With our summer coming to an end (OMG ~ kids have been back in school for two weeks already!), I am reminded this means... here come the holidays! Planning for them (be it Christmas or the ever popular Spring Break) is super important, and I hope to show you in this post some reasons why you should do that with a Professional Travel Expert!
Whether your thing is Europe, Hawaii, or the Disney Parks, they ALL require advance planning! Now I love a challenge! But it's important to keep in mind that no Travel Expert is a "magician"! Space remaining is very expensive, and many situations are already completely sold out! However I still believe 100% that using the expertise of a Professional Vacation Planner is absolutely your best deal!
This brings to mind the recent scare in the Islands of Hawaii with Hurricane Lane. Now as you already know, this turned out (like most) to be in the end, nothing more than a horrible rain storm. But I bring this up because these are the situations that do ruin a vacation... if you have no help! When you work with an expert, you have someone looking out for you through the duration of your trip. I know that all of my clients' vacation packages include a very comprehensive travel protection. Now many people do not really understand the value of this protection, and that is a shame! You see not only does it protect your investment, it provides you with 24/7 customer service! If at any time my clients have a problem, concern, changes, they have either myself (of course) ~ or my wholesaler's customer service people at the ready! My clients never worry, or wait anxiously "on hold"! They always have an expert available to help them, and often we are able to completely turn around a bad situation!
Now the thought has come up; what if you did not make reservations way-way in advance... what do you do? That is a great big... contact a Professional Travel Advisor, people! (The theme of this post BTW~ ...LOL) One of my go to points on this topic are the theme parks of Disney! No place is this more true than at Walt Disney World in particular! Are you aware that dining reservations for restaurants across the "world" are made 180 days in advance? Yes, you read that right~ six months! Many of the most popular (Cinderella's Royal Table, Be Our Guest Restaurant, both at the Magic Kingdom) will be gone within one hour of the six month window opening! Then of course there is the "MyDisneyExperience" app. Do you know it, have it downloaded? Did you know that you are now able to check-in and go straight to your room? Please believe me, this is the tip of the proverbial "iceberg"! But if you work with an expert, none of these things will be an issue! #AskMe
Let's address for a moment, the always popular... internet! Now what I have to say here may seem odd, after all you are reading this blog because you are on the internet! For most of us in this industry, it's a "love/hate" relationship! I have always said it's a great place to get the "basics". For people who decide all of a sudden at 11:00pm they are going to go to Hawaii, and need to know right this second what it will cost! But after the dust settles, do you take what you have learned to an expert? You should, it costs you nothing to ask, and I know that I have always been able to impress people with information they never found! After 25 years in the travel business, and a life time of destination experiences I have a lot to share! There is so much more to planning a great vacation, and often I have had people completely change their decisions after talking with me! I truly, sincerely care about my guests and every detail of their experiences!
People have been told in recent years that the internet is the only place to get the best deal. Have you heard that? Well here's the thing; if you are free to travel in the next 3 -5 days, it may be! But most of us have responsibilities, jobs, family, homes, and we need to plan for being away! A great Travel Advisor has your back, uses their expertise to get you what you need and want for your vacation! Even more; we care about you, and your experience, and use all the years and education we have gathered to make sure you come home with a big smile on your face! My goal for my guests has always been to exceed their expectations. After opening DreamCatcher in 1996, I feel confident in saying today~ I have been able to do that... most all of the time!
In closing I want to say... mahalo nui loa~ thank you very much! For reading this blog, and considering the value of my words. There are not a lot of people in this crazy business with the education, or the passion for the planning still intact! But I do, and I hope this is something that matters to you!
A hui hou! (Until next we meet.)
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