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Disney Cruise – The Ideal Family Vacation

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:02:36 +0000

Here’s what I have been telling anyone who will listen ever since I set sail with Mickey Mouse and friends in 2007: A Disney Cruise is THE ideal vacation for families. Whether you have a baby, kid, or teen…everyone’s needs (and wants!) are met on a Disney Cruise. Plus, the children are so entertained and catered to, parents are free to do something so rare on a vacation with kids…relax!

Our ship, Disney’s Magic

During my cruise through the Mediterranean, I was accompanied by my husband and then two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. My son was stowing away in my belly too, as we discovered while onboard the ship! Some of my favorite memories as a family of three took place during this vacation.

Here are just some of the reasons I am such a big fan of cruising Disney-style…

Incomparable Service
The service we received aboard Disney’s Magic was beyond belief. Our waitress cheerfully brought us extra dessert when we couldn’t decide on just one and even stopped by to cut up our daughter’s pizza while inquiring about our day. Our room steward made sure our cabins were kept in tip top shape, always greeted us by name, and transformed regular bath towels into bunny rabbits and stingrays each night. Everyone went above and beyond to make sure we had an unforgettable experience!

It was a treat to return from dinner every night to find a different towel creature, like this elephant, waiting for us

Delightful Dining
During our 10-night cruise, most days we chose to eat room service breakfast on our stateroom’s balcony, taking in the view of various picturesque port towns as we nibbled on fresh fruit, yogurt and baked goodies. On our last day at sea, we attended a character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch doing Elvis impersonations and dancing the hula in one of the ship’s restaurants.

Our lunches, for the most part, were eaten onshore. During at sea days, we grabbed quick, easy meals from the ship’s eateries, like Pluto’s Dog House (which serves hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, and the like), Pinocchio’s Pizzeria, or Goofy’s Galley (with healthy options like wraps and fresh salads).

Each evening, we were seated with the same family (a wonderful foursome from Eden Prairie, Minnesota) and we kept the same wait staff for every dinner. However, we rotated through three restaurants: Lumiere’s (with a French ambiance), Animator’s Palate (with walls that start out black and white but which come alive with Disney characters in colorful lights), and Parrot Cay (with a Caribbean theme). The menus on our cruise were themed to the Mediterranean, serving Spanish, Italian, and French meals plus some standard American options and kid favorites. Even the meals onboard a Disney ship are magical - just as our little one would start to get too squirmy, Beauty and the Beast would come waltzing through the dining room!

Dressed up for formal night at Animator’s Palate

Carrying the tradition over from Disney’s Caribbean cruises, one night’s theme was Pirate Night, during which diners sported free pirate-y bandanas or dressed up in more elaborate garb brought from home or purchased on the ship.

The crème de la crème was Palo, an adult-only fine-dining restaurant that requires reservations. We partook of the scrumptious brunch and a to-die-for dinner but didn’t have time enough to book a high tea this time around.

Awesome Kids’ Clubs
A Disney Cruise is paradise, especially for children! Instead of offering a casino like most cruise lines, Disney puts that space to use for its various clubs for kids of all ages. Parents can indulge in a spa treatment, relax by the adult-only pool, or dine at Palo sans kids without guilt, knowing their offspring are having the time of their lives at the onboard kids’ clubs.

Our tablemates even had a hard time convincing their six-year-old and nine-year-old sons to join us for dinner each night because they wanted to stay at Oceaneer kids’ clubs (for ages three to 12 years) and play, play, play! There is also a teen club on each Disney ship, where kids aged 13 to 17 enjoy dance parties, board and video games, and Karaoke.

Most cruise lines’ childcare programs do not accept children until age two or three, but babies as young as three months are welcomed in the Disney Cruise Line nurseries. We worried when we dropped off our daughter at Flounder’s Reef Nursery the first time and she began to wail. But then we stopped by five minutes later to take a peek at her though a giant one-way window and saw her happily playing with the counselors and a rainbow of toys. This put our minds at ease, allowing us to enjoy our date night free from worry.

On our last night my husband, Phil, told Karissa she was all done with Flounders, which set her off crying and carrying on once more…this time because she wanted one last chance to return to the nursery!

Entertainment
The live shows aboard a Disney Cruise are Broadway caliber and feature favorite characters from movies like Toy Story and Cinderella. Even our wiggly toddler stayed entertained through most of the performances.

Karissa was in awe of Minnie Mouse in her gorgeous gown following the Golden Mickeys live stage show

There’s even a movie theatre aboard the ships in which new-release Disney movies are shown on screen. For example, Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was in theatres on land and at sea during our sailing.

There are bars and nightclubs onboard the ship too but we were never up late enough to explore those much. Instead, Phil and I enjoyed a glass of wine or two on our stateroom’s balcony after our daughter was tucked in for the night. I have heard the party scene aboard a Disney ship is much more subdued than other lines though. So, if you’re looking to party-hardy – a Disney Cruise is probably not up your galley!

Family-Friendly Staterooms
Not only are Disney’s staterooms larger than most cruise lines, but also they offer some special amenities that cater to families’ needs. First of all, they offer not one but TWO sinks to make getting ready for the day easier.

Disney is the only line I know of that offers a privacy curtain that can be pulled shut to separate the adult sleeping area (with a queen bed) from the kid sleeping area (which is usually outfitted with a single bed or bunk beds, depending upon which room type you book). This is absolutely fabulous for parents traveling with young children whose bedtimes are much earlier than their own. Rather than turning in before sunset, Phil and I were able to quietly watch television, read in bed, and snuggle up a bit!

Karissa tucked into her single bed in our stateroom with a stuffed Mickey Mouse

Disney’s new ship, Dream, will offer virtual portholes for interior cabins that will display a live view of the scenery, plus animated Nemo characters swimming past every now and then!

Water Fun
Most cruise lines do not allow non-potty-trained children in their pools for sanitary reasons. However, Disney offers a fountain pool with a special filtration system that allows babies and toddlers to have a splashing good time aboard their ships! There are also family pools, an adult-only pool, and even a small staff-only pool!

The new Dream ship will offer a sweet looking waterslide called the AquaDuck that will send riders out over the ocean in a see-through tube slide! Plus, the Dream’s Nemo’s Reef splash area for kids looks like buckets of fun!

Karissa and I splashing in the toddler pool
(See how dedicated I am to you, my fellow Travel Mamas? I’m even willing to post a photo of myself in a swimsuit!)

Shore Activities
During our cruise through the Mediterranean we explored the ruins of Pompeii, perused museums and shops, ate long lunches of pasta and vino, and lazed on sandy beaches. Some days we chose Disney-organized shore excursions while on other days we opted to explore on our own. Even on days filled with lots of grown-up activities, our daughter was content, especially when she was greeted with a big hug from characters like Donald Duck or Minnie Mouse the minute we returned to the ship.

Kids got a chance to roll out foccaccia dough as part of our Sicilian “Day on the Farm” Disney shore excursion
Here’s a little Mickey-shaped dough creation one of the guides made

With Disney, kids aren’t just tolerated on shore excursions, they are catered to! This year, for example, the Highlights of Rome for Families excursion includes a 45-minute puppet show for kids supervised by Disney youth counselors at Villa Borghese while parents have a bit of time to themselves to shop or sightsee. Of course, there are excursions that cater to an older crowd too, like a Cooking Lesson in Tuscany for those aged 21+ in La Spezia, Italy or the Screamin’ Eagle jet boat ride just for teens on the Caribbean cruise to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Disney Does Europe
Disney Cruise Line is sailing through Europe for the second time this summer. The itinerary for the Mediterranean cruise has changed somewhat since we took that cruise, making me drool even more over this year’s schedule! For the first time there will also be cruises through Northern Europe and Scandinavia. (Drool again!)

Join me throughout this summer as I reminisce about my Disney Mediterranean Cruise onshore experiences and dream about this year’s European Disney Cruise itineraries!

Are you dreaming of a Disney Cruise too? Why or why not? Share your thoughts with other Travel Mamas and Travel Daddies in the comments below!

Happiest Travel Memories

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 22:17:55 +0000

I was asked to share a few of my happiest travel memories to coincide with Lay’s potato chips’ Happiness Exhibit, a campaign that showcases the moments of simple happiness that people treasure most. Share one of your happiest travel memories in the comments below for a chance to win a $200 gift card to Southwest Airlines, provided by Lay’s potato chips!

Happiness is Family
When we travel with family, the focus isn’t on work, school, and never-ending to-do lists. Family vacations allow us to spend quality time with people we love, live more fully in the present moment, take notice of our surroundings, and enjoy life. This must be why my daughter often cries at the end of a vacation, “But I don’t wanna go home!”

And, it must be why so many of my happiest childhood memories took place while on a family vacation…swimming in indoor hotel pools with the gleeful calls of “Marco! Polo!” echoing against the walls…playing 20 questions in the backseat of our spitfire orange station wagon…or knowing I was safe on Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride because my dad told me my green Mickey Mouse ears would protect me. I am pictured above at age four (sporting my magical green mouse ears) with my brother and Pluto at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Happiness is Getting Away from it All
One of the happiest moments of any trip for me is after I arrive at my destination and I realize, “Hey, I’m on vacation!” Here I am pictured with my son, Leo, with my hometown San Diego in the background on a Carnival Cruise to Mexico. A sweet thing about a cruise is, the minute you step onboard, your vacation starts!

Happiness is Being Together
Since my two siblings and I live in three different states and we each have families of our own, it is a very rare occasion when we, our children, and our parents are all able to meet in one place. We made a point to get together in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a few days of family fun in the sun before my brother, a naval officer, was deployed to Iraq for six months.

While it was thrilling to swim with dolphins in The Bahamas and to climb a waterfall in Jamaica, most of my happiest travel memories take place when doing simple things with people I love. By far my favorite memory of this trip was simply splashing around in one of the hotel’s pools with the whole family.

In total, there were fourteen family members who went on this multi-generation vacation. From left to right, pictured above are my niece Siobhan, husband Phil, nephew Trevor, and sister Karen hamming it up at the pool at Solmar Resort.

Happiness is Relaxation
It is a happy moment indeed when children successfully take a nap while on vacation! This is especially true when such a nap takes place poolside at a beautiful resort, allowing for a mid-day snooze or dip in the pool for the Travel Mama and Travel Daddy! Here’s a photo of my daughter, Karissa, asleep in her stroller at the Kauai Marriott Resort in Kauai, Hawaii.

Happiness is Dreaming
I spent a lot of time visualizing taking my baby to Disneyland to distract myself from contractions during a very, very, very long labor with my firstborn. I couldn’t think of a happier place to be. It is, after all, The Happiest Place on Earth!

So, for my daughter’s first birthday rather than throwing her a birthday party, we took a three-day trip to Disneyland. Did the trip live up to my expectations? I think this picture of Karissa clapping with joy on her inaugural Disney ride aboard Dumbo’s back says it all!

Happiness is Simple
The message of the Lay’s potato chips’ Happiness Exhibit is that the happiest moments in our lives are truly the simple ones. From the online exhibit, select photos will be chosen to be featured on millions of Lay’s potato chip bags. You can submit photos that showcase simple, happy moments to Lays.com. Submitting photos on the Lay’s site does not affect your chance of winning the Happiest Travel Memories Contest on TravelMamas.com but it sure would be fun to see your photo on a bag of Lay’s potato chips!

Happiest Travel Memories Contest Sponsored by Lay’s Potato Chips
I shared just a few of my happiest travel memories with you. Now it’s your turn! Leave a comment below describing one of your happiest travel memories for a chance to win a $200 Southwest Airlines gift card. Lay’s potato chips will provide the prize to the winner.

This contest ends at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, May 1, 2010. The winner will be selected at random using Random.org and will be notified by email. If no response is received within one week, the first winner will forfeit the prize and another entrant will be selected. THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. To find out who won and to read my favorite entries, read Thanks for Sharing the Memories.

You can enter a maximum of four times, using each method of entry once. The first option is required for entry. For each bonus entry, you must add an additional, separate comment to this blog post.

• REQUIRED ENTRY: Leave a comment below about your happiest travel memory. Please be specific! General comments like, “I love to travel” or “I have many happy travel memories” will be disqualified.

• BONUS ENTRY: Follow @TravelMamas on Twitter and tweet this contest. Be sure to add a link to your tweet below! Copy and paste the following phrase into Twitter:

Share a happy travel memory on @TravelMamas to WIN $200 for AIRLINE TIX from Lay’s potato chips http://bit.ly/arRHw7 #giveaway

• BONUS ENTRY: Become a Fan of Travel Mamas on Facebook. Then submit a comment like the one below, filling in the blanks, on the Travel Mamas Fan Page wall. Be sure to come back here and repeat the phrase in a separate comment on this blog post!

If I win the Happiest Travel Memories Contest on TravelMamas.com I will go to ___________ because _______________.

• BONUS ENTRY: Become a Travel Mama to receive bimonthly e-newsletter updates. If you already receive the e-newsletter, that counts! Just be sure to make a comment below saying that you are on the distribution list!

Tips for A Romantic Getaway WITH the Kids!

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 02:54:13 +0000

Want to sneak away for a romantic trip for Valentine’s Day or your anniversary but can’t (or don’t want to) find a sitter to stay with your children? Bring the kids with! Here are a nine tips to help you and your other half keep your relationship merry by squeezing some romance into a family vacation!

Spring for a Suite or Connecting Rooms
Nothing zaps romance faster than lack of sleep. If your child is a light sleeper – a room with a separate door is a must unless you want to turn in at the same time as your kiddo (pre-sunset though it might be!). My friend, Stanna Stone de Rumpf, a Travel Mama from Colorado, did not learn this lesson until a sleep-deprived trip sharing a single hotel room with her husband and her toddler, Ava. Stanna told me, “I can’t believe we actually paid for the room as we slept in it for only one and a half hours!” A suite allows for privacy after bedtime. Make sure you know what you’re getting when you book the room as sometimes a “suite” is simply a larger room with a sitting area.

Book a Room with a Balcony or Patio
This can make for a great retreat for conversation and a relaxing drink with your honey after the kids are in bed for the night. A balcony or patio also enables parents to enjoy the outdoors while young children or babies nap during the day.

Choose a Hotel with a Kids’ Camp
Enjoy a respite for romance while children are busy with activities like crafts, scavenger hunts, and local fun like hula dancing in Hawaii. Examples of hotel chains that offer camps for kids include Beaches (23 months through teenagers), Club Med (four months to 17 years), Four Seasons (five years and older at most locations), and Hyatt (age three to 12).

Cruise into Romance
Family-friendly cruises offer fun activities for everyone and provide childcare to allow for couple-time. According to Cruisecritic.com, some of the best cruise lines for children are Disney, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line. For privacy after the kiddos go to bed, it’s best to book connecting rooms. Otherwise, the Disney Cruise Line offers a handy “privacy curtain” between the grown-up bed and the children’s sleeping area.

My husband, Phil, and I celebrating our wedding anniversary aboard a Disney Mediterranean Cruise that we took with our toddler daughter (2007)

Invite Family
Vacations are a great opportunity for your child to bond with grandparents and other family members. All the better if grandma and grandpa can pay their own way and they are willing to watch the kids so you can duck out for a night or two on the town! Just be sure to bring up babysitting before you leave home to make sure everyone has the same expectations.

Frolic with Friends
Co-vacations work best with friends who have the same number of children, with similar ages as yours. This way the kiddies will enjoy spending time together, allowing for some adult conversation at mealtime! Plus, you can take turns watching the kids so each couple can steal away for an evening alone.

Hire an In-Room Babysitter
A sitter allows you to indulge in a date night sans children. Most hotels and resorts will provide you with a list of recommended sitters or childcare agencies. Prepare before leaving home by checking references in advance. If you plan to go out more than once, April Fink, my friend and fellow Travel Mama from California, advises you book the same sitter for several visits during your stay. This makes leaving little ones less stressful for everyone. April’s sitter even took her daughter, Isabella, to the childcare program at the Four Seasons Lanai. Their Kids for All Seasons program allows babies and toddlers under age five if accompanied by an adult.

Bring Along a Trusted Nanny or Sitter
If you do not mind sharing your vacation with your sitter, bringing her along will provide the most flexibility for enjoying adult-only activities. Full-time childcare providers are typically paid their usual weekly rate plus any meals or entrance fees while away. The sitter often sleeps in a connecting room with the children. You may be able to convince a part-time provider to tag-along to a fun destination in trade for room and board if you provide the sitter with some free-time during the trip.

Make “We” Time
Even if a suite or babysitter is not in your budget – do make “we” time while on vacation. Whether you take a moment to clink glasses in a toast over a family dinner, or you snuggle with your spouse after the kids are asleep, vacations are a time for relaxation and reconnection. Every vacation needs a little room for romance!

How do you make room for romance while traveling? Please leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Beach Day in Zihuatanejo, Mexico

• Carnival Cruise Line’s Onboard Activities for Kids

• List of Child-Friendly Accommodations

• Sanity-Saving and Time-Savoring Travel Tips

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Beach Day in Zihuatanejo, Mexico

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:07:43 +0000

My family’s favorite port during last year’s nine-day cruise through the Mexican Riviera was Zihuatanejo. Many visitors bypass Zihuatanejo, known as Zihua to locals, for its more upscale neighbor, Ixtapa. But a laid-back, authentically Mexican beach town was what we were looking for…and it’s just what we found.

If arriving by cruise ship, don’t waste your money or time signing up for a beach excursion via bus ride. Plenty of inexpensive water taxis are available to zip you across to one of Zihua’s beaches.

My family opted for a five-minute boat ride to lovely Las Gatas beach. Tourists and locals mingle here, lazing on its sandy shore and swimming along its curved shoreline.

Lounge chairs are yours for the day in exchange for a meal purchase from one of the beachfront restaurants. You won’t find what most Americans consider to be “typical” Mexican food here. There are no enchiladas, tostadas, or tacos – just fresh fish and seafood. However, most eateries will happily make a quesadilla de queso (cheese quesadilla) for the kids if requested. For grown-ups, I highly recommend the buttery, sublime camarones al ajillo (shrimp prepared with red ajillo chiles).

Giant rocks about thirty feet from the shore create a breaker, making for calm waters perfect for little ones. As a San Diegan used to hovering over shivering children in crashing waves, I took full advantage of the warm, shallow water at Las Gatas.

My husband and I rented snorkel gear from a beach vendor for a few bucks and took turns visiting the schools of tiny silvery fish that darted about below the water’s surface. We played in the ocean with our three-year-old daughter, sharing beach toys with generous locals. We held our nine-month-old son’s hands as he toddled along the shore. Mostly, we just hung out. We took in the view of our ship in the distance and the lush, and the semi-circle of tropical tree-filled green cliffs dotted with pale stucco homes with their red-tiled roofs. We drank limey beers while the baby dozed on our laps. We watched our three-year-old daughter frolicking and splashing about for hours.

Zihuatanejo was everything a vacation should be…adventurous…fun…relaxing…beautiful.

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What’s your favorite beach day destination? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic, see:

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Carnival Cruise Line’s Onboard Activities for Kids

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:29:36 +0000

Last year my family embarked on an eight-day cruise on Carnival Spirit to Mexico for Thanksgiving with our friends, Vessa and Randy and their son, Tanner. Our dos familias enjoyed the journey from our hometown of San Diego to Acapulco, Zihuatanejo, Manzanillo and back again. Between the seven of us, we explored quite a bit of what the ship had to offer.

Here is a sampling of Carnival Spirit’s onboard family-friendly activities and amenities.

My husband, Phil, playing miniature golf with our son, Leo.

Miniature Golf
Both preschoolers in our travel party, Tanner and my daughter, Karissa, adored playing miniature golf aboard Spirit. It was not the most elaborate course and it was a bit windy on the high deck, but it was a pleasant diversion nonetheless.

Childcare and Youth Programs
Camp Carnival accepts kids aged 2 to 11. In the evening, children can be dropped off to eat an early dinner with other campers but most nights our kids ate with us in the main dining room – until Karissa and Tanner started crawling under the table. That was our cue to cart the three-year-olds off to camp! Each night when I retrieved my little girl, her face was painted up – like a clown, a bunny, a butterfly – or whatever character coincided with the night’s theme. There were arts and crafts, toys, and activities galore. With the exception of one surly woman, the camp counselors were bubbly, sweet twenty-something gals whom the kids adored.

If your kid tends to get seasick (as does my daughter), keep in mind that Camp Carnival is located aft (at the back of the ship) and therefore tends to sway a great deal on rough seas. On most days this was not a problem, but on our last day at sea Karissa opted out of camp activities due to the boat’s rockiness.

Although none in our party qualified for participation, Carnival offers youth activities for older kids too. Circle C provides supervised activities for tweens aged 12 to 14, such as dance parties, board games, sports, and scavenger hunts. For teens aged 15 to 17, there is Club O2, with Karaoke, pool parties, video games and the like.

Beware there is very limited childcare for babies. The Carnival website is cryptic about the times that children under age two are permitted in the childcare program. Here’s the deal – besides the group babysitting late at night, under twos are only allowed in Camp Carnival when the other kids are not permitted (during lunch, mostly). I never did leave my son, Leo (then nine-months-old), because dropping him off for such a short period of time did not seem worth the separation anxiety it would induce, especially when I’d need to take care of Karissa during that time anyway.

Group babysitting for children (babies to age 11) is available from 10:00 pm to 3:00 am daily. My children did not participate since a good night’s sleep is of great import to our family, especially when traveling.

My daughter, Karissa, posing with a bunny-shaped towel sculpture
with her face painted like a clown.

Towel Sculptures
It’s a little thing, but a delightful thing for kids (and grown-ups)! Our room steward shaped our towel into some sort of animal while we were away at dinner each evening. It was always a treat to discover what creature would be waiting upon our return. The stingray sporting sunglasses was my daughter’s favorite!

Teddy Bear Workshop
We paid extra to participate in a Teddy Bear Workshop at Camp Carnival. This was basically an opportunity for Carnival to make some cash by selling a plush toy with a Velcro back into which my daughter stuffed a bunch of fluff. Outfits were for sale separately but all animals came with a Carnival t-shirt. It wasn’t much of a “workshop” but my daughter loved her stuffed dog nonetheless.

Arcade
The ship’s arcade is located in a rocky locale just below Camp Carnival on Spirit. Tanner especially enjoyed playing car-driving video games and air hockey (while standing on a chair) with his dad here.

Chamber Music
Listening to live chamber music one evening in a bar near the Empire Dining Room was one of my favorite family moments aboard Spirit. The entertainment made a nice distraction before dinner service during “the witching hour.” My daughter adores music, so it was a treat for her to watch a pianist, cellist and two violinists perform. Leo was calmed by the soothing songs while my daughter twirled in front of the quartet. The older passengers who gathered to listen probably were counting on less lively fellow audience members but we did a pretty good job of keeping our crowd under control.

My husband taking the waterslide for a test spin.

Water Activities
Some of Carnival’s other ships have extensive splash areas and waterslides. Spirit has just one tall curlicue slide. It is located far from the regular pools so we only visited it once. Since our children were too young, my husband braved the waterslide alone while I waited with the kids at the bottom to cheer his finish.

Most cruise lines, Carnival included, do not allow non-potty trained children in their pools for sanitary reasons. The only ships I know of that have splash pools with special filtration systems for babies are Disney’s two ships, Wonder and Magic, and Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2. Therefore, if you are traveling with a baby or toddler, I recommend bringing a small inflatable baby pool. This worked out well for our family but it would have been more fun if we all could have gone swimming together. My husband and I took turns swimming with Karissa in the big pool while the other parent minded Leo, who splashed about in his mini pool on the deck. The steel drum band and pina coladas deckside were an added bonus!

Summary
Would I recommend a Carnival cruise to traveling families? Yes! There are oodles of enjoyable activities for a variety of ages and interests at an affordable price. However, if you are traveling with a baby, you might want to consider booking a Disney Cruise or waiting to cruise until your child is a tad older. Carnival caters to families, just not to families with babies.

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Do you have any travel tips or questions about cruising or Carnival? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic, see:

Cruise Resources
Beach Day in Zihuatanejo, Mexico

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Inspiration from a Disney Expert

Colleen Lanin, The Travel Mama — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:52:43 +0000

An Interview with Jennifer Marx, co-author of the PassPorter guides to Disney

Hanging in my office is a page torn from a PassPorter’s guidebook to Disney World, across which I have written, “DO WHAT YOU LOVE!”

PassPorter was developed by Disney enthusiast Jennifer Marx. Jennifer originally made homemade binders filled with itineraries to take on Disney trips with her husband and PassPorter co-author, Dave Marx. The organizers helped her plan their vacations and served as a souvenir scrapbook. During one of their Disney adventures, it occurred to Jennifer that she could sell a combination organizer/guidebook to help other vacationers plan and remember their trips too.

During a recent interview, Jennifer gave me her top tips for touring Disney with kids and divulged some of her Disney favorites.

Top Tips for Doing Disney with Children: Jennifer suggests, “Go at their pace. Don’t try to do 50 rides. Try to keep to their schedule as much as possible and get back to the hotel if you can for a nap or to go swimming.”

Jennifer also recommended bringing along a good stroller instead of renting one of the hard plastic strollers from Disney. Her favorite is the McClaren Quest, “because it folds in half for getting on and off the buses and monorail plus it reclines for naps.” She sewed patches on her four-year-old son Alexander’s stroller from the 15 countries their family has visited together.

Favorite Park: Epcot. “It’s probably because of sentimental reasons because that was the first park that I ever went to when I was a teen. We went just for one day and didn’t go to Disney World until a couple years later.” Epcot is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. It is divided into the Future World (which focuses on technology and innovations) and World Showcase (with shops, restaurants and attractions representing the cultures of 11 countries).

Favorite Disney Restaurant: “Victoria and Albert’s because that’s where Dave and I got married. We had a small wedding with 18 people – just immediate family.” Victoria and Albert’s is the most upscale of all Disney restaurants. It is located at the Grand Floridian hotel at Disney World and is solely for guests aged 10 and older.

Favorite Disney Attraction: “The Carousel of Progress at Disney World. It is quintessential Disney. There are a lot of new great rides these days but this is old school Disney. It’s kind of cheesy, but I like it. It just feels like Disney.” The 21-minute show was created by Walt Disney for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair and then was moved to Disneyland in California. The show moved to the Magic Kingdom park in Florida in 1975.

Jennifer and Dave’s authenticity and approachability has helped to sell nearly a third of a million PassPorters to fiercely brand-loyal fans. Jennifer seems like one of your best girlfriends- unpretentious, fun, self-depricating. She said, “I don’t look like a supermodel. I look like a mom.” It is this couple-next-door realness that readers can relate to. Jennifer admits, “I’m really shy so at events Dave is in charge and I’m standing back and smiling and trying not to say something stupid.” I never would have guessed that from our conversation – she seemed nothing but confident, witty, and easy to talk to.

This year PassPorter is celebrating 10 years of helping people enjoy Disney World, Disneyland and Disney cruises. Jennifer and Dave are currently on a weeklong Disney Cruise to Tortola with about 150 readers. The festivities will continue at Disneyworld next week. Plans are in the works for a Disneyland party in the fall for West Coast fans.

I read PassPorter several months ago while planning a family trip to Disney World. The guidebook’s easy-to-read format and neighborly advice prompted me to flip to the to the front to read more about the authors, where I discovered how Jennifer was inspired to create the first PassPorter. I tore the page from the book (sorry, Jennifer and Dave!) and put it on the bulletin board in my office.

Jennifer’s story encouraged me to follow my dream. She transformed her love for Disney into a successful career writing a unique series of Disney guidebooks. She inspired me to turn my love of traveling and writing into a career too.

You can imagine how thrilled I was to interview the woman who has been such a source of inspiration to me! I just hope I didn’t say anything stupid.

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Are you a fan of PassPorter or another Disney guidebook? Or do you have any Disney tips to share with other Travel Mamas? Leave a comment below!

For more information on this topic see:

• Amusement Parks & Disney Resources

• Holidays at Disneyland

• Top 10 Disneyland Rides and Attractions for Babies and Toddlers