By the raise of hands, who wants to go to a Disney Park in the next 2 years?

Keep your hand up if you have your dates already on the calendar!

If you put your hand down, then this post is especially for you! But even if you have dates or you have things booked, you’ll find this post helpful as well.

So if you are still reading, it is because a love for Disney Parks flows through your veins, or at the very least puts a smile on your face every time you think of going. 

We know, cause we’ve been bit by the Disney bug (probably multiple times) and we want to help you reach the goal of going…and we want it to be soon!

The thing about travel goals though (if we have even considered them goals before) is we don’t always treat them the same as physical or family goals, where we act on them every single day. Instead, we think about it one day and maybe add some ‘wants’ to our plan (that is of course if you have a written plan — click here if not) and then we get back to it weeks or months later.

But just like our fitness or family connection goals, we’re gonna achieve them quicker, the more effort and time we put into thought and action.

“But Garrett, what should/can I do right now while I am not traveling”

Well, I’m glad you asked!

Here are a few things you can do when you don’t have a date on the calendar for your next vacation or you don’t have anything booked yet.

Just Get Started

1. Treat this like a goal, not a wish. You don’t need to work on it every day like a fitness goal, but by treating a trip to Disney like a goal rather than a wish, you will take more action to make it happen.
2. Put a date on the calendar. The best tip I can give you is to pick a date. And don’t worry, you can move it if you really need to. But having a date on the calendar will help you subconsciously move towards that goal

3. Book something. Hotels can be booked months in advance with no upfront cost and can be easily modified if necessary. Even park tickets can be purchased and used later on. Having something booked, especially if it’s paid for, is very motivating to make sure the other details come together.

4. Start a Disney Fund. This could be as simple as a Disney jar or as involved as starting a side hustle…and don’t be shy…you can tell everyone why you are doing this… ‘I started this business to pay for my epic Disneyland trip’. That way the extra ‘work’ will just feel like it is part of the trip planning

You can also learn how to use points which can pay for a huge chunk of your trip. We’ve even had clients pay for their whole trip with points once they learned the best way to do it!  And the best part is, that you will be able to do it over and over again! And we would love to show you how.

Reasearch & Plan

Even if your trip is a year or more away, the more time we spend planning and dreaming, the longer the trip will bring excitement into your life!

Keep Dreaming

1. Picture yourself there. You’ve dreamed of going to Disney, but now start dreaming of what it’s like to be at Disney. And if you’ve been, that doesn’t mean skip this step, it means you’re better able to recall the sights, the smells, the tastes, and even the touch. And each time you go, is a new experience. Your kids are at a different phase of their life..or you are. 

2. Take to the Tube. If you haven’t been before, here are some ways to help you keep dreaming.

Love YouTube? Find a few Disney YouTubers and start watching some of their stuff or follow some people on IG (nevermind, you are probably already doing that). 

We like The Tim Tracker and Disney Food Blog on YouTube and we like disneyparksblog and disneylanddailycasey on IG.

But a quick search will bring you hours of binge-watching Disney enjoyment. Trust me on that, hahaha!

The Point is to Enjoy the Process

I hope you enjoyed this list of things you can do to enjoy the process of dreaming, planning, and going on your trip to Disneyland. It’s easy to feel down about the fact that you aren’t going right this second. But if you follow a few of these tips, the joy and anticipation of going means the vacation can spark happiness for more time than just the days that you’re there.

Have you heard the phrase that the only constant in this world is change?

Well in the travel world, the only thing you can truly plan for is that your plans will change. 

After arriving for our first visit to Amsterdam in the late afternoon, it only took about 10 minutes before our plans needed revising. 

So we pivoted, something we actually do quite well when we travel, and decide to head straight to Vinkeveen for dinner and an early night.

Cue dramatic music. This is where things get a little crazy.

So we took to Trip Advisor and Google to look for dining options near our accommodation. We found a wonderful place right on the lake that the town sits on and the menu looked delightful.

We arrived just as the sun was setting and you couldn’t ask for a better scene for our first night there. We sat down, tried to muster our best Dutch to be polite and our waiter was very patient as his English was not the best.

Ok, maybe here is where you cue the dramatic music. This is where things get interesting.

With most big cities in Europe, credit cards have become just as commonplace as they are in the U.S.. 

But we weren’t in a big city, we were in a fairly small town about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam.

So when we tried to pay with our card (ya know, we’ve got to earn back some of those points we used to get there) their machine wouldn’t accept our card. Nor would it accept any of the other cards we brought with us. 

And guess what we didn’t do when we were at the airport?

You guessed it…we had no cash.

If you remember, our plan was to go into Amsterdam first and we would have been able to easily find an atm to pull out cash. Be we skipped this step.

So the restaurant basically held Mandi and the kids hostage while I went on the search for a bank with an atm…at 9:00 at night. 

I drove to the closest place I could find on Google Maps, anxious to get back to my family. And I struck out. No atm. I searched and searched, driving around a new country with spotty wifi in the dark and continued on with no luck. Days later we would discover that the only atm in the town was in the grocery store, which closed early that night. 

After about an hour or so of searching, we had to try and come up with another plan.

We proposed and  they agreed to let Mandi leave her drivers licence and we promised that we would be back the next day to pay. 

I figured things would work out somehow, someway, but for that hour, it really was unnerving as  I was scrambling to come up with the ransom money to free my captive family. (Ok, so maybe they weren’t really held hostage, but the restaurant owner really wasn’t interested in any of our other proposals and just kept demanding cash, without offering any solutions.)

So I decided to help you not make the same mistake we did.

Here are 5 quick tips to do when you land in Europe.

1. Take a breath and prepare for some extra time at the airport.

This tip really starts long before you land. When you are planning your arrival day, it is wise to double how long you think things will take in the airport. Plan for plenty of time to make it through customs, collect your bags, get money, and pick up your rental car or locate ground transportation. This is even more true if you have never been to Europe or that city before. We recommend planning for 2-3 hours between landing and actually leaving the airport. 

It might take less than that, but if you give yourself the extra time, you’ll be happy when it goes quicker rather than stressed that you are going to miss a train or reservation. So plan the extra time, you’ll be glad you did!

2. Get cash. 

But don’t get cash just anywhere. Find a bank branded ATM and not a currency exchange or an atm branded with Travellex. And when you make a withdrawal with your debit card, make a large withdrawal. We recommend roughly half the amount of cash you plan to spend on your trip. 

Secure the majority of your cash, and then split 50-100 euros between you and your travel partner and keep the money split between a couple of different pockets.

3. Familiarize yourself with the airport.

If you are flying home out of the same airport you flew into, it is helpful to get a little bit familiar with the place, especially if your return flight leaves before 10 in the morning. The last thing you want when you leaving is to be flustered because you’re lost. You’ve already budgeted some time at the airport so use some of it for research. And if you want to be extra  prepared, find a ticketing desk for your airline and just ask them where you will need to be and go when you return in a few days.

And while you are at it, you can soak up the atmosphere. You are in Europe! And many of the airports are much cooler than what we are used to in the U.S.

4. Talk to someone.

I can’t tell you how many times our bacon was saved because we simply talked to a local. From finding great food spots, to avoiding unnecessary delays, to avoiding potential danger. Finding someone to just say hello to and ask for advice is invaluable 

One place to find someone to talk to is the tourist office

Even if you have your itinerary planned to the tee, a visit to the tourism office is worth the time. You may find unique events that interest you but you can also pick up train and bus maps and ask any questions that only locals are going to know.

5. Plan your next few steps.

Generally speaking, airports are much safer places than the streets of a big city. So take a few minutes here, use your map to plan your journey to your hotel, and make sure everyone is on the same page for your next few steps. Also take some time to buy some food. No one wants to be hangry while also navigating a new transportation system and dealing with your luggage.

So there are a few easy steps you can take that I know will help you avoid a little stress on your next trip to Europe

Didn’t read to the end? That’s okay. Here’s the TLDR summary: 

1. Budget plenty of time at the airport
2. Find a bank ATM and withdraw some cash
3. Familiarize yourself with the airport to help when you return home
4. Make sure you talk to some people and don’t overlook the tourism office.
5. Take a few minutes to craft a plan and make sure everyone is on the same page.

You wanna know what one of the  biggest lessons  I have ever learned was?

That feeling like you don’t belong sucks! Bad!

Have you ever felt that (I mean, we all do from time to time), but perhaps more strongly or over a longer period of time?

How did you get through? 

What are some ways you know of that make you feel like you belong?

Over the last year or so, Mandi and I have been learning more and more just how much we as humans crave connection. And studies show that the difference between people who feel like they belong and those who feel like they don’t is that those who feel they belong, feel like they are worthy of love.

We built this display in our home and call it the ‘You Belong’ wall. We wanted to have a constant reminder of how connected we are to each other and that we belong…that in spite of struggles, we are a team who can always rely on one another.

 And most importantly remind us that we are loved and are worthy of love.

Most of the pictures on our belonging wall are from our travels…but they’re not of monuments or museums. Instead, they’re of the moments between the big events where the deepest connections were and are made. 

But they’re still images from our travels….because that’s where, it seems, many of our strongest connections are made and where we feel most unified as a family. 

And this is why we emphasize, as much as we can, how invaluable traveling as a family truly is! Because we want to help you strengthen your family as much as we have been empowered to strengthen ours.

It’s also why we do what we do. To remove obstacles in the way of families so they’re free to travel more and to more amazing places; experience this amazing world of ours. 

How about you, do you have a spot in your home or a photo album that reminds you of belonging? 

Do you have experiences where travel has restored or increased connection between you and your loved ones? 

We would love for you to leave a comment or tag us on social media and use the hashtag #youbelonghere. And we want to let you know that you belong here! We welcome you and your voice and your value as a human in this community!

As a kid, I loved those ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books. The suspense, the unlimited possibilities, and let’s face it – they were a quick read… So let’s have a throwback moment and dive into a story, shall we?

So your friend, or your sister, or your cousin’s boyfriend’s dog-sitter just took a totally Instagram-worthy trip to Thailand and every time you hearted one of those pictures, you found yourself wondering how they traveled there on a dog-sitters salary.  And after they returned home, you asked how they could afford it and she told you that it was totally free, all they had to pay for was food.

“Wait, what? Totally free?!”

“Well ya, free.” 

“Flights?”

“Free”

“Hotels?” 

“Free!”

Do you:

A) Think to yourself there must be some ridiculous catch or information they are not telling you and just go back to whatever you were doing before they interrupted your day.

Or do you 

B) Start asking a million questions to find out just exactly how they did it so that you can visit those same places and take those same photos and eat Thai street food all day?

If you picked A, then you can go ahead and just get back to what you were doing before you opened this post.

But if you picked B, keep reading because I am going to tell you how to get started on your path to walk in the shoes of your cousin’s boyfriend’s dog-sitter.

There are a few key steps to making these kinds of trips happen and one of the main ones, and perhaps the biggest is by using credit card reward points and/or frequent flyer miles.

“Oh, you see, there is the catch,”  you say.

Wait! Before you go, let me just give you a little run down and show you that it’s not a catch, but a tool you can use to get what you really want!

So you have probably heard about frequent flyer miles and credit card reward points. You may even have a card or two that is earning you miles or points.

The reality is, we live in a loyalty-based economic system and so we should be taking advantage of that as often as we can.

And before you say it, let’s chat about the main concerns you might have about getting a credit card or earning points. I’ve probably heard them a few times: 

I don’t travel enough to earn enough miles

I don’t spend enough to earn rewards points fast enough

I don’t want to mess up my credit

Travel is expensive so I am going to need a bajillion (did you know that spell check doesn’t highlight the word bajillion any more…so it must be a thing) points to go anywhere cool

Well let me just say, many many people, who make less money than you have been able to book dream trips within a few months after getting their first optimal rewards card. 

So let me tell you how they do it in just 6 easy steps.

You need a budget.

And by budget, I don’t mean the spreadsheet that has your list of bills and a line item for how much you think you spend on your daily lattes.

I mean an honest accounting of where all your money goes each month. Two reasons: First, you want to know the main categories where large chunks of your money go, and Second,  you want to make sure that you really are not spending more than you make.

If you get a credit card and start running a balance, the value of the points you earn gets negated by the cost of interest charges, and then this whole plan becomes worthless.

Identify your top 3-5 spending categories.

If you are like many families, this will usually be groceries, dining, fuel, or Costco/Sam’s Club. Once you have identified where you are spending your larger chunks of money, you will be ready to start researching different credit cards.

Find a card that rewards your highest spending categories

There are literally hundreds of cards out there you could pick from that give you rewards but most people who are just starting out should pick from about 5. 

We’ve created a quick guide to our top favorite cards. Click here if you want it.

In general,  you are looking for a card that pays its rewards in travel and has a bonus on at least one of your top spending categories.

Now you could go down a deep rabbit hole to make your choice…after all, I did say there were hundreds of cards to choose from, but I recommend moving quickly to the next step, and probably the most important in this entire list.

Pick One.

It is tempting to try and find the perfect option but really there isn’t one perfect card or even the perfect group of cards. The only way to really get closer to your perfect combo is to learn as you go…and that starts with acting on one. Even if there was a better first choice, remember, you will still be getting free rewards with any card that you choose. 

Use cards for everything.

One reason many people don’t earn enough points quick enough is because they don’t use it for all of their spending. So it is time to find out what companies  will accept a credit card for your bills and not charge a fee (a 2 or 3 percent fee will cost more than what the points you earn will be worth). Insurance, utilities, or your phone bill, etc. Use the card for everything, and pay it off frequently.

And like I mentioned in step one, you need to pay off the card each month in full so you are not running up a balance.  Another word of caution: this isn’t an excuse to spend more than you make. It can be tempting to make purchases you wouldn’t normally do because of the travel rewards you will earn. But that is a recipe for disaster. Remember: You’re here because you want to save money, not get into debt. 

Repeat.

Now that you have one card, you will just repeat the process for your next card. You will keep refining your budget, continue to evaluate your spending, and pick different cards that work with your situation.

And then…Enjoy those glorious free flights and hotels!

I know what you are thinking….’this sounds too easy’.

Or maybe you are thinking that you need more information before you start.

I’ve noticed two common pitfalls that people experience: Researching and Analyzing for too long, trying to cram all the information before you start could mean that you never do. Overwhelm kicks in and soon you’re researching every little detail instead of taking quick action.

Or waiting for the perfect time to get started could mean that you miss out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of rewards while you were waiting. 

Taking action might just be the most important step to getting started. We all learn best by taking some sort of action, reflecting on the outcome, and then taking another step in the right direction.

When I began, I got the ‘wrong’ card and didn’t earned very many points. I don’t consider this a failure, rather a great learning experience

With what I learned while having that ‘wrong’ card, I was able to earn two round trip tickets to Europe within 6 months of having my second card. 

I’d call that a win!

TL:DR -Let’s recap:

1. Create a budget
2. Identify your top 3-5 Spending Categories
3. Research a few cards that could work, We’ve already done the work for you here:
4. Pick a card
5. Use the card for everything you buy
6. Repeat this process to get your next card and earn EVEN MORE POINTS

We’ve come to the end of this Choose Your Own Adventure. 

Do you:

A) Keep scrolling, thinking this is too good to be true, or worse, fearing that you’ll never get to see those over-water bungalows in Bora Bora

or

B) Open up a new Google sheet and start putting together your new budget spreadsheet.

Who knows…Maybe this time next year, your friends aunt’s hairdresser will be asking you about that dream trip to Bora Bora. And when they ask you how you did it, you’ll know exactly who to send them to.

I traveled near Washington DC for business training recently and stopped in for some exploring.

I had come prepared with every piece of camera gear I own to get some great shots of our nation’s capital. When traveling, I stuff all my camera gear into a single carry on hard shelled case.  I came prepared to ensure that things would be safe from theft: I had a padlock for the case as well as a cable lock to lock the case to the car.

“Sir, you left your trunk lid open.”

I did what?!

Cue the red-faced embarrasement.

So after all the trouble of keeping my beloved gear safe, not only did I leave the trunk lid open for the world to just try and take my stuff, but I did it with an auspicious case padlocked to a car in front of the US Capitol Building.

I thanked them for their service and joked that perhaps I made their jobs a little less boring that night. 

After getting home and changing my shorts, I realized that sometimes I travel a little too casually. As an easy going person, there is not a lot that gets me frustrated or scared. But sometimes that leads me to not take some things as serious or with as much caution as is required.

I would still rather err towards being laid back, but remember that all our decisions can have an effect on others.

Okay, so what’s the lesson here?

Travel with your wife so she remembers to close the trunk?

Don’t rush yourself when you’re seeing a new place so much that you forget to close the trunk?

I don’t really know yet, but I’ll let you know when my blood pressure drops to a normal level.

Have you ever heard of someone who found a travel deal and booked it, effortlessly? How do they do it?

I mean, don’t most people usually plan their trips details out months in advance. Just me?

But dang… those lucky people seem to be able to find deals at the drop of a hat.

I’m not one to deny that luck may play a part, but the great thing is that you can join the exclusive group of lucky folks who know how to save money on their travel plans every time.

I won’t hide the secret in decoded messaging and make you wish you had one of those coveted cereal box toys like we used to hoard as kids.

I’m not that kind of girl. I’ll just give it to you straight.

Here’s the secret:

Plan a few dream trips in advance. 

Then, when a deal pops up, you’ve got a few destinations at the ready. You’ll know how much you can afford and if the deals you’re seeing are within your budget and fit your desired travel dates.

Yep, that’s it.

Okay, so… post over. Go plan your trips and book your flights.

Ha! Just kidding.

I’m going to give you a few more tips to make your spontaneous trip planning a success.

1. Dream Big

Trust me on this one. Start thinking about where you’ve always wanted to visit. Are you an adrenaline junkie, a budding art connoisseur, a family historian, or just looking for some solid relaxation on a tropical beach?

Brainstorm your list on whatever platform makes sense to you. Grab a fancy travel notebook from your favorite supply store, open up a google doc, or if you’re thrifty like me, maybe you’ll grab one of those sprial-bound back-to-school 10 cent specials and dedicate it to all things travel-dreamin’.

This exercise is for your eyes only, so don’t let your friends, parents, or co-workers opinions have any effect on the type of trip you want to take.

2. Pick Your Destinations

That’s right, plural.

Narrow your brainstorming list a to a handful of destinations you want to see right now. Not someday, but right now.

Having a list of several different options will mean that it is more likely that you can find a deal that will match your dream list.

3. Start your Research

Put on your comfy pants, grab a kombucha/latte/lemon water (not all at the same time cuz that’s just GROSS), and hit up your favorite search engine. I’m a Pinterest fanatic for this kind of research.

4. Prepare a Sample Budget

 While you’re researching, make notes of what folks are saying about food costs, transportation fees, museum passes, etc. Then compile your research in to a quick spreadsheet to calculate a budget.

Don’t worry about getting absolutely every detail correct.  The point is to just have a rough estimate of your what an ideal vacation in this destination might cost you.

Here are some typical expense categories:

Transportation, Accommodations, Admissions/Entertainment, Meals, Souvenirs 

5. Be Flexible

Now that you’ve got an idea what you’d like to do, how long you would want to stay, and how much that would cost you, take a look and see where some flexibility can save you some money.

One of the quickest ways to cut costs when planning your trip is to travel during the off-season. As you’re researching your destinations, make some mental or physical notes about when you would and wouldn’t like to visit those places.

Wouldn’t consider a beach vacation if the temps outside are lower than 80? Note it. Want to visit the Alps in winter, note it. In other words, if Japan in cherry blossom season is a non-negotiable, then just leave room in your budget because costs will likely be higher during that season.

Next, think about duration.

Will a long weekend in Paris be enough for now, or would you rather wait until you can check off all the items on your Parisian bucket list?

Will leaving for Hawaii in the middle of the week cause your boss high blood pressure?

Knowing some key tips will help. For example flights leaving mid-week, booking flights on a Tuesday or Thursday, and staying 7+ days will all mean cheaper fares. Also it is useful to check prices ever few days starting now as knowing how much rates are and have been in the past will help you know at a glance if that deal is great or just OK.  

Now, consider accommodations.

Would you be okay in a 3 star hotel near a transportation hub, or a 5 star luxury pad in the heart of the city?

In our house, we operate under the mindset that we would rather spend two days in a hostle on the outskirts of Paris, than never get there at all because we didn’t have the money saved up for a two week luxury trip.

We typically traveling in shoulder season. Here are two trips where crowds were low, prices were affordable, and the views were incredible.

6. Finding Deals

Now it’s time to start searching for deals. There are tons of businesses dedicated to notifying their followers of flash sales, mistake fares, and bogo cruising deals. We subscribe to plenty and also offer this as a service to our clients.

But first, some honest truth about deals: People are rarely ready for them.

If you haven’t done the work to know how much your trip will cost without the deal, how will you know if you can take advantage of the it without breaking the bank, adding to your credit card debt, or putting your job in jeopardy?

One final word of advice:

No matter how long you are fortunate enough to visit your dream destination, you’ll never see it all. So plan that short trip, take advantage of a long weekend or a screaming deal. It will inspire you to return.

Always assume you will return.

-Mandi