Maureen Russell has been a travel industry expert for almost two decades, sending her clients and their families all over the world by plane, train and automobile. With Spring Break and Summer travel seasons getting ready to take off, airports can be the most crowded and confusing places to be. Many travelers get frustrated and feel like they are wasting valuable time. With a little planning and some inside advice, however, you can make your air travel experience easier, so you can spend more time concentrating on the fun!

What are the three traveling mistakes and how can they be avoided?

a) Not being on time. This is the worst thing a traveler can do. No the airline will not hold the plane for you, this is not your mother's travel industry anymore. The airline will start giving away your seat 1/2hr before the flight departs if you are not checked in.

b) Don't assume. Ask questions. Do you need a passport, visa, shots. A recent story came out that a couple booked their honeymoon to Russia on Orbitz, they were never advised that they needed a visa to visit Russia and were de-boarded in Germany.

c) Take the time to reconfirm your flights and check in online. It saves on headaches and avoids many issues.


What, if anything, can or should someone do in the event of a long flight delay or a cancellation?

It depends on if it is a weather or airline issue such as 'mechanical difficulties'. Each airline varies, you can ask for a meal voucher and or hotel voucher. If you know that there will be issues such as a major storm heading your way and you are flexible call your airline, they often love it when you are proactive and will change your flights with no fee and possibly an upgrade.

Don't ever be afraid to ask for a voucher or an upgrade. Also, utilize the Internet, go to the airline website, see what their policies are and then ask the gate agent or the agent on the phone 'What can you do for me?'.

While you are on that long line at the airport, check via your iPhone what the next flight is on any carrier. Often an airline can get you on another carrier if their next flight is oversold they just don't want to do the voucher.


What about tips on packing and planning?

Do you really need 4 pairs of shoes? No. Then don't pack them. Remember you're paying for this now, the weight limit per bag checked is 50lbs. Check your bag online and pay less. I always use the sky caps rather than traipse through an airport alone dragging a bag behind me, and you don't have to wait on those long lines. (on my last trip my bag was too heavy, instead of charging me the sky cap said 'oh honey, just reach in there and pull out something to make it light') Oh and yes, you should always tip the sky cap -- it's worth the service!

What about advice for carry-on bags?

For women carry on luggage is the hardest decisions to make. The airlines allow one carry on and one 'purse or laptop bag' If you can leave your coat behind do so! It just takes up space and that is a valuable commodity. Medicines should be clearly labeled and in a separate clear baggie. Don't over stuff your carry on, you will want to get that book that fell to the bottom of the bag!

My mother told me that once I was dressed and ready to go out to look at myself in a mirror and take one thing off. That is how you should pack.

Check with your individual airlines for their carry-on policy too and make sure you adhere to those restrictions. Also, remember to always check TSA guidelines for what can and can't be carried on; www.tsa.gov is your best course of information.


What about when you arrive at your destination? Any hotel advice?

At the hotel, ASK, always. Is there an upgrade available? The worst thing they can say is no. Always be firm and friendly. Remember the person behind that hotel counter may be at the end of a 12hr shift.

In this electronic age utilize the web. Sign up for all the hotel and airline frequent flyer programs. Find out who their partners are. Did you know that you can link some [grocery store rewards] cards with your Continental miles? Check out your credit cards [and reward memberships] to see where you can accumulate miles and perks.

In this economy everyone is looking for and giving out a bargain. It's just a matter of doing your homework!


What are your best travel tips and tricks? Be sure to leave a comment and share them!

Congratulations to Disney and Pixar for their big Oscar win on Sunday, March 7, 2010 -- Up took home the golden statuette for Best Animated Film. But this was hardly the Mouse's first Academy Award. In fact, Walt himself holds the record for most Oscar nominations and the most awards. In his lifetime, he receved 59 nominations and took home 26, including four special awards -- 1932 Honorary Award for the creation of Mickey Mouse, 1939 honorary award for "significant screen innovation' of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1941 Honorary Award for "outstanding contribution to the advancement of the use of sound in motion pictures through the production of Fantasia," and the Irving J. Thalberg Memorial Award.

Needless to say, the Disney Corporation has been the Academy Awards king when it comes to animated films. For a fun way to celebrate those achievements during your visit to Orlando and the Walt Disney World Resort, try a family scavengar hunt using the list of nominations and wins below--the first person to find something from all the movies on the list wins! It can be a picture, a character, a toy, a ride, whatever you decide counts as a find. Here's the complete list--be sure to comment in the blog when you have your hunt and tell us how everyone did!

Scavenger Hunt Movie List


1940: Pinocchio -- Winner, Best Original Score and Best Song "When You Wish Upon a Star"
1941: Dumbo -- Winner, Best Original Score; Nominated, Best Song "Baby Mine"
1942: Bambi -- Nominated, Best Song "Love Is A Song"
1943: Saludos Amigos -- Nominated, Best Original Score, Best Song, and Best Sound
1947: Song of the South -- Winner, Best Song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"
1950: Cinderella -- Nominated for Best Sound, Original Music Score and Best Song "Bibbi Bobbidi Boo".
1964: Mary Poppins -- the most nomiated film in Disney's history! 13 nominations and 5 wins. Winner for Best Actress, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Song "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
1967: The Jungle Book -- Nominated, Best Song "The Bare Necessities"
1971: Bedknobs and Broomsticks -- Nominated, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Original Music Score and Best Song (The Age of Not Believing0; Winner, Best Visual Effects
1973: Robin Hood -- Nominated, Best Song "Love"
1977: The Rescuers -- Nominated, Best Song "Someone's Waiting for You"
Pete's Dragon -- Nominated, Original Song Score and Best Song "Candle on the Water"
1989: The Little Mermaid -- Nominated, Original Music Score and Best Song "Kiss the Girl"; Winner, Best Song "Under the Sea" (that's right -- the songs competed against each other!
1991: Beauty and the Beast -- Nominated, Best Sound, Best Picture (the first animated film ever to compete in this category), Best Song "Belle"; Best Song "Be Our Guest"; Winner, Best Music and Best Song "Beauty and the Beast" (again, Disney competed against itself for best song, this time with three songs)
1992: Aladdin -- Nominated, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound, Best Song "Friend Like Me"; Winner, Best Song "A Whole New World"
1994: The Lion King -- Nominated, Best Song "Circle of Life" and "Hakuna Matata"; Winner, Best Original Score and Best Song, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight"
1995: Pocahontas -- Winner, Best Original Score and Best Song "Colors of the Wind"
Toy Story -- Nominated, Best Original Score, Best Screenplay, Best Song "You'ev Got A Friend"; Winner, Special Achievement (for being the first full-length computer-animated film)
1997: Hercules -- Nominated, Best Song "Go the Distance"
1999: Tarzan -- Winner, Best Song "You'll Be In My Heart"
2000: Toy Story 2 -- Nominated, Best Song "When She Loved Me"
The Emperor's New Groove -- Nominated, Best Song "My Funny Friend and Me"
2001: Monsters, Inc. -- Nominated, Best Animated Feature, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Score; Winner, Best Song "If I Didn't Have You"
2002: Lilo and Stitch -- Nominated, Best Animated Feature
Treasure Planet -- Nominated, Best Animated Feature
2003: Brother Bear -- Nominated, Best Animated Film
Finding Nemo -- Nominated, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay; Winner, Best Animated Feature
2004: The Incredibles -- Nominated, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Screenplay; Winner, Best Sound Editing and Best Animated Feature
2006: Cars -- Nominated Best Animated Feature and Best Song "Our Town"
2007: Ratatouille -- Nominated, Best Original Score, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing; Winner, Best Animated Feature
Enchanted -- Nominated, Best Song "Happy Workign Song," "So Close," and "That's How You Know"
2008: Bolt -- Nominated, Best Animated Feature
Wall-E: Nominated, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Song "Down To Earth", Winner, Best Animated Feature
2009: The Princess and the Frog -- Nominated, Best Animated Feature, Best Song "Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans"
Up -- Nominated, Best Picture, Best Sound Editing, Best Original Screenplay; Winner, Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature

Hello all! I'm Dawn and I will be your new DW Tickets blogger. I'm a long-time visitor and former resident of Orlando, so I have a whole lot of love for the place, and all its many forms and functions and fantasy. I'll be blogging about all things Orlando, from the theme parks and big news events to smaller travel secrets and places and things you might not know about without my help. I hope you'll use my tips and enjoy my suggestions on your next visit to Orlando, whether you're hardcore for the Mouse or not.

The first piece of news I'd like to share is about a truly once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has been considered a culinary treasure since its opening. The restaurant has been awarded the the prestigious AAA Five-Diamond Award for 10 consecutive years, the most of any restaurant in the state. For a long time now, V&A's has served two menus, both prix fixe, both changing daily, and both at over $100 per person: the 6-course menu in the main dining room and the 7-course Chef's Tasting Menu in the kitchen itself. These experiences last 2 to 3 hours, on average, and are worth every penny if you love food and exquisite preparation. It's not for everyone, certainly; the price point and the dress code--jackets for gentlemen and pants ensembles or dresses for ladies--do scare some away. But if you can do it, it's worth doing. I've been lucky enough to try it a few times and I can't wait for more.

Well, now there is more--more food, more experience and, yes, more money. V&A's recently announced a third dining experience. It is their most amazing and their most exclusive yet -Queen Victoria's Room. The room has only 4 tables with one seating time each night. It features French gueridon service, where a rolling cart travels from table to table, offering the most superb cuisine with incredible touches (like a sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt, mined from the mountains themselves, or perhaps a plate of exceptional cheese from all over the world). The experience lasts four hours and features TEN courses of Chef Scott Hunnel's most creative offering, such as "perfectly seared Kurobuta pork tenderloin and belly, or butter-poached lobster with bisque and lobster roe foam." And if that's not enough, why not have the sommelier pair wine to each course? Or choose your own bottle from V&A's well-respected and very impressive wine list. The experience will set you back $200/person for the food, plus $95 for the optional wine pairings--the bottle of your choosing could most a lot less or a lot more than that, depending on your personal taste. And if you have children, you'll also need to pay for a sitter--V&A's does not serve children under 10 years of age. It's an intimate, adult dining experience, an evening worth savoring and enjoying, worth lingering over as long as possible. You'll head home from any of the three dining options with a personalized menu and a rose for the ladies. You'll also remember the meal for a long time, like a perfect mental souvenir you'll ttreasure for years to come. Especially if you opt for the Kona chocolate souffle at desert time, which you definitely should. Save a bite for me, too.

The game of soccer and all of its supporters has been trying to become a dominant force in the world of United States sports for many years now. The LA Galaxy even signed Brit soccer (or football, as they say across the pond) superstar David Beckham to help draw more attention to the sport here in the States. While some may argue it has helped bring soccer a bit closer to the limelight, it can’t compare to football, baseball, or even UFC—not yet. But if the Walt Disney World has anything to do with it soccer will be bigger and better very soon.

The Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic is coming up soon. The ESPN Wide World of Sports, formerly the Walt Disney World Wide World of Sports, will be hosting four Major League Soccer (MLS) teams in a tournament to bring awareness to the sport and to award a championship to one of the teams.

“Bringing four Major League Soccer teams to Central Florida to play in the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic is very exciting and a big win for all of our local soccer players, fans, parents and spectators,” said Disney Sports Area Manager Patrick Dicks. “ESPN The Weekend is serving as a major platform for these teams to prepare for the upcoming season and we are proud to have them be a part of this re-branding weekend.”

The tournament will officially launch the re-branding of Disney’s sports complex into the ESPN Wide World of Sports, which hosts pro and amateur sports of all kinds featuring players of all ages. There will be a new ESPN café for visitors of the complex to grab a bite to eat and all kinds of HD technology including brand new TV’s, cameras and Jumbotrons. ESPN The Weekend will bring the hottest sports stars to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the brand new ESPN Wide World of Sports so fans can take pictures with their favorite athletes and get autographs. Checking out the brand new ESPN Wide World of Sports could be a great way to get interested in sports, fitness, and getting active. This high-tech complex is great for the sports lover in everyone.