FEATURE ARTICLE
The Magic Lives On!
By Doris Thompson Akron, IN
 Growing
up in rural Indiana in the early 1960s didn’t offer much in the way of
excitement for this little blonde haired girl or her brothers and
sisters. I guess there was the miracle of the occasional calf
being born or the flowers my mother used to call “Four O’Clocks”
spreading their petals every afternoon, but all that was ho hum… just
another day on the farm.
But something truly miraculous
happened in my home every week when all of us, including my parents,
crowded around the television to watch “The Wonderful World of Disney.”
Half a dozen children in the same room, and we were so quiet you could
hear a pin drop. Now that’s a miracle! We looked forward to
that weekly event and wondered where Walt would take our imagination
this time. Would it be the Swamp Fox, maybe Daniel Boone, or
Professor Ludwig Von Drake? It didn’t matter who or what or where
it was; all were special in their own way!
As for me, from the moment I
first saw Tinker Bell fly across the television screen and with a flick
of her wand release a multitude of colorful fireworks over a castle that
could only exist in my little girl dreams… I was hooked!...
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here for the full story.
The Fun of Meeting Other Agents
By Marisa Garber-Brown Staten Island, NY
 How
can you hang out at a Disney theme park with a group of fellow Disney
fanatics, with no kids or spouses to worry about? By going to a
College of Disney Knowledge Graduate On-site Agent Education Program.
What is an Agent Education Program (AEP) you ask? It is an
invitation-only program for graduates of Disney’s College of Knowledge
where you learn how to sell and market Disney’s products. Where
else can you have hands-on “learning” by going on Disney attractions
Or become immersed in the Disney magic by taking seminars? Or eat
at Disney’s incredible restaurants just to experience the food and be
able to make recommendations for Advanced Dining Reservations to your
clients? And can you believe it counts as work?!
Recently I had the opportunity
to go to a Disneyland® Resort AEP with about twenty of my
fellow MouseEarVacations.com agents. I can’t remember the last
time I laughed so hard.
Click
here for the full story.
Working from Home
By Joann McGarvey Warrington, PA
 It’s
amazing the reaction I get when people ask what I do for a living and I
answer, “I’m a travel agent.” Most people reply with something
like, “Wow, how cool!” or, “Lucky you!” And yes, it is cool and I
am lucky! I mean, how many jobs allow you to be a part of a
family’s most precious vacation time every day?
Previously, I spent my day as a
Medical Secretary for a prominent surgeon -- 17 years to be exact.
Although I was truly blessed with wonderful co-workers that became more
like sisters through the years, I didn’t love my job. I was good
at it for sure, but it felt like work and allowed no room for me to feel
like I was being true to myself.
When my discontentment with my
office job grew, I finally realized that I needed a change. As hard as
it would be to leave my “work family,” I felt like I wasn’t practicing
what I preached. I have always told my children they could do anything
they wanted in life and they should follow their hearts and pursue their
dreams, but I wasn’t modeling that. It was time for me to find out
what I wanted to be when I grew up. Considering I was approaching
40, it was about time.
After many long discussions
with my husband and soul searching on my part, I knew that travel,
Disney destinations in particular, was where my heart led.
Planning our next trip, whether to Walt Disney World or a getaway in the
Caribbean, is what I loved to do -- so much so that many family, friends
and neighbors would call for advice. Having seen a wonderful
company online during one of my late night planning sessions, I pulled
up MouseEarVacations.com and read their “All About Us” and “Join Our
Team” sections and said …Why Not?!
Click
here for the full story. |
The Joys of Selling Disney
By Dotti Saroufim Boston, MA
In a past life, before diapers,
carpools, first dates, and college graduations ate up 25 years of my
existence, I was a systems analyst. I may not have been rolling in
dough, but I worked hard and made a good living. I traveled. I ate in
good restaurants. I explored new and exciting locations and took lots
and lots of photos.
Once the days of school
volunteering were over, and the kids became adults, it was time to find  something
else to fill that void. But what to do? Photography, as much as I love
it, wasn’t going to be a lucrative profession unless I bribed someone,
and quite heavily. The only one thing besides my family that I was truly
passionate about was Walt Disney World. Since 1992, when I went on my
“one and only trip” with my boys, then 10, 6 and 5, I’ve been obsessed.
Over 40 trips later, I still can’t get enough of it. I had sat for
countless hours with friends, and neighbors, and neighbors of friends,
mapping out park-visiting strategies, finding the best restaurants, and
recommending hotels to meet their needs. Why not do this as a business?...Click
here for the full story.
The Perfect Portfolio Career (for Me)
By Joy Gray Goffstown, NH
Once upon a time, there was a
young princess who had a promising career as an internal auditor for a
major corporation. The princess enjoyed company paid trips to
exotic locations in Europe, and exotic and not so exotic locations
throughout North America. All she had to do was work her 40 (or
50) hours, and then she was free to explore. In her spare time she
used her frequent flyer miles to see yet more of the world.
 One
day the princess met her prince. After she swept him off his feet
(this is a modern fairy tale, after all) they were married on top of a
mountain in Alaska with the backdrop of a hanging glacier.
Presently, a new little
princess was born. After five years of daycare and the normal
juggling act (and sometimes arm-wrestling) that accompanies two working
parents, the princess knew it was time for a change.
The princess, of course, is
me. When it was time for a change, I decided to make it a big one!
So I bravely took the plunge, enrolled in graduate school, and submitted
my resignation. As an accountant, I knew this would cause my
family some budgetary pain. One line on our budget stood out as
ripe for elimination – vacations – but I just couldn’t seem to give up
our annual trek to Florida to see Mickey. Hmmmm… what if I could
find a part-time job that would bring in enough money to save that
budgetary item, provide me with a lot of flexibility so I could still
complete grad school, and allow me to see Mickey, too? I’ve always
loved to plan vacations, and had for many years been the official
planner-in-chief when vacationing with friends. I made my
decision, and within 30 days of deciding to become a travel consultant,
I booked my first client!
Click
here for the full story.
Agent Education Programs
By Mike Huffstetler Angier, NC
As a at home agent, I read
several magazines, search the web, and track my sales and closure rates.
All of this is done as I try to find out where I stand as a travel
agent. Being relatively new in the business, I am not sure how I
am doing compared to other agents. Of course, this can be talked
about over phone calls, through emails, and with IMs, but nothing is
like the face to face contact you accomplish at an Agent Education
Program, or AEP.
I realized that at a recent
Disneyland AEP. This was my first AEP, and proved to be a
wonderful time. Not only did I get to experience the best that
Disneyland has to offer, from staying in the Grand Californian to
preferred viewing for Fantasmic, but I was also able to meet an
excellent group of agents.
While I am a true Disney fan,
with over 20 visits to Walt Disney World, this was my first visit to
Disneyland. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but was not
disappointed, as with everything that Disney does, this was top notch.
Never for the rate that is provided, could you experience a room at the
Grand Californian for three nights, along with park tickets, not the
mention the extra perks.
I cannot imagine a better way
to learn, as the AEPs are truly a learning experience.
Click
here for the full story.
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MouseEarVacations.com Support
By Pam Schuck Greenville, OH
Letter from one of our agents,
Pam Schuck,
to our company President, Jami Sales
Hi Jami - I just wanted to take
a few minutes to drop you an email to let you know what a wonderful year
this has turned out to be. I just cannot believe only three short years
ago I was taking the training classes and had never sold travel in my
life. I had a knack for sales but had no clue what was in store for me
in this industry.
During training I will never
forget you saying, "If you work hard and apply yourself you will not
believe where you will be in one year from now." Well, I heard you but
no way did I really think this could happen to me. My intentions were to
do this as a part-time job to my "real" job as I called it. I worked for
a prominent doctor and loved my job and was very well compensated.
So no way did I ever plan to leave that position. I had no more started
training with you when the doctor had to retire early.
Click
here for the full story.
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Client Accolades
Letter from a client, praising the services provided by one of our
agents, Marisa Garber-Brown
Jami,
I asked Marisa for your email
address as I wanted to let you know what wonderful service she has
provided in my Disney cruise trip planning.
I don't typically work with
travel agents, as you can do so much for yourself online these days.
However, I did reach out for help when looking for info on a Mexican
Riviera Disney cruise, as a cruise just seemed just a little more
complicated to plan and purchase. I sent out a couple of email
requests to different travel agencies and Marisa was not only the first
to respond, but she was also the friendliest. Right away, she made
me feel like she really cared about my vacation plans and was there to
help me get the most out of my cruise. Without knowing anything
about your travel company, I trusted that CruisingCo was reputable by
the excellent customer service that Marisa provided.
Click
here for the full story.
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