Reflections of the past 18 months, AND sharing our new adventure!

Reflection and New Adventures!

As many of you know by following our Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok channels (@travelwiththefinocchis), we were set to travel RIGHT before the pandemic began.  Literally set to arrive March 12, 2020.

That time was traumatic for so many of you reading along, and it was no different for us.  While our son sat severely ill from the virus at our local children’s hospital, we managed the business as it collapsed, and our lives all changed in an instant.

As we begin our journey on our first international trip since that gloomy week, we’ve chosen to reflect.  And reflect we have.  

It’s been a HOT minute, but we are thrilled to share that our son recovered and that our family is still booking travel for families across the country.

As we reflect, we realize how many times that we could have walked away from the business. Many Ontario travel agents understandably HAD to walk away as paychecks stopped, and wouldn’t start until families travelled again.  Travel agents in aren’t paid until families return from travel.  That meant a very long road ahead for Canadian travel agents!

So, we had to decide what to do. Assign our families to the good hands of others at Pure Magic Vacations to manage?  Encourage people to cancel and move on to others and just move on to a different industry?

Well, we just couldn’t do that.   It felt like we were leaving family. The people that are in our lives everyday, some of you booking 3 and 4 trips a year with us meant that we spoke to you weekly!

We’re not saying that there weren’t moments. There have been and if we are honest, with long hold times, cancellations, and constant change, we still have them (although fewer and far between). We have just refused to let this destroy our passion for helping families re-connect through travel. 

SO many of you small business owners KNOW what we are talking about. So many families affected. You have been our inspiration. You’re dedication encouraged ours.

THAT passion has never changed.  So we hung in there and made a commitment, just like each family does when they commit to travelling together and making memories from amazing adventures. It’s not always without challenges, but the reward is INCREDIBLE.

Now, the light is at the end of the tunnel!!!  We can see it.  With slow, safe, steady steps we have decided that now is the time for us to venture out into the world again, at the same time that you are beginning to visit our email inbox :)

Our adventure this first time is “just us two”.  Our kids are already booked on two vacations for next year, but this year, we needed a MOMENT.  Can I hear an Amen families?!

A moment to focus, a moment to re-connect, a moment to feel the excitement again of boarding the plane, stepping foot onto a cruise ship, smelling the sea air, dining with friends, and finally, experiencing the magic and thrills of our beloved theme park vacation.

There will be new challenges, there will be learning curves, but this time around we feel prepared, and we are determined to learn so that your family has the best level of service going forward in the future.

We hope that you follow along on social media with us.  We LOVE to interact with you, so send us your DMs, comments, and questions.  Let’s make this fun for ALL of us!

To start, we’ll share what will be in store for us this month.

During this vacation, you will Travel with the Finocchis on social media as we: 

• Complete our antigen tests necessary to fly from Toronto, to the US, and also required to board the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

• Head to YYZ for our Air Canada flight to Miami Florida, using the Arrive Can app and other forms

• Fly into Miami, and stay overnight at a Miami airport hotel

• Sail with Royal Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale for 2 nights, 3 days on the new Odyssey of the Seas

• Complete our PCR tests on ship and included with our cruise to return to Canada

• Visit COCO CAY, and show you all that we can

• Rent a car to begin our journey to Orlando!

• Stay overnight at Cabana Bay Resort, at Universal Orlando, with videos of the Holiday celebrations with the Grinch and in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and adding Express Pass to our tickets

• Head to Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort where we will use the Disney Genie+, buy Individual Ride Selections (hopefully) for Rise of the Resistance and Ratatouille. 

• Flying home from Orlando to Toronto with Air Canada again, using the ARRIVE CAN app and other forms necessary

This is the time to ask us questions, follow our channels and take part in the fun! If you haven’t done so yet, remember sign up for reminders to your inbox, so that you can also get an updated on new promotions and offers that we do our best to send weekly.

Thanks for taking the journey with us.  We miss you all, and can’t wait to work with you soon,

Michelle and Marco

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Weekly Round Up! October 29, 2021

Boy was there A LOT to share this week! We are excited to share some of the changes from the Government of Canada and the United States. It doesn’t disappoint!

Government of Canada Lifts Travel Advisory

Last week the Government of Canada lifted it’s non-essential travel advisory. The level 4 Cruise advisory is still in place, although we hope to see some change on that this November.

The United States Government and the CDC lift their travel restrictions for the land border onNovember 8, 2021. PCR tests are still required to return into Canada for all travellers by air and land. Antigen tests are required to fly to the US.

NEW ONBOARD CREDIT OFFER FOR DISNEY CRUISES BOOKED BEFORE DECEMBER 31, 2021!

2023 Winter itineraries are available to book with Disney Cruise Line and Pure Magic Vacations is excited to offer an onboard credit for all new bookings between October 20 and December 31, 2021!  Valid for any sailings between now and 2023.  This is a great opportunity to ease the cost of gratuities, help with excursion costs, or shopping! *terms and conditions apply

During Guests’ next visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, they can share a first look at the new Disney Cruise Line exhibit now open at Walt Disney Presents.

This one-of-a-kind gallery space features never-before-seen artifacts and photos from the making of the Disney Wish, the newest ship that sets sail in summer 2022.

Some of the unique items on display include:

• A life-size maquette of the Cinderella statue that will grace the Grand Hall;

• An intricately detailed, 5 1/2-foot scale model of the ship;

• Replicas of the Disney Animation maquettes that will adorn the dining rooms at 1923, an elegant family restaurant inspired by the golden age of Hollywood; and

• A scale concept model used to design the larger-than-life stern statue of Rapunzel.

Jamaica makes booking PCR tests less expensive!
Those families staying at resorts will continue to take tests on site by booking an appointment at check in. Details on pricing are available at time of booking and are subject to change. We do not share exact pricing for CoVid tests during the quoting process as things change quickly.

Beginning Oct. 15, DISNEY PIN trading mystery boxes and Mickey-themed boards are introduced as a new, interactive and fun way to trade official Disney Trading Pins. 

Guests can hunt for pins honoring their favorite characters, attractions and so much more on the Mickey-themed pinboards, or be delightfully surprised by choosing a numbered pin from one of the mystery boxes.  If you are booked to travel and are interested in Pin Trading, please let us know and we will update your package information to include details of this new and fun experience.

Favorite Disney characters and Disney Parks icons will soon come to life in immersive new ways at Walt Disney World Resort, as Disney PhotoPass Service and Snap are continuing their collaboration with new augmented reality photo moments!

Combining camera technology developed by Snap with beloved Disney stories, the latest Disney PhotoPass Lenses will be available directly through the My Disney Experience app as part of the purchase of Disney Genie+ service, launched on Oct. 19, 2021. A select sampling of these lenses will also be complimentary through the Snapchat app.*

Your family can ring in the holiday season while sailing through the heart of Europe along the Danube River with Adventures by Disney!

Adventurers will travel to seven unforgettable destinations in three countries on an 8-day/7-night Adventures by Disney vacation. This exclusive sailing with AmaWaterways—a leader in luxury river cruising—will make Guests’ holidays very merry.

Guests can book now and save $500 per person on the Dec. 20, 2021 Holiday Danube River Cruise. This adventure must be booked by Dec. 6, 2021 and availability is limited. Please note that this last-chance offer excludes suites and category E staterooms, is valid on new bookings only and is not combinable with any other offers or promotions.

To learn more, please reach out to us. This is a premium Disney travel experience.

One of Guests’ favorite holiday season traditions is curling up in front of the television to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Disney Cruise Line’s brand-new cruise ship float embarks on its maiden voyage in New York City as part of the 95th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!

Guests should be sure to gather their friends and family and tune in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC-TV on Nov. 25 from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.

A few months ago, Disney Cruise Line shared new details about the epic “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” show they are developing for Worlds of Marvel, the fleet’s most ambitious dining experience ever, premiering aboard the Disney Wish next summer.

At Worlds of Marvel, your family will be part of a real-life Avengers mission as they watch some of their favorite heroes in action: Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as The Wasp, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. Kerry Condon will also reprise her role as the voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y., and actor Ross Marquand will lend his villainous vocal skills to Ultron.

The show will follow Ant-Man and The Wasp as they host a presentation of the most powerful Super Hero technologies in the world, including a hands-on demonstration of the latest and greatest Pym Tech using
specially designed immersive cinematic technology, including hundreds of screens and special effects embedded throughout.

The Disney Wish first sails in the summer of 2022

New Universal Orlando Resort Promotion! Buy 3 Days Get 2 Days Free! What a fun way to experience Mardi Gras as a family, and with great value too. If you are hoping for an late winter or early spring visit, this is a must! *this promotional ticket is only available as part of a vacation package purchase- it cannot be purchased ticket only.

Valid if travel is booked 10/20/21 – 5/5/22 and travelled 1/13/2022 – 12/15/2022

Dreams Resorts are offering a quarantine period at no additional cost

This is subject to change at any time. A great offer, in combination with a last minute promotion saving families up to 40% on some dates.

Have a spooky Halloween everyone!

Marco and Michelle