Disney Parks Moms Panel Applications Now Open!

The Journey of a Lifetime Begins

Today begins the first step in the journey that will change the lives of pixie dusted moms, dads, and grandparents from all over the world as applications open for the 2015 Disney Parks Moms Panel.  The search is now underway for this year’s new panelists that fill share their passion, trip planning knowledge, and love for Disney with people from all over.  Does this sound like it could be you?  Here’s a look at what Parks Blog and the Disney Parks Moms Panel site posted just a few short minutes ago to kick off the process.

Become Part of the Magic: How to Apply for Our Moms Panel

Do you love going on Disney Parks vacations and sharing that love with others? Are you the go-to person for your family and friends when they want to plan a magical Disney vacation? Can you successfully communicate these tips to others in clear and concise answers? Are you a stickler when it comes to grammar, spelling and punctuation? If you answered yes to these questions, we want to hear from you!

In 2008, the Walt Disney World® Moms Panel was created to serve as a forum of everyday people who used their personal knowledge of Walt Disney World® vacation experiences to offer advice to others.

Since then, the panel has become a valuable resource for thousands of Disney Parks guests. It's also grown since its initial launch to become the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Now, Disney Parks Moms Panelists not only help plan vacations for guests heading to Walt Disney World® Resort, but also answer guest questions about Disneyland® Resort, Disney Cruise Line®, Disney Vacation Club®, runDisney® and ESPN Wide World of Sports® Complex.

What's It All About

Even though there are plenty of planning tools to help navigate through your Disney Parks vacation, it's still no easy task to plan a family vacation. With many theme parks, dozens of resort hotels, water parks, luxury cruise ships, shopping, dining, recreation, special events, entertainment and more, planning a Disney Parks vacation can leave some guests feeling a bit overwhelmed even before they arrive. That's where we like to help.

The Disney Parks Moms Panel is an online forum of everyday people who
answer questions and offer advice based on their own experiences and opinions. By visiting DisneyParksMomsPanel.com, guests can ask real Moms and Dads their tips for getting the most out of a Disney vacation. And, with an archive of questions that could fill Spaceship Earth, guests visiting the Moms Panel website also can search volumes of information provided in previously asked questions.

By sharing their own opinions and experiences, Disney Parks Moms Panelists help plan magical visits for guests vacationing at Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, Disney Cruise Line® and Disney Vacation Club®. They also help guests participating in runDisney® events and accompanying youth sports teams to the ESPN Wide World of Sports® Complex.

And that's where you come in.

Are you so passionate about Disney Parks vacations that you plan them for your family and friends in your social networks? Are you a stickler for grammar, spelling, punctuation and sentence structure? If so, we'd like you to consider applying for the 2015 Disney Parks Moms Panel and helping guests around the world who visit DisneyParksMomsPanel.com.

Note: this year, we will not be accepting applications for Moms Panelists in the following areas: ESPN Wide World of Sports® Complex, and runDisney®.

We will accept applications for the 2015 Disney Parks Moms Panel beginning 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. The deadline for applications to be submitted is noon ET on Friday, September 5, 2014.

All Panelists must:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Have access to a computer and an Internet connection.
• Have visited either Walt Disney World® Resort or Disneyland® Resort at least once in the last 12 months. If applying to be a Disney Cruise Line® or Disney Vacation Club® Panelist, you must have experienced that vacation within the last 24 months.
• Be able to complete at least approximately 10-20 written responses per week.
• Provide their own opinions and feedback on Disney vacations.
• Submit an autobiography and personal photo and/or video to be posted online.
• Be available to travel to Walt Disney World® Resort during dates between December 8-15, 2014 for Training sessions. Panelists cannot bring family members or friends on the Training visit (detailed dates will be confirmed with Panelists following the search & selection).
• Not be current employees/Cast Members of The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or of any operating participant located at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resorts, must not be immediate family members of a current employee/Cast Member of The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or of any operating participant located at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resorts, and must not currently reside with a current employee/Cast Member of The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or of any operating participant located at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resorts. In addition, participants must not be employees, contractors, advisors or consultants for, must not hold more than a de minimis ownership interest in, and must not serve on the Board of Directors of, any entity of The Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates or of any entity which owns or operates any hotel, resort or theme park located in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Polk or Seminole Counties, Florida or Orange County, California.
• Not be currently employed in the travel, hotel or theme park industries (including being a travel agent or consultant); and not be an immediate family member of, or currently reside with, people currently employed in the travel, hotel or theme park industries (including being an immediate family member of, or currently residing with a travel agent or consultant).

Persons who are selected as panelists will receive compensation based on their service and the product line that they represent. It is our policy to provide equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, covered veteran status, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by state or federal law.

Do You Believe in Magic?

Clap your hands if you believe and then head over to  The DIsney Parks Moms Panel and let the journey of a lifetime begin.  All it takes is a little bit of Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust!

Be Young On the #DisneyCruiseLine

Never too old to be young on Disney Cruise Line

  In 2010, I decided to take a Disney cruise with my Mother in Law for her 80th Birthday. We planned the cruise, picked out our room 12028, made on shore excursions,massages and planned our dining. Our cruise was planned for February 2010,but as luck would have it, my Mother in Law was not well due to a heart condition. So, plans were put on hold to make sure she was ready to go, after all this was her Birthday gift and I wanted it to be perfect.
  Well, the cruise was cancelled and re-booked for November of 2011. Healthy as she could be off the two of us went, flight into Orlando airport, night at the Hyatt and Disney Cruise line express scheduled for a 10:30 pickup. We checked our luggage, our medications and  to add to our luck,Mother in law forgot her blood pressure medication. At 8:00 a call went into her doctor in N.J. Who luckily called back in a timely manner and sent the prescription over to a near by pharmacy. We were frantic now, would we make the Dream leaving at 4:00 with all aboard by3:00?
  Car service to the pharmacy, prescription picked up and packed in her carry-on, off to the DCL terminal on the DCL transportation. We laughed the whole way there. Got there by 1:00, right into our room and the rest of the cruise was flawless!
So flawless that I re-booked for the next year and then the next after that and here we are going on our fourth Disney Cruise together in November. I'm hoping for a smooth course,but life sometimes gets in the way and we readjust to the situation and "Let it Go"! What will be will be.
  These cruises have become a lifeline for her and for me,they brought us closer together and have created magical Dream memories she relives all year until we sail off into the distance of another Disney Magical Adventure!

Disney Cruise Line Ready to Set Sail With New Fall 2015 Itineraries!

We're thrilled to share exciting news with you! In fall 2015, Disney Cruise Line is returning to popular destinations and home ports for limited-time engagements. Two Hawai'i cruises, a return to the West Coast with departures from San Diego and a Galveston homecoming make up a season of special sailings.

Hawai'i Sailings
Explore the Hawaiian Islands with two special 10-night cruises in September 2015. The Disney Wonder will sail through the breathtaking beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, where your Clients can experience the famous beaches of Waikiki on Oahu, see the views from high atop the summit of Haleakala Crater on Maui, take in the lush tropical gardens and waterfalls of Kauai and, on Hawaii Island — the Big Island, explore the natural wonders of the world's most active volcano.

San Diego to Baja
Disney Cruise Line will return to the West Coast in October 2015 for one month, offering six cruises from San Diego aboard the Disney Wonder. Ports of call include Cabo San Lucas, known for its white sand beaches, and Ensenada, Mexico. For those Clients looking for a perfect weekend retreat, we also offer a relaxing two-night Getaway Cruise.

Galveston to The Bahamas 
Starting in early November 2015, Disney Cruise Line will have a limited-time Galveston homecoming for the holiday season, offering a seven-night itinerary on the Disney Wonder to Key West; Nassau, Bahamas and Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

Port Canaveral and Miami to The Bahamas and Caribbean
Sail from Port Canaveral and Miami to The Bahamas and Caribbean on a variety of itineraries. All 3-, 4-, 5- and 7-night cruises include a stop at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay.

For more information about the Disney Cruise Lines or help on booking any of your upcoming adventures, be sure to contact our friends at Destinations in Florida.  The agents at Destinations in Florida will be happy to help you book your vacation or answer just a simple questions about your upcoming trip.  Their agency is locally based in Orlando, so they do live where you're traveling!  You have lots of options to contact our agents, managers and owners at Destinations in Florida Travel.

Email: questions@destinationsinflorida.com

They answer emails 24 hours a day/7 days a week.  If you have a question, feel free to email us anytime.  Most emails are answered in an hour or less.

Phone: 877-918-8941

They do have daily office hours from 9 AM-9 PM.  If you need an instant quote or have a question, their agents are happy to help you by phone.

Request a Free Quote: Click Here to Request a Quote

Kids Love to Cruise with Disney

The whole family loves cruising with Disney but specially the kids!  Disney offer so many fun, exciting, and adventurous opportunities for all ages!  Disney makes it easy for your kids to have a blast even without mom and dad!

When you board the ship you have the opportunity ,as a family, to explore all of the youth activities before the ship sets sail.  The ship offers It's a Small World Nursery or Flounders Reef nursery for children ages 3 months to 3 years.  For children ages 3 years to 12 years the ship offer the Oceaneers Club and Laboratory.  Tween ages 11 through 14 can have a blast at Edge.  Finally your teens ages 14 to 17 can get to know more teens on the ship at Vibe. Your young ones may even get a picture with their favorite character!
  
The younger cruisers can enjoy Goofy golf (No pun intended), basketball, soccer, ping pong, and shuffleboard.  The ship also offers an arcade and some nights free arcade play time.  As a family you can enjoy family games and family dancing at the D Lounge or Studio Sea.  My favorite things are the Bon Voyage and Pirate on board deck dance parties! 

My kids enjoyed the Edge so much that we had to pull them away every night to go to bed!  They did so many cool activities with the kids such as a scavenger hunt that brought them throughout the ship to solve puzzles and each puzzle told the kids where to go and what to do.  They played Gender Wars Boys vs Girls!  The girls had to answer questions about the boys and the boys had to answer questions about the girls!  I wish I could have been a fly on the wall!  They also played "Who can make the worst drink", and the cast member had to drink it!  My kids team won that because they put hot chocolate, creamer, lemonade, water, and Dr Pepper together and it made the poor cast member gag!  They also had video game tournaments, make a pizza night, and matching games.  With every adventure there was a prize to be won! 

As parents who love our children and love to be with our children Disney has provided a wonderful tool called Wave phones.  You automatically have two that come with your stateroom but for a small fee you can add more to link together.  This provides communication between you and your children throughout the day and evening. As you're young cruisers meet other young ones on the ship they are able to use their Wave phones to communicate with one another.  Disney has definitely done their part to make sure that all young cruisers have an adventurous voyage!

So don't worry if your family will enjoy Disney Cruise and don't worry if they're too young or too old because Disney offers something for everyone!  When cruising with Disney everyone will have their own adventure and the memories you will make individually and as a family are limitless!  All that's left is for your family to pick the date of your "Bon Voyage"!  Happy Sailing and We'll see ya real soon on the open sea!

By Tamela Hansen

HILARIOUS!

     The Disney Cruise Line offers so many opportunities to make amazing memories.  There are fun and exciting things for everyone in the family to take part in.  Some of the best memories you will make may include the activities on board the ship!

     If someone were to say "Family games", you may think, that just sounds boring!  Well, let me tell you about the most memorable experience we made aboard the Disney Wonder participating in a family game called "How well do you know your family"! 

     First off, to get noticed you had to do something very extraordinary to get the host attention!  Since the only thing I can do is a few cartwheels (I was wearing a dress and that would not have been appropriate) my husband Dale took one for the team! 

     Dale ran up on the center floor and did his notorious "donkey kick" and of course was picked to participate!  My youngest son Landen partnered with Dale to play the game. The host picked four families to participate and then went through and introduced himself and everyone participating in the game.  

     Since we are from Alabama they had to make a joke about it!  We also met other people from Alabama that were on the cruise ship, so that was cool!  Now the question you may be asking, what is an official donkey kick?  This is where you jump on to your hands and go vertical then kick your legs in the air!  They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll let that explain it.

The host asked my son questions and my husband had to write the answers he thought my son would say,  of course he only got about half of them correct!  But, the whole process was completely hilarious watching my son answer questions and my husband sweating it to figure out the answers!  Then the host switched them around.  My husband answered the questions and my son had to figure out my husband's answers!  We all laughed!  The whole room laughed, we made new friends,  I made friends with the people around me (since they knew that was my family was on the stage) and we took pictures with some of them.  Who would've thought that one little family game show on a cruise ship, you could make so many memories and make friends that will last a lifetime!

     So the next time you go on a cruise and you see in your Daily Navigator a family game show or something the family can participate in don't dismiss it.  That game show or activity will probably bring about one of the most memorable experiences on your cruise! 

            Just don't forget to show your DisneySide!

WANDERING ON THE DISNEY WONDER !

WANDERING ON THE DISNEY WONDER !

Woo Hoo!  The Hansen family enjoyed another Disney vacation!  We spent Spring break on board the Disney Wonder! 

   The Disney Wonder is a beautiful ship and perfect for every age in the family.  The staterooms are nice and roomy!  We enjoyed one of the Deluxe family veranda rooms.  There are so many cute hidden mickeys throughout the room. 

   We have traveled on the Disney Dream and that ship is beautiful also but the Disney Wonder now holds a special place in my heart!  This ship offers so many on board activities that you cannot do them all in a week!  The onboard theaters were amazing we even caught a 3-d movie!  My kids thoroughly enjoyed the Edge and the wave phones. They enjoyed the freedom of the ship with scavenger hunts and onboard activities with friends they made for a lifetime.  My husband and I enjoyed the adult area with the pools and live music and just relaxing in the Sun!  The on deck basketball, soccer, and ping pong kept everyone in the family busy. 

     I can never get enough of soaking up the Sun so I really enjoyed doing that while my children and husband were entertained.  I enjoyed meeting new people and making new friends.  Between lying in the Sun, meeting fellow Sun lovers and eating dinner with an adorable family, we made friends and enjoyed interacting with them every day throughout the day on the ship. 

     Our excursions were awesome on the islands we explored and Disney always makes it so easy to get from the boat to your final destination.  It was so fun to run into people from the ship on the islands!  The best part about cruising with Disney, well at least one of the best, is after a long day walking around on the island shopping they greet you back to the boat with a cool towel and hand sanitizer!  I just Love that!

     We ate, we partied, we danced, we drink, we shopped, we met characters, we played, we swam, we met friends, we made friends for life, we had family pictures taken, and we participated in a Game Show!  The Game will have to be a different article!  Don't miss it!  It is HILARIOUS! 

The worst part about a Disney cruise is leaving the ship!  The experience was so fun and so enjoyable for our entire family that you just don't want to say goodbye!  We say, "See you real soon"! 

     So if you're contemplating a Disney cruise don't think any longer!   Just figure out a time and a budget that works for your family, if it’s a 3 day or a 14 day, just do it, book it and do it!  Trust me, once you cruise with Disney you will cruise again with Disney!

Here's This Week's Travel Discounts from our Friends at Destinations in Florida Travel

Disney & Orlando Digest – Week of April 7, 2014 Discounts with Destinations in Florida Travel

Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom Park

Disney Discounts 

Walt Disney World^® Resort

●      Free Tickets & Great Prices on Memorial Weekend:  Are you ready to spend 24 hours at the Magic Kingdom Park?  Take advantage of special group prices, making our rates the lowest you will find over this popular holiday weekend.  Plus, book at least a 2 Day ticket and you get a free ticket to visit the Disney Water Parks or DisneyQuest.  You can only book this deal with Destinations in Florida.

●      Affordable Package with Room & Dining:  One of the most expensive parts of a Disney vacation are the tickets!  Save money and enjoy all of the other fun at the Disney with a Ticketless Package.  Book this new package with your hotel and one of the Disney Dining Plans, without the addition of tickets.

●      Save up to 35% off Disney Resorts:  Planning a summer vacation to Disney World?  Now is the time to book your trip with savings up to 35% off the Disney Resort hotels.  These discounts run June 15-August 28.  Hurry, these discounts will sell out quickly!

●      Free Day to Play at the Disney Theme Parks:  Buy 6 or more tickets for your family or friends with the 4-Day, 5-Day, 6-Day, 7-Day, 8-Day, or 9-Day tickets and you will get an extra day free.  Imagine another day to ride Splash Mountain or another day to get pictures with Mickey Mouse!  If you are visiting together, order your tickets together to save money!  Must book by June 14.

●      Free Memory Maker to Cherish Your Disney World Moments:  Imagine capturing your favorite pictures from your Disney World vacation!  You can do that with Disney’s Memory Maker.  Book a package from August 15-September 30 for at least 3 nights with 2-Day tickets and get the new Memory Maker free.  Prices start from just $899 plus tax for a family of 3 at a Disney Value Resort.  

●      Save up to 30% on Rooms at Select Walt Disney World® Resort Hotels:  Savings apply for stays most nights through April 12, 2014 and April 20, 2014 – June 15, 2014.  Upgrade to a room and ticket package with a minimum 4-day Magic Your Way Ticket and get one more ticket day FREE!  Visit Destinations in Florida for more details.

●      Florida Resident Rates:  Florida Residents can take advantage of great rates on rooms at select Disney Resorts hotels for stays through early summer.  Plan a getaway to Disney or a Spring Break trip to the Disney Water Parks.  Book today with this incredible deal, just for Florida Residents.

●      Military Discount:  Active duty and retired members of the US military can get specially discounted rooms at Disney Resort most nights through September 27^th, 2014.  Thank you for serving our country.  

Disneyland® Resort

●      Save Up to 20% Off Your Hotel:  Visit Sunday through Thursday nights from April 20-June 8, 2014 and save up to 20% off your hotel.  Hurry, this discount ends by May 8, 2014.

Disney Cruise Line®

●   Special Rates for Florida Residents and US Military:  Take advantage of special deals for Florida Residents and active/retired United States Military.

●   Last Minute Restricted Deals:  If you are flexible about the location of your stateroom and willing to book last minute you may be able to save BIG! Disney offers Restricted Guarantee rooms 15-60 days before departure dates, sometimes just a few days before departure. These are very restricted and with many rules, but if you are not picky you can save up 40%.

●   Canadian Resident Deal:  If you are a Canadian Resident, you can enjoy 20% off select rates on the May 24, 2014 Alaska sailing departing from Vancouver, Canada.  Take advantage of this special deal, just for you!

Aulani Hawaii

●      Get up to a $500 Room Credit to Spend During Your Visit:  Book a 1 or 2-Bedroom Villa from April 23-June 16, 2014 and receive up to a $500 resort credit for a 4-Night vacation.  Book a Deluxe Studio or regular room for 4 nights and receive a $400 resort credit.

Universal Orlando Resort Discounts

●      Cabana Bay Beach Resort Florida Resident Deal:  Are you ready to experience the spectacular new Cabana Bay Beach Resort?  It is opening this week!  Florida Residents can be the 1st to experience this new hotel at special prices, just for you.  Rates start from just $94 per night plus tax.  This deal is good from April 25-June 5. 

●      4th Night and 3rd Day Free:  Book a Universal Partner hotel for 3 nights with a 2 Day Base ticket and receive your 4th night and 3rd day at the parks for FREE! 

●      Save up to $500 on your Universal Package:  Stay at one of the Universal Hotels including Cabana Bay Hotel, Royal Pacific Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel or Portofino Bay Hotel with tickets and save up to $500 on your package.  Now is the time to visit the movies at the Universal Orlando Resort.

●      Universal 1-Day or 2-Day Pass with Shuttle Transportation for 2014:  Take a day away from the Disney World Parks to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!  Book a 1-Day or 2-Day Pass to Universal Studios with shuttle transportation included in the ticket.  This special ticket is only available with select companies including Destinations in Florida.

●      “Take 2” Transfer:  If you do not want to rent a car during your Orlando vacation, take advantage of the new “Take 2” Transfer ticket for only $39 per person.  This transfer includes transportation from a Disney Resort hotel to Universal Orlando Resort for a Universal Studios vacation.  After your Universal vacation, the transportation takes you back to the Orlando International Airport. 

Sea World Discounts

●      Eat for Free During Your Vacation:  Book a Sea World Package at one of the partner hotels and get the All Day Dining Deal for FREE! 

●      Kids Free at Sea World:  Book your Sea World Package and kids play for free.  You will receive one free child ticket (ages 3-9) for every paid adult.

Orlando Attraction Ticket Discounts

●      Kennedy Space Center Tickets:  Pre-order your tickets to Kennedy Space Center and save money with special prices.  Experience the Space Shuttle Atlantis, US Astronaut Hall of Fame, and more; just an hour from Orlando.  Click here to more details and to purchase tickets.

Book your family memories today with your

favorite Destinations in Florida agent!