Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

I’m going to Walt Disney World!

Sorry, I don’t mean to brag, but I’m super excited that I am once again visiting the most magical and happiest place on earth!

Disney is so much more than an amusement park to me. As someone who is terrified of roller coasters, prone to motion sickness, and gets super anxious around crowds, Walt Disney World is a magical place where my fear and anxiety melt away. I feel safe. Only in Disney do I happily talk to complete strangers and ask for help when I need it. I constantly push the boundaries of my motion sickness and my fear because it feels safe to do so. This scaredy-cat would never vacation alone anywhere else, but if my husband didn’t also adore Disney, I would be headed there on my own in a heartbeat. It’s comfortable and I understand why so many Disney fans refer to it as “home”.

Planning for Disney is a great self care tactic for me. I find the organization and research fun and soothing. Planning isn’t for everyone, but for those who do like planning, it makes a trip to Disney even better! Planning for Disney also REALLY pays off. With planning, you can avoid crowds, get to go on way more rides, and eat at the places you want to eat. Disney puts a lot of information online including complete menus for all their eateries. They also allow you to book fastpasses (sort of like reservations for rides) up to 60 days in advance and their version of dining reservations 180 days in advance.

I went to Disney (both world and land) many times when I was a kid. There was a gap for over a decade when I didn’t go because college and grad. school. However, my husband and I went there for our honeymoon in January 2015. Then we returned in 2017, 2018 and 2019. I also had an extra bonus single day Animal Kingdom adventure in the fall of 2018. I think it’s safe to say I’ve had a lot of experience planning WDW trips recently. Given my naturally nervous nature, I read a lot of articles, make spreadsheets, listen to podcasts and investigate the best touring strategies.

Last year, for the the first (in forrrreevvverrr) , we brought two friends with us to Disney. One of the friends had never been before. These two (non-couple) friends both enjoyed their trip so much that they are going to WDW again. Not just again, but with me. And not just with me but on my next trip! I did not expect them to go again so soon. While most of the credit goes to Disney and to our mutual friendships, of course, I’m going to give a bit of that credit to my travel agent and tour guide skills.

I'm going to be sharing my planning experience here. My strategies, tips and tricks, moments from my previous vacations and more. I would love to help you plan your next Disney trip or answer some of your Disney questions. Please leave suggestions for topics, questions and comments below.

What do you want to know about planning a Walt Disney World vacation?

*Giveaway!!* Enter to win Sims 4 DLC or a copy of "The Bullet Journal Method"

I’m celebrating reaching 700 Twitter followers with a giveaway!

I’ve reached 700 followers on Twitter, and to celebrate I’m doing a small giveaway. Two of the most popular topics of my posts are my Sims 4 stories, and my Bullet Journal or planning posts. To honor that, and the variety of my readers, I’m allowing the winner to choose between two prizes!

You can win either:

A Sims 4 DLC pack of your choice purchased through Origin

or

A copy of “The Bullet Journal Method” by Ryder Carroll. Ryder designed the time management system. It is an excellent read for anyone who values time and is trying to live more intentionally.

Thank you for reading & following!

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I'm crazy excited for Planet Zoo!

I’m a little behind here folks, as this past weekend I just learned of the announcement of Frontier’s Planet Zoo. Within the first couple of minutes of the game play video I had happy tears and goose bumps. Shortly after four minutes, they mentioned how the animals will be unique individuals and have genetics. At that moment, I paused the video and pre-ordered the game.

I’ve always loved tycoon games from when I played Lemonade Stand in elementary school through Roller Coaster Tycoon, Airline Tycoon and Sim Tower, and up to the most recent ones like Game Dev Tycoon, Project Highrise and Twopoint Hospital. However, one of my ALL TIME favorite games is Zoo Tycoon. Wait…make that Zoo Tycoon with the Marine Mania DLC. Man, I played so much of that game. I have fallen in love with very few other games to that extent (the Sims and Stardew Valley being in that category with it).

My major in college was Environmental Science and Management, and my graduate degree is in Ecology. I love learning about animals and nature. When I was very young, I wanted to be a “dolphin trainer”. I’ve always wanted to work at a zoo or aquarium. Okay, well, technically I have worked at a zoo, but it was in the gift shop. :) In the past, I have taught Environmental Science and I’ve worked on conservation related molecular research. These days, I work in an aquaculture facility where I tend to a colony of frogs (technically a group of frogs is called an army).

Zoo Tycoon let me act out my dream job and I am far too excited for another chance to do just that! From what I have seen, the Planet Zoo team is paying a lot of attention to the things that matter to me- animal care, realistic and detailed animals, habitat construction and conversation.

139 days! The countdown is ON!