disney – Just Get in the Car

Getting to know the 2 Disney Chicks

Just Get in the Car — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:38:22 +0000

With our first trip to Disney World, just about two years ago, and our quick escape just last week, we started a family love of the whole magical phenomenon revolving around Mickey. Ok, maybe some of us are more into it then others, but everyone is coming around to the idea that Disney is a wonderful escape from reality. We’ve worked with Lauren and Joanna, otherwise known as the 2 Disney Chicks, for both of our trips. We wanted to get to know them a bit more, so we asked them if they would indulge us by answering a few questions. Here is what they had to say!

How did you both come to be travel agents specializing in Disney?

We had both experienced several Disney destinations and thoroughly enjoyed the level of service that Disney provides their guests. We also both booked our vacations with Ears of Experience and found the process very simplified. We knew that it would be the right fit for us.

What do you love most about what you do?

We are very detail oriented and enjoy working with our clients from start to finish during the planning process. Each family is unique and we love that we can help create special memories that they will cherish for a lifetime.

Do you still have fun planning your own families Disney vacations?

Planning for our families is always fun! We both involve our families in the planning process. And we always like to try something we have never done on a previous trip.

What are your favorite Disney destinations to visit?

Lauren:

The Disney Cruise Line. Aboard the ships, you receive Disney’s high level of service, but in a more relaxed atmosphere. There are things to do for the entire family, from the kids clubs to adult only restaurants. We really enjoy being able to see the world and different cultures.

Joanna:

Walt Disney World. Visiting from childhood with my parents, to adulthood with my own children, there are so many memories that I cherish. As the parks are always changing there is an opportunity with each trip to make new memories.

What are your favorite experiences at Walt Disney World?

Lauren:

My favorite thing to do is to walk down Main Street. I love seeing the excitement on everyone’s faces.

Joanna:

Currently Epcot is one of my favorite parks, especially exploring the countries during the Flower and Garden Festival. Spring is always my favorite time to visit WDW.

Are there any little known facts or secrets you might share with our readers?

It isn’t a secret, but Disney is always changing, and that is part of the fun! We love searching for Hidden Mickey’s and the newest attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has the most hidden Mickey’s than any other Disney attraction or area in the world! You might be able to get a “Paw”tograph at Tony’s Town Square…ask a Cast Member at the restaurant podium. Play A Pirate’s Adventure-Treasures of the Seven Seas and complete at least 2 missions; and you may receive a free FastPass+ for Pirates of the Caribbean.

What are some places that you enjoy visiting when you aren’t doing Disney?

Lauren:

My family is spread out across the United States, so when we are not traveling to Disney, we enjoy visiting our loved ones who reside in Florida, Arizona and California.

Joanna:

My family loves to travel! We tend to lean toward active vacations. Alaska and London are top on our list where we got to experience some unforgettable experiences.

What are some of your favorite local places to visit?

Kettle, White Dog Café, Argyle Boutique, Posh, Ruthie’s Eyes

While a Disney vacation isn’t something most of us can swing on a regular basis, talking about Disney sure is fun! Getting to know Lauren and Joanna has kept the magic going a bit longer for us as we come off of our most recent, very quick, Disney getaway.

Do you have Disney on your mind? Contact the 2 Dis Chicks today to start planning!

-Kristin

What I learned from our first trip to Disney

Just Get in the Car — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 17:18:53 +0000

The last few years of life at Just Get in the Car headquarters has been … rather eventful. We had our third child, we’ve moved homes, and we have lived with two 90+ grandparents. Each of these things alone can be overwhelming, so you can imagine what it has been like with all of this at once. Our children have had a lot of life change, and we had been talking about how we could regroup as a family of five and have some fun and together time, away from the chaos of our new normal.

What would be something that the kids would appreciate, enjoy, and reminisce about as a wonderful experience? A ‘Hey, we know, life has been crazy, but we are going to do this awesome thing and you are going to love it’.

You might have already guessed what we landed on, a quintessential must do for every family, according to a lot of people!

Yea, you know what we decided on. Disney.

I hadn’t been to Disney since I was fourteen years old, and Shawn hadn’t been since he was a kid, either. In fact, Shawn went into this expecting a boat load of kid chaos and kid-centric activities, and pretty much went into ‘endure and survive’ mode prior to our experience. I think his opinion is slightly improved since our trip.

It is safe to say though, that we made a great choice. We had a really good time, and will definitely be planning another trip in the future. In fact, if we don’t make it back soon, it will be a real tragedy, considering how often our children talk about it.

I did learn a few things as a result of our first family trip to Disney, and perhaps these lessons may help some of you have a more enjoyable experience if you are planning your first trip.

A thought out and anticipated ‘surprise’ might not go as expected.

We had an elaborate plan for surprising our kids with the news that we would be going to Disney World. We knew they were going to reallllly love Disney, and that the trip would be amazing. We knew that they would find our clever scavenger hunt on Christmas morning intriguing. What we did not fully process or expect was that they had never been to Disney, they had no concept of what to expect, and that the trip was several weeks in the future – so, their reaction was lack luster, at best. We were expecting accolades and jumps for joy, but instead got ‘Oh, cool, are there any more presents to open?’ This put a real damper on Christmas morning for me and Shawn at least. All that planning for a rather disappointing and anti-climatic reaction. Womp Womp.

Two things about this – now, if we surprised them with the news that we would be going to Disney again, we know their reactions would be much more enthusiastic. They have been, they saw, they enjoyed immensely. And also, next time, I would surprise them the day of, if possible. I think that would be super fun and way more exciting for them then having to wait it out.

Have you ever done a Disney surprise?

If you exhaust and starve your kids, they will melt down.

Our first park day was overwhelming. Although we had a wonderful itinerary from the amazing ladies at 2 Dis Chicks, there is no amount of planning that can prepare you for finally launching this elaborate vacation. And the kids, and adults too, were on sensory overload. By the end of the day, our kids were fried. Although we did eat, it was a long, hot day. We probably did not provide enough fuel on a regular basis, or find enough quieter areas to take a mini break. We know now that at least one of our kiddos needs those sensory breaks to stay sane. We ended our first day with threats of flying home. It wasn’t pretty, and now we know to make a point to schedule regular food, drink, and break-breaks.

I really enjoy easy, fun vacations – even if they are manufactured. In fact, when they are manufactured by talented engineers – er, Imagineers, and experts in hospitality and the customer experience – you are bound to have an amazing experience.

If you have a reluctant Disney goer in your party, or if you are that reluctant person, try to keep an open mind. Sure, Disney is a manufactured experience – it is not a historic landmark, a beautiful beach, or an otherwise organic experience – but it is still pretty amazing. If you can’t find something to entertain you or something that you find enjoyable in the Disney complex, then I humbly suggest you take a hard look at your life and your attitude, sir, or madam.

Not everyone does Disney at the same level of intensity, and that is ok. This is your vacation, and you do not have to do all.the.things. In fact, that would be virtually impossible.

When you are planning a Disney vacation, you will get all kinds of advice. It typically involves getting up at the crack of dawn, eating at off hours, and maximizing your time to ride the most rides, see the most shows, meet the most characters. We knew that we were not those people. Before we went, I knew that we could not keep up that kind of schedule, nor would I want to on a vacation. I like to come home feeling rested and rejuvenated, not exhausted and weary ( I mean, I don’t, but, I like to).

It took us until the last day of our five day trip to find our own groove, and to be ok with it. We canceled our morning breakfast reservation, got to the park around 10 or 11, did quick service meals instead of sit down (though we landed a walk in sit down dinner at the very end of the night), and rode the most rides and had the best day. Be your own people, people.

Do you, and your Disney vacation will be amazing.

What Disney tips do you have? Need some inspiration, check out this blog post our friend Tracey did sharing all about her adventures in Epcot with her toddler.

-Kristin

History, geography, and magic

Just Get in the Car — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:35:26 +0000

One thing we’ve learned from our endeavors into travel blogging, social media interaction, and engagement – people love Disney. Sure, we spend a lot of time visiting places that are close to home, but let’s face it – the people want Disney. So, since our family has only gone to the big DW one time as a whole, I decided to reach out to some of our besties, who frequent the happiest place on earth.

And as I was sure would be the case, my friend Tracey, did not disappoint. I am so excited that she decided to humor me and share with all of you the awesome adventure that she went on with her two and a half year old, Conor.

Oh yea, her hubby Kevin made a guest appearance, too. Here they are at one of their favorite spots in Epcot, the Moroccan Pavilion.

Here’s the gist.

Tracey’s family has a vacation home in Orlando, affording them the opportunity to frequent the theme parks at Disney. Perfect for this magic loving family. Not one to waste good opportunities, Tracey took advantage of an extended stay in Orlando to expose her son to a little history, geography …. (Anyone? No? …It’s a Finding Nemo reference).

Ok. Before I totally hijack her much appreciated post, read on to learn how she and Conor took a trip around the globe!

Tracey writes:

While my 2.5 year old son may not yet be ready to jet set around the world, I was excited to bring the world to him. To that end, we spent a month embarking on our “world voyage” by taking a close look at the World Showcase in Disney World’s EPCOT. In 30 days, we visited eleven countries and one continent without a passport and never leaving central Florida. It was my goal during our trip to cover one country a day from the World Showcase with each visit to EPCOT.

To ensure that this was an enriching, cultural experience, I added two additional elements to the Disney offerings. First, with a library card to a local Florida library, I was able to check out books and DVDs on the “countries” we would be visiting. We watched and read in preparation for every countries visit. Certainly, not everyone has a library card in central Florida. However, this could be overcome by checking out books ahead of time from your local library, downloading videos, etc. Second, as the month of October aligns with the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, I was able to quickly and affordably add culinary experiences that aligned to our adventures. Even if you are not planning on traveling to Disney World during the Food & Wine Festival, be sure to add a few counter service meals to your agenda from preferred countries.

Meals in Restaurant Marrakesh in the Morocco pavilion are one of the best kept secrets in Disney World. The restaurant is cool and often very quiet. Waiters and kitchen staff are happy to accommodate every dish to your preference. My son’s dinner included 8 chicken nuggets and French fries. They swapped the French fries for a generous helping to couscous and vegetables at our request. Belly dancers and musicians play on a nightly schedule.

By visiting a country a day, my son and I could concentrate on only completing the experiences in one country’s pavilion each day.

During that time, I had a few goals for my toddler and myself for each country including:

say the name of the country
say a polite word (i.e. thank you, hello) in the language
talk to a Cast Member about his or her country
visit the Kidcot Station
try a food selection
go on the ride, see the movie, or watch the entertainers (as applicable)
take a photo
spend some time truly appreciating the elements of each pavilion (the building, scenery, atmosphere, etc.) as imagined by Disney

My son learned how to use chopsticks on an earlier trip to Disney World (the Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios). His Black Pepper Shrimp with Garlic Noodles from the Global Marketplace in China provided an opportunity to brush up on those skills.

While most of those goals are straightforward, not all Disney Parks guest are familiar with the KidCot Stations around the World Showcase.

The KidCot station in the England pavilion was my son’s favorite. It is decorated to reflect exploration at the height of the British Empire. His luggage Ziploc bag is by his side and full of his postcards

In each country, your child can stop at a desk staffed by a cast member from the country. Children are given a free (with your park admission) sticker and postcard that they can color immediately. Crayons are provided by Disney. At most stations, the Cast Member will also write your child’s name in the language of the country (i.e. China, Japan), draw a picture, or write a word in the language. My son was always excited to stop at these stations – not only to color, but also to talk with the Cast Member working there. If your child stops at every KidCot Station, he or she will be presented with a bonus 12^th postcard. Disney provides a “luggage” bag for you to store postcards in as you collect them. All of the postcards do not have to be collected in one visit to EPCOT, so feel free to space out the stations over your time in Disney World.

Frozen Ever After is a great ride. But did you know, there are “real” Vikings walking through the Norway Pavilion in EPCOT?

The surprise of our adventure was how much my toddler loved the 360 degree surround movies in the China and Canada pavilions. My sense is that these movies are often skipped by parents with young children out of concern that a 15 minute movie would be boring for a toddler. This is a missed opportunity. These movies provide a much needed break from the Florida heat. My son watched both films with mouth open in awe. So don’t worry if you cannot secure that coveted FastPass to Frozen Ever After in the Norway pavilion. You will be amazed at the other attractions that appeal to your child.

Not everyone can spend 30 days in Disney World. But, I think our adventures can be scaled to fit in anyone’s time visiting the Disney Parks. Pick a few countries rather than visiting them all. Do more than one country a day. Either way, I do not think your toddler or you will be disappointed with the adventure. Personally, we have been back from Disney World for a month and my 2.5 year old son still enjoys yelling “Bonjour” (French for “hello”) and “takk” (“thanks” in Norwegian) at random strangers. Tonight we read a picture book on the topic of ramen noodles and he said “Ohhh! Japan!” I believe our adventures in Disney World’s EPCOT was time and money well spent.

disney – Just Get in the Car

Getting to know the 2 Disney Chicks

-Kristin

What I learned from our first trip to Disney

-Kristin

History, geography, and magic

-Tracey