Travel Agent? I prefer “Magic Maker”, “Disney Expert”, or “Fairy Godmother”
This is my journey from a kid loving Disney to living a dream as an “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner”
People often ask me when I started planning Disney Vacations and you would assume that the day was the day I started with MickeyTravels. Well if that was the answer, it would be a mere 9 months. Honestly I can’t remember when I started planning vacations. I have been to at least one Disney destination a year since I was about 5. I am a very “type A” perfectionist and you know that manifests even when you are a child. My mom tells me that even as I child I was the tour guide, had Disney countdowns made for each trip, and was reading Disney guidebooks as soon as I could. By the time I was a “tween”, friends knew I was the Disney queen and would often ask me questions before their own trips. In college I had the opportunity to travel to California with a friend and her family and we made it a point to check out Disneyland. I could not be near Anaheim and not go! I started planning trips for friends and had many coworkers ask me for help when planning their trips. I always loved it so I didn’t mind.
While on a Spring Break trip with my best friend in college, we met some college kids that were participating in the Disney College Program. Live and work in Disney World? Sign me up! I researched the program and made sure to attend the next information session at a neighboring college. I listened to the presentation and was hooked. I had to fill out paperwork and talk to a recruiter, if I was lucky I would be offered a phone interview later that week. I still remember nervously clutching my phone outside a lecture hall waiting for my interview. When I was done I knew I nailed it. I loved Disney and had been there countless times. I also worked in a fast paced Pharmacy where you had to learn a lot fast. I knew my multi-tasking and attention to detail would get me in. A few weeks later a big envelope arrived with my acceptance letter! Woo Hoo!
All I knew is that I was working in food and that I would be moving to Orlando from August to January of 2005.
The days before “move in”, my family and I enjoyed the parks. I was so nervous. I had never lived away from home and didn’t know who I would be living with or where I would be working. I was also scared to death to work in food. I had babysat and worked in a pharmacy, I had no idea what I was getting into. A few days later I moved into a 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom apartment with 7 other girls. In those 5 months we went from strangers to sisters. I found out that I would be working in “Stands West” in Magic Kingdom. The fear of food was quickly fading as I realized I was about to work in my favorite place in the world! Being a worrier, I started to get concerned that working there would kill the magic and that it would not really be clean or any other worry you could imagine. Obviously those worries were just worries.
After a few days of Disney training, I was getting specific “Stands West” job training. I learned that I would be working at various food locations all over the west side of the park and that I had up to four different “costumes” a week. I quickly learned why I was placed in food. There was so much to learn and to keep organized. It was hard work but I loved it. One day I might be making funnels cakes in the afternoon and working the hot dog stand at night. On Thanksgiving, I had to work the Turkey Leg stand. Think about it… everyone and their grandma wants a Turkey leg on Thanksgiving in Disney! We worked Christmas and New Years and some nights until 3 am with extra magic hours. There was never a dull moment and even when you were scrubbing the floor, you got to listen to the after “wishes” music.
During my program, I took full advantage of all the perks. When I wasn’t working I was in the parks. I rode rides I never had, saw all the shows, and tried many restaurants that I have never tried. You would think with all the years I visited I would have done everything. Nope… some experts estimate that even if you went everyday it would day years to see and do everything. I also planned trips for friends and family to come visit me. They got to take advantage of my discounts and I would play tour guide on my days off of work. It was amazing.
As my college program was ending I applied for a coveted but unpaid position as a “Campus Representative” for my college. I would hang up signs around school and promote the program on campus. Although it was unpaid, I was able to retain my “Cast Member” status and some perks and discounts. I loved sharing the magic with other students and calming their worries. I was a “Campus Rep” until I graduated in 2007.
After my college program, I became more obsessed with Disney. I loved seeing how everything worked and was amazed at how clean and perfect even the trash compactors were. There is so much I could share but working there is kind of like being in a sorority and some things are just secret, which is pretty fun! I started planning trips with friend and family to other Disney Destinations. Since the program, I have been on 3 Disney Cruises (2 on the Wonder and 1 on the Dream), stayed at Disney’s Vero Beach resort, and even visited Disneyland Paris for a few days. Of course I still go to Disney World too! My Disney expertise had expanded outside of Disney World and more friends and family were reaching out to me to help plan their vacations.
Last June a friend shared MickeyTravels with me. She knew that I had a full time job in Pharmacy Loss Prevention but said that the description of who they were looking for described me perfectly. I checked out the website and thought that this was something I had to find out about. A few minutes after I applied I had an interview set up and a few days later I was signing my contract. I did online training to earn my “Disney College of Knowledge” ears and started earning a small commission on all my own trips and trips I booked for friends and family. I am happy to say in about 9 months (working part time) I have booked more trips than I have dreamed of. I have met tons of new people and have been referred to friends and family members of clients all over the country. Once people discover that my services really are 100% free and they don’t pay a penny more than booking with Disney directly, they are sold. It is a lot of hard work but I love it. There are nights where I am up until 1 AM planning out perfect trips for clients. I love seeing pictures of trips and hearing about how magical things were. I also love that I only book Disney. Why book with someone who just completed some Disney training when you can book with someone who has worked there?!
Like I had said, I am a perfectionist and I always strive to exceed client’s expectations. I will never sell you something you don’t need, pressure you into booking, book your trip then disappear, etc. I loved working for Disney because everything was done honestly and as perfect as possible. It is more important to me that you get a great deal and that your trip is perfect than the money I make off your trip. Honestly the more your trip is, the more commission I make so it would be easy to sell add-ons and not advertise discounts to make more money. I am not about that. It is a business that I take very seriously and I know that as I grow my business doing a great job and getting people great deals is going pay off with referrals and repeat customers. From my prompt responses to your sendoff package to asking for feedback and pictures of your trip, I am personally invested in your travel experience. Now… would you call me a “travel agent”?
*faith, trust, & pixie dust!*
Julie Hauck *o*
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
MickeyTravels, LLC
1-513-313-9531 (cell)
julie@mickeytravels.com
staging.mickeytravels.com
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