Traveling Tales from a Disney-Loving Mama Volume 3: “No, I'm Not Rich—I'm Just Obsessed with Making Every Vacation Count”

If I had a dime for every time someone asked, “How do you travel so much? Are you secretly loaded… or just financially irresponsible?”—well, I could probably fund a couple popcorn buckets and a Mickey pretzel (with cheese, obviously).

But here’s the truth: I’m not rich. And while I can be a little “live in the moment” from time to time, my vacation planning game, that’s where I shine.

I’m a Disney-loving mama who happens to also be a Family Travel Advisor. My heart beats for magical family memories, and my planner's got more flair than a Dole Whip float—it’s covered in sticky notes, color codes, and enough trip tabs to rival a Disney app. I know how to turn everyday PTO into something that sparkles—and guess what? You can, too.

💫 The Real Magic? Planning Around Joy.

We don’t just travel because the mood strikes. We travel on purpose. We plan around the moments—around fireworks that cue happy tears, resort lobbies that smell like vanilla dreams, and sit-down character meals where your kid gets hugged by a princess mid-bite.

We plan for togetherness. For joy. For those rare pauses where you think, “This is exactly where we’re meant to be.”

And yes, that means doing a little PTO math and matching it up with promos like Disney’s newest holiday offer:

🛏️ Save up to 20% on select Disney Resort hotel rooms 🍽️ Get up to a $100 Dining & Shopping Card when you add 4-day park tickets to your stay 📅 Valid for most nights Oct 12–Nov 20 and Nov 23–Dec 25

Psst... I monitor and add those promos for you—so you don’t have to lift a finger while your vacation plans get a pixie-dusted upgrade. 💁‍♀️✨

If you’ve got even a few days to spare this fall or winter, I can turn them into a trip your family talks about for years.

Here’s how you stretch those days like pixie dust:

• Veterans Day Weekend (Nov 8–11) Take one extra day and boom—hello castle views and cozy resort mornings.

• Thanksgiving Break (Nov 23–28) Let someone else do the cooking while your family rides Dumbo and devours Mickey-shaped treats.

• Early December (Dec 8–12) Sneak away before peak crowds, when holiday magic wraps the parks in twinkle lights and gingerbread goodness.

You don’t need an unlimited budget or endless days off. You just need strategy, a bit of planning, and someone who knows the magic inside out (hi, it’s me!).

My family takes these vacations not because we’re rolling in gold doubloons—but because I’ve learned to value time, joy, and shared memories more than impulse purchases or rushed planning.

✨ Final Thought:

The castle isn’t going anywhere, but your vacation days might. Let’s use them well. Let’s plan something that feels intentional, joyful, and completely unforgettable.

Ready to make the most of your time off and fill your family’s memory book with pixie dust? I’m here—planner, mama, and your go-to magic maker.

Traveling Tales from a Disney-Loving Mama Volume 2: The Monster—Ahem, Princess—I Created

Some moms raise kids who love soccer. Others raise bookworms or budding chefs. Me? I raised a tiny human with an affinity for fireworks, room service, and character meet-and-greets at sea. 👑🚢🎆

And I have no one to blame but myself.

My daughter is the epitome of Disney-raised royalty. And I don’t mean the kind who politely waves from a castle balcony—I mean the kind who expects castle views, insists her resort has a theme (bonus points for anything that serves Dole Whip or has daily dance parties), and considers vacationing "basic" if it doesn’t involve 3–5 getaways per year. It’s officially one month into summer vacation, and my princess has asked no fewer than five times why we haven’t made a summer trip to “the castle” yet.

Not a castle. The castle. Like we weren't just there in January!

We were planning to head to our town’s local fireworks show—just a low-key night with a blanket in the grass and glow sticks from Target. But as soon as I mentioned it, my daughter tilted her head and asked, “So... will there be music and a castle and a show?”

I blinked. “Um no honey this is like in the park”

She looked genuinely confused. “I'm good then"

She’s been raised on Disney spectaculars—the kind that make you sob happy tears while a narrator reminds you to believe in wishes. So now, anything less than full emotional choreography feels suspicious. Local pyrotechnics without orchestration? Unacceptable.

And honestly... I get it.

Disney set the standard, and now every vacation comes with a checklist that rivals most Pinterest boards:

• 🎇 Fireworks Must Be a Full Production Music. Narration. Emotional buildup. Bonus points if one of us cries during the finale.

• 🏨 Themed Resorts Only Plain hotel rooms? She doesn’t know her. We need giant statues, whimsical corridors, and resort maps that look like treasure hunts.

• 🍽️ Dinner Must Be a Show Sit-down meals must come with either entertainment or characters—preferably both. If no one dances, sings, or hugs her before dessert, she’s not convinced it counts as vacation.

• 🛳️ Cruises Should Feature Characters & Clubs She believes every ship sails with Minnie, Goofy, and a top-tier kids club with crafts, tech, themed nights, and all the snacks.

• 💫 Kids Clubs Need the Works She’s expecting scavenger hunts, surprise visits, and some kind of storyline that makes bedtime optional.

• 📸 Photo Ops Are Sacred She has mastered the “spin and smile” pose in front of murals and demands golden hour photos like a seasoned influencer.

She’s growing up knowing joy is worth planning for, and that magic is what you make it—it’s built with intention. And while I jokingly call her “the monster I created,” what I really mean is: I created a human who knows how to chase wonder.

She’s a princess through and through—and I’ll keep planning her fairy tale and yours one vacation at a time. 👑✨