Why I Am A Disney Vacation Planner
Why I became a Disney Vacation Planner.
I have spent the last 6 years being a stay at home mom, and it has been awesome. I am so grateful every day that I've had so many adventures and experiences with my awesome kids. As my 2 daughters prepare to go back to school, however, I feel like it's finally time to re-enter the work force. I am an accountant by trade, and a trained pilot. I thought about getting a desk job or flight instructing, but both options felt strained. After all, my youngest is still only 2 (ALMOST 3, he would have me tell you!), I live away from family, and my kids are in a new school and new community. I wanted to work doing something I'm passionate about, and something that my kids could be excited about and involved in. That's when I decided to pull the trigger and do what I've wanted to do for a while now...help families plan their own Disney Vacations! And not just book their trips or give tips, but really help ensure they have a stress free, no hassle vacation full of magic!
So why Disney? Some nostalgia, idolization of my childhood, desire for a little wholesome magic?
Easy, Freud...
and probably!
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Circa 2007.
I have the same haircut...and the same shorts...
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It all started with our first family vacation. My husband is great guys. He's top notch, really. But he doesn't love heat. Or lines. Or crowds. Or traveling with 6 kids under 6. Or *gasp* Disney! I also sort of ambushed him with our first trip. Lastly, I hijacked my sisters vacation, which then became a 14 person family reunion (I hear it...sorry Elise). All this to say, I didn't exactly set us up for Disney success.
Because I had so much going against me, I knew I had to do everything possible to make this trip amazing. I researched and planned and joined Disney forums and watched videos. I made binders, itineraries, had planning calls with my sisters, and showed my kids videos of rides. I worked multiple hours per day for 4 months to ensure everything was set for our trip. Then we hit the road for a 17 hour road trip to sunny, muggy, sticky Florida.
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The road trip part was actually a blast! This was 2:30 am.
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When we arrived, the kids knew exactly what to expect. Our first 2 rides were big ones: Big Thunder Mountain for my 4 year old and Splash Mountain for my 5 year old. Because we had prepped them for what to expect, they LOVED them! This really set the tone for our trip and these little daredevils rode everything!
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| Two thumbs up for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! |
The trip was magical. We are still talking about it. We had invaluable family time and each person (adults included) got to experience something a little big magical. My husband and son rode Pirates of the Caribbean while the girls met Tiana and Rapunzel. My husband and I rode Soarin' after an awesome Illuminations date night. My sister and brother-in-law got to be the "cool aunt and uncle" and take my oldest on Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest.
Fearless!
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My son and niece spent AN HOUR in the splash pad at Epcot. My parents and I spent a night in the Magic Kingdom with my girls, miraculously getting freebies left and right because of low crowds, park closing, and general cuteness. The planning paid off and my husband immediately put a trip on the books for the next year! My toughest client was absolutely thrilled with the trip, and I can't wait to help other families enjoy the same stress-free vacation time without the months of overwhelming planning! 
I want to help families plan Disney trips because planning a Disney trip is H.A.R.D. I was hearing from so many families that their trips were awful, the lines were long, they had to spend 2 hours at Guest Relations, and HOW DO YOU GET TO THE MAGIC KINGDOM?! That is not at all the experience I had with my family-bonding, tradition-making, forever-memories childhood trips! There's no denying the Disney destinations of today are much more complicated than they used to be. This is annoying, and it's bad news for people who don't have the desire and time to spend 20 hours per week researching where and what they want to eat 180 days before they visit. That's a real thing. And you have to reserve your decisions at 6am ET (5am CT, thank you very much!). It's a rough world out there...
But this is very GOOD news for the organized, informed, obsessive planners among us (Me! I'm fun at parties.). Disney has made it, I dare say, manageable to navigate the heavy crowds if you plan, research, and plan some more. But since you, normal human, have a life and a job and a family and maybe a hobby, don't want to do that, I will! And I'll do it based on what's best for YOUR family, not a one-size-fits-all plan that may or may not give you exactly the vacation you're looking for.
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