Disney World Day 3: Hollywood Studios

by Making Travel Magic

Step right into the magic of Hollywood Studios, where dreams came alive and adventures awaited! Join us on a thrilling journey as we explore this enchanting world through the eyes of two young adventurers, Jackson and Elle, both five years old and ready for excitement!

As the sun rose over Hollywood Studios, Jackson and Elle burst with excitement, ready to embark on their magical day. With Mickey ears firmly in place, they skipped towards the entrance, eager to discover what wonders awaited them.

Their first stop? Mickey and Minnie’s running muck picnic. This was a favorite for both for sure. We definitely wrote this one twice. Next up, Toy Story Land! With oversized toys and vibrant colors, this whimsical land transported them to Andy’s backyard. From the thrilling twists and turns of the Slinky Dog Dash to the dizzying heights of Jessie’s Critter Carousel, Jackson and Elle giggled with delight as they experienced the magic of their favorite toys coming to life.

After an action-packed morning, it was time to refuel with a delicious lunch at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. With tummies full of tasty treats, Jackson and Elle eagerly planned their next adventure. Would it be a journey through a galaxy far, far away or dancing with their favorite characters?

With their decision made, they headed to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, where they joined the Resistance in battling the First Order on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. With Jackson as the gunner and Elle as the daring pilot, they navigated the galaxy with skill and bravery, saving the day in epic fashion! Next up rise of the Resistance. Here they escaped the wrath of the first order. It was super concerned about going to jail but Jackson reassured her everything would be okay.

Their day wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel. With nervous excitement, they stepped into the haunted elevator, holding hands tightly as they plummeted into the Twilight Zone. Screams turned to laughter as they emerged unscathed, ready for their next thrilling escapade. Upon leaving the tower we found a photographer that spent a good 5 minutes with the kids hearing all about the tails of their daring escape of the tower. She took picture after picture with every pose they asked for.

From Toy Story Land to a galaxy far, far away, Hollywood Studios had provided Jackson and Elle with a day filled with laughter, adventure, and unforgettable memories. As they waved goodbye to this magical place, they knew that the magic of Disney would always be with them, inspiring dreams and igniting their imaginations for years to come. Until next time, Hollywood Studios!

We left Hollywood studios and rode the sky buckets to Art of Animation. There we got to see the Little mermaid section and The Lion King section and they got to play on the finding Nemo of play area. This was a request from Jackson. He just had to show it to Elle.

Wish You were here!

Disney World Day 2: Magic Kingdom

by Making Travel Magic

Embark on an enchanting journey through Disney’s Magic Kingdom alongside Elle and Jackson! Our adventure unfolded with each step, promising laughter, surprises, and the timeless allure of Disney magic.

Excitement filled the air as we entered Magic Kingdom, Elle and Jackson’s eyes wide with anticipation! Before us stood Cinderella Castle, a majestic symbol of the enchantment that awaited within. To our left, Adventureland beckoned with its promise of thrilling escapades, and to the right was the wonder and excitement of Tomorrowland. We chose directly ahead where the bustling streets of Fantasyland welcomed us with open arms.
In Fantasyland we immersed ourselves in the wonders of classic Disney tales. From flying with Peter Pan to journeying through the Enchanted Forest with Snow White and the seven dwarfs mine train, every moment was filled with wonder and delight. We ventured deeper into this magical realm, we marveled at the vibrant sights and sounds that surrounded us as we rode through the Winnie the Pooh blistery day and voted around a small world. Alan Jackson age took a turn to try to pull the magical sword with no luck. We also got to hear an enchanting tale with Bell and Lumiere.
Next, we ventured into Adventureland, where we embarked on daring escapades aboard the thrilling Thunder Mountain Railroad and joined pirates on a swashbuckling adventure in search of hidden treasures. The juxtaposition of excitement and whimsy between Adventureland and Fantasyland created a dynamic experience that captivated our hearts. Amidst our adventures, we stumbled upon hidden gems like the People Mover, offering a serene tour of Tomorrowland’s futuristic landscapes. Inside the Laugh Factory, laughter filled the air, while Fill Her Magic transported us into the whimsical world of Disney animation. To satisfy our cravings, we indulged in buttery popcorn, a classic Disney treat enjoyed as we wandered from one adventure to the next. The savory aroma of popcorn added to the sensory symphony of our journey, filling our hearts with warmth and contentment. With every magical moment, we captured memories to treasure forever. From the exhilaration of Thunder Mountain to the whimsy of “it’s a small world,” our photo album brimmed with joy, laughter, and the wonder of childhood.

As night fell and fireworks lit up the sky above Cinderella Castle, Elle and Jackson embraced, grateful for the unforgettable day we had shared. In the glow of the fireworks, they reflected on the enduring magic of Disney, a reminder that dreams were never far from reach.  As we bid farewell to the park, we carried with us the memories of a day filled with laughter, wonder, and the joy of being young at heart.

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Disney World Day 1

by Making Travel Magic

Travel day!! My kitty cat Minnie Mouse was helping me pack in my Minnie mouse suitcase.

I often hear people say that they’ll wait till the kids are older to take them to Disney. I am having so much fun enjoying Disney through the eyes of a child. There is nothing like the excitement that a child gets when they get to see their favorite characters. We haven’t even made it to a park yet in these two are having the time of their life.

After a late flight and getting to our resort we quickly packed up and headed to Disney springs to try to get there before the sun went down. There my sweet boy finally got to go to the Lego store to get his reward for a awesome baseball season. He must have spent 45 minutes trying to create new characters in the build a character section. Both kids  walked away with a bucket of LEGOs and three custom characters each.

Then it was off to the chaos, I mean Disney store. The Disney store in Disney springs is the largest Disney store around and boy is a crowded. We searched high and low for Jackson to get a creative box with colored pencils and markers. He is in a artsy phase. Elle was in search of a Jasmine costume and found the perfect one.

Next we went to T-Rex to get eaten by dinosaurs oops I mean eat with the dinosaurs. Both kids were super amazed by the dinosaurs. After we ordered we took a tour and got to see all of the critters. All this excitement and we haven’t been to a park yet.

Wish you were here!

Emerald Princess Cruise: Last Day

by Making Travel Magic

Debarkation day. Sometimes it’s good sometimes it’s bad. I’ve had and heard of horror stories around debarkation.  Then sometimes you’re off so fast you have to think to yourself was I even on a cruise? Today was super smooth. Princess has it figured out. At least the Emerald Princess does.

We slept until 7:00, got up, packed our last few things and headed to breakfast. We leisurely ate breakfast met some more nice people. After breakfast we went in search for a place to sit and wait for a little while. We had a super late flight due to fort Lauderdale not having very many direct flights to Houston. Our options were 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. I was a little worried about making the 11:00 a.m. so we chose the 7:00 p.m. but that made for a super long day.  Because of this we delayed delayed delayed as much as we could getting off of the ship and took our time going through security and getting our luggage.

We were able to snag a shuttle to the airport, which is super close to the terminal, for $11 a person. Once at the airport they’ve now started allowing you to give up your luggage as soon as you get there with a special Porter outside section for Southwest. Previously you had to wait until 4 hours before your flight which meant sitting around on the outside of security. Instead we were able to drop off our luggage and then head through security and wait on the gate side of security were all of the restaurants are. We relaxed played on our phones watch TV until this time to move to our gate. There we met a bunch of people that were getting off of all different kinds of cruises as there were six ships in port in fort Lauderdale. We all swapped stories and shared Facebook pages so that we could keep in touch.

I don’t know about you but of all the places I have put my feet up this one is my favorite.

Yes that is a cord hanging from my TV that was not there before I left. Bless his heart my dad and my brother attempted to fix my TV that had gone out the day before I left. Come to find out it was the electrical outlet so thier fix was an extension cord. ðŸĪĢ  Needless to say I will be hiring an electrician to get it fixed as the aesthetic of the cord is not working for me.

Why is it that anytime you leave when you come back nothing seems to be working right. I went to use my toilet in my bathroom and it was clogged. Along with that, the internet is acting really funny. I’ll be home for 9 days hopefully I can get everything in working order before I leave again for a trip I’ve really been looking forward to. I can’t wait to tell you all about that one.

So where is your favorite place to put your feet up? Here’s are a few of mine from this trip.

For this time only I’m not wishing you were here. I’m ready to sleep in my own bed with only my sweet puppy as company.

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 16

by Making Travel Magic

Today is our last day so I figured I would highlight the Emerald Princess and the amazing staff that we fell in love with. First I have to say the captain was amazing. I’ve never even given the captain a second thought before. But we found ourselves looking forward to his addresses each day at noon. He always told us a little bit about life on the sea and left us with a funny anecdotes.

The Emerald Princess is a Crown-class cruise ship for Princess Cruises that entered service in April 2007. Her sister ships include Ruby Princess and Crown Princess. Emerald Princess launched from the Italian shipyard of Fincantieri Monfalcone on 1 June 2006. She was then handed over to Princess Cruises on 24 March 2007.

I’m a Princess convert. I can’t get over how beautiful the different lounges are and everything on this ship. I can definitely tell the difference between a luxury class ship in a non-luxury class ship. Lol

Wish you were here.

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 15

by Making Travel Magic

Our last and final stop on this amazing trip is Georgetown in Grand Cayman. Georgetown, the capital of Grand Cayman, has a captivating history that spans centuries. It began as a small fishing village and developed into a port town named in honor of King George III. Throughout the centuries, Georgetown has endured economic prosperity, the intrigue of pirate lore, and the resilience of its community in the face of adversity. Today, the city stands as a testament to the spirit of Grand Cayman, blending its rich cultural heritage with modern amenities and welcoming visitors with to explore its historic landmarks, bustling markets, and picturesque waterfront. I have to say I did enjoy walking the streets and not being hassled by vendors.

Less than 70 yards from shore in 30 feet of crystal clear water lies the Wreck of the Cali. The Cali was a four-mast schooner and was 220 feet long It sunk in 1944 after experiencing severe weather conditions. Since it was declared a hazard to navigation, she was blown up shortly after her sinking. The ship’s ribs are now exposed and scattered along the ocean floor along with winches, boilers, hull plates all nicely encrusted with sponges and corals. The wreck is also home to a diversity of other marine life including many species of tropical fish and a resident population of silver Tarpon.

We took a water shuttle from the ship to the shore where we got to see a little bit of the town. We were walked through the main street to a dock where we got on a small boat and got to snorkel both the reef and the shipwreck of the Cali. I got to use my new face mask and I absolutely loved it. It was pretty cool getting to snorkel and breathe out your nose.
After we got back on the ship we got some lunch got a yummy snack and took a dip in the pool and I got some great pictures of the pool and the DJ.

Wish you were here

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 14

by Making Travel Magic

Sea is for cookie and that’s good enough for me… But the steak house wasn’t. Last night we went to the steakhouse. The venue was absolutely gorgeous I loved all the extra touches. But the service wasn’t so great and the food was average at best. I actually prefer the food in the main dining room.

Today was a sea day and we did a lot of relaxing. We finished our puzzle!! The seas were very calm and beautiful.  We thought about going swimming but since we’re snorkeling tomorrow we decided to wait. We sat in one of the bars and watched the Astros on the iPad. They lost.

I got a few more pictures from around the ship. Somehow we seem to have missed that there are videos of fish in the elevators so I had to get a video of that. Tonight was formal night and I love having the waiters all dressed up. They look so nice. I got a picture of our favorite waiter Gus. The lobster again was super yummy as was everything in the main dining room. We saw a big protection show called Magic to do. Super super super weird show. But extremely entertaining.

Wish you were here

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 13

by Making Travel Magic

On this cruise we had five stops and today was stop four of five. Cartagena Colombia.

Founded in 1533, Cartagena de Indias gained fame after the mid-16th century when great fleets stopped annually to take on gold and other products of northern South America for convoy to Spain. The city became a centre for the Inquisition and a major slave market.

Cartagena is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century, with squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings. With a tropical climate, the city is also a popular beach destination. Reachable by boat are Isla de BarÚ, with white-sand beaches and palm trees, and the Islas del Rosario, known for their coral reefs.

Today we took the hop on hop off tour to explore the city.   Except we didn’t do the hop off part. Lol. Too hot! We rode the bus all the way around the city and saw the sights. There’s lots of poverty and lots of street vendors. The street vendors are super pushy. They even came up to the bus to try to sell. We were sitting on the top level so we kind of got out of the line of fire. There was a flood in the city last year so there is still quite a bit of destruction.

After the tour they dropped us off in the parking lot and we had to go through a bird aviary to get to the shuttle to get back to the ship. We saw a sloth, peacocks, parrots, macaws, an iguana and an anteater. All in all, it was a great day! I highly recommend getting out and seeing the sights when you cruise to a new port 

Wish you were here

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 12

by Making Travel Magic

Today was the day. This is what is was all about! THE. PANAMA. CANAL! and it didn’t disappoint 😁

We were up at 5:00 a.m. to snag the perfect spot. We got a spot towards the back because we were told it was a great place to see the first set of locks. We got to see us go under the Bridge of the Americas. I got a great picture of it over us with the ship in the foreground. We got to see the skyline of Panama City. The sunrise and we got to see a bunch of super famous sites in Panama before we even made it into the locks.

Going into the first set of logs was super exciting. We had a commentation from the naturalist on board through the whole process explaining what we were seeing. It took us until about 10:00 a.m. to go through the first set of 3 locks. We were in the newlt built set of locks which allows a ship to go through its own power. These locks were finished in 2016.

After we emerge from the first set of locks in the series of three we relocated to this side of the ship on deck seven (in the shade). There they had cameramen on the shore taking pictures of the guest on board. I wore my MVP shirt that you could see MVP represent!

After we clear the first three set of locks we watched a little bit longer as we made it through the man-made area and I got some beautiful pictures of the cutouts on the side where they used explosives to dig the connection from the Pacific to the lake.

We took a break for about 3 hours in our cabin and watch the “Front of the Ship Show”. Once we could see that we were cleared for entrance then went back outside to see us go through the second set of locks on the Atlantic side. The Pacific side raised us from sea level to lake level then we traversed the lake and it took about 4 hours to get from lock to lock. Then the atlantic side has locks that lowered us to sea level. All in all it was an amazing and something everybody needs to experience.

As we’re leaving the final set of blocks a gentleman came running down the deck and pointed out to us did you see the crocodile. I looked on the side and short enough it was a crocodile and I got a picture. Unfortunately he went too far forward and didn’t get a picture

Wish you were here!

Emerald Princess Cruise: Day 11

by Making Travel Magic

Soooo today was a lazy day… Someone (not me) slept until late today. Soooo we didn’t do much but relax. We visited the library yesterday and found a puzzle that had never been opened. We have been working on it here and there. Super nice to do something mind numbing ðŸĪŠ

We did watch a few lectures on TV getting ready for tomorrow…THE. PANAMA. CANAL. we are super excited!! Like planning on getting up at 5 AM excited. Getting ready to mark another thing of that bucket list!!

For dinner we had some yummy dishes and desserts. I got a picture of the Emerald princess birthday cake. And then we went to a cute show called Blame it on the Boogie. It was a disco theme show and that’s why I wore my disco shirt and my disco shoes.

Wish you were here!!