It's the most wonderful time of the year! Nope, not with Jolly Old St. Nick (thought I adore the Holiday Season!). I'm talking about music to every foodie DisNerd's heart - the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Held each fall and included with the price of your park admission, the Food and Wine Festival has quickly become one of the most popular times to visit. This cooking demos, a special concert series, and more than 30 kiosks set up throughout the park, you could spend days just enjoying the festival alone. 

Thankfully, in true awesome Disney style, they have made navigating the festival with special dietary needs much easier. Here are my best tips:

Even more than questions about destinations and vacation planning, the question I am most often asked is "How does this work?" It's absolutely a valid question! Because getting a free travel planner definitely seems too good to be true and we have all been well-trained to be extra skeptical in this digital age. So let me share with you how my services work and how I am able to offer them for free. Mutual trust is the key!

YOUR TRUST IN ME
I LOVE what I do! So much that I invest a lot of time, energy, and my own money in ongoing training, education, and personal experience. I want to make sure I always have the BEST options for you and the most current information and tips to share with you. I want you to know that my #1 priority is you and your vacation experience. Travel builds stronger connections and creates lifelong memories and I would never take that lightly. So I use my extensive knowledge and experience to personally match you to options I feel would be a great fit for you and your family. I'm not building MY dream vacation... I am building YOURS! This is why I ask lots of questions; I want to get to know you and your priorities. I feel so honored that you would trust me with your vacation and I hold that honor with the weight it deserves.

If you have questions, I answer them as quickly as I can. If you want advice, I will happily offer it. If you need to make changes, I handle that for you. I will take care of as many of the details of planning as you would like me to, from airport transfers to dining reservations and everything in between. If something is less than magical on your vacation, I step in and advocate for you so that things are turned around and the magic is restored. Essentially, you have a personal travel concierge! In fact, I often hear that my clients feel like they are my only clients because of the level of care they receive. That is always my goal!

And I never ask my clients for a single penny for my services; that is not my business model. But I do get paid!

MY TRUST IN YOU
My time and expertise are valuable and I deserve to be compensated for it. This is where my trust in my clients comes in. I am not paid for my consultation time. So the time I invest before you book your vacation is given on good faith. I get to know you and your vacation wishes, suggest some options, pull price quotes, and offer advice upfront with no compensation. 

I only get paid when you actually book your vacation through me. 

You see, the vacation destination pays me a small fee as a thank you for sending happy, well-prepared visitors to them. They know that when you work with me, it will be a good match and you will be confident in what your vacation experience should be. They also know I will step in if it's not. But we all want you to have an amazing vacation, because when you do you are more likely to return and to recommend not only the destination, but my travel planning services as well. 

It's a win-win-win situation. You get expert travel planning services for free, the vacation destination gets happy vacationers who make magical memories with them, and I can pay my bills. 

If you just need advice or resources, please be up front with me about that. I am always happy to help! But it honors me and my time if I know from the get-go that you will not be booking your vacation with me this time. 

MY PROMISES TO YOU
1. I will always honor your priorities. This is not my vacation... it's yours. 
2. I will always honor your budget. Being stressed about money is not a fun way to spend your vacation. I would never encourage you to spend more than you have budgeted for your vacation. 
3. I will always be available to you and if I am traveling, I will notify you with a direct contact of a colleague for you to call in my absence. I've got you covered 24/7. 
4. I will always be so grateful for every vacation you book with me and every referral you send my way. In fact, when your family or friends book their vacation with me, I will send you a Disney or Visa gift card as a thank you. 

Let's get started planning your magical vacation! Contact me here.

At the beginning of March, I spent 4 days at Universal Studios Orlando for a travel agent training program. While I was there, I got to ride lots of cool things at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Below are my 5 most favorite rides!

I'm a huge roller coaster fan. And as far as coasters go, this one is excellent.

​Hands down, this is my favorite ride at Universal Studios Orlando. 

DID YOU KNOW?
Universal Studios owns the Hulk and won't let Marvel/Disney make a stand-alone Hulk film. But they will Marvel/ Disney use the Hulk in ensemble films like the Avengers and other MCU Films.