2019 Universal Holiday Celebration Dates Announced for 2019

August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

I don’t know about you, but I have ALWAYS (see what I did there?!) wanted to visit Harry & his friends at Hogwarts around the holidays. It looks so magical with the snow and…magic. Every time I read one of the books or watch a movie, I picture what it would be like to be there with them.

With our very own Hogwarts at Islands of Adventure, that Christmas Magic is not so far away! Universal has announced that the Holiday celebration will run from November 16 – January 5.

The Wizarding World will be completely decorated for holidays, the restaurants will have themed food & beverages, and of course, the entertainment will be very merry
A wonderful Holiday Parade featuring Macy’s, full of your favorite characters will roll through the streets of Universal Studios
Mannheim Steamroller will perform on select nights
The Grinch will perform in the Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular in Islands of Adveture
Universal Resort Hotels will be decorated and have special events
Special EVE Party on New Year’s Eve at City Walk

If you already have plans to visit Universal during this time frame, these Holiday additions will truly enhance your Christmas Season and you should take full advantage of all of them.

If you do not already have a vacation package and you would like to plan a trip to Universal for the Holidays, contact me today! We can lay out all the details of your 2019 Holiday Trip and start your vacation countdown! Qualifying reservations will receive our Adventure Packet. Magical Vacations LLC signature gift to our Universal Guests. It is full of surprises and other things to assist you with your trip.

#Adulting · Halloween Horror nights · New for Universal · New for Universal Studios · Special Events at Universal · Universal Resort · Universal Studios

Halloween Horror Nights – New Details Released!

August 16, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

For all of you fear junkies out there, this is for you! The Firefly family is coming to Universal Halloween Horror Nights! Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses is the newest haunted house to join in the frightful festival.

Halloween Horror Nights is an extra-ticket event held on evenings from September 6th – November 2nd. There will be 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones and several frightful acts of live entertainment. Here is a sneak peek into the other horros coming to the event-

Killer Klowns From Outer Space
Nightingales: Blood Pit
Stranger Things all-new Haunted House
Academy of Villains
Brutal Beasts of Yeti: Terror of the Yukon
Ghostbusters

Due to the terrifying nature of this event, it is not recommended for littles under the age of 13.

To purchase tickets to this event or to add it to a Universal Vacation Package, contact me today! Qualifying reservations will receive Magical Vacation’s Signature Adventure Packet – a great gift from us to you that is full of fun and adventure for your trip.

#Adulting · Epic Universe · New for Universal · Universal Resort · Universal Tip

HUGE Universal News!

August 1, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

Epic Universe

Like, “New Park” Huge News! Universal Orlando is adding a 4th theme park. So far, we have been told that it will offer completely epic experiences and be completely immersive (think The Wizarding World). Each part of the land will be dedicated to a different story. Guests will travel through these stories and go on amazing adventures. I cannot wait for them to confirm what these lands will be comprised of.

This new Epic Universe will be located on the other side of Kirkman Road. It will not be directly attached to the other parks. Epic Universe will have its own hotels, shopping, entertainment area, restaurants, and more.

Check back later as the details unfold!

#Adulting · Islands of Adventure · New for Islands of Adventure · Special Events at Universal · Universal Discount · Universal Resort · Universal Studios · Wizarding World

New Wizarding World Vacation Package Now Available

July 30, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

Universal has just released a really amazing new opportunity for Potter Fans everywhere!

This exclusive vacation package will allow you multiple days in the parks to experience all that the Wizarding World has to offer including the NEW Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure!! Here is what is included –

5- Night Hotel Accommodations (travel now till 12/20/19)
3-Park, 2 Day Park-to-Park ticket & get 3 days Free!! (basically this means that you can visit Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure & Volcano Bay for 5 days and the ability to jump from one park to the next in the same day is a benefit with these tickets)
Early park admission to the Wizarding World and Volcano Bay – get in before the general public!
Special Keepsake Box filled with goodies as pictured below. Of course, this is in addition to our Adventure Packet that is sent to Magical Vacations LLC guests with qualifying package.
Breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron
Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks
Shutterbutton Photography Studio Session that includes a commemorative DVD album and one 8×10 print
Access to City Walk Entertainment (exclusions apply)

This is a great opportunity that has some really need benefits included. Contact me today to reserve this great package. The opportunity is valid when booked through 7/31/19 so contact me today!

Christmas Adventures by Disney · Christmas in Aulani · Christmas in Disneyland · Christmas on A Disney Cruise · Cruise Itineraries · Disney Cruise Line · Disney Dream · Disney Fantasy · Disney Magic · Disney Travel Tip · Disney Wonder · Disney World Christmas · Mickey's Very Merry Christmas · Themed Cruises · Walt Disney World

12 Days of Christmas in July

July 14, 2019July 16, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

On the Second Day of Christmas, Minnie Gave to Me::

Traveling for the Holidays

While there is not a whole lot of availability left for 2019, there are still a handful of Very Merrytime Sailings left that you can take advantage of. Take a break from the chilly weather and see what the Holidays are like on the High Seas!

There are Tree Lighting Ceremonies, your favorite Disney Characters dressed in their Holiday Best, as well as a few special surprises provided by our favorite Frozen Sisters. Many Holiday activities await you including decorating gingerbread houses and you may even catch Santa himself! He needs a break too, right? Don’t forget Holiday themed shows, entertainment and merchandise. Many guests say it is their favorite sailing of the year! Will it be yours?

Some Tips for your Very Merrytime Sailing:

Get in the spirit! Bring Ugly Sweaters, Festive Mickey Ears, Santa Hats – whatever Holiday Garb you would like!
Decorate! Bring some Holiday Cheer to your stateroom. Box Stores sell mini LED lit Christmas Trees that we bought to bring last year that are lit with just a USB Plug. Bring Holiday Decor for your Stateroom Door too!
Get the Character photos! It is only on these special sailings that you will find your favorite Disney Pals in Holiday Wear at Sea.
Enjoy the Holiday Treats. There are several yummy Holiday treats onboard. Make sure to get to the Hot Cocoa Bar after Mrs. Claus’s Story time.
Go to the Holiday Events! They are so special and unique to these sailings. They are well worth your time and you will be so happy you did!

Taking a Disney Cruise during these wonderful celebrations is a great way to enhance your holidays! I recommend one of the first sailings offered. It is a GREAT way to really get in the Holiday Spirit and kick off the season.

Giving a Disney Destination as a Gift for the Holidays

Get your Holiday shopping done early and reserve a trip for a Disney Destination. Whether it is a Disney Theme Park, Disney Cruise, Aulani, or an Adventure by Disney, your family is sure to be super excited about it and that excitement will continue until you travel.

One year with the littles were…littler, I got super creative. I cut out Cinderella’s Castle out of cardboard. The castle was about 4 ft. tall and the front doors were tall enough for them to go through. I drew details and colored it in. Behind the doors, I put two wrapped boxes full of things that they would use in Disney. When they came down Christmas Morning, they were able to open the doors and go “into” the castle and discovered all their wonderful goodies and that they were going to Disney World in a few short weeks. Their boxes included:

Our countdown
A Luggage Tag
Mickey Stickers (the kind you get in the parks)
Disney Sun Glasses
Disney Waterbottles
Disney Coloring book & Crayons
Glow Wands & swords (Dollar Tree)
A New Disney Shirt
A Disney Frame
An autograph book & Pen (For the 3 year old)
Disney Gift Card
Disposable Camera

The little guy didn’t really get it but my LilBug was totally excited and was so ready to go. It was great to watch her face light up as she went through the box and they kept the castle for a few months to play in.

Holiday Recipes

Mickey Cookies! Once again, using the sandwich shaper, we used sugar cookie dough and cut out several Mickey Heads. Once baked, you can use several different combinations of icings and sprinkles to decorate. We make these each year and leave some for Santa and share the rest with our family on Christmas Day. Enjoy!

Contact Me

If you would like assistance reserving a trip to a Disney Destination for the 2019 Holidays or if you would like to beat ALL the Holiday crowds and book a Disney Destination to gift to your loved ones this year, contact me today! I would be delighted to help you find a great way to wrap up your gift to surprise your family! If you are looking for some things to add to a surprise gift box, like the stickers I mentioned, let me know and I am happy to send you some!

Better yet, you can include the Minnie Box in their gift box. This is our Thank You gift to you for letting us assist in Planning Your Dreams. It will be full of Magic and Excitement and is a great way to get your family excited about any Disney Destination. I look forward to hearing from you and helping you plan your Holiday Magic soon!

#Adulting · Islands of Adventure · New for Islands of Adventure · Universal Resort · Wizarding World

Update: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

May 21, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

We have the first photos and some video of this ride and it…is….awesome! I am giddy over how immersive and detailed it is! Still scheduled to open June 13th, this ride is blowing away records left and right. Here are some facts direct from Universal themselves:

This will take us beyond Hogwarts – Mostly taking place in the Forbidden Forest, this attraction will take us to a whole new part of the Wizarding World
New Environments & Sets – Inside never before seen ruins, you will be able to see habitats where Hagrid Kept his Blast-Ended Skrewts, dragon eggs that he is currently nursing that are just about to hatch, and many more materials used during his Care of Magical Creatures Class. Let’s not forget some familiar faces that we will see as well – Arthur Weasley, Hagrid, and even Fang
Most Launches – This coaster will have 7 launches, the most of any coaster in the world
Vertical Drop! – You will be dropped, vertically, 17 feet
Longest Roller Coaster in Florida – Nearly a mile
Two Different “Rides” – Your riding in Hagrid’s Motorbike, choose from riding the bike or riding in the sidecar
Will launch you 65 ft into the air at a 70 Degree angle, then drop you straight backward in one smooth motion

The unpredictability of this ride is going to be crazy and so exciting! I cannot wait! Tip: Riding this at night will feel even more authentic! Check out a sneak peek video below:

Disney Cruise Line · Disney Travel Tip · Disneyland · Meg the Travel Agent · Savings Promotion · Universal Resort · Walt Disney World

Top Reasons to Contact Me for Your Disney Destination & Universal Travel Needs

April 27, 2019March 18, 2021 WDW Dreams Into Memories

All of your Favorite Leading Ladies & Gentlemen – they all had one thing in common; An awesome sidekick!

Anna has Olaf, Aladdin has Genie, Mulan has Mushu & you can have me!!

Think of yourself as the leading lady or gentleman and think of me as just that – your awesome Disney Sidekick. I am here to help you turn your dreams into amazing memories to cherish for years to come as well as to help you with anything that may come up while you plan. If you are thinking to yourself, “I want total control of my trip and don’t want anyone planning for me and I prefer to make my own reservations.” No worries – I can do as little or as much as you would like. I can help you plan the whole trip, or I can just hold the reservation for you and watch for things that will impact your trip like closures, discounts, and more! It is all up to you!

Why use me as your Disney Sidekick? Here are several reasons:

Knowledge

When I chose to become a Travel Agent for Disney Destinations & Universal Resorts, I had to go through many courses and trainings from both companies. I actually had to earn a degree from Disney’s College of Knowledge before I could speak to any guests. Now that I am an established agent, I have to attend on-site trainings and conferences as well as a form of continuing education throughout the year. I am updated daily to changes, new attractions, closures, special events, and more. I make sure I know everything I need to know to make sure each guest has a fantastic experience without any unwanted surprises.

Experience

In addition to the formal courses I had to take, there is also the decades (yikes) of experience I have had with both companies. I have been going to Walt Disney World since before I said my first word. I have been over 50 times and each experience was a little different. I have been as a child, as an adult without kids, on a bachelorette trip, on my “Disney-moon”, and now several trips with children of all ages. I know the resorts, parks, transportation, and magical extras quite well in addition to all the tips and tricks to have the smoothest and least stressful trip possible.

I have taken several Disney Cruises as well so I am very familiar with the ships and itineraries and would love to help you plan your first or fiftieth Disney Cruise.

I have also been going to Universal since I was very small. My Father was in a line of work that got us VIP tours a few times so I even know some of the behind the scenes things. Not to mention, Harry Potter is my favorite book series so I get “lost” in the Wizarding World at least once a year.

Passion

I live and breathe the Magic of Disney. I have personally felt how it can bring people together. I am so passionate about helping guests with their trips because I want each guest to feel the magic and wonder that I feel when I am in Disney World.

Planning, Prepping & Tips

What should I bring in my park traveling bag? What should I leave home? What activities can I do with a small child while everyone else is riding the “big” rides? When can I check in for my Disney Cruise and why do it ASAP? What are the best FastPasses and how do I get them? Should I bring my kids with me to our Palo Reservation? How can I get a Cinderella Castle Reservation? What is the most romantic restaurant in Disneyland?

These are questions I get frequently and when you reserve with me I can help you with them and many, many others.

Perks

Travel Agents do have some fun things they are able to do for their guests – for example; If you are not staying at a Universal Resort but you would like to visit the parks, tickets that are purchased through me will get you into the parks an hour prior to the general public. This is usually only a perk reserved for resort guests but the tickets purchased from me through my agency will allow you to do that!

Time

Planning a Disney Cruise or a Disney World/Disneyland trip takes a lot of time. There are so many options to choose from, reservations to make (at an unbelievably early hour) phone calls to make that sometimes have high wait times…etc. Let me do that for you! Changing reservations or adding/taking away options often requires a phone call to Disney – I can do that for you as well.

Surprises!

Qualifying reservations receive our Minnie Box (or Adventure Packet for Universal)!! This is a super fun surprise that is unique to the wonderful agency I am a part of – Magical Vacations LLC. This is a box that will be mailed to you prior to you leaving for your trip. It is full of magic and surprises tailored to your family’s vacation.

Just Me!

You may need to contact several different departments of Disney to get your trip all set up – The Disney Cruise Line for your cruise needs, Guest Services to modify Magical Express & transfer you after a cruise or a flight, multiple different numbers to contact if you want to add Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique, golf, spa experiences…etc. When you reserve through me, I am your one point of contact – Just me! Just let me know what you need and I make all the calls and sit on all the holds!

Money

Yes – Travel Agents can save you money! My knowledge alone can help you make informed decisions that can easily save you money. In addition, like I said earlier, I do watch closely for discounts released after you reserve and if your trip qualifies, I can have it applied to your trip. I do have guests that book their trip through me and make all of their own reservations themselves. They handle their entire trip because that is what they like to do. I just hold the reservation for them and watch for discounts.

I just saved a guest over $1000 last week when three different promotions were released. There were limited rooms to the offer but I was able to modify her reservation and have it changed before most even knew about the promotion. $1000! That is a lot of Mickey Head Ice Creams!

Contact me!

Now that you know the many wonderful things I can do to make your trip as magical and memorable as possible, contact me! I would love to help you and your family turn your Dreams into Memories!

Already Booked?

If you are already reserved for your Disney Cruise, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, Disney World or Disneyland trip but you would like me to assist you going further, let me know! We may be able to transfer your reservation over so that I can help you with anything you need going forward.

Characters/Meet & Greets · Islands of Adventure · Savings Promotion · Universal Discount · Universal Resort · Universal Studios · Universal Tip · Wizarding World

New Universal Ticket Promotion!!

March 15, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

Photo Credit: Derek Funk

Universal has released its newest ticket promotion and it is Big!

Purchase 2 days at Universal Orlando and you can get an additional 3 days FREE!!! This promotion gets you 5 days in the parks for the price of 2! This can be used for park-to-park tickets as well. Tickets can be for the 2 park or 3 park category.

These tickets will be for sale March 15th – June 12th, 2019. You can travel and use them for March 15th – December 20th. The month of July is considered a block out date, but other than that you can use it for Spring Break, Memorial Day, Graduation Trips, Summer Vacations, Fall Vacations, Thanksgiving… Pretty Amazing Savings.

Contact me to plan your trip and take advantage of this huge savings today! Qualifying reservations will receive our Adventure Packet! It is our gift to you that will arrive at your door prior to your trip and is tailored just to your group!

Islands of Adventure · New for Universal Studios · Special Events at Universal · Universal Discount · Universal Resort · Universal Studios · Universal Tip · Wizarding World

New Details: Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

March 12, 2019April 4, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

Universal has released more details about their new coaster debuting June 13th.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure will begin when you join Hagrid’s Care of Magical Creatures Class. Hagrid will have you board a motorbike, just like the one given to him by Sirius Black in the movies. Guests will ride 2 across and will have the choice of the bike or the side car next to it. Each will give a different experience. Hagrid will lead you down into the Forbidden Forest. (Which is actually made of live trees!) From there, in true Hagrid fashion, things get completely out of hand. You will wind up running into several magical creatures and fantastic beasts. The Motorbike will encounter Cornish Pixies, Fluffy, Centaurs and more! The art director teases that there will even be one beast we have never seen before. Hopefully you remember your spells because they will come in handy in this adventure.

This “Flight” will have you spinning, turning, and rushing both forwards and backwards. Speeds of up to 50mph will be reached. No word yet on a height limit -stay tuned for that!

To coincide with the release they have a great promotion – Traveling now to 12/31/19: The Wizarding Wolrd of Harry Potter Exclusive Vacation Package:

5-night hotel accommodations
3-park 2-day park to park tickets and get 2 days free! (Expires 3/14)
Breakfast at the Leaky Cauldron (1 per person)
Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks (1 per person)
Early Park Admission
Shutterbutton Photography Studio Session
Access to select live entertainment venues at City Walk

Contact me today for a no obligation quote for your party. Secure your seat in Hagrid’s Class before they are all taken!

Characters/Meet & Greets · Special Events at Universal · Universal Discount · Universal Resort · Universal Studios · Universal Tip

Halloween Horror Nights – Dates & Package Released

March 7, 2019 WDW Dreams Into Memories

Universal has released the dates for Halloween Horror Nights for 2019!

The darkness will descend on Universal Orlando for select nights September 6th – November 2nd. They are currently offering a fantastic deal. The Halloween Horror Nights Hotel & Ticket Package will include:

4 Night Hotel Accommodations
3 Park 4-Day Park-to-Park Tickets
Early Admission to Select Park as Predetermined by Universal
Free Access to Select Live Entertainment in CityWalk
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Book before 6/5/19 and receive a Flex Sunday-Friday Ticket plus one FREE Event Night to be used an additional Sunday-Friday.

Photo Credit – Derek Funk
Photo Credit – Derek Funk

There is a suggested age minimum of 13 and older due to how scary this really is. There is a VIP day time tour for those who want to experience it but maybe would prefer to do so in the light. I would be happy to provide details for that if you are interested.

Contact me today for a no-obligation quote today. My services are free of charge and I can save you time and money!