Every once in awhile, I get the question, “Why did you decide to be a Travel Agent?”
I’ve never lived in Florida and I didn’t grow up going to the Parks on a regular basis.
So, what did I know about planning vacations?
Why I Became A Travel Agent
Growing up Disney
We left for my very first Walt Disney World vacation the day after my kindergarten graduation.
My sister and I had Disney toys, records (yes, I am old enough to have listened to records), and my mom would wear her Mickey Mouse shirt at least once per week.
So, stepping on Walt Disney World property for the first time was like all of my toys had come to life. It was truly magical!
Months and years after that trip, we were still playing the baroque hoedown on the record player and dreaming of going back to Walt Disney World.
When I was 12 years old, my little brother was born. He lived for the original Toy Story movies.
Soon after, I became a teenager, and I couldn’t think of any other way to celebrate than with a Lion King cake.
Although I had only gone to Walt Disney World once when I was 6, the Disney magic never faded. And I always dreamed about going back.
Can we afford a Disney Vacation?
Because I had such fond memories of my first Disney Vacation, I was always determined to give my kids the same experience.
Except, as a young family with 2 small children, the budget was (and still is) an issue.
And honestly, the fear of spending so much money was the only reason we didn’t go for a long time.
I spent countless hours coming up with different scenarios. I researched every money-saving solution that was out there, in hopes of getting cheapest vacation I could.
Except, all I did was get overwhelmed. I had no idea what to do with all this information I was reading about.
Hiring My First Travel Agent
During my research, I had begun following a couple Disney blogs.
One, in particular, kept talking about their friends, who just so happened to be amazing Travel Agents at Destinations to Explore.
But, although I kept seeing the benefits of using a Travel Agent, I never actually considered “hiring” one.
But, since I was getting nowhere trying to do it all myself, I finally decided to do something I never thought I would do. I filled out a FREE QUOTE and waited for a response.
But, to be honest, I was still skeptical. The only thing that kept popping in my head was, “It’ll probably be too expensive.”
That First Email from my Travel Agent
I still remember that first email.
In attempting to plan the “perfect vacation,” I was basing my choices on what others loved, not what was going to work for me and my family.
But, everything she suggested was customized to me and my family. This meant she was able to put together a quote that actually worked within my budget. She was also giving me tips and suggestions that I hadn’t even thought of.
That’s when the proof of what everyone had been saying smacked me in the face. I absolutely needed a Travel Agent!
And best of all, she was doing all of this work for no additional cost. Every single penny went towards my vacation!
Saving Even More Money
Not long after we booked our vacation with our brand new Travel Agent, Disney released their Free Dining Promotion.
If I wasn’t already impressed with my Travel Agent, this would have been the very thing to change my opinion.
I had never even heard of the Free Dining Promotion before working with my Agent. But, she worked her magic and added this promotion to my existing Package while I went about my normal routine.
With the addition of this Promotion, my Vacation Package dropped a whopping $700! (With the increase in prices over the years, this Promotion now saves my family roughly $900!)
During this whole process, my thoughts went from, “I can’t afford to use a Travel Agent,” to “I can’t afford NOT to use a Travel Agent!”
A Lasting Impression
If it wasn’t for my very first Travel Agent, I’m convinced that I would still be trying to plan my children’s first Disney Trip.
She made a lasting impression on me. She helped me break out of the “I can do it myself!” attitude.
And best of all, she helped me create the memories I always dreamed of giving my children.
From that moment on, I decided that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be someone who helped make a family’s dreams come true.
So, that’s exactly what I did.
There’s not many people who can say that they absolutely love their job. But, I can! And I feel very fortunate for that.
