Real ID Act and What it Means for Travelers

Depending on where you live, you may have started to hear whispers that "you know, you need a passport to fly now!" As a Travel Agent, this is a question I've gotten a lot over the past few weeks. The reason this issue has been coming up is due to the Real ID act.  This act was actually passed way back in 2005, and then in 2013, Congress rolled out phases of enforcement. There is a lot to the act, and although I am certainly no expert, I can tell you what it means for travel! This post will have links and resources all in one place to make the transition to Real ID compliance as painless as possible.

Department of Homeland Security has a great list of FAQs that can really help you understand what the law is about. For the purposes of this post, I'm only highlighting what relates to travel and what it means for you. Click here for the link to the FAQs. 

Right now, about half of the United States are in compliance with this law.  There are several others who are under "extensions", allowing time to comply if they choose, and a handful are non-compliant.  You can check on your state by clicking this link.  Compliant states are good to go! Yellow states are under extensions -- those extensions may or may not be renewed, so watch the site for updates on what ID is acceptable. Non-compliant states will need to ensure they have alternate ID.

Our agency is based in Pennsylvania, and PA residents will note that as of January 2018, we will be out of compliance. In fact, there is already signage at Pittsburgh International Airport prepping travelers for the change:

Signage at PIT

So, if your state (like PA) is non-compliant with the Real ID act, what does that mean for travel? Basically, you'll need another form of ID to go through security at the airport.  The popular choice is a passport, but there are other acceptable forms of ID (click here). 

If you plan to apply for a passport, save yourself the trouble, apply early! There will likely be an influx of applicants, so be ahead of the game. Applying for a passport isn't as scary as it seems.  In fact, here is a great link to walk you through the process.  If you currently have a passport, check the expiration date, and apply for renewal if it expires in the next year.  Many countries are now requiring your passport to 6+ months left before expiration in order to travel to their country.

Of course, these are just resources for your perusal.  For full, up-to-date info, keep an eye on TSA.gov and the Department of Homeland Security's website. 

Happy Travels!

Dine-on-the-Go at Walt Disney World

If you plan on visiting The Magic Kingdom from January 12th - February 22nd you can now purchase Disney's Dine-on-the-Go one day, quick-service offering! It includes one lunch quick-service entree and one non-alcoholic beverage good until until 4:00 pm. You also get one dinner quick-service entree and one non-alcoholic beverage that is good after 4:00 pm (Dessert is not included). 

The locations that are participating in this program include Casey's Corner, Columbia Harbor House, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe and Pinocchio Village Haus.

The cost is $29.00 and $12.00 for ages 3-9. Valid park admission is required. The certificates can be purchased in the parks.

 

Ready to plan your Magical Disney vacation?

Contact our expert agents today!

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Make some 2018 Magical marathon memories!

It’s the most magical race on earth! The Walt Disney World® Marathon adventure is unlike anything else. And now for a limited time, your Upon a Star agent can book you a Race Registration with a Magic Your Way® Package for the 2018 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which takes place Jan. 3-7, 2018. Please don't delay - contact one of us to book a race package for you.

A Magic Your Way Package allows your whole family to enjoy Disney fun throughout the race weekend. We can help you pick your favorite Disney resort and the number of days for your Theme Park ticket.

Remember, when you stay at a Disney Resort hotel, you enjoy special benefits, including complimentary MagicBands and early access to Disney FastPass+ planning up to 60 days before you arrive - with FastPass+ reservations made by your Upon a Star agent, of course!

Half-Off Disney Cruise Line Deposits!

Now's the time to book a magical Disney Cruise Line vacation

and get 50% off your deposit!

This new offer is valid on any 7-night or longer Disney cruise departing between June 17, 2017 and December 30, 2017. Set sail from a multitude of ports on one of the many amazing itineraries   available:

  • 7-Night Caribbean Cruises from Florida
  • 7-Night Bahamian and Canadian Coast Cruises from New York
  • 7-Night Bahamian and Caribbean Cruises from Texas
  • 7-Night and Longer European Cruises
  • 7-Night or Longer Alaskan Cruises

Booking window: December 28, 2016 - February 15, 2017

Want to find out first-hand why Disney Cruise Line is consistently voted the #1 cruise line for families?

Contact us today!

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Star Wars Guided VIP Tour coming soon!

Attention Star Wars fans: Starting January 2nd, Disney's Hollywood Studios will be offering a seven-hour guided tour that offers VIP access to the parts of the park that feature a galaxy far, far away.

These specialty tours include Star Tours, Jedi Training, and Star Wars Launch Bay. Guests will also have the opportunity to have interactions with Kylo Ren and Chewbacca.

There will a special themed meal, and the evening will be capped off with a dessert party during the park's "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" fireworks/laser/projection show.

My family just experienced all of these things last week and were completely in awe of how the Star Wars experiences have revitalized Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Galactic Spectacular left me speechless and trading with the Jawas was a highlight of our vacation!

Starting January 2nd, tours will be given on Mondays and Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., and will cost $121.12 per person, in addition to the cost of admission to Hollywood Studios. It's a great deal!

Contact your favorite Upon a Star Agent for more information. They will happily book this tour for you! uponastartravel.com                       

Summer Meal Offer

Enjoy one meal per person, per night at select

Walt Disney World® Resort quick serve locations!

Want more info on booking this great deal?

Contact our expert agents today for more info!

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Alcohol to be served at 4 Magic Kingdom Locations

In 2012, Be Our Guest made history by becoming the first dining location in the Magic Kingdom to serve alcohol. Now 4 more locations follow suit by adding alcohol to their menus. Next week the following locations will start serving alcohol on their menus.

  • Tony's Town Square
  • Cinderella's Royal Table
  • Skipper Canteen
  • Liberty Tree Tavern

The alcohol served in the locations will match the theming. Tony's Town Square will serve Italian Wines and beers. Skipper Canteen will bring you drinks and beers from all over the globe. Cinderella's Royal Table will serve regal champagne and sparkling wines and Liberty Tree Tavern will have American-made ciders, beers and locally-made wines.

The plan is to only serve alcohol at these locations for lunch and dinner and not at any pop-up stand-alone locations.

 

Have questions?

Want info about booking your next magical vacation?

Contact us today!

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My Big Giant Family Disney Trip!

Picture it November 12th, 2016, Orlando International Airport 15 people excitedly head towards Disney's Magical Express in one large very loud group! I am one of the 15, as is my husband our 4 kids, my brother and sister in law and their 4 kids, a family friend and her 2 kids. If you're counting that was 10 kids! Who goes to Disney World with 10 kids you say? This crazy bunch below:

My family has been to Disney World numerous times but everyone else had never been there before. Well except for 2 of them who had been there for one day but we won't count that! It was so much fun to go with people who had never been there! It's always fun to see Disney through other peoples eyes!

We started our big Disney extravaganza at Hollywood Studios! This has actually become a tradition for my family. We all are huge Star Wars fans so we couldn't wait to see everything Star Wars related! We LOVED the Launch Bay! Meeting Chewbacca was a dream! Meeting with Kylo Ren is seriously intense, that gut needs to get out and have some fun and relax! But our favorite part of the Launch Bay was the Jawas! We knew that they would try to trade with us  so we brought some trinkets with us and we had a ball! Take a look!

One of the Jawas was begging my daughter for 20 mins for her light up Sketchers! She thought it was the best day of her life. Here's a tip about trading with the Jawas, they won't take money or anything that looks like it! If you are a Star Wars fan then you must go and see everything! Another favorite of ours was the Imperial March that goes on throughout the day. It starts at the entrance  of the park and ends at the stage in front of the Chinese Theater. I literally got chills when I heard the music begin!

As you can imagine food is a big deal with a group of 15, luckily we were traveling with the best travel expert around (me!) One of our favorite meals was at Ohana! It has always been a favorite of ours so I was excited to take all of our family to see what they thought! I intentionally made our reservations so that we would be there for Wishes. It's so beautiful to be there enjoying your meal and seeing the most amazing fireworks show right outside your window! Ohana serves everything family style and it is all you can eat. With 15 of us we put that to the test for sure. I always tell my clients that Disney is the best place to be if you have food allergies and they proved that again on our trip. My sister in law and my niece both have allergies and one is vegan. The chef at Ohana came out right away and spoke with them and worked with them on substitutions that they would enjoy. They even created special desserts just for them! Take a look at Ohana below!

Traveling with a large group can be difficult and fitting everything in can be hard too. I try to tell everyone to just make a list of what you really want to do and try to make it happen, but realize that people will get cranky, tired and nobody goes has to go to bathroom at the same time! But we were able to hit some of the items on everyones bucket list!

A big part of Disney is the characters! We all have our favorites and we had a great time meeting them all!

My daughter was so excited to meet Elena!

A fun time was truly had by all! When you are ready to book your big, giant, family Disney vacation or any Disney vacation I am happy to help you and be your expert!

Contact me today

lori@uponastartravel.com

 

724-630-8958

 

Express Transportation: Disney World

Here is a new way to make transportation even easier at

Walt Disney World!

Express Transportation service is now available to all guests with Park Hopper tickets and all everyone that holds a Walt Disney Annual Pass. Special buses will take you to a special location inside of the next Disney theme park that you choose to go to. The express buses will depart every 30 minutes and the service is available from 10:00am till park closing. Park Hopper tickets are required because you will be taken inside of next theme park and not to the front gate. Of note: the buses do not run to the resort hotels. This Express Transportation Service allows you unlimited transfers between parks for one day or 7 consecutive days if you purchase the multi day pass.

 

Express Transportation can be purchased for $15 per person for one day use or $24 per person for 7 consecutive days from the date of the purchase. The check in locations can be found at:

  • Magic Kingdom: Near Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
  • Epcot: East Side of Spaceship Earth
  • Hollywood Studios: In the courtyard of Rock 'N' Roller Coaster
  • Animal Kingdom: Near Kilimanjaro Safari

What do you think? Is this something that looks good to you?

We'd love to help you plan your next magical vacation!

Contact your agent today!

uponastartravel.com

 

 

5 Things You Don't Know About World Showcase!

1. TWEET TWEET - La Cava Del Tequila is a magical little gem hidden within the Mexico pavilion. Opening its doors in 2009, this small Mexican eatery/tequila bar offers 100+ tequilas and mind blowing margaritas (Avocado!). Show the bartender you follow the the establishment on Twitter and be rewarded with a free shot! 

2. HOLA! GUTEN TAG! BONJOUR! - did you know Cast Members working in each country around Epcot's World Showcase are actually from that country? Talk to them! Learn new words, try their favorite native snacks and drinks. Cast members in Germany even played soccer with my daughter! Cast Members are super friendly and very eager to share their stories with you! 

3. ICE CREAM MARTINIS - yes, I said ice cream martini. Check out L'Artisan des Glaces in the France pavilion for a one of a kind treat (drink?!). Currently, there are about 15 flavors of ice cream and sorbet offered, AND there's the option to add a topper of Grand Marnier, Whipped Cream Vodka or Rum! YUMMY!!!! 

4. CARAMEL LOVERS UNITE - Caramel is delicious. Maybe even better than chocolate. And maybe no one makes caramel better than the original company, Werther's. Did you know the company started in the small Bavarian village of Werther in Germany? Visit Karamell-Kuche in Epcot's Germany pavilion for a delicious array of treats including Werther's caramel popcorn, Caramel pecan clusters and my favorite, the Caramel drizzled chocolate chip cookie! 

5. SAKE TIME - while exploring Japan's Mitsukoshi department store, find your way to the back to a neat sake bar! There, you will find Cast Members eager to educate you about the variety and types of sake offered as well as single tastings and flights! Sparkling or strong; they have a taste for everyone! 

Splash, Stay and Play at Universal Studios

Take a look at this fantastic new vacation package from

Universal Studios Florida!

 

Save up to $100.00 when you visit all 3 theme parks (including Volcano Bay opening 2017). Your vacation package includes:

  • 4-Night Hotel Accommodations
  • 3-Park 4-Day Base Ticket˄ to Universal Studios Florida™, Universal's Islands of Adventure AND Universal's Volcano Bay™ (Opening 2017)
  • Early Park Admission◊ to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ and Universal's Volcano Bay™ (Opening 2017) one hour before the park opens (valid theme park admission required).
  • Access to select live entertainment venues˄ at Universal CityWalk™

Save $50 when you travel June 1-Aug 15th, 2017

Save $75.00 when you travel Aug 16-Oct 31st 2017

Save $100.00 when you travel Nov 1, Dec 31st 2017

Take a look at Volcano Bay!

SUBSCRIBE - http://bit.ly/SubscribeUOR Water is Life. Life is Joy. That is the mantra by which the fabled Waturi islanders have lived on their Pacific isle for centuries. And now you can live the Waturi way at Universal's Volcano Bay™, an all-new, adventure-drenched water theme park like no other, filled with both thrills and relaxing indulgence.

Contact your agent today for more information about this new offer!

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Dine in the Sky at Disney!

Disney has just announced an amazing progressive dinner with yummy selections from 3 Disney World Resorts!

Your progressive meal starts at The Contemporary Resort where you will check in and enjoy a special cocktail and appetizers with your fellow diners. Next you will make a stop at The Polynesian Resort. Enjoy island-inspired drinks and appetizers. After experiencing some goodies from the South Pacific, you will hop back on the monorail and head over to the elegant Grand Floridian Resort. There you will enjoy a special Chef's main course. Afterward, partake in champagne and artisanal cheeses in the lobby. You will end your journey back at the Contemporary Resort where you will be taken to a private patio. You will end the night with cordials, coffee and desserts while you take in Wishes from your own private location!

This amazing experience is only $150.00 per person and is available on select Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. If you would like to book this awesome experience on your next trip to Disney World, contact your Upon a Star agent!

 

uponastartravel.com

The World of Nintendo is coming to Universal Parks!!

Some exciting news is coming out of Universal Parks today! 

The World of Nintendo will now be part of Universal! All three Universal Parks will be getting a nintendo expansion! The plan is to create a totally immersive experience so that guest can feel like they are in the world of Mario and Friends!
Universal promises "to bring the characters, action, and adventure of Nintendo video games to life within Universal theme parks. And to do so Nintendo video games to life within Universal theme parks. And to do so in new and innovative ways that capture what makes them so special," 

Take a look at the video below:

http://bit.ly/SubscribeUOR Nintendo's legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and Universal Creative's Mark Woodbury sat down to discuss how you will step into a larger-than-life Nintendo adventures filled with excitement, gameplay, heroes and villains at Universal Theme Parks across the globe.

Want to book a trip to Universal? 

Contact us today for more info!

uponastartravel.com

Royalton Black Friday Sale-Best Prices of the year!

Best Prices of the Year Sale

Royalton All-Inclusive resorts are having their Best Prices of the Year Sale starting this Friday November 25th!

Whether it's CHIC Punta Cana (Adults Only), The Hideaway at Royalton, Memories Splash, Royalton Resorts or Blue Diamond Resorts you will find quality properties with wonderful amenities to please anyone!

The sale starts this Friday, November 25th! Contact one of our Travel Experts today!

uponastartravel.com

Viking River Cruises-Thanksgiving Week Sale!

Viking River Cruise Thanksgiving Week Sale!

FREE ROUND-TRIP AIR: Plus one of the choices below:

FREE Beverage Package

or

$300 Shipboard Credit (per stateroom)

or

Pre-Paid Onboard Gratuities

Check out all that is included:

  • 8-day cruise with river-view stateroom
  • 6 guided tours with audio headset
  • All meals: 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners, featuring regional specialties and including Welcome Cocktail Reception & Dinner
  • Complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks with onboard dinner and lunch
  • Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Culture Curriculum: Enjoy a classical music performance; learn how to create your own Alsatian Flammkuchen; observe a traditional glassblower; attend lectures on Germany’s current affairs & origins of Rhine River cruising
  • All port charges
  • Free Wi-Fi, connection speed may vary

This amazing offer ends November 30th! Contact one of our travel experts today!

 

uponastartravel.com