Hi all! I am Sarah Roberts (as you might have guessed). I have recently become an agent with Destinations in Florida, a Florida based agency specializing in Disney & Orlando vacations. My love for all things Disney began early in life. In fifth grade, my family traveled to Disney World for the first time. From the first time I walked down Main Street, I knew she was home. It wasn’t until college that I was able to return, but since then, I have returned several times. I am always busy planning my next trip. I have a wonderful husband, David, who indulges my passion for Disney, and 3 children; Kyle, 8, Ella, 6, and Evan, 3, who are as crazy about Disney as I am. We live in the St. Louis suburbs, and love to travel in our free time. Disney is, of course, our favorite destination. With many trips under my belt, I have the experience needed to help my clients plan their best vacation. I look forward to helping you plan your next vacation. Contact me today get started planning your next magical vacation!
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
One perk of staying onsite at Universal is early park admission. One park has an extra hour of operation each day. During our visit, Universal Studios opened at 7 AM for onsite guests. Early park admission at Universal is different in that only the Harry Potter stuff is open plus 1 non Harry Potter ride. While we were there, Escape from Gringotts and Despicable Me were the only rides running early.
We got a bit of a slow start that morning because we needed to pick up our tickets at the ticket desk. They don’t open until 6:30 AM (though there is a kiosk there for pickup 24 hours a day). We then took advantage of the Starbucks on property because it was EARLY!
After we got our tickets and our coffee, we took the water taxi to the park. We entered the park at 7:15 AM and headed straight back to Diagon Alley. The shops were all open, but we headed straight for Escape from Gringotts. We stored our belongings in the free lockers next to the ride. Walking into the bank was amazing. It really is true to the way it looks in the movie.
Thanks to early park admission, we were able to ride Escape from Gringotts twice.
We then explored Diagon Alley where we got a Butterbeer. We were very excited to try this. When we did, we found that it was incredibly sweet. The foam is what makes it so sweet, so we scraped as much of it off as possible, and enjoyed the base, but even then I could only stomach about half of it. At $7 a glass, it was hard to do.
Next, we went into Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, Quality Quidditch Supplies, and my favorite, Sugarplum’s Sweetshop. Weasley’s was cute, and had some of the joke “spells” from the book. I was tempted to purchase, but most of it looked like it might break quickly, so I passed. Inside the Sweetshop was all the candies that Harry and Ron loved to buy on the Hogwarts Express including Chocolate Frogs, Bertie’s Bots, Peppermint frogs and more. You could also find pumpkin pasties, chocolate wands, and more. I spent more money in this store than I care to admit!
By the time we were finished in these stores, the rest of the park was open. By 10:30, we were able to ride Men in Black, Simpson’s Ride, Transformers, and The Mummy ride twice. After that, we boarded the Hogwarts Express to head over to Islands of Adventure.
The Hogwarts was express was fun. You get to sit in a (rather small) compartment like they do in the movies/books. When the train takes off, they close the door, and you can hear and see Harry and Ron walking up and down the hall. Out the window, you can see they countryside passing by as you head towards Hogwarts.
When we arrived at Hogsmead Station, we went to Three Broomsticks to have lunch. I had the rotisserie chicken platter. It came with half of a chicken, roasted potatoes, and corn on the cob. It was pretty good and not terribly priced.
Once we finished lunch, we rode Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It was so neat to walk through Hogwarts. We saw moving portraits, Dumbledore, and more. It really felt like I was a part of the book.
By this time it was pretty crowded, and we had done most of the Harry Potter stuff we had wanted to do, so we ventured on to other parts of the park.
We loved the Harry Potter sections of the parks. It was really immersive and gave us a chance to be a part of a story that we love.
My tips for a successful trip to Wizarding World of Harry Potter are:
1. Stay on site if possible the extra hour of park time really maimizes your time.
2. Get Park to Park tickets- you cannot ride the Hogwarts Express without them. It might not be a long ride, but the experience is amazing!
3. Get Universal Express Pass- this is especially important if you are only there for one day and want to see as much as possible. We were able to ride most of the rides at both parks and were leaving to head to Disney World by 5pm. And, if you stay at one of the Universal Deluxe resorts, Express pass is a perk of staying there.
Disney Free Dining Just Released!
Great news! Disney has just released their most popular discount of the year! Free dining is here! If you enjoy trying all the different dining options Disney has to offer, this one is for you!
The details are as follows
Free Disney Dining Plan
Select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels
Valid for arrivals most nights July 5 through September 30, 2019
- Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
- Disney’s Beach Club Villas
- Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Free Disney Dining Plan
Select Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels
Valid for arrivals most nights July 5 through September 30, 2019
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
- Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
Free Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
Select Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
Valid for arrivals most nights July 5 through September 30, 2019
- Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Free Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
Select Disney Value Resort Hotels
Valid for arrivals most nights July 5 through September 30, 2019
- Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Family Suites Only
- Disney’s Pop Century Resort
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
Review of Universal Studios Florida: Portofino Bay Hotel
The first stop of our trip was to Universal Studios. It had been a long time since either of us had visited, so we weren’t really sure what to expect.
We decided to stay on site at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel. It is a beautifully themed hotel reminiscent of Italy. We arrived around 9:30pm, so we didn’t have much time to explore before bedtime.
We did have the opportunity to eat at Sal’s Market and Deli, which is a quick service restaurant featuring pizza, sandwiches, and salads. I got the antipasto salad. It was HUGE and delicious.
After dinner we took a few pictures on the Vespa’s parked around the lagoon, then headed to our room since we had a busy day ahead of us!
Our room was beautiful and spacious. We had 2 comfortable queen beds and a large bathroom. I think I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
The Portofino is a Universal Deluxe hotel, so it comes with Unlimited Express pass. That allows you to bypass the regular line at many of the most popular rides at both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. This perk allowed us to ride all of the rides that we wanted to with very minimal waiting. This benefit on its own can pay for the cost of the hotel room depending on the amount of people. Depending on the time of the year this benefit is worth every penny.
Portofino Bay is a 10 minute boat ride from the entrance to the parks. There are 3 table service restaurants there. Because we were here for such a short time, we didn’t have a chance to try any of these restaurants. I will be back this summer; though, so I will definitely try it then!
Mama Della’s has authentic Italian cuisine and strolling musicians.
Bice Ristorante specializes in Northern Italian cuisine with an elegant atmosphere.
Trattoria del Porto has family friendly fare with indoor or outdoor seating overlooking the bay.
In addition, there is also a Starbucks located in the hotel, a gelataria, a couple of bars, and shops. You can find everything you need here.
There is also an Avis car rental on property and a ticket desk where you can pickup your already purchased tickets.
This was a FANTASTIC property from what we saw, and I am looking forward to going back to fully check it out.
Stay tuned next week for a review of the parks! We had a BLAST seeing it all!
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
Disney’s 2019 Wine and Wine Half Marathon Dates Announced
Have you always wanted to participate in a race at Disney World? Now is the perfect time to start thinking about it for next year!
Run Disney has announced that next year’s race is October 31- November 2, 2019.
The best part is that if you are interested in racing, you can secure a bib now by booking your Disney Resort Hotel package for race weekend with a Disney authorized travel agent. This is a limited time deal and is only valid through November 11, 2018.
Race registration is non-refundable.
If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer, contact me today!
Crazy Disney Ladies Have a Crazy Idea!
A few years ago, I met my Disney soul-mate Emily. We are both Disney OBSESSED. One of us more than the other, but we are pretty close. We both take our families every chance we get, host Disney movie nights, and talk about Disney constantly. We have both always wanted to visit Disney World in the Fall for Food and Wine Festival and the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Emily’s husband is in the pumpkin business, so he can’t travel during the fall. My husband has had his fill of Disney for a while since we just went in March. So, we decided to take a girls trip this year. We were both very excited to embark on this adventure!
Because we were travelling without our families, and our kids are in school and all that fun stuff, we had a VERY limited amount of time we could plan our trip in. So, we decided to fit as much as we possibly could into 3 park day. That is 6 parks, 2 at Universal and 3 at Disney, in days. It was a lot, but we were able to accomplish our goal.
In the process, we walked over 35 miles, ate a lot of delicious food, met some adorable characters, and had a ton of fun. Over the next few weeks, I will share with you some of the experiences we had. I will also review the hotels we stayed at and the special events we experienced. Stay tuned!
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
Walt Disney World Resort to Debut Date-Based Tickets and Pricing
Beginning on Oct. 16, Disney will release date-based ticket pricing as well as a new online planning experience for Walt Disney World Resort guests.
In order to price your tickets, you will have to enter in the exact dates you will be first visiting the parks. The website will then show you a per day pricing allowing you to pick the first day to use your ticket based on affordability. For those who prefer not to enter their dates, a Flexible Park ticket will be available for a fee $50 per person.
There will also be a shorter window in which to use your tickets. Currently, tickets are valid for 14 days from first use no matter the amount of park days purchase. Once this system is implemented, the valid period will be based on the amount of days purchased.
| Ticket Duration | Valid Use Period |
| 1-Day Ticket | Only the start date selected |
| 2-Day Ticket | Any 2 days within 4 days beginning on the start date |
| 3-Day Ticket | Any 3 days within 5 days beginning on the start date |
| 4-Day Ticket | Any 4 days within 7 days beginning on the start date |
| 5-Day Ticket | Any 5 days within 8 days beginning on the start date |
| 6-Day Ticket | Any 6 days within 9 days beginning on the start date |
| 7-Day Ticket | Any 7 days within 10 days beginning on the start date |
| 8-Day Ticket | Any 8 days within 12 days beginning on the start date |
| 9-Day Ticket | Any 9 days within 13 days beginning on the start date |
| 10-Day Ticket | Any 10 days within 14 days beginning on the start date |
New features will also be available on the website to aid in your planning. The site will offer travel tips and customized suggestions.
Disney is hoping that by switching to this system it will better spread crowds out throughout the year and provide a more enjoyable experience to its guests.
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
All New Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party Coming to Magic Kingdom
Starting January 18, the all new Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party is coming to the Magic Kingdom.
In honor of the true originals, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration will bring new music, dancing and all sorts of other fun.
The new Street Party will invite you to dance with Mickey, Minnie and their pals in front of Cinderella Castle. Shake it along with live singers belting out new arrangements of classic “Mickey Mouse Club” songs.
In addition, the Dapper Dans and other entertainers on Main Street, U.S.A. will sing songs in honor of Mickey.
Keep and eye out for special Mickey- and Minnie-themed merchandise and food at Magic Kingdom to make this party complete.
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
The Incredibles Are Coming to Hollywood Studios!
Beginning January 18, for a limited time, Pixar Avenue will transform into a Metroville city block, and Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible and Frozone are throwing a party to celebrate.
During this event, you will have the chance to meet the one and only Edna Mode – the greatest super suit designer! She will set up a special location on Pixar Avenue showcasing some of her best creations (no capes!).
You can show your #IncredibleSide along Pixar Avenue by striking a heroic pose in front of three-dimensional scenes straight out of Pixar Animation Studios’ Incredible.
Also on Pixar Avenue, look for clues to the whereabouts of the youngest Incredible, the mischievous and multi-powered Jack-Jack.
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR 2019 VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
Early Morning Magic Returning to Hollywood Studios
Disney has just released information about new Early Morning Magic returning to Hollywood Studios this fall.
Guests will be allowed into the park at 7:30 am to experience Toy Story Land before it opens for the day.
According to the Disney website, “guests of all ages can be among the first to enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the day and ride popular Toy Story Land attractions with little wait time: Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania!”
Buzz, Jessie, and Woody will also be available for pictures.
After you have your fill of the rides, a continental breakfast will be available at a quick service location outside of Toy Story Land. Offerings will include yogurt, fruit, pastries and assorted cereal, as well as your choice of a main dish like avocado toast or fried chicken served with a tasty cronut.
Exclusive Disney Early Morning Magic access to Toy Story Land takes place on select Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 AM to 8:45 AM. Breakfast will be available until 10:00 AM.
Click here to view the available dates and book your tickets!
Special event admission is available for $79 per adult (ages 10 and older) and $69 per child (ages 3 to 9); tax not included. Please note: regular theme park admission is also required.
ARE YOU READY TO BEGIN PLANNING YOUR NEXT VACATION? CONTACT ME TODAY FOR A FREE, NO OBLIGATION QUOTE AT SARAHR@DESTINATIONSINFLORIDA.COM.
Details Revealed for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Dining Locations
Sebastion’s Bistro to Replace Shutters
The reimagining of Old Port Royale is wrapping up and will be complete in just a few months. When it reopens, the former Shutters table-service restaurant will open in an all-new location as Sebastian’s Bistro!
The new restaurant will be located along the Old Port Royale waterfront, and will feature beautiful views, warm island hospitality and a menu that blends Latin and Caribbean flavors from market-fresh ingredients.
When you arrive for your meal, you will be welcomed by blue shiplap marquee featuring everyone’s favorite red crustacean. And inside, you will feel as have entered a tropical beachfront home.
Centertown Market Expands to Create Indoor Street
The market will feature open shutters, wooden light posts, awnings, ornamentation and unique seating areas. Guests will also have access to the Grab n’ Go market for specialty coffee and quick bites.
Magical Vacations by Sarah 