Give the Gift of Disney this Holiday Season!

Believe it or not, the holidays are right around the corner.  Instead of buying material things that the family won't remember, want to surprise them with a gift they'll never forget?  How about a trip to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or even a Disney Cruise!  For a small deposit, we can get that trip reserved and all you have to do is surprise your family!  Here are a few fun ideas for surprising them:

*Send your family on a treasure hunt.  This could be done by spreading clues throughout the house which lead to your Disney surprise.

*Fill a piece of luggage with Mickey Mouse ears for everyone, wrap it, and give it to your loved one.

*Reserve a Christmas or holiday dinner at your favorite restaurant or cook a favorite meal.  Spread small clues around the table as decoration and have some fake Disney tickets hiding under their plates or hand them out during dessert.

*Get wooden letters from a hobby store that spell out the word DISNEY.  Wrap them in individual boxes, have the kids open them, and then unscramble them.

*Give everyone a bag full of Disney supplies as a  gift, then have them open at the same time.

There are so many ways to surprise your family!  Just remember to record the whole thing!

Here's what a past client has to say about giving Disney for Christmas:

"Working with Incredible Memories Travel was super easy!  She took care of EVERYTHING and helped me come up with a plan to surprise my wife and kids for Christmas with our very first Disney World trip.  She walked us through every step and detail all the way through the end of the trip.  It went so well, I'll absolutely be contacting them for our next trip!"  Joshua

Here's what a past client has to say about receiving Disney for Christmas:

"Being surprised with a Disney trip for Christmas is the stuff dreams are made of.  I will never forget the overwhelming feeling when the "hints" were opened by myself and our three kids.  The sheer delight and all the tears made for a precious memory.  The trip was executed flawlessly and we had an absolutely wonderful time!  Knowing that we didn't have to worry about the details or planning because all the guesswork was handled so well by our agent, was the icing on the cake.  And all that extra help for free?!  It's a no-brainer, and we can't wait for our next trip!"  Amanda

Giving Disney as a gift to your loved ones is definitely unforgettable.  We would love to help you make this gift a reality! 

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys?

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for Boys?

One of my favorite things to do in Disney World is watch a little girl transform into a princess. The way she carries herself, the smile on her face, and the look of awe from everyone around her are delightful. In Disney that means one thing... the little girl has just gotten a makeover at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique(BBB). There are two locations located in Walt Disney World. The most popular one being at Magic Kingdom and the secondary one located at Disney Springs.  Prices exist  for every budget starting with very basic hair and nails and moving up to the extravagance that Disney is known for. It’s no secret that I’m a "boy mom."  I truly thought I’d never get to experience the BBB magic. When I found out my niece was going to partake I was a little jealous. That is until my sister-in-law told me that they had a package for boys! And the best part of the whole deal.... it was only $19.95 plus tax! I immediately called and made reservations. 

We chose the Disney Springs location in order to accommodate my two boys who are both six years old and my niece who was three at the time. BBB is located in between Earl of Sandwich, The Void, and Once Upon a Toy. We arrived about 30 minutes before our reservation and  were told to come back closer to our appointment. The lobby area is extremely small and cannot accommodate more than six people or so. Within a few minutes of our appointment time, we were called back to meet our stylist, also known as a Fairy Godmother. All three of the children were called together, and we were  placed in a small room. Waiting in the room were the two shields for my sons that came with their package. I was so impressed with the quality of the shields.  The dragon version of Maleficent  was on each shield face. They looked like they cost more than $20 which was the cost of the whole experience. Then we were left alone in a room where a certain very special fairy godmother came to greet us through a mirror. We were all shocked and amazed. After that each child went up to the mirror to talk about how he or she wanted his or her hair.  We were then led to the styling room and my boys received gel and pixie dust and were presented to their audience. The hairstyle itself took less than 10 minutes. After that they were swept off to their photo session. 

My boys truly felt special, and I highly recommend the Knight package for any boys who would appreciate some pampering.The whole experience took approximately 20 minutes, but it created incredible memories that will last a lifetime.   

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from All of Us at Incredible Memories Travel!

We offer you some photos of our own Incredible Christmas Memories!

From Hogwarts at Warner Brothers Studios, London

From a French Christmas Market - Lille, France 

From Bad Wimpfen, Germany

From Walt Disney World

From Innsbruck, Austria

Peles Castle - Romania

Who can name the Netflix Original Christmas movie that is filmed here?

E is for Epcot

Epcot, the theme park at Walt Disney World Resorts in Orlando, Florida.  Home to Future World and the World Showcase, Epcot offers attractions, shows, meet and greets with characters, visits to various "countries",  wonderful food options, and is often the home to special festivals such as the Wine and Dine Festival in the fall or the International Flower and Garden Festival in the spring, just to name two.

Disney and Disabilities

Being part of a family that has multiple disabilities, we know how hard it is to travel while meeting ALL the needs.  In my family of 5, we have mobility issues, heart issues, food allergies, and cognitive disabilities.  It can be overwhelming, and it's difficult to know how to start.  Disney has always worked hard to create a magical environment, and with proper planning, you can have an amazing vacation without your disability being the center of it.  

Cognitive Disabilities 

 Meet Timothy!

Timothy is our youngest child.  We had the joy of adopting him on Valentine's Day four years ago.  Timothy came to us with many special needs, including Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which affects his cognitive abilities.  Some of that manifests in ways similar to autism and other cognitive disabilities.

The Disability Assistance Service is designed to help those who can’t stand in line for long periods of time for cognitive reasons.  Disney cannot require a doctor’s note or any sort of documentation when you request this service, but do keep in mind that it is up to the cast member’s discretion on whether or not they believe it is required.  For example, somebody with MS might be told to utilize a wheelchair or scooter, but a person with Asperger’s or Autism might be granted a DAS card with no issues. 

The DAS card allows you to go to an attraction and get a return time for later in the day.  This return time is at least the same length as the current wait time.  For example, if you go to Anna and Elsa at 11, and the wait time is 2 hours, they will have you come back at 1.  Once you have that return time, you can go and enjoy other attractions in the park, and return to the attraction with return time at ANY point after, which is different from a FastPass, which gives you an hour window.  When you return to your attraction, simply present your card, and the Cast Member will direct you to the appropriate entrance. 

The best way to utilize this service at is to alternate FastPasses and DAS card rides.  

At Disney World, we start our first FastPass at 9:30, start the second around 11:30, and the third around 1:30.  Once we arrive at the park, we immediately go to an attraction we do not have a FastPass for, and get a return time. Then we do the attractions that don’t need a FastPass until our first window.  After our first FastPass, we go to our first DAS ride.  As soon as that is finished, we go to the next attraction without a FastPass, and get a second return time on our card. Then, we go to our next FastPass attraction.  We continue to alternate through the rest of the day.  When booking your FastPasses, be sure to leave about an hour in between each one so that you can use the DAS card in between each time, and that should leave enough time to alternate the whole day. 

 Physical (Mobility) Disabilities

Meet me!

Both my daughter and I have a genetic disorder called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  It can affect pretty much every part of your body, which can be really tough.  There are good days and bad days.  On the good days, I can do everything, including run half marathons!  On a bad day, even walking from my bedroom to the living room is painful.  

Fortunately, Disney is wonderful with mobility disorders.  Animal Kingdom was built in such a way that every single attraction can accommodate a wheelchair in every queue!  Most attractions at all the parks in Disney World and Disney can accommodate a wheelchair, but for those rides that cannot, they have an alternate entrance that your party can use.  Please keep in mind that when using an alternate entrance, sometimes the wait can be long if there are several wheelchairs.  Each ride can only accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs at a time.  

All of the shows that have seating have reserved rows for those who need to take in their wheelchair or ECV.  The whole family will be sat together, so be sure to keep your party together!  The fireworks shows and parades also have a handicapped section.  Your party whole party will be allowed to stay together here as well, but be sure to arrive early, as the areas can fill up, especially if you have a larger family. 

If you are like me, and you don't use a wheelchair in your everyday life, and need to rent one, you can do so either onsite with Disney, or you can use one of the many companies that will bring the equipment you need to your hotel door.  If you choose to rent from Disney, they do offer a multiday discount.  You will pick up your wheelchair or EVC at the park entrance, and return it there each day.  They will give you a receipt to take to the next park, where you will pick up the next one.  You will be given a courtesy wheelchair to use to get back to the parking lot, bus stop, or monorail.  

If you are cruising and you have mobility issues, there are companies that will lease a wheelchair or EVC to you for the length of your cruise.  Disney has many excursions with wheelchair accommodations for those who would like to explore.  Just like the parks, the shows have special seating for those who need it.

Food Allergies

Meet Davalyn!

Davalyn  has the same genetic disorder I do.  Hers primarily manifests itself with food allergies.  She has eight different ones.  Needless to say, that can make going out to eat or on vacation quite complicated!  However, Disney has mastered taking care of food allergies.  

All the chefs are amazing with food allergies.  Prior to your trip, you or your travel agent should contact the dining team, and let them know that you are coming.  They will give you a form to fill out that includes your dining reservations and what you are allergic to.  If there is a need, or if you have any special requests, they will have a chef from your chosen restaurants call you.  In most cases, Disney has separate kitchens for food allergies in order to protect against an anaphylactic reaction. They always have separate stations.  If they are not able to use a separate kitchen, they will let you know.  If you choose to dine at a buffet, the chefs will prepare your food in the kitchen so that you do not risk cross contamination with other foods on the buffet.  You you arrive at a restaurant, and there is nothing you can eat, or nothing looks appetizing, talk to your chef.  They will do everything they can to accommodate your needs.

Quick service is a bit trickier.  Each location has a book with all the ingredients with each item on the menu.  The location manager will come out and talk to you about your allergies and help you find something that works for you.  Now, we had a time period where our  son, Reese, was reacting to 16 different foods.  There was not much on any menu that he could eat! So the quick service locations went well far and above with us.  They took down his list of allergies, then prepared his food in a full service restaurant in the allergy kitchen.  This process is time consuming, so I recommend that you set aside a good amount of time, and that you try to eat at off times to avoid crowds.  

What to do if you have more complicated disabilities?  Disney does their best to anticipate as many needs as possible, and to have good practices in place to make the process as smooth as possible.  If you have disabilities that go beyond these standard accommodations, please reach out to guest services when you arrive, and talk to them about your needs.  They will do everything in their power to accommodate you as best they can. 

Christmas at Disney Part 2

(Continuation from Part 1 of Kristy's husband's post)

So, after having gained roughly 2 pounds each just from inhaling the air surrounding the gingerbread exhibits...

...we had to move on.

We had lunch reservations and tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The Christmas Party, for those unfamiliar with it, is an after-hours event inside the Magic Kingdom, available for a not quite seizure-inducing fee, should you discover you haven’t maxed out your credit yet. Lunch reservations, for those unfamiliar with them, are a kind of appointment you make at nicer restaurants to come by, have a chat with some of the staff, try out the lobby chairs, then after a while stagger away in search of food.

At least that’s what seems likely to happen when you first check in at a popular Disney restaurant. They are generally swarming whatever time you go, including four hours after closing.

Here we are waiting to enter ours.

If you are trying to plan ahead and are unsure whether the establishment you are considering qualifies as a popular Disney restaurant, there is a simple two-step test. Step 1: before you enter, check whether the building is located anywhere within 10 miles of the Walt Disney World border. Step 2: after you enter, check whether anyone is eating. If the answer to both questions is yes, it is a popular Disney restaurant.

However, as you veteran Mousekovites know, Disney usually manages to pull off the surprising, and, in our case, we were seated in less than 15 minutes. We were eating at Sanaa, a delightful, African-theme restaurant inside the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Disney bills it as “African cooking with Indian flavors.” Maybe they also have an Indian-themed diner somewhere that serves antelope burgers. I’ll let you know when I find it.

The atmosphere at Sanaa is top-notch. In a helpful example of the always-clever Disney effects department, some of the menu items actually appear outside the windows to assist in making your selections. African Chicken, for example.

If you are fortunate enough to enjoy a meal at Sanaa, you can’t really do better than to order the Indian-Style Bread Service. The bread itself is called naan. I do not know what ‘naan’ means, nor do I care. It might simply mean ‘bread,’ so that the title is redundant, like how some restaurants serve torte cake. Or it might mean something wholly unrelated to food. If I found out tomorrow, while on my way there for lunch, that naan is Swahili for “rolled out hunk of tree bark often given as a prank to Westerners overeager to part with their money,” I would still order it right after greeting the waiter.

At Sanaa, naan is a circular, flat loaf served with nine different dipping sauces, each very unique and very delicious.

                                                               

                                             

For some reason, this comes, as you can see, on a long wooden board instead of anything resembling traditional serving ware. This could simply be a continuation of the African theme, or it could be that the last joke about what naan means has more plausibility than I am comfortable exploring. So, moving on.

Lunch was our last major event before heading to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. One of the selling points of the party is the non-stop hot chocolate, hot cider, candy canes, cookies of various kinds, etc., served all over the park. While nice, this presented a dilemma for my family. At the time of our trip, we were battling several food allergies, the total list of which meant we as a group were allergic to roughly 85% of any given grocery store. This meant two things: 1) the plumbing in my house was seriously earning its keep in those days, and 2) three of us couldn’t eat a single thing served at the party.

Enter the head chef of Sanaa; a fine gentleman by the name of Eddie, pictured here.

(As a side note, the little one in the bottom of the picture is not scowling because of Eddie. He’s a big fan of Eddie’s work. I don’t remember precisely, but I think he was mad because we had cut him off after his fourth serving of Butter Chicken.)

Anyway, my blogette had gotten to know Chef Eddie a little on a previous trip, so she contacted him in advance of this one to see if he knew any chefs working in the Magic Kingdom that we could ask about special ordering allergy-friendly snacks. Eddie did us one better. He insisted on making something himself. That was surprising enough, but even more surprising was the bulging bag he brought out that contained a thermos of hot chocolate, brownies, chocolate covered strawberries, and an assortment of various other treats, all completely allergy-friendly. He made each one himself, from scratch, for not one dime, just because we had taken the time to get to know him and he wanted to make sure our time was memorable and easy. Since our trip, Eddie has moved to Jiko, an even more upscale restaurant in the same resort. Apart from his culinary skill, which is formidable, it’s clear to me why he was promoted.

[LEGAL DISCLAIMER SENSIBLE PEOPLE DO NOT NEED: We did not ask Eddie to do this and Eddie is not required to do it for you. Nor is any other Disney chef. We had simply been nice to him in the past and he chose to be nice in return. We have witnessed a surprising number of Cast Members respond with over-and-above generosity and gratitude when shown a little kindness and interest in them as people. To me, this suggests those are things they don’t get much of. END LEGAL DISCLAIMER]

Onward to the Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Christmas Party.

So, having already donated bone marrow to purchase your park admission tickets, you now more or less agree to let the Walt Disney Company sell up to two of your non-essential organs. In exchange for this, they give each member of your party a small, green wrist band that looks a little too much like a hospital admission bracelet. This is an important item it turns out, because at some point during the early evening, the Cast Members start kicking out anyone who doesn’t have a one. Suddenly all these dedicated Disney-goers find themselves badly wishing they too looked like recently recovered medical patients.

Inside the park there are snack stations, as mentioned, each one helpfully marked by a large, inflatable bathroom scale.

Kidding. They look big peppermint sticks, like this:

Each one has a different variety of snacks and drinks, all available in unlimited quantities for nothing but the paltry entry fee we already discussed.

There are other unique aspects, too. There is the Once Upon A Christmas Time parade that you can only see during the Party. It features a lot of familiar and expected Disney faces, but also a few things you don’t often see. Clarabelle the Cow baking Christmas cookies, for example.

I am not sure why, but for some reason Disney seems to be trying to orchestrate a Clarabelle Comeback. Maybe I’m just not the visionary type, but I don’t see it happening.

There were also some very fun Christmas Dancers I did not get any good pictures of, so here’s a passable one.

Our favorite was the marching toy soldier band. They played their own music, including actual brass instruments. Give it a watch:

There were several unique floats we hadn’t seen during any other parade. And of course, the Big Guy.

There wasn’t anything wrong with my camera. It turns out Santa is actually a little out of focus in real life. It’s his age, I think. Have you ever noticed how really old photographs never look all that sharp? Apparently, it was the subjects’ fault, not the equipment.

Who knew?

Anyway, there are of course also several character meet-and-greet stations. These are always a hit with the kiddos. They are also a hit with adults who, for reasons that are absolutely, totally fine, like to join in pretending the 20-yr-old actors signing an endless stream of autograph books actually are corporeal manifestations of cartoon characters.

We met Rapunzel and Flynn. Both were very sweet and very fun. The Little Guy got tips on The Smolder.

He’ll get there.

The Castle Lighting was a sight to behold. It begins with a show on the Castle steps starring the Frozen characters. It culminates with Elsa, as the name suggests, lighting up the Castle. I will grant you that doesn’t sound terribly exciting. I get it. But bear something in mind; we are experienced, hard-bitten, grizzled Disney veterans. We are not easily impressed. We have been to Disneyland and Disney World. We have been on two Disney cruises. We have seen all the fireworks. We were at Epcot during its anniversary month, we have talked to Mickey, been the Grand Marshalls of the Festival of Fantasy Parade, I’ve been the Veteran of the Day (invited twice), we’ve been onstage at the start of the Indiana Jones show, we have Bob Iger on speed dial, etc.

The point is, we have seen it and done it, whatever it is. And yet this was an absolutely stunning light show. Truly. We were very impressed.

I have many pictures and even a video. They won’t do it justice, so instead here’s a nice shot my daughter took during the fireworks finale, which was also truly excellent. As for the rest, you’ll just have to take my word for it until you’re ready to put some of your own organs up for sale. We can’t spare anymore of ours.