Travel Advisors are Key to Creating a Seamless Walt Disney World Vacation
By Paloma Villaverde de Rico
Walt Disney World is ever-evolving and even for the most ardent Disney fan, keeping up with all the “what’s new” can be challenging. That’s where a travel advisor comes in. Jodi Bainter, director, travel agency sales at The Walt Disney Company, and Javier Moreno, sr. v.p. of Disney Destinations sales solutions, both agree that travel advisors are key to creating a seamless vacation at Walt Disney World (WDW) for their clients.
“We’re grateful for the trade,” says Bainter. “They do a great job. They introduce new families to the Disney portfolio, and they’re very good at helping them think about what they want to see while they’re here and making sure that they can plan their time properly. I think travel advisors take the time to really get to know who the guest is, and they match up the vacation. They’re very good at aligning the best vacation to what the guest is seeking.” Adds Moreno: “I think that a personalized Walt Disney World experience is so important. It’s true, Walt Disney World has a very rich offering of experiences, but travel advisors can really customize it to their clients.”
CASTLE
What’s New
The number of new experiences at Walt Disney World is both dizzying and mind-blowing. Of course, top of mind for the most enthusiastic Disney fan is the debut of TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise. Set to “launch” this month at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland (right by the iconic Space Mountain), the indoor-outdoor motorbike coaster ride lasts about two minutes. Media got a sneak peek last month, and we’re still talking about the ride’s lightning-fast launch (wow!). Said to be one of the fastest coaster attractions in a Disney theme park—and one of the smoothest coasters this writer has ever been on—TRON is for the die-hard thrill-seeker. To truly embrace the TRON world, recommend clients ride it at night (and at the very front) so they can best appreciate the stunningly beautiful color-changing dome.
Over at Hollywood Studios, the exceptionally adorable and delightfully colorful Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant has just opened in Toy Story Land. It’s the world’s first “Toy Story” table-service restaurant. The inspiration for the dining venue, says creative director Ben Van Beusekom, “initially came from ‘Toy Story 2,’ when Andy goes to cowboy camp. When Andy comes back from cowboy camp he wants to create a rodeo in his backyard, so he grabs his cardboard boxes, school supplies, games, etc., and he piles it all together to create this arena. And from that arena, he splits it down the center and creates two separate rodeos—one for Jessie and Trixie to play on and one for Bo Peep and her three sheep. To create the feeling of an audience before his honorary toys enter the rodeo, Andy uses color crayons, stickers, boxes and whatnot to decorate, and then we, as guests, come in and sit down and become the live audience to view the rodeo.”
There are many “hidden” treasures throughout the restaurant and the best part is that guests are encouraged to run around and explore. There’s also fun music and other audio playing, with one of our favorites being the announcement of “Andy’s arrival,” during which cast members at the restaurant freeze in place.
Media also got a sneak peek at Magic Kingdom’s refreshed Happily Ever After nighttime fireworks show, now lighting up the sky and featuring brand-new projections that extend down Main Street U.S.A. And this month EPCOT Forever returns as the nighttime show at that park—it’s a sort of placeholder until an all-new nighttime show is unveiled later this year.
And while we’re in EPCOT, don’t forget to remind clients that there are even more reasons to return: Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, set to open later this year, and the completion (also later this year) of the new World Celebration neighborhood, home to the new statue of Walt Disney, “Walt the Dreamer,” as well as different gardens that change with the seasons.
Other top recommendations for clients to come back, again and again, include EPCOT’s Disney100 Celebration (late 2023); an array of new character greetings such as Moana in Animal Kingdom (celebrating the park’s 25th anniversary) and Encanto’s Mirabel in the Fairytale Garden in Magic Kingdom; the opening of the Summer House on the Lake restaurant in Disney Springs with its beach house vibe (later this year); and Magic Kingdom’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (2024).
Recommend Standard Image Template-1680522631-1680522633
Tools You Can Use to Stay Up to Date
Bainter says that one of the best ways for travel advisors to keep up with all the new happenings is by visiting the destination. “We’re really focused on inviting travel advisors to experience the products,” she says. “It’s so important because they can experience the product and then bring those personal experiences back to their clients.”
They’ve also been focusing on upping their social media feed. “On @disneytravelprofessionals, our social media handles on Instagram and Facebook, we’re constantly trying to put out content that’s fresh and new. [It’s great] for those agents who can’t get here; they can see it and share it with their guests,” says Bainter.
“We’re working hard to make sure that they have all the tools. We’re here to listen to them and understand what tools they need,” adds Moreno. “Training is more important than ever.” To that end, points out Bainter, the company offers Disney’s College of Knowledge, “which is a training course for all our advisors. Once they get access to disneytravelagents.com, they can take it. It’s a comprehensive view of everything we offer. To me that’s always a great starting point, and we do refresher modules all the time. It’s somewhat like continuing education.”