Independent Travel Planner - Ashley Jones with Magical Tripcations

27/03/2025

Beginning today! 
Our clients can enjoy a FREE dining plan with the purchase of a nondiscounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resorts Collection hotel and a theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option—for arrivals most nights from:
    •    June 29 to September 30, 2025
    •    October 20 to November 1, 2025
    •    December 6 to December 22, 2025
The number of packages allowed for this offer is limited, so contact your Magical Tripcations Travel Advisor today.

27/03/2025

Our clients are loving this new added benefit when visiting Disney World. Arrive early to maximize the summer fun!

21/03/2025

Disney® Visa® Cardmembers: Get a FREE dining plan when you use your Disney Visa Card to purchase a non-discounted minimum 4-night/4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at select Disney Resort hotels and tickets with a Park Hopper® Option. For arrivals most nights 6/29-9/30/25, 10/20-11/1/25, and 12/6-12/22/25.

20/11/2024

Magical Tripcations is a full-service Disney travel agency with accredited membership under the Cruise Line International Association. Contact us.

01/10/2024

Ready to plan your 2025 Walt Disney World vacation? 🧳✨ Our planDisney panel knows a thing (or 7!) about how to save. Plus, new offers are here: http://di.sn/6187UH6b5

26/08/2024

30/06/2024

Wishes come true, “snow” falls and holiday magic shines bright on select nights during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom® Park, November 8–December 20!

30/06/2024

30/04/2024

Fantasizing about a dream vacation? Let us work our magic and make your wish come true! There’s no wonder our clients love Disney Cruise Line, it’s truly a vacation like no other.

29/04/2024

Up next in our featured “Summer Blowout” promotions is fan favorite, Grand Floridian resort. Take the kids and get away for a few days this summer.

26/04/2024

JUST ANNOUNCED!
Hungry for fun? Indulge in delicious global marketplaces, live entertainment, family-friendly activities and more. It’s a world of flavor you’re sure to savor. 🍮🧀🍡

27/02/2024

Have you heard? Starting in 2025, Disney Resort hotel guests can take advantage of water park admission on check-in day—included with your stay! Contact your Magical Tripcations Travel Advisor to take advantage of this new benefit and start planning your upcoming vacation. And as a reminder, a $200 deposit will reserve your magical vacation at Disney World. 🏰🎉

24/01/2024

Day 3: This was my last full day in the parks. I woke up early to rope drop Slinky Dog. We arrived at HS at 8am, resort guests had early entry at 8:30am. Once in the park we went directly to Slinky and waited around 20 minutes which was actually really good considering the normal wait for this ride is much longer. Then onto my first LL of the day, Tower of Terror. (This is the one ride I do every trip.) A little shopping at the 5 and Dime and a ride on the skyliner before heading to Epcot.

Epcot currently is doing their Festival of the Arts and I enjoyed the vendors with their Disney inspired artwork. I grabbed lunch in the England pavilion’s fish and chips stand and circled World Showcase. I also rode Test Track, Frozen and Journey to Imagination and ate a fantastic dinner at Le Cellier in Canada before hopping to Magic Kingdom.

MK had an after hours event, and most of the agents signed up for it. Personally I knew that I wasn’t going to make it to 1am when the event was over. So I just stayed for regular park hours and left by 10pm. I was able to ride Big Thunder, Philharmagic, and Buzz Lightyear using Disney Genie and I made my own custom popcorn near the front entrance to snack on the bus ride back to my resort. 3 parks in one day and I was exhausted! I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

22/01/2024

Day 2: Today I met everyone at Magic Kingdom and rode Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron. I rode the monorail to the Polynesian, grabbed a to-go order at Captain Hooks, and then took a bus back to my resort for a couple hours. Then I got back on the bus to MK for a dessert party and to ride 7 Dwarfs Mine and Haunted Mansion after dark.

Transportation can make or break your Disney trip. In fact, it might be the number one thing to take in mind while planning. One of the benefits that Disney offers guests who stay onsite is free transportation to all Disney properties. Within the umbrella of transportation you have: buses, the skyliner, monorail and ferry boats. Navigating between these modes is something that takes some pre-planning. All resorts on property have bus service, but the option that’s better for your trip might not be the buses. For one they are the most time consuming of all the modes, and it can get monotonous riding back and forth. Additionally, if you are trying to go resort to resort, taking a bus might not be the best option. In fact, I’ve noticed that a lot of regulars will book Lyft or Uber just to save time and stress. While it is cheaper to always use the buses, after dark, a long day, or just when your patience has been spent, paying the money for a ride share can feel justified. Or if your resort offers additional options, it could affect your overall satisfaction with your trip.

Do your research beforehand and ask for help from a planner when deciding which resort option works best for your situation. We’ve done this enough to know how to help. Using an agent is free of charge to you and we’re happy to pass on any information that we’ve picked up along the way.

21/01/2024

My room wasn’t ready and so I decided to head to Disney Springs. Disney Springs is a great place when you need a break from the parks. Its kind of like an adult ‘theme park’ with an abundance of shopping, restaurants, live music and street performers. And there’s no admission fee, so there’s always that money saving tip.

I went directly to Gideon’s bakery because it’s been all over my social media and I wanted to check it out. I was told it’s virtual line only and currently at a 3.5 hour wait. I was curious to be able to decide if it’s worth the hype. Wine Bar George was right around the corner and decided an expresso martini sounded like a good place to start. When I got in the door I immediately noticed that I was surrounded by people who didn’t look like they had just come from the parks. I enjoyed my meal and then walked around looking at shops and listening to live music. When people say they don’t think adults can have fun at Disney, this is the visual I wish I could show them. No matter the age, no matter the interests. Yes, you can have fun on a Disney vacation. If you aren’t having fun, you might just be going to the wrong things.

Anyway, back to the cookies. I was quoted 210 minutes but my actual wait was 180. I bought the allotted 6 cookies and a T-shirt and was out the door quick. After I left, several people mentioned the Gideons box I was holding; Wanting to know what I bought and how I liked it.

My verdict: The store had a moody fun aesthetic and the cookies are gigantic and delicious. As for is it worth the hype? Yes and no. I don’t know if I would have spent 3 hours in Disney Springs if I hadn’t been waiting to get into Gideons. Since it was a virtual que, I had the freedom to explore and looking back I’m really glad I did. I’d recommend giving Disney Springs a shot. Take the time away from the parks and see another side of Disney. And if you need a cookie to justify that, no judgement here. They are tasty.

20/01/2024

On my way to a travel agent kickoff 2024 Disney trip! I feel it’s important, as an agent, to personally visit WDW as much as I can to better help people plan their own trips. Personally, I am in favor of saving money, and so I am always on the lookout for good flights. Southwest seems to be my go-to airline. Their cancelation policy was what made me start using them, but I have had good luck with the overall experience as well.

As for transfers to Disney resorts from the airport, it’s been something that’s up in the air. I loved the Magical Express but after they stopped another company has replaced it. I personally have never had luck with them. It seems to be problem after problem. Unclear instructions on how to find it, long wait times, 3+ hour early pickup to go back to the airport, etc. I wanted to try them again this trip, just because they are the most economical option. But same story, different day. Another option for transfers is a company called Southern Eloquence. When my parents used them last summer, they had nothing but positive things to say. They are more on the pricy side, but this is something I’d consider worth spending the extra money on. You get a concierge experience and it’s worth the price in saving yourself from the stress. Other options include Minnie vans and the old standby Uber/Lyft. Lesson learned, spend the money.

Once at your resort, food delivery services are another way to save some money. Especially when you don’t have your own personal car on property. Something as simple as having a case of water delivered to your room from a service can save you. This trip I will be using one of these services to see how easy the process is. Keep following for more tips and to see how the rest of the trip goes!