The Happiest Blog on Earth

Epcot’s Crepe Restaurant: La Creperie de Paris

5/17/2022 • Blog, Walt Disney World • La Creperie de Paris is a new crepe restaurant in Epcot at the France Pavilion. It offers both sit-down reservations and a quick-service walk-up option. The inside offers a warm, earth-toned atmosphere with large wooden beams on the ceiling and cozy booths and tables for guests. The table service side has a wide menu that includes soups, salads, hard ciders, and of course… sweet and savory crepes! They also offer a prix fixe menu option that includes a soup or salad, one galette (main course), a hard cider (or soda/juice), and one dessert crepe. The quick-service side is a walk-up option and does have a limited menu that includes three savory crepes and four sweet crepes. Guests can also order ice cream and drinks as well. Overall, I had a lovely experience. After a long day at the parks, it was such a nice treat to sit down to a […]

Marriott Hotels & Resorts

5/10/2022 • Blog • Theme Park and cruise vacations are the best, right?! But have you ever wanted something different? For an awesome beach vacation, or trip to explore a lively city, Marriott properties might be just what you are looking for. Marriott has 25+ brands offering everything from single-night hotel stays to all-inclusive resorts and even a luxury yacht collection. I recently stayed at two of the luxury hotel properties – The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort and The JW Marriott Marquis Miami. In this piece, I’ll go over some of the fantastic options each hotel has to offer. First up, The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort – Wow, what a great resort! Marco Island, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico in Southwest Florida is connected to the mainland by bridges near Naples. The entire island is less than 25sq miles and this resort encompasses 3 of those miles […]

Using your Apple Watch at Walt Disney World

5/3/2022 • Blog, Walt Disney World • A fun feature when visiting Disney's magical theme parks is that you can take advantage of the Magic Band, an all-in-one wearable device that makes it easy to enjoy your time at Walt Disney World. But did you know that your Apple Watch may be used as a Magic Band? An Apple Watch can be a valuable asset on a visit to Walt Disney World. It can provide you with accurate wait times, keep you updated with park hours, keep you in touch with your family, show you where to find the nearest restroom, and more! While using an Apple Watch doesn't replace a smartphone for all of the tools that are available for a Walt Disney World vacation, it does offer some unique and convenient features. Here are my top 5 favorite features to use with your Apple Watch at Walt Disney World. 1. Use it as a room […]

Sandals All-Inclusive Resorts: Emerald Bay vs. Royal Bahamian

4/22/2022 • Blog, Reviews, Sandals & Beaches • You’ve narrowed down your trip to the Bahamas, but you can’t pick which resort will be right for you. Let your Certified Sandals Specialist help guide the way! My husband and I just returned from an amazing trip to both the Bahamian resorts, so we were able to experience the best of both worlds. One thing I love about the Sandals brand is that each resort is unique from the next, so there is something great to discover at each one. I can say with firsthand experience that even those on the same islands have vastly different characteristics compared to its counterpart down the road. On this trip, we started at the newly reimagined Royal Bahamian in Nassau and the renovations were stunning! There were tons of new swim-up suites, the centrally located Coconut Grove with food trucks, and an amazing off-shore island. The main part of the resort has […]

Capture Your Moment – Disney Photo Session

4/15/2022 • Blog, Walt Disney World • When visiting Walt Disney World over the years with my family, we always tried to take as many pictures as possible. It was something special that we could look back on to remember the fun times we had as a family. Our only problem was getting everyone in the picture. Disney’s solution is, a Capture Your Moment photo session! Capture Your Moment is an enchanting extra that Disney offers to guests at each of their 4 theme parks. With this enchanting extra, you’ll reserve a personalized 20-minute photo session that captures the excitement of your day and of your family being at Walt Disney World. Disney’s PhotoPass photographer will suggest different poses and places to take pictures around the parks all while snapping away. If you feel that 20 minutes just isn’t long enough, you can make back-to-back reservations and extend your session to 40 minutes. Here are some occasions […]

Frontera Cocina in Disney Springs

4/7/2022 • Reviews, Walt Disney World • My family loves to spend part of our Walt Disney World vacations visiting Disney Springs to explore the new restaurants and shops. This is a great way to use a day you may not be visiting a park or on your arrival or departure days and you need a few hours to fill your day. One of our new favorite eateries is Frontera Cocina by celebrity chef Rick Bayless. They offer delicious Mexican food with a “twist”. They are open for both lunch and dinner and offer specials Monday – Thursday. The inside of the restaurant is bright and inviting or you can be seated outside where it is a peaceful setting overlooking a small lake and great for people watching. A nice way to unwind after a busy day at the parks. The outside seating area is small and provides a more quaint and quiet dining experience. Even if […]

Disney Pin Trading – What is That?!

4/5/2022 • Blog, Cruises, Disneyland, Walt Disney World • Photo above: Pin trading board at Disney’s Riviera Resort craft room. Are you an expert in pin trading or have you only heard this term and thought ‘what is that?!’ Pin Trading is a really fun way to interact with cast members and other guests throughout the parks and resorts. And it’s fun for all ages! It’s super easy to get started! If you are headed to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or a Disney Cruise, you can purchase a starter set or a few individual pins from many of the resort and park shops. ShopDisney also has a small selection you can purchase from ahead of your trip. Once you are at your Disney destination, look for pin trading stations or cast members & guests wearing lanyards with their own pins. If you find a pin you like then select a pin from your personal collection and make a trade. […]

Virgin Voyages Shore Excursions

3/29/2022 • Blog, Cruises • If your vision of a cruise shore excursion is following a guide and a flag, you haven’t experienced a Virgin Voyage excursion. Virgin Voyages has taken the typical shore excursions and kicked it up a notch. The group sizes are small, and they offer experiences that are immersive by taking you off the beaten path. Virgin refers to their excursion as “shore things”. They can be booked through your travel agent or directly through the Virgin app. They are an excellent way to experience the culture and the area of each port. They give you memories to take home with you. For example, In Puerta Plata, in the Dominican Republic, I explored the jungle and mountains via a dune buggy. We had a small group of 28 people. This was a great way to explore the non-tourist area of the city. We got dirty – ok, VERY muddy riding through […]

Top 5 Reasons To Visit Walt Disney World BEFORE Your Disney Cruise!

3/22/2022 • Cruises, Tips, Walt Disney World • The anticipation of a Disney Cruise can be grand. There’s so much to plan, and for most travelers, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Your Me and The Mouse Travel Specialist will guide you in the best options for your travel party: before, during, and after your cruise.  One such option, is visiting the Walt Disney World Resort for a few days before embarking on your cruise that leaves from a Floridian port! There are benefits to visiting the Most Magical Place On Earth BEFORE your cruise… Here are the Top Five! 5. You will be too relaxed (and tired) to visit the Walt Disney Resort! Cruising changes your mood, and changes your routine, to a Hakuna Matata lifestyle!  To then switch gears and amp up for a theme park visit is exhausting. Rest your tired feet, be pampered, and end your vacation refreshed! 4. By arriving a few days early, […]

Everglazed Donuts at Disney Springs

3/15/2022 • Blog, Reviews, Walt Disney World • Who doesn't love a good donut? They certainly seem to be all the rage and we were glad to see this new addition to Disney World! So, while we were in Disney Springs this month, we decided to head over to check out Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew. Our family loves us some donuts...and we were fresh off a 3 day trip to Universal where we enjoyed Voodoo Donuts for breakfast the morning before (I’ll talk a little bit more about how they compare below). First things first, I don’t love the location of this donut shop. It’s tucked way back over by the entrance to the orange garage. If you take the bus to Disney Springs or drive into one of the other garages, there’s a chance you would miss this completely. You really don’t even know it’s there unless you turn the corner. This does this delicious little […]

Carnival Cruise Line

3/11/2022 • Blog, Cruises • Did you know that a few agents on our team specialize in Carnival Cruises? Carnival Cruise Lines have 24 Ships operating 2- to 17-day voyages, departing from every coast in the U.S. While they are best known for Caribbean cruises, they sail to other exotic and amazing destinations like Mexico, Alaska, The Bahamas, Europe, and Hawaii. I just got off the Carnival Sunshine, whose home is in Charleston, South Carolina. Many of my family members were able to join me in celebrating my mother’s 80th birthday because of how many options there were to choose from. Carnival Cruise Line offers a wide range of embarkation ports, allowing guests to start their cruise vacations in California, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, South Carolina, New York, Washington, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana, or Hawaii, as well as many international ports including Barcelona, Venice, London, Brisbane, and San Juan. This means guests will travel less to reach […]