Let's Go!

After many months of planning, our departure date is finally within reach. Like all families about to embark on a trip, each member has their own vision of what their ideal trip will be like. My husbands ideal trip: relax, see some incredible sites, enjoy the sunshine, and read a good text book (he doesn't read fiction).

My vision: Hopefully this is where all my research has paid off. I want to see as much as possible and since we have our own itinerary figured out we should be able to hit the ground running (okay maybe walking). So much to see and so little time! I know we'll probably have to forego a few sights if the kids are feeling overwhelmed and tired but I'm okay with that and hopefully we'll be able to return someday. I also plan on doing some relaxing onboard the Disney Magic and I'm looking forward to reading my fiction book.

Sydney's (Age 11) ideal vacation: It can be summed up in 3 words, "MAKE NEW FRIENDS." She can hardly wait to hang out in the ships kids club and meet some new friends. She's already told me she wants to be in the club during dinnertime because then she will get to eat with the other kids. "I think it will be fun to go out to dinner and talk with all my friends!" I am happy to report she has no confidence problem!

Eric's (Age 8) Vision: Staying in Barcelona and practicing his limited Spanish on the locals. He knows how to say El Gordo Gato (The fat cat) so we'll see how far that gets him! He's promised to try Tapas (similar to appetizers) and will try anything that looks like mini hotdogs.

As you can see, we each have our own ideas about this trip. Interesting to see how it lives up to our expectations.

As many people know I am the queen of light packing. We will be gone for a little over two weeks and our luggage consists of one carry on per person. The kids will also each have a backpack with things that will hopefully occupy them during our travels. I thought I had it all figured out when I was thinking about what each child would take in their suitcase. That is until Sydney told me the other morning that she had already done some packing and had put alot of items in her suitcase so I said "Let me see what you've packed." I figure that she is only a "light packer in training" so I must cut her some slack! Let's just say that I didn't think about the fact my 11 year old daughter might have ideas of her own and apparently there are some things that she "just can't live without!" However, I did have to stand my ground on a few items and when I was wrestling the extra large binoculars out of her hands that we "absolutely have to take," I knew I was doing the right thing!

Well all the planning is done and now it's time to fly!

The Best Laid Plans

I pride myself in being super organized when it comes to travel planning. I think of all the possibilities and even have back up plans. I mark everything off my checklist so I don’t forget anything. Swimsuits? Check. First aid kit? Check. Comfortable shoes? Check. Raging volcano in Iceland that has stranded thousands of travelers and created the worst air travel nightmare in Europe’s history? Well I guess I didn’t think of EVERYTHING that could go wrong! The good news is that we are flying into Spain, which seems to be the country least affected by this volcano. Let’s just hope it doesn’t do another major eruption or else I will have to personally have a little talk with it! This is a perfect example why it is so important to purchase travel insurance on your trip. When the unexpected happens it’s nice to know that you are protected. Some policies cover travel delay up to a certain amount that compensates for additional costs such as hotels. Some of the stranded travelers have been sleeping in the airport for 5 nights! If I had to sleep in an airport for 5 nights I think my usual pleasant demeanor would be a distant memory!

I was talking to Sydney the other day about this Volcano and since this is a pretty major natural disaster asked her if anyone was talking about it at her school. She looked at me like I had lost my mind and said, “Why would they? It doesn’t have anything to do with us and ya know, kids are just interested in themselves!” I guess I have my answer.

We are continuing to watch the situation and at this point it looks like we should have no problem getting to Barcelona. Hopefully the volcano, who’s name no one can pronounce, simmers down. I have my own name for it!

The Cat's Out of the Bag

We finally told the kids we'll be taking them on our biggest family adventure yet! When I told them we were going to have a family meeting Sydney's first response was "Oh great! Well I'm not coming! Just pretend I'm not part of the family!" I told her to remind me of that AFTER our meeting. When we were finally all together I had each of them choose something from the bag I was holding which included items about our trip (books, maps etc). They were a bit baffled as they were pulling each item out. I didn't leave them in suspense for too long and told them we're going to the Mediterranean and staying 4 nights in Barcelona (2 nts pre-cruise and 2 nts post-cruise) and taking a 10 night Disney Cruise. They were excited beyond words! I thought they would be most excited about the cruise but they were actually very curious about Barcelona and what we would get to see there.


I can already tell there will be some laughable moments with the kids since sometimes what they mean and what comes out of their mouth are two different things. We were talking with them about visiting Herculaneum, a sister city to Pompeii, which was buried under the same eruption but is believed to be better preserved than Pompeii. The kids are very interested about this and looking forward to visiting it. Suddenly Eric asked, "So then we'll get to see alot of ass?" We all stared at him for a minute before we realized he was talking about ash. Cracked us up!


Also getting them prepared to try different types of food. Sydney will be okay with that but Eric is picky picky picky! Might be a bit of a challenge so I have already started giving him my try new foods lecture. I explained if we are in a restaurant or market and you see something you don't like it is considered very rude to say "Ew yuck!". I thought he understood until he informed me that we should probably just bring our own food! I said no.


I gave them both travel journals to write in and they love them! They immediately went to work customizing them. These journals have questions in them to give them ideas what to write about and has an area for trip planning, packing list, destinations etc. It'll be a great keepsake! Every night they want to have a little "study time" learning about where we're going.


We will be taking them out of school for 2 weeks so not sure what their teachers will think of that but I figure this is a huge learning experience. History is alot more interesting when you can actually see it for yourself!

Family Travel Ideas for 2010

Where is your next family vacation? Do you prefer a tropical setting or perhaps a big city destination is more your style. How about a theme park? The choices are endless and the benefits of traveling together are priceless. When traveling with young children and teenagers it is important to choose a vacation that provides activities for all age groups. Once you decide where to go then it’s time to check pricing, compare hotels, and buy that plane ticket!
Disney is synonymous with Family Travel. Here are a few hot Disney deals being offered. At Disneyland you will get 5 hotel nights for the price of 3 when you purchase a 3 night resort hotel package including Park Hopper passes. If your family wants to try out a Disney Cruise then now is the perfect time! Children sail FREE (when sailing with 2 full fare guests in the same stateroom) on most 3 and 4 night Bahamian cruises. Many families combine the best of both worlds and book Disney’s Land and Sea package.
Are you planning a family reunion? Cruising has become a popular choice for large family gatherings. With so many activities to choose from there seems to be something to suit everyone’s taste. Royal Caribbean just introduced their newest cruise ship called Oasis of the Seas. It has 18 decks and can accommodate almost 6300 passengers! It has an open-air park with trees and hanging gardens, a boardwalk-style area with a merry-go-round, a pool that changes into a stage for high-diving shows and a theater that has booked the Broadway musical "Hairspray."
I hope I’ve given you a few ideas as you start planning for your next family vacation. A Travel Consultant will take care of the details for you and will track all payments, make sure everyone in your travel party has the correct documentation and answer any and all questions you may have relating to your trip. Enjoy the journey and leave the planning to me!

Think Disney in the Springtime

Mediterranean cruises starting from $999* per person based on double occupancy for 10 or 11 night Mediterranean sailings on April 24 and May 5, 2010. Come explore favorite ports in Europe and venture to incredible places. Combine this with the outstanding personal service, enchanting experiences and unmatched entertainment that is distinctive to Disney Cruise Line®.

* Some restrictions apply

Purchase a 3-night, 5-day Disneyland Resort vacation package and get two more hotel nights FREE*. This package includes a 5-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper souvenir ticket, allowing your family to enjoy favorite attractions at both Theme Parks.
Must be booked by April 1, 2010 and travel must be completed by May 4, 2010.