Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

As I get ready to leave on our Family Trip a lot of things come to mind.  #1 is how thankful I am that my family is all healthy enough to make this trip.  Not everyone has that luxury. 

#2 is how grateful I am for loyal clients and friends who trust me with the planning of their own great Family trips!   I could not live my dream of helping others plan life changing trips without each and every one of you!

#3 is how lucky we are to live in this great Nation!  Yes, there are bad guys out there who want to make us afraid.  Afraid to spend time with our families.  Afraid to visit any place that is not our home.  But if we give in to them they have won. Simple. 

Please don’t think I am trying to make light of the terror threat, or the information that has come from the State Department.  But, let’s put it in perspective for a moment. 

Every year since 2001. The state department has issued Travel Warnings at the holidays. They are all worded pretty much the same way.  There is no additional intelligence to suggest we are under attack any more this holiday than last holiday.  The difference?  Those horrible events of November 13. 

Look at the wording, what we are being told …be diligent, be aware of your surroundings.  The same thing you hear each and every holiday.  In fact, information you should always follow…especially when Christmas shopping!  Not to be safe from terrorists, but those every day, common, run of the mill bad guys. 

If we live our lives in fear of what ‘may’ happen, we lose out on all those things that ‘will’ happen!

Please, everyone, stay safe this holiday season.  Enjoy time with your family.  Eat too much turkey.  Shop a little too much.  In other words, do the things you always do.  A handful of bad guys are not greater than us.  Because we are FAMILY!

Packing for Disney

We are going to Disney!

Can it be?  Less than a week before we leave for Disney! Normally my packing is done before we get to the month out… but this trip is different!  This is the first trip in years that I have not made shirts or outfits for us to wear.  When you make new clothes for a trip it is easy to pack ahead!  You make it then pack it. 

But, when you need to actually wear the clothes before you leave (pesky school!), it becomes harder and harder to pack things ahead of time!

Then, add in the unpredictable weather and it becomes a real guessing game.  The 10 or so days after Thanksgiving is my favorite time to visit Disney.  All the Christmas decorations are up and the whole trip takes on a particular Christmas Festivity that is hard to explain.  It also makes for some really unpredictable weather. 

We’ve been that time when we could swim every day…and we have been that time when we froze our selves a bit too much!  One particularly cold November trip we were without hot water for the whole trip!

I have been looking at the long range weather forecast for over a month!  I am still no closer to a final decision on what to take than I was before, but I am pretty sure it will be warmer than it is here in Georgia. 

In my ‘Disney’ traveling career, I have used a ton of different packing lists.  Some have an overload of ‘stuff’ for every conceivable situation; almost an overload of ‘stuff’; and others have a minimalistic approach to packing.  I have managed to pare it down a bit on what our ‘needs’ are for each trip, but on one hand we always take too much stuff; while on the other hand we always find at least one essential item we forgot!

When the kids were younger, I would pack all items for each day in a plastic zip top bag and label it with name and date.  That way those cute socks would be there when the cute outfit was to be worn.  Unpacking at the resort was easy…you only had to throw the bags into the drawers and you were all set!  Packing a bag the next morning was easy…just grab an extra bag of clothes.

Then they got older.

Then they got opinionated.

This is when it got harder to pack!

Since the kids are 14 and 15, we are trying something different this year.  They are packing themselves.  I cannot begin to tell you how nervous this is making me.  Neither child has made any effort to even consider that they might need clothes for the trip.  Did I mention we leave in less than a week?  I can truthfully see both kids ending up wearing the same outfit each and every day!

So, if you see us in the parks and get a whiff of dirty clothes, please know it was not MY doing!

A few Ramblings...

So very hard to believe that in exactly 14 days I will be in Florida!  We are about to embark on our annual Family trip to Disney!  I know we go so much it is hard to think of a single trip as being something we do annually, but this is my favorite time to visit.  Christmas!

OK, so technically it is not Christmas, but it is after Thanksgiving, which all the retail store will tell you...it is the same thing!

This year will be a bit bittersweet.  It is Osborne Family Light Spectacular's final year.  While I am one of those eagerly awaiting the new Star Wars and Toy Story areas at Hollywood Studios, I am very sad to see Osborne go.  It is so sad to me, that I have scheduled two times to view it this trip.  

It will also be the debut of Minnie's Holiday...whatever it is being called .. meal at Hollywood and VIne.  I have never visited Hollywood and Vine with characters, so this will be an experience.  Especially since the characters will be in Holiday wear!

It will also be another first...Fantasmic!  I know, how can I call myself a Disney fan if I have never seen Fantasmic!  We have attempted to in the past, but things just didn't work out.  This time it is a Must DO!

Another few changes this trip...Captain EO will be closing while we are there.  That one is not causing me much grief, as it is probably my least favorite attraction of all time!  And...we are not planning on visiting it this trip.  And if a certain little boy decides he wants to see it, I will find a nice place to wait while they go see it!  

And...Soarin' will be closing in January for an over haul.  I am so excited to see this one happen!  It is one of my favorites, and to see the condition it has come to, is very hard to take!  I cannot wait to see the final results, even though I find it odd, when it opens back up it will be the same show...the new show won't be premiered until later...Boo.

If Disney stays on schedule, the Frozen ride should be open next year...just in time for my two youngest Princesses to have their first trip to Disney!

I hope everyone enjoyed the Travel Agent Awareness posts last week.  It was a lot of fun sharing some ideas I had.  

I think next week's blog post will have something to do with packing for a Disney trip...or maybe something about Sun Pass... or maybe something about Thankfulness... or maybe something about coffee...(which I sorely need this morning!  LOL)

But... I will leave with a picture of where we will be staying this trip!  I can hardly wait!

Future of Family Travel

What are my predictions of the future?  My personal feelings on the future of Family Travel is  it will start to be more focused.  No longer just having fun and spending time together, Family Travel will be more focused on things like education, adventure, or service. More focused on things that make up those Family values.  

We see evidence of this with more and more families using the holidays to teach their children about helping in their communities.  Service ... like feeding the homeless is becoming a holiday ritual for many families.  A natural extension of this will be Service Vacations.  Where a family will spend their vacation helping out.  This could be in economically depressed countries or in helping out in a local organic garden where the food is produced to be given to those less fortunate. One example of this is a whole cruise line devoted to social impact. According to Travel Weekly ... " In its first year of operation, the Fathom brand is expected to deliver about 35,000 guests to the Dominican Republic, where they will help teach English, work on reforestation or water purification projects or help a women’s cooperative harvest cocoa and make chocolate."

Educational opportunities abound in travel!  How about a trip to the Galapagos Islands?  How about a trip to Germany to discover your German heritage?  How about a trip to Historic Williamsburg to learn about the early days of our country.  

Adventure travel has already started to become a very hot market.  Zip lining through a rainforest.  Mountain camping.  Even working in a Dude Ranch! Whole niches of travel have grown up around Family Adventure Travel.  Hike through Yellowstone, bike through the hidden paths in the National Park, then encounter bears, geysers, and rapids.  All the while ending each day in a comfortable hotel room and warm food!

Take any of these and add in a bit of fun and some family time and it could be your ideal Family Getaway for the future.  This is where the Travel Professional comes in.  Time is precious.  Busy parents already have full plates.  Planning one of these Family trips takes a lot of time.  Coordinating all of the intricacies of lodging, food and activities; scheduling the air, transfers, and ensuring the safety of the tours, is a full time job!  Having a Travel Professional who knows your family, their likes and dislikes, on your team makes it work!

Your perfect Family Vacation awaits!

How does a Travel Professional get paid?

Have you ever wondered how a Travel Professional gets paid?  Most people really don’t know. 

There are actually two ways.  The most common way is directly from the suppliers we book your travel through.  These suppliers (like the cruise line, tour operators, Disney) pay us to service your trips.  But only if you book your trip through us.  If you book your trip yourself through a website then the website services your trip.  Simple.

Unfortunately, a lot of people use a Travel Professional as a personal research tool and then book their trip directly with the cruise line.  This brings us to the second way we can get paid.  By charging a fee.  Sometimes it is a research fee; sometimes it is a Plan To Go Deposit.  They both work a little differently, but basically a fee is charged up front to plan your Family Getaway. And usually they are non refundable.  After the plans are finalized, you can take these plans and book it yourself if you choose, knowing that you will rely directly on the supplier to provide the customer service for your trip.  

How your Travel Professional gets paid depends entirely on your Travel Professional’s business model.  There is no right or wrong. 

Just remember, your Travel Professional is a Professional, with training and expertise.  Just like you wouldn’t expect your doctor to give out free medical advice, or your attorney to give out free legal advice; you shouldn’t expect a Travel Professional to give out free travel plans and advice.

TBT My Favorite Family Vacation

Hands down, my favorite Family vacation was a surprise Family trip when I was 13.  And yes, it involves Disney! (sort of anyway)

Disney was going to open in October; and my 13^th birthday was in October!  I had been hinting and bugging my parent almost every single day since I discovered the coincidence!  I mean seriously-Disney World was opening JUST for me!

The weekend before my birthday, my parent loaded us into the car for a ‘drive’.  (This was a normal routine thing for us back then.  We would all load into the car and drive for hours, then find ourselves back at home in time to make dinner-Exciting, huh?)

Map of Florida...should have paid more attention in geography class!

As we headed south I just knew we were going to Disney!  If I had known a bit more about geography I might have realized we were on the wrong highway.  When I saw the welcome to Florida sign I was ecstatic!  A few hours later we pulled up to…the beach!  My parents announced that this was my birthday present.  They brought me to Florida just like I wanted!   My dad had made a secret reservation at a hotel on the beach. 

While it wasn’t Disney, it was cool!  Dad unloaded our luggage (where had THAT been hiding!) and we had a fantastic weekend!

While it was not the trip I had hoped for I discovered that Family Time was wondrous and precious.  All it took was a change in scenery to change attitudes.  All 3 of us kids became suddenly nice to each other (if only for a while) and we truly enjoyed the time together.

From this I learned a couple of things – Family trips are necessary.  And I should be more specific in my birthday requests!

Why use a Travel Professional?

 I have two responses when I tell someone I am a Travel Professional. 

•       I didn’t know they still exist.
•       Why should I use a Travel Agent?

To the first one I laugh and assure them I exist.  To the second I tell them they shouldn’t use a Travel Agent.  They should use a Travel Professional!

There are several analogies that come to mind. 

-I can change my own oil.  It is not complicated, but I know it is something I’d mess up!

-Cutting (or coloring) my hair is something I can do on my own, but I get better results if I use a professional.

-Anyone can go online and book a room; but do you really like that view of the garbage cans?

Yes.  You can book online yourself, but then what do you do when you have a question or problem?

A Travel Professional is not an order taker.  We spend most of our time researching and learning about the various destinations and resorts.  We listen to our clients so we can craft the perfect Family Getaway for THEM.  We are there for our clients from the planning until after they get home.  We advise them on the travel documents they need for their particular travel (Do I really need a passport for this cruise?).  We double and triple check the information on their documents (Are you sure he spells his name with an I and not an E?).  We check in with them when they get home (Tell me about your amazing time.  Is there anything I or the resort could have done to make your trip better?).

You don’t get that if you book direct or online.  

Family Travel

Today I want to spend a few minutes talking about my specialty – Family Travel

Families have seen a lot of change in my lifetime.  But one thing remains constant.  Family life is Busy!  Between work, school, after school activities, and running a household there is not much time to be, well to be a family!

When is the last time your family was all together in one place simply enjoying being a family?  How many times have you looked at your child and wondered when did they grow so much?  How much longer do you have before they are completely grown and out of the house?

Best Friends for LIFE!

That is where I come in.  I help you plan the perfect Family Getaway based on YOUR family.  One that will give you the time (no matter how brief) that allows you to remember why being a family is so important.  One that will provide memories to last a lifetime.  One that will be the best Value for you.

I don’t do cookie cutter trips.  Each Family Getaway is custom designed based on your family’s interests and needs.

I help you find time for a Family Getaway.

I help you schedule Family Time.

I help you save Time. (Bottle to put it in is not included!)

Day in the Life of a Travel Professional!

I really wish I had something glamourous here – Travel for Free…I’m a millionaire doing what I love…Famous Clients…  But in truth, being a Travel Professional is WORK!

The Glamourous World of Travel!

Do I travel?  Yes.  For free?  Hardly!  Am I am millionaire?  Uh, not even close!  Do I love my job?  Absolutely!  Do I have famous clients?  Not really, but I do strive to make them feel like Rock Stars!

My job consists of research; dealing with suppliers; making plans and itineraries (and then changing them a million times to make them perfect); waiting on hold to make changes on a client’s trip (sometimes so long it is easy to forget why…or even who I am calling!); quoting different options; and more research. 

My job consists of explaining to people that I don’t get paid until they travel (and only then if they book through me).

My job consists of going over each families’ plans with a fine toothed comb to make sure their getaway is perfect for them.

My job consists of putting my own family life on hold when I have clients traveling  I’m constantly checking weather forecasts and scanning the news headlines in case there is something that may affect my clients currently traveling.

I answer frantic texts and phone calls from clients with questions or problems. 

Yup, my job is not glamourous.  But when you see your client post on FaceBook about how wonderful their Family Getaway was (and you know your part in it) and how precious the memories they made together as a family, it is all worth it!

How did I get Started as a Travel Professional?

How did I get started as a Travel Professional?

Having a Special Needs child can make small things big deals.  This is true for the small every day details of life as well as those seemingly impossible things like a Family Vacation.

Disney became our family’s escape.  At Disney we were able to enjoy some sense of normalcy that was missing in our lives.  Disney does Disabilities like no other!

Many many years ago ... Miss B and Mr D in Hollywood Studios

It didn’t take long for me to realize that I enjoyed planning those trips.  Almost as much as actually GOING to Disney.  Soon I was helping other special needs families plan their own trips.

It seemed a natural progression for me to go into the profession as a Travel Advisor.  I wish I could say it was an easy transition.  I wish I could say the transition was quick.  Actually it involved lots and lots of training and time before I was actually truly a professional.

But it has been extremely rewarding!  Knowing that I help busy families find or make time for precious Family Vacations filled with memories is my passion. 

#TravelAgents  #WeExist #TravelAgentAwareness