Today we received some of the most anticipated updates as it pertains to Walt Disney World, mainly the Park Reservation System.  I promise to condense this down as much as possible, but let's just jump right into the details.
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EXISTING TICKET HOLDERS

• Guests that currently have a Walt Disney World Resort Reservation WITH either Valid Theme Park Tickets or Annual Pass will be able to make Park Reservations on Monday June 22nd.  These MUST be linked in My Disney Experience.   
• Guests that currently have an Annual Pass WITHOUT a Walt Disney World Resort Reservation will be able to make Park Reservations on Friday June 26th.
• Other existing ticket holders that do not fall in the previous categories will be able to make Park Reservations on Sunday June 28th. 

NEW TICKET SALES & PACKAGES

• New Disney Resort hotel packages and theme park tickets for 2021 will go on sale by Sunday June 28th.
• Based on availability, sales of 2020 Disney Resort hotel packages and tickets will go on sale at a later time yet to be determined.

NOTABLE ITEMS

• If you have a Walt Disney World room only reservation for 2020, in order to make a Park Reservation you must have a valid Theme Park Ticket.  Your RTR Travel Professional can add the tickets to your reservation beginning on Wednesday June 24th.  Once this is added and linked through your My Disney Experience, you will be able to make Park Reservations.
• You can only reserve ONE park per day.  At this time, Park Hopping is not an option for your Theme Park Tickets.

If you are thinking about a Walt Disney World trip in 2021, please let your Travel Professional know as soon as possible.  With the current reservation setup and resort availability, we will want to get you reserved as soon as possible when the window opens so you don't have to stress!  Our professionals are on top of all the updates and are prepared to handle your vacation plans.
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Stay tuned into the RTR Travel Blog as we do have some more WDW updates to share, but we wanted to get this one out first to help aid our 2020 Walt Disney World clients!

As more businesses begin opening in the United States, we are also seeing some of our favorite islands and resorts beginning to open too!  This week we received important information from our partners at Sandals in regards to their opening plan throughout the Caribbean.  It's important to note that all of these dates are subject to change, so please verify with your Travel Professional when beginning to plan your next big adventure! 

Let's run down the islands and resorts so that we can start planning your great summer or fall esacape!

Antigua - Island reopened to Tourism on June 4th
Sandals Grand Antigua - Open Now!

Jamaica - Island reopens to Tourism on June 16th 
Sandals Montego Bay - Opens June 16th
Sandals Royal Caribbean - Opens July 2nd
Sandals Negril - Opens August 7th
Sandals Ochi - Opens September 3rd
Sandals South Coast - Opens October 1st
Sandals Royal Plantation - Opens October 8th

Bahamas - Island Reopens to Tourism on July 2nd
Sandals Emerald Bay - Opens July 2nd
Sandals Royal Bahamian - Opens November 1st

Saint Lucia - Island Reopens to Tourism on July 7h
Sandals Grande St. Lucian - Opens July 7th
Sandals Regency La Toc - Opens July 14th
Sandals Halcyon Beach - Opens November 1st

Grenada - Island Reopens to Tourism on July 7th
Sandals Grenada - Opens July 7th

Barbados - TBD on date for Reopening to Tourism
Sandals Barbados - Open TBD
Sandals Royal Barbados - Open TBD

​There is still time to take that romantic getaway with your partner this year!  Remember the Caribbean is Calling Your Name and Road to Relaxation Travel can plan your Next Big Getaway!!  Your Travel Professional is up to date on all the entry requirements for each island along with any resort specific procedures.  We are always here to ensure we put the Relaxation back into your Vacation! ​

Universal Orlando opened to onsite guests and Annual Passholders (with reservations) on June 3rd & June 4th!  We headed down to Florida on the 3rd to check into Hard Rock Hotel and see what was happening here at Universal! We arrived at Hard Rock Hotel and were immediately impressed with all the safety measures Universal is taking to keep their guests safe.   Here are some of things they are doing:

• There are social distancing markers and reminders everywhere.
• Most lines have been moved to virtual.
• You are given hand sanitizer before boarding any ride.
• 3D Glasses are handed out individually.
• You are loaded in a social distancing manner at all attractions by party size.
• Most Quick Service locations have mobile ordering available.
• You wait to be seated at a table at most Quick Service locations to accommodate social distancing.
• Hotel rooms are not being serviced while guests are checked in to the resort.  They are cleaning after guests leave and trying to leave rooms empty for at least 24 hours.
• There are signs recommending that only one party at a time ride in each elevator.  
• Team Members are constantly sanitizing high touch areas.​

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​Our experience has been absolutely amazing.  Team Members are friendly and cheerful as usual.   Everyone has been really helpful and polite even when they have to remind us to wear our masks or to social distance.   There has been very little inconvenience in all of the changes.

We do have the Unlimited Express due to staying at one of the Premier Onsite Hotels.  I feel like this is even more important than during previous visits.   Many attractions only have the option for a Virtual Line or an Express Pass.  Having the Express Pass keeps us from having to be on our Universal App throughout the day trying to get an Express Pass.   

Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure does now have a virtual line.   This is a nice change from when the parks were open previously.   It still does not have an Express Pass.

There has been lots of concern about wearing face coverings in the parks.  Honestly, it is hot at times.   And some of my masks were itchy at times.  However most of the time, it is simply not a big deal.   We saw many children wearing masks throughout the parks and we did not witness one meltdown.  We met one mother and daughter who had a different mask themed for each land in the parks.  There were so many creative masks including three versions sold by Universal.  Personally I took two face coverings each day.  I took a neck gaiter and a mask.  I really liked wearing the neck gaiter on the attractions as I didn't have any concerns about it flying off.  However every once in awhile I wanted to switch out to a mask just to have a different fabric on my face.   

Lockers are in use for many rides and the lines there with the social distancing and sanitizing can get long.  That was probably the largest hiccup I saw at Universal.  As always, we recommend doing Universal without a bag, if at all possible, to best utilize your time.

Overall, we are extremely impressed with how Universal is protecting their guests.   We are enjoying our visit and haven't found much hassle in the new procedures at all.   If you are ready to travel, let your Road To Relaxation Travel know.   Universal Orlando would be a good place to start!

Yesterday we listened in to Walt Disney World's presentation for their proposed re-opening that was given to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force.  This might be the most excited we have been in months!  After the presentation was given, the Task Force voted to have the plan proceed to the Orange County Mayor and ultimately on to the Governor of Florida for final approval.  Once final approval is received, they are proposing to open beginning on July 11th.  Now, let's dive into the details as we know there are a lot of excited people that have been anxiously awaiting this news, including your favorite Travel Professionals!

The plan presented to Task Force focuses on a phased approach to park opening by first opening Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11th, followed by Hollywood Studios and Epcot on July 15th.  There are a lot of other notable items in the proposal  including:

• Touchless temperature checks at all Main Entrances to the Theme Parks
• Required face coverings while on property for all guests over 2 years of age
• Hand Washing and Sanitizing Stations at appropriate locations throughout the parks
• Plexiglass at points of sale in retail and F&B where distancing can't be maintained
• Reduced capacity of theme parks, restaurants, retail attractions, buses, monorails, and other transportation that enables appropriate physical distancing
• Temporarily suspends parades, fireworks, and other events that creates crowds
• Temporarily suspends character meet and greets
• Contactless payments with Magic Bands, Apple Pay, and Google Pay
• Further enable mobile ordering
• Suspension of high touch interactions

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The biggest item that was announced was in order to aid in the reduction of capacity at the Theme Parks, they will be implementing a Theme Park Reservation System.  I’m sure you have questions and what we can tell you now is there will be more to come on how this system will work.  Your Travel Professional will be on top of the changes so that they can help navigate these new waters.

There are items coming out daily on changes that will affect how you experience Walt Disney World in the future.  Our recommendation is to take it all in stride and as your trusted advisor, your Travel Professional will be there the entire way. 
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If you have ever been on the fence about utilizing our services, we can say now more than ever this, no cost to you, service will be priceless!  Some people are so excited to head to Disney even with all the restrictions (that would be us!), however this might not be the best time for a Walt Disney World vacation for all of our clients.   We understand that completely and are still able to help you with many other destinations.  We are excited that Walt Disney World is coming back online and look forward to helping you in the future wherever you may decide to travel! 

Source:  Walt Disney World Theme Parks Re-Opening,  5/27/2020

Today we sat in on the live broadcast of the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, and were able to listen to the presentation given by Universal Orlando on their proposed reopening of their theme parks.  The Task Force approved the measures presented and it now goes to the Governor of Florida for his approval.  If approved, then Universal Orlando can begin implementing their plan. 

The plan that was presented by Universal Orlando to the Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force builds off the successful opening of City Walk to begin the transition for the parks. Currently the proposal is to open the parks to the general public on June 5th.  In the period from June 1st to June 4th they have trial runs that will occur to test the measures that have been implemented.  We obtained a copy of the "COVID-19 RE-OPENING PLAN, Phase 2" and have noted a few highlights below:

• Staggered parking will be implemented
• Valet parking will be suspended
• Guest temperature checks at parking or main entrance (forehead non-contact) 
• Guests found with 100.4 degree temperature or more will be requested to see a doctor and not visit the theme park that day 
• All guests will be required to wear masks
• Capacity will be reduced in the park and at attractions to ensure safe social distancing
• Close interactive play areas
• Increased utilization of the Mobile App
• Hand out 3D glass individually
• Reduce or eliminate water/mist elements
• Implement Virtual Line at highly attended attractions  
• Eliminate Single Rider Line
• Eliminate post show meet & greets; performer remain stage for pictures  
• No parades to run; individual float interactions to have performers remain on floats  
• Menus to be converted to single use  
• No buffet or self serve options in restaurants
• Utilize Mobile Food Ordering to enable direct to table seating and food delivery 
• Contactless payments offered with Apple Pay and Google Wallet and mobile wallet in APP  
• Team Members will perform a self-temperature checks at home and upon arrival to work; TMs with 100.4 degree temperature or more/flu-like symptoms will be sent home  

We are extremely excited that the first step has been taken.  Our Travel Professionals are well versed in all things Universal Orlando and are here to help you plan your next big adventure!

Source:  COVID-19 RE-OPENING PLAN, Phase 2, 5/21/2020

Next... Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas!

Adventure of the Seas is a small ship, that sails part time out of Cape Liberty, NJ. My first impression was that Royal Caribbean really knows what they are doing with their interior spaces. It felt familiar, even though I hadn't been on this particular class of Royal Caribbean ship before! The one downside was that the staterooms hallways are very narrow and have an outdated color scheme. 

I cannot wait to see what the Adventure of the Seas looks like after she has been Royal Amplified in 2021! ​

So, four ships and a LOT of flights of stairs later, what did I learn? 
- There is a ship for absolutely everyone leaving out of the NY/NJ area. 
- Smaller ships can have JUST as much to do as larger ones!
- I still have YET to have a bad meal on-board a ship inspection.
- It is impossible to see an entire ship in a few hours, regardless of size!
- And finally... I really need more comfortable shoes!

​I will admit, up until a few weeks ago I had no idea where all of this resided within the galaxy.  Yes, I was one of the very few people in the world that had not watched any of the Star Wars movies.  Now, before you go doubting my ability to navigate through Galaxy’s Edge, I am a quick learner and the force is with me.  Upon getting sound advice from all of my Star Wars expert friends, I settled in to watching Episode IV, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi prior to my adventure to Disneyland.  I was assured by these aficionados I would be in good shape and completely understand what I’m doing while visiting this galaxy!  

​Not to bore you with my new-found fondness of these movies, I armed myself with a fresh mind of knowledge and was to ready join the Rebel Alliance and take on what may come my way!  One item my friends at Disneyland failed to remember….my crew is not the morning type….thanks guys, our reservation for Galaxy’s Edge was for 8:00 am.  We had been recommended to show up 2 hours early to get our wristbands from the concierge host at the Disneyland Hotel.  Let’s see here, wake up wife and son at 5:15 am, hope they get ready with at least one eye open, and have them excited to see this new land after a walk from the hotel to the park.  This doesn’t sound like a monumental task at all….I’ve got this.  Plus I can spin it that it really isn’t 5:15 am….it’s really 8:15 am on the East Coast where we live, so you aren’t getting up too early!  Fast forward to Friday morning and we are off, walking across Downtown Disney from the Disneyland Hotel to Disneyland park.  We are even having a conversation and everyone is awake!  This force stuff really works!

​I won’t spend too much time on the reservation process as it will end on June 24th; but if you are booked within this window we would be happy to walk you through in greater detail, just let us know.  We were armed with our wristbands along with several hundred of our closest friends…...now we wait until they escort us to the land.  The immersion into Galaxy’s Edge had begun.  As we ordered our breakfast from the Galactic Terrace, the cast members were quick to remind us that our methods of payment would work in galaxys far away.  Oh, I see what you did there….pretty clever!

​Making our way into Batuu, one can only marvel at the attention to detail that has been given to this special land.  There are so many decisions you can make and given the fact we had a 4-hour window, we had to be strategic with our planning.  We immediately put our name on the wait list for Oga’s Cantina, for which they will text you when they are ready for you to return to the line.  Also, remember you are completely immersed in Batuu.  You have a high chance of being stopped by Storm Troopers and enduring their interrogation.  If you don’t provide sufficient enough answers, you may be pulled into another location for additional questioning.  Here is where that binge watching of movies paid off….but I’m not going to spoil the surprise for you.  However, trust me have fun and get in character.  I could be convinced to give you some secrets if you reach out to me prior to your trip.  ;)

​We utilized all 4-hours of our time on Batuu.  We experienced Smuggler’s Run, Oga’s Cantina, Black Spire Outpost, building Droids, blue & green milk, and Coke bottles only found on Batuu.  We peaked into the scrapyard but did not participate in building any scrap metal.  Disney hit a homerun on the immersion!  How could one be surprised given the amount of detail in Pandora at Walt Disney World.  Smuggler’s Run has excitement around riding in the Millennium Falcon and having the opportunity to pilot it, but I do not see it as the main event.  It’s the experiences with Storm Troopers, hanging out in the Cantina, paying for your food or drinks in credits, building Droids or scrap metal that is going to steal the show.  Oh….if you build a Droid, you can bring it back to Batuu on future visits, but it does have to be contained.  Droids can be built with personality chips and they will interact with other Droids.  Ask me how I know….Yes, we have two now that like to talk to each other!  This blog just scratches the surface of Galaxy’s Edge.  I highly recommend you reach out to your Travel Professional to work on planning your trip.  If you have never been to Disneyland, there are so many reasons to experience it there and I would love to share more with you!  Reach out to your Travel Professional and we can schedule a time to discuss in more detail.  Don’t wait too long because the Force is With You!
  

Disney Cruise Line released Fall 2020 itineraries today, with a few new surprises!  See below for some of the highlights and reach out to your favorite RTR Travel Professional to begin your planning today.  These cruises remain in high demand and the longer you wait, there will be less availability and prices will increase.  

Disney Magic
- October 2020 the Disney Magic will return to New York for sailings to Bermuda and Canada.  All cruises will feature Halloween on the High Seas! 
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Disney Wonder
- September 2020 the Disney Wonder will depart from San Diego to the cruise Baja and the Mexican Riviera.  Sailing will be for two, three, four, and five nights, also featuring Halloween on the High Seas!  There will be one special seven-night sailing to the Mexican Riviera and then a 14-night Panama Canal Crossing that departs Nov. 6, 2020.
- Late November 2020 the Disney Wonder will depart from Galveston, Texas, which will be the homeport for Very Merrytime Cruises.  These cruises will sail to the Caribbean and Bahamas.

Disney Fantasy
- Will continue to sail from Port Canaveral, FL and will have Halloween on the High Seas along with Very Merrytime Cruises.  The Fantasy will be sailing three, four, five, six, seven, and eight night Bahamian and Caribbean cruises.  

Disney Dream
- Will continue to sail from Port Canaveral, FL and will have Halloween on the High Seas along with Very Merrytime Cruises.  The Dream will be sailing three, and four night Bahamian cruises, including a day on Castaway Cay! 

Booking Dates
Platinum, Gold or Silver Castaway Club members, can take advantage of the opportunity to book fall 2020 itineraries before they go on sale to the general public on June 13, 2019.  Contact your RTR Travel Professional to get started!

June 10, 2019: Platinum Members
June 11, 2019: Platinum and Gold Members
June 12, 2019: Platinum, Gold and Silver Members
June 13, 2019: all Guests

You can also fill out the Request for Quote form to have one of our Professionals reach out to you with a free quote.  You can request it here!

Imagine the excitement when opening up the shades from our aft balcony room and getting the first site of Royal Caribbean’s $250 million-dollar transformation of Coco Cay.  Royal Caribbean has gone all in by transforming their private island to include a new dock, thrilling waterpark, zip lines, and much more!  In the midst of this transformation, Royal Caribbean also branded it the “Perfect Day at Coco Cay.”

​My 16-year-old son Logan and I had the fortune to sail on Navigator of the Seas in early May and were the second sailing to experience the newly opened waterpark at Coco Cay.  We had booked a waterpark cabana ahead time that included our tickets to the waterpark.  The cabana price is good for 6 people.  We stepped off the ship and made the short walk to the entrance of the waterpark.  Entry was a breeze and we proceeded to the concierge hut to check into our cabana.  We were greeted by our cabana attendant that escorted us and showed us the ins and outs of what was included.  Each cabana includes water stored in a cooler that doubles as a table, usb outlets for charging, and lunch delivered from the Snack Shack.

​Now that we were all checked in, I couldn’t delay the inevitable anymore….yep….Daredevil’s Peak!  So, let’s summarize, I’m 41, in perfect dad shape, not so much a daredevil, but I put on a stone face to rock this slide!  We took off to the tower and it’s a pretty good walk up, with each new level you could see further over the horizon.  Fast forward, we are now 135’ up at the top and this easy going slide wraps around the tower all the way to the bottom.  I of course let Logan go first and as I’m waiting the worker looks at me and wants to know if I’m a little scared.  Who me?  Not in the least, Royal Caribbean will want me for the rest of the cruise…I’m in good hands.  So, I see the green light and conquer this behemoth….off I go and I must say it was an exhilarating ride down.  I won’t spoil it for those that will ride, but I will say they did a great job of catching you off guard towards the end.  After we conquered Daredevil’s Peak it was off to the other tower for more rides.  A couple of tips for the waterpark based on our day.  Sunscreen or rash guard is a must!  I know this might be common knowledge, but the Bahamian sun is hot and it burns!  Daredevil’s Tower is mostly shaded, but the Family Tower does have you in the sun a fair amount as you get closer to the top.  Needless to say there were lots of Coco Cay human lobsters by the end of the day.  

​One last tip for the waterpark is you can leave and get back in if you want to explore more of the island.  Lucky for you all, we did just that after our lunch.  For those that aren’t big waterpark fans, there is still plenty to explore and do on Coco Cay.  You can shop at the Straw Market, go hang out at the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean, Oasis Lagoon, or enjoy a beach day at Chill Island.  Later this year, South Beach Coco Beach Club will open giving you a few more options.  We chose to spend time on Chill Island and then venture over to the Oasis Lagoon.  Oasis Lagoon is definitely a party!  There is a swim up bar, loungers in water, places to sit, you name it including submerged tunes!  That’s right party people, you can get your jam on underwater with the DJ’s music playing.  If you can’t dance on land, maybe underwater is your calling!  You will not go hungry at all on Coco Cay and if you have a drink package the libations still flow or you can purchase with your Sea Pass card without a package.  Basically, you are on the ship, just a ship on land.  Also, towels are checked out prior to disembarking the ship and can be checked back in on embarkation.  

​Back to the original question at hand.  Is Coco Cay really the Perfect Day?  I will admit, I was a little skeptical at first, but Royal Caribbean hit a homerun with their remake.  We loved the waterpark and were definitely happy that we still had time to explore the other parts of the island.  Our only complaint is we weren’t ready to leave.  Indeed, it was a Perfect Day at Coco Cay!!

Let's face it, at some point in time you have been at Walt Disney World and ​got that Chef Mickey's or Ohana's reservation that your child desperately wanted, but there was the fun issue of not staying at that resort.  How much fun is it waking up before the sun comes up to make sure you were on time after you played the Disney transportation transfer game!  Oh, let's not forget that if you choose the monorail from Magic Kingdom, you might hit the "We are holding for traffic" jackpot!  Really what options do you have?  If your child is in a car or booster seat, then using a cab or rideshare is not the option.  You could have really planned ahead and rented a car, but then you have to add on parking fees, navigate Disney construction, and bring your car seats with you from home.  So after all of this, maybe we all are really stuck on the transportation merry go round however, we haven't brought up this wonderful piece of transportation called the Minnie Van!  

You are probably thinking to yourself, what is a Minnie Van?  Is it a tricked out Chevy Astro better yet maybe a Ford Aerostar!  The tricked out part is correct, as it will either be a SUV or Van that is decorated in a familiar color and pattern.  You guessed it, they are modeled after the one and only Minnie Mouse!  They are 6 passenger vehicles that are owned and operated by Disney and they include 2 car seats that are installed by drivers who have been trained on proper installation.  

The next big question is how does this work?  Does my Travel Professional have to make fastpass reservations for this in advance?  Luckily for us, Disney has made this process very easy.  If you have ever used Lyft or even Uber, you are going to be a pro.  If you have not don't worry, I bet we can walk you through it.  Disney uses the Lyft platform for Minnie Vans.  For the rideshare pros, you call up your Lyft app and put your information in for pick up and drop off.  You then move to the scroll to the right where you pick your vehicle and at the end you will see the option for the Minnie Van.  Those that do not consider themselves pros, the picture below is what you will see in the app.  Once your ride is confirmed, it will display the Minnie Van number that will be on the actual Minnie Van's back windows on each side.  The driver will confirm your information and off you go!

It really is that simple to have Disney pick you up and provide door to door service.  Also, don't forget, these are cast members and the conversation is always fun that may include fun tidbits along the way!  One other big plus is they will pick you up from the parks and now they have dedicated pick up points at some of the bus areas.  Maybe everyone has crashed and burned  at Magic Kingdom and you really just want the quickest ride back to the resort.  Taxi's, Lyft, and Uber will have to pick you up at the Transportation and Ticket Center so that means a trip there on a boat or monorail  however, the Minnie Van can pick you up at the same Bus Loading area as the resort buses!

In closing, we have utilized the Minnie Van for various reasons throughout our stays.  The cost is more than a normal rideshare, but again you get to forego renting a car, lugging carseats, and not doing the transportation hop.  Let's not also forget you are in the hands of trained, knowledgeable, and fun Disney cast members!  One last word of advice, make sure you ask for the special Disney Transport card!  If you have taken a Minnie Van, we would love to hear your comments!