Take My Hand Travel

11/18/2023

FYI - Walt Disney World offers 30 various resorts to choose from. One feature that you may want to consider when selecting a resort is a zero-entry pool. For those who aren't familiar with the term, a zero-entry pool provides a beach-like entry that gently and gradually slopes into the water, becoming deeper with each step. These pools provide easy access for guests of all ages and those with mobility issues. There are no steps used for entry in this area of the pool. There are ladders around the pool, but the main entry is stepless.
Here is the list of Disney owned resorts that offer these pool:
Art of Animation (value),
Caribbean Beach (moderate),
Saratoga Springs (deluxe villa),
Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village (deluxe),
Grand Floridian (deluxe),
Beach Club and Yacht Club (deluxe),
Boulder Ridge at Wilderness Lodge (deluxe villa)
Polynesian (deluxe)
Riviera (deluxe villa)
Bay Lake Tower (deluxe villa)
If this is a convenience that is important to you and your family, let me know at the time of booking and I will help you find a room at one of these resorts. www.takemyhandtravel.com

11/18/2023

This is a great offer to take advantage of at Universal Studios Orlando! This offer gives our kids a great chance to explore the parks at their own pace and not feel so rushed! With the 5 day ticket promo, families can roam both parks and still have plenty of time to enjoy the resorts and City Walk! Plus you can upgrade and include Volcano Bay! Contact me for more details - I would love to get your family set up for a great experience at Universal Studios Orlando!

10/25/2023

Thank you Disney!

10/25/2023

My favorite part of the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween parade

10/25/2023

Check out “Rusty Gutless”

10/24/2023

Better than coffee!

10/24/2023

Good morning from Walt Disney World! We were invited among many amazing agencies to join this year’s Earmarked Owners Summit! We are looking forward to learning so many new strategies for our agency!

10/14/2023

FYI - when the parks are closing at night, please don't feel as though you need to race to the buses, monorails or water taxis. Just because the parks are closing doesn't mean the gates are locking right away. The transportation system runs approx 1.5 hours after the parks close. Take your time leaving the parks. Stop and shop for a little while. Grab some icecream or last minute hotdog. The lines for the transportation are going to be really long because everyone races for the same place at the same time. Just sit back and relax. Take a leisurely stroller to exit the parks - I promise - you won't get locked in. 😉

10/11/2023

FYI - here is the accessible car for Toy Story Mania. It is accessed via a path to a separate boarding area so that guests do not have to worry about the stairs - it is separate from the general loading zone.
It is a 2 sided car. One side is for those that can transfer. There is a lap bar that comes down and brings the gun with it. The gun in the accessible car is modified - it has 2 shooting options - a pull string and a push button. The other side has a spot for the wheelchair to roll right on and get strapped in. There is a spot for another guest to sit along the wheelchair riding guest.
If you are wondering about this ride in general - you will love it! This is a must do! This is a 4D attraction where guests are taken along a track in a 2 sided car through an arcade where you use the gun to interact with the games and score points. Since it is a 2 sided car, families of 4 can ride together (2 on each side) and compete with each other. The gun has a spring loaded pull string that is used to fire at the games. The game simulates a range of activities of thorwing darts, plates, eggs, balls, rings, pies and more! You can compete with the other guests in your car to bring on more fun trying to get the highest score. The track has a smooth rail but does spin/rotate, has some jerking motions and abrupt stops. Personally, I am sensitive to motion and can only ride this 1-2 times in a row before I feel a bit motion sick. The ride does offer 3D glasses and there are some senosry effects - a puff of air and a small spray of water - making this ride a 4D attraction. My son is highly sensitvie to these things on rides and they did not bother him enough to skip it - he loves this ride that much! This attraction has been a favorite of ours for years and years. He did not like wearing glasses when he was younger - so he didn't on this ride. That did not hold him back from fully enjoying every moment.

10/11/2023

This is for all the Type 1 Diabetics going to the parks that wear insulin pumps! Do you take your pump off for Tower of Terror? For us, yes we do. I know that many don't and that is their decision.
Tower of Terror is a giant magnet and has been known to scramble some pumps. Some manufaturers have it stated in their warranty that damaged caused to a pump by a roller coaster will void the warranty. Plus if a pump is damaged in the middle of your trip, your loved one is without an insulin pump for the remainded of your stay unless you borrowed a "vacation pump" from your supplier. Haven't heard of that??!?! It is true - you can contact your supplier before you leave for vacation and request a back up pump. That way if the one you have is damaged or breaks, you have something you can use until you get home.
**Another ride is Splash Mountain - it is a free fall ride which means it is also a giant magnet
For those that are on the Omnipod - of course, that cannot be removed for a ride. I suggest that you put a back up pod in your backpack so that you are prepared if there is a problem. I have had several (not many) guests contact me to share that their pod was scrambled on Tower of Terror.
If you remove your pump, what do you do with it? You can store it in a locker or at first aide while you are on this ride. Or you can use "rider swap" and have one of your group members stay back and hold it while your T1 rides the ride. Then the pump holder can ride next. NO - you CANNOT ask a CM to hold onto your pump while you are on the ride. That is not their responsibility so please don't even ask.
Other rides to be wary of are rides with a g-force for pumps that has a tube - this is not for Omni pod. A g-force has been known to push the insulin through the line and cause an unexpected low blood sugar. It is best to disconnect for these rides to be safe. That is at your discretion. My son does - he will disconnect and put his pump in his backpack and then keeps his backpack with him on the ride - he never leaves his backpack behind. Again - this is another article that a CM cannot watch while you are on a ride. They are not responsible for watching personal items.
My son will disconnect for Rockin's Roller Coaster, Everest, Test Track, Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain - he has even been known to remove his pump for 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, Slinky Dog Dash and Smugglers Run.

10/07/2023

Who is ready for the dining plans to return to Walt Disney World?!?! We are! As most of you know, but for those that do not - the dining plans are scheduled to return Jan 9th 2024. Right now - guests can add a dining plan to their package for check ins on Jan 9th and going forward throughout 2024. I am really looking forward to the return of this option for everyone's trip!
Do you need more information on these plans? Here you go!

There are 2 plans - The Disney Quick Service Plan and the Disney Dining Plan.

Disney Quick Service Plan
*2 Quick-Service Meals (per night of stay)*
*1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)*
*1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug**

Disney Dining Plan
*1 Quick-Service Meal (per night of stay)*
*1 Table-Service Meal (per night of stay)*
*1 Snack/Nonalcoholic Drink (per night of stay)*
*1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug**

**These plans are available for purchase on any Disney resort package for ages 3 and up.

**Remember, meals and snacks can be redeemed at any time during your stay - at your own pace! The credits activate when you check in and are available for you to use until midnight of the day you checkout. So if you are heading to a park or Disney Springs, and you still have dining credits in your account, you have until midnight to use them up. If you want to use your credits as soon as you arrive, it is best to go ahead and go to the front desk of your resort and check in - even if your room is not ready. This way you know for sure that your credits are activated and you can immediately start using them when you are ready.

**The credits are based on the number of nights you are staying at the resort. For example, if you book a 4-night package with a Disney Dining Plan, each Guest (ages 3 and up) in your party would receive 4 Table-Service meals, 4 Quick-Service meals and 4 snacks or nonalcoholic beverages—which can be used at any time during your 4-night stay.

**The dining credits are accepted at MOST restaurants on property - that is over 200 restaurants. Check the app when making your dining reservations to make sure that restaurant accepts the dining plan.

**The dining plans are a great way to pre-pay for your meals and snacks before your vacation even starts!! This way it is one less expense you are constantly having to keep track of during a trip.

**The dining plans can only be added to pacakges for the Disney owned resorts - the good neighbor resorts do not qualify for either of these 2 dining plans.

**You track your remaining meals and snacks via the My Disney Experience app, visit the “My Resort Stay” section. Then, select “Check Dining Plan” to view the status of your dining plan meals and snacks—total issued, already redeemed and still available.

** Resort-refillable mugs are eligible for refills from self-service beverage islands at any Disney Resort hotel Quick-Service location.

*****On a purely personal note, for my family I have found a great value in the dining plans. I have used both the quick service plan and the dining plan for different trips. For us, it saved a lot of money and helped me to relax even more knowing that I was not having to worry about constantly paying for food during our stay. For us, the dining plans offer a great peace of mind. Now I do understand that this is a great option for my family. Is it for yours? I will be more than happy to walk you through the pros and cons so that you are making the best decision for you. That is part of my services when I am helping my clients plan their Disney vacations. Feel free to message me or call me 404-277-0212 to see if I can help you!

10/06/2023

The "Guests Experiences Team" umbrellas are a great resource in the parks. In Walt Disney World, they are blue. In Disneyland, they are green. The CMs at the locations are incredibly helpful. You can get your tag for your stroller here to mark it as a wheelchair. You can also get help making dining reservations, deal with glitches in your app, set up the DAS if you did not do it prior to your arrival, buy tickets for dessert and holiday parties, and so much more! There usually is not much of a line. If there is one, it moves very quickly.

05/28/2022

03/20/2022

03/16/2022

I’d never leave the room if I stayed here! https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdf8TSDh/?k=1

Living the suite life.

02/09/2022

"Spring is alive at the EPCOT® International Flower & Garden Festival. And from March 2–July 4, you can awaken your senses with tasty Outdoor Kitchens, Disney Character topiaries, lively entertainment and more. Entertainment and offerings subject to change without notice."

01/30/2022

With all the bad press the cruise industry has been getting over COVID-19 lately, you might think it's a bad time to take a cruise. According to The Points Guy, maybe not. https://thepointsguy.com/news/cruise-ship-satisfaction-scores-soaring/amp/

It's a terrible time to take a cruise. Or so you might think from reading some of the stories circulating about quarantined passengers and disrupted sailings.

01/29/2022

It’s a chilly day at Animal Kingdom Lodge