Wave Season 2015 is coming!

What is the Wave season?

Wave Season In the past has been the major opportunity to save big on Cruises and would run from January to March. We are about to hit Wave Season and many of the cruise lines are "leaking" their Wave Season offers to Travel Agents.

Is Wave Season the best time to book a cruise?
The answer is not that simple anymore.
Cruise lines are booming business right now and it is because they run sales and bonus offers much more often. This upcoming wave season doesn't really boast many really big deals as most cruise lines are offering Onboard credits or Discounted Deposits to lure cruisers.

How can you get the best deal now in the cruise industry?

Book as early as possible and/or Travel with a Group of people to get group rates. Cruise lines love groups and most cruise lines will offer groups guaranteed rates and other perks based on the number of cabins booked. The magic number is 8 stateroom categories on most of the cruise lines. Disney no longer accept group bookings.

Are On Board Credits worth it?
Yes they are if you use them. If you don't you lose them. It is basically the cruise lines giving you free money to spend on their boats or private islands. Some Cruise lines limit what they allow you to use On Board Credits on where others don't.


Looking to book your first cruise or are you a past cruiser looking for your next cruise contact me at matt@firehousefamilyvacations.com for a free no obligation quote!

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Halloween Horror Nights 24 The return of the Scare zones.

 For Halloween Horror Nights 22 and Halloween Horror Nights 23, Universal experimented with new scare environments for those the events. Halloween Horror Nights 22 introduced NO scare zones and no place was safe; meaning that the scare zone of the past were gone and actors wandered the park. So if you were at restaurant eating, in  store shopping, putting things in a locker, etc. the scareactors could wander by and scare the living daylights out of you. I personally thought this was great...... many other guest said it was too intense.(Halloween Horror Nights are Intense that is the whole point)

Halloween Horror Nights 23 brought about a Single theme for  Scare Zones. They were all based on Iconic Scenes from Seasons 1 through 3 of The Walking Dead and Scareactors, in this case, zombies could wander from zone to zone beacause they fit the theme. There were also other scareactor tribes that wandered freely adding to the story line. This was decent but again other guest said it was too much and/or too boring.

So here comes Halloween Horror Nights 24 with the return of separate Scares Zones. The Purge: Anarchy, Bayou of Blood, Syfy's FaceOff, and MASKerade: Unsticthed.  The Purge by far was the star of these Scare Zones but was in limited operation while we were there because of the weather. FaceOff was just a waste of space and time.  Bayou of Blood had a lot of potential but then again weather kept us from seeing it in all of it glory.

 Here is a small sample of what Scare Zones are like at Halloween Horror Nights. This is From Halloween Horror Nights 24 on September 19th, 2014 opening night. Some of the effects like Flames and the Scarectors were not able to get on the bus to do their shows on the intended stage because of the rain. The Bayou of Blood had the scareactors pulled out because of the rain.

Next years Halloween Horror Nights will be celebrating 25 years of scaring people! We hope to be able to be there to see what they have to offer as the event is already being planned and planning starting even before this year's event kicked off.

Make sure you use my services to help plan your Halloween Horror Nights Getaway! My expertise will help you get the most enjoyment and value from your Universal Orlando and Halloween Horror Nights getaway!
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The Hogwart's Express is truly a great experience

The Hogwart's Express is truly a great experience. Your experience is enhanced by the level of Detail that Universal put into Kings Cross Station and Platform 9 3/4.  From the Saxophone player as you enter the station to actually crossing into Platform 9 3/4, you will feel as if you are really on your way to Hogwarts! The hogsmeade station offers a great photo op with the Express in the background but the station itself is just so so. You will need a Park to Park ticket to experience this attraction and you will enjoy riding it back and forth as the to watch both shows to and from London!
Watch the detail with our spoiler free video

Aquatica Revisited: An Honest Review

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting several different water parks, both indoors and out. I have visited the largest outdoor water park, Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, which is an amazing water park. The largest indoor water park, The Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio; it may have size but that's about it. A few mom and pop water parks that had two slides at the most and are no longer in business, and some major park chain water parks. I have also visited all of  the water parks Disney World has had, River Country  included. It pretty safe to say, I like water parks and enjoy going to them and on my last trip to Orlando, I revisited Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I also recently visited the AquaVenture at Atlantis in Nassau.  The visits to those water parks made me really appreciate Aquatica.

Aquatica.... you have arrived

Aquatica is a water park that is part of the SeaWorld Orlando park complex that includes SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. Aquatica opened in 2008 billed as a whimsical, one-of-a-kind waterpark unlike any you've ever experienced, immersing you  in the playfulness of the sea. This park heavily relies on the uniqueness of water park attractions with animal interactions.

The star attraction of this park is  Dolphin plunge, a water slide that send you through the home of  black-and-white Commerson's Dolphins. When I heard about this attraction, I was sold and dead set on getting to this water park. I went into this park with high expectations and was really looking forward to the animal interactions like those of the Dolphin Plunge would have to offer.

Hello little guy, is there someone in that slide?

Look you have a friend also!

As always when heading to a water park, I plan on getting there at gate opening, crowds are generally smaller, lockers and chairs are easier to find, plus you can usually get a decent amount of slide time in before the afternoon showers interrupt the day and gates are closed because the parks are at capacity. My expectation grew as we entered the park with all the lush foliage and theming that is present around the Dolphin Plunge slide and the Commerson's Dolphins.  The kids excitement grew as well; we just had to get on that slide. So we got a locker that just happened to come with a "free" souvenir towel then headed straight for the Dolphins Plunge.

 Our  excitement turned to frustration because as soon as we got to the top of the slide, my daughter, who wears a shirt over her swimsuit to help from getting badly sun burnt, was told she couldn't ride with the shirt on and had to exit the slide and put it in the locker. This after walking past several park employees that monitored the line for the slide and no signage indicating shirts were not allowed. So, instead of walking all the way back to the locker, I had my daughter take the shirt off and I went and waited for her to ride, then gave her her shirt back after her journey through Dolphin Plunge(this was the only slide the unposted rule was enforced on). At the end of her ride, her reaction to the slide was rather lackluster.  So it was my turn to ride and I will have to say, I too was disappointed. The problems with this slide is the tube that goes  through the tank with the dolphins was cloudy and hard to see out of, plus you actually go through that portion of the slide so fast, it is hard to see the dolphins. The dolphins would have to be literally right next to the tube to actually see them.  Needless to say, out of the 4 of us that rode it, none of  us saw the dolphins while on the slide, and none of us liked the slide. The dolphins are best viewed from the underwater viewing area near the entrance of the park. Now the themeing and foliage that are around Dolphin Plunge is very detailed and also has some nice bridge overlooks for those long waits to use the slide.It is a decent experience with a lackluster slide, if you are more interested in just seeing the dolphins, skip the slide and head over to the underwater viewing area. Sporadically throughout the day there were trainers in the underwater viewing area to educate about the Commerson's Dolphins. Now to be fair over down at Atlantis's AquaVenture they had the infamous Leap of Faith Water slide through a tank of sharks. It has the same lackluster type slide that speeds your through the tank so you can't see the Sharks. The other tube slide that went through the tank was slower and more unique experience!

The best view for the Commerson's dolphins
is the underwater observation area off the slide

After spending our time at the Dolphin Plunge we headed over to the newest addition to the park at that time, Omaka Rocka. Since our visit Ihu's Breakways Falls has opened and I eagerly want to experience those new slides!
Omaka Rocka is a tube slide with sections that are half-pipes.  My family loves the half pipe/funnel slides and this one had several sections that fed into smaller versions of  half pipe slides, so it was bound to be a hit. It ended up being pretty boring. The reason this was boring, the half pipe sections of the slides became mini-splash down pools and did not allow the experience that larger half pipe slides offer.(google a youtube video of Michigan Adventure's Funnel of Fear for a good idea of what large half pipe slides are like)  So the first two slides of the day were not home runs.  So we decided to hit Roa's Rapids.

Roa's Rapids is a fast moving river with water falls, rapids and lush foliage all around. Roa's Rapids far exceeded our expectations and was by far the star of the park for my family and myself. We spent hours floating this river. My wife and I had to drag the kids out of it.We loved that it was a free of  inner tubes and you could opt in to wearing a FREE personal flotation devices. While there were no animal interactions on this river, unlike the lazy river Loggerhead Lane, giggles and cheers filled this area of the park. A special note about Loggerhead Lane, while it is the a lazy river, one can easily miss the fish tank on this river because of the split in the river and placement of the tank. Also be forewarned, to access some of the water slides(just a couple), you have to walk through Loggerhead Lane to get to them. This can be very confusing if you don't follow the signs.

The rest of the water park  had standard water park slides, kid's slide& splash complex, and a well themed, but tame wave pool with a sandy beach.  The animal interactions were just ok.  We loved Roa's Rapids, and it was interesting to see Commerson's Dolphins in a water park(just not the water slide affixed to them). Aquatica is a nice small water park and is well worth a visit. If you can, definitely look for a deal where you can get a day at SeaWorld or Discovery Cove that includes admission to Aquatica(currently those deals are available but could change at anytime). Aquatica has it picturesque areas but still has room to improve.Roa's Rapids made up for the shortcomings of Dolphin's Plunge. This is still a young park and a new concept for SeaWorld, I hold hope out that this park can be expanded and improved upon. Aquatica is probably one of the better Water Park in Central Florida. It's hard to live in the shadows of Wet n Wild, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach, but  Aquatica has stepped out from the shadows and become a force in Central Florida.We will come back to the park over the years because over all, it is a really is a nice park.

Aquatica is neatly placed behind Seaworld, as you can see it behind
Journey to Atlantis here.

Cruising: For the First time or the 100th time what you should do first!

Carnival Sensation in Nassau

Did you know that Cruise Vacations have some of  the highest Satisfaction rateings out of all vacations taken?  They are so satisfying, a vast majority of first time cruisers become repeat cruisers! The cruise industry is big with over 73 million Americans that have taken a cruise. A "2011 Cruise Market Profile Study,"  found that a significant majority of consumers – 94 percent - rate cruising as a "extremely satisfying," making a cruise vacation a satisfaction leader among vacation choices.

That is great but how does one go about finding a cruise, finding the right cruise line, and everything else about cruising?

Tip#1 Figure out where you want to go and how long you want to cruise. There are cruises all over the world to exotic and not so exotic ports. If your a first time cruiser and if you are unsure if you will like cruising, think about doing a shorter cruise. Many cruise lines offer 3 or 4 night/day cruises, that are great introductory cruises. They can also be easier on the pocketbook, which leads to tip #2.

Tip #2 Set your budget. If you are like me, your not made of money and have to save for some time to go on any vacation. The budget has to be realistic though. Cruises can have wide range in price depending on the cruise line, number of people, number of days/ nights, and time of year. The old saying of you get what you pay for is extremely true when it comes to cruising.

I can help you with a cruise!

Tip#3 "Hire" a Travel Agent. Now when I say hire a travel agent, it doesn't mean you go and pay a travel agent to work for you. Most Agents don't require a fee to work for you and as a travel agent we are working for you not the cruise line! The cruise lines pays Travel Agents in commission. Now not all Travel Agents are created equal. Make sure you "hire" a travel agent that specializes in cruises and make sure they specialize in more than one cruise line. I specialize in Disney, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Carnival presently but have access to many many more to give my clients the most options when it comes to helping them find the right cruise. Grab a brochures from that agent on the cruise lines.  A good travel agent will be there for you to help you find the right stateroom, time of year to cruise, and right cruise line for you. They will also be there to be your advocate so you don't have to sit on hold for hours making reservations and will be there to help you with pre-cruise documents, travel, and answer your questions about cruising. A good Travel agent will not nickel and dime you to pad their commission either! So go ahead interview an agent before you hire them!

Disney Cruise Lines loyalty club and its free!

So you are a return cruiser, why should you hire a travel agent? There are many reasons to do so! Some have already been stated, but just remember if you book on your own, you are on your own. That means you may get some help from the cruise lines, if you spend hours on the phone. You may have or may not have gotten a great deal. Dealing with customer services reps, understanding cruise documents, and understanding ship and cruising polices can be time consuming; having an agent takes that burden off you. As I stated before a good travel agent will not charge you extra than what you can book on your own, so why not have someone that will be in your corner to help you out and take the stress off you?

Tip #4 Stay away from Discount Cruise Sites.  The price may be attractive, but the stateroom and customer service more than likely will suck, plus there will probably be hidden fees that will come back to bite you. Many times those discounted rates  that are luring you in have many restrictions that you more than likely will not qualify for or they are last minute deals where a cruise line is trying to get the boat up in capacity to make the cruise profitable for them. There are even some travel agents that use these sites on there own personal websites as a way to not do any work but reap commissions. Stay away from these agents as well.

Tip #5 Get a Passport/make sure your Passport has not expired. Yes getting a passport is an additional cost, but lets face it, you never know when it will come in handy. On some cruises, if you start your cruise in the United States and end your Cruise in the United States, you technically don't need a passport.(This could change at anytime) That is great but things can happen. If you get off  the boat in port and miss your boat, yes it does happen, you are in for lengthy ordeal in that foreign country. If you get sick or injured while in foreign port, it does happen, again your in for a lengthy ordeal.

Tip #6 Use your Travel Agent. That right use your travel agent. Have them book your cruise. Ask them questions. Listen to their advice. Use them to find out what you need to do before you arrive to the cruise terminal. Talk to them about Shore Excursions and the Ports you are visiting. They should be there to help you every step of the way!

Be sure to share this with anyone that might be looking into a cruise! Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations is here to help you with all your cruising questions. You can find me on the web at www.firehousefamilyvacations.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/firehousefamilyvacations

Staying On-Site at Disney World: A little known but important benefit

There are many benefits that Disney publicly advertises to entice guest to stay in the on-site resorts, but there are some benefits Disney doesn't advertise. One of these unadvertised benefits is a great perk that gives on-site guest an advantage they may not even know they are receiving. That benefit kicks in when the parks reach capacity.

How does it work?
When a park reaches capacity, Disney goes into what as know as Phase Closures. There are 4 Phases of closures that have been determined to try to maintain guest satisfaction. Notice I mentioned the word try because when a park gets to these levels, there will be dissatisfaction resulting from the waits for rides,food, restrooms, and attractions. Some people have been able to get their hands on the actual policy Disney has and implements when capacity is reached and phase closures kick in. Others, like myself, have learned from experience what is part of a phase closure and who will benefit and who will be denied entry.On-Site Guest will be some of the last people affected by the Phase of Closures.

Why is this important?
Well we are quickly approaching the Holiday season and the Grand Opening of the New FantasyLand. During the Holiday season (especially New Year's Eve) the parks are sure to reach capacity. These next few months is also the time of year several families book their Spring Vacations. The Spring break time is another time when parks tend to reach capacity. It is important to note that phase closures also apply to the Water Parks and the Water Parks generally reach capacity much quicker than the 4 major parks!(It is no fun at all to be in the water parks when they are at capacity, if there is a phase closure, hit the hotel pool instead.)

Below is a breakdown of what happens for each Phase of Closure based on experience and what has filtered out to travel agents by those that have seen the actual policy.

Phase 1
Guest will be turned away at the Parking Lot Toll Plaza if they have:
A 1-Day 1-Park Ticket
No admission ticket
Cast Members using Main Gate &Silver Passes
YES DISNEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY!!!

Guest that can enter during Phase 1 are:
Those with multi-day or multi-park tickets
Those staying at a Disney Resort(including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Annual Passholders and Premium Annual Passholders
Those re-entering the park that day.
Those "hopping" from another park.
Those with in-park reservations or reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League.
Those arriving via Disney transportation

Phase 2
Guest that will be allowed to enter a park include:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League
Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted.
Annual and Premium Annual Passholders

Phase 3
Admission is limited to:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Premium Annual Passholders
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League

Phase 4
Closed to all guests.
Aspect of these closures can be changed at anytime by Disney.

What is important to note is, if you are traveling to see all that Disney has to offer and can't pass up that great deal to stay at an off-site location; the only thing you might see is the toll plaza and cast member telling Sorry Folks We're Closed. Please don't go Clark Griswald on that poor Cast Member! So if you are planning to head to a Disney Park during the busy season, plan on experiencing crowds and rest assured it is a very wise choice to stay at an on-site resort.

Sorry Folks We're Closed

Have you ever been at a Disney Park when it was in a Phase Closure? Tell us your experience.

Top 11 Reasons to use my Services and Some Frequently Asked Questions.

Top 11 Reasons You should use my Services

11)   I do not add cost to your vacations. My planning services are FREE! That's right FREE!

Firehousefamilyvacations.com

10)    I make it easy to get a hold of me! You can always reach me via Email, phone, text message, or Facebook message. Sometimes I even Skype or Google Hang out with people.  I try my hardest to get back with people within 24 hours! My promise to you is, if I say that I will get you something by a certain time, I will get it to you on time, or sooner!

9)   I’m constantly monitoring for discounts that would apply to your Vacation. I put in a great deal of time researching promotions to see if you are really getting a discount or if it is just some marketing ploy to try to get you to book. That's right sometimes that big flashy promo is really no deal or savings. If you already have booked with me and a promotion with savings comes out that you qualify for, I will apply it to your Vacation. Once I get it applied to your Vacation, I will send you an email telling you how much money you’ve saved.(Please remember sometimes if you book a vacation, there can be restrictions that make changes unavailable or the new promotions may have restrictions you may not qualify for the promotion or discount. I will do my best to let you know if that would be the case when you book your vacation.)

8)   I’ll provide you with detailed assistance that you deserve and again that assistance is FREE! That includes everything from booking, monitoring for discounts, determining the best time year for you to travel, parks hours and refurbishments, to helping you determine which theme parks to visit on which days. I can also provide touring plans to maximize your time enjoying attractions, rides and shows, helping minimize your time standing in line.

7)  I have experience traveling with kids, large groups, adults only trips, and alone at various different times of the year. I also have been to theme parks with peak crowd levels that cause closures due to capacity and in the "off season" lighter crowds. Let me put that experience to work for you!


6)    Advanced Dining Reservations(ADRs) at Disney can be confusing and time consuming. We can discuss what you are looking for in meals and make a plan. Then you can sleep in and I will get up early when you hit your 180 day mark and Advanced Dining Reservations become available to make those reservations for you. Once they are complete, I will send you an email with the list of dining experiences that have been booked for you. If at any time you wish to make changes up, until your arrival, I can assist in making any changes that you  prefer along the way based on availability.

5)    If you are considering a Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, or Busch Gardens vacation; there’s so much to do between the resort hotels and the theme parks than anyone could possibly experience all in one vacation. I have a vast first hand experience with all the theme parks in Central Florida and other theme parks across the country and will help you weigh your options and prioritize your choices so that your vacation fits your needs and wants.

4)    I love Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and all of Central Florida.I will always provide a  honest, and direct opinion of particular resorts, attractions, restaurants, and add on experiences. If I think something is a waste of your money or time, I will let you know.

3)    There are always "urban legends" about what Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, or the cruise lines offer. I will give you the facts and research any questions you may have to get you the right answer. Not only do I have an expansive knowledge of the the theme parks and resorts, I also have vast network of resources to assist me that many other agencies don't have!

2)   There are many Vacation options that can be confusing or even missed, with that, I understand that vacation budgets can be tight. I also understand that sometimes you might be in the beginning stages of making a vacation budget.  I can work with you to see what you want out of a vacation so that budget can be established and/or try to stay with in your established budget. If it is a spontaneous trip, large group/family reunion, or a trip that is years in the making, I will work with you to help you find what is right for you!

1)   Unlike many agencies, I don't look at you as a client or commission check. I view you and treat you as a friend or family. I enjoy hearing about your vacation, experiences, and want you to enjoy your vacation!

The Current Hogwarts Express...Stay tuned something wickedly new is coming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I see many other agencies posting or bragging about the number of Clients they are booking and when they are going on Facebook or their personal websites, Why don't you?
A: I respect the privacy of the people I book vacations for. I believe it is up to the person traveling to post if they are going on vacation and whom they have booked through. I also do this for the safety of those that are on Vacations. Unfortunately there are opportunists out there that do scour Facebook to find vacant homes to break into and posting that someone is on vacation could give them that information. I will only post what my clients give me permission to post and then I will not identify them by full name.



Q: Other agencies have a testimonial page, why don't you.
A: I am in the process of constructing a testimonial page to add to my website and will not post fake testimonials to try to entice people to book with me or use my services. Until I do get this page added to my website, I would be more than willing to contact my previous clients to see if they would give me a recommendation to you.

Q: Other agencies post deals and promotions before you do, why is that?
A: Posting a promotion before it is officially announced can is just asking for trouble. The people that are posting may not have the information correct and/or be completely wrong about the promotion that is coming out. Many Agencies lose their partnerships for jumping the gun on posting before an official announcement.


Q: Why did you get into the business and why do you specialize in what you do?
A: A couple of years back, I booked through a large national company that will stay unnamed  and was given extremely poor service. I walked in and told them what I wanted. They gladly took my money and gave me wrong information. They had no experience with the dining plan and the agent was confused when I asked if they could help with dining reservations. They got on the phone to see if they could do that and their answer was that they think they could, but it would cost extra. The agent was also telling my girls about attractions they could experience at Disney that were actually part of Universal. This left a bad taste in my mouth. So after several discussions with my wife, we  decided it was time to open up shop and to give it some personal character based on my profession of being a firefighter. I specialize in Central Florida and the Theme Parks because they have something for everyone. I love traveling there and some day hope to live there. I knew I could help people plan their vacations and have been successful at doing so.


Q: Why don't you post more cruise deals on your Facebook page or web page?
A: There are so many promotions that run with cruise lines and many times the promotions have very small windows for booking or a lot of restrictions to them.

Q: I emailed you but never heard back from you?
A: Sometimes my Emails end up in spam folders based on your email providers settings. Please make sure you add Matt@Firehousefamilyvacations.com to your safe list so it doesn't end up there. Make sure you check your spam folder at least 24 hours after you contact me to make sure the email has not end up there. If you prefer to be contacted by means other than email, please let me know.

Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations  Epcot 2013