Adventures of Two Grey Mice

Cruising is booming, but that growth is changing where ships go, how they are built, and what passengers experience once they arrive.In this solo episode, Meg looks beyond the latest cruise headlines to explore two of the biggest trends shaping the industry. Alaska cruising has grown dramatically, bringing more ships, longer seasons, new ports, and concerns about overcrowding in small communities. Meanwhile, Caribbean cruise lines are racing to create bigger and more elaborate private islands and beach clubs.Meg also shares what she will be watching during her upcoming Virgin Voyages Alaska cruise, why choosing the right ship matters just as much as choosing the itinerary, and how added costs such as gratuities can change the real price of a vacation.Plus, Carnival Pride is back in Baltimore, giving East Coast travelers another way to cruise without flying to Florida.

It's the end of June, which means it's officially halfway to the holidays. Disney just dropped everything about Christmas 2026, so Meg and Rob are breaking down the whole season. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the Epcot Festival of the Holidays, Jollywood Nights, resort gingerbread, the Disney Springs tree stroll, and yes, the choo choo. They cover ticket on-sale dates, which party is better for grown-ups, and a quiet rule change that just made resort hopping a lot harder.If a Disney Christmas is on your list, this is the planning episode to start with. Party day, dining, resort choices, and ticket strategy all matter more than you think during the holidays. Need a hand putting it together? That's what Grey Mice Travel is here for.

Big things are happening down in Disney World, and Meg is breaking it all down solo this week.First up, the Boardwalk is finally getting some love. Jelly Rolls has moved out, and a new waterfront lounge called Hurley Burley is moving in. Family friendly trivia and games by day, then 21 and over live music and coastal cocktails by night. Meg has thoughts on whether this is the grown up evening spot the Boardwalk has been missing. Plus Basin is bringing in handcrafted bath goodies (yes, you can press your name into a bar of soap), and a new quick service is on the way.Then there's Lakeshore Lodge, the brand new DVC resort opening summer 2027 on Bay Lake. Think zero entry pools, a lazy river, waterfront lake houses, and an adults only pool where you can watch Magic Kingdom fireworks from the hot tub. Meg covers the good, the gorgeous, and the one transportation catch you'll want to know about before you fall in love.And the part you've actually been waiting for. The end of year discounts are finally here. Up to 25% off rooms with the Disney Plus Perks deal (yes, even Thanksgiving week), plus a separate room only discount up to 20% that runs right up to Christmas. Meg walks you through who qualifies, the dates that matter, and how to play the calendar so you save the most.Quick, packed, and exactly what you need to know. Hit play.

If you've always dismissed Universal Orlando as the theme park you do on a leftover Tuesday before flying home, this episode is going to make you rethink everything.Meg and Rob have been Disney people their whole lives. Honeymoon at Disney. Kids' trips at Disney. The works. But Universal has quietly grown from a one-park add-on into a full week's worth of experiences, and they're not keeping quiet about it anymore.In this episode they dig into what Universal does brilliantly, from the jaw-dropping immersive theming at Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley to the buzz around Epic Universe, the brand new park that just hit its one-year anniversary. They talk hotels, Express Pass, how to actually structure your days without running yourself into the ground, Horror Nights, Mardi Gras, and yes, the fact that you can walk around with an adult beverage. They also get into who Universal is really for, and who it probably isn't.The big takeaway? Stop squeezing Universal into a leftover day at the end of your Disney trip. It deserves better than that. So do you.

Disney dining reservations can feel weirdly intense. Suddenly you’re setting alarms, refreshing the app, and wondering if missing one restaurant means your whole trip is ruined.In this solo episode of The Adventures of Two Grey Mice, Meg breaks down which Walt Disney World dining reservations are actually worth the stress, which ones may not be worth the hype, and how to choose restaurants based on the kind of day you actually want to have.She talks about favorites like Topolino’s Terrace, Story Book Dining at Artist Point, Boma, Tiffins, Hollywood Brown Derby, Jiko, and Yak & Yeti, while also getting honest about highly hyped spots like Cinderella’s Royal Table, Space 220, Chef Mickey’s, Be Our Guest, California Grill, and ‘Ohana breakfast.The big takeaway? The best Disney dining reservation is not always the hardest one to get. It’s the one that makes your day better instead of taking over your whole trip. 

This week on Adventures of Two Grey Mice, Meg and Rob are rounding up the latest theme park news from Disney and Universal, and yes, there are feelings.We’re talking about the new Muppets takeover of Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, the Swedish Chef food truck chaos, updates to the Walt Disney Studios courtyard, Grogu mode on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Bluey coming to Animal Kingdom, and the long-awaited Carousel of Progress refurbishment.Then we hop over to Disneyland for park hopping changes before heading to Universal Orlando, where Lost Continent is slowly disappearing and Hagrid’s is leaving Express Pass. We also take a look at Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, including why this new kid-focused park could be a very smart move.It’s theme park news with opinions, nostalgia, snack judgment, and just a little emotional damage over Carousel of Progress.

This week on Adventures of Two Grey Mice, Meg shares the travel experiences sitting at the very top of her bucket list and why this stage of life changes the way we think about travel. From the National Parks of the American West to river cruises through Europe, Christmas markets, Ireland, Alaska, and heritage travel, this episode is part inspiration, part dreaming out loud, and part reminder that travel does not have to stop when the kids grow up.Meg talks about the National Parks she most wants to visit, why Alaska keeps calling her back, the appeal of luxury river cruises through Europe, and the emotional connection behind tracing family roots through Ireland and France. It’s a quieter, thoughtful episode about curiosity, adventure, and finally taking the trips you’ve always imagined.

We're officially under 60 days from our Alaska sailing aboard The Brilliant Lady, which means it's time to talk about one of the biggest reasons we booked Virgin Voyages in the first place: the food.In this episode, we break down every dining venue on board, including The Wake, Extra Virgin, Pink Agave, Gunbae, Test Kitchen, Rojo by Razzle Dazzle, the Galley, and even room service. We explain how Virgin's restaurant system works, when reservations open, and why you don't need to panic-book the second they become available.Along the way, we share our favorite meals from previous sailings, why Gunbae might be the most fun dinner at sea, what makes Pink Agave so memorable, and why we're excited to finally try Test Kitchen. We also talk about how Alaska's excursions, long daylight hours, and new Alaska-themed programming could affect our dining plans.If you're curious about Virgin Voyages, planning an Alaska cruise, or simply wondering if the food really lives up to the hype, this episode is for you. 

You know those trips where you're racing to rope drop, sprinting for FastPass, and basically project-managing a holiday that's supposed to be fun? Yeah. We've done all of that. And we're done with it.In this episode, Meg talks about what Disney actually feels like at 59, and why it's honestly better now than it ever was. She gets into how she and Rob travel completely differently than they did when the kids were little, why the shift happened, and what changed the moment they started going just the two of them.She also talks about the rebrand from Meg and the Mouse to Grey Mice Travel, what that name change actually means, and why it better reflects the kind of travel advisor she's become someone who helps people like her make real memories without all the stress of figuring it out alone.This one's for every Disney adult who's ever felt they had to justify loving it, and for every couple who's due a trip that's actually planned around them for once.

You've got a cruise booked. You've got a couple of days spare before you board. Easy, right? Not when you can't decide between heading to Disneyland or spending those days exploring Seattle for the first time.In this episode, Meg and Rob are deep in trip-planning mode, weighing up the pull of a beloved favorite against the lure of a city they've never actually given a proper chance. Disneyland is calling with its 70th anniversary celebrations, a newly running Monorail and train, the Tapestry of Happiness projection show, and all those things they regret missing last time (we're looking at you, Haunted Mansion). But Seattle is doing a pretty convincing pitch of its own, Chihuly Garden and Glass, Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market, the Underground Tour, and enough local street art and craft breweries to fill a whole trip on their own.There's real back-and-forth here: logistics, costs, City Pass math, public transport options, and the age-old tension between nostalgia and the urge to do something new. In the end they land on Seattle and honestly, it sounds like the right call.If you've ever agonized over your pre-cruise days (or just can't decide between two very different trips), this one's for you.