Travel Archives - Page 8 of 9

8 Tips for Going to Disney World Alone #DisneySMMC

July 12, 2016 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

Today, I’d like to share my own personal tips for going to Disney World alone. These tips come from having visited Disney Parks 5 times with another person and once by myself as an attendee of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration in 2016.

Disclosure: I received discounted lodging, park tickets, meals and experiences as an attendee of the 2016 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.

Tips for Going to Disney World Alone

When I told some people that I was going to Disney World by myself, they seemed surprised. While Disney is known for creating family entertainment, many may not consider the fact that attending a Disney Parks by yourself is actually just as awesome! I mean you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to at the Most Magical Place on Earth! How could you be sad?

So, here are my tips for going to Disney World alone:

Do a little research. This is YOUR trip. Research something that interests only you and then plan to do it.
Have a loose schedule. Book your FastPasses in advance and have an idea of what you want to accomplish on YOUR trip to Disney World alone. If you do # 1 and research and then # 2 to plan a little bit, you won’t have to walk around the park wasting your precious time alone.
Don’t be afraid. Going to Disney World alone means that you can ride that ride that no one else in your family wants to go on. It also means that no one is there to make fun of you or what you choose to do. Plus, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that most people don’t even seem to notice that you are alone. So, go ahead and do what makes you happy.
Go at your own pace. If you want to ride as many rides as you can, then go for it. If you’d like to take a slower pace and enjoy the scenery, then do that instead. Do what feels right.
Go off schedule. Have a loose schedule, but don’t feel like you have to stick to it… Unless you are in to that sort of thing. If a certain restaurant catches your eye or nose, check it out. If you see something you’ve never noticed or done before, then by all means do it now.
Enjoy the resort. Personally, one of my favorite parts of any trip alone is the time to relax alone. Disney has some of the best resorts to do this in. Jump in and enjoy that big comfy bed all by yourself!
Do something you wouldn’t normally do. This could include getting a spa treatment, trying a new dish, riding a different ride, anything. Just try stuff.
Enjoy! Enjoy being able to do whatever you want while you are at a Disney Park. Do a little or a lot. Just enjoy the trip!

I will admit that I had some reservations about going to Disney World alone. I was afraid that it would be weird or I wouldn’t know what to do. However, I had a blast! I loved being able to just roam around Magic Kingdom without keeping up with someone else. I liked being able to change my plans at a moment’s notice without having to discuss it with someone else. Visiting Disney World alone was freeing and exciting. I hope I can take another solo trip to a Disney Park someday.

Disney Social Media Moms 2016 Celebration #DisneySMMC

July 6, 2016 By Lindsay Leave a Comment

I still can’t believe it happened, but I was invited and attended the Disney Social Media Moms 2016 Celebration back in May. I never thought that I would be chosen for such an honor, but when that special invitation landed in my inbox one night, I signed up immediately to reserve my spot. Today, I’m finally ready to tell you all about the fun celebration I was able to experience.

Disclosure: I received discounted lodging, tickets, meals, and experiences while I attended the 2016 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration.

Disney Social Media Moms 2016

Shew! The Disney Social Media Moms 2016 Celebration was unlike any other conference or party I’ve attended. The Disney company treated me like a celebrity for the duration of my stay. I loved everything about this celebration! I could talk about the trip for days. If you follow me on Instagram or on other social media sites, then you also got to witness some of the awesomeness as I shared tons over the course of that weekend.

The fun began before I ever arrived at Walt Disney World when an adorable American Tourister Mickey Mouse suitcase arrived at my doorstep. I actually did a video review on it.

Arrival

I arrived late Wednesday night after working all day. I was very pleased with the Beach Club amentities I was given. I slept wonderfully. Then, on Thursday night I got to witness Animal Kingdom after dark! I loved the street parties and seeing the Tree of Life Awakenings.

Conference Day

On Friday, I was in Heaven! For this Disney fan, the “conference” portion of the event was absolutely thrilling! I got a chance to hear from the President of Walt Disney World Resort, George A. Kalogridis! I also got to hear from Theron Skees from Walt Disney Imagineering about the Re-Imagining of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. Here’s a hint: he and the rest of the team have done an amazing job at Disney Springs.

I also was tickled to hear Mark Renfrow from Walt Disney Creative Entertainment about the upcoming Rivers of Light nighttime spectacular coming to Animal Kingdom. It sounds amazing! I look forward to seeing it on a future trip to the resort.

Disney surprised us by having us hear two movie producers speak about their films. I was elated to hear Suzanne Todd, the producer of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” speak about the movie. I loved her! Then, Lindsey Collins talked about and then introduced the first 33 minutes of “Finding Dory”! Wow! I have since gone to the theaters and seen the movie with my fiance. We loved it! It’s adorable and great for the whole family. It definitely made this special education teacher happy.

It was also amazing to finally see the friendly faces I’ve been following online for years in person. There was Erin Glover who is the Editorial Content Director for the Disney Parks blog and Jenn Fickley-Baker, the Editorial Content Manager for the blog. It was neat to learn about how things work at Disney Parks for posting content.

Last but certainly not least, we were entertained by the hosts Leanne Jakubowski O’Reagan (social media director) and Mark Daniel throughout the entire day.

Friday night, there was Donald’s Beach Bash held at Typhoon Lagoon with delicious treats and fireworks! It was like a private beach party for attendees and their families!

Ending

On Saturday, there was the fun run at Epcot and then a screening of “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” I enjoyed this movie having never seen the first movie. Then, we were free to enjoy the parks. I had to leave early Sunday and missed the wonderful Mother’s Day brunch they provided.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see, it’s hard to sum up this amazing trip I was able to experience. I urge you to look over my Instagram to get yourself a taste of it. Disney Parks knows how to treat guests (and bloggers). Everything about this event was first-class and I was spoiled rotten the entire time. It was truly a dream come true to attend the Disney Social Media Moms 2016 Celebration. I never thought I would be invited, but I am so glad I was chosen. I enjoyed every single aspect of this event. It’s definitely not just a conference. It’s a celebration of the Walt Disney Company and the spirit of families.

Thank you to the Disney Parks team and to the other sponsors for making this weekend possible. I won’t ever forget the Disney Social Media Moms 2016 Celebration.

Travel Razor Kit Venus Snap is My New Favorite Accessory

March 3, 2014 By Lindsay 3 Comments

It may be March and blustery here, but I’m already planning my summer trips and the new travel razor kit from Gillette is on my must pack list.

Travel Razor Kit

I’ve already got 2 blog conferences on my calendar for this summer. Both of those conferences are in California. So, I’m going to be doing some more flying (woot!). However, that also means that space will be a premium on my flight back (with the swag and souvenirs I pick up). I’m all for a product that will save me some room while giving me the full benefits of using a regular sized one that I’m used to. That’s why I was interested in the travel razor kit that is the Gillette Venus Snap mini razor.

The Venus Snap is a mini five blade razor that comes in a portable compact that makes toting it around even easier! I love the portable compact that it comes in because it’s so cute! It’s blue and it keeps you safe because it covers the entire razor. I know that I won’t accidentally cut myself on this razor thanks to the container that it comes in.

I would be remiss not to mention the fabulous mini handle that makes the travel razor kit my new favorite accessory. It is super easy to hold onto and makes shaving a breeze. Plus, the small handle is what keeps the razor so small and portable.

Lastly, I love that this travel razor kit is from Gillette Venus and it comes with the Venus Embrace 5 blade razor! Venus is my preferred brand of razor because it gives me that close shave that only they can provide without making me cut myself. I have actually wondered before why Venus didn’t have a more portable razor. However, they finally do and I’m happy about it.

If you want to pick up a travel razor kit, the Venus Snap, it’s available at Target, just in time for spring break.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Pigeon Forge Titanic Museum Attraction Christmas Decorations

November 30, 2012 By Lindsay 1 Comment

As you know, I love it when I get to feature the Titanic Museum Attraction. It seems like they are always coming up with something new to display that makes me want to go back and visit. Just in time for holiday season, the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge has been decorated for Christmas! That’s right, they have put up greenery, lights, and Christmas trees around the museum! I was able to take a tour of the newly decorated attraction a week ago and was very pleased with it.

Titanic Museum Attraction Christmas

For starters, the outside of the ship is decorated. The light poles have ribbon bows and greenery wrapped around them. Then, there are wreaths on the outside of the museum. Additionally, there is the huge pile of gift boxes (pictured above) outside in front of the bow of the ship. It is perfect for taking pictures with. There’s even a little spot for you to sit down and do so. I love that the packages even say “Titanic” on them so you know where you were when you took the picture.

Christmas Inside the Ship

The inside of the museum is decked-out, too. They have strategically placed decor around the museum so that you are reminded that it’s almost Christmas without it being over the top. For instance, my boyfriend liked that the bags of mail had bows on them. He suggested that kids had written letters to Santa that were being mailed. Additionally, the suites are decorated, too. The second class passenger room had some neat little things while the first class suite had a full size Christmas tree in it.

They also managed to make the grand staircase look even more beautiful. There are two Christmas trees at the bottom of it. Then, there’s pretty greenery and red bows on the staircase. This also means that when you have your picture taken, the background of the grand staircase includes the pretty Christmas scenery. It’s a really nice touch to complete the overall Christmas takeover of the museum.

Vising the museum was the perfect way to kick-off the holiday season. All of the pretty decor definitely helped get me into a more cheery mood. Now, I want to decorate my home for the holidays. So, will you be visiting the Titanic Museum Attraction this holiday season?

Disclosure: I received free passes to the museum. No compensation was received. The opinions expressed are my own.

eBags Packing Cubes and Weekender Luggage Review

July 11, 2012 By Lindsay 57 Comments

Earlier this year, I excitedly introduced you to the Piazza Lucca Satchel from eBags in a review. Now, I am super happy to partner with them again for another review (and an awesome giveaway to come in the very near future). This time I want to highlight some of eBags great travel products, in case you are planning to take a summer vacation or head out to a lovely blog conference. 😉

Let’s start with one of the more unique products I’ve seen. They are called packing cubes. They allow you to organize your bag easily. There are three cubes which are made of TechLite Diamond Nylon. This means they are soft yet durable. They can be squeezed into your bag to make room for other stuff while keeping the contents inside neatly. There are three different sizes included to allow you to pack all sorts of things. They even include a handy guide to give you ideas of how they can be used. The small cube can be used to store things like toiletries, shorts, hair styling products, writing utensils, electronic cords, snacks, etc. The medium can be used to transport your shorts, pajamas, books, folders, crayons, or just an extra set of clothes. Then, the large is great for your shirts, pants, skirts, light jackets, gym towel, blankets, and even toys. As you can see, they are great for everything from travel and business use to home organization and gym or diaper bags.

So, you get your stuff organized and packed, but now you need a great piece of luggage to hold it all? Well, the TLS Weekender Convertible bag is a great one to turn to. This thing is really awesome. First, I just thought it was a pretty bag, but when I started to actually look at it, I was amazed with all of its features. This bag looks like a simple backpack, but it is much more than that. It has room for you to carry lots of stuff. I believe it would make for the perfect carry-on bag for a flight. There’s a place for your clothing (great for use with the packing cubes) as well as an adjustable Laptop Sling. So, you can have clothing as well as electronics or reading material with you. Additionally, the front of the bag unzips to reveal even more spaces to put stuff. Just look at how much room this bag has (it even has an extra zipper that can be undone to allow the bag to increase in size or zipped up to make the bag flatter).

eBags TLS Weekender Convertible Insides — Inside the eBags TLS Weekender Convertible.

Not only does the bag provide you with ample space to transport stuff, it has many ways you can carry it. I was surprised to find so many different handles on the bag. There’s one on the top of it, the side, and the top of it. Plus, I found two detachable straps for the bag. Additionally, it has the backpack straps which can be stored away and out of sight with a zipper (top left picture in the collage). This means you can wear the bag comfortably, no matter where you are. Just look at the options.

So, are you as impressed with the packing cubes and TLS Weekender Convertible from eBags as I am? I absolutely love it and am just waiting for the opportunity to take it somewhere. 😉 Stay tuned for an upcoming giveaway event with the Noise Girls called Seen in the City for your chance to win some packing cubes and this bag from eBags. Additionally, you can stay up-to-date with them by following eBags on Twitter and liking eBags on Facebook.

Disclosure: I received the eBags packing cubes and bag for free. I was not required to post about them. The opinions expressed are my own.