Erica Shaffer at Wishes & Co. Travel Planning

09/17/2026

Travel days call for bathroom mirror pics ✈️

I’m off to the magical land of Orlando for more than just Disney this trip! Of course I have to make a stop at Food & W**e Festival (I am staying within walking distance to Epcot after all), before moving over to Evermore Orlando Resort for Wishes and Co. Travel Planning agency training with TONS of our partner vendors!

I’ve been in the travel game going on five years now, and every day is still a learning opportunity. I’m forever grateful that the owner of Wishes, Shelby Knopp- Wishes & Co. Travel, and I met so long ago on a bus at WDW when we were just baby agents 🤣 I can’t wait to see your magic, creativity, and heart for your agents shine this weekend.

09/16/2026

AI vacation planning from Disney?

Hold my Mickey Pretzel.

09/13/2026

Animation Courtyard is getting a glow up, and I am VERY here for it!

We’ve already gotten a little sneak peek at some of the new character interactions, and honestly, those random, unplanned Disney moments are my favorite part.

You know the ones, you’re just walking around and suddenly there’s a character you weren’t expecting to see, or something fun is happening that wasn’t on your itinerary.

And tomorrow, the full experience officially kicks off with all of the new shows and entertainment.

More characters. More entertainment. More reasons to wander around instead of speed-walking from one thing to the next.

And the timing is pretty perfect because I’ll be there in just a few days, September 18th!

So yes, I will absolutely be checking this out for myself and reporting back!

What do you want to see while I'm there? Tell me in the comments and I'll make it happen! 👇🏼

09/11/2026

IS DISNEY CLUB LEVEL WORTH IT?!

We’re talking all things Club Level in this episode! From the food and drinks to concierge service, we’re breaking down what you actually get for that extra money, and whether it’s worth the splurge.

Plus, we’re sharing who we think should book it, who should skip it, and a Club Level strategy you might not have considered!

🎧 Give it a listen and tell me: Would you splurge on Club Level?

Podcast Episode · Once Upon A Park · September 10 · 59m

09/06/2026

Friday night, not only did I experienced my first Nashville Sounds game (on Star Wars night of all nights!) I also got to witness an amazing 9th inning with the tying and winning run scored on a wild pitch!

Man did I miss being at the ballpark! Looks like more Sounds games are in my future!

09/06/2026

🐘 Have you ever wanted to see the elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom from a whole new perspective?

I’m taking you along on the Caring for Giants tour, one of my new favorite ways to experience Animal Kingdom beyond the rides.

Come see what makes this experience so special and be sure to like and subscribe!

Getting to watch the elephants just be elephants is pretty magical....

09/05/2026

Happy National Cheese Pizza Day! 🍕

And as someone who has personally logged approximately 47,000 steps at Walt Disney World in a single day, I feel very qualified to say this:

There are few things better than getting back to your resort, changing into comfy clothes, and ordering pizza.

I don’t need a fancy dinner. I don’t need to go back to the parks. I don’t even need to put real pants back on.

Just give me cheese pizza, carbs, and a resort room after a very long day of Disney.

Disney has cheese pizza basically everywhere, from quick service in the parks to the resorts, so obviously I’m going to try it all in the name of research.

But resort pizza after a LONG park day?

That will always be one of my favorites.

Sometimes the best Disney dinner is the one you eat in your pajamas with absolutely zero plans to leave the resort again that night.

09/04/2026

TWENTY YEARS of Cars?!

Because apparently I’m old enough to remember when Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, and the rest of Radiator Springs were brand new.

And somehow, 20 years later, Cars is still one of those Disney movies that people LOVE (including myself).

If you’re a Disneyland fan, you can actually step into Radiator Springs in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. And if you’re more of a Walt Disney World person, you can stay in the Cars Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

And now we’re getting another chapter with Piston Peak coming to Magic Kingdom.

Disney has decided we’re never leaving the world of Cars. Ka-chow. I’m fine with it.

Happy 20th anniversary, Cars!

09/04/2026

If you’ve only ever done Walt Disney World, I need you to hear me when I say this:

Disneyland is different. And I mean that in the best way.

It’s the original Disney park. The parks feel more intimate. You can walk between Disneyland and California Adventure in basically the time it takes to argue with your family about which park to go to.

And now 2027 Disneyland Resort vacation packages are officially available to book!

Honestly, I think Disneyland is a really fun trip for the family that already knows Walt Disney World and wants to try something new.

You can book early, have more options for resorts and dates, spread out the cost, and have an entire year to get excited about it.

So if you’ve been saying, “We should really go to Disneyland someday…” this is your sign.

Go see where the magic started.

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09/03/2026

We’re going BIG for our 100th episode! 🎙️

And what better way to celebrate a milestone this big than by talking about a BIG animal?

For Episode 100, we’re talking all about Caring for Giants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! I did this experience in August, so we’re getting into what it was actually like, why I wanted to do it, what I learned, and the question we’re always asking around here: Was it worth the money?

100 episodes feels pretty dang wild. Thank you for being along for the ride!

🎧 Episode 100 is out now on Apple Podcast 🎧

Podcast Episode · Once Upon A Park · September 3 · 57m