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May the Fourth be with you🌟
Did you know that the term May the Fourth be with you actually originated from an ad campaign Margaret Thatcher's team created for her government in 1979?
From then on it was widely used on May 4 to bring everyone together in their love of Star Wars!
Check out this video we have to get you excited for the BIG day!
Walt Disney World Opens 2022 package Bookings Four Months Early!
That’s right. Disney has opened booking for the first half of 2022 four months EARLY.
As of today, February 16, 2021, families can book a Walt Disney World Resort package for stays up to July 1, 2022. Normally, we are able to book the next year’s packages beginning in the summer, but with the pandemic changing EVERYTHING about travel, Disney has once again plussed the magic and given us a late valentine.
There are things you should consider to make things easier to decide on whether or not your family should book a Disney vacation right now.
All that is required to book your vacation is a refundable, and movable $200 USD deposit. This makes an onsite Walt Disney World vacation one of the most flexible to move and book for your family. A flexible deposit policy is SO important during these new times.
Promotions can be added to your vacation when they are released at a later date based on availability. That is one of the ways having us work for you saves you time and money! Disney doesn’t release promotions when they release rates. Those usually become available a few months before you arrive. We always advise your family to book a vacation that you can afford before the promotion. That way, now matter what happens, you are ready for it, and extra savings just mean more fun while onsite.
Park availability is not guaranteed for entry due to new and safe capacity restraints, so your family will be guided into booking Park Pass reservations within 24 hours of booking your vacation. Don’t stress. We guide you through it! It’s not super tough, and one of the first things that we do as your travel planner is begin to figure out what parks you may want to visit. We look at alot of factors, so make sure to have a quick conversation with us after you book to make the decisions.
Our services are at no cost to you. When you look at pricing online, you’ll notice that it’s exactly the same as when we send you a quote. This is because travel suppliers include the commission in their pricing. You’re literally paying them to do all of the work when you book direct. But when you book with us, you're getting years of travel and Disney travel experience, helpful hints and more ALL based on YOUR family’s preferences.
How do our services work? We will send you a quote, book your fast passes, plan transportation to and from your resort, and help with every part of the planning that we can for you. Magical express isn’t available for 2022, so we’ll look at those options for you closer to your vacation as well. We have many relationships with transportation suppliers in the Orlando area and can take that stress away from you wherever possible.
Flights cannot be booked by us at this time. We’re going to wait until Canada removes those restrictions to get a better look at policy and procedure for 2022 flights.
Please read the Know Before you Go section for information on the current safety protocols for a visit to Walt Disney World. As of now, masks in the park will be required for a 2022 visit. This can change at anytime. We’ll keep you updated, but there is no point in guessing how Disney will be managing the pandemic next year (let’s just pray that it will be over lol). Book knowing that there could still be some restrictions to the experience in some ways, and added magic in others.
The Disney Dining Plan is still unavailable at this time. If it becomes available, we will request the addition to your package. Ya, we’re just like you guys, we want it back, and we want it bad. Disney and food are literally married. It’s a thing.
Walt Disney World is celebrating its 50th ANNIVERSARY in 2022! Stay tuned for extra magical experiences and fun additions as we get closer to your stay. And in true Disney fashion, we have NO doubt that the magic will be CRAZAY awesome for 2022.
Don’t forget to request a quote here: www.finocchiatpuremagicvacations.ca/requestinfo or just send us a quick email: finocchi@puremagicvacations.ca
It feels like a new beginning for travel. I hope that we can be a part of the fun with you when you’re ready!
The Finocchi Family brings Epcot home with Poppin' Cookin’
Our newest video is up on You Tube! As we try to beat the lockdown blues, we are enjoying some of our favourite Epcot finds from the Japanese Pavilion store at home this month. This video is for the family, so sit back with the kids and enjoy. 🇯🇵
How to “up” your vacation photo game
Last night we had a super fun chat with 📸 @𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 's Jamie Hamilton. She gave us a few great tips on how to take better vacation photos with our families!
Crouch low with your camera to make the kids more comfortable
2. Take pictures of the kids watching fireworks or that perfect beach sunset instead of the event itself
3. Don't stress! Be in the moment and move on if your little one (or teens) aren't into it!
I may just share a few of my favourite tips too!
Check out the full interview below and don't forget to subscribe for more family travel tips!
Straight outta Hogwarts!
This week we are focusing on Universal Orlando, and our beloved Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter.
Our middle child has been obsessed with Harry Potter since he could read, and he asked that we make a homemade BUTTERBEER recipe. This is on the agenda this week, so make sure you are following us on instagram and facebook for videos (wish us luck!) while we create this fun recipe.
Delish.com has a simple recipe to follow!
For the thrill seekers in your family, you have to try the #universalathome activities. This site hosts many of the favourite Universal Orlando attractions that we love and allows you to experience the VIRTUAL RIDE versions of them! This may be the only way I try Rip Ride Rocket! Visit Universal Orlando’s site here: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/universal-orlando-resort/universal-at-home
Universal’s Rip Ride Rocket - blog.universalorlando.com
Wizardingworld.com is one of our favourite sites to visit as fans of this awesome franchise, but first things first! We have to DISCOVER OUR HOGWARTS HOUSE. You will have to create a login for this very popular experience, but we think the site is worth it! If you don’t want to create a login, Buzzfeed has a fun quiz too. By the way, I belong to GRYFFINDOR. My husband and two of the kids belong to Hufflepuff. Finally, one of the kids belongs to Ravenclaw. We’re a mixed bunch, just don’t look here for any Slytherin members…although, we could all do with more Professor Snape in our lives :)
Photo from Businessinsider.com
If you are a big Harry Potter Fan, or Potterhead as many call themselves, you HAVE to check out this new experience. The books are where it all began, and the Wizarding World site has AMAZED us with the Daniel Radcliffe himself reading the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Many other celebrities will lend their voices as well.
Make sure to have your books with you. What an amazing experience to have with your favourite Harry Potter fans! CLICK HERE for the reading of “The Boy Who Lived”
Image from CNN.com
We still have a stay booked at Universal Orlando resort for later this summer. While we wait to see how this “virus that shall not be named” continues, we’ll keep following along with our favourite Harry Potter activities at home. How have you brought your favourite Universal experience home with you? Let us know in the comments!
May The 4th Be With You!
Today is Star Wars day, and we have put together some fun activities to try with your family for the rest of the week!
Our family with Chewbacca at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World Resort
Who loves to colour? Do activity sheets? Check out these amazing options that we’ve added to our Pinterest page. If you can’t find what you like, there are many many more to find on Pinterest.
Baby Yoda Colouring pages!
How many of you have been lucky enough to build a Droid from the Droid Depot in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge? Well Disney has done it again, and boy is this exciting with a new interactive app that will bring those Droids to life in your home! Haven’t had a chance to build one yet? There’s some fun to be had for you too! Click the button below to find out more details from the Disney Parks Blog.
For those of you who love to paint, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library is hosting a live video with Create with Kasia today at 4pm.
Let’s paint Baby Yoda together today!
If you love to bake, we were inspired by our visit to the Station One Coffee House in our hometown of Grimsby, Ontario last year! We even won a contest because we showed up wearing something fun that represented Star Wars. Want to try baking those Star Wars cupcakes this week? Here is one way how: STAR WARS CUPCAKES HERE
Station One Coffee House
If you are a trivia geek, you CANNOT miss playing some fun Star Wars Trivia this week on Kahoot! You’ll have to create an account to play this (check with the kids, many of them use this at school with their teachers!). There are tonnes of Star Wars Trivia options, and if you get REALLY good, you can even create your own to play with your friends and family online! To play Kahoot Star Wars Trivia, CLICK HERE
A Fun Trivia Site/App!
We hope that this has inspired you to have a little fun today and maybe even for the week! If you have any fun Star Wars activities you’d like to share that would be great to share with other families, please comment below!
Answering YOUR top 5 FAQs about booking Future Travel during the Coronavirus Pandemic
We’ve been compiling your TOP 5 questions about how and when to book future travel during the Coronavirus Pandemic. These are our opinions based on years of experience, and knowledge obtained before May 1, 2020.
Self Distancing Disney Activities PART 2 - Learning to Draw with Disney Parks
For years as a child I wondered what it would be like to draw like a Disney Animator. Could I draw Mickey? How did I figure out how far apart his ears should be?
On one of our first visits as a family to Disney's Hollywood Studios park, my questions were answered. We ended up drawing Winnie the Pooh, and each and every one of our drawings, even the kids, looked amazing.
We are fortunate that Disney's Animation Academy made videos on the "Disney Parks" YouTube channel. We thought this would add a little creativity while you were working from home today.
There are lots of videos in the 25 minute range. Little ones may find these trickier, so it is best for kids in the school age group and up. Moms, dads and grandparents love these sessions too!
Once you're done, don't forget to showcase your drawings on your windows to brighten up your neighbour's day.
Keeping your family busy during school closures: Gardening Inspiration with a Disney flair!
Unfortunately, due to the virus that shall not be named, we have postponed until summer and will keep the family home safe and sound while it all works itself out.
But what do we do now? Our 3 sons will be home while they wait out the 3 weeks of school closures, and all that they want is to be basking in the Florida sun at their magical "home away from home".
So, I got to thinking. In those very few quiet moment before I went to sleep, and after helping our clients postpone their magical adventures, what can I do to lift their spirits?!
Besides experiencing all things Star Wars, our kids were the most excited to get back to the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. They love to learn and Epcot is full of innovation and wonder at this time of year.
This year they were hoping to try Spike's Pollen Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt. During the hunt they would searching for Spike the Bee and learning all about the flowers Bees like to pollinate!
So, we thought what cool ways could we bring a little of the education and fun of Spike's Pollen Nation Exploration home? Time to get googling!
In my searches, I found these fun options that should be just the right fit! I am sure we can substitute some of the items from around the house, or order something online to get crafty. Here's some of my favourites:
OUR INSPIRATION: Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival
Well, what can we say. We’re disappointed. This year has brought some incredibly difficult moments, and most of them have been life changing. Our family visit to Walt Disney World was to be our first during the busy March Break Season. Our bags were packed, our hopes of the best cure in the world for a saddened family were high. BRING ON THE MAGIC!
Unfortunately, due to the virus that shall not be named, we have postponed until summer and will keep the family home safe and sound while it all works itself out.
But what do we do now? Our 3 sons will be home while they wait out the 3 weeks of school closures, and all that they want is to be basking in the Florida sun at their magical "home away from home".
So, I got to thinking. In those very few quiet moment before I went to sleep, and after helping our clients postpone their magical adventures, what can I do to lift their spirits?!
Besides experiencing all things Star Wars, our kids were the most excited to get back to the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot. They love to learn and Epcot is full of innovation and wonder at this time of year.
This year they were hoping to try Spike's Pollen Nation Exploration Scavenger Hunt. During the hunt they would searching for Spike the Bee and learning all about the flowers Bees like to pollinate!
So, we thought what cool ways could we bring a little of the education and fun of Spike's Pollen Nation Exploration home? Time to get googling!
In my searches, I found these fun options that should be just the right fit! I am sure we can substitute some of the items from around the house, or order something online to get crafty. Here's some of my favourites:
For those kids that want some indoor gardening and crafting fun, we love this Winnie the Pooh Behive Birdhouse. I am sure we can substitute twine or yarn for rope. If you have an awesome idea on a hack for this craft, we'd love to hear it.
For the kids that are a little older in the family, try using their favourite Disney mug to plant some fun indoor flower plants. They can care for them while they wait to go back to school. Your grocery store and garden centers may have some plants already, or maybe you have some "forever" plants hanging around. Don't forget to ask if they deliver to minimize social mingling:
Maybe you're hoping to use some of the cool arts and crafts stuff you have lying around the house? Well these fun DIY "forever flower" topiary templats are just the trick!
If your kids are like mine, they will be getting alot of Disney Plus time (mamma has to help people get to Disney this summer!). Movies like Avatar, The BFG, and Odd Life of Timothy Green are fun options that feature nature as part of the film experience. *Some of these movies may be rated higher than PG.
Those are only a few of the many many options I found, and they were so much fun we had to share! Now it's your turn. Let's hear about your favourite Disney Garden tips! Does your family have indoor or outdoor family gardens?
Don't forget to share our list with your friends! Doing these crafts on hangouts or facetime with their friends might just be the ticket to kicking these "virus that shall not be named" blues!
VLOG EP2- Travel Support with the Finocchis with Alexis WiIlms of "And a Touch of Gloss"
Ladies and Gents, it is time to figure out how we can take care of our skin before, during and after a vacation. There are so many myths out there, that we knew we wanted an expert to help us support you in the way that you need! Alexis joins us with years of experience in the makeup and skin care industry, as a mom to 2 lovely children, and wanderlust in her heart.
If you have ever wondered whether you should exfoliate before your trip, how to cool down irritated skin, or how to match your face and body once you’ve washed that tan away, Alexis is here to send us her support and this video is for you.
If you want to reach out to Alexis, you can reach her on facebook by searching for Alexis Willms, Her facebook page “And a Touch of Gloss” or her instagram page @andatouchofgloss. You can also email her here: andatouchofgloss@gmail.com
Thank again Alexis!
What IT'S all about
Today was a special day. We were touched by something and it stayed with us all day. We just couldn't shake it.
As a family of 5 we raise our kids, stress over the future, work on our marriage, say lots of prayers, and spend time trying to make magic happen with our business.
We are the couple that others look at and wonder…what are they all about? Well, we are both children of Italian immigrants who continue to marvel at what an amazing country we live in.
Our little family is our whole life. We have seen those we love pass away suddenly and it rock us to our core. We love the magic of the holidays, and wonder at our three boys while at the same time shaking our heads at the new world they are growing up in.
Through it all we believe in magic. That adults are better people if that creative piece of their childhood isn't stripped away, but instead nurtured and allowed to hang around as the nucleus for who we should be.
Our love of travel comes from a curiousity we both harbour and have refused to let go of. Growing up has not meant a stiffer upper lip, or leaving dolls, animated movies and our favourite collectibles behind. They continue to remind us of who we started as, and where that little person wanted to be at our age.
Marco loves the fun of discovering new things while visiting favourite places over and over. To feel like he has multiple “homes” around the world where he can become part of that community. You can bet if he has visited once and liked it, he will visit again.
I love discovering new things, especially in places where art and history have shaped how we see the world. I want to walk where the Romans have, and not for a day, but for a month. I love a Disney vacation but not to complete the checklist of all that is new, but to breathe in that energy of constant change, creative history, and fun!
This quote reminded us of all of that today. It lifted us up. Snapped the proverbial fingers in front of our faces.
This is why we do what we do.
Love what we do.
Live what we do.
We hope that it stirs a memory of your younger and more adventurous selves too. What are we all waiting for? If it isn't on the list below, it's time to reevaluate, “wake up, and live”. We NEED magic!
Travel Support with the Finocchis - Episode 1 - Caroline Barrett of Mommy Run
We are so excited to amplify our travel advice with SUPPORT by sharing videos with you that will help to enhance your vacation experience, and hopefully make things easier for you. These are busy times for your family, and since we are in the thick of it with you, we hope that we can be of help to you as we navigate this time together.
This episode, we are chatting with Caroline Barrett of Mommy Run and Barwood Concierge. Her Mommy Run services helping moms with their daily task lists, and our loved ones who have reached an age where a day companion, or errands with Barwood Concierge are the perfect compliment to our concierge travel services.
We are one of her clients and cannot be happier with her services. We are super excited to share what she does with you, and hopefully give you access to another way we can help your vacation be truly relaxing.
You can find Caroline at www.mommyrun.ca and our video below!