Castaway Cay 5K!

We are home and settling in from an amazing 5 night Disney Cruise on the Disney Magic! I will try to blog about a handful of experiences that were particularly fun and that you can do while you are on your Disney Cruise! The first one of these is the Castaway Cay 5k. 

Castaway Cay is Disney's island in the Bahamas that you visit on my Disney Cruise Line trips. I will write all about it in another post, but the short of it is that it is pretty much the perfect beach. There are ton of things you can do (or nothing at all of course!). The 5k is among a long list of possible activities on that day. Because I have run many Disney races over the years, I knew I had to get this one in! 

The 5k is included as a part of your cruise if you choose to do it. On the day you board, just head to guest services on the ship and tell them that you want to run it. They will sign you up and give you a ticket. On your Castaway Cay day, you will bring that ticket to the assigned location and trade it in for a bib number. 

Then, they went over the route. Because the island is pretty small, there is some doubling up on the course. They were very clear about that in the introduction, though, so it was easy enough to follow.

After going over all of the information on the ship, we headed off and walked over to the starting line. They had the kids club on the island open, so if you wanted to drop off your kids so you can run without worry, they sent those folks off first. George was in a cast from an injury, but I hope the next time we are on CC, we can both run the 5k!

Before we got started, I had to take a quick selfie with this cute Olaf who was enjoying some beach time :-)

Everyone lines up at the start and there is a little box to dump your things if you want. All in all, this is a really low key affair. The director said, "Make sure you look at the clock for your time. If you ask me the time afterwards, I'll say 15 minutes!" So, there is a clock, but there are no results, which is FINE by me!

Here's the fancy start line!

A large part of the race is on the bike path, which thankfully has shade. Even in December, this was H-O-T hot. Like really hot. As in, I might have been running on the surface of the sun. I mean, it is in the Bahamas, so hot is to be expected. They have a water station set up, and you go by it 4 glorious times. (Did I mention it's a little toasty?)

And the finish line! It's the back side of the start line! Note that if they aren't sharing the time, I'm not either! It was so fun, and I am glad I did it. It might be my slowest 5k in history though! But who cares! You're on a Disney Cruise, and you ran a 5k, so you are clearly winning at all things if you find yourself at this finish line!

Let's zoom in on that cute medal! I just love it!

I met George and the boys after the race and had to get a quick shot with Minnie and the adorable painted rocks before we started our super fun beach day!

If you find yourself on a Disney Cruise at Castaway Cay, and are considering running the 5k, I say Go For It! It was a fun way to start the day, and I hope to do it again soon!

If you want help planning your Disney Cruise--send me an email at kacietravelplanner@gmail.com :-)

Sandals Royal Bahamian FAM Trip Report!

At the end of September, I had the opportunity to take a Rising Star FAM trip to the Sandals Royal Bahamian resort. This resort is an all inclusive resort in Nassau. A "FAM" trip is short for familiarization. The basic idea is to bring travel agents to a particular resort or destination so they can become more "familiar" with it so they can communicate and share better with their clients. Count me in!

One great part about Sandals is that the airport transfers are all included. After getting off the plane, you just head to the Sandals desk at the airport and tell them you are here. They will help you take your luggage to the bus, which will take you right to the resort. Easy peasy.

When I arrived, there was a cute sign to welcome us to the resort. Thanks! Happy to be here y'all!

I will bring this up again later on, but one of my favorite parts of this place is that the flight was under 2 hours from Atlanta. It was so short and then you are in an island paradise before you even have time to finish your airplane peanuts!

When you are on a FAM, you don't have choices about room types. That's nothing to complain about of course, but you just never know. My room had this nice view of the ocean, which was great!

My room didn't this amazing swim up feature, but they are sooo pretty...

It didn't have this awesome soaking tub either, but I did hop in one while on a tour! 

Sandals has three levels of room--luxury, club level, and butler level. One of the differences in the levels is what is available in your room. Luxury rooms will have sodas and water in your room and no room service available. Club level rooms have that plus plenty of alcohol and room service during regular hours. I was in a club level room, so you can see that you have those things plus plenty of choices. Butler level rooms will have top shelf level drinks as well as a butler to bring you anything you might want at any time during your trip for room service 24 hours a day.

On my arrival day, I spent some time exploring on my own before the welcome and dinner! So beautiful!

The next day, I had a work session. We spent some time getting updates on all of the Sandals properties and offerings.

We covered construction and remodeling updates and destination weddings, honeymoons, and "weddingmoons." Looks like a SIMPLE way to have a wedding! You pretty much plan out the details before you come and then just show up with your family and friends! I saw a wedding happening over on the private island, and it was just gorgeous.

Non-motorized water sports and SCUBA are part of the all-inclusive part of this place. I played around on some kayaks and paddle boards, which was a blast. I want to work on my PADI certification so I could squeeze in a dive on my next Sandals visit!

There is a quiet pool and a party pool, and they both lived up to their names. The drinks were great and they were plentiful! The party pool has water volleyball, loud music, entertainment, and giant swans....the quiet pool still has a swim up bar, but no music, and is a better place to bring a book or catch a nap.

There is a desk called "Island Routes," and they provide a variety of excursions. I can help you book these ahead of time if you want, or you can book them when you get on site.

They let us pick one on our first morning, and I got signed up for the little submarines ASAP!

The excursion was a blast, and it was so easy. They had a van pick us up at the front of the resort, and then it was a great time on the little subs! I would certainly encourage you to plan at least one excursion while on your vacation. 

Now, on to food and drinks. This resort has 10 full service restaurants and 8 full bars (including 3 swim up bars). In addition to that, you have access to room service all day for club level rooms and 24 hours a day in the butler level rooms.  I was a fan of the hibachi grill! So yummy and fun!

Maybe my favorite thing is that every time I was seated to eat, they asked me about any food allergies. You can of course note any allergies on your check in information, but it is still great to confirm this every time because it's a big deal.

 I also really enjoyed the high tea! It was lovely and a bit of a surprise.

 There is a beautiful gym where the treadmills overlook the ocean if you need to work off some of those treats!

The private island is accesible by boat, and it is a great way to spend the day. It is peaceful and just gorgeous!

There are two spas--one in the main building and one on the private island. Lovely to get the massage on the island by the water. 

Another not-exciting thing that I loved is that there is customs precheck in the Nassau airport! I looooove that (I like the boring things apparently!). You get to skip US customs when you arrive in ATL. It's really nice. When I got off the plane in Atlanta, I just walked right on out to my car! Easy as can be! This location is a wonderful getaway if you want a long weekend or just a limited amount of travel time!

I had a an amazing weekend, and it was a work weekend, which means that you would have an incredible vacation! If you would like help planning a trip, drop me a line at kacietravelplanner@gmail.com

Pumpkins and Mickey Mouse! Or, what's happening in the fall in Disney World!

So, it's August 10th now. Does that mean I can talk about pumpkins yet?

Well, regardless, so I'm going to do it!

Fall is a fantastic time to go to Disney World! Here's my list of reasons why!

First, when you go to Walt Disney World, you get to choose magic bands. I like to pick colors that match the season and then decorate them! So cute and exciting!

When you enter the parks, they are all decorated for the Fall from about Labor Day weekend on. I honestly can't get enough of these Mickey Pumpkin wreaths!

If you REALLY can't get enough, there will of course be seasonal merchandise, so you can have your very own Mickey pumpkins at your house!

If you love Pumpkin Spiced Lattes like I do, you can pick them up at the Starbucks in the parks. Ahhhh...PSL and Main Street.....

I can't resist throwing in a fun picture of fun outfits. It is ALWAYS acceptable to have matching and themed outfits in Disney World! Trust me on this one!

Now the first of the two big fall events! First is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!  This is a "hard ticket" event at the Magic Kingdom. That means a few things. First, it means that if you have a regular ticket to the Magic Kingdom and you use it on a party day, you will be asked to leave before the party starts. Check those dates before you go! If you have a party ticket, they technically start at 7pm, but you are allowed in by 4pm. At the party itself, there are special character meet and greets, trick or treating with LOTS of candy, a special Halloween parade, and Hallowishes fireworks. Though it's not necessary to go, it can be a really fun addition to your trip!

Night during the party is so fun--those Mickey wreaths light up--I mean seriously. Awesome.

Over in Epcot, the Food and Wine Festival is going on! This is included in the price of your ticket. Basically, there are 35 booth around the World Showcase. They each have food and beverages representing different countries around the world. It is a delicious and fun way to experience the park! I would advice avoiding it on weekend evenings, because it can get very crowded! But also very tasty........And if you think it's only for adults, I will say that our boys love circling the World Showcase for "ANOTHER BITE BITE." Yup, that's what it is...

Finally, if you are cruising on Disney Cruise Lines this fall, you can experience a Halloween on the High Seas cruise! Most fall cruising include lots of fun and delightful experiences, decoration, parties on the ship deck, and character meet and greets!

If you are excited about your fall Disney Trip and want to share why, let me know! If you want to plan your next trip, shoot me an email at kacietravelplanner@gmail.com I still have availability and discounts for the fall!

Planning a Sandals All Inclusive Vacation!

Recently, I went to a training and received my Certified Sandals Specialist training! Check it out!

Ok, great, awesome--so what does it mean for you?

Well, most folks know that I book (and love) Disney Destinations. But, I am also working very hard for clients who are interested in other travel destinations. In fact, about half of my clients are going places other than Walt Disney World! So, if you are interested in a Sandals vacation, I am trained and ready to help!

So, who might be interested in a Sandals resort? 

Well, it can be a great choice for many people looking for an all inclusive vacation. They have resorts across the Caribbean including Jamaica, Turks & Caicos, Bahamas, St. Lucia, Grenada, and Barbados.

There are both adult only and family resorts. The Sandals resorts are adult only, and these can be great for couple or even friend group getaway. The Beaches resorts cater to families, and provide kids clubs and adult only sections of the resorts. There are venues across the properties for weddings and great areas for group events. The different resorts have different vibes to them too. So you tell me if you are looking for a more quiet resort or a resort with a party vibe or access to shopping, or a more natural setting, and I can help guide you in your choice!

So, when you say all inclusive, what does that include? 

This is actually a great question. There are many all inclusive options around the Caribbean, and they provide different levels of inclusive-ness, if that makes sense! Sandals tries to offer a high level of inclusivity, so you get a great value for your dollar. All of the dining is high quality, and focuses on authenticity, variety, value, consistency, and modernization.

Your drinks are included, and they provide high level beer, liquor, and a wine that is made for their resorts. There are fitness centers with complimentary classes. Golf courses, and depending on the room level, some amount of golf is included. Watersports are a huge attractor, and most of the sports are included (even SCUBA!). At the Beaches resorts, the kids club activities and childcare are a part of your stay. If you are in a butler level, you can add tip to those servers, but the rest of the tips are included! There are of course places where you can add on, upgrade, or go on additional excursions, but it sure is nice to pay once and not have to keep on pulling out your wallet throughout your vacation. That in and of itself is a vacation!

Depending on the room level, you can actually book to have a private butler. The butler will help you with every detail of your vacation, from room service deliveries to excursions to unpacking if you want!

So how can using you as a travel agent help me out? 

Well, as always, my services are totally free to you! I can help you narrow down what resort will best fit your idea of a perfect vacation. Depending on if you are looking for a family trip, a romantic getaway, or a group trip, I can help you find the right destination. I have worked with folks who have a certain number of frequent flyer miles, and we have found the right place. I can help you plane the right room level. If you are looking for a bungalow or the most economical option, I can help narrow it down.

At the training I went to, I was provided with a huge number of resources, so we can even make sure that the resort you are going to has your favorite kind of beer, or we can ensure that they will have lobster in season if you are a big fan. Basically, my job is to figure out the perfect getaway for you! Send me an email (kacietravelplanner@gmail.com), and we can get started planning a fantastic trip!

HAMILTON! Yes, I Am Totally Obsessed and I want to Help You Plan to See It!

Even though I ended up going the direction of math and science in my education, I pretty much grew up on musical theater. My parents bought us season tickets to the Fox Theater in Atlanta, and we saw the Broadway tour companies come through with all of the big shows. My first ever tape was the cast album of Oklahoma. I practically wore out my Phantom of the Opera two tape set! And I was in every play I could get into put on by my wonderful local director David Beck. It was very much a part of my entire upbringing.

Fast forward to the massive hit to redefine Broadway hits--Hamilton! (I added the !, because that's how I say it!). The original cast was performing in New York before was ready and able to leave the boys. But this May, when the owner of my travel agency asked me if I wanted to do a one day training on Adventures by Disney in NYC, I said yes immediately. And since the Disney folks highly recommended that you get to New York the day before the training, that left me with an entire evening all by myself in the Big Apple. It didn't take too much discussion for me to grab up a ticket to Hamilton. 

This was me packing for NYC--but really, I wasn't checking that beauty. Carry on all the way for that precious piece of paper!

So, first, before I tell you how incredibly mind-blowing/incredible/amazing the show actually was, I'll fill you how I got my tickets. Because it was pretty last minute, I bought it resale on Ticketmaster. It was a mark up, but not a terrible one, really. I have bought other shows on StubHub too, but I was just too nervous about this "investment" to do anything except a direct resale ticket. If you can plan far enough in advance, you can get your hands on them at face value. You can also enter the lottery, which is front row for $10 each. We do have New York friends who enter literally every day, and they haven't won yet. I wasn't willing to put my faith in anything other than having a ticket in my hands when I went. You can also wait in the cancellation line before the show to buy tickets, and that certainly can work! If you have the time and not the cash for a last minute ticket, that's totally a good option too! 

The show itself is at the Richard Rodgers Theater, and for that trip I was staying just a few blocks away, so it was an easy walk (or really skip) over into the theater. A few people asked me if I went alone--you bet I did!

 And it totally didn't matter. I was sitting at the edge of my seat and everyone in the audience was FIRED up! There was a ton of cheering, yelling, laughing, and generally just being totally into the show. My only complaint is that it goes TOO FAST. It was probably the fastest three hours of my life. I mean for real--how do other hours go by so slowly compared to those hours?! It's hard for me to actually review something this great. People with much better words than me have done it. All I can honestly and truly say is that it lives up to all the hype. It is smart, funny, emotional, creative, fun, thoughtful, and fascinating. I don't have the adjectives to describe it....

So all that leads to saying that I had to see it again! It went to fast. I couldn't take it all in! My wonderful mom offered to keep our boys for a long weekend for George and I to celebrate our 10th anniversary. It was the first time we have both left them overnight. We tossed around a bunch of ideas of places we wanted to go. I "casually" threw out that it would be fun to go to New York to go see Hamilton. George loves history and hip hop. It was pretty much a no-brainer ;-). Every other idea seemed pretty lame after that idea. So, then the obsessing over hotel, plane tickets, and theater tickets began, because that's how I roll (and why I am a travel agent now!). 

I had read most of the book Hamilton by Ron Chernow before my first trip to see the show. The play is based on this book, so I had to buy one for George too--this was our only twinning this weekend!

For this trip, we decided to stay in Soho to be farther south closer to the action from the time period of Hamilton (and to be closer to Ansel Dominique bakery!).

One of the main lessons I have learned as a travel agent is that it is my job to design the vacation that works for YOU and not the one that works for me. For me, we like to GO. Our vacations are exhausting. We have always crammed in as much as possible. I plan lots of different styles of travel for people, but this trip was a reminder of what I really love--going and doing tons! 

One of the things we did was a walking tour about Hamilton and Burr. We went with Patriot Tours, and she was just fantastic. She was informative, and interesting, and I would reccomend these tours to anyone!

 On the the show! It was so fun to see it again--live theater is always different, and that is exciting to watch. I also felt like I could actually relax a little and just take it in this time. George on the other hand kept saying "I wish it would slow down!" during intermission! I know how you feel, man.

We got "Rise up Rye" which actually benefits the foundation started by Eliza Hamilton and The Federalist red to drink! We just couldn't resist--it's like the adult version of getting light up toys at Disney World for the fireworks!

 At dinner at Balthazar after the show, George kept saying..."I just feel like I need to say it again." And because I can't keep a secret, or because he is persistent, I spilled the beans that I already have tickets for us to go when we are in Chicago for him to run the marathon in October! I can't wait to see a different cast perform. And you KNOW we are going to get our little hands on some tickets when it comes to Atlanta next year!

So, if you are looking for a Hamilton fix and can't go yet, you can totally listen to the cast album (it's playing pretty much on loop at our house), or read the show book too! I know that people probably feel differently about this, but I would really reccomend doing your reading/listening before you go see the show. It is so dense with words and meaning, that I really felt like knowing the history and being comfortable with the lyrics ahead of time helped me get more from the show itself. I'm sure some people would rather be surprised by it all, but I didn't want to feel like I didn't know what was going on. Lin Manuel Miranda crammed in SO much meaning into each of the lines of the show, that I didn't want to miss it!

Is this a travel agent post--probably not. Did I just want to write about Hamilton, and I have a blog going right now? Pretty much!

But really, if you have questions about Hamilton, or if you want help picking a hotel in New York or Chicago to see it, you know I would enthusiastically help you! My help is totally free to you! Just shoot me an email at kacietravelplanner@gmail.com and I would be happy to help you plan a trip that fits you! I'll be waiting to hear from you :-)