Tag Archive for: Portage Travel Agents

5 apps to download before your next Disney vacation

There’s a lot to think about when preparing for any vacation – flights, reservations, packing, pet care, etc. Do you ever use apps when you travel? Like everything else in the digital world, there is an overabundance of travel apps, but choosing the right ones can help you stay organized. Here are my top 5 suggestions for apps to download before your next Disney vacation.


Weather
Of course we all want blue skies and warm temperatures but let’s be realistic. Rain happens. The app that comes with your phone may suffice but if you want detailed hourly predictions, you’ll want something a little more robust like Dark Sky, AccuWeather or The Weather Channel.

Airline
If you don’t already have your airline’s app, you should definitely download it before you fly. Not only can you download your boarding pass for easy access but you will also get updates if there are any changes to your flights. Pro tip: After you download your boarding pass, take a screenshot of it just in case you run into issues with the app when boarding.

Ride Share
Sometimes it’s faster to call Uber or Lyft rather than take Disney transportation, especially if you have an early morning character breakfast or a super tired toddler who can’t wait in bus lines at the end of the day. Make sure you have both of these apps downloaded before you go. If you’re using one of them for the first time, use my referral links for a discount. Click here for Lyft and here for Uber (or use promo code cheris1827ui for Uber). 

My Disney Experience
You must download this app. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Just download this app! You will have the entire Walt Disney World in the palm of your hands with attraction wait
times, showtimes, park hours, park maps, dining reservations and so much more.

Play Disney Parks
We all know that wait times can be difficult when traveling with children. This new app offers interactive experiences, games, trivia and other fun while you wait for shows and attractions
(or if you just need to take a break from the rides). For instance, when you’re waiting for an attraction in a galaxy far far away, you and your family can interact with droids, take on jobs to help outpost residents or help your faction in the battle between the Resistance and the First Order.


If you’re looking to streamline your travel experience, you’ll find these apps to be extremely helpful. Once you have your travel apps downloaded, I suggest creating a folder to put them all in. Voila!

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New Secrets properties unveiled in Riviera Maya!

AMResorts, known for their collection of luxury resort destinations, has announced the opening of two new Secrets-branded properties in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The resorts, scheduled to open December 1, 2021, are located on a white sandy beach within Corasol, a gated community with an 18-hole golf course. If that’s not enough golf for you or your loved one, the resorts are a short five-minute drive from the Mayakoba, an 18-hole golf course designed by the famed Greg Norman.

Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen and Secrets Impression Moxché Playa del Carmen will both offer a variety of luxury amenities, including:

  • Gourmet cuisine by world-renowned chefs
  • Three man-made cenotes (underground chamber/cave for snorkeling, swimming or floating)
  • Seven heated pools
  • One interior, beach-inspired pool designed for intimate gatherings
  • Close proximity to snorkeling, diving, and the famous 5th Avenue in Playa del Carmen, a 5-mile pedestrian-only walkway dedicated to tourists
  • Breathtaking rooftop sky wedding gazebo overlooking the Caribbean Sea
  • Contemporary sports bar to watch games, unwind and socialize
  • Expansive Spa by Pevonia® with elevated focus on wellness 

The names of the resorts are so similar. What are the differences? 

Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen will offer 485 rooms, including the Preferred Club and Secrets’ signature Unlimited-Luxury concept. All suites will have luxurious rain showers, Nespresso machines, and large terraces. These gorgeous suites will feature exquisite architecture and the finest comforts that allow for private celebrations, cocktails, events and relaxation. There will be nine unique dining selections, including seven à la carte restaurants, one buffet, Barefoot Grill, and Coco Café.

Preferred Club guests at this resort will enjoy additional upgraded offerings, including large upscale enhanced suites. There is also a rooftop terrace offering magnificent views of Cozumel with a private lounge, bar, infinity swimming pool and exclusive restaurant. Preferred Club also offers an upgraded mini-bar and special access to Secrets Impression Moxché Playa del Carmen’s author’s signature restaurant for an additional cost.

Secrets Impression Moxché Playa del Carmen introduces the exquisite and highly unique Impression concept to the Secrets brand. Think upscale lavish suites, extravagant beachfront villas and a more private personalized experience for those looking for the highest level of luxury. The suites, which begin at 947 square feet, include a full marble bathroom with rain shower, furnished balcony or terrace with marble soaking tub, Nespresso machines and more. Some suites come with elevated concierge and butler service. In addition to the nine restaurants at Secrets Moxché Playa del Carmen, Secrets Impression Moxché Playa del Carmen boasts three exclusive Impression restaurants – the rooftop Impression restaurant, complimentary access to the author’s signature restaurant with a daily rotating set menu and wine pairing, and a beachfront restaurant.

Secrets Impression Moxché Playa del Carmen Rendering

Both resorts will offer green practices and will feature the CleanComplete Verification protocols on property.

If you’re looking for an all-inclusive vacation that offers sun-soaked beaches, elegant accommodations and a next-level luxury experience, contact me today so we can determine which resort is right for you. 

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Tickets now available for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights brings together the stories and visions of the world’s most notorious creators of horror. From cinematic greats and crazed current cult favorites to the park’s original abominations—every year, the legend grows and the experience reaches beyond your wildest nightmares.

As the sun sets on days filled with thrills in all of Universal’s theme parks, the night awakens with a frightening chill at Universal Studios Florida™. Surrounded in shadow by screams and mad laughter, you’re never quite sure if your spine is tingling with dread or sheer excitement. Step by step, you enter into terrifying haunted houses, inspired by the biggest names in horror. Face nightmarish creatures on streets twisted into sinister scare zones. Lose yourself in outrageous live shows filled with diabolically entertaining surprises. Then escape to some of Universal Studios’ most exhilarating attractions where heart pounding takes on a different meaning—until the horror calls you back.

Halloween Horror Nights is select nights Sept. 3–Oct. 31. Contact me today to reserve your tickets to the world’s premier Halloween event!

WARNING: EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. NO COSTUMES OR MASKS ALLOWED. Separately ticketed event. Event occurs rain or shine. No rain checks, returns or refunds. Dates, times, attractions and entertainment are subject to availability and may change without notice. Free self-parking after 6pm is not valid for Halloween Horror Nights™. Other restrictions may apply. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2018 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.

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Tickets Now on Sale for ‘Disney After Hours Boo Bash’!

Disney After Hours Boo Bash tickets are now on sale! Join in the spooky fun at Magic Kingdom with three hours of lower wait times for 20+ favorite attractions, ghostly Character Cavalcades, trick-or-treating, and performances from the Cadaver Dans. 

Disney After Hours Boo Bash will take place on select nights from August 10 through October 31 (dates below)

You may enter the Magic Kingdom as early as 7:00pm giving you even more time to enjoy park favorites before the event begins! These dated tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or Disney Park Pass theme park reservation.

Admission to Disney After Hours Boo Bash can be purchased online for $129 to $199 per adult or child (plus tax), depending on the event date. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can take advantage of a $10 discount on event dates in August and September.

Boo Bash Dates:

  • Tuesday, August 10   
  • Tuesday, August 17               
  • Friday, August 20                   
  • Tuesday, August 24               
  • Friday, August 27                   
  • Tuesday, August 31               
  • Friday, September 3              
  • Sunday, September 5            
  • Tuesday, September 7
  • Friday, September 10
  • Sunday, September 12
  • Tuesday, September 14
  • Friday, September 17
  • Sunday, September 19
  • Tuesday, September 21
  • Friday, September 24
  • Tuesday, October 5
  • Friday, October 8
  • Sunday, October 10
  • Tuesday, October 12
  • Friday, October 15
  • Sunday, October 17
  • Tuesday, October 19
  • Friday, October 22
  • Sunday, October 24
  • Tuesday, October 26
  • Friday, October 29
  • Sunday, October 31

Contact me today to book your Boo Bash tickets!

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Dining on the New Disney Wish

The new Disney Wish cruise ship is taking dining to a whole new level. You will find places to grab a bite in the three themed districts with everything to quick casual fare to a smoothie bar to a poolside bar and chic café.

However, the true magic happens at dinner. The Wish will debut three new dining concepts that incorporate dinner into various Disney stories. There’s a reason they are called dining concepts – they go way beyond dining in a restaurant and instead offer an entertainment experience along with world-class
cuisine.

The first is Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure. This first-ever Frozen-themed dining experience features all your favorite characters – Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf – in an immersive show while you enjoy a menu influenced by Nordic dishes.

The second venue, Worlds of Marvel, will appeal to Avengers fans as you play an interactive role in this cinematic adventure. The menu will feature worldly items inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The third experience, 1923, is named for the year that The Walt Disney Company was founded. Imagine
a celebration of this golden age of animation while choosing from a menu of fresh California-inspired
cuisine.

Each of these three new concepts promises to deliver its own unique experience with something to offer everyone in the family.

If you want to experience the new Disney Wish and these amazing staterooms, contact me today.

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AquaMouse – Only Available on the New Disney Wish!

The Disney Wish, the newest ship with Disney Cruise line, will begin sailing in 2022, and in the usual Disney fashion, they are pulling out all the stops.

The AquaMouse, a two-seater aqua coaster, is the first Disney attraction at sea. It wouldn’t be a Disney ride without a story line, and on AquaMouse, Mickey and Minnie have started their own seaside excursion company named Port Misadventures.

At the beginning of the ride, you’ll cruise through a tunnel while enjoying an animated short with sea creatures, Disney characters, music and 60+ water effects.

Don’t get too comfortable! At the end of the tunnel, you’ll blast out for a ride around the upper decks, including a funnel with lighting effects, a quick dash through a dark tunnel, and up and down a series of speed blasters. Finish up with a loop over the edge of the ship (yes, you will see the ocean below you) and a splash landing with a parting message from Mickey and Minnie.

The AquaMouse promises to be a fun adventure for the entire family!

Book a cruise on the Disney Wish to experience AquaMouse for yourself!

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Three new Sandals resorts are coming to Jamaica

Sandals Resorts is converting two all-inclusive Jamaican properties, along with a land parcel in Ocho Rios, into three Sandals resort experiences under the Sandals and Beaches brands.

Sandals will convert the former Jewel Dunn’s River Beach Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios and the Jewel Runaway Bay Beach Resort & Waterpark, both acquired last year, plus beachfront land adjacent to the Ocho Rios resort, into three properties: Sandals Dunn’s River; an adjacent, 250-room Sandals Royal Dunn’s River oceanfront property and a new Beaches Runaway Bay resort.

Sandals Dunn’s River will undergo a “top to bottom” renovation. Sandals Dunn’s River will offer a total of 260 rooms including 48 signature SkyPool Suites, a first for Jamaica, which will feature a private cantilevered, solar-heated plunge pool with infinity edge. 12 Swim-up Rondoval™ Suites with many featuring a “Rooftop Terrace” will also grace the property – both signature Love Nest Butler Suites® for the ultimate in privacy and service; 10 restaurants including a specialty rum bar inside the brand’s newest Latin Fusion restaurant concept Azuka and 9 bars; 7 pools including 2 river pools and Red Lane® Spa.

The sister hotels will operate in much the same manner as the concept that Sandals developed between Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados, with exchange privileges between the two all-inclusive resorts. They will be offering “generous” exchange privileges between the two all-inclusive resorts, including multiple dining and amenity options.

The Runaway Bay resort, located between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, will also undergo “extensive redevelopment” becoming Beaches’ third Jamaican property. The redeveloped resort will feature 400 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom suites, designed “with extended families in mind,” said officials. Guests of Beaches Runaway Bay will have access to Runaway Bay Golf Club and its par-72, 18-hole championship golf course.

The Dunn’s River property returns to the Sandals portfolio as Sandals Dunn’s River, the same name the property utilized when Sandals first purchased the resort in 1990. “Sandals Dunn’s River holds special meaning to our family because its history is the story of Jamaica’s evolution as a travel powerhouse,” said Adam Stewart, Sandals executive chairman.

“My father grew up on the beach in Ocho Rios and this hotel, the first of its kind when it was built in the 1950s, captured the era’s glamour and sparked his imagination,” he said. “When it became available, we jumped at the chance to bring the hotel back into the Sandals fold.”

Sandals has targeted completion of the new Sandals Dunn’s River for fourth quarter 2022. Phase II is the creation of sister-property Sandals Royal Dunn’s River, which will be adjacent and offer generous exchange privileges with a slated completion in 2023.

Stewart says the new Sandals Dunn’s River was the last project he and his late father collaborated on and is an homage to the natural beauty of their beloved Jamaica, with water pulled and circulated from natural reserves and the brand’s signature suites being a prominent feature.

For additional information about these three amazing new properties, contact me today!

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A new AMResort is coming to Mazatlan, Mexico

Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán will be located on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, across from the tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Estrella del Mar, a private gated golf and residential community just over five miles from Mazatlán’s International Airport (MZT). This will be the first Dreams Resorts & Spas in Mazatlan – the destination known as the “Pearl of the Pacific.”

Features of the 350-room resort include:

  • An elegant design with locally sourced materials, highlighting the natural beauty and vegetation on-site
  • 350 beachfront suites, including 29 swim-out suites and a separate adults-only section
  • A prime location along a central pedestrian walkway
  • 5 gourmet restaurants featuring diverse international cuisines
  • Multiple pools, an aquatic park and a lazy river, all of which face the Pacific Ocean
  • A theater and a convention center for up to 700 people, overlooking an 18-hole professional golf course

The property will also have an 1,800-square-foot, state-of-the-art spa and wellness center that will incorporate elements of the resort’s surroundings, including water elements and natural light, inspiring a connection to nature. The spa will also feature a hydrotherapy area with waterfalls, whirlpools, geysers, a panoramic sauna and a hammam, and all of the treatment rooms will have private terraces.

AMResorts has not yet provided a date of when Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlán will open.

For more information about this resort or to book your next stay at an all-inclusive resort, contact me today!

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Staterooms on the New Disney Wish

What do you think of when someone mentions Disney Imagineers? You most likely think of the theme parks and the rides. However, Disney also employs imagineers to design their cruise ships, and they have been actively involved with the design of the staterooms on the newest ship, the Disney Wish.

The Wish Tower Suite is the first-ever suite that is in the funnel of the ship (the most iconic feature of a cruise ship, which was initially designed as a smokestack.) This incredible suite, which looks over the upper decks, has two master bedrooms, a children’s room with bunk beds, a library that can be converted to another bedroom and incredible views. It is comparable to the suite in Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

You’ll also find a handful of other suites themed after Moana, Tangled, The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. The four royal suites that celebrate Sleeping Beauty are available as 1- or 2-story suites, all of which include two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an extensive living area, open dining room, pantry and hot tub on the private verandah. Seven of the oceanview rooms, with The Little Mermaid theme, have angled floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bow. Those who book one of the 76 concierge staterooms and suites will receive premium service and access to exclusive areas and amenities, including the Concierge Lounge, private sun deck, wading pool, bar and a dedicated pool deck host.

You don’t have to book a suite to enjoy all the magic and whimsy of the Disney stories. Each stateroom has just enough magic while still feeling comfortable, cozy and restful. These peaceful retreats were designed with families in mind, offering roomy closets, storage space under the beds, split bathrooms, and bathtubs for getting the little ones scrubby clean. Some of the staterooms have connecting doors for larger families along with partitions between verandahs that can be opened for a larger balcony. Speaking of verandahs, 70% of the staterooms will have them.

Regardless of which accommodations you choose on the Disney Wish, you and your family will be delighted with the amenities and magical Disney touches that are to be found in every inch of your room.

If you want to experience the new Disney Wish and these amazing staterooms, contact me today.

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Vision of the Seas will be sailing from Bermuda

If you are looking to soak up the sun and walk the pink sand beaches of Bermuda and the white sandy beaches of The Bahamas this summer need look no further than Vision of the Seas. Beginning June 2021 and sailing through August 2021, Royal Caribbean will bring more adventure to the tropics with a series of new 7-night cruises from first-time homeport Bermuda. sail on Vision is an overnight to explore Bermuda’s culture, history and cuisine as well as a full day at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s top-rated private island destination in The Bahamas.  

Sailing with vaccinated crew, the cruises – at this time – will be available to adult guests who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and those under the age of 18 with negative test results. This current health and safety measure, like others, may evolve as they are evaluated on an ongoing basis.

“We are thankful to the government and people of Bermuda for welcoming us to their beautiful island nation with open arms as Vision of the Seas’ new homeport. This is another step in our safe and measured return to sailing beginning in June,”

“Travelers are eager to venture out gradually and start cruising again. By adding a second unique option to sail the Caribbean from a destination as rich and vibrant as Bermuda, we’re offering guests choice in how they can enjoy their well-deserved vacations this summer.”

Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International

The pink sand beaches and charming, colorful homes of Bermuda will be where you will start and end your 7-night cruise in paradise, a destination that is also a prime spot to extend your time ashore, before or after the cruise, by staying at one of the island’s world-class hotels and resorts. While Vision is docked at the Royal Naval Dockyard, you can enjoy quality time exploring the island nation’s culture and natural beauty throughout an overnight stay.

Plus, you will have the chance to add to the excitement with a visit to Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay. The private island destination is home to a lineup of first-of-their-kind thrills and one-of-a-kind ways to chill, ranging from 13 jaw-dropping waterslides at Thrill Waterpark, including the tallest waterslide in North America – Daredevil’s Peak; Oasis Lagoon, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean; Up, Up & Away, the helium balloon that floats up to 450 feet in the air; and the first floating cabanas in The Bahamas at Coco Beach Club.

Contact me today to book your sailing on Vision of the Seas!

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