a Universal Orlando vacation promises excitement and thrills, but have you ever thought about taking it to the next level?
As your trusted travel agent, I'm here to introduce an exclusive experience that transforms a great vacation into an unforgettable adventure: The Universal Studios Non-Private VIP Tour. Imagine exploring the Universal Orlando Resort theme parks with the exclusivity of a small group setting, limited to just 12 guests, with up to six from your very own party. This blend of intimacy and value offers many of the same coveted perks as a private VIP tour but at a more accessible price point. Compared to the Universal Express Unlimited, which allows you to skip regular lines, the Non-Private VIP Tour stands out for its comprehensive inclusions, benefits, and with all things considered, competitive pricing.
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How Your Kids Can Make Travel Magic Happen!Hey again! Remember how Peter Pan had a little helper sprinkling pixie dust to make dreams come true? Well, I've got some enchanting news for you. Your very own fairy helpers are probably running around your house right now. Yes, I'm talking about your kids! In my previous chat with you, we unlocked one of the best-kept secrets to planning your vacations – opening up a dedicated savings account. If you haven't read it yet, go back and have a look; it's packed with handy tips that'll help you create a budget and kick-start your vacation savings in no time. Now, let's talk about how to fill up that savings account, despite the whirlwind of family life and with no side hustle in sight. Ready for it? Bring the kids on board! Your Roadmap to Adventure PlanningHello again, Ever caught yourself daydreaming about your next adventure but felt your wallet holding you back? Guess what? You're not alone. Better still, I have the perfect roadmap to navigate these financial crossroads while keeping your travel dreams alive. Any financial guru worth their salt will tell you - it all begins with a good budget. Now, before you run a mile, hear me out. Budgeting doesn’t have to be as scary as scaling Everest Let's break it down: Step one: Kick off with calculating your income. If you have a steady salary, it's a breeze. For those with a variable income, like yours truly, working with estimates or averages will be your go-to strategy. Step two: It's time to get up close and personal with your fixed and variable expenses. My preference is a biweekly budget, but if going month-to-month works for you, that’s wonderful. Start your budget journey by rounding up your fixed expenses, like your mortgage or rent, phone and utility bills, car payments, and minimum debt repayments. Once you've got a handle on this, it's time to subtract these figures from your income. What you’re left with is your pot for variable expenses! This part’s a bit of guesswork, but you've got this! Estimate your variable expenses, such as groceries, fuel, recreational costs, kids' activities, and of course, pet pampering. Review this at the end of each month or pay period to understand your spending patterns. Step three: Achieve a zero balance on your budget. This is where the magic happens. If you’ve got loose change left after all your expenses are covered, it's time to pile it into your savings or further reduce your debt. In the world of finance, we call this the zero-based budgeting method. If you already have a smooth-running budget mechanism, that's fabulous! Just tie in your savings goal to your current budget and designate an amount every month (or biweekly) towards your 'Shine under the Disney fireworks fund.' Remember, savings and debt pay-offs should be at the top of your plan. But, wait, there's more! Let's supercharge that vacation fund with these savvy tips: Tip #1: If you’ve just cleared a payment obligation, like a car loan or credit card, reign in the urge to breathe easy. Instead, redirect that same payment toward your vacation savings account. It's like you're paying yourself for all the fun awaiting! Tip #2: To keep the vacation savings untapped, set up a dedicated account and schedule automatic transfers. I highly recommend opening a high-yield savings account where your money does some additional heavy lifting. Look at banks like Ally, Capital One 360, or Dollar Savings Direct for easy set-up. Tip #3: Declare all "surprise" money as dedicated vacation fund boosters. Think tax refunds, work bonuses, mystery checks, and even that $10 bill you found inside your winter coat! Make all these unexpected treasures part of your vacation fund. Now here's the ultimate hack to saving big on your trip: Commit to it NOW! It's no secret that as time passes, prices skyrocket. So why stall when we can start planning your dream vacation right away.
Start by scheduling a call with yours truly. Let's embark on the journey to making your travel dreams come true, one budget plan at a time! Dreaming alongside you! Hello again,
If I could let you in on a secret that could potentially amplify your happiness and rejuvenate your life, would you be interested? Well, here it is: vacations! Surprised? Let's delve a little deeper. Hey there,
Here we are, waltzing into February, and I've got something really close to my heart that I want to chat with you about. Yes, it's time to blend dreams with plans, and who doesn't get a little thrill from that thought as we step further into the New Year? There's something almost magical about a brand-new year unfolding before us, don't you think? It's like being handed a fresh, unwritten book filled with possibilities and adventures waiting to be discovered. So, what story are we going to write on those pages for 2024? Navigating Disney World and Universal Orlando with a Special Needs ChildIndulge in the magic of Disney World and the cinematic wonders of Universal Orlando with your specially-abled loved ones. Join us as we uncover the fourth installment in our series—providing you with effective tips for navigating theme parks smoothly. If you wish to see our previous sagas of general travel wisdom, pre-trip planning, and en-route meltdown solutions, be sure to uncover them in our earlier blog posts.
En Route MeltdownsWelcome to our third installment of Traveling with Special Needs Handling Enroute Meltdowns This is one of the sections where I have the least amount of tips and tricks to offer! Luckily, traveling with Mr D was always a breeze, as long as he had snacks and a movie and/or his music. Since we always drove to our destinations, it was an easy fix. So, I will give you a simple ‘hack’ we learned as a military family with car traveling. In the military, your vacation or ‘leave’ started at midnight. There was a mentality that you didn’t want to miss a single second of that precious time, so we always left at exactly midnight. Or more accurately a few minutes afterward. The few minutes it took my husband to go to the office, sign out, and get back home. The car would be packed and the kids would be in their jammies and in the car ready and waiting.
So, driving through the night to our destination always meant by the time we got to our destination (usually grandma’s house) the kids were up and ready to eat! I would sleep as Dad drove and then I would be fresh for the kids when we arrived and Dad could take a nap when we arrived. Pre-Travel PrepThanks for joining me again on my second installment on having a stress-free (or less stressful) theme park trip with a special needs child!
In this installment, we are going to talk about how important the pre-travel prep is. Because, let’s face it - getting to Disney or Universal and discovering you have forgotten that ONE item you thought you had but your child can’t live without will either cost you a fortune or a lot of aggravation (at a minimum!) Good Morning! Or maybe I should say Merry Morning! Yes, it is that time in the Morris Household where I have put up the Christmas Tree. No, you haven’t misread the calendar! We have only barely passed the first week of November, but since we will be traveling almost two weeks during December, I want to enjoy my tree as long as I can! Of course, that meant a much SMALLER tree and an artificial tree at that! And even though I am not able to put up the customary tree in my office again this year, I am not letting the Grinch steal my Christmas spirit! Instead, I plan on facing the Grinch head-on and letting him know in person that I plan on having a marvelous Christmas! Yes, I will be visiting the famous Grinch himself during the holiday season and can’t wait to get some pictures of him! While this will be not much more than a long weekend trip, it will be a much more laid-back trip than normal for us. It will just be the three of us with no real plan at all. (and for those who know me know, that is a full-on torture!) I have a short list of people I want to grab a picture of/with (and that includes you, Grinch!), a few rides we want to experience, but mainly I want to enjoy the atmosphere of what has quickly become one of my favorite Christmas spots! Universal! While Disney still has the Fantasy of Christmas, Universal has the Christmas Magic! It has that spark I missed once the Osborne Lights were taken down, without the seizure-causing blinkediness. (yes, that is a word…I just made it up! And anyone who had seen the Osborne Lights know what I mean!) You can’t walk around Universal Studios at night, without getting that Christmasy feeling. And let’s not forget the sights from Seuses High in the Sky Trolley at night! Universal’s Islands of Adventure is no slouch when it comes to lights either! (Probably would be a good view from VelociCoaster if I kept my eyes open!) We are also going to try a long weekend at a new Christmas spot for us, Dollywood. I’ve only been there twice. Both were years apart and the last one was over 6 years ago, and NEVER at Christmas time! I’m told I am in for a treat. The hours are a little different than I am accustomed to for a theme park in the winter. I am used to early closing times, but while we are there, Dollywood will open at 11 am and close at 9 pm. Since darkness will occur around the 5:30 time frame, half the day will be in darkness! I can’t wait to see the lights! I bet you can’t tell that lights are my favorite part of Christmas! Even more than gifts! This is why, on our final trip, a very short one-nighter to Jacksonville trip to visit Mayo Clinic, we will take a trip to the beach to see the Christmas lights around the entertainment district! They are spectacular! We discovered them by accident last year, and it will be the highlight of our short visit this year! As we move into my favorite time of year, I want to take this time to Thank each and every one of you who are reading this blog. Whether you have reached out to me to have me help you plan a trip or not. Whether we know each other or not. If you are here because you want to know more about Disney, Universal, Cruising, Accessible Travel, or just my crazy family; Thank you!
I can't believe it's been a whole two months since my last blog post! After over a year of clockwork weekly updates, I've been MIA – and I can't blame it on my age! Life simply picked up pace and took an unexpected detour. My sincerest thanks for your patience during my hiatus. In this errant interval, my son's team clinched a silver medal at the Georgia State Special Olympic Softball games, and our family embarked on a magical expedition to Universal Studios, marking our youngest granddaughters' entrée into the whimsical universe of Harry Potter. The pace of these past few months has gifted me with hindsight - to treasure the small yet significant moments. Witnessing my son's teammates rally each other, exhibit empathy when faced with a harsh call for their opponent, and channel an indomitable spirit despite a hard-earned defeat in the finale showed me the incredible young men they're evolving into. Their special needs didn’t outshine their special spirits - they reminded us grown-ups how things should be done! The wholesome joy in my 8-year-old granddaughter's eyes as she 'cast' her first spell, "out-magicking" her older sister was a sight to behold. The ensuing protectiveness over her wand, as if guarding a treasure, and the endless wonderment she displayed at every sight was invaluable. My 10-year-old granddaughter, a voracious reader, walked through the corridors of Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley in awe and surpassed even her own imagination. She found the nuances that the movies missed and the books harbored, and it was an enchanting moment I hold dear. These are memories I'll cherish always. As I age, and my vision becomes hazier, such experiences gain more depth and color. They're reminders of the brilliance of life and our world, gifts that should never be taken for granted. These golden moments, the essence of our travels, outweigh any souvenir. Traveling is, after all, about cherishing the unique nuances that bind and distinguish us, not just a hunt for the best souvenir. You're probably wondering, "How do I go about it?" The secret lies in nurturing a habit of gratitude. Some take to journaling, others seek out and savor the moments that make us human and celebrate our unique differences. After all, isn't that the essence of why we travelt? To explore the unfamiliar, to appreciate varying cultures, and to uncover the beautiful paradox of how our diverse natures bring us closer together?
As we gear up for the holiday season, I extend a heartfelt 'Thank You' to my clients, family, and friends who've unwaveringly stood by me! On the horizon, we have a rare journey to Dollywood – a trip 9 years in the making – and I can’t wait to see the changes it holds for our evolving family. Looking into next year, the goal is to try to cruise more and continue our journey of discovery. I invite you all to tag along for the spectacle! And feel free to chime in with your suggested destinations for our next expedition! |
AuthorMost of the content is written by people at JMorris Travel. Every once in a while we will have a guest blogger, usually it is part of our 'family'.Always with a nod to Family Travel! Archives
January 2024
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