Category Archives: Joy

2018, Disney, Disney Dining, Disney World, Disney World Tips and Tricks, Disney World Vacation, Disney World Vacation Tips, Family, Food, Joy, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Summer, Travel, Vacation, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World tips and tricks, Walt Disney World Vacation

Special Order!

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Disney has dropped a great promotion this morning.  Disney Bound guests who book their packages by July 7, 2018 and stay during limited dates between August-September and November-December 2018 will receive this promotion. These packages are VERY LIMITED, so if you are interested, get in touch with me today!  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com

2018, Disney, Disney World, Disney World Tips and Tricks, Disney World Vacation, Disney World Vacation Tips, Family, Joy, Travel, Vacation, Walt Disney World Vacation

I’ve Got a Dream!

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I’m a dreamer….I always have been.  I was always the type who saw the glass half full, I always looked on the bright side, and I always believed that our own version of fairy tales could come true.  I rooted for the underdog and I believed in love at first sight.  I also believed that there were certain places that could take away all of your troubles, even if it were for only a brief moment in time.

That’s what Disney is for me.  Every visit, every moment spent there, I put the world and it’s problems behind me, and live in a world where there are endless possibilities and dreams that do really come true.  The goosebumps I feel when I enter the gates or when I stare at the fireworks….the chills I get when I hear a song from a movie I once loved more than anything….the raw emotion I feel when I glide through a ride, screaming with sheer excitement.  That is what Disney gives to me, and that is what I hope to give to all of you.

Dreams really do come true.  Love truly is enduring.  Family can be forever.  Memories can last a lifetime.  While I know this world can throw things at us that can knock us down,  it has been the memories that I have made, with my family, that has helped me persevere.  Let’s make some magic together.  Contact me today to get your dream vacation planned.  Maybe you want to sail away on a cruise or explore the world.  Maybe you would rather relive your youth in a theme park.  Or maybe you feel Hawaii calling your name.  Let’s build something beautiful, that you can reflect on in those moments when you just want to be a kid again.  Let’s face it….we all deserve that chance to feel young again.    debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com

Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, DVC, Family, FastPass, Joy, MagicBands, Mobility, Travel, Vacation

I Wan’na Be Like You-uuu

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One of my favorite things to talk about with Disney are the great opportunities to interact with characters.  We have been very fortunate to have the chance to have ALOT of character meet & greet’s over the years, and it has not only been on the “to do” list for my children, but also for me as well.  I love seeing the excitement in their eyes as their on screen characters come to life.

I can not call this a “top” character meet & greet, because we have yet to run into a character that we didn’t love.  For now, let’s just say these have been our top so far……  Let’s start with my featured image:

Joy and Sadness (Epcot):  They.  Were.  Amazing.  The time they spent with my children, the way they moved around them.  Joy was literally hopping and dancing everywhere, and Sadness told my son she adored him simply because he wore glasses, just like her.  When we left our meet and greet, they both fell to their knees in a “we’re not worthy” kind of manner” and left us all giggling for hours afterwards.  I get the best feeling when I tell the stories about our time with them.  They devoted great time to us, so much, that they earned a compliment card from us.

Sorcerer Mickey (Hollywood Studios):  The area that we met him in was truly something “Fantasmic”.  Mickey seemed truly larger than life during this character meet and greet.  Maybe it was because we came in out of a torrential downpour to see him.  Or maybe it was just the Pixie Dust that we felt had been spread over us.  Either way, Mickey was great about spending time with us and we loved meeting him.

Cinderella and Tiana (Magic Kingdom): Both of these princesses were true to their character!  They carried on conversations with us as if we were their best friends.  Cinderella talked to my son until he was practically floating away on a cloud, and even called him her “Prince Charming”.  Tiana talked to us about her mother and how we know she’s the best cook in all of N’Orleans!  She was magical, graceful, and beautiful.  When we mentioned how we would see her at her Riverboat Dessert party the following day, she told us all about how Naveen would be there too.  We loved these ladies.

Rafiki (Animal Kingdom):  Oh how we loved Rafiki!  He took mutiple pictures with our kiddos and we just loved how he signed their autograph books.  Very engaging and definitely worth our time!

O’hana Breakfast Characters (Polynesian Resort): Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, Pluto:  Maybe it was the food, or maybe it was the music.  Maybe it was the dance line.  But when these characters came around to see us at our tables, they laughed with us, did sign language, signed autograph books, and interacted with our kiddos in the perfect way.  The perfect way to start our day.

Tusker House (Animal Kingdom) Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Daisy:  Again, tremendous food, followed by characters who weaved their way into our hearts.  Daisy flirted and hugged on our boys, and Mickey was just as sweet as he could be.  Donald and Goofy played around and signed autographs, and we all were full of smiles.

Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom) and Akershus (Epcot): Divine meals while being surrounded by the princesses.  They spent so much time with us and we had opportunities for real conversations with them.  It didn’t feel rushed at all and was definitely worth the time and money, especially being inside the castle .

This is my list of our top character meet and greets.  For your opportunity to do this and more, please visit my website:  www.magical-vacations.com/debbie.lands or feel free to email me at: debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com to get your vacation planning started.  Remember that my custom quotes are free, along with all of my services.  All of our resort packages come with a complimentary Minnie Box.  Let’s create some magic today!

Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, Family, FastPass, Joy, Summer, Travel, Vacation, Wheelchair

You Can Fly

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“When there’s a smile in your heart, there’s no better time to start                                    Think of all the joy you’ll find, when you leave the world behind                                        And bid your cares goodbye!  You can fly! You can fly!                                                                                                       YOU CAN FLY!”       – You Can Fly- Peter Pan

I love that song, and not because of the movie, but because of the encouragement that it provides when you have a little “faith, trust, and pixie dust” floating around in your life.  Sometimes in life, we are overwhelmed, over-worked, and over-scheduled.  Those were the thoughts from our pastor this week.  He was right.  We spend so much time trying to meet every demand on our calendars, hit every deadline, attend every meeting, practice, concert, and it all becomes too much.  Stress takes over our ragged bodies, and we begin to deflate a little each time it happens.

But if you are wise, and turn your thoughts to something “lighter” when you are upset, things can begin to look up.  This photo for instance, was not one that I originally planned.  But as we were waiting in line for Peter Pan’s Flight, I caught a glimpse of these two, side by side, enjoying a loving moment together, holding onto each other’s hands and “ooh-ing and ahh-ing” about the scenes from the movie.  Gabe’s legs were pretty wore out from the day, and we had to park his wheelchair and walk just a bit to this ride.  It wasn’t bad, but a little longer than we had anticipated.  Syd knew he needed a hug and some love, and instantly, he was back to giggling and having a good time.  It also just happened to be at the spot in line, where your shadow is cast along the wall.  I knew, I needed to get my camera out, because I wanted to remember this moment forever.  A glimpse at this photo, gives me a glimpse at what I live for:  my family.  At the end of the day, no matter what meeting was attended, what game was played, what plans were made, my family is everything to me, and they are the reason that I want to better my life.  They are the reason I know I have been blessed, and they are the reason why, no matter what happens, I have to just smile and be grateful for all I have been given.  When my life bucket “feels” empty, I know it is something I have done to myself, but also within myself, I can think about the ones I love, and suddenly, my life bucket is full, overflowing.  Amazing how one photo can remind you of everything you live for.  They give me my wings, and they allow me to fly.

I have been very fortunate to have a family who supports my dreams, and who knows that without their love, I would be able to make it, but I wouldn’t be as fulfilled.  Love gives us wings we didn’t realize we had.  Just like in Peter Pan, they believed in themselves and each other, and that faith allowed them to fly.

We do Disney because of that feeling, the way we believe in each other, and how we support each other’s dreams.  Disney allows us to “never grow up”, to relive moments that we loved as children, and to explore our passions while being together as a family.  I would love to give you the same experiences that I have shared with my family.  Let’s create some magic together, and find out where our wings can take us:  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com

 

Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, Dumbo, DVC, Family, FastPass, Joy, Vacation

Baby Mine

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Today is a lovely day to talk about love…..

While this blog is mainly about “how to do” Disney, it is also a way for me to include what Disney means to me and why I love it so much.  It is a way for me to explain why I am so passionate about what I do.  It is also a way for me to go back through my photos, and recall how they made me feel.  This photo is one of my favorites ever taken…….Let me tell you why.

First, it is a photo of my Sydney and Gabe, after a ride that I adore….Dumbo.  A classic, simple ride at Magic Kingdom that lifts you high into the air, with spectacular views of the nightly fireworks (which is when we chose to go).  The lights, the sounds, the music that we heard….made it all so brilliantly beautiful.  Hearing my children giggling and then seeing them cuddle and point to the fireworks that seemed as though we could touch them, was one of the most magical moments I experienced that evening.  When the ride was over, we of course, took the time to take this photo op, so we could always remember that we had this night together, soaring with Dumbo.  “Don’t just fly….Soar!”, as the movie goes…..and that’s exactly what we did.

Next, the main song from Dumbo, “Baby Mine”, was a song that I sang to my babies, night after night, and sometimes during their afternoon nap times, every single day of their lives when they were little.  It holds a particular fondness to me, that I will forever cherish as their mother.  I simply can not hear the song, or even think of this movie, and not think back to when they were tiny babies, wrapped tightly in my arms, when it felt as though nothing else existed during those moments except us.  As a mother, I would give anything to have one more glide in the rocking chair with them, one more afternoon of stroking their eyebrows as I sang to them, watching them fade away.  Those days are long gone now, but the memories, I will hold in my heart for the rest of my life.  So, for me, Dumbo will always be the most precious Disney movie to me, and maybe now, the most precious ride, for the memories it has given me, as a parent.  And just like the lyrics say, “You’re so precious to me, sweet as can be, Baby of Mine,”.

Finally,  when I was a young child, Dumbo was my favorite movie, and my children have always known that.  If they see a Dumbo trinket in a store, they beg to buy it so I can have it.  So, the connection that is there, between my love of Dumbo, and myself and my children, is something that we feel and we share together.  It is something I shared with my parents as well.  My father loved the crows that sang in the movie, “When I See an Elephant Fly,” and he will tell you those were his favorite parts of the movie.  My mother used to watch Dumbo with me, and I would crawl in her lap as she would stroke my hair and rock me, sometimes, to sleep as well.   The parts that would make me so sad, when Dumbo would be made fun of by others, my mother would just hold me, and remind me of what Timothy said to him, “The very things that hold you down are going to lift you up,”.  She always helped me see the positive when I was down, just like Timothy did for sweet Dumbo.

What I love the very most about Disney are the memories that it has given me, that I am able to carry with me and recreate with my family.  A movie, such as Dumbo, that I have loved for over thirty years, still makes me feel the same way when I watch it, and it holds so much more meaning for me now that I can share it with my children as well.   Then, to be able to go to Disney World, and put it into live action, riding the rides, feeling as if you are really a part of something magical, all while being with people you love and cherish.  There truly is nothing like it.

That is why I wanted to take this job, to share my love of Disney with others, and while doing so, allowing others to share their Disney love with their families.  I love helping others find their magical moments.  I love helping others find a ways to connect something from their past and make it part of their present, something they can share with people that they love.  Let’s find that magic together.  Contact me today to start your Disney adventures:  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com

 

 

Disney, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, DVC, Family, Joy, Travel

Hakuna Matata….it means no worries!

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Happy 2018.  It is with great happiness that I am typing away this morning, thinking back on all of the blessings life has offered our family this year.  That is one of the wonderful things about the new year, it is a great time of reflection.

The picture above is from this past summer, and even though it is hard to tell, I had just been in the middle of a heavy downpour.  Quite typical for Florida.  One minute it’s raining cats and dogs, and the next, a beautiful skyline.  This was one of those moments.  Most people don’t smile when they are soaking wet…..right?  But in this picture, I was “beaming”.  I didn’t care that my hair was messy and my clothes soggy.  I didn’t care that my makeup was not photo ready.  I was not worried about filters and looking just right.  I wanted to capture this moment, my emotions, how I was feeling on the inside.  God was speaking to me, and I knew what I needed to do.  I have learned to listen to His gentle nudge.  Let me explain what went on prior to this photo…..

We were at Magic Kingdom, enjoying our first full day of vacation, when the storm clouds rolled in.  We didn’t have much time to think and then BOOM, the rain came down.  To say we were soaked would be an understatement.

We tried to take cover, but so did everyone else in the park.  After getting out the ponchos and umbrellas (see….this is why you always pack them!!!), we made a dash while I pushed Gabe in his wheelchair and Katie and Sydney ran in front of us, trying to find a dry spot.  It was no use.  Everyone there found the closest spots, so we just decided to go back to the resort.  We were fortunately at Cinderella’s Castle, so not too far away from the monorail, and after some moments of “what in the world are we going to do?”, we made it to the covered monorail area and hopped on the monorail.  Whew.  What else could we do but to laugh???  We were all soaking wet, shoes squishing, but, knew better than to complain.  We were safe, we were together, we were happy.

The rain stopped about the time we got off the monorail and began walking back to the resort (of course it did….after all that effort).  We. Just. Laughed.  We heard so many people around us complaining, and I get it.   But what could we do about it?  Nothing!  What has God told us?  What will worrying do?  Will it add a single minute, hour, day to our lives?  No!  So, I sent Katie back with the kids to our room, and I went to get us some snacks and drinks from the resort lobby.  It was during this walk back that I had a little short talk with God, taking in all the absolute beauty that was surrounding me, and thanking Him for allowing me the opportunity to be in this moment with Him, and also with my family.  I stopped to take this picture and sent it to my husband.  I was filled with an overwhelming feeling that I couldn’t name….more than happiness, more than excitement.  I continued to feel it during so many moments during that trip, and also at some point each and every day.  Because of Him.

This past summer,  a family friend’s daughter found out she had a brain tumor.  Two months after this happened, her mother, a friend of mine, spoke of this situation.  I know I won’t quote this exactly right, but this is what I took from it.  After going through her procedures, and, after time, coming out of it feeling more alive than ever, she struggled to find the word that she was feeling.  Yes, she was thankful.  Yes, she felt gratitude.  But there was more.  She knew there was a word she was trying to label all of this with, and she just couldn’t figure it out…..Finally, God spoke to her and said “Joy”.

I heard this story about a month ago, and ever since then, I have thought of that word endlessly.  Finding Joy, Appreciating Joy, Recognizing Joy…..Then yesterday, as I listened to our pastor speaking, he discussed the idea of “joy”.  I was pleasantly surprised that our sermon focused on this tiny word.  I say pleasantly surprised, but at the same time, I have also learned, that is how my relationship with God works.  When there is a lesson He wants me to learn….He keeps it on my heart.  So, for over a month, at least 3-4 times a week, I thought of our friend’s daughter.  I thought of “Joy”.  And I smiled.  I would think of God’s blessings, and I would smile.

In his sermon, as we discussed joy…I thought of this word…. Such a small word, but with great purpose.  He said that Pleasure + Meaning = Joy.   Things began to make sense to me.  There may be some that do not agree with this “definition”, but for me, it completely resonated with how I have always felt inside when someone spoke of the word “Joy”.  It was like I had been waiting my whole life for this definition, for an understanding of a feeling inside that I had when I am at complete peace, but it’s completely more than peaceful!  There is more happiness involved, there is purpose and excitement.  It is joy.  It is a look on my face that my husband knows all too well.  He says I get a tiny smile on my face….where I look like I am almost daydreaming, but I am completely in the moment.  It is joy, and I usually have that look when I see my kids loving each other, or a moment when I see something of beauty in the world.  My insides begin to stir and I almost feel that I am going to erupt!  And…it’s with joy.  The moments when you are ever so thankful to just be alive and where you are praising God for another day…and for me, I have this stirring inside of me and have never been able to put a word on it.  Finally, the word, so simply and true.  Joy.  A feeling that I can recall from moments when I was five years old to moments just yesterday….Joy.   Something that is a gift, given to me from the One, because of my moments of Solitude with Him.  How exquisite, how precious, and how rewarding, to know that I serve someone who will pay it forward to me, in such humbling ways.

While today’s blog varies from my normal topic of something related to Disney information, it absolutely has everything to do with WHY I am in this position to begin with.  I was 100% led by God to seek out this position as a travel specialist.  It has been by the overwhelming joy that I have felt inside me as I help guests that I know, this is what He wants me to do.  Joy.  So, simple and so meaningful.  So purposeful.  And exactly where I am supposed to be.

Happy 2018, may all of your dreams come true!  debbie.lands@magical-vacations.com