Put Your Mickey Ears Up Baby…

I recently watched an Oprah special on Lady Gaga that was truly inspiring. Whether or not you are a “little monster”, Gaga’s self-loving message is inspiring and universal. The world wants us to be so many things, but at the same time judges us for every decision we make. Bullies, eating disorders, violence, and intolerance are rampant in the world we live in. She teaches her fans, followers, and really anyone who listens that you should love yourself and stand up for who you are. Being confident in who you are and what you love is powerful and will scare off bullies. We will never be able to please everyone, so why not by happy in our own skin?

This message really spoke to me and I think anyone can reflect on times in their lives where people wanted us to be something we weren’t or picked on us for something they saw as “uncool”. I think most people would view their middle school days as a blur of trying to fit in and be accepted no matter if you were being yourself or trying to be someone else. The great thing is, the older you get you realize that no matter what you do or who you are you are going to have people love you and people dislike you. When you stop trying to be what is “cool” or “popular” and really get into what you love, people just gravitate towards you.

How does this relate to Disney? Well for me I think Disney is one of those things that many people act “too cool” for. I am 28 years old and I go to a Disney destination at least once a year. I am married but we don’t have kids yet. I always have people give me strange looks when I am excitedly counting down to my next trip. But you know what… I couldn’t care less. Those people who think Disney is a kids place or worse think it is come kind of cult, are really missing out on the Disney experience.

I love Disney for so many reasons. First of all… memories! I went to Disney every year as a child with my parents and younger brother. Luckily Disney doesn’t drastically change too often, so it is always nostalgic of my childhood. I have also celebrated many milestones at Disney. I turned 24 and 27 at Disney, have celebrated my anniversary, and celebrated a promotion at work. I love looking back on happy memories and making new ones.

Another thing I love is the innocence and wholesomeness of Disney. When I worked there, we had strict guidelines about hair color, tattoos, piercings, and jewelry. Many people don’t understand it, but when you go there you will appreciate it. It is not that Disney is trying to take away a person’s individuality; it is that you are playing a role in a show. Think of an actress that covers up her tattoos for a specific role, or even Lady Gaga dressing in conservative suit and tasteful makeup when she was interviewed by Oprah. Disney wants that wholesome old fashioned look. Plus tattoos and piercings really don’t go with a long dress and bonnet costume working in Liberty Square.

I also really enjoy watching people relax and have fun like a kid. I visited last September with my husband and another couple and I can’t tell you how much fun we had picking out crazy hats to wear to the “Mickeys Not so Scary Halloween Party”. I love playing in the parks with friends and family!

Disney is just my “happy place”. It is a place where all the magic of childhood is brought to life every day. That optimism, fearless confidence, and zest of life that children have is capture and all ages get to turn back the clock and just enjoy life. For me, it is the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom that gets me every time. When the lights dim, everyone stops and is drawn to the colors in the sky and is amazed to see Tinkerbell fly! If you stop to look around during the firework show, time seems to stand still. No one is checking their smartphone; everyone is captivated by the magic.

If you have never considered a Disney vacation and/or are skeptical about one; please contact me to learn more. You would be surprised all the things you can do at Disney these days! If you want someone to personally take care of all your Disney travel needs, reach out to me for assistance. And if you are a Disney fanatic, put your mickey ears up, baby! Oh and reach out to me as I bet I can still help you with options you are unaware of or discounts that you might not know of.

Make it a magical day!

Julie Hauck *o*

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

MickeyTravels, LLC

julie@mickeytravels.com

www.mickeytravels.com

Read my Disney Blog!

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Princess treatment at Cinderella’s Royal Table

I recently traveled to Disney World with my mom to celebrate her spring break. We had not dined at Cinderella’s Royal Table in a few years and luckily since we planned our trip in advance, I was able to book us a coveted dinner reservation. I can’t believe how magical and fun the experience was for two adults! I really can’t even imagine how amazing it is from a child’s view. I would like to share with you our royal experience!

Location-For those of you unfamiliar with this very popular dining spot, it is located in Cinderella’s Castle in the heart of Magic Kingdom (in Disney World). If you walk through the castle from Main Street USA, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is on the left in the castle and the check-in spot for the restaurant is to the right.

Meals offered-Cinderella’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. I would highly recommend lunch or dinner as the food choices are more extravagant than the breakfast items, in my opinion.

Price- Cinderella’s Royal Table is part of the Disney Dining Plan and requires two table service credits. If you are not on the dining plan, the full payment must be made when the reservation is booked. The price includes an appetizer, main course, dessert, photo package with Cinderella, table side meet and greet with princesses, and gratuity. Price is $36 to $59 per person.

Experience- When you check in for your reservation, you are given a royal invitation to meet with Cinderella. Everyone is led into a small room on the ground level of the castle where they will get to meet Cinderella and take a photo with her (included in meal price). Don’t worry if you are an adult, Cinderella still wants to meet you and take a photo with you. She even asked me if Rapunzel had helped with my fishtail braid I was sporting that day. After your photo, your name will be called and you will ascend a round stone staircase that leads to you the beautiful restaurant. The restaurant has stain glass windows and gorgeous archways. We were seated at a window table that overlooked Fantasyland. This was especially neat during our trip as we could see the construction of the fantasyland expansion. The princesses are given “magic wands” and the princes are given swords as they are seated. The server welcomed us and treated us as we really were Cinderella’s chosen guests. We chose our “appetizers of the court” and we both opted for the “Rock Shrimp Cocktail”. The cocktail had smaller shrimp than a traditional shrimp cocktail and was served with amazing tomato marmalade with cold corn. It was delicious and beautifully served in a glass. For our “entrees royale” we both chose the “Roasted Beef Tenderloin”. This was sliced roasted beef tenderloin with Duchess Potatoes, asparagus and a Chasseur sauce. It was delicious! Other options included Chicken, Pasta, Pork, and vegetarian options. During the meal, a royal announcement was made each time a new princess was entering the restaurant. Each princess would stop at each table and greet her guests, sign autographs, and pose for photos. I was amazed how they really came to each table during our visit and took the time to talk to everyone, even the adults! I met and took photos with Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, and Belle. We both ordered the “Valrhona Chocolate Mousse” for our “finale” and it was amazing. Overall the food was delicious and the atmosphere magical. I really enjoyed being treated like royalty and interacting with the princesses. We even saw someone propose and they announced it. I would highly recommend this experience to guests, especially guests with children. As a Disney resort guest you can book your table 180 days in advance, so it is very hard to get a reservation at Cinderella’s unless you plan in advance.

To see more photos from my trip, visit and “like” my Facebook fan page. And please reach out to me for FREE planning for your next trip!

Julie Hauck *o*

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner

MickeyTravels, LLC

1-513-313-9531 (cell)

julie@mickeytravels.com

www.mickeytravels.com

Read my Disney Blog!

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“Making Magic One Vacation at a Time…”

Travel Agent? I prefer “Magic Maker”, “Disney Expert”, or “Fairy Godmother”. This is my journey from a kid loving Disney to living a dream as an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner”

People often ask me when I started planning Disney Vacations and you would assume that the day was the day I started with MickeyTravels. Well if that was the answer, it would be a mere 9 months. Honestly I can’t remember when I started planning vacations. I have been to at least one Disney destination a year since I was about 5. I am a very “type A” perfectionist and you know that manifests even when you are a child. My mom tells me that even as I child I was the tour guide, had Disney countdowns made for each trip, and was reading Disney guidebooks as soon as I could. By the time I was a “tween”, friends knew I was the Disney queen and would often ask me questions before their own trips. In college I had the opportunity to travel to California with a friend and her family and we made it a point to check out Disneyland. I could not be near Anaheim and not go! I started planning trips for friends and had many coworkers ask me for help when planning their trips. I always loved it so I didn’t mind.

While on a Spring Break trip with my best friend in college, we met some college kids that were participating in the Disney College Program. Live and work in Disney World? Sign me up! I researched the program and made sure to attend the next information session at a neighboring college. I listened to the presentation and was hooked. I had to fill out paperwork and talk to a recruiter, if I was lucky I would be offered a phone interview later that week. I still remember nervously clutching my phone outside a lecture hall waiting for my interview. When I was done I knew I nailed it. I loved Disney and had been there countless times. I also worked in a fast paced Pharmacy where you had to learn a lot fast. I knew my multi-tasking and attention to detail would get me in. A few weeks later a big envelope arrived with my acceptance letter! Woo Hoo! All I knew is that I was working in food and that I would be moving to Orlando from August to January of 2005.

The days before “move in”, my family and I enjoyed the parks. I was so nervous. I had never lived away from home and didn’t know who I would be living with or where I would be working. I was also scared to death to work in food. I had babysat and worked in a pharmacy, I had no idea what I was getting into. A few days later I moved into a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment with 7 other girls. In those 5 months we went from strangers to sisters. I found out that I would be working in “Stands West” in Magic Kingdom. The fear of food was quickly fading as I realized I was about to work in my favorite place in the world! Being a worrier, I started to get concerned that working there would kill the magic and that it would not really be clean or any other worry you could imagine. Obviously those worries were just worries.

After a few days of Disney training, I was getting specific “Stands West” job training. I learned that I would be working at various food locations all over the west side of the park and that I had up to four different “costumes” a week. I quickly learned why I was placed in food. There was so much to learn and to keep organized. It was hard work but I loved it. One day I might be making funnels cakes in the afternoon and working the hot dog stand at night. On Thanksgiving, I had to work the Turkey Leg stand. Think about it… everyone and their grandma wants a Turkey leg on Thanksgiving in Disney! We worked Christmas and New Years and some nights until 3 am with extra magic hours. There was never a dull moment and even when you were scrubbing the floor, you got to listen to the after “wishes” music.

During my program, I took full advantage of all the perks.  When I wasn’t working I was in the parks. I rode rides I never had, saw all the shows, and tried many restaurants that I have never tried. You would think with all the years I visited I would have done everything. Nope… some experts estimate that even if you went everyday it would day years to see and do everything. I also planned trips for friends and family to come visit me. They got to take advantage of my discounts and I would play tour guide on my days off of work. It was amazing.

As my college program was ending I applied for a coveted but unpaid position as a “Campus Representative” for my college. I would hang up signs around school and promote the program on campus. Although it was unpaid, I was able to retain my “Cast Member” status and some perks and discounts. I loved sharing the magic with other students and calming their worries. I was a “Campus Rep” until I graduated in 2007.

After my college program, I became more obsessed with Disney. I loved seeing how everything worked and was amazed at how clean and perfect even the trash compactors were. There is so much I could share but working there is kind of like being in a sorority and some things are just secret, which is pretty fun! I started planning trips with friend and family to other Disney Destinations. Since the program, I have been on 3 Disney Cruises (2 on the Wonder and 1 on the Dream), stayed at Disney’s Vero Beach resort, and even visited Disneyland Paris for a few days. Of course I still go to Disney World too! My Disney expertise had expanded outside of Disney World and more friends and family were reaching out to me to help plan their vacations.

Last June a friend shared MickeyTravels with me. She knew that I had a full time job in Pharmacy Loss Prevention but said that the description of who they were looking for described me perfectly. I checked out the website and thought that this was something I had to find out about. A few minutes after I applied I had an interview set up and a few days later I was signing my contract. I did online training to earn my “Disney College of Knowledge” ears and started earning a small commission on all my own trips and trips I booked for friends and family. I am happy to say in about 9 months (working part time) I have booked more trips than I have dreamed of. I have met tons of new people and have been referred to friends and family members of clients all over the country. Once people discover that my services really are 100% FREE and they don’t pay a penny more than booking with Disney directly, they are sold. It is a lot of hard work but I love it. There are nights where I am up until 1 AM planning out perfect trips for clients. I love seeing pictures of trips and hearing about how magical things were. I also love that I only book Disney. Why book with someone who just completed some Disney training when you can book with someone who has worked there?!

Like I had said, I am a perfectionist and I always strive to exceed client’s expectations. I will never sell you something you don’t need, pressure you into booking, book your trip then disappear, etc. I loved working for Disney because everything was done honestly and as perfect as possible. It is more important to me that you get a great deal and that your trip is perfect than the money I make off your trip. Honestly the more your trip is, the more commission I make so it would be easy to sell add-ons and not advertise discounts to make more money. I am not about that. It is a business that I take very seriously and I know that as I grow my business doing a great job and getting people great deals is going pay off with referrals and repeat customers. From my prompt responses to your sendoff package to asking for feedback and pictures of your trip, I am personally invested in your travel experience. Now… would you call me a “travel agent”?

*faith, trust, & pixie dust!*

Julie Hauck *o*

MickeyTravels, LLC

1-513-313-9531 (cell)

julie@mickeytravels.com

www.mickeytravels.com

Read my Disney Blog!

“Like” my fan page on Facebook!