At Least the Engines Work - Disney Dream Takes Shape

Our three day cruise on the Disney Dream is almost 8 months away. Seem far away until I hear things like, "they tested the engines and they work" and "the maiden voyage is only 180 days away".

When I see the announcement that they added water to the pools, I will feel more secure.

Here's what my ship looks like today:

Harry Potter Grand Opening Online - Like Being There Without the Humidity

Wish you could attend the opening of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter?

Me too.

So maybe I can't actually be there but I am marking my calendar for the super-nerdy online opening where I can watch from the comfort of my own home. Muggle t-shirt optional.

Maybe it's not as "cool" as being there, but at least there are no lines.

*******************
WHEN:
Celebrity Preview* -- Wednesday, June 16 from 9:30 - 10:00 PM EDT
Official Public Grand Opening -- Friday, June 18 from 9:00 - 9:30 AM EDT

NOTES: Go to www.UniversalOrlando.com/HarryPotterNews and click on the LIVE FEED button at the top left of the home page (next to the RSS feeds button)

Live updates from the grand opening events will also be shared on Universal Orlando Resort's Twitter page - www.twitter.com/UORnews.

~Davina

Disney Cruise: So Close Yet So Far

My family cruise on the Disney Dream is not until March of 2011 but Disney wants to make sure we are all excited.

Yesterday in the mail we received a reminder of our cruise-- like I would ever forget. Check out the personalized card. Disney knows how to make a gal feel special.

~Davina

"Hey look kids, Big Ben, Parliament." - Clark Griswold

Before I had kids I remember saying to my husband, "I don't want anything to change about our lifestyle. I want to travel just as much. I want to spend as much time on my hair. I want to watch the same TV that I would have if kids were not in the room."

Obviously, I was completely mistaken.

Two and a half years later, my oldest son controls the TV remote with an iron fist. My hair has been in a ponytail for the better part of two years. And travel... well actually that's the one thing that remained somewhat the same.

Before kids I was always on the way to someplace else. Business trips blurred into pleasure trips and frequent flier miles added up. I would stand at the front of the line with my gold encrusted magic flier card and shrug as families with entire living rooms for carry on baggage watched me board with only a laptop and purse. I glared at kids who screamed on flights. I mentally willed the woman with the infant in arms to sit anywhere but next to me. 

In my second life as a parent,  my gold travel magical front-ofthe-line card has expired and I have joined the masses of families waiting for the red carpet business travelers to make their way onto the plane. Instead of glaring, I get glared at.

I love to travel. I think I may have some gypsy blood in me and I want more than anything to pass this love to my children. So far we have done the safe family trips. Disney, Disney, and Disney. Beach vacations and the mother of all vacations, Hawaii. One location remains uncharted, Europe. So it was with interest that I read the article, Travel to Europe on a Family Budget in the May 2010 issue of Parents magazine. 

After reading the article I realized that I have been playing my vacations child-safe. Europe is possible with small children, you just have to be smart about your choices. I was thinking in terms of big foreign cities with even bigger toddler melt-downs -no thanks. However, there are more than enough alternatives off the big city grid to satisfy all ages. 

Take Ireland for example. I have been two times as an adult. Dublin - loved it. But now? With kids? What would we even do? Well skip Dublin completely of course. What kid wouldn't love a horse and buggy ride around the Aran Islands? Or explore some really old castles or even older caves. It didn't dawn on me until reading Ms. Klurman's article that this same logic could be applied to most every European country.

The question really is, is traveling overseas with children under 10 worth the hassle? Depends. If your goal is to sit in a Parisian bistro, smoke cigarettes and drink a glass of red wine... well, a toddler may cramp your style. I would suggest hitting up Epcot faux-France and pretend. They have red wine. A smaller version of the Eiffel Tour and a smoking section if you must.


Chances are I will stick with the kid friendly vacations for now. But as the boys get older and the itch to broaden our travel repertoire grows I will think back on my pre-kids travel self with fondness and chart a new travel path that the whole family can enjoy.

Happy Travels!


~Davina

Go Go Kidz TravelMate Review

There was a time in my life when I would check out another woman's pocketbook or shoes. So imagine my surprise when I found myself ignoring the Louis Vuitton carry on bag and instead checking out another woman's infant car seat hand roller. I watched with admiration as a mother pulled her two children through the airport. Both kids snugly attached in their car seat, this super-mom rolled them easily through the check-in line at Orlando's airport. "I must have that", I thought to myself.

Knowing an airline trip was coming up with a car seat required at our destination, I started my research. All signs pointed to a giant headache manually carrying car seat, stroller, baby, and luggage. So what was the magical device this woman used to transport her children?

Turns out, she was using a Go Go Kidz TravelMate.

What is is: A piece of plastic with two wheels that attaches to your car seat. The buckle that holds the Go Go Kidz and the car seat together is pretty simple. If you have ever ratcheted ski boots, this will seem strikingly similar.


What it is not: Useful in any other capacity than pulling (or pushing) through airports and train stations.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the equivalent of the invention of the disposable diaper), I would give it around a 5. It does the job it is supposed to do and it freed up our hands for wrangling everything else. Mission complete. However, there were some things I would love to see the 2.0 version do.

• It cannot roll onto the plane. Not really their fault as the plane aisles are small. You just need to know that there will be some disassembling and reassembling on your journey.
• It cannot be attached to the car seat while on the plane. I would love a version of this product that could somehow transform itself into plane seat compatible so no overhead space is needed.
• It does not like to lean against walls. When not attached to you car seat the product is in the way... all the time. something that prevents it from rolling so you can lean it against a wall would be nice.
• It does not fit every car seat ever made. A tall order, I know.
• There are x-ray machines that this product will not fit through. We had to have it hand checked by security at Logan. It went through fine in Maui... go figure.

All in all, I was thankful I had this with me. Until they make a car seat that can convert into a roll-on (now there's an idea) I say go for it if you have the extra $70. It saved some headaches, it was easy to hook up and take off (for the most part) and I received a few envious glances myself as I rolled with ease through the airport.

Some notes on where to buy: I bought my version through Amazon. I tried the Go Go Kidz website and found the check-out process clunky. I trust Amazon and they delivered the product within a week.

Happy Travels!

~Davina