Orlando is the theme park capital of the world, and a Disney trip really does go better with a little planning. A few smart choices can mean less stress, shorter waits, and more time actually enjoying your vacation. Good Morning America recently shared a short segment on what’s new for 2026, plus a few easy ways to save money. One thing I always stand by is having a loose plan for each day. I like to keep a simple bulleted list in my notes app with the rides or foods you want to try the most. You don’t need to plan every minute, but knowing your priorities makes everything else feel easier.

If you’re taking a solo trip to Disney World, lean into how freeing that can be. No waiting on anyone else, no compromises, no negotiating plans. Disney is so much more than castles and characters, especially as an adult, so think of this post as a practical, food focused (vegetarian options galore), adult friendly guide to doing the parks your way.

I love Disney for the nostalgia, the cleanliness, the creative details, and yes, the food. I also love how safe and welcoming it feels. The second I walk through the gates, the outside world fades away. Bright colors, upbeat energy, and thoughtful storytelling take over. Loving Disney at any age doesn’t need an explanation. If you’re planning a trip, pace yourself, make a plan, and let the parks do what they do best.

I just got back from two weeks in Namibia and I wanted to share some of my must have travel essentials and general travel tips after a 15 hour flight to Cape Town. In the notes section on my phone I keep a file called "Things I Forget to Pack" and every vacation I add to it. It's so useful to refer to every time I pack for the next vacation. For instance I never chew gum at home, but that's vital for a plane ride and when I see that on my list I remember to buy gum for my flight. I also keep a notes file in my phone of travel quotes so I have interesting captions for my IG photos for when I'm at a loss. I also have a picture of my passport in my phone in case I lose it.

Never exchange money at the airport kiosk, it always has the worst rate. I exchange money at Citibank before I leave the USA. You order the money at the teller and it comes the next day but they don't carry every currency. In that case look for an ATM when you arrive in the country. But I really like to have cash when I arrive so I can go straight to a taxi and avoid lines. Also talk to your taxi drivers, you never know what interesting info they may share. Who do you think takes my airport departure photo when I travel alone? lol 

I want to talk to you about my favorite travel pillows that will help you get more comfortable and hopefully fall sleep on your next flight. These innovative pillows are better than the old U-shaped travel pillow! All five products are available on amazon; however the turtle and the bcozzy have overwhelmingly the most reviews. These first class travel pillows will make your long haul flights in economy more doable. When sitting for a long period of time on a plane you want to have the best support and comfort. These premium travel pillows each have their own strength. Choosing the right travel pillow for you will be a personal decision. For me, I only use travel pillows for 4+ hours of travel. In choosing a pillow you want to think about functionality, so for long haul flights you want to  ensure that the pillow doesn't move when you move, for instance when you're not in a window seat. Look for ones that will stay anchored to your body or seat that will be good for sleep. 

I like to think I’m somewhat of a stylish traveler myself with a pink suitcase and carefully planned travel outfit.  I've posted a few posts about my favorite travel accessories so I thought it time I post an updated list of my essentials for travel. I'm getting excited about my trip to Mexico and will be using all the pink items listed.  I'm setting some big travel goals for myself, I want to fly Qatar Airways Qsuites which has been rated the best business class product in the sky. They fly to 9 cities in the USA. Anyway, this gift guide should have something for every globetrotter on your list.

I just got back from two weeks in Portugal and I wanted to share some of my must have travel accessories.


Packing Cubes  They help compress your clothing so you can fit more in your suitcase and keep you organized so you can find everything. It keeps your shoes separate so the dirty bottoms aren't touching everything else. The TSA can feel the outside that only soft clothing is inside so they may not pick everything apart. I really like these fabric grey ones because they look stylish.

Money belt The best way to keep your money and passport secure when you travel.

Jewelry organizer This 9x5 zipper pouch has various compartments for stud earring and a ring bar to keep your jewelry separate during travel.

Slim packing cube  This small cube is only 2.5 x 14 x 5 inches and is perfect to keep my undergarments separate and easy to find.

Travel scarf A great alternative to the money belt to keep your iphone on you when you fly so you don't have to keep a purse on your seat.

Portable iphone charger This charges my phone really fast and can charge it 2-3 times before you need to charge the charger. I had another one in the past but it wasn't as powerful as this one.


Steamer This steamer is my holy grail and I am on my second one. I use it both at home to steam clothes and when I travel. It's so quick and easy to use! I can't remember the last time I ironed something.

Luggage tag On my last trip the luggage tag came off my bag in transit so I had to get a new and got this cute tag to match my pink suitcase.

What I want to buy next is an anti-theft purse but can't decide on a model. Everyone keeps recommending a Travelon bag which are made with all these security features to protect against pick pockets. I just can't decide on a model but obviously it will be purple. I'm leaning towards the small phone pouch one which is only  5 x 2 x 6.75, I just need to find out if it will fit my iphone 8 plus.

I just got back from my 9th cruise so I've compiled a helpful packing list.

I know everyone's heard all the horrible flying stories on the news, so here are some fun and informative travel related stories:

When I traveled with my mom as a child, she always had a "Travel Outfit" the same one she wore on every plane because it had a lot of pockets. I grew tired of it fast and begged her to wear something else. lol Well check out the Debbie Dress, it's a cotton dress with 7 hidden pockets to keep your valuables safe! You can be stylish while not worrying about your money when you travel. It comes in 4 colors and 2 lengths.
Why I Gave Up a $95,000 Job to Move to the Caribbean and Scoop Ice Cream

• space saver bags
• travel pillow
• lysol wipes
• sunglasses
• books
• aloe vera gel 
• insect repellent
• healthy snacks
• photocopy of passport
• print outs of flight & hotel reservations
• travel journal
• shoe bags
• comfy walking shoes
• plastic rain poncho
• gum for popping ears on the flight
• probiotics
• makeup wipes
• white linen pants - a beach staple for me

• hats
• swimsuits
• flip-flops
• beach coverup
• a nice dress for the evenings

I highly recommend taking probiotics with you when travelling to a country where the food you eat could cause stomach problems, it will keep your gut strong. I packed cashews to have as a snack while on the beach everyday. I didn't buy the all inclusive package at my hotel so I bought oatmeal with me to eat for breakfast. I had planned to use the coffee pot in the room to heat up water for it, but ended up going to the local grocery store and bought plain yogurt to mix it into.

I was so glad I brought the plastic rain poncho, it really came in handy in the random short rain showers I had daily. It was light enough that it wasn't hot to wear in the hot weather. To prevent myself from getting sick from germs on airplanes, I always bring lysol wipes to wipe down the surfaces. Also the TV remote in hotel rooms has been proven to be the most germ filled surface in your room. I had a hard time finding lip balm with SPF at multiple CVS' so I had to order it online. It never fails that my lips get sunburned.
 I use a Slim Packing Cube to pack my undergarments so they're easy to find in my suitcase.
I bought another steamer in the past but it didn't work very well so I returned it. My co-worker travels a lot for work and turned me onto My Little Steamer.  It's small and has just enough water to steam a few garments before it runs out, but it's really strong and works!
I bought this waterproof case for my Iphone but was scared to use it but saw so many people using it at Xcaret in the lazy river so I decided to give it a try myself. When I went swimming in the Cenote, I got looks from people shocked I was swimming with my phone around my neck, but it completely kept my phone waterproof! And it took much better pics in a dark location than the disposable camera I bought that uses film that I had to mail off to get developed.

I've shared Packing Tips before but thought you might enjoy seeing what I travel with. For my inflight comfort I always travel with a pillow, gum (orbitz sweet mint), water, a good book, my ipod (see current playlist), socks and comfortable shoes. 


When I finished my book I purchased wifi on the flight to work on my blog on my kindle fire. In the hotel room I watched the new season of Orange is the New Black. I would have watched it on the plane but their wifi specifically says it will not allow you to access netflix.

A total necessity this trip was my iphone portable charger! I have the iphone5 which only holds a charge for 1/3 of the day, then I would connect it to this lipstick case charger I carried in my purse to bump it up to 60%. Then by the end of the day it was out of power again but by then I would be at dinner or dip into the hotel beforehand to charge again. I gotta say I miss my old flip phone that I only had to charge once a week!

After a long tiring day, it's so easy to remove my eye makeup with these wipes.

As a seasoned traveler I wanted to share some tips with you. I never over pack because I type up a spreadsheet of what I will wear everyday. This way I only take what I need plus an extra dress for an improtu evening and one backup if something goes wrong with a scheduled outfit.  At home I try on every outfit to see which jewelry goes with it and also jot that down on the spreadsheet under the jewelry column. While on vacation, when I go to bed every night I refer to my list and hang up the next outfit in the closet so it's easy and ready to go in the morning. So no matter how I feel when I wake up (tired, etc), I always look good. I always bring a sweater and socks because airplanes are always cold.

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1. First start with a packing list because it's always the little things that you tend to forget that are a pain to find overseas. You can also download an app called Packing Pro that can help you with that and what's great about it is you can customize it and have separate lists for your carry on and each traveler with you. Plus you can save your list for future trips!
2. There's two theories on how to pack some people say rolling your clothes takes up less space and the benefit is rolled clothes are less prone to wrinkles. I however prefer to use space saver bags so all my clothes are in plastic bags, but some items do end up being wrinkled on their folding crease. I tend to stick to dresses that don't wrinkle so for the most part I'm ok. I figure if TSA goes through my bag everything stays in order because it's easy for them to just lift up the bags. I also have one bag just for large bottles.
3. Weigh your bag before you go, for international flights the limit is 50 lbs. If you are a big shopper than your bag should weigh considerably less than that so you have space to add to it.
4. Buy travel sized liquids. I saw at Bed Bath and Beyond had great empty kits that come with a pouch with bottles you can fill yourself with your favorite products.
5. Never check essential items. I keep all my makeup in my carry-on. I know that may not essential to you lol, but as I don't take any medications that's about the most important thing I carry that would be a pain to replace.  I also keep a spare outfit and swimsuit in my carry-on in case my suitcase gets lost and doesn't make it to my destination.
6. Keep your money in a money belt. I'm not a fan of wasting time running around to find ATMs and being charged outrageous fees. A friend of mine was charged a $30 foreign transaction fee every time she took money out in Spain!
7. Use packing aids to organize your suitcase. I use these Smart packs to pack my lingerie, makes them easy to find in one place. I'm a huge fan of separating things by category into their own pouch. 
8. A travel pillow is a must have!
9. I see lots of women throwing their gym shoes into their purse, I prefer a separation of cleanliness because after all the bottom of your shoes aren't clean. In my suitcase I use a shoe bag.
10. Bring a battery operated alarm clock, because I've seen cases where the hotel forgets to give you your wakeup call and your iphone isn't charged. If you're going international you'll need travel adapter plugs.
11. Bring facial wipes because at the end of a long tiring day, you'll be too tired to go through your makeup removing routine. Not only do these wipes remove makeup, they take off your mascara!
12. Have a unique looking suitcase so it's easy to find yours! At the luggage claim I could easily sit far back and relax as the luggage came out because I can spot my pink bag a mile away! I have a kitschy yellow luggage tag that says "This is not your suitcase". You don't want to opt for the paper tags at the airline check-in while hastily scribbling your addresses and phone numbers because that could easily fall off. I saw on the news that there are many unclaimed suitcases every year. I also print out my address in large font on a piece of paper and put it inside my suitcase.
13. All the hotels in Spain had free wi-fi in the lobby and sometimes also in the rooms, although they charged you to use their computer if you didn't bring your own device. Many restaurants, fast food chains, malls and rest stops/gas stations also had free wifi. I saw a number of people with either the mini ipad or kindle fire and realized, that really was the perfect travel sized device. The people who only took photos on their phones frequently ran out of space and had to move their photos over to their ipad.