Travel Agents: How We Get Paid

Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope you've had a good week so far. The weekend is upon us, friends, get excited!

On occasion, I will get questions about how we travel agents (TAs) make money, and how we get paid for our services. If you've not worked with a TA before, you might wonder how we earn our living. Well it's your lucky day because I am here to share that top-secret information with you!

(It's not at ALL top-secret, but that just sounded more fun to say.)

A few months ago, I did a post about Travel Agent FAQs (you can find that here) but I wanted to go a little deeper, and give you more information.

* We don't get paid unless we're your travel agent. We're happy to do no-obligation quotes and answer questions if you're considering a vacation, but if a trip is not booked by us, we don't get paid.

One common misconception is that our agencies and/or the suppliers (such as Disney) employ us and pay a salary. There might be some agencies out there who do (such as brick-and-mortar travel offices that might pay a salary instead of commission) but in general, the vast majority of travel agents are commission only.

We also get paid after your trip is over, so we might work with you for months or even a year, and we're paid after your vacation is done.

Think of travel agents as you would your realtor. If you decide to sell your home, they'll spend time with you taking pictures, listing the house, getting it ready to sell, running open houses, etc - but he/she doesn't get paid unless they sell your home. 

We're always happy to do quotes for you, truly; but if you get quotes and then book the vacation yourself, we won't get commission for that vacation. Deciding not to work with a TA is absolutely fine, but please keep this in mind if you're asking for multiple quotes, special information, etc.

* We are not able to give advice, help you plan, take care of your vacation without you booking the vacation through us as your travel agent.

Often, I've quoted travel options and I've not ended up booking the vacation. Which happens, and is no big deal. Sometimes plans change, or people can't take a vacation right now, etc. I never mind doing quotes for people, even if a trip doesn't work out for them right now.

However, on a rare occasion I've also heard back from people who didn't using me as their TA or pay an ala-carte planning fee but still wanted me to give advice about their vacation and help them plan. This is something that I am not able to do.

What most people don't realize (I didn't know this before I became a TA) is that in addition to it not being a great business decision to answer questions for non-clients, it's also a liability issue. Many agencies carry Errors and Omissions Insurance but the insurance only covers clients who we've booked.  If, God forbid, there's a big enough problem that a possible E and O claim would need to be filed, that could hurt the travel agent personally and result in a judgement against them, vs being filed with the agency's E and O insurance.

*I LOVE what I do, and I have fun doing it - but this is still a job.

As I've said 1,000 times here on this blog - I LOVE Disney. Obsessed. I am on some sort of Disney vacation (parks or cruise) at least four times a year. But - I still have bills that need to be paid. If I could pay my mortgage and keep the lights on via a money tree in my backyard, perhaps that would be a different story. But until that money tree sprouts, I need to have income from my job.

Think about a friend or relative who's an accountant. You might ask one or two quick questions but you wouldn't ask them to prepare your taxes for you each year, for free. Their time is valuable and they need to be compensated for doing your taxes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hopefully this was helpful information and gave you some insight on how travel agents work and are compensated.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more posts about my Hawaii cruise, as well as my next adventure - going back to Disneyland!

Have a magical day!

Movin with Mickey Monday - Jennifer Mixdorf from Essentially Mixed

For this month's second Movin with Mickey installment, I had a reader get in touch with me and ask if she could share about her family's journey to health with essential oils.

I myself have been using oils for about a year now and really like them. Jennifer from Essentially Mixed (link here) has written up some good information and FAQs regarding essential oils that she'd like to share. Take it away, Jennifer!

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My family discovered essential oils a little over a year ago and have completely fallen in love!  I wish I had learned about them sooner!  As a pharmacist, I was always skeptical of anything not main stream but little did I know how wide spread their use is and how much my family could benefit from them.  I am so happy that I trusted my good friend and became educated on essential oils.  Essential oils fit right in with my family’s goal of a healthier, more natural lifestyle. I truly believe everyone at least should take the time to learn about them!  So why should you consider essential oils for your family?  Here are some great questions I hear that will help you answer that question!

Q:  Aren’t essential oils like voodoo? [Katie's note - I totally thought this when I first started using them.]
A:  I think everyone is leery about something they are uneducated about.  Essential oils have been used throughout history for their health benefits.  There are references of their use throughout the bible (there was a reason they brought Jesus frankincense!).   I love having something natural and safe for our bodies!  You will be shocked at how effective they are!

Q: Can’t I just get essential oils at my local health food store?
A:  You could but I made the personal decision that I want to use the most pure and potent oils available.  The majority of oils you can find at local stores have additives of unknown sources added to them.  They are required to only have 5% be essential oil.  I have chosen to use oils that come from indigenous sources and have rigorous testing done on them to guarantee 100% purity.  I am completely confident of using my chosen brand on my boys without worry.

Q: How would I know what to use and how to use them?
A:  There are so many great resources out there that give you a step by step guide.  I personally have some great reference books I keep on hand.  I have a great facebook group for anyone on my team that is an amazing resource.  You can post any question and get an answer right away!  The only thing you can do wrong is to not use them!

Q: Aren’t essential oils expensive?
A: I am a total advocate for promoting and maintaining good health.   I would rather spend money now than spend a lot more down the road.  That said, they are relatively cheap.  With high quality oils you only need to use 1-2 drops at a time.  That comes down to pennies per dose!  I can use oils for an upset stomach for 25 cents!

Q: Are you sure they are ok to use on my kids?
A: Yes!  I can speak from personal experience that I have never had an issue using essential oils on my boys.  Since children’s skin is more sensitive than adults, you just need to dilute the oils (mix some of the oil with a carrier oil, I use fractionated coconut oil).  I love to have roller bottles of prediluted oils for my kids, they are so convenient!

I would love to share more information with you and how your family can implement natural health solutions!  Email me for more information!


~ Jennifer Mixdorf
njmixdorf@gmail.com
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I love to feature readers and guest writers on the blog, so don't be shy ~ if you would like to be featured on a future Movin with Mickey post, please get in touch at katie@mouseworldtravel.com.

Have a magical day!

The Next Adventure!

from http://www.fortmyers-sanibel.com/explore-map/

Today I wanted to share with you my next adventure! I'm pretty excited and can't wait to tell you all about it.

From January - early April 2016, I'll be living in Fort Myers, Florida! I'll be staying with my sister (my aunt and uncle also live there) and am very excited. This has been in the works for the last few months but now I've got all the details worked out so I wanted to keep you all in the loop.

I'm so incredibly excited, I could burst.

I'll be able to do a lot of cool things this winter; I'm so excited to share those experiences with all of you. I'll be closer to the theme parks (not just Disney but also Universal, Sea World, etc) and so can bring you even more up-to-date news, pictures and videos. I also want to explore other Florida vacation spots and attractions, too, and share that information with you. I've got all sorts of ideas in mind, but I'm really open to any of your ideas and hope you'll share with me the types of things you'd like to see.

I'm also collaborating with my friend Krista and the Living the Dream Podcast team and will have many more opportunities to bring you along on some awesome media experiences including meet and greets with Disney royalty, movie premiers, openings of new attractions, etc.

I'm very excited to bring you along on this new adventure! Stay tuned for more info!

Have a magical day!

Dining on the Disney Magic

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend.

Today, let's cover dining on the Disney Magic. You've already made your way to port (whether that be Port Canaveral, Miami or perhaps Europe!), you've checked in and your boarding number has been called. First things first - let's eat!

When you get on the boat, you can go up to Cabanas and grab lunch; that's a cafeteria style buffet with LOTS of choices that's good for breakfast and lunch. You can either sit inside the dining room, or there is outside seating as well, which is really nice. Typically, one of the evening table service restaurants is also available for lunch on embarkation day - check the Daily Navigator or ask a Cast Member when you get onboard.

For snacks and grab-and-go, there are many places on board to eat a quick lunch or snack on pizza, sandwiches, fruit and more. On the Disney Magic, you can find these on Deck 9: Daisy De-Lites, Pete's Boiler Bites, Pinocchio's Pizzeria and my personal favorite, Eye Scream and Frozone Treats, where you can help yourself to soft-serve ice cream in flavors that change every day.

For dinner, Disney Cruise Line has what they call rotational dining. This means that each night of your cruise, you'll go to another of the sit-down restaurants and your serving team will follow up. This is very nice because they get to know you, your likes, any allergies or dietary restrictions you have, etc. When you check in you'll get the dining rotation for your cruise, which will be printed on your Key to the World card (a card which opens your stateroom and is also used for charging privileges). You'll rotate among Animator's Palette, Carioca's and Lumieres. Attire for dinner is dressy-casual (they really don't want you wearing swim suits, cover ups, flip flops, etc but nice shorts, capri pants, skirts, pants, etc are all fine). On longer cruises, Semi Formal and Formal nights will be part of the itinerary. You can dress up as little or as much as you like; but don't worry, tuxes and tails are NOT required!

In addition, before dinner each night there will be photographers and characters in the main lobby/atrium area if you'd like a family pictures. These pictures can be purchased at any time during the cruise. There are two main dinner seating times, 5:45PM and 8:15PM. Dinner usually takes between 60-90 minutes. You'll be greeted by your server and assistant server and you'll be given the menu for the evening. If it's a Formal night, or perhaps Pirates in the Caribbean Deck Party night, you'll be given special menus. 

Each menu has courses for appetizers, soup/salad, main course and dessert. You can choose WHATEVER you want here; don't feel like you have to choose one from each category. Perhaps none of the appetizers appeal to you, but you'd love to have both the soup of the night and a salad. Go for it! Also feel free to order more of something if you really, really like it. All your food is included so don't be shy if you'd another serving, or if you want to try something else.

For those 18 and older, you can also have dinner at Palo (or brunch on cruises with at least one sea day). For $30 per person, you'll get an amazing dining experience. Brunch is a buffet like you've never seen, with choices from caviar to croissants to fruit and more. You can also order warm items that will be made-to-order such as pizza, Chicken Parmesan and Eggs Benedict. (Psst - for those over 21, you also get one free mimosa with your meal.) Dinner is equally excellent with antipasti service, a phenomenal menu featuring filet, lobster, pasta and more, and the real star of Palo - the chocolate souffle. Order it, just trust me. You won't regret it! Attire at both brunch and dinner at Palo is dress pants and shirt or jacket for me, and dress or pantsuit for women. They request no jeans, shorts, capri pants. tennis shoes or flip flops. If you happen to dine at both the Palo brunch and dinner on your cruise, you'll have the same server (although he/she will be a different server from your regular ones during the evening dining).

Remember that with Disney Cruise Line, all of your food is part of your cruising fee (apart from Palo) - even the room service menu! The only things not included are alcohol, popcorn and snack items at the movies and if you order soda from room service (as they bring you cans of soda). If I go to a movie and want a snack, I order room service and have them bring chocolate chip cookies - an awesome movie snack! :) Otherwise, everything else is included.

I do like to bring a some $1 bills to tip the room service staff; everything on the ship is credit only (on your Key to the World card, you won't use cash or credit cards to purchase items while on board) but with room service I find it easier to bring some $1 bills and tip them with those.

There are self-serve beverage stations on the pool deck with coffee, soda, water and tea - I either bring a Tervis or similar cup from home, or buy one on the boat. They have cups at the self-serve stations but they're a bit small, I think, so I like to bring my own cup.

If you've dined before on the Disney Magic, what's your favorite restaurant? How about favorite grab-and-go place?

Have a magical day!

Movin with Mickey - David Sevcik and Training his Mom for a Marathon

If you'll remember, every other Monday I'll feature a Movin with Micky post, talking about my own fitness and health goals, and also featuring blog readers who are achieving their own goals and/or helping others as well.

Today I want to feature David Sevcik, from Denver Colorado. David is my cousin and I knew he'd be a great person to talk to about health and fitness as he's an avid runner who has participated in many marathons and other distance races (and has placed very highly in many of them. Seriously, he's CRAZY fast. Those genes didn't trickle down to yours truly.)

David helped his mom (my aunt Lisa) train for her first marathon, so I asked him if he'd share about the training and some of his tips. Take it away, David!

* Tell us about your running background and when you started running.

I started running as a sophomore in high school after deciding golf wasn't for me.  I was never a front runner in high school and finished 7th on our team as a senior.  I then started the Iowa State Running Club where I saw a lot more success.  In our best year the club finished as the 2nd best collegiate running club in the nation.  We lost to a team we had beat just 3 weeks prior.  The same year the running club won the Half Marathon Collegiate Club National Championships as well as I won the race individually.  I've become an avid distance runner with my best ever finish being 49th (27th American) at the 2015 Boston Marathon.

* You mentioned that you helped your mom train for her first marathon; what program did you use in her training? Can you give us an idea of the training schedule?

My mom started running in her late 40's and initially just wanted to finish her first marathon under 5 hours.  She had never ran in her life and had trouble making it a mile without walking.  Her first go around she worked on a training plan through a local church group.  Most of these training plans involve running 3-4 days a week with a few very short runs (2-3 miles) and one very long run (15+).  When my mom mentioned she wanted to run Boston I knew I needed to give her more advice.  We started with 3 days a week running anywhere from 20-40 minutes.  We gradually built her weekly training up to 5 days a week with an hour a day.  The goal was to just run for one hour without stopping.  Pace truly didn't matter as long as it was continuous.  We then built up a mid week and weekend long run.  These runs ended up peaking at 2 hours and 2.5 hours.  Once these were going, we also looked at the course she was going to run and designed certain workouts to mimic the course.  Since her goal was the Des Moines marathon I knew that the first 8 miles were hilly and the last 18 were relatively flat.  So one example of a workout would be to run hill repeats and then follow that with a 3-4 mile marathon goal pace run.  At the end of 4 months she was able to finish her marathon in 3 hours 59 minutes and some change to qualify for Boston.

* Do you follow a particular diet or eating plan while you're training?

As I get older I believe diet is more and more important.  I've never followed a strict diet, but I do watch what I eat before a big workout or long run.  If I know I'm running 20 miles in the morning I won't drink a beer, or have ice cream the night before.  It's important to listen to your body and make sure your stomach is comfortable the following day.  I do think Calcium pills, iron supplements, and a multi-vitamin are beneficial.

* What device(s) do you use in your training, if any? (FitBit, Garmin, etc)

I just use a normal $30 watch that tells me time.  I'm a fan of Garmin, however I think it is important to not pay too much attention to all the numbers and let your body tell you what it should be doing and what it should not.  Don't worry about your pace as much as your time and the overall effort.  I do warn people that as beneficial as a Garmin or other GPS device might be they can also be just as harmful when you let the numbers direct your running

* What advice would you have for someone who's thinking about doing their first long-distance run?

Here's a couple things I'd tell someone doing their first race:

1. Your mind will limit your potential more then your body.  Running is very mental and don't talk yourself into believing anything negative or against your goals.

2. You are only going to get out what you put in.  Starting to run is hard for everyone.  It will take 3-4 weeks to create a comfortable habit, but running consistently is the only way to improve.

3. The proper shoes make all the difference.  Go to a running specialist store.  Do not go Dick's, Scheels, or other big box retailer to find the proper running shoes.  Big box retailers will not do a good job period. Also with your running shoes, your focus needs to be on comfort and the correct style.  The best shoes will not be as pretty as the Nike Free's, but you will be less likely to get injured.

4. Having a personalized coach will help you a lot more then finding a random plan on the internet.  If you want to see your best results it is best to have a personalized training plan that focusses on your strengths and weaknesses, as well as can be built and adjusted around your normal schedule.

Thanks again to David, we appreciate you sharing with us!

Have a magical day!

Travel Agent FAQs - Answered!

I'm only about 15 months into being a travel agent, and by no means do I have it all "figured out". I'm learning new things every day about destinations, vendors, the business side of things, etc. 90% of it was brand-new to me when I started, and I've gotten a lot of insight into how things are done as well as some misconceptions I had when I was a traveler/vacationer.

So in the spirit of passing along some of my knowledge to hopefully help you all understand the travel business a bit better, here are some FAQs (Frequency Asked Questions) that myself and many other TAs answer on a weekly basis. This is all in the spirit of passing along information that might be helpful to you as you evaluate working with a travel agent, if you haven't before.

Since my primary TA business is Disney, I'm answering these questions from that perspective, although many answers could be the same for all travel agents.

* How are you paid? Are you employed by the destination [in my case, Disney]?

I personally get this question more often than any others. Disney does NOT employ us (and as TAs we have to be very careful about how we represent ourselves, so there is not confusion that we are Disney employees). We are not on salary, nor do we earn an hourly wage.  Disney pays us commission after the completion of the client's vacation, so even though we might work with you for over a year (or more!) before your trip, we get paid when your vacation is complete.

* Do you get a lot of free vacations and perks from being a travel agent?

There's no doubt that being a travel agent has its perks. I love that I not only get to help people plan their vacations but I also get to chat Disney and share my love of the parks and cruise line, especially with those who've never been to Disney. I've also met some of my best friends in the world via my travel work and from the Disney fan community, and that connection is invaluable to me.

Each destination handles agent perks and bonuses differently and again, as I'm familiar with Disney I'll answer from that point of view. We have access to training events; there are often a few each year per destination (Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line and Disney World) and each agency is able to have a certain number of agents attend. Who attends is decided a different way at each agency. 

In addition, if you are a licensed IATA or CLIA travel agent (and getting licensed by IATA/CLIA has its own set of requirements - you don't get your card just by being a TA), you are often eligible for discounts at various destinations.

That being said - being a travel agent doesn't mean that you get free vacations, or crazy discounts. There are MANY fun and exciting things about being a travel agent - - but it doesn't mean that we're able to go around the world for no cost.

* I see that XYZ Travel Company is offering onboard cruise credits for up to $xxx. Why aren't you able to offer the same credit?

Often, this is an issue of agencies having different policies. Each business runs things a little differently when it comes to extras such as onboard credit for a cruise booking.

For my agency (and for the majority of agencies), we pay the onboard credits ourselves out of our commission. Some are paid as perks by the agency itself, and thus they can sometimes offer a higher credit or bonus. I personally have a percentage system when I am figuring out the onboard credit for a client, based on the dollar amount of your booking, but everyone does it differently (and some choose not to offer onboard credit at all, which is completely fine).

For clients who are traveling to Disney World or Disneyland, I like to put a little something extra in their client packet as my way to say Thank You for booking with me. Again, not every agent does this (nor should they be expected to) and for many it's something we do ourselves, not as agency policy.

(As an aside - - please evaluate a travel agent by more than just what they're able to offer you for booking. In my personal travel experience, before I was a TA, there is MUCH more to a good travel agent than what perks or extras they might be able to offer you.)

* Can you just answer questions for me, (and/or book my dining, FastPass+, etc) without me booking a vacation through you?

This is a tricky one to answer. I certainly don't want someone to think they can't approach me with questions if they are thinking about going to Disney, as my friends and family (and extended friends and family!) all know what I do, and frequently come to me with little questions here and there. I am also 100% happy to do a no-obligation quote at any time, if you're trying to decide if a trip's right for you. I don't have any problem "chatting Disney", and talking to you about whether or not you want to book your Disney vacation. 

I do have some clients who are members of the Disney Vacation Club and although I don't book their rooms, I do help them purchase their tickets and other items, so I offer my services to them at no cost. (If you're curious about the situations where I might charge a planning fee, please see the About Me page on this blog.) 

However, what I am unable to do is be your travel planner / travel planning resource without your booking the vacation through me or paying an a la carte planning fee. 

Hopefully this posts helps and answers some questions you might have had about travel agents, and what we do.

I hope you have fun weekend plans ahead - have a great day!

My review of Baby Foot

You might remember that a few weeks back, I posted in the Facebook group that I had purchased Baby Foot, a product that claims to "make your feet feel as smooth and soft as a baby's foot." I struggle with calluses on my heels and big toes, and general dry and icky feet, and in the past not even pedicures have helped. After a pedicure my feet look better for a few days, and then it's back to their normal cracked, dry state. I read testimonials on the Baby Foot website, as well as reviews and YouTube videos posted from people who used the product and it seemed like the results were pretty incredible, so I wanted to try it out. I was getting ready to go on vacation and wanted my feet flip-flop ready.

I'd heard about Baby Foot from a friend, so I went on their website (www.babyfootusa.com) and ordered their foot peel pack. When I'd read reviews online, many people talked about how hard it was to get a hold of, so I don't know if they've stocked more or I just lucked out when I ordered, because they were in stock with no wait. The receipt told me it would take 5-7 days to process the order, and then ship from there, but I had the product in hand about 4 days after I ordered so I was pretty happy about that.

I read the directions, and got everything ready. The packet comes with two single-use booties that are filled with a solution which Baby Foot calls "17 kinds of natural extracts", including fruit acids, that over the course of 1-2 weeks make the dry skin peel off your feet, leaving you with smooth, baby soft skin.

I'd read reviews that suggested soaking your feet for up to 1/2 hour before you put on the booties, in order to prep your feet, so I did the initial soak. I then put on the booties, using the tape they also give you to secure them to my feet. I then covered my feet and the booties with socks, and put up my feet. You're supposed to leave the booties on for an hour - 90 minutes, and don't plan on walking around while it's working - your feet will squish around in there and it's pretty hard to move around.

Once the time is up, you'll want to wash and rinse your feet well, and then pat them dry. Now you play the waiting game.

My foot, before.

Baby Foot's literature doesn't really give you lots of instructions for the interim until your feet start to peel, but in reading other people's reviews it's suggested that you soak your feet every night. This is a GREAT tip and I think pretty crucial to the success of the peel. Even if you can only soak your feet for 5-10 minutes a night, it will help a lot with the process.

Also - make sure you do NOT lotion your feet. They will get dry, but lotion impedes the process so just soak your feet each night, then pat dry.

One thing I kept reading over and over again, in perusing reviews online, was a variation on: "It seemed like my feet would never peel and then one day, BAM." I have to say, this was my experience as well. I did the treatment on a Monday night, and I had ZERO action until Friday. I was kind of bummed, thinking it wouldn't work for me - - and then I took off my socks and shoes when we got to our hotel in Orlando on Friday night and OMG. Peel city. It was crazy - I didn't take pictures (because, ewwww) but if you want to see what your feel will look like mid-peel, Google the Baby Foot Peel pictures and prepare yourself.

My foot, after

Over the next 7-8 days, my feet continued to peel. The most action happened in the first 2-3 days, then tapered off from there but were still peeling a week later. On the day I write this post, it's been 2 weeks since I did the peel and I STILL have some skin coming off my toes. Incredible.

Here are some Before and After pictures; it's kind of hard to tell, but the I can tell you the difference is AMAZING. The skin on my feet is super soft, and areas of toughness are much better. I still have a small callus on my heels (because they were really bad before - like, deep cracks and everything) but they're 100% better than they used to be. The tops of my feet peeled as well, and that skin is also very soft. I live in the Midwest and our winters are pretty harsh - it gets really dry and my feet pay the price. But after the peel, my feet are soft, supple and and in great shape.

I wouldn't hesitate to do the peel again. They say you can do it every 3-4 months, so I'm going to take really good care of my feet in the meantime (lotion every night, for example, and soaking them in epsom salt at least once a week) but I'm planning on doing the peel again before I go to Disneyland in late May so my feet are great for the summer.

So if you're thinking of doing the Baby Foot treatment, here are my tips for getting the most out of your peel:

* Soak your feet every night. Even 5-10 minutes is great (but if you can do 30 minutes a night, even better).

* If you have a special event, plan on doing the peel at least 2-3 weeks in advance. You for sure don't want to do it a few days before your wedding, for example. I did the peel 5 days before we went on vacation, and in hindsight I should have done it the week before.

* Walking around really helps the process, so make sure you're active as the peel is working.

* Sleep in socks when the peeling starts; trust me on this, it's a lot less icky in your sheets once the skin starts falling off.

* The Baby Foot information says not to peel the skin away once the peeling starts (they suggest just letting it happen and not removing it yourself), but you kind of have to. You don't want to work at it where peeling isn't yet happening but when the skin starts to slough off, you really do need to help it along (otherwise, as previously mentioned - ewwww).

Let me know if you do the peel, and what your results are!

Have a magical day!

I was not provided with compensation for this review. All reviews and opinions are my own.

Travel Essentials, Must Haves and Tips!

In my quest to share tips and information with you related to traveling in general, I wanted to give you some tips for travel essentials, must haves, and my personal to-dos. So in no particular order, here are a few ways you can make travel easier, more fun and less stressful!

 * Travel with a mini "get well" kit.

It doesn't have to be large or involved, but think about traveling with a mini get well / first aid kit. I use a small pouch that I got free with a makeup purchase, and include a few bandaids, some antibacterial cream, ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. If you're battling a headache at the airport, or fall and scrape your knee while getting gas, it's nice to have those items at the ready.

(You should also have a larger first aid kit in your car - you can make your own, or many stores like Target and Wal-Mart carry per-assembled ones as well.)

* Speaking of the airport...bring along baby wipes.

Even if you don't have kids with you, you need baby wipes! Stop by the baby care section at your local store and pick up some wipes before you fly. Those airplanes are germ-central, so when you get on the plane take a minute to wipe down your seat, the seatbelt, tray table, etc. No one likes to get sick on vacation (or when you get home!) so a few moments spent cleaning your part of the plane can save your immune system!

* If you're traveling with kids - bring along a few inexpensive new toys to keep them occupied on long travel days.

One of my travel clients did this with her kids, and I think it's a GREAT idea. You don't have to spend a lot (even dollar store items are a hit) but if you pick up a few new items that they've not seen before, the new-ness of the toys can really keep them occupied during long flights or car trips. Consider picking up small toys, decks of cards, new coloring books and crayons, etc.

For a special treat, you could also rent or purchase a movie they've been wanting to see and give the option of viewing that if they have good behavior!

* Chargers - don't leave home without them. And don't pack them in your checked bag!

Most of us travel with at least our cell phones, as well as laptops, iPads, Kindles, etc. Be sure you don't pack the chargers in your checked bag(s), as you'll probably need to recharge before you get to your destination. Most airports now offer at least a few seats at each gate with charging stations nearby; at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul airport, for example, many gates now offer comfortable seating areas with multiple charging stations, so 100 people aren't jockeying for 3 charging spots.

Logo copyrighted RelayRides.com

 * Look into other options for transportation.

Remember, there are other ways to access transportation when you're on vacation, and that doesn't always mean you need to rent a car or take a cab. Check out other options, like RelayRides. RelayRides is a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace where individuals offer their personal cars up for rent. They carefully vet both the renters and those who are making their cars available, and offer customer support, roadside assistance and liability insurance coverage as well. To learn more, be sure and go to their webite relayrides.com. To access their airport rentals information, please click here!

This is just a short list of some of my tips for traveling...I hope to make this a regular feature on the  blog and would LOVE to hear some of your ideas, too!

I'd like you to share your tips in the comments and on Facebook and Twitter; be sure to use the hashtag #mostdelightfultips so I can see those and share with others!

Have a magical day!

Book Review: Every Guest a Hero

I'm super excited today to bring you the first book review on the Most Delightful Place!

I received a copy of Adam Berger's book, Every Guest A Hero - Disney's Theme Parks and the Magic of Mythic Storytelling, and from the onset I knew it would be a cool and very interesting read. I love "behind the scenes" information and learning more about my favorite places, and when you combine that with Disney? It's just awesome.

Adam is President and Senior Show Writer at Berger Creative Associates, Inc, based in Orlando. He's an attraction designer and show writer whose credits include projects for Dollywood, Disney Event Productions, Kennedy Space Center, Paramount Parks, and many more.

If you've been to a Disney theme park, you know the importance of storytelling and how it impacts every decision that was made in the construction of the attractions and the creation of the parks. Nothing has been done by accident, or "just happened that way." There is a story behind every single aspect of the experience. If you're a person who would love to learn more about that rich history of storytelling at the Disney parks, this book is definitely for you.

In Every Guest A Hero, Adam invites you to use the book to "embark on your adventure through the world of Disney's mythic storytelling". He outlines the concept of the Hero's Journey, and how that concept permeates nearly every story out there.  Adam outlines the common elements of the Hero's Journey, and then shows you how those elements combine at Disney attractions to create rich stories and truly immersive experiences.

I was super impressed with Adam's level of detail, and just how deep he goes into the narrative and explanations of the the Hero's Journey concepts, as well as the Attraction Case Studies (which you can read in Part II). As the Haunted Mansion is in my Top 3 favorite theme park attractions, my personal favorite chapter was "Tomb It May Concern - Haunted Mansion." Having been on the ride at least 30 times, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on the story telling behind the attraction, but after having read Adam's take on it, I can't wait to ride again with the lens of his ideas and thoughts. Super interesting, AND very thought provoking.

I'm very glad I was introduced to Adam's book, and I hope you buy a copy for yourself. If you're at all a fan of the Disney theme parks and attractions, this book will blow your mind and give you some great food for thought the next time you're at the parks. I'm taking it with me on my Disney Cruise in a few weeks, so I can read it AGAIN because I want to make sure I didn't miss anything! I know you'll love it, so please do Adam a solid and pick it up on Amazon.com or wherever you buy books. (Click here to buy on Amazon!)

Thank you, Adam for the opportunity to read your great work, and to share it with my readers!

Have a magical day, everyone!

I was provided with a complimentary copy of Every Guest A Hero for this review; all opinions are my own.

Oh The Places I've Been...A Travel Review of 2014

So, 2015 is officially upon us. The holiday season has come and gone, and I'm newly back from a quick Disney World trip and a 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream. With my birthday cruise just a mere month away, it won't be long before I'm back amongst Disney Magic! (Which, incidentally, is also the cruise ship I'll be sailing on!)

2014 was a big year for me, travel-wise. I took more trips this year than I have in any 12-month period, so it was a pretty fun and eventful year.

Let's take a walk down vacation memory lane, shall we?

December 2013/January 2014 - WDW and DCL: My brother and I went to Disney World for a few days, rang in the New Year with my friend Katie and her family, and then joined our cousins on an awesome 3 day cruise out of Miami, on the Disney Dream.

January/February 2014 - DCL: Alice and I have been friends for nearly 20 years (holy crap!!) and went away at the end of January for our first "friend-cation". To say it was a success is an understatement. Four days of eating, cocktails, good conversation, and hanging out with my best buddy. What's not to love?!

And yes....we WERE coloring before our meal at Olivia's, at Disney's Old Key West Resort. You mean you DON'T color? :)

March 2014 - WDW: In March, I flew again to Orlando to attend an Agent Education Program. For 4 days, we learned all about Disney World, went on resort look-sees, toured the Disney Dream, and made some great friends. (Hi, ladies! Can't wait to see each other again!)

May 2014 - WDW: May had me crossing off a bucket-list item, as my aunt and I did the runDisney Expedition Everest 5K. Wendy's a runDisney veteran but it was my first race, and hopefully not my last! Super fun time!

August/September 2014 - WDW and DCL: I'd been contemplating a solo Labor Day trip for a few years, and 2014 was the year I was able to do it. I went to the Disney World parks for 5 days, hung out, relaxed, saw my cousins and about passed out from the heat (that last one was the only slight blip in an otherwise great week!). I then went on a 3 day cruise on the Disney Dream, where I met some great new friends and had my first experience with the HUGE balcony 5E staterooms. Swoon!

December 2014/January 2015 - WDW and DCL: I was once again able to ring in the New Year at Disney World. And by "ringing it in", I mean I was of course asleep by about 10PM. Ahem. But those 6 days were filled with resort hopping with a friend, a great New Years Eve breakfast at the Grand Floridian, a few days hanging out at Saratoga Springs, and another great 3 night cruise on the Disney Dream with family and friends. What a way to start 2015!

I'm just as pumped for 2015, and what fun it will bring. This year will include a cruise with my parents over my birthday in February, a trip to Disneyland (my first!! YAHOO!) in June with my cousin and her family, and possibly a Food and Wine vacation in the fall.

So, on with the show! I'm ready for ya, 2015!

Have a magical day!

Pennies for Neverland - Say NO to Cable TV and Put Thousands into your Vacation Account!

Today's post focuses on the newest blog section, Pennies for Neverland, where I'll share ideas, tips and tricks so you can save your valuable dollars for fun things (such as vacations!).

If you'll remember from my post 10 Ways to Save for Your Disney Vacation (the link is here if you haven't read it yet), one idea is to cancel your cable television. This step alone could save you thousands of dollars a year, depending on how much you're spending on cable.

Yes, I just heard your shocked bodies hit the floor as you fainted dead away, and I can even SEE you rolling your eyes from all the way over here. "But what about those live TV events?? What about my favorite sports channel(s)?? I can't live without ESPN / TLC / CNN" etc etc etc.

I enjoy TV as much as the next person, but do you know what I like EVEN more? Being able to go on vacation and do fun things with my hard-earned money, vs spending $100s a month when I don't watch 95% of the channels available.

The tide of television as we know it is changing. Streaming services are the most popular they've ever been, and they're adding new and exciting content all the time. Networks like HBO are launching services in 2015 where, instead of paying for that Basic Plus Plus plan at $100+ per month, you can buy a subscription to their channel and watch online or via a Roku or Apple TV. It's genius and in my opinion, the wave of the future for TV. The television industry is pretty complex and there are many reasons why "pay for what you watch" isn't available yet, but trust me when I tell you, it's coming.

But in the meantime, there are things you can do where you watch the shows you love, AND save money.

* Get an antenna for your TV and pick up the local (and free!) channels.

I found my antenna on Amazon. It was inexpensive (I'm sure it was under $30) and easy to install. I then went into my TV's setup menu, had it scan for available channels, and VOILA! Easy peasy. Stations like your local NBC, CBS and ABC affiliates are available for free, as is PBS and often a variety of other channels. With my antenna, I pick up about 20 total channels. It's how I watch live events, such as the Oscars, and sporting events such as the Super Bowl.

* Sign up for Netflix and/or Hulu.

My Netflix subscription is $7.99 per month (I have the streaming plan, plus the 1 DVD at a time delivery). The basic Hulu is free - - if you want their selection of movies and full catalogue of TV shows, it's about $9 per month. Netflix has an AWESOME variety of movies and TV shows, and although they aren't new releases, they're adding new items all the time. And their original content is awesome too - if you haven't watched House of Cards yet, put that on your "holiday to-do" list! You'll thank me later.

Hulu has quite a few of the network TV shows that are available the day after they air live. I watch New Girl, The Mindy Project and more this way and it's not only super convenient, it also saves me money each month on having a DVR; no more need to record shows!

The other great thing about streaming services - you can access them on a variety of devices. You're able to watch on not only your TV but also your phone, laptop/desktop computer and tablet. Most services (like Netflix) also let you set up multiple devices on one account; my youngest brother and I share one Netflix account, which saves us both money. With Netflix, you can even set up different user accounts on one profile so you can have your own queue of what you want to watch.

* Split a cable subscription with friends.

I know I have readers who are still aghast and not quite convinced this is the way to go. (I'm looking at you, gentlemen). When I'm polling friends and family about who's ditched their cable, 90% of the time the holdouts are those who enjoy watching live sports. I get it, 100% - it's your thing, your passion, and you can't imagine not seeing the Bears/Packers/Vikings/etc play each and every week. Have you thought about sharing a cable subscription with your friends?

I don't mean you all share one in your own homes; I am not aware of any cable services that allow you to hook up a single account in multiple homes. But how about one person buys it, and everyone pays in? Splitting that sports package between 4-5 people makes it more affordable for everyone.

Not only are you saving money, you're getting to hang out with your friends and watch together. Win, win!

(And for the one who's always having people at their house to watch the games: the others should bring the snacks, beer, help clean up afterwards, etc. Help out the host!)

* Buy season passes for the cable TV shows that aren't available online.

For those shows you like that aren't available online, consider buying a season pass or subscription via iTunes. If there's a show or two that you just can't live without, buying the season pass is a good option.

I love Rizzoli and Isles on TNT, and it's one of the few shows that's not on Hulu or on the network's website. For about $20, I bought a season pass and then have the episodes in my iTunes account the day after they air.

Of course, you won't save money if you buy 10-15 season passes; perhaps choose the 2-3 shows you like the best, and then wait for the others to go on Netflix.

* Your library has more than books!

Don't forget about your library when looking for TV shows. Many libraries carry past seasons of some of the most popular shows, and it's FREE. As in $0. While it's not the episode that aired this week, you can often rent whole seasons and at least at my library, the selection is very good. Most will also take suggestions for TV shows that you'd like to see available.

* Cut cable because...It's not only good for your wallet - it's good for your waistline AND your mind.

When I stopped my cable subscription about a year ago, I noticed how much TV I was watching. And most of it was mindless; turning on the tube and flipping through channels, looking for something to watch. I still spend a few hours a week watching movies or catching up on Hulu - but it's far less than I used to. Free up some of that time for reading, going on walks, etc.

Please comment below, and share on the Facebook page. Have you cut out cable TV? What are your savings each year?

Have a magical day!

BEWARE Travel Scams! How to Spot a Con Artist

Today I read yet another story about someone who'd posed as a travel agent, and stole/scammed people who were making plans to visit Disney World. According to the story (you can read it here), a woman posed as a travel agent and stole over $100,000 from families who were planning trips. She has pled guilty and is paying restitution to her victims.

It makes my blood BOIL when I read these stories - and unfortunately, they aren't rare. I read one article about a year ago where a school band or choir was heading to Disney World to preform, drove all the way there, showed up to their hotel and were told they had no reservations. The person who booked their trip took all the money, instead, and they were never booked! How heartbreaking.

In light of this, I wanted to share with you some ways to spot a crook when it comes to travel. This is by no means an exhaustive list but hopefully this will give you something to think about as you look for a travel agent.

* Work with someone you trust, or with someone who's worked with a friend/family member so you can ask about their vacation, working with that person, etc.  

Word of mouth is one of the ways that many travel agents grow their businesses. Referrals are the backbone of our business and nothing makes us happier than when you pass along our information to your friends and family. (This is how most of my clients find out about me!) Ask your friend how the agent was to work with, how responsive they are, trustworthy, etc. And most importantly, did they have a successful trip (such as the ever-important, did they had a reservation when they showed up!?).

You won't always find a travel agent via acquaintances, of course. You might see a billboard, or an ad on Google. If you have no personal knowledge of them, ask if you can speak with or email a few of their past customers and ask questions to make sure they're on the up-and-up. Any legitimate business person won't balk at this.

* NEVER give someone cash or write them a personal check for the the entirety of your trip cost.

If a "travel agent" asks you to write them a personal check, or give them cash, in payment for a trip - RUN, don't walk. Anyone who says "Just give me the cash/make the check out to me and I will take care of it" is not to be trusted. Deposits and final payments are processed by the vendor and money should not change hands via the agent. Your TA will ask for your credit or debit card information to process the reservation on the vendor's website, and will be able to provide you with documentation of this every step of the way (deposits, final payment receipt, etc).

The exception to the "don't give cash or check to your TA" are agents who have a booking free or travel planning fee, which is completely normal and above-board. This should be spelled out clearly for you when you're looking to book a vacation with an agent who has fees.

* If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is.

Keep your antenna up for things that seem just TOO good to be true. If you see someone advertising a $1,000 Walt Disney World vacation for a family of four during Christmas, for example, that should set off all sorts of alarm bells. OR, if someone says something along the lines of, "Book your vacation with me because Disney lets me offer special deals that no one else can" - RUN RUN RUN.

* Confirmation numbers and receipts should be available on official letterhead/email from the destination and ready to send to you at any time.

Once your vacation is deposited and/or paid for, your TA will be able to get your a confirmation number, and also email you receipts showing what was paid, on what date, for your files. With Disney, for example, you now enter that number into MyDisneyExperience.com and can see your reservation information yourself, on their official website. Agents also have the ability to email you the payment history and final receipt for your vacation.

If a TA cannot give you confirmation from the vendor that your trip is booked, or hesitates giving you that information - FLASHING RED SIGN! Beware!

It's sad that we live in a world where people scam families out of their hard-earned vacation dollars, but unfortunately they're out there.

Things Your Travel Agent CAN (and CAN'T!) Do!

I read an article a few weeks ago (I think it was on the Huffington Post's website) that talked about the reasons to use a travel agent when you book a vacation. Many were great reasons, but I felt others were pretty inaccurate or just plain wrong. (I can't seem to find that article again - - but when I do, I will post it for you over on the Facebook page.)

In an attempt to correct what I see as misinformation, I wanted to add my voice to the mix. So, without further ado, for your reading pleasure:

Things Your Travel Agent CAN (and CAN'T!) Do For You!

What we CAN do:

* We monitor and receive communication from vendors about discounts, upcoming pricing specials, etc. Sometimes, we are even able to apply newly-released discounts to vacations that are already booked! For instance, I had a client book their Disney World trip and about a month later the Play, Stay and Dine offer was released. I called Disney for them, and was able to apply that discount to their trip, saving them over $400!

* Not only do we monitor info about discounts and specials, we are also on the pulse of news with the location/destination, including upcoming renovations and construction news. It's our job to stay on top of what's going on with the destination and communicate that information to you, so you don't have to spend hours of your life slogging through the internet or setting up Google alerts.

For example, earlier this year we heard about the construction going on at the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge resorts and were able to advise clients, in case that would affect their decision to stay there. Better that, than booking it and THEN realizing when you get there that the pool's on refurbishment, or that one of the food courts is not in service!

* We take care of the booking of your trip, but also the minutiae that comes along with planning a vacation. For example, with Disney we stay on top of things for you, like dates for Dining reservations, dates you can pick your FastPass+ attractions, and much more.  We stay up until Midnight to make those FP+ reservation dates, and wake up at 6AM to get your breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table so YOU don't have to!

* Once you're on your trip, we're a resource in case anything should go amiss. One of the greatest benefits about booking your trip with your travel agent, vs doing it online or by yourself, is we're a resource if/when things go wrong. They don't often, but it's nice to have someone in your corner who can help you and can try to make it better.

This could be as small as a location not having your Dining reservation listed, or as large as needing help if someone in your group has a medical emergency. It's nice to have a helper in case things go wrong!

* We know fun little facts and hints about your destination that we share with you.  I always love when I can share little tidbits of info with clients, like the best places to get ice cream or where to find the best margaritas on property.

What we CAN'T do:

* We cannot make the prices cheaper. We do not set the prices, or have the ability to discount them further; that is all decided by the destination. Now, as noted above we are on the pulse of discounts so we can monitor those for you - but we do not have the ability to make vacations cheaper.

* We can't make Dining or FastPass+ slots open out of thin air, or create availability where there is none. One item I read in the Huffington Post article talked about using a TA because they have relationships with concierges and can make availability at select restaurants appear, for example, or get you tickets to that sold-out concert or play. In some cases this *might* be true, but is certainly not across the board.

While many of us do have good relationships with individuals who work at the destinations, that doesn't mean we're able to make you the dining reservation on New Years Eve a week in advance, or create more FastPass+ slots to meet Anna and Elsa. We are great at finding answers and we love to problem-solve with you, but there are often things that are out of our control.

* We're unable to change weather patterns, weather delays, etc. You might be laughing right now, but many TAs have horror stories about people getting very upset at them because there's a snowstorm forecasted the day they leave, or their airport closes/has delays. We'll be here to assist you if your plans get delayed by "acts of God" but unfortunately we don't have control over Mother Nature.

* We don't know if/when discounts are going to be released until a day or two before.  In particular for Disney, there is no set-in-stone timeline for when things are SOMETIMES offered (such as Free Dining in the fall). Very few, if any, destinations have a schedule for when discounts are released each year (and most don't want to create such a schedule, because in their eyes they don't want you to wait and book a trip only when a discount is involved). We often find out the same time as you all do, maybe a few days sooner. When we do hear for sure, we get that information out to you ASAP so you can make a decision if those dates and/or that promo works best for you.

If there are other travel agents who are readers, please chime in and leave comments here and/or on social media!

As always, thank you for reading - - and have a magical day!

A Little Change for the Facebook Page...And Happy Birthday, Walt!

Hi all! Happy Friday; hope you've got lots of fun (and relaxing!) weekend plans coming up. A few things to cover today:

First, today is Walt's Birthday! Happy Birthday to the original Mouseketeer; I couldn't imagine a world without Disney in it and thanks to Walt's vision, we don't have to! Hope you're having a big party up there in Heaven today!

Second, I wanted to talk Facebook. You might have already seen my Facebook post over at the Most Delightful Place / Mouse World Travel page but in case you haven't, I wanted to go over it here.

Starting in 2015, Facebook is going to start to limit the reach that Business pages have. Right now, if you Like a page, you will see most of their posts on your News Feed. I say most of, because Facebook already has algorithms and equations that figure out what pages you engage with the most, and so you don't see EVERY post from your Likes and Friends. (That's another rant, for another day!)

With the changes, a Business page will have to pay for advertising for you to see their posts. This will pretty dramatically change the way that Business pages reach and engage with their audience. We don't know yet the cost for this advertising, but for many small businesses (including mine), it will probably be cost-prohibitive.

So in light of this, I am going to be doing a few new things:

* A new Facebook Group

A Group on Facebook doesn't have the same requirements as a Business page. It's also great because vs a Business page, you can have more of a dialogue with everyone (anyone who is a member of the group can post, which is fun!). As long as you are part of the group, updates and posts will show up on your News feed. I have created a new Group for Mouse World Travel - Katie Miller; that link is below. Please go to that page, and join us! (I am working on getting a URL for it that doesn't' have all those numbers!)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/402554303228354/

* An email newsletter

In 2015, I am going to be launching a monthly newsletter that will update you twelve times a year with all things Disney: information on promos and discounts, blog updates, pictures, and more!

If you want to be sure and be on the mailing list, please Subscribe with the field on the upper right hand side of this web page. I won't spam you, or share your email address - I promise! :)

I am also going to be posting more on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest so be sure and follow me over there so you don't miss a minute. :)

Thank you for reading and following along!

Have a magical day!

How much DO you walk at Walt Disney World?

Picture from Fitbit.com

First, I wanted to say - - I haven't forgotten about the Trip Report. :) I hope to get this one finished before I go on the Disney Dream again in January! However, my iPhoto decided to freak out and the pictures I KNEW I took at Splittsville aren't showing up. Grrr - don't you love technology?! So instead, let's talk about walking around the World, shall we?

I have a FitBit activity device that I wear on my wrist; it tracks your steps and activity, and you can also use it as an alarm clock, to track your eating, your sleep, etc. It's a neat way to track just how much you move during the day; as I have a desk job, it really helps me know when I need to get around and move more.

Since I wore it while I was walking around Disney World and the Disney Cruise Line in August/September, I wanted to share with you just HOW much an average person probably walks at Disney, and why it's important to be prepared with appropriate footwear.

I looked at my steps logged on August 31 - September 4th, and each day I walked about 14,000 steps, or nearly 6 miles. Keep in mind - I wasn't killing myself running from place to place, or jogging from one end of Magic Kingdom to the other. This distance came from your normal touring and walking; from your room to the bus stop, from the bus stop at the park to the entrance, around the park, back to the bus and your room, etc.

It's SO important to have appropriate shoes! I remember one trip I took back in college, in the early 2000s. I bought some of the cute (and cheap!) flip flops, the kind that come in 100s of colors, to match my outfits (of course). I found out about 1/2 way through our first day that this was a BAD idea. My feet were killing me, and so after about 4 hours at Disney, I bought a pair of Mickey Mouse Keds-style sneakers and socks.  And lesson learned.

I recently purchased a pair of Sketchers GoWalk shoes and used those for the first time in August/September. OMG they are the BEST - - I will be buying more pairs, for sure. They're cute and stylish but still give you the support you need as you make your way through the World. Please excuse the general state of these shoes - they're "much loved", as you can tell!

I am confident in saying that the average person walks between 5-8 miles per DAY while at Disney World. So how do you get your feet ready for Disney, and keep them in good shape once you're there?

* If you're mostly sedentary at home, start walking a bit more each day to get your body ready for the many miles you'll be logging at Disney.

* Wear comfortable shoes - I cannot stress this enough. Comfort OVER fashion, every time! No one wants to stay in their room because they're in such pain they can't enjoy themselves.

* Be sure to pack some Band-Aids, just in case. I find that on occasion, I get blisters and so having Band-Aids at the ready is a real lifesaver.

*  Closely watch little ones - they're not used to walking this much, either (probably) and so they might need a few more breaks. Depending on the age of the child, you might also consider taking or renting a stroller, even if they don't use one at home. This beats having to carry them! :)

How much do YOU walk and Disney, and what steps do you take to protect your feet?

Have a magical day!