A great new resource

You know, I'm totally a TGM devotee.  However, Mike seems to be slipping a bit lately.  His wisdom is great, and his knowledge is vast.  And I've made some really great friends from the forums.  But one of the main reasons I subscribe is because of his Least Crowded Park Charts (LCPCs).  Mike's been pretty slow with getting them out, and this has caused some folks to miss their ADR day ... or worse, they've made bad decisions while waiting for the charts to be released.

Although I'm a pro now and I can pretty much figure out what's what on my own, I still subscribe to TGM for the forums.  The peeps are nice and hey ... Finchy's coming on Friday!  Everyone loves Finchmas.

Anyhow, I found a new resource to help with the park planning, as a way to fill the gap left by Mike's tardiness.  Check out EasyWDW.  I've been nosing around there for a bit, and even compared their suggestions to the plan I've already laid out.  And you know what?  Their calendar was right on with my assessment.  Again, I've got a pretty good handle on the whole "what park, what day" thing, based upon experience and understanding of crowd levels during my chosen travel time.  However, I like to have an independent source give me the OK too ... sort of a Stuart Smalley Affirmation, if you will.  Because I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it ... people like me.

At any rate, check out EasyWDW.  I'm LuvsTheMouse on their forums (shocker, right?).  So far, I've lurked around a good bit and like what I see. The park calendars seem to be right on - not as detailed as Mike's, but in my opinion they're very very good.

Going Public.

Some of my nearest and dearest friends have weathered this journey with me, but I'm finally ready to "go public". 

I am pleased to announce that I will be joining Mouseketrips as an Independent Travel Consultant.  I begin my training in mid-May, and will be up and running by the first of June.  I chose Mouseketrips because they are a family-friendly company with an amazing reputation.  Further, they have a very similar customer service ideal as I ... responsive service, and "substance over pixie dust".  They subscribe to the same concept as I ... the best trips to Disney are not merely magic occurrences.  The best trips are carefully planned to ensure the best experience for the travelers.


I take great pleasure in helping plan trips for my friends and family - my love for Disney is amazing, and my OCD is legendary amongst my inner circle.  I'm excited to "make" magic for everyone by helping them plan their trip ... and making their dreams into reality.

For now - make sure that you're following me on Twitter, and that you "friend" me on Facebook. 

"C" ya real soon!

Adding Pixie Dust To Your Trip

Not that Disney isn't a magical place in and of itself, but our friends at WDW Fan Zone have some fabulous tips about making the best, even better.

Check out the post at http://www.wdwfanzone.com/2011/03/ways-to-add-extra-pixie-dust/

Also, I will be making a fabulous announcement here on the blog (and on Facebook) within the next few weeks. Stay tuned ... I am really excited!

I'm in full-on stalker mode.

For those uninitiated types, Disney opens up the dining reservation (aka "ADR") window a full 180 days prior to your arrival.  One of the perks of staying on-site is that you get to book at the 180+10 mark.  This means that, 180 days prior to your arrival, you can book for up to 10 full days of your trip.  Essentially, I need April 1 to arrive so that I can book our ADRs for the whole trip.

With me so far?  Good.  Because this can be a bit confusing, if you've never been Disney-crazy before.  After all, what moron plans out what they're going to have for dinner, six months in advance?  As my Maddie says ... "Who has two thumbs and has issues?  THIS GIRL, RIGHT HERE!"

So, today is March 16.  My ADR date is April 1.  I have approximately two weeks to get this trip planned (what park what day, then what dining what day).  

And Disney, in their infinite wisdom, has not published the October park hours yet.

Doesn't the Mouse know that a girl's got NEEDS?  And by that I mean "an OCD-like propensity to plan out her trip, a full six months in advance"?  I mean, I need to know what nights MNSSHP will be (hint: if Magic Kingdom closes at 7 PM, that's a party night).  I need to know when Extra Magic Hours will be, so that I can avoid that park.  And most importantly, I need to know what night I'm going to plan my DATE NIGHT.  

Come on, Mickey.  Give a momma a little love here, please.

What the French, toast?

I have been posting at least one entry a week via the Monarch app. And clearly, the posts have been lost in the ether.

Not. Happy.

Anyhow, I have a really great opportunity on the horizon. If you could give me a little pixie dust, dancin', or whatever "achieving the desired results" action you traditionally do ... I would appreciate the gesture.

Gracias.