What made you want to become a travel advisor?
It’s interesting to think why I became a travel advisor and why I’ve continued to do it are two very different things.
I have loved Disney for forever and thought getting into planning trips would be a way to be “closer to the Mouse.” There’s a coolness factor of being able to say, “I plan trips for Disney!” I thought it would be a bit like I was working for Disney. And, I thought it would be super easy to just give advice based on my own trips.
The truth, though, is as a travel advisor I’m not a Cast Member and I don’t work for Disney. Instead, I run my own small business with the support of the Reach for the Magic Destinations travel agency. I work for my clients (aka Memory Makers and VIPs), and I customize the information I share to match what YOU want from a vacation. Plus, I serve non-Disney destinations!
It's been fun (and a lot of hard work) to develop my small business. I’ve invested time into developing my niche, identifying my Memory Makers, and really figuring out what services they need to have the best vacation possible. I’m also so incredibly excited about being the Travel Monster Charmer, the travel monsters, and the monSTARs I create for my VIPs.
I continue to serve as the Travel Monster Charmer (aka a travel advisor) because of my VIPs. It’s fun to get to know new people, find out about their dream vacation, and then guide them through how to make it happen. It’s so rewarding to see their pics and hear about their experience. Plus, getting to serve them for a return trip is like reconnecting with a dear friend.
How long have you been in the business?
I started training with our agency in spring/summer 2017. My first Memory Maker hit the parks in October of that same year.
What do you love about what you do?
Every VIP and every vacation is different. It’s exciting to get to know new Memory Makers and help your vacation plans comes to life. I love removing the confusion and overwhelm of the planning process and seeing your excitement build for vacation!
What is your favorite destination/vacation spot?
Oooh! That’s a touch question. For theme parks, I love Universal Orlando Resort. If I had to pick between the (currently three) parks, it would be Islands of Adventure. Bring on dinosaurs and Velocicoaster!
Outside of the theme parks, I enjoy Disney Cruise Line sailings. My top pick would be a Marvel Day at Sea itinerary. I’m good with any ports. I’m all about the character interactions!
What is a favorite vacation memory?
Ack! That’s another tough question. There are so many memories that immediately pop to mind. Perhaps my strongest emotional memory was when we worked with Cast Members for a twin gender reveal with Hiro and Baymax. There was so much excitement with us and among everyone standing in line too. We had just found out less than a week prior that we were expecting twins. The Cast Members were so fantastic to allow us to reveal with rattles a friend helped us purchase. Another Cast Member caught the moment I saw the rattles and realized we would be welcoming a little prince and a little princess to our family. (It’s blurry, but you get the excitement.) Definitely a core memory!
What destinations do you sell?
In Orlando, I specialize in Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld, and Discovery Cove. I can assist with theme park tickets as well as full packages including dining, accommodations, etc.
If you’re headed to California, I’ve got you covered for Disneyland Resort and Universal Hollywood.
For adventures around the world, I can also assist with Adventure by Disney and Disney Crise line.
Interested in something not mentioned above? Let me know. We’ll see what magic we can create!
Any specializations?
I specialize in family vacations and have personal experience vacationing with twins at a variety of ages to a number of destinations. (Believe it or not, one of our easiest and most memorable trips was driving to Florida when they were not yet two years old!)
I also serve a lot of multi-family VIPs. It can be a lot to coordinate plans across several families. How do you build in time for your personal family unit while also creating space for time with all the families traveling? That’s a piece I can help with!
Plus, I really enjoy serving couples. Whether you’re newly married, taking a vacation sans kiddos, or celebrating an anniversary, I can help you embrace those magical vacation moments.
Why should someone book their trip with you?
Have you ever…
been frozen by too many options for your vacation?
gotten lost in conflicting information while planning your time off?
missed current moments with your loved ones while waiting on hold for answers about a trip?
forgotten a dining reservation or payment deadline?
needed a vacation from your vacation?
If you said YES then you’ve been a victim of a travel monster.
I can help kick them out of your vacation!
Share an example of how you've helped a client with an issue.
Regardless of all the planning, hiccups can and do happen during vacations. Illness, weather, other people… These can all create a challenge within a vacation. It’s such a relief when you don’t have to manage those on your own. For example, I had a sweet family planning a surprise holiday trip. They kept the secrete for nearly a year and then had the giant reveal while opening Christmas presents. They headed out either later that day or the next day for a Universal Orlando Resort vacation. Well, weather being weather in the Midwest in December, their flight was cancelled. They would be arriving a day later than planned. Through it my Memory Maker leaned on me for emotional support and assistance. She tackled the airline while I worked with Universal Orlando Resort for revising hotel, dining, and tickets. Within two hours the family was reset and off to enjoy a differently planned first day of vacation.
A few more thoughts...
I’d like to close this up with a few shout outs of gratitude:
To my family, thank you for supporting me on my small business adventure. Your patience with team calls, late nights, early mornings, and all the in between makes it possible for me to be the Travel Monster Charmer. I’m grateful for you.
To my friends and loved ones, I appreciate how much you’ve shared my name and services with others. Your interactions with my Facebook posts, passing along my info, and overall support have made my small business possible. Thank you!
To my Reach for the Magic Destinations family, I feel so very blessed to be a part of our agency. Thank you for the collaborative training, information sharing, commiserating, and support. I love that we are each are own business yet one giant family working together. We have a unique blend of magic in this agency and I’m appreciative of it and each of you.
Last but not least, thank you to my VIPs and Memory Makers. Without, none of this would be possible. Thank you for trusting me with your families and your vacations. It is such an honor and a privilege. I appreciate you!