Erica Shaffer at Wishes & Co. Travel Planning

09/06/2026

Friday night, not only did I experienced my first Nashville Sounds game (on Star Wars night of all nights!) I also got to witness an amazing 9th inning with the tying and winning run scored on a wild pitch!

Man did I miss being at the ballpark! Looks like more Sounds games are in my future!

09/06/2026

🐘 Have you ever wanted to see the elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom from a whole new perspective?

I’m taking you along on the Caring for Giants tour, one of my new favorite ways to experience Animal Kingdom beyond the rides.

Come see what makes this experience so special and be sure to like and subscribe!

Getting to watch the elephants just be elephants is pretty magical....

09/05/2026

Happy National Cheese Pizza Day! 🍕

And as someone who has personally logged approximately 47,000 steps at Walt Disney World in a single day, I feel very qualified to say this:

There are few things better than getting back to your resort, changing into comfy clothes, and ordering pizza.

I don’t need a fancy dinner. I don’t need to go back to the parks. I don’t even need to put real pants back on.

Just give me cheese pizza, carbs, and a resort room after a very long day of Disney.

Disney has cheese pizza basically everywhere, from quick service in the parks to the resorts, so obviously I’m going to try it all in the name of research.

But resort pizza after a LONG park day?

That will always be one of my favorites.

Sometimes the best Disney dinner is the one you eat in your pajamas with absolutely zero plans to leave the resort again that night.

09/04/2026

TWENTY YEARS of Cars?!

Because apparently I’m old enough to remember when Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, and the rest of Radiator Springs were brand new.

And somehow, 20 years later, Cars is still one of those Disney movies that people LOVE (including myself).

If you’re a Disneyland fan, you can actually step into Radiator Springs in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. And if you’re more of a Walt Disney World person, you can stay in the Cars Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

And now we’re getting another chapter with Piston Peak coming to Magic Kingdom.

Disney has decided we’re never leaving the world of Cars. Ka-chow. I’m fine with it.

Happy 20th anniversary, Cars!

09/04/2026

If you’ve only ever done Walt Disney World, I need you to hear me when I say this:

Disneyland is different. And I mean that in the best way.

It’s the original Disney park. The parks feel more intimate. You can walk between Disneyland and California Adventure in basically the time it takes to argue with your family about which park to go to.

And now 2027 Disneyland Resort vacation packages are officially available to book!

Honestly, I think Disneyland is a really fun trip for the family that already knows Walt Disney World and wants to try something new.

You can book early, have more options for resorts and dates, spread out the cost, and have an entire year to get excited about it.

So if you’ve been saying, “We should really go to Disneyland someday…” this is your sign.

Go see where the magic started.

📩 [email protected]
📱 615-334-0155

09/03/2026

We’re going BIG for our 100th episode! 🎙️

And what better way to celebrate a milestone this big than by talking about a BIG animal?

For Episode 100, we’re talking all about Caring for Giants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! I did this experience in August, so we’re getting into what it was actually like, why I wanted to do it, what I learned, and the question we’re always asking around here: Was it worth the money?

100 episodes feels pretty dang wild. Thank you for being along for the ride!

🎧 Episode 100 is out now on Apple Podcast 🎧

Podcast Episode · Once Upon A Park · September 3 · 57m

09/02/2026

One of the easiest ways to accidentally spend WAY too much money at Disney World?

Thinking you need to go to a park every single day.

You don’t. Period.

On a longer trip, one of my favorite things to recommend is a resort day in the middle.

Sleep in.
Go to the pool.
Explore a resort you’ve never stayed at.
Hop on the Skyliner just because you can. Do a Skyliner bar crawl.
Ride the monorail. Heck do a monorail bar crawl.
Book a character meal.
Let the kids do some of the resort activities.

Basically, enjoy Disney without feeling like you have to prove you got your money’s worth.

Because I promise you, walking 24,000 steps, carrying a sleeping child, and questioning every life decision you’ve ever made is NOT the vacation memory we’re trying to create here.

👏🏻More park days does not make a better Disney vacation.👏🏻

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your trip is do less. Your feet will thank you.

09/01/2026

I’m not saying we’re superheroes, but…

08/31/2026

Hot take: One of the best Disney souvenirs is not a Loungefly, a popcorn bucket, or something you had to fight 47 people in a gift shop to get.

It's a silhouette.

I know. It doesn't sound nearly as exciting as a giant castle-shaped popcorn bucket. But hear me out.

At both Walt Disney World and Disneyland, you can have a hand-cut silhouette portrait made of your child, and it takes just a few minutes. Then suddenly you have this tiny little snapshot of who they were at that exact age.

And if you're a parent, you already know where this is going...

Because one day they're little enough to sit there for their silhouette, and then somehow you blink, and you're wondering when they got so big. Having these silhouettes through the years is such a sweet way to look back and remember those little faces, and yes, I'm trying not to make this post unnecessarily emotional, but HERE WE ARE.

It's one of those Disney traditions I think deserves way more attention. It's simple. It's timeless. It doesn't take up an entire shelf in your house.

And years from now, when you're looking at all the Disney stuff you've collected, I have a feeling this might be one of the things that means the most.

Sometimes the best souvenir isn't the biggest or the most expensive. Sometimes it's the one that reminds you exactly who your kid was during that Disney trip.

08/29/2026

If Walt Disney World during the holidays has been sitting on your "one day" list, I would like to officially suggest that maybe one day needs to be this year.

Because Disney currently has a promotion that can save you up to 20% on select Disney Resorts Collection hotels for many stays between October 4 and December 24. AND if you're traveling with little ones ages 3–9, they can get FREE dining with a qualifying package.

And listen, Walt Disney World at Christmas is just different.

The parks are decorated. The resorts are GORGEOUS. There are Christmas trees everywhere, festive treats to eat, holiday entertainment, twinkly lights, and approximately 847 opportunities for amazing family pictures.

It is one of my absolute favorite times to visit, and there is something about walking into a Disney park during the holidays that makes you forget you have bills, laundry, emails, and approximately 37 other things waiting for you at home.

So if you've been dreaming about a Disney Christmas vacation, this is a pretty good excuse to stop dreaming about it and actually start planning it.

Let's see if this promotion works for your dates and get you there for the most magical, and in my completely unbiased opinion, prettiest, time of the year.