March 1, 2019

Springtime at Disney — Tips for Travel!

Lightning McQueen stands watch over the Flower & Garden Festival (2011)

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is just one of the many reasons to visit Walt Disney World during the springtime season. In today’s post, we’re exploring some of the great things that make Springtime at Disney a wonderful time to visit, and hopefully, providing some great tips along the way that will help you in your own planning!

Springtime at Disney

We’re looking at this as kind of a question/answer sort of post. I hope it doesn’t bore you to the point that you click off to something else, but instead, provides good information that you can use in your planning. Please leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts on this format.

Q1: What is your best tip for dealing with Spring Break crowds at Disney?

The crowds at Disney during Spring Break can be very packed. In looking at the Touring Plans crowd calendar, the months of March and April this year are pretty much 6-9 on the scale, with some days at level 10. It’s really not until you get into early May that the crowds start to lighten up for a little bit prior to the Memorial Day holiday and kickoff to the “summer” season. So, the short answer to the question is Touring Plans, Touring Plans, Touring Plans, and make sure that you keep an open mind on your trip. Don’t try and do every single thing, be easy going and open to just “go where the path lies.”

Q2: What should people pack if they are going to Disney during the Spring?

Look closely at the weather prior to leaving home, and plan accordingly. I always pack sunscreen and ponchos, and the type of jacket and clothing I choose depends on what the weather temperatures are going to be.

Q3: What the best part of visiting Disney in the Spring?

Take advantage of the nice weather and fantastic floral displays from the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival!

Q4: What is your best tip for Epcot Flower and Garden first timers?

Bring your camera, and make sure you take pictures of all the great arrangements you see!

Q5: Why should people visit the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival?

So many beautiful flower arrangements, and the topiaries with the fantastic characters are really neat!

Q6: What is your one Epcot Flower and Garden Festival must-do?

Photograph everything!

Q7: What are your tips for visiting Epcot Flower and Garden Festival with Kids?

Remember, what may be exciting for you may not be exciting for them, especially if they are younger children. Be flexible, and remember, it’s everyone’s vacation!

Q8: How can people celebrate Easter at Disney?

Give Glory to God, and even if you don’t make it to a church service, remember that God’s Creation is everywhere, and remember Him in the way you act towards your fellow Disney park goers!

I hope that our Springtime at Disney post has been helpful to you! I truly hope that you are able to enjoy a wonderful time at Disney during the Springtime one year, and if you are able to do so, that these tips help you have an even better trip! Thanks for stopping by, now go out and have a great Disney Day!

Bloggers, My Dreams of Disney, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World

Mike Ellis

February 12, 2019

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Missing the Magic Series: Wishes

Image ©Disney

May 11, 2017 was the last time that Wishes was seen at the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. Removed so that the Happily Ever After Fireworks show could be presented, the closing of Wishes was hard for many Disney fans to take. In the last week or so, I’ve been hit with the nostalgia bug while walking our dog River, and we’ve been listening to our music for Wishes in the morning. That reminiscing is what led to the idea of writing about the things that we are missing at Walt Disney World. We’re calling this series “Missing the Magic”.

For the longest time, I was not a fan of fireworks of any sort. Wishes, Illuminations, your local 4th of July fireworks, the fireworks at the State Fair in Raleigh, NC, I wasn’t having it for any of them. But then, one day my wife Cindy suggested that Sophie and I get earplugs for when the fireworks were going on, and a love for the fireworks was born.

I have a lot of great memories of Wishes from over the years. Sadly, though, my fireworks picture taking skills are limited, so I have very few good pictures. One of my favorite experiences, though was the day that we saw and heard Wishes while having dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table!

Are you missing Wishes today? If you are, have a look at the Magic Kingdom 40th Anniversary Wishes, courtesy of YouTube and the fine folks over at WDWMagic!

What are you missing from Walt Disney World? Let me know in the comments below, or reach out to me our social media sites to let me know. Lastly, if all you are missing is being at Walt Disney World, shoot me an email and let’s talk about how we can make that wish come true for you and your family! Email me at mike@pixievacations.com, and thanks for stopping by today!

#DisneyMemory, Bloggers, Magic Kingdom, My Dreams of Disney, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney World

Disney, Magic Kingdom, Pixie Vacations, Walt Disney World Resort, Wishes, YouTube

Mike Ellis

February 5, 2019

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Disney Scentsy Parnership with Leslie Duckwitz!

My niece Leslie has worked hard at building up her small business as an Independent Scentsy Consultant. Working as a small business owner myself, I know firsthand how much work goes into running your own business, but I also know that the rewards far outweigh the struggles. Being a small business owner empowers you; it allows you to take control of your schedule, to work at times that work best for your family dynamics, and to help support your family financially!

Today, Leslie and I are proud to introduce our own collaboration — pairing her Scentsy business with my travel agent business, just like Disney and Scentsy did this past July!

By collaborating together, Leslie and I hope to bring the best of both worlds into your homes! Our goal is simple — to help you make lasting memories when you work with me, Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis, on your next vacation — and then, when you arrive home, to have some awesome Scentsy products in your home that will remind you day after day of the great trip you had.

In short, every new booking of $2,000 or more will receive from me a special Scentsy bundle that will remind them of the great vacation they just experienced. What that bundle comprises will vary depending on the parameters of your trip. For example, are you taking a Disney cruise? Well, then you may just find in your mailbox a Sea Star Mini Warmer and a By The Sea bar as a special gift from me! This gift is on top of my free service, planning expertise, and promotion monitoring that I already provide for my clients. Not only that, but the Disney Gift Card promotion I always have is still in force as well!

So, what do you have to lose? Some of the best vacation planning out there, incredible destinations to explore, gift cards, and my niece Leslie’s awesome Scentsy products? If you are going to take a vacation anyway, fill out our quote form and see how you can bring your vacation home with you, courtesy of Leslie Duckwitz – Independent Scentsy Consultant and Pixie Vacations by Mike Ellis! Or, send me an email to mike@pixievacations.com or give me a call at 919-606-6725.

Bloggers, Disney Scentsy, My Dreams of Disney, Vacation Planning

Disney, Gift Cards, Pixie Vacations, Scentsy, Vacation Planning, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Mike Ellis

December 8, 2018

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Christmas Scenes at Walt Disney World

The majesty and wonder that is Walt Disney World knows no end when it comes to the Christmas season at the Orlando resort. Everywhere you turn around, you are snapping a photo of this scene or that scene, and the settings that you know from other times of the year are wonderfully transformed into a spirited holiday setting for your enjoyment and amazement. My family has been fortunate enough to visit two years in a row for Thanksgiving at Walt Disney World, and I hope we are able to make it back there again in the future.

In addition to the “usual” Walt Disney World pursuits — FastPass selections for Expedition Everest, 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, and others — to dining reservations at Olivia’s at the Old Key West resort and Tokyo Dining in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot — we also experienced a lot of the sites, sounds, and wonders that Disney offers up during this magical time of year.

For this post, I wanted to share with you some of the photos I took of the beautiful Christmas Scenes that we saw during our trip over November 21st – 25th. Unfortunately, I didn’t get near enough photos, but the ones I’ve gotten, I do like. I guess it just means I need to plan a trip next year and just plan on taking a million photos!

If I can help you plan that Christmas trip, please let me know. You can email me at mike@pixievacations.com, you can call me at 919-606-6725, or you can submit a free, no-obligation quote request right here.

The tree inside the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

Voices of Liberty singing wonderful Christmas songs for our enjoyment!

The Gingerbread House Store at the Grand Floridian!

Snowmen from the Living with the Land boat ride at Epcot!

The Christmas tree located in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

A unique snowman located over at the Animal Kingdom in Dinoland, U.S.A.

As you can see from my meager pictures, I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of all of the wonder that Walt Disney World has for us during the holiday season. Tell me, what is your favorite part of Disney during this time, and do you have a season you like to visit more than this one? Let us know in the comments in our Facebook comment system, or in a regular comment here on the site. Thanks for stopping by, and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Bloggers, My Dreams of Disney

Christmas, Disney, Holidays, Walt Disney World Resort

Mike Ellis

September 8, 2018

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8 Years of Dreams

Eight Years of Dreams

September 8, 2010. Still reliving the memories that we had from the time that Cindy and I took Sophie and our niece Stephanie to Walt Disney World for Sophie’s 9th birthday, I made a decision. I decided that I would start a blog, a blog that would be my way of documenting the memories of past trips to Walt Disney World that I have taken with my family over the years. That blog would transform from a simple scrapbook and become My Dreams of Disney. Today is the 8th anniversary of the day I started the blog with my very first post. At first, that is exactly what the site was — an online repository of memories from trips to Disney when I was a kid, and then later as an adult with Cindy. I really enjoyed reliving the journey from eyes colored by the years of time. For example, I remember fondly the trip Cindy and I took where we ate our way through Disney. As a new Disney blogger, one of the things I began noticing was just how many Disney blogs there were. The one that stood out to me, though, was the website Chip & Co., so I reached out to the owner of the blog, also known as Chip. We talked, and I became a writer on his team of bloggers, and it was then that my Disney writing really took off. Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of changes at Walt Disney World, both good and bad. However, the biggest thing that I think Walt Disney World has going for it is the words from Walt himself, which he said regarding Disneyland:

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. It is something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing and adding to.“

The changes, they come and they go. I never thought I would like the removal of Mickey’s Toontown Fair, but lo and behold, the Disney Imagineers created something even better in the Fantasyland Expansion. I thought the idea of putting Avatar into the Animal Kingdom was about the dumbest thing I’d ever heard, until I saw it in person last year. That, my friends, is why I’m not an Imagineer, just a lowly blogger! Still, eight years at anything is something to take pride in, and I do take pride in how My Dreams of Disney has grown through the years. These days, you don’t find me writing as much as I would like, but still, MDOD is a site that I load every day, without fail. It’s a reminder of all of the great memories I have of the trips I’ve taken to Walt Disney World (and beyond, even) with my family and friends, and it helps me look forward to the next trips I’m going to make to celebrate milestones. To all of my readers, thank you for stopping by over the years, for allowing me into your lives, whether it has been for planning a trip, or praying for your family, or even just to get your Disney fix for the day, thank you. Knowing that I’ve been able to help in some way makes the last eight years totally worth it. Here’s to the next eight years!

Bloggers, My Dreams of Disney