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Author Archives: Jennifer Retzlaff

My name is Jennifer Retzlaff and I became a lifelong Disney fan during my first trip to Walt Disney World in 6th grade. From that moment, Disney became a big part of my life. I live in Iowa with my husband and two kids who are growing up too quickly for my liking. I started introducing my love for Disney early to my family with a Disney honeymoon and then trips when our youngest of 18 months. Since then, our family has been to Walt Disney World over five times and we continue to plan and dream for the next trip. I love the magic that Disney brings to people through the theme parks, cruises, adventures and movies they create. As a teacher, I try to bring that magic into my classroom to help kids believe that “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” I recently reached a dream of mine as I joined Magic Vacation Planner as a personal travel advisor. With this team, I can now help others plan magical vacations. As a passionate writer, I also have my own blog at magicalvacationsbyjen which is also where you can follow me on instagram for trip reviews along with tips and tricks for your next magical vacation.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Planning a Walt Disney World Vacation

Walt Disney World entrance sign with a castle and "Where Dreams Come True" slogan under a blue sky, welcoming fans to the magic.

A lot of planning goes into a Walt Disney World vacation.  It can feel like a full time job as you try to decide where to stay, what to eat, and what to ride and experience. In order to help your Disney planning be a little easier, we have some frequently asked questions when it comes to a Walt Disney ...

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Ways to Avoid Long Lines in Walt Disney World

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We all enjoy visiting Walt Disney World, but we don’t like waiting in long lines.  Some Guests think that standing and waiting is just part of a vacation to Walt Disney World, but we have some tips and suggestions on how you can avoid those long lines, or at least some of them. Rope Drop One way to avoid long ...

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Ways to Beat the Crowds at Walt Disney World

With the holidays arriving at Walt Disney World, we are anticipating the crowds to also be arriving right along with them.  If you have a vacation planned for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day we have suggestions on ways that you can beat the crowds. We hope these will help while you are in the middle of planning for your ...

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Why We Are Thankful For Walt Disney World

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As we head into Thanksgiving week, we thought it was a good time to pause and think about all the reasons we are thankful for Walt Disney World. Always Something New We are thankful that no matter how many times we visit Walt Disney World there is always something new to experience. Between the four Theme Parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, ...

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Must Do Experiences for a First Trip to Walt Disney World

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If you are planning your first trip to Walt Disney World, we have experiences that you won’t want to miss out on. These are classics or uniquely Disney experiences that we think are must do for a first trip. We hope that they help you as you prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation. Ride Dumbo the Flying Elephant Even though this ...

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Keys To Planning a Successful Walt Disney World Vacation

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If you are planning a vacation to Walt Disney World or thinking about planning a trip to Walt Disney World in the future, we have keys to help you have a successful Walt Disney World vacation. Plan Early Our first key to a successful Walt Disney World vacation is to plan your vacation early. We see Walt Disney World resorts fill up quickly to ...

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Best and Worst Attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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We will jump into Disney’s Animal Kingdom and look at the best and worst attractions in our opinion. Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day in 1998. Since its opening, it has undergone some upgrades. One of the biggest upgrades that it has gotten is the addition of Pandora. Let’s look at what we think are the best and worst attractions in ...

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Two to Keep, Two to Close in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the Theme Park that has undergone the most transformation these last few years. With the addition of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, this Park has truly reinvented itself. With that said, as we look at the attractions that are offered, we want to think about what two we would keep and what two we ...

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STOP: Don’t Make These Walt Disney World Planning Mistakes

We want you to have a fantastic Walt Disney World vacation, but you might feel overwhelmed by all the pressure of Disney planning.  To help you out, we have some Disney planning mistakes you won’t want to make as you prepare for your Walt Disney World vacation. Not Planning The days of just showing up at Walt Disney World for ...

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How To Plan for the Holidays in Walt Disney World

If you are heading down to Walt Disney World during the next two months, you will want to be prepared for all the holiday magic when you arrive at a Disney Park. We have a few tips, so you are ready for a fantastic Walt Disney World vacation. Weather November and December months in Walt Disney World can bring a variety of ...

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