Explore with Sadie at Favorite Grampy Travels

Name: Explore with Sadie at Favorite Grampy Travels
Address: Orlando, FL, US
Telephone: +16037312979

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Explore with Sadie at Favorite Grampy Travels

I’m a New Hampshire-based travel advisor specializing in Universal Orlando, Epic Universe, Walt Disney World & cruises.

Military travel specialist offering concierge vacation planning, price monitoring, and expert support every step of the way.

09/09/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻.

Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle is back at Islands of Adventure!

This nighttime show has been away for the past few years, which means we've never had the chance to experience it during any of our Universal trips. That changes tonight.

If you've followed me for a while, you probably already know how I feel about the Hogwarts Castle nighttime shows. They're easily one of my favorite experiences at Universal. Seeing Hogwarts completely transform after dark is something that videos just don't quite capture.

But this one is a little different.

Dark Arts brings Dementors, Death Eaters and other dark creatures to Hogwarts Castle, culminating with a Patronus lighting up the night.

And yes... I am VERY excited. I have a feeling this one is going to be chilling in the best possible way.

Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle is running on select nights September 5–November 1, and Death Eaters are also returning to Diagon Alley on select dates August 27–November 1.

We're hoping we run into a few of them during Halloween Horror Nights later this week, too!

Tonight, though, I'm ready to see Hogwarts go dark.

Have you ever seen Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle?

📧 [email protected]

09/09/2026

Is it just me, or does Scott have the exact same look on his face today as he did in the photo from May that I posted this morning?! 😂

We had such a fun day hopping from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT! We spent the day riding all of our favorites, snacking our way around the world (that caramel popcorn in Germany 😋), and splashing through more than a few downpours and puddles along the way.

The weather finally cleared just in time for a beautiful Skyliner ride back to Caribbean Beach Resort, where we found out we'd been upgraded to a preferred location room just steps from the Skyliner station!

Now we're settled in for the night, drying out our shoes and resting our feet before another Disney day tomorrow. Apparently a little rain wasn't going to slow us down. 🩵

09/08/2026

𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀!

We reserved our first full day in Orlando for Hollywood Studios and EPCOT, and we're even spending the night at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort so we can hop between the two on the Skyliner.

We'll start our morning in Galaxy's Edge, take a stroll through Toy Story Land, and of course ride Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets!

We were lucky enough to preview the new version during its soft opening back in May, and I don't think either of us has ever screamed - or laughed - so much on a roller coaster. 😂 We've been looking forward to riding it again ever since.

Then we're hopping on the Skyliner and heading to EPCOT to snack our way around the World Showcase at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

I'm definitely gravitating toward the sweets this year. Remy's Strawberry Cheesecake Milk Shake, South African Cream Liqueur Chocolate Mousse and Pumpkin Pie Funnel Cake are all on my list.

Scott, unsurprisingly, has his eye on the savory side - Cheesesteak Macaroni & Cheese and trying things like the Korean Barbecue Wings with gochujang barbecue sauce and toasted sesame from Brew-Wing Lab.

And somewhere between all that food, there's one ride we absolutely HAVE to fit in...

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

It's easily one of our favorite rides anywhere at Walt Disney World, and I don't think an EPCOT day would feel complete without it.

Hollywood Studios + EPCOT + Food & Wine + a night at Caribbean Beach.

I'd say that's a pretty great way to spend our first full day in Orlando.

What would be YOUR must-do if you had one day to split between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT?

📧 [email protected]

09/07/2026

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀.

Scott and I both have birthdays in late June/early July, and our anniversary falls right in between. Instead of spending a bunch of money celebrating all three, a few years ago we decided we'd rather save it and put that money toward something we really enjoy together: Halloween Horror Nights.

So, for the third year in a row, we're headed back!

Military life threw a few scheduling conflicts our way this year, so we're going a little earlier than usual - the second weekend of the event - but we're going to make the most of it.

And apparently we've been slowly upgrading our Halloween Horror Nights strategy as we get older. 😂

Year 1: Regular Halloween Horror Nights tickets + Stay & Scream. We finished 7 houses by 2am.

Year 2: We entered with the crowds after opening scaremonies, but added Express Passes. We still didn't finish all 10 houses until around 1 AM.

Year 3: We've accepted that we're getting a little too old for 2 AM bedtimes. 😂 This year we're trying our first-ever RIP Tour!

We'll still be doing Stay & Scream before our 8 PM tour, so we're hoping we can knock out a few houses early, use the RIP Tour's priority V.I.P. entry to experience the houses that night, and maybe even make it through a couple of our favorites twice.

But first, we have a few days of fun ahead of us - EPCOT Food & Wine, Guardians of the Galaxy, and plenty of time at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Orlando, here we come!

📧 [email protected]

09/06/2026

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸.

This family booked their vacation at $5,087.25, but I didn't stop looking once their reservation was confirmed.

Over the next two weeks, I caught not one, not two, but 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥 separate price drops on their reservation.

By September 1, their vacation total had dropped to $4,372.24.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 $𝟳𝟭𝟱.𝟬𝟭 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝟰 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀.

They didn't have to watch for promotions. They didn't have to spend their time checking prices. They didn't even have to ask me.

I did it for them.

Price monitoring is just one of the ways I continue taking care of my clients long after their vacation is booked. 🩵

📧 [email protected]

09/05/2026

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗶ʻ𝗶... 🌈

And apparently Aulani would like me to start thinking about it again. 😂

Disney's Aulani Resort has been sitting on my travel wish list for a while. You get the beautiful beaches and scenery of Oʻahu, but with just enough Disney magic mixed into the experience.

There are pools and waterslides, a lazy river, character experiences, Hawaiian-inspired activities and entertainment, snorkeling at Rainbow Reef, and of course plenty of time to simply enjoy the beach. 🐠🌴

And right now, there's a pretty great offer for anyone else who has been daydreaming about a Hawaiian escape this fall or holiday season:

🌺 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟯𝟬% on select rooms and villas when staying 5 or more consecutive nights.

🌺 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝟮𝟱% when staying 4 consecutive nights.

The offer is available for stays most nights from 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, with checkout no later than December 24.

So yes...one year later, I'm still daydreaming about Aulani. And saving up to 30% certainly isn't helping. 😅

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲-𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀? 🌺🎄🌊

If Aulani has been sitting on your vacation wish list too, I'd be happy to take a look at dates and see what this offer could look like for your family.

📧 [email protected]

09/04/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝟰-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱?

Start with your flight times.

When I’m comparing flights, I’m not only looking at the price - I’m looking at how much vacation time you’re actually getting.

An early flight on arrival day might have you at your destination by lunchtime, giving you the afternoon and evening to explore. Then, choosing a later flight home can give you another morning - or even most of the day - before heading to the airport.

Put those together, and you can turn two travel days into 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳-𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 without adding another hotel night.

That can make a BIG difference when you only have 4 or 5 days to work with.

The cheapest flight isn’t always the one that gives you the most value. Sometimes spending a little more on better flight times means getting more out of the vacation you’re already paying for.

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 + 𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲… 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀?

📧 [email protected]

09/03/2026

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲? 👻

YES! If you missed the first one, you have another chance.

Halloween Horror Nights kicked off with Premium Scream Night on August 27, but Universal Orlando added a SECOND night for 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲.

Premium Scream Night is a limited-capacity HHN event, which means shorter waits and more opportunities to experience the houses, scare zones and entertainment.

Even better? Your ticket includes select food and non-alcoholic beverages throughout the night. Swipe through for a look at some of this year’s HHN eats - some are almost as horrifying as the houses. 😂

The August event sold out, but 𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵.

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱-𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱?

📧 [email protected]

09/02/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱?

Alaska. Japan. Greenland. Madagascar. The Mediterranean. The Caribbean.

I’ve been spending some time exploring Regent Seven Seas lately, and one of the things that keeps catching my attention is just how far their itineraries reach. These aren’t simply cruises to familiar ports - they’re opportunities to experience some pretty incredible corners of the world, with shore excursions already included along the way.

I pulled together six very different voyages for 2027 and 2028 to show you just how many possibilities there are.

Swipe through and tell me: 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲?

For me, I think Japan would be awfully hard to pass up… although Madagascar might win purely because of the lemurs.

If a bucket-list cruise like one of these has been on your mind, I’d love to help you explore what’s out there.

📧 [email protected]

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Orlando, FL

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+16037312979

Website

https://favoritegrampytravels.com/sadie-mccracken/

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