Season 2: Episode 2 with Leslie Marquez!

WEBVTT
00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:15.039
Welcome to another episode of dropping knowledge of Chris Coast and Anna Stilino.
00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:16.480
Thanks for joining us again today.
00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:18.559
And I'm going to let Anna do our introduction.
00:00:18.800 --> 00:00:19.120
Yeah.
00:00:19.199 --> 00:00:23.440
So today we have Leslie Marquez from Brightside Travel.
00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:30.800
And so Leslie is my travel agent when I books certain Disney trips, other Disney trips, because I go so much.
00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:32.880
I just have learned to do them on my own.
00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:34.240
So welcome, Leslie.
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:34.880
How are you?
00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:35.439
Thank you.
00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:36.159
I am doing well.
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:37.200
Thank you for having me.
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:37.920
Awesome.
00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:39.520
Hope you're having a good summer so far.
00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:40.320
I'm sure it's been busy.
00:00:40.640 --> 00:00:42.159
I know you already took some Disney trips.
00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:42.560
Yes.
00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.079
That was a much needed Disney trip.
00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:44.880
I'm ready to go back.
00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:46.960
Can we just set the stage right out the gate?
00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:51.679
Let's just go through and let's each say how many times we've been to Disney.
00:00:51.920 --> 00:00:52.799
I have a list on my phone.
00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:53.679
Did you really?
00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:53.840
Yeah.
00:00:54.159 --> 00:00:54.719
Do you know the number?
00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:55.600
I can pull it up.
00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:56.479
Yeah, you gotta do that.
00:00:56.640 --> 00:00:57.200
Okay, do you know?
00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:04.799
I don't, I don't have a list, but if I had to guess, oh it's gotta be 75 to 100 times.
00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:05.760
Oh, it's amazing.
00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:08.959
That's that's that's what I I mean it has to be, right?
00:01:09.200 --> 00:01:09.680
Wait a minute.
00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:10.959
Okay, maybe 50.
00:01:11.760 --> 00:01:11.920
Okay.
00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:13.760
Do you think that's not enough?
00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:15.280
No, I think it's way too much.
00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:16.799
So here's our spreadsheet.
00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:18.719
Oh, you have a whole spreadsheet.
00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:21.359
Okay, so if you had to eyeball it, what do you think?
00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:22.159
Best guess.
00:01:22.400 --> 00:01:23.359
I have no okay.
00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:23.920
Never mind.
00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.159
My crafty husband has the totals at the bottom.
00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:27.040
Of course he does.
00:01:27.200 --> 00:01:27.680
Yep.
00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:32.640
27 times for me, 23 times for the family.
00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:35.040
Now keep in mind, we did not grow up going to Disney.
00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:43.760
This only started, it's we'll get there, but it's funny how my career and my Disney journey started, but we've done that, and now this has to be updated a little bit.
00:01:43.920 --> 00:01:49.040
Um, for cruises, Disney cruises, I am going on number 11 next at the end of this month.
00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:51.920
I am so you're at 60 plus together.
00:01:52.640 --> 00:01:53.200
That's amazing.
00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:54.799
And you think you're between 50 and 75.
00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:56.400
Because I know Leslie goes more than I do.
00:01:56.560 --> 00:02:00.400
There's no way I would have pinned every no, I would have pinned you into 30.
00:02:00.719 --> 00:02:01.359
I tried.
00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:02.480
I would if I could.
00:02:02.640 --> 00:02:03.920
Oh, wait, I can't wait to get in.
00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:06.000
No, I guess if yours is 27.
00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:06.560
No.
00:02:06.799 --> 00:02:07.120
Yeah, mine.
00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:08.080
I was just her.
00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:08.960
Yeah, that's just me.
00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:09.360
That's what I'm saying.
00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:10.400
23 is a family.
00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.639
23 is the family that I that so that number's included in mine.
00:02:15.120 --> 00:02:18.800
But still, my kids have been 23 times, I've been 27 times at least.
00:02:18.960 --> 00:02:21.120
I mean, we might be missing one or two, but yeah.
00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:21.919
I mean, we go frequently.
00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:22.800
Plus the cruises.
00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:23.199
Yes.
00:02:24.080 --> 00:02:25.599
So she's uh she's approaching 40.
00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:26.719
Then I'm nowhere near that.
00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:28.319
I would say you're like the 25.
00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:28.639
Yeah.
00:02:28.719 --> 00:02:31.039
I mean, I've only been on two Disney cruises.
00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:33.120
So we can do day trips to Disney World.
00:02:33.199 --> 00:02:35.039
You can do this non-stops, just make it a day.
00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:36.560
Do you all care how many times I've been?
00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:38.319
I feel like this is gonna be all about you all.
00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:38.719
Go ahead.
00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:39.599
This whole thing.
00:02:39.759 --> 00:02:40.479
No, it's not.
00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:41.039
Two.
00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:41.840
Two?
00:02:42.159 --> 00:02:42.639
Okay, wait.
00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:44.400
I did go for business two times.
00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:45.360
Does that count?
00:02:45.439 --> 00:02:45.680
Yes.
00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:45.919
Yes.
00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.039
I didn't ride anything.
00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:47.520
That's okay.
00:02:47.680 --> 00:02:48.240
But I was on the ground.
00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:49.199
Then it counts.
00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:50.000
Yeah, it counts.
00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:50.960
Disney is Disney.
00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:53.360
I can just go to Disney Spring.
00:02:53.680 --> 00:02:54.000
It counts.
00:02:54.719 --> 00:02:56.319
It was like, I think it was two times for business.
00:02:57.120 --> 00:02:58.800
You need to make that number higher.
00:02:58.879 --> 00:02:59.759
We need to work on that.
00:03:00.319 --> 00:03:02.800
Every time I look to go, I'm like, it's just so expensive.
00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:04.479
Because you need bright side travel.
00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:04.879
See?
00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:05.280
Maybe.
00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.280
We know how to find the deal.
00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.319
We're gonna dive into all of that, but let's kind of start at the top of the funnel.
00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:17.919
Like kind of talk through just your upbringing.
00:03:18.080 --> 00:03:23.919
I mean how you know, school and how you ended up as an awesome travel agent.
00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:25.759
Doing something you absolutely love.
00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:27.199
I do love it, which is awesome.
00:03:27.680 --> 00:03:30.639
That I can tell, like in the first two minutes of talking with you.
00:03:30.879 --> 00:03:31.599
Especially Disney.
00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:33.120
Like I'm super passionate about it.
00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:36.400
And it's funny because I didn't grow up traveling or going to Disney.
00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:39.680
Um so it just all kind of fell into place.
00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:42.800
But I have an older sister and a younger brother.
00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:44.560
We grew up in Lakeview, went to St.
00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:45.520
Dominic's school.
00:03:45.680 --> 00:03:49.039
My mom and dad both worked really hard.
00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:50.639
They're still working in their 70s.
00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:56.719
My mom, my dad was a police officer, and my mom, she stayed home with us in the beginning.
00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:59.840
And then my dad, they ended up buying a dry cleaner's.
00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:05.360
And at the time, they built it up so big that they did all the contracts for all the hotels downtown.
00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:05.840
Nice.
00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:11.039
And so my dad would work overnight at the police department, take a quick nap, and then go to the dry cleaners.
00:04:11.199 --> 00:04:13.520
And that's the kind of business like you were you have to be up at 4 a.m.
00:04:13.680 --> 00:04:16.240
and get the boiler on and everything else because you gotta get the machines running.
00:04:16.319 --> 00:04:18.079
So, you know, and it's hot all day.
00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:21.519
My mom has scars from like bumping into machinery and whatnot.
00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:24.800
And so my upbringing, like, we were at the dry cleaners all the time.
00:04:24.879 --> 00:04:28.160
So I grew up in an environment of business owners.
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:35.199
Um, even beyond that, my grandpa was he grew up in a his father was an alcoholic.
00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:38.560
So he grew up in a really just terrible situation.
00:04:38.720 --> 00:04:41.759
He joined the Marine Corps, he was a sergeant in the Korean War.
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:49.680
And then when he came home, all the money he had saved, he opened up a really small printing agency, a printing company, LA D Auto Printing.
00:04:49.920 --> 00:04:52.560
And um, he was so proud of that.
00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:56.800
And it provided, you know, my mom had four sisters, it provided them to go to Catholic school and all that stuff.
00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:03.439
They had braces on their teeth, very fortunate because, you know, back then, so they had a decent upbringing because of that.
00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:12.639
There came a time when my pop got sick with stomach cancer, which was crazy because that that cancer in particular is for like a cancer of smokers and drinkers, which he did none of.
00:05:12.720 --> 00:05:14.160
Um and it was really terrible.
00:05:14.240 --> 00:05:23.600
But during that time, my mom and dad kind of shifted a little bit and started taking care of the printing shop because that provided income for my grandma and my grandma's mom.
00:05:23.839 --> 00:05:27.519
So they were doing the cleaners, the police department, and the print shop.
00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.360
So holding it all afloat.
00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:36.560
And then once my grandfather passed away, they continued the print shop to keep income for my grandma.
00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:41.600
And then she passed away, and eventually we ended up selling the, or they ended up selling the printing business.
00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:42.879
What was the printing business called?
00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:44.000
Elliott Alder Printing.
00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.120
It was on the Hemicord Street in Mid City next to Caruth Brothers.
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:47.759
Gotcha.
00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:49.199
And so it's just a small little shop.
00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:50.240
I grew up going there also.
00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:52.000
What type of printing did they do?
00:05:52.160 --> 00:05:55.759
Um, just old school, like like mostly paper, yeah, and business cards.
00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.959
All that they had the Kluge machine and all the print machine.
00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:04.959
It was really interesting to watch because I would watch my grandpa put the goggles on and just fine-tune everything.
00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:08.319
And then they had ink pads, and just I'm sure it's not done that way today.
00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:11.040
Um guess InvistaPrint is not doing it.
00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:12.399
Yeah, absolutely not.
00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:13.279
But it was really cool.
00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:14.879
I can still remember the smells and everything.
00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.120
Like it was it was really, really cool.
00:06:17.519 --> 00:06:22.480
So just from that, I just grew up with I never thought that I would own my own business.
00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:23.600
I always wanted to.
00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:27.040
I'm the kind of person that I feel like I kind of marched to the beat of my own drum.
00:06:27.279 --> 00:06:35.439
And then just seeing, but but seeing all of that really instilled a sense of a very hard work ethic for me and my siblings.
00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:38.079
We just grew up knowing like this is what it takes.
00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:39.040
It's gonna take sacrifice.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:43.839
It's gonna take those early mornings, it's gonna take those late nights, because at the end of the day, the business owns you in a way.
00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:50.319
So you have to find that balance to make sure that you know you're taking care of your family and your business and yourself and all of it.
00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:56.720
So I went to Dominican High School and then I went to LSU and a little bit of gray area there.
00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:00.399
Um, Hurricane Katrina ended up flooding the dry cleaners.
00:07:00.480 --> 00:07:06.959
So my parents lost all of their businesses, their home, because we took 12 feet of water, I think.
00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.800
My grandma's home, my great grandma's home, just everything.
00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:17.120
And how they were able to maintain what they did while rebuilding all of that.
00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:20.720
Like we at the time I didn't know, I was 21.
00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:25.279
I didn't realize like I I didn't miss a beat.
00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:29.519
Like I still had money to go out, and I still had, you know, my school was taking care of my apartments.
00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:31.759
Like, I didn't have to worry about anything.
00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:35.680
And that to me is what my goal is for my kids.
00:07:35.759 --> 00:07:37.360
Like, you know, resiliency.
00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:39.040
Yes, exactly.
00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:50.160
And so they ended up buying the dry cleaners back and kind of, or maybe this was before they bought it, they sold, they ended up selling it maybe around the time at the print shop, they bought it back.
00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:53.920
Then Katrina happened, and at that point, they were like, you know what, we can't do this again.
00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:55.279
It's really hard labor.
00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:59.839
And I was in school to go into textiles and merchandising for that.
00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:02.079
You know, we're learning about fabrics and whatnot.
00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:08.319
And then at that point, once we decided that that wasn't going to be reopening, I was like, well, I don't know what I want to do.
00:08:08.480 --> 00:08:10.079
Like, you know, I have no idea.
00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:11.439
And I'm kind of like that anyway.
00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:13.600
I just kind of like float around and I just figure it out.
00:08:13.680 --> 00:08:18.079
Somehow it's how my brain works and it all works out in the end.
00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:23.920
But I ended up majoring with interdisciplinary studies, which is the fancy term for general studies.
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:24.959
That's what I have.
00:08:27.680 --> 00:08:28.240
We should do a show.
00:08:29.600 --> 00:08:30.319
That's amazing.
00:08:30.720 --> 00:08:34.320
So I have three minors in sociology, psychology, and English.
00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:39.200
I was like one class away from getting an English degree, but at the end of the day, what would I have done with that?
00:08:39.440 --> 00:08:41.679
Like, you know, so that's what I have.
00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:49.279
And then I met my husband towards the end of my college career, and I knew that I wanted to get married early and have a family early.
00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:53.759
So I once I graduated, I went into education.
00:08:53.919 --> 00:08:58.320
I was a paraprofessional for actually, I worked at the West End in New Orleans hospitality.
00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:00.399
I feel like it's just, I don't know.
00:09:00.480 --> 00:09:01.759
I I like that industry.
00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:05.919
I like talking to people and meeting people in everyone's from different walks of life, and it was really, really great.
00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:13.279
However, I knew that with me wanting a family, it wasn't gonna work out because you have to work holidays, Christmas morning, Easter, you know.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:15.120
So I did paraprofessional.
00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:17.919
I was a paraprofessional for a few years with Jefferson Parish.
00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:21.279
Um, I worked for special needs children and I loved it.
00:09:21.600 --> 00:09:27.279
Then when I started having kiddos, my husband's family owns a couple of businesses here.
00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:29.600
And so I started to work for the family business.
00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:32.080
And I did that for quite some time.
00:09:32.320 --> 00:09:36.960
I am grateful that I worked there when I did because they were super, super gracious.
00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:38.799
If my kids were sick, stay home.
00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:40.080
You know, you don't need to come in.
00:09:40.639 --> 00:09:42.559
And there wasn't a school event that I missed.
00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:47.519
I was able to volunteer at school, you know, the three piggy opera, whatever it was, and I lived a block away.
00:09:47.600 --> 00:09:49.840
So I was super flexible because of that.
00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:54.159
And then we so I started doing this in the background.
00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:55.600
I started booking trips.
00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:04.080
Like I said, I didn't grow up going to Disney, but once I started having kids and I took them, that's when it all changed.
00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:12.000
And one of my boys had severe food allergies, and Disney was the one place that I could take him where they would always find a way to say yes.
00:10:12.320 --> 00:10:16.240
So at the time it was peanut, treanut, shellfish, dairy, soy, egg.
00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:17.919
Um, and it didn't matter.
00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.480
They would make him rice milk ice cream, they would make him something.
00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:32.000
And so we were going so frequently, and then I just I remembered the first time I went, I remember the first time I went, I remember being on Main Street and I was looking at Connor up on my husband's shoulders and the parade was passing.
00:10:32.159 --> 00:10:36.240
And I remember thinking like I failed him because I didn't know what I needed to know.
00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:39.360
Like we still had a great time, but I didn't know the strategy behind Disney.
00:10:39.440 --> 00:10:42.240
I didn't know what restaurants or what rides you needed to pick.
00:10:42.320 --> 00:10:46.720
And so I went home and I was like, we're doing this, I'm not gonna make that mistake again.
00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:57.200
And it just, you know, and then with Jack having his allergies, I just started going frequently and I was doing it part-time, and then this is where it kind of takes a dark turn, but there's a positive light at the end of the tunnel.
00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:00.080
Can we can we pause right there before we go there?
00:11:00.159 --> 00:11:00.320
Yeah.
00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:14.320
So I was kind of I'm listening to your background, and one of the themes that um because I feel like we're transitioning to the more into the current, and you hit on so many things that we've heard from other guests, which we both find intriguing.
00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:18.799
Um one is that we learn, and I just met you, so everything I'm learning is new.
00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:33.519
But um you talked about, you know, your dad who had uh you know a full-time job, but then started doing the the other business, the dry cleaning at night and kind of how it imprinted you.
00:11:34.000 --> 00:11:34.159
Right.
00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:42.159
And and so we've heard that theme quite a bit about what what our parents are doing for good and for bad.
00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:44.879
But we we normally try to focus on the positive, right?
00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:47.600
You know, but that it really does imprint us as kids.
00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:55.519
And and so I was just curious as you look back and you think about uh the things your parents were doing and your mom was involved too.
00:11:56.080 --> 00:11:56.799
Still doing it.
00:11:57.039 --> 00:11:57.519
Still doing today.
00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.360
Because clearly it's it's a passion and and they it's part of who they are.
00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:01.679
Yeah.
00:12:02.000 --> 00:12:15.200
You know, but uh when you look back, what do you think one or two of the things you took away from that uh into your into your adulthood and now that you have, you know, children and a family and a business and that one message is just to never give up.
00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:16.720
Never, never, never give up.
00:12:17.200 --> 00:12:21.679
You are always going to be hit with curveballs and plans, you know, just changing and whatnot.
00:12:21.840 --> 00:12:23.600
And at the end of the day, we don't have control over anything.
00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:25.440
And I think that's so important to remember.
00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:31.759
And I know that when stuff doesn't go as planned, you know, you have to give yourself time to kind of like reset.
00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:37.279
But you never know what doors are gonna open from what you know, what went awry.
00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:38.720
Um, so that would be one message.
00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:40.559
And the second is hard work and sacrifice.
00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:43.440
I mean, that is what I've watched my parents do all of their lives.
00:12:43.600 --> 00:12:47.039
I didn't even get to touch into the present with what they do, but now but they own real estate.
00:12:47.120 --> 00:12:55.440
So after the dry cleaners, they started owning real estate, they own a couple of bars, um, video poker, very similar to another guest you had on here.
00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:59.279
I can't remember who it was, but he owns ATM machines and video poker.
00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:01.279
Was that Chuck?
00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:02.000
That was Chuck.
00:13:02.240 --> 00:13:05.840
Yes, yes, the pepperoni yes, the pepperoni and the pepperoni challenge.
00:13:06.080 --> 00:13:06.879
Pepperoni challenge, yeah.
00:13:07.360 --> 00:13:09.200
Listening to his stuff reminded me a lot of my my parents.
00:13:09.600 --> 00:13:12.080
That's right, because he was also he was downtown a lot.
00:13:12.639 --> 00:13:17.519
My dad was a police officer and like and also networking, so it all kind of falls into place.
00:13:17.679 --> 00:13:22.639
But uh my parents do a lot of that now, and they own some property and you know, lease some buildings and whatnot.
00:13:22.720 --> 00:13:34.799
But so you know, you use the word sacrifice, and I feel like there's several words in our that we use in our vocabulary, and and we use them so quickly, and everybody just got accountability is another one, right?
00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:35.279
Oh yeah.
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:36.240
Everybody's accountable.
00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:37.440
Then you're like, well, what does that mean?
00:13:37.679 --> 00:13:39.279
And it was like, well, I don't know.
00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:40.080
Let's talk about it.
00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:45.039
So when you say, you know, you have to sacrifice, give just give us an example.
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:51.600
Like as you look back on something your parents did that you're like, you probably didn't realize when you were younger, be like, oh boy, like we didn't travel.
00:13:51.759 --> 00:13:53.279
My mom and dad didn't take any breaks.
00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:56.879
If they did, it was a short weekend to the Grand Hotel, and they were like, we need to get back to work.
00:13:56.960 --> 00:14:00.639
And they had a contract with the Marriott, so they were able to get good rates when we would go.
00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:07.039
But I mean, if I look back at my parents, you know, their friends would go out and their they'd have the like family cruises and whatnot.
00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:08.399
My parents didn't participate in any of that.
00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:09.440
They had businesses to run.
00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:11.039
So they were up at 4 a.m.
00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:14.720
There was not ever a time where I didn't have anything that I needed.
00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:18.080
My hair was done every day, breakfast was ready, there was always dinner on the table.
00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:19.279
I always had my books.
00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:20.879
I never had to worry about anything.
00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.799
But they were also very grounded in that.
00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:27.440
It wasn't a very like I was definitely not raised in a spoiled way.
00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:27.759
Right.
00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:32.879
You were given these things, but you were also made aware of what you were given and what it took to get those things.
00:14:33.200 --> 00:14:36.720
So there was a lot of discipline in our house, but in a good way.
00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:40.080
Um what it took to get those things, that's a tough one.
00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:49.120
I definitely I have two daughters and I've struggled with I've tried to talk to them about things and you know not not spoil and do all those things the right way.
00:14:49.279 --> 00:15:02.320
But that last piece you just said is what it takes to get it is really hard to communicate to to kids until they start to get older, then it starts to connect, right?
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:08.639
But like when they're younger, especially at your kids' ages, well, because they're born into it and they they think it's just normal.
00:15:08.799 --> 00:15:11.679
Like I know my kids think it's normal to go to Disney all the time.
00:15:11.759 --> 00:15:12.720
And when they mine too.
00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:17.200
When I have to explain it, I'm like, some of your friends have never been to Disney go once in their life, if at all.
00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:17.519
Right.
00:15:17.679 --> 00:15:20.960
And I'm like, when I was a kid I mean, some of your friends have only been there twice.
00:15:21.120 --> 00:15:22.000
Yeah, yeah.
00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:22.639
Shame on you.
00:15:22.960 --> 00:15:23.600
Shame on you.
00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:24.639
We're gonna change that.
00:15:24.960 --> 00:15:25.759
We're gonna change that.
00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.159
But I I explain that to Wells all the time.
00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:30.960
Like, I didn't go as a kid, we couldn't afford to go.
00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:31.919
That's why we didn't go.
00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:35.360
I was like, So you're very fortunate that we get to take you on these trips.
00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:43.120
But when you think back, I guess the focus in that generation was so much like, you know, my kids need to have braces on their teeth.
00:15:43.279 --> 00:15:45.440
They need to have a I love the fact that you said that twice.
00:15:45.919 --> 00:15:47.440
Oh yeah, they're expensive.
00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.759
Because they're expensive today.
00:15:50.240 --> 00:16:02.080
But when you when braces first hit the scene, so to speak, in the mid-80s, probably uh in early 80s, that was a significant uh expense to a middle income.
00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:02.559
Correct.
00:16:03.519 --> 00:16:04.799
It's almost like a luxury to them.
00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:06.320
And it was very, very hard.
00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:11.519
Encyclopedia sets were right before braces in my in my memory bank here.
00:16:11.840 --> 00:16:17.120
And I remember, you know, my dad, you know, and my mom, like, hey, we got to get an encyclopedia set.
00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.559
And that was like a big deal.
00:16:18.799 --> 00:16:20.879
And, you know, they pulled it together and got it.
00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:21.919
And we used it actually.
00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:22.639
I love that.
00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.399
And then it was my braces.
00:16:24.559 --> 00:16:24.799
Yeah.
00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:31.679
That was like the next big thing, like, holy crap, how how are we gonna pay$2,000 or whatever it was back then for braces?
00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.600
So you've said that twice and it just makes me smile because like it just brings back.
00:16:36.240 --> 00:16:37.039
Think about it now.
00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:42.159
Now it's like there's iPads, and every kid in the household of driving age gets a car.
00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:42.879
We didn't do that.
00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:49.919
We shared a car, and I got the hand-me-down car, which by the way, was a huge pain point for me because let me just go ahead and say I am very stubborn.
00:16:50.399 --> 00:16:55.759
And when that when it came down to it, I remember arguing with my mom and dad because they were not gonna buy me a new car.
00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.879
And all of my friends had new cars, and I was like, this is not fair.
00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:01.919
You know, she's got an extera or whatever it was at the time.
00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.119
And my I wanted a two-door Honda Accord, right?
00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:12.720
And so my dad, well, first of all, I had to get my dad drove a gallant and then it handed it down to my sister and she wrecked it within like a month.
00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:16.079
And then it was my turn, and then I wrecked it within like two months.
00:17:16.319 --> 00:17:19.759
So, in hindsight, my parents knew what they were doing at the time.
00:17:19.839 --> 00:17:20.880
I was like, absolutely not.
00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.400
I can't believe you're this is child abuse that you're making me drive this car.
00:17:26.480 --> 00:17:32.880
And it wasn't until I had kids of my own that I really realized what my parents had sacrificed and done for us.
00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.000
But I forgot where I was going with that with the car.
00:17:36.160 --> 00:17:44.960
Oh, so I said I wanted a two-door car accord when when I graduated senior year, they agreed to get me a new, a, a used, a used new car.
00:17:45.039 --> 00:17:47.680
And it was gonna be a Honda cord, and it had to be two doors.
00:17:47.920 --> 00:17:49.359
My dad calls me downstairs.
00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:51.759
He's like, Your car is here, you wanted a two-door car.
00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:57.519
I opened the front door and he taped the back door shut and said, now you have two doors.
00:17:58.559 --> 00:17:59.680
Now that is awesome.
00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:00.400
Yes, he did.
00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.960
And of course, I'm on the floor screaming, crying.
00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:05.440
But it was those little things that keep you grounded.
00:18:05.599 --> 00:18:08.000
Why did I need a two-door car, a court?
00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:10.720
I needed a car, a safe car that was gonna get me from point A to point B.
00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:11.680
It was fine.
00:18:11.759 --> 00:18:12.880
And you know what the reality was?
00:18:12.960 --> 00:18:13.759
I trashed it.
00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.079
I was 21, I don't even know how old, 18.
00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:16.799
18 years old.
00:18:16.880 --> 00:18:20.720
My kids were, I mean, my friends were in the car, we were driving all over, hitting the bumps and lake you like it was nothing.
00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:22.319
They knew what they were doing.
00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:27.839
Yeah, and so I have taken so much of that into account now and into the way that I parent my children.
00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:39.680
But there's it, it is a hard line because you know, I can sit there and say, you know, you're using my internet and my iPad, and these are all things I have to pay for, but you don't really understand that until you are the one paying for it and and doing it.
00:18:40.319 --> 00:18:42.000
Yeah, it's been an interesting transition for me.
00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:45.839
I have two daughters, 22 and 25.
00:18:46.799 --> 00:18:47.200
25.
00:18:47.680 --> 00:18:49.039
Yeah, so it'd be 25 this summer.
00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:50.799
We're like one month away, so that's why I'm confused.
00:18:51.200 --> 00:18:53.839
I still picture them as like 13 and 10.
00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:54.640
Yeah.
00:18:54.880 --> 00:19:05.119
And so it's been, you know, it's been an interesting transition with both of them over the last few years of, you know, like I just had a conversation last night with my younger one, Haley.
00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:09.039
It's like, you know, you've had this uh really nice, comfortable ride.
00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:11.599
And I'm I'm happy we were able to do it.
00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:12.079
Right.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:20.000
But the ride just uh it's ending, you're graduating, and now for your benefit, this has nothing to do with me.
00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:24.160
For your benefit, it's time to fly, little birdie.
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:24.559
Yeah.
00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:28.960
And you know, and people hear that, and they're like, Oh, well, you don't want your, you know, you don't want to continue to help you.
00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.240
It's like I never said that at all.
00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:30.720
Correct.
00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:31.759
I didn't I didn't say that.
00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:38.160
What I said was it's time, like it's you've been in this uh comfortable spot and you've accomplished these things.
00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:39.119
Now it's time to go.
00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:39.440
Right.
00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:48.079
And but that transition from, you know, well, the gym membership that we had, this and that, it's like, well, what do you need that for?
00:19:48.559 --> 00:19:50.000
You know, because you don't really need it.
00:19:50.160 --> 00:19:53.119
What you need is to refocus yourself now for your life.
00:19:53.359 --> 00:19:53.759
Correct.
00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:59.599
And so it's been it's been very, it's been a lot of fun and very interesting, sometimes frustrating too.
00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:00.640
But oh, I can't imagine.
00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:04.640
Well, I'll say this too.
00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:15.519
I another thing that I feel like I didn't realize how great of a gift it was until my adulthood was I I went to Catholic school all of my life, St.
00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.559
Dominic Dominican.
00:20:16.640 --> 00:20:18.079
I went to LSU, I graduated.
00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:24.799
I had zero debt when I graduated because my mom and dad took care of that and they took care of my books and everything.
00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:26.240
You know, I did work all throughout high school.
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.279
I worked at Majoria Drugs.
00:20:27.759 --> 00:20:28.000
Did you?
00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:28.880
That's it, that's it.
00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:34.079
Starting sophomore year, I worked there every afternoon and every Saturday up until I left for LSU.
00:20:34.160 --> 00:20:36.079
And then my mom worked at Memoria Drugs.
00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:41.359
Where um she would work during the day until all of the high school and college kids came in.
00:20:41.519 --> 00:20:42.880
Mary Coach was her name.
00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:44.559
I I I bet I knew her.
00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:46.400
She would have been there like 19.
00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:48.400
I was gonna say, yeah.
00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:53.359
She'd have probably been there from like 90 to 96, 97.
00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:58.079
Okay, so I wouldn't have been there then, but still, like I still talked to Miss Diane, who was probably her manager, and Mr.
00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:59.119
Dennett, well, Mr.
00:20:59.200 --> 00:21:01.599
Dennis, gosh, it was so sad he passed away recently.
00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:02.880
But great, great, great family.
00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:06.480
And they had a one, it was a great job to have in high school.
00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:07.359
Um great.
00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:08.960
So I loved it, yeah.
00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:12.400
And then in college I worked as well, but that was like fun money.
00:21:12.480 --> 00:21:15.119
It wasn't like I had to pay for my apartment.
00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:24.400
In hindsight, I almost wish that I would have had to pay for my apartment because it would have taught me a little bit more like to prepare for like what was coming.
00:21:24.559 --> 00:21:29.119
Um, but I'm grateful that my parents gave me that gift, you know, and I didn't have to pay for my gas money.
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:35.839
And so when I say, like, you know, I didn't have the luxury of going out of town and going to Europe and all these things when I was younger.
00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:40.079
No, I didn't, but they got everything else right, the important stuff that mattered right.
00:21:40.240 --> 00:21:45.200
So, like I said, I grew up, I I graduated with zero debt, and then I was getting married.
00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:50.400
Katrina happened, I was able to get a lot for a really good price and build a house.
00:21:50.559 --> 00:21:59.039
So I yeah, and it's a fine line between you know, all of us are probably a little bit I don't find myself to be a very envious person, but I'm human, right?
00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.759
So I think all of us.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:09.519
Have a little bit of envy when we see other families that have had more wealth and that they're the things they've done for their kids.
00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:23.680
Whether when they're little, maybe it's camps, away camp, those types of things when kids are little, or maybe it's trips to Disney World, or maybe it's nicer cars, or maybe it's this and that, or maybe it's they help them buy the first house, whatever it is, right?
00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:34.640
And so I think that there's a fine line between doing what you can for your kids and giving them not necessarily more than what you had.
00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:39.119
That to me, that's not really the issue, but it's like it's with your own spin on what you want to do.
00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:47.759
So being able to do that and balance out what you see other people doing for their kids to balance that to well, where's the you know, where's the line?
00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:49.200
And I don't want to cross it.
00:22:49.519 --> 00:22:57.680
No, it's not with social media because it's always in our faces, like, you know, all everyone's on these vacations and everyone's always, and you're always wondering, like, how does that happen?
00:22:57.759 --> 00:22:58.960
And am I not doing enough?
00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:05.200
So you have to like kind of detach because you have to remember everything you see on social media, people are only putting that the highlights and the happy stuff.
00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:05.519
Right.
00:23:05.680 --> 00:23:07.519
They're not putting real life on there.
00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.079
Exactly.
00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.119
So it is important.
00:23:09.200 --> 00:23:11.920
Like, I know that I have set goals for what I want for my kids.
00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:14.640
One of them is to be able to graduate without debt.
00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:17.039
I thought that that was the greatest gift my mom and dad gave me.
00:23:17.279 --> 00:23:28.400
Whereas I saw some of my friends who had to go to school and then work a much more strenuous job than I did because they actually had to pay for their apartments and their cars and their gas and their insurance and anything else that they wanted.
00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:29.119
And their school.
00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:29.839
Yeah, all of it.
00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:30.079
Yes.
00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:31.119
Yeah, yeah.
00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:31.359
See?
00:23:31.599 --> 00:23:32.000
That was me.
00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:34.400
And so I that's something that I took for granted.
00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:35.119
I didn't realize.
00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:40.720
And I can't even imagine how expensive that was back then, you know, and what it's gonna be for us when when our kids go, but that's a goal of mine.
00:23:40.960 --> 00:23:42.640
I have the real numbers if you want to have to visit.
00:23:43.039 --> 00:23:43.680
You don't have to tell me yet.
00:23:44.319 --> 00:23:45.599
Wait, let me pull up my spreadsheet.
00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:47.039
Well, we just pull up the bank account.
00:23:47.519 --> 00:23:47.920
I got it.
00:23:48.559 --> 00:23:52.400
Uh well, I didn't want to pull away too much because I know we got a lot of stuff to talk about.
00:23:52.640 --> 00:24:05.119
But but I find those things to me, or maybe this is part of my selfishness in this, is that I really enjoy hearing from other people, not only their stories, but when little things come up and I'm like, ooh, you know, that's something I'm interested in.
00:24:05.200 --> 00:24:08.400
That that's something that I think a lot of people struggle with, right?
00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:16.559
And I don't think we're able to give those people, whether it's our parents or other people, enough credit for what they've done.
00:24:16.720 --> 00:24:23.359
And sometimes it's kind of cool to have a setting where we can extract that and talk about it because it's like I haven't said that in a long time.
00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:28.799
This is the other reason why I love these podcasts so much, because now it will be recorded forever.
00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:31.759
Your kids will have it, their grandkids will have it.
00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:37.680
Like, I just I love that they'll understand why they get the the old station wagon with the duct tape.
00:24:37.839 --> 00:24:39.359
Yes, you won't even have to explain it.
00:24:39.680 --> 00:24:39.920
Yes.
00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:50.000
You see, that's why I love the the meaning behind y'all's podcast as well, though, because it gives you someone to relate to in some small way, like even the ATMs or the downtown.
00:24:50.079 --> 00:24:51.359
I'm like, oh, I know, or the Disney.
00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:53.440
Like you listen to it, you're like, oh, I can relate to that.
00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:56.960
Where especially sometimes people don't want to talk about the ugly side of things.
00:24:57.039 --> 00:25:03.519
And so, like, it's just very refreshing when you have the opportunity to listen to other people's, you know, upbringings and perspectives and whatnot.
00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:06.079
And then you're like, huh, and it it just it's very refreshing.
00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.119
So I love it.
00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:07.680
Well, that's good.
00:25:07.839 --> 00:25:08.799
That makes us feel better.
00:25:09.039 --> 00:25:09.839
Yeah, I love it.
00:25:10.079 --> 00:25:11.440
It's like regular people, yeah.
00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:11.920
Correct.
00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:18.799
You know, I feel like I won't go down this path, but I feel like social media magnifies it, obviously.
00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:32.880
But it's like we've found ourselves at a place in America, I can only speak to that because where I live, where you know, success is only defined by how big your house is, how many cars you have, how much influence you have on social media, right?
00:25:33.039 --> 00:25:38.799
And it's like listen, I'm not taking away anything from people who have had that type of success or will in the future.
00:25:39.039 --> 00:25:39.839
I think it's awesome.
00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:43.680
But the reality of it is that is not ninety-eight percent of the population.
00:25:43.759 --> 00:25:52.079
It's actually not ninety-nine point five percent of the population, and there's so much good going on in the country, inside families.
00:25:52.400 --> 00:25:54.000
There's lots of bad things too, of course.
00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:54.319
Right.
00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:04.160
But if we don't give platforms to the good, then how will future generations really understand that this is not what's this is not what's defining us, right?
00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:12.799
What's defining us is is people waking up at four in the morning for 20 years to make sure that their family can survive Katrina.
00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:13.279
Correct.
00:26:13.519 --> 00:26:13.680
Right?
00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:15.839
Like and they didn't know that when they were going through it.
00:26:15.920 --> 00:26:17.680
That's that sequence we talked about yesterday.
00:26:17.759 --> 00:26:23.359
It's like there's a sequence of events that someone else, wherever your belief system is, is in control of.
00:26:23.519 --> 00:26:25.039
We just kind of go through the motions.
00:26:25.519 --> 00:26:30.880
And then when you look back at it, you're like, oh, that's why those things were happening, right?
00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:36.960
Like, and so no, so it was nice to hear you say that because that is one of what we one of the things we set out to do.
00:26:37.200 --> 00:26:37.599
I love it.
00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:42.960
I listen to it, I'm putting my makeup on, or like, you know, folding the laundry and I listen to it and I'm like, oh yes, I get that.
00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:44.559
Like, I love that.
00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:45.839
I well pull this away.
00:26:45.920 --> 00:26:51.519
We were transitioning into like kind of the now, so to speak, or this most recent chapter of your life.
00:26:51.759 --> 00:26:52.880
And I didn't mean to do that, but you can't do that.
00:26:53.039 --> 00:26:53.440
No, you're good.
00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:53.759
I do that.
00:26:53.839 --> 00:26:55.599
I'm a sidetracker, so y'all have to reset my channel.
00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:57.039
Well, you can shift us anytime too.
00:26:58.000 --> 00:26:59.759
Um, so we want to talk about now.
00:27:00.079 --> 00:27:05.039
Um, so I started booking travel in 2019.
00:27:05.279 --> 00:27:12.799
I was with a really small host agency, and during COVID, I quickly learned that that was not going to be my forever home.
00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:14.079
There was no support.
00:27:14.400 --> 00:27:21.440
Our owner wasn't paying us, and she was buying Disney vacation club contracts, and we weren't getting our paychecks.
00:27:21.519 --> 00:27:25.440
And so I bounced over to a new agency, which is it's great.
00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:26.480
It's very large.
00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:28.079
It's got over 5,000 agents.
00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:34.000
So it's sometimes you'll feel like a really small fish in a big sea, but it's definitely been the better move for me.
00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:37.920
And at the time, I was just booking travel just for fun money.
00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:44.799
Like, you know, this I was working for my husband's family's business, and this was just gonna be a way for us to afford our annual passes.
00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:59.759
Um, and about three, maybe four years ago, it came to a point where I started to consider that I wasn't necessarily making the wisest choice for my family by both of us being employed for a family business.
00:27:59.920 --> 00:28:04.079
Because if anything were to happen to that family business, neither of us would have income.
00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:07.359
And it's not like it was his business that he started.
00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:08.640
He's still working for a family.
00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:10.000
So there's a lot of balls.
00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:11.839
There's a lot of things at play here.
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:15.599
So I decided, you know what, I've been doing this for two and a half years now.
00:28:16.000 --> 00:28:17.279
Let's just go full throttle.
00:28:17.359 --> 00:28:21.680
So my intention never was to be booking Europe and cruises and whatnot.
00:28:21.759 --> 00:28:23.920
That's not what I had started out to do.
00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:26.000
Um, but here we are.
00:28:26.240 --> 00:28:30.799
I'm making seven years this month, and I'm I'm now kind of downscaling.
00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:34.160
There was a time where I was like booking everything, but I can't book everything.
00:28:34.240 --> 00:28:39.920
I can't learn a new destination and a new brand and a new, you know, new entry requirements all the time.
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:42.559
So I'm kind of scaling down on that aspect.
00:28:42.640 --> 00:28:45.920
Like these are the things that I enjoy booking, and then I'm really good at booking.
00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:53.200
And now I'm getting to the point where I'm going to be hiring more agents, like someone who specializes in the things that I don't necessarily feel as comfortable booking.
00:28:53.519 --> 00:28:53.920
That's awesome.
00:28:54.079 --> 00:28:54.480
So yeah.
00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:56.079
I see your will spinning.
00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:57.359
Yeah, well, I got a couple of questions.
00:28:57.599 --> 00:28:58.000
So many ways.
00:28:58.240 --> 00:29:04.799
But I've got to I want to hear a little bit about the the travel agency business because I don't think most people understand it.
00:29:04.880 --> 00:29:05.119
Yeah.
00:29:05.279 --> 00:29:05.440
Okay.
00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:06.480
So I want to come to that.
00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:09.839
But I felt like I missed something too.
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:12.640
You were tell me where you were working before you started dabbling in this.
00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:13.839
Lazy boy.
00:29:14.160 --> 00:29:14.480
Okay.
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:15.119
Gotcha.
00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:16.799
So you were in sales or something like that?
00:29:17.039 --> 00:29:21.920
I started as the clerk and then I moved into sales and then I did merchandising and I was a buyer.
00:29:22.160 --> 00:29:27.440
And and like I said, it was really wonderful for when my kids were sick or anything like that.
00:29:27.519 --> 00:29:28.960
It afforded me so many great opportunities.
00:29:29.200 --> 00:29:31.519
Okay, that that was the family, your husband's family business.
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:32.240
Now I got it.
00:29:32.319 --> 00:29:32.480
Okay.
00:29:32.640 --> 00:29:34.319
And then it just came to a point where I'm like, you know what?
00:29:34.480 --> 00:29:40.079
I've been doing a lot of thinking, and anything could happen at any time, and we could both do without money.
00:29:40.160 --> 00:29:41.759
And we've got four kids in Catholic school.
00:29:41.839 --> 00:29:45.039
So, you know, I'm gonna try to go find another path.
00:29:45.279 --> 00:29:45.759
Okay, gotcha.
00:29:45.920 --> 00:29:51.119
And had already been on this one for a little bit, so I was like, let's just see what happens, and we're just gonna go full throttle.
00:29:51.200 --> 00:30:00.799
And so then there's a whole bunch of stuff that I wasn't expecting that I had to learn and you know insurance, and you know, just things that I didn't realize were important.
00:30:01.119 --> 00:30:03.599
But once you start a business, you know, you have there's a lot.
00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:04.160
Yeah, there is.
00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:07.119
So I'm always calling my dad and I'm like, hey, you know, I gotta do this.
00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:09.200
And he's like, You have your Eno insurance, you have this, you have that.
00:30:09.279 --> 00:30:11.440
I have a lawyer, I had my terms and conditions drafted up.
00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:14.079
Like, you know, you just because you have to protect yourself.
00:30:14.480 --> 00:30:16.160
So yeah, it's it was a journey.
00:30:16.480 --> 00:30:23.680
Okay, so now let's let's take one more little digression here so we could set the stage for some of the stuff y'all want to talk about.
00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:27.039
But like the travel agency industry, okay.
00:30:27.359 --> 00:30:32.079
I'm gonna give you what what my thought is, and then you're gonna tell me why I'm an idiot.
00:30:33.200 --> 00:30:37.519
To me, uh the way I've always looked at it is number one, I do enjoy doing the planning.
00:30:37.599 --> 00:30:38.400
I some of it.
00:30:38.480 --> 00:30:41.359
There's parts of it I don't like, but generally speaking, I'm a planner.
00:30:41.440 --> 00:30:42.400
I've always been like that.
00:30:42.480 --> 00:30:44.319
So I think that's probably part of my problem.
00:30:44.480 --> 00:30:44.720
Yeah.
00:30:44.960 --> 00:30:58.400
But I often looked at it, I'm like, well, why would I go hire a travel agent, no matter how much I I like the person, and no matter how good of a job they can do, when I can go on if I have the time, which that's part of it, okay?
00:30:58.640 --> 00:31:13.599
But if I if I have the time and I can go on, for example, travel zoo and do not travel zoo, what is it, one of these sites that has the customer reviews, and I can review the hotels and I can review all the activities right there, and then I can kind of build my trip.
00:31:14.240 --> 00:31:18.000
Why would I want to spend more money to pay a travel agent?
00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:26.559
And I challenged it a few years ago when I found someone at some travel agency that sent me an email or something, and I was like, you know what?
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:28.640
I should probably just give this a shot again.
00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:30.960
And so I don't know where they were in the world.
00:31:31.119 --> 00:31:33.359
I have a feeling they weren't in the United States.
00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.400
So I start communicating.
00:31:34.480 --> 00:31:36.960
I'm like, okay, well, here's what I want to do, build a trip.
00:31:37.279 --> 00:31:44.799
And whoever it was probably a bot, but whoever I was speaking with was very responsive, very, very nice, and asked me some questions.
00:31:44.880 --> 00:31:46.880
And and they built me this amazing trip.
00:31:46.960 --> 00:31:50.640
And I was like, damn, that is kind of cool because that would have taken me hours to do, right?
00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:51.200
Sure.
00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:54.240
And then I got the price, and I'm like, are you kidding me?
00:31:54.319 --> 00:31:56.480
It was like$40,000 or something.
00:31:56.640 --> 00:32:01.599
And I was like, I feel like something went wrong in a communication because I was like, maybe we should have set the budget out the gate.
00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:04.319
So my experiences with it, and I don't think I'm alone.
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:05.599
Oh, absolutely not.
00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:08.480
And so I'm very curious to know what am I missing?
00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:13.759
Because like I talked to Anna, and Anna's like, well, she's like, now I I I use her for some of my stuff, right?
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:15.519
I'm like, well, why would you do that?
00:32:15.839 --> 00:32:18.559
Well, she probably does it as a courtesy because she knows Disney.
00:32:18.640 --> 00:32:19.440
She doesn't need me.
00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:22.559
But like, think about busy moms and families.
00:32:22.640 --> 00:32:28.079
Like, and Disney has so a lot of travel agents will not touch Disney because we don't get paid a lot of commission.
00:32:28.160 --> 00:32:29.519
I'll get into how that works as well.
00:32:29.759 --> 00:32:31.759
And there's a lot of moving pieces with Disney.
00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:32.640
I enjoy it.
00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:33.680
I'm very passionate about it.
00:32:33.759 --> 00:32:34.799
I can do it in my sleep.
00:32:35.039 --> 00:32:41.599
And to me, the most rewarding thing is when someone had first reached out to me and they're super overwhelmed and they don't know where to start.
00:32:41.759 --> 00:32:47.920
And I walk them through this entire process and they get there, and then I get the picture of their daughter with the ice cream all over their face watching the fireworks.
00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:49.200
I'm like, that was it.
00:32:49.519 --> 00:32:55.359
So the way travel agencies work, it's it's kind of an interesting industry because there is not a it's not mandated.
00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:59.599
So you could literally walk into or go apply online, become a travel agent, and then you become one.
00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:01.920
And what qualifications do you have to do that?
00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:02.160
Right.
00:33:02.400 --> 00:33:03.279
I was that person.
00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:04.720
I I said I can do Disney.
00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:06.640
And it was a Disney focused agency at the time.
00:33:06.799 --> 00:33:10.480
And I remember calling and I said, I said, I don't know what to call myself.
00:33:10.559 --> 00:33:13.119
And she's like, my mentor was like, You call yourself a travel agent.
00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:14.720
I'm like, but I didn't go to school for this.
00:33:14.880 --> 00:33:16.480
Like, you know, like I don't know anything.
00:33:16.559 --> 00:33:18.000
And she's like, Well, you're a travel agent now.
00:33:18.079 --> 00:33:18.799
And I'm like, what?
00:33:19.200 --> 00:33:24.880
And then after a year or two, I remember thinking, you know, there is a difference between a travel agent and a booking agent.
00:33:25.039 --> 00:33:26.799
I don't want to be a booking agent.
00:33:26.880 --> 00:33:29.759
I don't want to be the person that books you and then sends you your stuff and says, have a good trip.
00:33:29.839 --> 00:33:32.960
I want to be the person that holds your hand and tells you everything you need to know.
00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:36.720
Like when you're in Europe and you're doing a train swap and you have to walk over the platform.
00:33:36.799 --> 00:33:42.640
I'm the one that goes on Google Maps and I'll take a picture and then show you where you're gonna walk because that's how I would need to travel.
00:33:42.799 --> 00:33:44.799
I'm a mom with four kids and I'm a nervous person.
00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:50.319
So all of that's sent in a like give us a little more of the difference between a booking and travel agent.
00:33:50.400 --> 00:33:54.240
Cause I I I've heard those terms, but to be honest, I kind of thought they were the same thing.
00:33:54.480 --> 00:34:06.319
I feel like a booking agent is if you were to call like a third party retailer that you might get a better price on, and you call and they take your money and they say, Here's your trip, have a good, have a good trip, and they send you your reservation and then yeah, okay, I gotcha.
00:34:06.400 --> 00:34:07.759
So it's really more automated, probably.
00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:09.280
Yes, they take your money.
00:34:09.440 --> 00:34:11.760
That is a transactional business.
00:34:11.840 --> 00:34:14.079
Whereas I am a service-based business.
00:34:14.159 --> 00:34:15.119
I want to make sure you know everything.
00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:22.480
If you have a question, you don't have to go on a website and leave a stranger strangers, you know, experience because not everyone travels the same, right?
00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:26.239
So they might rate something as five stars, whereas you're like, this is not F stars.
00:34:26.480 --> 00:34:28.559
Yeah, that's that's I've definitely picked up on that.
00:34:28.800 --> 00:34:29.039
Yeah.
00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:34.079
So everyone has different, you know, opinions on what five star is or whatever it is.
00:34:34.159 --> 00:34:39.840
So it's my job to kind of I'll schedule a consult and we kind of walk through that and I'll ask, where do you typically stay when you travel?
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:42.400
These are it's much more personal with a travel agent.
00:34:42.719 --> 00:34:48.400
And so it is frustrating in the sense that you also have, because anyone can just become one.
00:34:48.719 --> 00:34:49.599
I feel like it's a fad.
00:34:49.679 --> 00:34:51.679
Everyone's like, I'm gonna do this as a side hustle.
00:34:51.840 --> 00:34:53.039
This is not a side hustle.
00:34:53.199 --> 00:34:55.440
And I also thought that it was gonna be a side hustle.
00:34:55.519 --> 00:34:56.480
It is not a side hustle.
00:34:56.559 --> 00:35:04.159
Like if you want to truly service people and make sure that you're being compliant and that they're getting everything that they need for their vacation, like it is a full-time job.
00:35:04.239 --> 00:35:09.920
It doesn't matter if they're traveling on Christmas or during your kid's birthday, if something happens or they need something, you need to be there for that.
00:35:10.079 --> 00:35:13.039
Um now are people reaching out to you during the trip?
00:35:13.199 --> 00:35:14.159
Oh yeah.
00:35:14.480 --> 00:35:15.679
Yeah, but I like it.
00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:17.679
That's what I feel like that's where my value is.
00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:20.800
Like, but it also makes it from a from the business side.
00:35:21.039 --> 00:35:23.920
Yeah, right, it makes it tough because now you're you're on.
00:35:24.239 --> 00:35:30.639
In some instances, if I get a text message and it's like, hey, you know, so and so just fell down and I don't know where the baby center is, I'm like, here, where are you?
00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:31.679
And I'm like, okay, walk here.
00:35:31.760 --> 00:35:32.320
It's super easy.
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:40.880
Whereas if it's someone in Europe and they're like, hey, my flight's delayed and I'm gonna miss my connection, I'm like, hang on, like I need to detach from my family or wherever I am and figure this out.
00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:45.599
And in our industry, there's a lot of like MLMs and like, you know, just what's that?
00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:51.199
Like a business where you get hired or you get paid by having more agents underneath you, like the pyramid scheme kind of thing.
00:35:51.360 --> 00:35:51.519
Okay.
00:35:51.840 --> 00:36:09.280
And that gives a really bad name to travel agents because at that point it's like because there's no like structure on how you have to operate as a travel agent, you have people who are posting things and not being compliant and taking people's money and just not so you have to really establish yourself and gain trust from people.
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:09.679
Right.
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:15.039
And I think that's another thing that you were saying when you you go on and read reviews, but those are reviews from strangers.
00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:16.480
It could be outdated information.
00:36:16.559 --> 00:36:19.840
Something could have changed from the time they wrote that review to when you read it.
00:36:20.000 --> 00:36:25.679
Um, and so I I consider a travel agent being valuable in that sense as well.
00:36:25.840 --> 00:36:31.199
A lot of the places that I recommend recommend to my clients, I have either been to or I have a colleague who has been there.
00:36:31.360 --> 00:36:35.519
And so we have access to resources that not everyone has access to.
00:36:35.599 --> 00:36:38.000
And just, you know, some people have been doing this for 25 years.
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:39.199
And I might have a question.
00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:45.679
I'm doing a Hawaii trip right now, and I didn't know if I should do my clients luau in Oahu or Maui.
00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:48.800
And so I said, Hey, you know, what are your what's y'all's opinions on this?
00:36:48.880 --> 00:36:53.280
And I have very experienced agents who are like, you know what, the ones in Maui are better, do this or do that.
00:36:53.519 --> 00:37:00.639
So it's nice to be able to have those resources from people who have been in the industry for so long who can kind of, you know, hold your hand if you're not familiar with something.
00:37:00.800 --> 00:37:08.159
And I mean, and as a side note, just because I I've used Leslie before and she booked my very first Disney cruise.
00:37:08.320 --> 00:37:12.239
And there are certain things that I didn't I didn't even know I needed to know.
00:37:12.639 --> 00:37:22.800
And I mean, the night before our cruise, I'm packing, she's like, hey, my husband just dropped something off at the front door, and it's like something as simple, but it was like amazing.
00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:24.320
I was like, I would have never thought of that.
00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:29.599
The little duckies, so the kids have something to give out on the ship, or the magnets on the wall.
00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:38.159
I had no clue, or the ice cream counter poster board that the kids put up there, and they love that, and they asked for it now on every single Disney trip.
00:37:38.320 --> 00:37:39.599
I was like, I have it, I have it.
00:37:40.159 --> 00:37:41.519
That stuff like that.
00:37:41.760 --> 00:37:50.480
Even on our last Disney cruise, you were in Disney at the same time I was, and you had your husband come to our resort to drop off a gift before we got on our show.
00:37:50.800 --> 00:37:52.320
I was like, she blows my mind.
00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:53.599
How does she do all of this?
00:37:53.920 --> 00:37:54.719
Well, that's hospitality.
00:37:55.119 --> 00:37:56.079
I love it, right?
00:37:56.320 --> 00:37:59.440
But to me, that is that's the separator.
00:38:00.239 --> 00:38:02.159
Especially when it's like for the kids, too.
00:38:02.320 --> 00:38:06.480
Like the ducks, like who we hear that we're like, oh, they can hide ducks, isn't it that big of a deal?
00:38:06.559 --> 00:38:08.800
But when they get there and they find a duck, it is a big deal.
00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:11.760
And so seeing your kids like find the duck or get to hide them.
00:38:11.920 --> 00:38:12.800
It's just so fun.
00:38:13.199 --> 00:38:15.840
I now have 30 from our last cruise on the right stuff.
00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:16.800
What am I gonna do with all these?
00:38:17.119 --> 00:38:18.239
Hey, but you can use them on the next one.
00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:20.719
I can save it for likes.
00:38:22.639 --> 00:38:27.280
So what what portion of your business is Disney versus other?
00:38:27.760 --> 00:38:28.320
Mostly Disney.
00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:29.280
It is still mostly Disney.
00:38:29.679 --> 00:38:31.119
Mostly Disney within our agency.
00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:35.360
This is the second year in a row that I was within the top five for Disney agents.
00:38:35.599 --> 00:38:36.400
I was in before this year.
00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:38.559
I won an award, which was really in a country.
00:38:38.639 --> 00:38:40.960
Um in our agency, which is number five, within your agency.
00:38:41.199 --> 00:38:44.480
And not everyone books Disney, but I mean it's still it's a a lot of people do.
00:38:44.800 --> 00:38:45.199
So yeah.
00:38:45.679 --> 00:38:51.199
Well, and it's big enough where and it's dynamic enough where it allows for specialization.
00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:51.599
Yes.
00:38:51.840 --> 00:38:52.320
You know what I mean?
00:38:52.880 --> 00:38:54.159
And it's changing all the time too.
00:38:54.719 --> 00:38:54.960
Right.
00:38:55.039 --> 00:39:00.400
So it's like if you're gonna pick that, if you're gonna pick that arena, it it's big.
00:39:00.719 --> 00:39:07.280
In hindsight, knowing what I know now and doing what I've done for so long, I would have there's so much I would have done differently.
00:39:07.440 --> 00:39:13.599
I feel like if you want to become a travel agent, doing it when you have young kids at home is not the ideal time to do it.
00:39:13.760 --> 00:39:14.960
I kind of didn't really have a choice.
00:39:15.039 --> 00:39:18.960
You know, I'd already been doing it and I was like, well, we're just gonna veer off and and do this.
00:39:19.280 --> 00:39:28.320
But, you know, in hindsight, this would be the perfect profession for someone fresh out of college who like majors in hospitality and you know, they're very interested in travel and whatnot.
00:39:28.400 --> 00:39:29.760
Yeah, but they don't have anything at home.
00:39:30.480 --> 00:39:39.920
So they're able to go to travel to these places because experience is actually physically experiencing things is so much more important than I can do all the specialist training till I turn blue in the face.
00:39:40.000 --> 00:39:42.960
I do it for all I'm Aruba, I'm cabo, I'm this and that.
00:39:43.039 --> 00:39:43.920
And I it is helpful.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:45.199
But how do they pay for it?
00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:47.039
Uh if they're right out of college.
00:39:47.280 --> 00:39:50.320
Well, they're gonna have to work throughout college and save up.
00:39:50.719 --> 00:39:59.280
So either that or once your kids are in college and they're kind of towards the end of that and you're able to travel and maybe retiring or something like that.
00:39:59.360 --> 00:40:06.239
Or if you're well traveled, you know, that's one thing that I am grateful for is my kids are so much more well traveled than I am.
00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:12.880
So by the time, or I was, by the time they are in college, they've been to Hawaii, they've been to Bermuda.
00:40:12.960 --> 00:40:15.039
I'm hoping they'll hit Europe before then.
00:40:15.280 --> 00:40:22.079
And to me, that is a gift that I've been able to give my kids because my parents, their sacrifices, that wasn't something that they were able to do.
00:40:22.239 --> 00:40:29.840
I mean, this job does allow me to work and travel at the same time and gave me the flexibility or gives me the flexibility that I need as a mom of four boys.
00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:32.000
But it it is a time commitment.
00:40:32.239 --> 00:40:36.000
And the way that we are paid and everyone operates their business differently.
00:40:36.079 --> 00:40:42.960
But essentially, if you were to go and book direct online with Disney, that commission that I would have received just goes back to Disney.
00:40:43.039 --> 00:40:47.440
So our commission is already cut out of everything Marriott, a cruise.
00:40:47.599 --> 00:40:51.360
You go and book a cruise on Royal Caribbean, you're not paying any more for using an agent.
00:40:51.519 --> 00:40:55.599
What happens is that if you book directly with Royal Caribbean, they keep that commission.
00:40:55.920 --> 00:40:58.639
Whereas I would get it and I service your reservation.
00:40:58.719 --> 00:41:00.000
I make sure you have everything you need.
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:03.280
Royal Caribbean's like, hey, we've got your booking now, you know.
00:41:03.599 --> 00:41:04.239
Good luck.
00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:09.440
But you know, you can call them and get someone on the phone and you know, talk to someone and try to get your questions answered.
00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:12.159
But I'm not one stop shop for you.
00:41:12.559 --> 00:41:13.199
And so that works.
00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:19.039
So, like, let's say somebody's planning a trip to because to me the cruises are a little bit, I'm not gonna call it easy.
00:41:19.119 --> 00:41:22.639
That I don't mean that word in a derogatory way, but they're it's more confined.
00:41:22.800 --> 00:41:24.719
They have a set I itinerary.
00:41:24.960 --> 00:41:32.400
To me, it's a little different than somebody's going into they're doing a two-city trip wherever, Canada, you know.
00:41:32.960 --> 00:41:37.199
Let's say they're doing uh Vancouver and uh uh Whistler and that that area up there.
00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:43.920
So they need three different hotels, yeah, and they need restaurants and they need transportation and all those things.
00:41:44.320 --> 00:41:59.039
So from your seat, when you're booking those though, like if you go like, okay, you're gonna be at the Fairmont in in Vancouver, if that's what they pick, and then let's say they're doing the Marriott at Victoria, and then they're doing the Hilton up in Whistler, right?
00:41:59.679 --> 00:42:07.840
You're saying in each one of those scenarios they're they're probably paying the same amount because the hotel hasn't already built.
00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:08.320
Correct.
00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:09.039
Okay, I gotcha.
00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:10.559
So that's how we're paid now.
00:42:10.639 --> 00:42:17.119
There are some instances where I do implement a planning fee, kind of in like that situation, or if someone wants to go to New York, that's a lot of moving pieces.
00:42:17.199 --> 00:42:22.239
And the reality is, is when I book tours or excursions, my commission is nothing.
00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:27.360
Like even when I book a transfer from you know the airport to whatever, I might get five dollars.
00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:40.960
Um, so in that instance, because of the time it takes me to actually piece things together, make sure point A to point B is correct and all that stuff, there are times where I will implement a planning fee, but it's a specific like my clients that are going to Hawaii, they have a lot of moving pieces.
00:42:41.039 --> 00:42:43.119
They're starting at Oahu, then they're going to Maui.
00:42:43.280 --> 00:42:44.639
I'm doing their tours, they're Lua.
00:42:44.960 --> 00:42:50.000
I didn't charge her a fee because also I'm very familiar with Hawaii and I'm like, this, I can do this.
00:42:50.239 --> 00:42:56.639
But if it's especially a destination that I'm not familiar with, then I'm like, you know what, this is gonna take me a lot of time, and I'm taking time, energy, and resources from someone else.
00:42:56.800 --> 00:42:57.840
So, yes, in this instance.
00:42:58.079 --> 00:42:58.960
I don't think that's fair.
00:42:59.119 --> 00:42:59.199
Yeah.
00:42:59.440 --> 00:43:01.360
And so just give me an example.
00:43:01.679 --> 00:43:08.880
If you're doing a New York City trip, I would probably say$150, just depending on like we'll have that conversation.
00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:10.960
I'll tell you on the phone during our consult.
00:43:11.119 --> 00:43:20.159
So I send you a form, you fill it out, I read over it, and then just because I need to get more details and a better feel of like how you travel, we'll hop on the phone, we schedule a consult.
00:43:20.320 --> 00:43:26.400
Um, at that time, we'll kind of walk through everything, and then I'll say towards the end of the conversation, look for a trip like this.
00:43:26.559 --> 00:43:30.400
I do implement a planning fee, and I'm gonna send all this all the information over to you in an email.
00:43:30.480 --> 00:43:33.199
If you decide to move forward, just respond and we can go from there.
00:43:33.280 --> 00:43:35.519
Um I mean$150 is reasonable.
00:43:35.599 --> 00:43:38.559
Like, I didn't know if it was a percentage of the of the dealers.
00:43:38.960 --> 00:43:39.599
It just depends.
00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:41.920
I that's typically the most I've charged.
00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:45.039
And for a time I was doing it for Disney just because Disney's really tricky.
00:43:45.280 --> 00:43:49.199
We do make it such a low percentage of commission that we get.
00:43:49.440 --> 00:43:58.320
And there are so many moving pieces, and you'd be surprised how many people reach out to you and they ask for help with a trip and then they say, never mind, we're gonna go in a different direction.
00:43:58.400 --> 00:44:02.079
And then you see their pictures on the internet that they Went to Disney with all the work that you did.
00:44:02.159 --> 00:44:02.320
Yeah.
00:44:02.480 --> 00:44:03.679
And you made no money on that.
00:44:03.840 --> 00:44:12.079
So that's actually something that I'm still working on is trying to find a balance because I know that I wouldn't want to reach out to someone and have to commit to something that I don't know if I can afford it or not.
00:44:12.159 --> 00:44:14.079
You know, like, hey, I'm just reaching out to you.
00:44:14.159 --> 00:44:16.880
I don't know if I can go to Disney, but you know, I need a little bit of help.
00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:19.280
And then you get this option, you're like, wait, this is$8,000.
00:44:19.519 --> 00:44:20.480
I wasn't expecting that.
00:44:20.639 --> 00:44:22.159
And then I had to pay her$150.
00:44:22.480 --> 00:44:23.599
It just doesn't seem fair.
00:44:23.760 --> 00:44:28.880
So I'm still working on something where I'm like, maybe I'm going to start implementing more of like a retainer, like, hey, it's$100.
00:44:29.199 --> 00:44:31.119
And then if you travel, that goes towards your trip.
00:44:31.280 --> 00:44:34.960
And if not, you know, I'll keep half of that or whatever it is.
00:44:35.119 --> 00:44:36.400
I'm still having to figure that out.
00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:38.079
That's something that I've really struggled with.
00:44:38.320 --> 00:44:43.760
For a time I was doing the planning fee, but I just felt like it wasn't not every scenario required one.
00:44:43.920 --> 00:44:44.079
Right.
00:44:44.239 --> 00:44:45.679
So it's just something that I'm working on.
00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:48.320
But for the most part, no, it's the same amount either way.
00:44:48.400 --> 00:44:53.760
And another thing that we offer that booking direct won't offer is I price monitor.
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:56.480
So I'll go in and I'll rerun the numbers like every week.
00:44:56.559 --> 00:44:58.719
And I'm like, okay, the price dropped.
00:44:58.800 --> 00:44:59.840
Go ahead and adjust that.
00:45:00.079 --> 00:45:02.239
And hey, I got that makes me so happy.
00:45:02.480 --> 00:45:03.840
You're doing that behind the scenes.
00:45:04.159 --> 00:45:04.559
Gotcha.
00:45:05.360 --> 00:45:07.679
But it makes me really happy to call and say, hey, guess what?
00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:09.679
I just saved you$235 on your cruise.
00:45:09.760 --> 00:45:09.920
Right.
00:45:10.000 --> 00:45:10.639
And think about that.
00:45:10.719 --> 00:45:11.840
That comes out of my commission.
00:45:12.000 --> 00:45:18.880
But I still do it because I just, for me as a mom and in family life and everything else, and everything being so expensive.
00:45:18.960 --> 00:45:24.800
I'm like, if I can save you a little bit, I hope you remember that and then tell your friends maybe one day, like, look, she was able to save us this.
00:45:24.880 --> 00:45:27.519
I I've saved hundreds of dollars for my clients.
00:45:28.079 --> 00:45:29.599
Definitely saved me money before.
00:45:29.840 --> 00:45:31.199
Well, and rubber duckies.
00:45:31.280 --> 00:45:31.440
Yeah.
00:45:31.599 --> 00:45:32.800
See, and you got rubber duckies.
00:45:32.880 --> 00:45:32.960
Yeah.
00:45:33.440 --> 00:45:34.000
Rubber duckies.
00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:35.039
And the magnets on the side.
00:45:36.159 --> 00:45:37.760
The magnets on the walls on a cruise ship.
00:45:37.840 --> 00:45:44.559
Like, if you don't bring your I didn't realize that, but I do now because I went on a jam cruise early this year.
00:45:45.039 --> 00:45:50.559
A buddy of mine asked me to go, and I haven't been on a cruise since I was like 16 years old.
00:45:51.199 --> 00:45:52.480
So we get on this cruise.
00:45:52.559 --> 00:45:55.199
So the jam cruise is basically like jazz fest on a cruise ship.
00:45:55.679 --> 00:45:56.960
So there's music from 10 a.m.
00:45:57.280 --> 00:45:59.920
to most days, unless you're at port, 4 a.m.
00:46:00.079 --> 00:46:02.800
in the morning, and it's all over the ship, all different types.
00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:03.280
It's great.
00:46:03.440 --> 00:46:04.880
So anyway, but we're walking down the halls.
00:46:05.039 --> 00:46:06.559
I'm like, what in the hell is everyone doing?
00:46:06.719 --> 00:46:10.000
They're putting lights up on their thing, they've got magnets.
00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:11.840
And then I had FOMO.
00:46:12.159 --> 00:46:15.119
So I told my buddy, I'm like, did you bring anything?
00:46:15.280 --> 00:46:18.079
He's like, I think he might have brought one or two things.
00:46:18.159 --> 00:46:20.320
I'm like, we need some shit to put on our doors.
00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:22.480
Like, we're not going to be the only people here without a chance.
00:46:22.719 --> 00:46:23.519
Oh, my door.
00:46:23.599 --> 00:46:23.760
Yeah.
00:46:23.920 --> 00:46:25.280
No, nobody wants a naked door.
00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:27.840
So we tried to start accumulating some things.
00:46:28.400 --> 00:46:34.880
But now I know if I go back, or you can use a travel advisor that does that, that gives you the magnets, and then you don't have to do anything.
00:46:35.199 --> 00:46:35.440
There you go.
00:46:35.519 --> 00:46:36.320
That's very true.
00:46:36.559 --> 00:46:36.960
Very true.
00:46:37.119 --> 00:46:38.320
Yeah, door decorating is a thing.
00:46:38.480 --> 00:46:38.960
It is a thing.
00:46:39.119 --> 00:46:40.079
My kids love it now.
00:46:40.159 --> 00:46:41.199
They're like, what did we work on?
00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:42.159
What theme are we doing?
00:46:42.320 --> 00:46:46.800
We're doing because it's America's 250th birthday, we're doing red, white, and blue, and we're going on a cruise.
00:46:46.880 --> 00:46:47.920
We'll get off on July 3rd.
00:46:48.000 --> 00:46:49.679
And I'm like, yes, it's not July 4th, but still.
00:46:49.760 --> 00:46:50.320
So we're going to be able to do that.
00:46:50.480 --> 00:46:51.840
And then you're going to come meet at Epcom.
00:46:52.159 --> 00:46:52.400
Yes.
00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:52.719
Yes.
00:46:52.800 --> 00:46:54.559
I'm working on that as we speak.
00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:55.519
She's going to be there.
00:46:56.079 --> 00:46:56.320
You're good.
00:46:56.480 --> 00:46:57.920
You're going on a vacation?
00:46:58.159 --> 00:46:58.400
Again.
00:46:58.880 --> 00:47:00.000
I am shocked.
00:47:00.320 --> 00:47:00.960
But it's Disney.
00:47:01.039 --> 00:47:01.599
That doesn't really count.
00:47:01.840 --> 00:47:02.400
That doesn't count.
00:47:02.480 --> 00:47:02.639
Yeah.
00:47:02.800 --> 00:47:03.039
Yeah.
00:47:03.119 --> 00:47:04.159
So that's that's pretty cool.
00:47:04.320 --> 00:47:04.559
Yeah.
00:47:04.719 --> 00:47:05.599
They're still spinning.
00:47:05.760 --> 00:47:06.239
It is spinning.
00:47:06.719 --> 00:47:06.960
So much.
00:47:07.039 --> 00:47:07.519
There's no.
00:47:07.599 --> 00:47:07.840
There is.
00:47:07.920 --> 00:47:08.239
It's a lot.
00:47:08.320 --> 00:47:09.599
And I loved it, I like traveling.
00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:10.400
So it's pretty.
00:47:10.719 --> 00:47:11.519
But I understand that too.
00:47:11.760 --> 00:47:16.639
Travel is so personal that it's hard to put your trust in someone and give them like that.
00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:18.719
And then you're kind of reading what they give you.
00:47:18.960 --> 00:47:21.199
But is that the way that you would have done it, or is there more that you don't know about?
00:47:21.360 --> 00:47:23.039
So you really have to trust who you're working with.
00:47:23.199 --> 00:47:24.800
And like I said, not everyone works the same.
00:47:24.880 --> 00:47:27.199
I don't know if everyone drops stuff up to their clients.
00:47:27.360 --> 00:47:32.559
And I I know agents who are wildly successful, six-figure agents for years.
00:47:32.800 --> 00:47:34.320
And I'll call them.
00:47:34.400 --> 00:47:38.639
Like when I had an Ireland trip that I put together, I know there's a lot of moving pieces to this trip.
00:47:38.800 --> 00:47:44.079
Um, it was Ireland, and she they went all over and then they hopped over to London for a few days.
00:47:44.159 --> 00:47:50.559
And I put together this really extensive itinerary, and I messaged a season the agent who I have helped in the past with Disney.
00:47:50.639 --> 00:47:52.320
And I said, Hey, can you just read over this?
00:47:52.480 --> 00:47:53.840
Make sure I'm including everything.
00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:55.599
Like, I want another set of eyes on it.
00:47:56.239 --> 00:47:59.440
And she told me I never send my clients anything like this.
00:47:59.519 --> 00:48:02.320
She's like, You are holding your clients' hands way too much.
00:48:02.559 --> 00:48:06.960
And I remember I hung up the phone and I felt like, what am I doing wrong?
00:48:07.119 --> 00:48:08.559
And I felt almost bad.
00:48:08.719 --> 00:48:10.159
Like it just left me.
00:48:10.400 --> 00:48:12.079
I kept thinking about it when I was driving.
00:48:12.159 --> 00:48:14.159
And then I thought about it and I said, you know what?
00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:18.719
What's been successful for you and the way that you do your business, that's great.
00:48:18.960 --> 00:48:23.280
You are someone who just books you and sends you on your way and it's it's worked out for you, and that's fine.
00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:24.400
That's not who I am.
00:48:24.480 --> 00:48:27.360
It's not who I am as a person or as a as a business owner.
00:48:27.599 --> 00:48:32.239
I am someone who needs to know where I'm going, what I need to have in advance.
00:48:32.320 --> 00:48:38.239
If I'm gonna have to put my stuff in a clear bag at the airport with four kids, like these are the things that I appreciate, and that's what I find valuable.
00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:40.239
So that's what I provide to my clients.
00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:41.679
And so I was like, you know what?
00:48:41.840 --> 00:48:48.079
I'm happy that you're successful by just booking people and and collecting a paycheck, and you know, you're there if they need anything.
00:48:48.239 --> 00:48:55.039
But for me, that's not who I am, and this is how I continue and choose to operate my business, and that's it.
00:48:55.519 --> 00:48:59.440
Well, and I think that's that's great because I think for me, that's what sets you apart.
00:49:00.239 --> 00:49:00.880
It really is.
00:49:01.119 --> 00:49:02.320
Well, more not.
00:49:02.639 --> 00:49:05.679
And I want to give you not more importantly, I don't know.
00:49:06.000 --> 00:49:06.880
Wait, Royal Parade Band.
00:49:06.960 --> 00:49:08.719
Hello, I hope Jeff isn't listening.
00:49:09.280 --> 00:49:18.320
But more importantly than that point, and not to de minimize what you just said, because I think that goes to to basically your business model.
00:49:18.800 --> 00:49:25.280
But earlier when you were talking about the booking versus the the the hands-on travel agent, right?
00:49:25.599 --> 00:49:27.360
More of a concierge service type thing.
00:49:28.159 --> 00:49:39.280
You know, obviously AI is at the top of everyone's head, and and I've I've used AI a little bit in you know, last year we were going to Fair Hope for the end of the year for New Year's Eve.
00:49:40.239 --> 00:49:53.119
And so I was like, let me just see what happens if I just uh plug this in grok and in one second it spit out an itinerary, and what was very interesting is pretty much everything on it matched what I would be interested in, because I kind of set the stage for it.
00:49:53.599 --> 00:49:58.480
So I copied it, pasted it, put it in a PowerPoint slide, sent it to the family like Merry Christmas, we're going to Fair Hope, right?
00:49:59.039 --> 00:49:59.920
Very easy.
00:50:00.719 --> 00:50:04.000
It worked, it gave me information that I didn't know about Fair Hope.
00:50:04.159 --> 00:50:04.639
It was great.
00:50:06.719 --> 00:50:07.840
That's the booking side.
00:50:08.239 --> 00:50:08.559
Correct.
00:50:09.119 --> 00:50:18.239
And I think as I'm listening to you, and I think as you explain that that other agent who's been very successful, that model is at risk.
00:50:19.920 --> 00:50:24.239
What's not at risk because AI can't replace hospitality.
00:50:24.559 --> 00:50:24.800
Correct.
00:50:25.199 --> 00:50:31.679
It can try, and maybe 25 years from now, it will, but but it it can't replace dropping a rubber duckies off now.
00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:33.920
And and not that you can do that for every client.
00:50:34.159 --> 00:50:34.400
Correct.
00:50:34.719 --> 00:50:44.880
But the fact that you're thinking that way, and you probably, if I had to guess, are doing hospitality-related things for more of your clients than you realize.
00:50:45.360 --> 00:50:47.599
Sometimes it's physical because maybe they live here.
00:50:47.840 --> 00:50:48.079
Right.
00:50:48.400 --> 00:50:48.639
Fine.
00:50:48.800 --> 00:50:50.719
But in other ways, you're doing other things for them.
00:50:52.239 --> 00:50:52.960
That's exactly right.
00:50:53.039 --> 00:50:58.480
That's filling the gap and it and it's sending the message of yes, this is true.
00:50:58.719 --> 00:51:02.239
You can go use AI to build out your vacation attorney.
00:51:02.320 --> 00:51:03.119
This is not a secret.
00:51:03.199 --> 00:51:05.039
It takes two seconds, no problem.
00:51:05.199 --> 00:51:08.880
And you can go use other agents who will be transactional based for you.
00:51:08.960 --> 00:51:09.199
Correct.
00:51:09.360 --> 00:51:10.719
That is out there for you.
00:51:10.880 --> 00:51:11.760
I'm different.
00:51:12.000 --> 00:51:12.559
Correct.
00:51:12.800 --> 00:51:13.840
And this is what I do.
00:51:14.079 --> 00:51:18.320
It's so interesting you brought up AI because my mom on the way here, I was talking to my mom about it.
00:51:18.400 --> 00:51:25.280
She saw something on the news today that was saying like 20 jobs that are at risk for, you know, AI coming in, and travel agencies were on them.
00:51:25.440 --> 00:51:28.880
And I told my mom, I said, you know, I'm so glad you brought that up.
00:51:29.039 --> 00:51:29.840
I have a screenshot.
00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:32.159
I'm gonna schedule a social media post.
00:51:32.320 --> 00:51:37.840
Recently I asked it a question about Disney, and most of it was right, and then something was completely off.
00:51:37.920 --> 00:51:40.320
And I said, That's not correct, you know, XYZ.
00:51:40.400 --> 00:51:42.079
And I said, Oh, you're right, blah, blah, blah, blah.
00:51:42.239 --> 00:51:53.280
So, like, while you can use it as a tool, I still don't think that I would put my 100% faith in it because you know, Fair Hope is fairly easy, but or even let's just say that you do it to Costa Rica.
00:51:53.360 --> 00:51:56.480
You use it for Costa Rica and you're like, I want to hit all the hotspots and it gives you this and that.
00:51:56.559 --> 00:52:03.840
Uh, but then what happens when you get there and the tour cancels, or like, you know, your flight's delayed and you miss, you're gonna miss your check-in.
00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:04.719
Like, what happens then?
00:52:04.880 --> 00:52:06.159
AI can't help you.
00:52:06.320 --> 00:52:10.400
Whereas I work with, I pick the tour operators and the suppliers that I want to book with.
00:52:10.480 --> 00:52:14.960
And a tour operator is basically like a company that packages everything together.
00:52:15.039 --> 00:52:18.639
So there's your flights, your transfers, your accommodations.
00:52:18.800 --> 00:52:25.119
And sometimes I can actually get better rates that way because they contract with airlines and get And they're at a bigger mess.
00:52:25.360 --> 00:52:27.679
So it just depends on the trip in the situation.
00:52:27.920 --> 00:52:29.039
But that's what I told my mom.
00:52:29.119 --> 00:52:33.760
But it also makes me think with all the stuff and the technology and AI that's coming out.
00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:38.000
I was just talking to my parents the other night and I was looking for a workshop for my kids.
00:52:38.159 --> 00:52:48.719
I have four boys, and I wanted them to do some sort of workshop where they can learn the difference between, you know, a circular saw and a miter saw and all these things, all these tools that they don't have access to or hands-on learning.
00:52:48.800 --> 00:52:50.000
But my dad can fix anything.
00:52:50.159 --> 00:52:51.840
My dad can fix anything.
00:52:52.079 --> 00:52:57.119
I want my kids to be able to do that for their lives, you know, so they're not having to pay someone or whatever.
00:52:57.280 --> 00:53:10.079
And I feel like that's where we're really gonna feel the heat of AI eventually is that there aren't gonna be, you know, people that you you can ask AI how to fix something, but at the end of the day, you're still having to do it and you're still having to exhaust your time and money trying to fix it where it might not get fixed.
00:53:10.159 --> 00:53:12.000
So like I feel like there's a need for that as well.
00:53:12.079 --> 00:53:17.920
So I think AI has a really great place and it's a good starting point and a great place to kind of bounce ideas off of.
00:53:18.079 --> 00:53:25.199
But at the end of the day, you really have to double check what it is that it presents because you just don't know if it's correct or accurate.
00:53:25.360 --> 00:53:32.159
And ultimately, it's never gonna, it's never gonna replace the the trust loyalty.
00:53:32.400 --> 00:53:34.320
Um, I mean, lawyers are on that list too.
00:53:34.480 --> 00:53:49.840
I mean, the white collar jobs are in real trouble because you know, I was listening to a podcast the other day and somebody was talking about if you look at the first three or four years of a lawyer, an associate attorney at a big firm, the majority of what they're doing is research and writing.
00:53:53.440 --> 00:53:54.079
It's gonna be gone.
00:53:54.320 --> 00:53:54.880
It's almost gone.
00:53:55.039 --> 00:53:55.199
Yep.
00:53:55.519 --> 00:54:01.519
So the question is is okay, well, now what what do we do with all of the young lawyers who have to learn that skill?
00:54:01.599 --> 00:54:02.239
Yeah, right.
00:54:02.559 --> 00:54:04.960
But ultimately, does that mean it replaces a law firm?
00:54:05.119 --> 00:54:12.719
No, it doesn't, because at the end of the day, the law firm will always be able to offer a service that AI cannot replace, right?
00:54:13.039 --> 00:54:20.159
Physically going to court, for example, or loyalty, trust, guidance, correct, human experience.
00:54:20.559 --> 00:54:22.559
Those things play into being a good lawyer.
00:54:23.360 --> 00:54:28.000
They also play into being a good travel agent, concierge, like you're talking about, right?
00:54:28.320 --> 00:54:37.199
So yeah, I think I think I would feel much better if my business was not transactional based right now, because I think that's what's really at risk.
00:54:37.360 --> 00:54:41.840
Any of these transaction type things, because the the systems are just better at it.
00:54:41.920 --> 00:54:43.199
That's the that's the reality.
00:54:43.360 --> 00:54:44.239
It's better than us.
00:54:44.400 --> 00:54:44.880
Yep.
00:54:45.119 --> 00:54:48.159
You know, but it doesn't have the special human sauce, right?
00:54:48.480 --> 00:54:48.719
Does not.
00:54:48.880 --> 00:54:50.159
And so now it's very interesting.
00:54:50.320 --> 00:54:50.480
Yeah.
00:54:50.800 --> 00:54:52.000
Oh, I got all kind of questions.
00:54:52.159 --> 00:54:54.639
I mean, I can keep this thing going for however long you all want.
00:54:54.960 --> 00:54:56.000
I've gone off script so much.
00:54:56.159 --> 00:54:56.320
Sorry.
00:54:56.880 --> 00:54:57.519
There is no script.
00:54:57.599 --> 00:54:58.079
That's the great thing.
00:54:58.400 --> 00:55:00.880
That's the great thing about this, that there really, there really isn't.
00:55:01.199 --> 00:55:15.039
It's just so easy to talk because it's like all different perspectives, and you know, you're learning about the travel industry, and I'm learning, you know, for me to hear you say, you know, I've gone out, plugged this on AI or other people's doubts with using a travel agent.
00:55:15.119 --> 00:55:16.639
You know, I I used this one person.
00:55:16.719 --> 00:55:21.360
I had the one that I'm doing Hawaii, she used a travel agent in the past who didn't operate the same way that I did.
00:55:21.440 --> 00:55:22.639
And so she was really skeptical.
00:55:22.719 --> 00:55:27.760
And then one of my clients told her, like, I have used her for everything, and she has taken care of X, Y, and Z.
00:55:27.840 --> 00:55:36.239
And so she told me over the phone, she said, Look, I was really apprehensive about reaching out to you because, you know, blah, blah, blah and it's my daughter's sweet 16 and it's her trip and it's really special to me.
00:55:36.400 --> 00:55:38.239
And I said, I promise, like, I'll take care of you.
00:55:38.320 --> 00:55:40.800
And I have taken care of just everything so far.
00:55:40.880 --> 00:55:43.519
And then when they're there, if there's a problem, they can reach out to me as well.
00:55:43.840 --> 00:55:44.880
Yeah, that's pretty awesome.
00:55:45.360 --> 00:55:46.559
Yeah, I cannot do that.
00:55:47.119 --> 00:55:55.360
So as well, I'm just gonna ask it, ask this question in general, not just as a travel agent, but how do you measure measure success?
00:55:55.519 --> 00:55:56.960
Oh, I hate this question.
00:55:57.199 --> 00:55:59.039
All right, well, let's do a better question.
00:55:59.280 --> 00:56:00.639
If you're at Epcot.
00:56:02.079 --> 00:56:03.440
What's a successful day?
00:56:03.760 --> 00:56:06.000
No, where's the first place you're going for a cocktail?
00:56:06.159 --> 00:56:07.360
Oh, that's a good question.
00:56:07.760 --> 00:56:10.159
Oh, you're ready to transition to Disney.
00:56:10.239 --> 00:56:10.400
Okay.
00:56:10.880 --> 00:56:12.400
We've been in we've been floating around Disney.
00:56:13.119 --> 00:56:13.519
What is it?
00:56:13.679 --> 00:56:16.880
So we're going to Mexico, but we're not going to the little booth outside.
00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:18.239
I just did a TikTok on this.
00:56:18.320 --> 00:56:18.719
Did you see it?
00:56:18.960 --> 00:56:19.599
Yes, I did see it.
00:56:19.760 --> 00:56:25.039
And I said, we're going to go inside the pavilion, inside the pyramid, and we're going to La Cava del Tequila.
00:56:25.280 --> 00:56:26.800
It's a bar in there that a lot of people don't know.
00:56:27.039 --> 00:56:29.519
They think when you go to Mexico, you're just going to buy like a drink outside.
00:56:29.599 --> 00:56:30.800
No, you're going to go downstairs.
00:56:30.880 --> 00:56:33.280
That's where they have the famous avocado margarita.
00:56:33.360 --> 00:56:34.880
They have a coffee-based margarita.
00:56:35.119 --> 00:56:35.920
I guess it's a margarita.
00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:36.239
I don't know.
00:56:36.320 --> 00:56:40.639
Whatever it is that I ordered at the something foster, that is my drink of choice.
00:56:40.719 --> 00:56:42.800
It is probably the best drink I've had on Disney property.
00:56:42.960 --> 00:56:43.119
All right.
00:56:43.280 --> 00:56:46.559
And there's always, there's all I probably would do the same place.
00:56:46.639 --> 00:56:48.719
Like let's say it's closed.
00:56:49.360 --> 00:56:51.119
If it's closed, and I'm going to France.
00:56:51.280 --> 00:56:51.920
We're going to France.
00:56:52.000 --> 00:56:53.199
I was going to say we're going to France.
00:56:54.400 --> 00:56:54.800
What is it called?
00:56:54.880 --> 00:56:55.199
That orange.
00:56:55.599 --> 00:56:56.239
The orange slushy.
00:56:56.559 --> 00:56:57.440
The orange slushy.
00:56:57.840 --> 00:56:59.119
Right as I cannot think of the name.
00:56:59.199 --> 00:57:00.079
It's with uh Grammy.
00:57:00.639 --> 00:57:00.800
Yes.
00:57:00.880 --> 00:57:01.840
We're getting the orange slush.
00:57:01.920 --> 00:57:02.480
That's what I call it.
00:57:02.559 --> 00:57:06.880
We're getting the orange slush and or the pink one if we have to, but the orange one is is where we're starting.
00:57:07.039 --> 00:57:07.280
Yep.
00:57:07.360 --> 00:57:08.480
You definitely want to start there.
00:57:09.039 --> 00:57:10.559
The champagne there is pretty good too.
00:57:10.880 --> 00:57:14.000
I don't know if it was in a kiosk or in one of the um in the back.
00:57:14.719 --> 00:57:15.760
I can't really drink beer.
00:57:15.920 --> 00:57:17.199
I'll drink one on an occasion.
00:57:17.599 --> 00:57:23.599
See, Jeff loves beer, but fish and chips I've ever had was in Epcot at in England.
00:57:23.840 --> 00:57:24.000
Okay.
00:57:24.159 --> 00:57:25.519
And there's that pub.
00:57:25.760 --> 00:57:26.559
I don't know if it's still there.
00:57:26.719 --> 00:57:27.360
This is a long time ago.
00:57:27.679 --> 00:57:28.079
Rosen Crown.
00:57:28.159 --> 00:57:28.719
We just ate the colour.
00:57:28.800 --> 00:57:29.760
That's it, Rosen Crown.
00:57:30.000 --> 00:57:34.320
And you get like a a bass or something like that, and some fish and chips.
00:57:34.480 --> 00:57:35.280
It's a pretty good spot.
00:57:35.519 --> 00:57:40.480
But I know the last time we went when you set us up with the dining plan, Jeff's like, We're getting fish and chips.
00:57:40.639 --> 00:57:42.400
And I was like, the kids are not gonna eat that.
00:57:42.559 --> 00:57:43.760
But he's like, we're gonna sit there.
00:57:43.840 --> 00:57:45.519
And the kids were like, What is this?
00:57:45.679 --> 00:57:48.000
And they tasted it as this is not chicken.
00:57:48.239 --> 00:57:52.480
He was so upset that the kids didn't love the fish and chips.
00:57:52.639 --> 00:57:53.840
So like it's not chicken.
00:57:54.079 --> 00:57:57.840
I liked it, but I'm like, dude, like our kids are root picky eaters to begin with.
00:57:57.920 --> 00:57:58.960
I'm like, you know, that's asking.
00:58:00.239 --> 00:58:00.800
That's asking a lot.
00:58:00.880 --> 00:58:03.360
And it's also 9:30 at night or nine o'clock at night.
00:58:03.440 --> 00:58:03.920
Like they're done.
00:58:04.079 --> 00:58:04.400
Yeah, you know.
00:58:04.639 --> 00:58:06.480
Mine have been eating churros and ice cream all day.
00:58:06.559 --> 00:58:07.679
I mean, but they'll still eat it.
00:58:07.760 --> 00:58:08.400
They'll eat whatever.
00:58:08.719 --> 00:58:12.559
We went to um Morocco on not this trip, but the last one.
00:58:12.639 --> 00:58:14.960
And we were actually drinking around the world with a bunch of adults.
00:58:15.039 --> 00:58:15.519
It was really fun.
00:58:15.599 --> 00:58:18.400
We had a tattoo on our arms and we would check off each country.
00:58:18.639 --> 00:58:22.079
Um, but my kids were really well behaved because I would pop in, like my husband and I would kind of break off.
00:58:22.159 --> 00:58:26.159
Like I'd be like, okay, we're in Mexico, I'm gonna take them on the ride, I'll catch up with y'all at the next country or whatever it is.
00:58:26.239 --> 00:58:29.119
And I'm so I made sure to balance, you know, time for them and us.
00:58:29.280 --> 00:58:34.400
And when one of us would just catch up, but we went to Morocco and my kids have never eaten food like that.
00:58:34.480 --> 00:58:35.199
And I was like, whatever.
00:58:35.280 --> 00:58:38.320
And at this point, I had been drinking, so I was like, just give me one of everything.
00:58:38.400 --> 00:58:38.800
I don't know.
00:58:38.960 --> 00:58:43.599
My kids tore it up, they loved it so much, and they're like, we need to get that every time.
00:58:43.679 --> 00:58:47.199
I'm like, yes, like so that was very surprising to me.
00:58:47.280 --> 00:58:49.119
I didn't think that they or I would enjoy it.
00:58:49.199 --> 00:58:54.239
And then my husband walks up with like two baguettes from France and we're like gnawing on it, like it's so not cute.
00:58:54.400 --> 00:58:58.559
Um, but I mean, after a day of drinking, I mean well, and the baguettes are always a must-do for us.
00:58:58.800 --> 00:59:00.000
We love to that back.
00:59:00.320 --> 00:59:01.440
Oh, the desserts in there.
00:59:02.000 --> 00:59:02.320
Yeah.
00:59:02.559 --> 00:59:04.000
Am I making you want to go to Disney?
00:59:04.159 --> 00:59:05.199
The chocolate croissants.
00:59:05.360 --> 00:59:06.400
I've had an itch, so good.
00:59:06.559 --> 00:59:07.760
Just because my wife's never been.
00:59:08.239 --> 00:59:13.679
But and I looked at it twice this year, and I'm like, I just didn't want to, I I couldn't pull a trigger on it.
00:59:14.559 --> 00:59:16.960
And so then we went to the Biltmore, which was awesome.
00:59:17.119 --> 00:59:20.639
We did glamping into the Biltmore, which I had a lot more fun than what I thought.
00:59:20.800 --> 00:59:21.039
Yeah.
00:59:21.280 --> 00:59:28.159
And but that got home and I started adding it up, and I'm like, well, I think it was the same price almost, almost as going to Disney World.
00:59:28.239 --> 00:59:30.719
So I was like, well, I guess that didn't work, but we did have a great trip.
00:59:30.880 --> 00:59:36.320
But I also think like people like you that travel a lot and you know, your kids are older or whatever.
00:59:36.480 --> 00:59:39.440
I think they think like, oh, well, we kind of outgrew Disney.
00:59:39.599 --> 00:59:47.920
But to me, there's like an entire adult side of Disney, like it's done so differently when you're with adults and you're with well the new nude beach is incredible.
00:59:48.000 --> 00:59:50.159
I heard I haven't been to that one yet.
00:59:50.320 --> 00:59:52.480
Yeah, oh come on, tell the truth.
00:59:52.559 --> 00:59:54.480
This listen, this is a transparent place.
00:59:54.800 --> 00:59:55.679
Stop, Chris.
00:59:56.079 --> 01:00:00.320
The the restaurants, I mean, there's so many great restaurants.
01:00:00.559 --> 01:00:02.480
At tea, I'm not buying that.
01:00:02.639 --> 01:00:03.199
I'm telling you.
01:00:03.360 --> 01:00:06.480
No, there are I heard that the last three times I went.
01:00:06.559 --> 01:00:09.280
And you're and my answer is in the right places.
01:00:09.519 --> 01:00:12.000
I well, uh and listen, it's been a while.
01:00:12.239 --> 01:00:15.119
One of the best steakhouses I've ever been to is at least in Canada.
01:00:15.280 --> 01:00:16.400
I live at Epcot.
01:00:16.719 --> 01:00:18.320
And you're getting a hard boo from me.
01:00:18.400 --> 01:00:19.599
I had gong you off there.
01:00:19.840 --> 01:00:21.679
And maybe it's gotten better because that's what I heard.
01:00:21.760 --> 01:00:24.639
And I went there and I was like, this is no better than a midline franchise.
01:00:25.760 --> 01:00:29.440
I did, but for us, it was really loud and like just a lot going on.
01:00:29.840 --> 01:00:36.239
But you know though, I've only been to it one time, and I'll tell you when I went, it was right after COVID, after they opened up, around August.
01:00:36.400 --> 01:00:38.320
Oh, that was such a golden time to go.
01:00:38.480 --> 01:00:43.039
And it was, I mean, it was easy to get to, it wasn't packed, so maybe that was a difference.
01:00:43.440 --> 01:00:44.960
Wait, but we're talking quality of the food.
01:00:45.119 --> 01:00:45.280
Yes.
01:00:45.519 --> 01:00:46.480
I thought the food was still good.
01:00:46.639 --> 01:00:47.280
I thought it was okay.
01:00:47.519 --> 01:00:47.920
It was okay.
01:00:48.000 --> 01:00:48.880
I would give it an okay.
01:00:49.119 --> 01:00:55.199
I have a kind of bad taste in my mouth because we just did Chefs de France, and all of my clients that have ever booked there love it.
01:00:55.360 --> 01:00:58.639
For a family of six, it cost us over$400, right?
01:00:59.039 --> 01:01:04.400
And the steak was not my son could have whipped something up better than that.
01:01:04.639 --> 01:01:05.440
I mean, it was fine.
01:01:05.599 --> 01:01:07.039
My macaroni was delicious.
01:01:07.199 --> 01:01:07.760
Everyone else was.
01:01:08.079 --> 01:01:09.119
This is a chef de francs.
01:01:09.360 --> 01:01:10.719
I just don't think it was worth$400.
01:01:11.280 --> 01:01:13.679
So now, but it is a goal of mine every time we go.
01:01:13.760 --> 01:01:15.679
I do make us try a new restaurant.
01:01:15.840 --> 01:01:16.000
Okay.
01:01:16.159 --> 01:01:18.960
Um, we've been to Rosencrown before, but we did that on this last trip, also.
01:01:19.119 --> 01:01:22.719
And what I really liked about it is the prices were so reasonable.
01:01:22.880 --> 01:01:24.000
And it's heavy food.
01:01:24.079 --> 01:01:25.519
It's like sausage and mashed potatoes.
01:01:25.599 --> 01:01:28.960
So, like my kids, four boys, they ate and they were kind of like, we're full.
01:01:29.039 --> 01:01:32.480
And it didn't cost me half of what Chefs of France did.
01:01:32.559 --> 01:01:33.679
But let me ask you all that subject.
01:01:33.920 --> 01:01:37.119
I think Brown Derby, by the way, was my probably one of my favorite restaurants.
01:01:37.440 --> 01:01:38.800
Everyone loves that place was awesome.
01:01:38.960 --> 01:01:40.079
Just before we transitioned.
01:01:40.159 --> 01:01:41.679
So I can give I want to be fair.
01:01:41.760 --> 01:01:48.000
Yeah, there were some very good places, but but the and then the restaurant at Animal Kingdom.
01:01:48.239 --> 01:01:49.360
Tusker House?
01:01:49.599 --> 01:01:50.639
That's the character dining.
01:01:50.800 --> 01:01:51.440
No, no, no, no.
01:01:51.599 --> 01:01:52.239
Yak and Yeti.
01:01:52.480 --> 01:01:52.639
Yes.
01:01:52.719 --> 01:01:53.199
No, no, no.
01:01:53.280 --> 01:01:54.320
Yak and Yeti was cool.
01:01:54.559 --> 01:01:55.039
No, no, no.
01:01:55.119 --> 01:01:57.119
At the at the at the Animal Kingdom.
01:01:58.400 --> 01:01:59.199
No, at the lodge.
01:01:59.360 --> 01:02:01.840
Oh, not the lodge, the Sanaa.
01:02:02.239 --> 01:02:02.880
I guess so.
01:02:02.960 --> 01:02:03.679
That place was good.
01:02:04.000 --> 01:02:05.760
Wait, there's another place that we went to back.
01:02:06.159 --> 01:02:06.320
Jico?
01:02:06.880 --> 01:02:08.159
The Grand Floridian restaurant was.
01:02:08.559 --> 01:02:09.039
No, what is it?
01:02:09.119 --> 01:02:09.280
Jico.
01:02:09.599 --> 01:02:09.760
Jico.
01:02:10.159 --> 01:02:10.559
That was it.
01:02:10.719 --> 01:02:11.039
Yeah.
01:02:11.360 --> 01:02:12.480
Jocko, Jaco.
01:02:12.719 --> 01:02:13.119
Something like that.
01:02:13.440 --> 01:02:13.760
Jico, J.
01:02:13.920 --> 01:02:14.000
Yes.
01:02:14.800 --> 01:02:15.199
That was killed.
01:02:15.599 --> 01:02:16.800
I said Sana'a wrong for years.
01:02:16.880 --> 01:02:20.000
I was calling it Sana, and then I was on the phone with a cast member, and she's like, it's Sana.
01:02:20.159 --> 01:02:20.800
And I'm like, what?
01:02:21.280 --> 01:02:22.800
She's like, yeah, I'm like, Sanaa.
01:02:22.960 --> 01:02:24.400
I'm like, I've been calling it Sana.
01:02:24.639 --> 01:02:26.480
I guess from being down here, I'm like, it's Sana.
01:02:26.880 --> 01:02:35.840
So I felt like those restaurants, which at the time were the newer kind of places when I went, I felt like those were definitely moving in the right direction and were better.
01:02:35.920 --> 01:02:45.440
I felt like the Epcot ones at pretty much everyone I ate at, it just still felt touristy, quality food, okay at best.
01:02:45.840 --> 01:02:47.199
Cool places, right?
01:02:47.280 --> 01:02:51.840
Like every place you went, from a design and way it's that's all awesome, right?
01:02:51.920 --> 01:02:53.920
Like you can't beat that, you can walk in a big circle.
01:02:54.000 --> 01:02:55.440
That's all great, 10 out of 10.
01:02:55.599 --> 01:03:00.159
But when you talk about like the food, I always felt like there was a real opportunity for them to move that up.
01:03:00.400 --> 01:03:07.360
But we're also from New Orleans, and I always take that into account because we judge food a lot more what you know.
01:03:07.519 --> 01:03:11.199
We have a much higher standards than someone who lives in, I don't know, Arkansas.
01:03:11.760 --> 01:03:12.719
For our Arkansas followers.
01:03:12.880 --> 01:03:13.360
Sorry, Arkansas.
01:03:13.519 --> 01:03:14.320
Because I checked our stats.
01:03:14.480 --> 01:03:15.039
I think we have two.
01:03:15.599 --> 01:03:16.239
We're very sorry.
01:03:16.559 --> 01:03:20.079
But we have great jambalaya and gumbo and seasonings here.
01:03:20.159 --> 01:03:22.239
So like whenever I do a cruise, I did a video on this.
01:03:22.320 --> 01:03:26.719
I bring Tony Sashay's packets with me because I'm like, I just like increased food is good.
01:03:26.880 --> 01:03:31.360
Like it's some things I love, but like there's just some stuff that I'm like, I'm tired of eating what feels like the same thing.
01:03:31.519 --> 01:03:33.599
I need a little bit of home on my stuff.
01:03:34.000 --> 01:03:38.639
And most cruises, you're not, you know, going on a cruise that it's not like a culinary activity.
01:03:38.880 --> 01:03:40.960
Yeah, it's like it's like mass-produced, like right.
01:03:41.039 --> 01:03:46.239
So it you're not to me, like the cruise I went on, and I thought the food was actually way better than what I expected.
01:03:46.320 --> 01:03:49.039
Uh, even the daily, all the daily buffets and stuff.
01:03:49.199 --> 01:03:56.559
So we didn't even go sit down and eat at the nicer restaurants because pretty much every day we were finding new stuff that we like and it was good.
01:03:56.719 --> 01:04:04.719
Uh but yeah, like I feel like to me, the price point at Disney is is at such a level, like that they needed to raise their game at least.
01:04:05.119 --> 01:04:06.159
Oh, we need to bring you back.
01:04:06.320 --> 01:04:07.599
Yeah, yeah, we need to bring you back.
01:04:07.920 --> 01:04:09.119
Have you have you done Viennapoli?
01:04:09.360 --> 01:04:10.000
I think you have.
01:04:10.159 --> 01:04:10.480
Yes.
01:04:10.639 --> 01:04:11.679
Oh god, the pizza there.
01:04:11.920 --> 01:04:12.880
What is amazing?
01:04:13.280 --> 01:04:13.679
What is that?
01:04:14.000 --> 01:04:14.559
That is Italy.
01:04:14.800 --> 01:04:15.840
Italy all the way to the back.
01:04:16.000 --> 01:04:20.320
And the Lemoncello flight, like we when we go, we get a pizza for the table.
01:04:20.880 --> 01:04:22.719
Sangria, everything at that place is amazing.
01:04:22.960 --> 01:04:29.039
And my kids get the Alfredo, and I I don't even think I get anything because I'll have a piece of pizza and then eat the chewed up chicken nugget or whatever it is.
01:04:29.119 --> 01:04:30.159
I don't know, they're throwing the plate.
01:04:30.320 --> 01:04:31.840
Well, and chicken nuggets in Italy are always good.
01:04:32.000 --> 01:04:35.280
Yeah, I mean, the chicken nuggets in Disney, I feel like are magical, just saying.
01:04:35.599 --> 01:04:36.719
So, oh, they're so good.
01:04:37.119 --> 01:04:43.440
And then I get the lemon cello flight, and that's that's one like staple restaurant that I'm always like, we have to do be an apple, and then we'll try something new.
01:04:43.840 --> 01:04:46.800
The the little crepe place in France is pretty good too.
01:04:46.880 --> 01:04:49.920
And the bag for breakfast, they make amazing crepes there.
01:04:50.320 --> 01:04:50.480
So good.
01:04:50.719 --> 01:04:55.360
This is like a sit-down restaurant, not the walk-up counter that the baguettes you get the baguettes at.
01:04:55.519 --> 01:05:04.639
And I will say too, I have found that eating at the resort, at like a table service dining restaurant at the resort, is higher quality food than in some.
01:05:05.039 --> 01:05:07.119
So it's easier for them to produce a better quality crepe.
01:05:08.159 --> 01:05:10.000
I was gonna say, tumulinas at Rivers.
01:05:10.880 --> 01:05:12.159
I've never done dinner there.
01:05:12.400 --> 01:05:20.880
I have, but we've done breakfast there, and it's I mean you can get your basic breakfast stuff, but then you can get like fancier breakfast stuff, and it is it's so good.
01:05:20.960 --> 01:05:21.519
I love that experience.
01:05:21.760 --> 01:05:22.559
Okay, well, let's do this.
01:05:22.719 --> 01:05:24.960
Let's run this, let's let's talk about this a little bit.
01:05:25.199 --> 01:05:25.440
Okay.
01:05:25.599 --> 01:05:28.159
I feel like I'm dominating this, and I don't mean to, but I'm so curious.
01:05:28.719 --> 01:05:30.960
I no, I'm excited that you're excited about this too.
01:05:31.440 --> 01:05:35.920
Let's say we're gonna do this two two adults, yeah, and then we'll do a family of four.
01:05:36.079 --> 01:05:36.400
Okay.
01:05:36.559 --> 01:05:36.800
Okay.
01:05:37.360 --> 01:05:38.639
Just kind of set the stage here.
01:05:38.719 --> 01:05:41.760
So two adults, and we're gonna do it at two different levels.
01:05:41.840 --> 01:05:41.920
Okay.
01:05:42.159 --> 01:05:48.079
We're gonna do it on a budget, okay, and we're gonna do it at whatever we want to call like a luxury level.
01:05:48.400 --> 01:05:49.599
For lack of a better deluxe, okay.
01:05:50.719 --> 01:05:50.960
Okay.
01:05:51.199 --> 01:06:01.119
So two adults want to go to Disney and they want to go for well, this is a good question because a lot of people Talk about this.
01:06:01.840 --> 01:06:21.440
For two adults going to Disney, what do you feel is that the optimal amount of time to be able to go and have a what I'm going to set is this the goal here is to have a have a good trip where it's relaxing with activities, but relaxing and a fun trip where when you come back, you're like, man, that was really that was fun.
01:06:21.599 --> 01:06:23.280
So you didn't see everything, obviously.
01:06:23.599 --> 01:06:26.000
But so what amount of time do you think a couple needs?
01:06:26.239 --> 01:06:28.639
I I would ask the question, how many parks do you plan on going to?
01:06:28.719 --> 01:06:29.920
Do you want to go to all four parks?
01:06:30.159 --> 01:06:31.039
I have no idea.
01:06:31.280 --> 01:06:34.639
Okay, so then I'm gonna walk you through all four parks and we're gonna make a decision.
01:06:34.800 --> 01:06:37.440
Um, and let's just say that you decide you do want to go to all four parks.
01:06:37.760 --> 01:06:42.480
Okay, so you want to do all four parks, and then you have the option to either do that one park a day or do a park hopper.
01:06:42.559 --> 01:06:43.679
We'll have that conversation.
01:06:43.920 --> 01:06:49.840
If you have, if time allows and your work schedule allows for you to have a break in the middle for like a resort day, highly recommend it.
01:06:49.920 --> 01:06:56.159
Especially on like the set the first day, you get there, and then the first day your energy's high and you're like exploring and figuring things out.
01:06:56.239 --> 01:07:02.639
But it I feel like that next day is the one that kind of hits where you're like, whoa, the time changed, I'm feeling it, and I'm having to get up early, or the following day.
01:07:02.719 --> 01:07:04.960
So if you can have a resort day, do that.
01:07:05.199 --> 01:07:11.360
Or we're gonna have a conversation about putting you on a resort that's got easy access to the parks or a skyliner property or a monorail property.
01:07:11.519 --> 01:07:13.360
Because sometimes you need a break in the middle of the day.
01:07:13.519 --> 01:07:20.000
There was a time when I had four and two double strollers and I was having to pay for convenience to make sure that we could take that midday nap and swim.
01:07:20.159 --> 01:07:21.519
And we do every single fellow.
01:07:21.760 --> 01:07:25.360
It's just it just depends on you know what you're wanting out of that trip.
01:07:25.440 --> 01:07:27.360
But uh say, let's say four days.
01:07:27.599 --> 01:07:28.320
I would say four days.
01:07:28.400 --> 01:07:30.239
And if we can work a rest day in, let's do it.
01:07:30.320 --> 01:07:31.280
If not, let's do four days.
01:07:31.360 --> 01:07:32.960
We're gonna do one park a day and keep it simple.
01:07:33.039 --> 01:07:35.599
And that way, especially Animal Kingdom is typically an earlier day.
01:07:35.679 --> 01:07:38.639
You can finish by like 6 p.m., have a nice dinner at your resort.
01:07:38.719 --> 01:07:46.239
Or if you wanted to explore a different resort, try that and we'll work through the logistics of transportation to that and then you know get some rest in.
01:07:46.320 --> 01:07:49.840
But the pools, the stuff that happens at the the resorts are amazing.
01:07:49.920 --> 01:07:55.360
And I feel like a lot of people want to overcrowd their schedules and they're like, I want to do and see everything while we're here because we're not coming back.
01:07:55.440 --> 01:07:58.320
And you feel like you paid this price for this ticket, so you have to hit everything.
01:07:58.400 --> 01:08:00.079
But the reality is you're not gonna hit everything.
01:08:00.320 --> 01:08:08.800
Even if you do get there at for early morning hours and you stay until the park closes, you're gonna have missed stuff in between or a ride's gonna be down.
01:08:08.880 --> 01:08:11.519
You know, maybe your heart's set on riding Japan and you get there and it's down.
01:08:11.679 --> 01:08:13.119
So you're not gonna hit everything.
01:08:13.280 --> 01:08:22.319
So it's so important to like manage expectations from the beginning and see what your goals are, and then we'll come up with a plan that works for what what you want out of your trip.
01:08:22.640 --> 01:08:22.880
Okay.
01:08:23.199 --> 01:08:29.760
Give me a range of so what I took away from that actually matches the advice I got from the first Disney fanatic I knew in my life.
01:08:30.399 --> 01:08:30.800
Brad.
01:08:31.760 --> 01:08:39.119
Um and his advice to me was obviously this depends on everyone's time and budget.
01:08:39.439 --> 01:08:39.520
Yeah.
01:08:39.920 --> 01:08:41.600
So it was generic and it was good.
01:08:41.680 --> 01:08:52.079
It was like whatever the maximum amount of time that you can take away and you can afford, that's what you want to do in Disney.
01:08:52.319 --> 01:09:06.319
And he's and his reasoning for it, you just hit on it, was the the more time you have, what you can build in what I'm gonna call relaxation periods will make you enjoy the trip dramatically more.
01:09:06.720 --> 01:09:08.800
And it was the best advice.
01:09:08.880 --> 01:09:16.159
And I so when I did Disney years ago, I did it one time for an extended period, it was like maybe like nine days or something, or ten days.
01:09:16.640 --> 01:09:18.800
And everybody was like, You're crazy, what are you doing?
01:09:18.880 --> 01:09:25.840
I just followed his advice and it was awesome because we had a lot of periods, we didn't feel like we had to rush, the kids got tired, but okay.
01:09:26.159 --> 01:09:28.399
Then I did a three-dayer, yeah.
01:09:29.600 --> 01:09:38.720
It was fun, it was interesting, but boy, it was not relaxing, it was not it was high powered, and you come home and you're tired, and you don't know.
01:09:39.199 --> 01:09:40.640
The kids had a blast of both, right?
01:09:40.720 --> 01:09:41.840
And that was ultimately the goal.
01:09:42.079 --> 01:09:44.000
It's fun sometimes, it was fun.
01:09:44.239 --> 01:09:49.680
So I think what you're saying matches my experience and the advice I got, which I thought was was really good.
01:09:49.920 --> 01:09:52.720
Yeah, it just depends on what your goals are for your trip.
01:09:53.039 --> 01:10:03.199
So, like that's why I think again, it's so important to establish a relationship with someone you trust who's really gonna listen to what it is that you're saying about what you want because the reality is you could get there.
01:10:03.279 --> 01:10:08.000
And and I have some clients that get there and they get there at rope drop and they stay until that part closes.
01:10:08.239 --> 01:10:12.560
I don't know how they do it because the every traveler is different, everybody travels differently.
01:10:12.720 --> 01:10:28.880
And I think that's also part of the hesitation of using a travel agent because you're like, you don't know my travel style, like you don't know what you know, or maybe I have to be back at my resort or hotel to do XYZ at a certain time and I have to build this stuff in, and I'm just not willing to relinquish that to someone that I don't know or trust.
01:10:29.039 --> 01:10:32.479
And I always tell people I can be as involved or uninvolved as you as you want.
01:10:32.560 --> 01:10:38.159
Some people want their hands held, and then I have some people who call me and they're like, Hey, I know Disney, just book this for me so that you get the credit for it.
01:10:38.239 --> 01:10:39.920
And if I have any questions, I'll let you know.
01:10:40.399 --> 01:10:46.800
But I just think it just depends on the type of trip that you want, and that's why it's really important to qualify your clients correctly.
01:10:47.359 --> 01:10:51.359
So four days roughly, four nights would be great if you could.
01:10:51.520 --> 01:10:53.199
Yeah, trying to build in some rest.
01:10:53.439 --> 01:10:53.680
Yeah.
01:10:53.840 --> 01:10:55.840
And would you say that would apply for a family too?
01:10:56.079 --> 01:10:56.239
Yeah.
01:10:56.319 --> 01:10:56.479
Okay.
01:10:56.640 --> 01:10:58.560
I have lots of checks those boxes.
01:10:58.640 --> 01:10:59.760
All right, now let's talk money.
01:11:00.239 --> 01:11:02.159
So ballpark.
01:11:02.399 --> 01:11:18.000
Oh, four, but I know that's very hard, but for people who are just don't know, what do you think the the on a budget four people for four days in Disney doing whatever you would put together is like, hey, if this is the groups, they got two kids, it's their first time.
01:11:18.159 --> 01:11:20.720
Here's what I would put out as my standard kind of things you should do.
01:11:20.800 --> 01:11:23.199
And let's just say somebody says, Whatever you tell me to do, I'm going to do.
01:11:23.359 --> 01:11:24.479
Just give me a ballpark.
01:11:24.560 --> 01:11:25.920
What would someone have to expect?
01:11:26.159 --> 01:11:28.479
Well, it also depends on the time of year that you're going to be able to do it.
01:11:29.760 --> 01:11:32.640
I was so thinking that I was like, September.
01:11:32.960 --> 01:11:33.680
We're going to do September.
01:11:33.920 --> 01:11:35.039
No, they can't because the kids are in school.
01:11:35.119 --> 01:11:35.840
They're going during the summer.
01:11:35.920 --> 01:11:36.399
We're going in June.
01:11:36.560 --> 01:11:36.800
That's fine.
01:11:36.880 --> 01:11:37.840
Yeah, it's better.
01:11:38.079 --> 01:11:38.560
Summer's great.
01:11:38.640 --> 01:11:40.319
They've got lots of promotions that are on the side.
01:11:40.720 --> 01:11:41.279
We're going in June.
01:11:42.159 --> 01:11:45.039
And I want, I want, I got there's four of us.
01:11:45.439 --> 01:11:48.800
Ballpark on the on the lower on the budget, the lower cost.
01:11:49.279 --> 01:11:54.479
So if we're doing like a value property, I mean, you could probably get away with 4,000, maybe even less.
01:11:54.720 --> 01:11:55.439
Maybe even less.
01:11:55.520 --> 01:12:03.920
I've had people that they will fly up and hit the park that day and then do a park the next day, do a park and fly home that night.
01:12:04.000 --> 01:12:07.439
So there's only two nights at the resort, and they'll do it at a value property.
01:12:07.520 --> 01:12:16.239
And when there's like a kid's promotion for the ticket where it's like 50% off, or you know, XYZ, and capitalize on that, and it costs them very little to do it.
01:12:16.399 --> 01:12:20.479
Now that's not like a true family vacation where you're all there and you're but you're hitting disks.
01:12:20.640 --> 01:12:21.600
Yes, you're getting what you want.
01:12:21.760 --> 01:12:26.239
You can do it pretty inexpensively, just depending on how you play your cards.
01:12:26.479 --> 01:12:26.800
Okay.
01:12:27.439 --> 01:12:27.760
Yeah.
01:12:27.920 --> 01:12:29.920
Summertime for not for some reason.
01:12:30.000 --> 01:12:30.479
I know why.
01:12:30.560 --> 01:12:31.760
It's probably because it's so hot.
01:12:31.840 --> 01:12:32.159
Yeah.
01:12:32.319 --> 01:12:35.199
But summertime has really good deals.
01:12:35.359 --> 01:12:35.520
Yeah.
01:12:35.600 --> 01:12:39.359
And the the dining promotion that they have right now, which is why we did the dining plans.
01:12:39.439 --> 01:12:40.560
Yeah, but like that worked out.
01:12:40.640 --> 01:12:41.680
We've done that every time now.
01:12:41.840 --> 01:12:41.920
Yeah.
01:12:42.159 --> 01:12:43.199
The 50% off or whatever.
01:12:43.520 --> 01:12:44.960
I mean, we couldn't even eat all that food.
01:12:45.199 --> 01:12:49.279
I'm like, oh, I have all these credits, like, and it's like we need to make sure we're stuffing our faces.
01:12:49.520 --> 01:12:50.560
Yes, or doing snacks.
01:12:50.800 --> 01:12:57.199
But the resort mug for us really worked out because we did the resort mugs and then we were there for longer than we had the dining plan.
01:12:57.600 --> 01:12:58.640
So we just had that, yeah.
01:12:58.720 --> 01:13:01.600
Or we bring them on the cruise and we have mugs for while we're on the cruise.
01:13:01.920 --> 01:13:05.680
So is it safe to say that if the same family wanted to go for a week?
01:13:06.640 --> 01:13:07.199
Right?
01:13:07.439 --> 01:13:11.039
Like they would go to the beach or maybe somewhere else.
01:13:11.279 --> 01:13:12.479
So they're gonna take a full week.
01:13:13.119 --> 01:13:20.479
Is it safe to say almost you could probably close to double it, probably in the six to eight thousand dollar range?
01:13:20.800 --> 01:13:24.239
Most of my trips I feel like kind of hit like six thousand, seven or two.
01:13:24.399 --> 01:13:24.800
For a week.
01:13:24.880 --> 01:13:25.039
Yeah.
01:13:25.119 --> 01:13:31.439
It's or if they're not doing the park days every day, it's really the the tickets that that kind of add expense to the trip.
01:13:31.520 --> 01:13:37.199
So if you can do, let's say you're doing that and you're just gonna have a rest day or yeah, like two days park, rest, two days park, home.
01:13:37.439 --> 01:13:40.720
And then think about right now, your check-in day is a water park day.
01:13:40.800 --> 01:13:41.520
It's complimentary.
01:13:41.600 --> 01:13:44.159
So you can add a water park day on the front of your trip, also.
01:13:44.319 --> 01:13:45.760
So, like there's and there's tons to do.
01:13:45.840 --> 01:13:47.840
We're going when we go at the end of this month.
01:13:48.000 --> 01:13:50.880
The family that we're going with, they haven't decided if they're gonna do tickets or not.
01:13:50.960 --> 01:13:52.079
I'm like, we don't even have to worry about that.
01:13:52.159 --> 01:13:56.159
We can go to Disney Springs, we can swim at the resort pool, we can do the monorail route, or the monorail route.
01:13:56.479 --> 01:13:59.520
So that's one of our favorite things to do, is just get on the monorail and you go.
01:13:59.680 --> 01:14:02.239
Well, we like to do, Jeff and I with the kids.
01:14:02.319 --> 01:14:04.560
We're like, let's go, we call it lobby hopping.
01:14:04.720 --> 01:14:04.880
Yeah.
01:14:05.039 --> 01:14:08.239
And there's like these cool bars in these hotels.
01:14:08.319 --> 01:14:16.720
And so we'll go have like a drink at each one, and the kids will play, and sometimes we'll go out to the back because you know, the back of the resort's always has to be.
01:14:16.880 --> 01:14:20.560
Because if you're staying on the grounds, you can swim at any pool.
01:14:20.800 --> 01:14:22.560
No, no, you you have to stay at yours.
01:14:22.880 --> 01:14:23.359
Well, what did you say?
01:14:23.439 --> 01:14:24.319
You're gonna go in the back and play.
01:14:24.720 --> 01:14:27.039
Like they have a beach area, they have like like beach areas.
01:14:27.199 --> 01:14:33.119
I mean, you can't go to the there's sometimes there's like like open space where the kids grass and boardwalk.
01:14:33.199 --> 01:14:34.000
My kids love the boardwalk.
01:14:34.239 --> 01:14:34.800
Okay, now I got you.
01:14:34.960 --> 01:14:35.680
And anyone can do that.
01:14:35.840 --> 01:14:41.199
Yes, we I've I I order a Walmart order and I'll get like a soccer ball, whatever, five dollars.
01:14:41.359 --> 01:14:42.560
They will go out there and play.
01:14:42.880 --> 01:14:43.920
That's why they love boardwalks.
01:14:44.079 --> 01:14:45.039
Like, we just want to go outside and play.
01:14:45.119 --> 01:14:46.479
And I'm like, and that's a nice break too.
01:14:46.560 --> 01:14:50.800
Larry and I can take a break, my kids are playing, or we'll swim for the afternoon.
01:14:50.880 --> 01:14:55.840
Um, and I told her my the family that we're traveling with, I said, Your kids haven't ridden the Skyliner yet.
01:14:55.920 --> 01:14:57.359
Let's go do the Skyliner.
01:14:57.439 --> 01:14:59.520
You know, we'll get a drink at each property.
01:14:59.760 --> 01:15:03.520
There's the beach area in front of beach club, there's the pizza window and the ice cream crawler by boardwalk.
01:15:03.600 --> 01:15:04.560
There's so much you can discover.
01:15:06.399 --> 01:15:07.520
You can play games back there.
01:15:07.680 --> 01:15:09.279
Yes, and the resorts host games, yeah.
01:15:09.439 --> 01:15:11.199
And then they have arcades and some of the resorts.
01:15:11.279 --> 01:15:12.800
Like there's really a lot of nights.
01:15:12.960 --> 01:15:13.199
Yeah.
01:15:13.359 --> 01:15:16.159
I mean, so I feel like will that even go into a park.
01:15:16.399 --> 01:15:30.159
So I feel like there's a massive opportunity to communicate to the public that there's more to Disney than just what we perceive there to be at Disney.
01:15:30.479 --> 01:15:51.760
A hundred percent because because like as you all are talking about this, because the thing that uh that literally every person that I know that ever talk about Disney who aren't like fanatics about it, and I don't mean that in a derogatory way, but like it's like right, but uh, I'm gonna go there for a week, I'm gonna spend somewhere between six and fifteen thousand dollars, depending upon what I'm doing.
01:15:52.640 --> 01:15:52.880
Right.
01:15:52.960 --> 01:16:02.000
And it's like uh when I think about repetitively doing that, uh it gets old, and why wouldn't I be going to explore other things, maybe cheaper, right?
01:16:02.239 --> 01:16:05.279
And down here we know a lot of people go to the beach for a week.
01:16:05.439 --> 01:16:06.479
That's a very standard thing.
01:16:06.560 --> 01:16:09.359
It's been around the New Orleans area for a hundred plus years.
01:16:09.760 --> 01:16:10.720
Your money goes a long way.
01:16:11.119 --> 01:16:16.960
Well, it used to for the beach, yeah, but now if you're trying to go to down to 30A, not even 30A.
01:16:17.199 --> 01:16:20.640
I had priced out for like three nights before our Disney trip.
01:16:20.720 --> 01:16:23.039
I was like, oh, maybe we'll just drive down, go to the beach.
01:16:24.319 --> 01:16:29.840
Destined to Panama City to get uh a uh a house, whatever.
01:16:30.560 --> 01:16:34.720
The the the cheapest one I found was twelve hundred dollars a night.
01:16:35.359 --> 01:16:36.000
That's insane.
01:16:36.159 --> 01:16:36.640
A night.
01:16:37.279 --> 01:16:39.680
I'm like, so you can't touch three nights at the beach.
01:16:39.920 --> 01:16:41.119
That's not your food for thirty six.
01:16:41.520 --> 01:16:41.920
Renting a chair.
01:16:42.239 --> 01:16:42.960
Well, that's what I'm saying.
01:16:43.199 --> 01:16:51.840
So so now with the beaches that we all go to down in the south, you know, pulling it from I'm not getting starting Alabama and move right.
01:16:52.399 --> 01:17:05.039
That over the last five to ten years has become so expensive now that now it's almost like it's flipping the mindset that if people understood, well, wait, let's just talk about what you're doing at the beach.
01:17:05.119 --> 01:17:08.880
And you're limited, you have the beach, you have the pool at your place.
01:17:09.199 --> 01:17:10.880
And look, and let's let's be real.
01:17:11.039 --> 01:17:19.600
In the summertime in these packed beach cities, you're not going to a restaurant because nobody wants to wait an hour and a half to sit at a table and fight for a parking spot and everything else.
01:17:20.159 --> 01:17:21.840
So I feel like I'm learning here too, right?
01:17:21.920 --> 01:17:32.640
And I'm like, well, when I hear you all talk about all the different things that are outside of just the park rides, you want to do some of that when you're there, obviously, because it's it's super cool.
01:17:32.880 --> 01:17:34.800
But there's a lot more to being there, right?
01:17:35.119 --> 01:17:37.359
Let me tell you, they have one of the properties is the cabins.
01:17:37.439 --> 01:17:38.399
Have you ever stayed at the cabins?
01:17:38.479 --> 01:17:39.520
I stayed at the cabins one time.
01:17:39.760 --> 01:17:40.239
So much fun.
01:17:40.479 --> 01:17:41.119
So much fun.
01:17:41.279 --> 01:17:48.479
So they've actually sleep six, and like it's a a king bed or queen bed with a uh a bunk bed in there, and then the sofa pull-out, it's got a kitchen.
01:17:48.800 --> 01:17:49.840
That's such a wilderness lodge.
01:17:49.920 --> 01:17:51.600
Yes, it's right, it's parked kind of in that area.
01:17:52.800 --> 01:17:53.039
Okay, yeah.
01:17:53.199 --> 01:17:54.159
It's wilderness lodges different.
01:17:54.239 --> 01:17:56.640
It's but they're real log like log cabin.
01:17:56.800 --> 01:17:57.920
Yeah, I mean they're individual.
01:17:58.399 --> 01:17:59.520
But they're very nicely done.
01:17:59.600 --> 01:18:02.800
And so you have like a grassy little area the kids can play out front.
01:18:02.880 --> 01:18:04.640
I'll bring chalk or when they were able to bring chalk.
01:18:04.800 --> 01:18:10.000
We ran a golf cart because you kind of need one when you stay there because you need to be able to get around.
01:18:10.159 --> 01:18:12.000
Uh, you ran a golf cart at nights.
01:18:12.079 --> 01:18:14.880
Everyone decorates their golf cart at nighttime, especially during the holidays.
01:18:15.039 --> 01:18:18.319
You'll see inflatables and and like Christmas decorations everywhere.
01:18:18.399 --> 01:18:22.000
Like people just really and you can do sores, hayrocks, you do s'mores, yes.
01:18:22.239 --> 01:18:23.119
We've visited the horses.
01:18:23.199 --> 01:18:24.159
We've done the horses there.
01:18:24.479 --> 01:18:25.520
Every night, the boat parade.
01:18:25.600 --> 01:18:27.039
When you go out by the lake, they have a boat parade.
01:18:27.359 --> 01:18:29.359
I think it's like every night or every other night.
01:18:29.600 --> 01:18:32.640
Then you could even watch fireworks from they pipe in the music.
01:18:32.720 --> 01:18:32.800
Yeah.
01:18:33.039 --> 01:18:37.680
So you stand there eating, you know, your Mickey bars melting all over, and then you just get on your golf cart and go right back.
01:18:37.760 --> 01:18:38.000
Like this.
01:18:38.239 --> 01:18:41.439
There's so many things you could do that aren't gonna cost you extra money.
01:18:41.680 --> 01:18:44.239
So I I I'm gonna speak for the masses here.
01:18:44.399 --> 01:18:44.640
Yeah.
01:18:44.800 --> 01:18:45.359
You want to do it?
01:18:45.600 --> 01:18:47.119
We do not understand that.
01:18:47.600 --> 01:18:49.600
I I'm I'm Come with us.
01:18:49.920 --> 01:18:50.800
We don't understand it.
01:18:50.880 --> 01:18:56.399
I mean, we don't we I think of it as more of a of an amusement park, right?
01:18:56.479 --> 01:19:02.720
I mean, an amazing one because you can't uh people could knock Disney in lots of ways, but there's certain things you can't take away from it.
01:19:02.800 --> 01:19:06.720
It is an amazing place in their rides and all the different parks and all.
01:19:07.439 --> 01:19:11.520
The transportation's an experience though, like the monorail, like that's so cool for the kids.
01:19:11.680 --> 01:19:17.520
And each time you stop at a different resort, they're all different, they all have a different vibe and feeling and activities, and the gift shops are different.
01:19:17.600 --> 01:19:24.880
So it's like you're experiencing all these new things and just by riding around in the monorail, you know, like it's that or the skyliner.
01:19:25.199 --> 01:19:27.039
I mean, it's there's just so much to do.
01:19:27.119 --> 01:19:27.600
I just love it.
01:19:27.920 --> 01:19:34.479
All right, so we've covered where you would go for the first drink, we've covered ballpark, how many days we need, family or couple.
01:19:34.560 --> 01:19:41.039
We've covered rough cost that you can do it on a on a smaller budget, and you can certainly blow it out if you wanted to.
01:19:41.279 --> 01:19:41.520
Okay.
01:19:41.760 --> 01:19:52.159
So the next one is the next biggest complaint that I I feel I have and other people have is now I do want to go ride some rides, and the dang lines are so long, right?
01:19:52.239 --> 01:19:54.800
So years ago, they're like, oh, don't worry, you can get fast passes.
01:19:54.880 --> 01:19:58.399
Well, and now that's all been figured out, and so now the fast pass lines seem to be long.
01:19:58.880 --> 01:20:03.119
And so Universal has the same challenges and they're following a lot of the same things Disney does.
01:20:03.199 --> 01:20:12.800
So now the next question I need you to solve for me is okay, well, now I do want to go ride rides, but I don't want to stand in an hour and a half ride to do the thing at Epcot.
01:20:13.199 --> 01:20:17.199
I'm gonna let Leslie first because I already know I know my strategy.
01:20:17.279 --> 01:20:21.359
I want to see if I don't want to do that as a 51-year-old when I'm trying to have fun.
01:20:22.079 --> 01:20:22.800
I will not wait in line for it.
01:20:22.960 --> 01:20:25.439
I definitely don't want to do it with kids just because it's hard for them.
01:20:28.720 --> 01:20:29.439
It's not fun for them.
01:20:30.159 --> 01:20:34.880
And then you get on the ride for two to eight minutes or whatever it is, which is incredible, right?
01:20:34.960 --> 01:20:35.760
It's awesome.
01:20:35.920 --> 01:20:39.439
But then you're right back to in the heat, and they're like all standing in line again.
01:20:39.680 --> 01:20:42.159
Like for a ten dollar water.
01:20:42.239 --> 01:20:48.079
This is what the public would say for a ten-dollar water, or now I gotta buy ten dollar ice cream in the midst of going over here.
01:20:48.560 --> 01:20:49.119
Bring that with you.
01:20:49.279 --> 01:20:53.439
You bring that, you order that from the grocery, and you can bring your water and your refillable stuff in.
01:20:53.600 --> 01:20:55.119
That's what I would tell my clients on that.
01:20:55.439 --> 01:20:56.960
I think that's another thing most people don't know.
01:20:57.199 --> 01:20:59.279
Oh no, you can bring a soft-sided cooler in.
01:20:59.600 --> 01:21:01.199
You can bring your caprions and everything.
01:21:01.439 --> 01:21:03.520
You can't bring glass and you can't bring alcohol.
01:21:03.840 --> 01:21:05.760
So I pre-make sandwiches.
01:21:05.920 --> 01:21:06.560
I am that person.
01:21:06.640 --> 01:21:10.479
I will make sandwiches in my hotel room and I bring pre-made sandwiches to the park.
01:21:10.560 --> 01:21:14.079
And if someone gets hungry, I'm like, chew on this for a little bit, I'm not spending$15 on chicken nuggets right now.
01:21:14.319 --> 01:21:15.279
Like, wait until lunch.
01:21:15.600 --> 01:21:18.560
And I think some people sit and go, boy, she's cheap.
01:21:18.640 --> 01:21:21.119
And why the hell wait, and why the hell would she do that?
01:21:21.199 --> 01:21:25.600
But then I'm like, it's because the mindset on Disney is it needs to be broader, right?
01:21:25.760 --> 01:21:29.600
Because if if we were all at the beach with our families, you'd be doing it the same thing.
01:21:30.079 --> 01:21:35.680
We might go to the if there's a restaurant, like one of the places we've gone to, Dustin has like a restaurant on the on the beach, right?
01:21:35.760 --> 01:21:36.560
Yeah, that's kind of cool.
01:21:36.640 --> 01:21:42.000
You go down there, maybe you get a drink in the afternoon, or you go, you know, you want to eat lunch there one day.
01:21:42.159 --> 01:21:44.880
But generally speaking, right, we're not doing that the whole time.
01:21:45.119 --> 01:21:45.840
What are we doing?
01:21:46.000 --> 01:21:49.359
We're making some sandwiches or whatever, and we're bringing it or we're running back to the kitchen.
01:21:50.000 --> 01:21:51.359
We have cereal for breakfast.
01:21:51.520 --> 01:21:56.399
I make sandwiches, I'll pack chips or pirates booty, goldfish, whatever it is, applesauce pouches.
01:21:56.479 --> 01:21:57.439
I pack all of that.
01:21:57.680 --> 01:22:00.560
My kids don't eat a stroller anymore, but I still get a stroller sometimes.
01:22:00.640 --> 01:22:04.239
And I throw it in my stroller, I'll park the stroller somewhere that holds all of our stuff.
01:22:04.319 --> 01:22:06.560
And when someone's hungry, I'm like, let's go get food out of the stroller.
01:22:06.640 --> 01:22:07.359
I am that person.
01:22:07.600 --> 01:22:15.680
Well, if it makes you feel better when I travel, I try to incorporate breakfast as unless it's like a place that you want to go, right?
01:22:15.840 --> 01:22:19.119
Like, oh, they got the biggest pancakes or they have a great brunch, something like that.
01:22:19.199 --> 01:22:21.199
But generally speaking, slower mornings, too.
01:22:21.279 --> 01:22:25.600
So if you can't do it, mornings is an easy place to cut cost when you travel.
01:22:25.760 --> 01:22:31.439
Um and from a strategy standpoint, the mornings are the least crowded time in the park.
01:22:31.520 --> 01:22:33.359
So you want to get there as early as possible.
01:22:33.520 --> 01:22:38.640
You don't want to you waste that time eating at a restaurant from like 9 to 10 a.m.
01:22:38.880 --> 01:22:39.760
That's an ample time.
01:22:39.840 --> 01:22:42.720
You could have knocked out three rides with very minimal weight.
01:22:42.960 --> 01:22:53.359
So I'm always like, look, grab something real quick, grab a couple of bananas or oranges, throw them in your thing, just get you to the park and make sure the kids are okay, and then plan on an earlier lunch, like 11 when the when everyone starts to enter.
01:22:53.439 --> 01:22:57.119
Because if you stay on property, you get to enter the parks before people who don't stay on property.
01:22:57.279 --> 01:23:00.880
So it's a really great opportunity to knock out a whole bunch of rides.
01:23:01.199 --> 01:23:01.439
Yeah.
01:23:01.600 --> 01:23:09.600
So like me, I'm thinking more like I'd rather skip the breakfast, yeah, get some activities in, and then go spend a little more at the Derby.
01:23:09.760 --> 01:23:12.319
Yeah, or eat when it's really, really hot in the afternoon.
01:23:12.399 --> 01:23:13.600
So it's all strategy.
01:23:14.159 --> 01:23:14.399
Right.
01:23:14.560 --> 01:23:14.800
Yeah.
01:23:14.960 --> 01:23:15.199
Yeah.
01:23:15.359 --> 01:23:26.800
And okay, so my other strategy is we like to go in the morning and then if we go in the summertime, then we will take our resort break in the middle of the day.
01:23:26.960 --> 01:23:27.039
Yep.
01:23:27.359 --> 01:23:29.520
We go swimming, then we take the kids back.
01:23:29.680 --> 01:23:31.359
If they want to take a nap, they can take a nap.
01:23:31.439 --> 01:23:35.119
And then we go back to the park around seven or eight.
01:23:35.279 --> 01:23:35.359
Yeah.
01:23:36.159 --> 01:23:47.039
You could watch the fireworks show, which is beautiful and awesome, but we like to take advantage of the rides that will have 10-minute lines, which typically is like five.
01:23:47.199 --> 01:23:47.359
Yeah.
01:23:47.600 --> 01:23:50.319
And do those rides when the fireworks show is going on.
01:23:50.479 --> 01:23:54.800
And a lot of the people with kids leave after the fireworks show.
01:23:55.039 --> 01:23:59.359
So a lot of those lines aren't, you know, 60 minutes long.
01:23:59.600 --> 01:24:04.479
And if you stay at a deluxe property, they have certain nights where they'll let you have like extended hours.
01:24:04.560 --> 01:24:06.159
So Apcot could be open till 1 a.m.
01:24:06.239 --> 01:24:07.439
or imagine till 11 p.m.
01:24:07.840 --> 01:24:08.800
Does it great, does it great?
01:24:09.119 --> 01:24:10.960
And it's cool no matter what time of year it is.
01:24:11.039 --> 01:24:11.359
That's fine.
01:24:11.600 --> 01:24:11.760
Yeah.
01:24:11.840 --> 01:24:16.720
If we take a break and then I'm like, okay, we took a nap, y'all swam, we're gonna go back and stay out until 11 p.m.
01:24:16.880 --> 01:24:17.439
And we'll ride.
01:24:18.079 --> 01:24:19.920
And then they usually laugh if they get that break.
01:24:20.159 --> 01:24:20.399
Yeah.
01:24:20.720 --> 01:24:23.199
I mean, even my kids, they will laugh if we give them that little.
01:24:23.520 --> 01:24:24.720
We just need to do Disney again.
01:24:24.960 --> 01:24:27.439
We need to get you to Disney and show you the right way to do it.
01:24:27.680 --> 01:24:28.479
You really do.
01:24:28.720 --> 01:24:34.880
Because it is it is a lot of fun and there's something for everyone, including people that like to shop, like myself.
01:24:34.960 --> 01:24:37.279
I mean, Disney Spring has awesome places to shop.
01:24:37.520 --> 01:24:38.560
Yeah, it gets crowded.
01:24:38.960 --> 01:24:40.720
So for the fourth, y'all are gonna be in Disney.
01:24:40.880 --> 01:24:42.960
And are you all you're doing a cruise or are you going to Disney?
01:24:43.359 --> 01:24:44.239
Leslie's doing a cruise.
01:24:44.720 --> 01:24:46.880
So you're gonna actually be on the cruise for the fourth?
01:24:47.119 --> 01:24:49.199
No, I'll be getting off on the third and I'll do a night.
01:24:50.000 --> 01:24:52.319
Did at text message you about the third and Magic Kingdom?
01:24:52.399 --> 01:24:53.199
Have you done that one before?
01:24:53.359 --> 01:24:54.079
On July 3rd.
01:24:54.159 --> 01:24:55.119
Are you gonna be on the third?
01:24:55.920 --> 01:25:03.279
We are going to so for for us, so I have a friend who is retired military.
01:25:03.359 --> 01:25:05.359
She's been well was stationed in Colorado.
01:25:05.439 --> 01:25:08.960
Now she's retired, but she is coming in and this is her kids.
01:25:09.199 --> 01:25:11.359
She has twins that are nine, I believe.
01:25:11.760 --> 01:25:13.600
And it's their first time going to Disney.
01:25:13.760 --> 01:25:18.399
So she is flying in and then we're gonna drive and we're gonna go to a beach.
01:25:18.479 --> 01:25:20.800
We haven't decided if it's Cocoa Beach, they down to St.
01:25:20.960 --> 01:25:21.520
Augustine.
01:25:21.920 --> 01:25:27.199
And we're gonna do a couple days at the beach, and then we're gonna drive to Disney, and then we're gonna do Disney.
01:25:27.359 --> 01:25:28.319
We will be there.
01:25:28.880 --> 01:25:33.359
I think we check in on the second, and then we're there through the sixth.
01:25:33.520 --> 01:25:35.279
Okay, make sure you go to Magic Kingdom on the third.
01:25:35.439 --> 01:25:35.680
Okay.
01:25:35.840 --> 01:25:38.800
That fireworks show is I'm glad you're telling me that.
01:25:38.880 --> 01:25:39.039
Yeah.
01:25:39.119 --> 01:25:43.279
Because last time we did Fourth of July, we did the the Fourth of July show at Epcot.
01:25:43.439 --> 01:25:43.840
At Epcot.
01:25:44.000 --> 01:25:44.560
That's on the fourth.
01:25:44.720 --> 01:25:46.800
So hit the hit Magic Kingdom on the third.
01:25:46.880 --> 01:25:47.680
There's gonna be a dance party.
01:25:47.760 --> 01:25:48.880
The castle's gonna be red, white, and blue.
01:25:48.960 --> 01:25:49.520
It's like a whole thing.
01:25:50.560 --> 01:25:51.920
And then on the fourth, do that.
01:25:52.159 --> 01:25:54.479
And also don't let me forget, I can text you.
01:25:54.640 --> 01:25:58.319
I have a whole list of good stops on the way down to Orlando.
01:25:58.640 --> 01:26:04.479
If someone needs a bathroom break or coffee or Target, I've made a list of all the good exits that you can stop at.
01:26:04.880 --> 01:26:05.119
Awesome.
01:26:05.279 --> 01:26:05.840
So awesome.
01:26:06.000 --> 01:26:07.520
You know, not getting off in a sketchy area.
01:26:07.680 --> 01:26:07.840
Yeah.
01:26:08.079 --> 01:26:15.119
And so, and just so you know, because we didn't touch on this, but one of the reasons we're able to go a lot is because we're DVC.
01:26:15.520 --> 01:26:19.039
So every every year we get an allotment of points.
01:26:19.199 --> 01:26:25.439
And so, like for this upcoming trip, I was I had enough points to book me and my sister around.
01:26:26.159 --> 01:26:30.960
So, and I mean we we added like a day at a resort because we're gonna push it a little bit sooner.
01:26:31.039 --> 01:26:33.600
But I you know, we're also annual pass holders.
01:26:33.840 --> 01:26:34.239
Uh too.
01:26:34.800 --> 01:26:38.000
So it you know, the more we go, that's my justification.
01:26:38.079 --> 01:26:41.199
The more we go, the better because using what we bought, yeah.
01:26:42.560 --> 01:26:42.960
Nice try.
01:26:43.680 --> 01:26:45.359
Um well this has been awesome.
01:26:45.600 --> 01:26:54.880
And on two fronts, I enjoyed hearing the the early part of your life, and then um the Disney stuff's been more interesting to me than I thought.
01:26:55.439 --> 01:26:56.800
We can do Disney anytime.
01:26:57.039 --> 01:26:59.520
Yeah, and I'm alright with booking an adult Disney trip.
01:26:59.600 --> 01:27:02.000
So when you and Haley want to go, I'm in.
01:27:02.079 --> 01:27:02.479
That's terrible.
01:27:02.720 --> 01:27:04.800
But we don't have plans for the fourth, so now I'm like maybe we go to that.
01:27:05.039 --> 01:27:06.800
Hey, and I got a pack of those tattoos at my house.
01:27:06.880 --> 01:27:12.399
So I mean we can just you should uh look, I can find you I can find that room.
01:27:13.199 --> 01:27:14.079
But Leslie can too.
01:27:14.239 --> 01:27:14.720
Let's do it.
01:27:14.800 --> 01:27:17.359
Yeah, and uh, and I think he would have I think he would have a good time.
01:27:17.600 --> 01:27:18.319
You'd have a great time.
01:27:18.399 --> 01:27:24.399
And on Disney cruise also, they have adult-only areas, and then really Disney cruises are just so amazing.
01:27:24.560 --> 01:27:26.239
They really are because they do such a good balance.
01:27:26.640 --> 01:27:29.359
And not that Royal Caribbean doesn't, it's just a different feeling.
01:27:29.439 --> 01:27:30.079
The service is different.
01:27:30.399 --> 01:27:30.960
And I love it.
01:27:31.119 --> 01:27:35.119
And with kids, I mean Disney knows it cut your kids' food at their table.
01:27:35.760 --> 01:27:37.119
Everything like they that's important.
01:27:37.199 --> 01:27:38.640
Yeah, they literally walk up and they're like, no, my.
01:27:48.319 --> 01:27:52.479
By the way, on Disney cruises, you get the same, like you go to different restaurants every day.
01:27:52.640 --> 01:27:58.479
They have like three different restaurants, and you rotate restaurants, and but you get the same servers every day.
01:27:58.880 --> 01:28:00.239
So they move with you.
01:28:00.479 --> 01:28:04.960
So by the second day, you get to your table and your kids' drinks is already there.
01:28:05.119 --> 01:28:05.439
Already there.
01:28:05.520 --> 01:28:06.479
They know what your kid wants to drink.
01:28:06.640 --> 01:28:12.319
They they're gonna I mean, we want to enhance privilege on the children as best as possible.
01:28:12.479 --> 01:28:17.920
So the fact that they have their own waiter for a week is really good to teach them in life that this is how it works.
01:28:18.079 --> 01:28:18.560
I'm just kidding.
01:28:18.880 --> 01:28:20.560
We're not you're you're thinking like Antoine.
01:28:20.800 --> 01:28:21.439
Don't get all the call.
01:28:21.600 --> 01:28:22.239
Don't get all my cards.
01:28:22.640 --> 01:28:30.000
I have a lot of times my kids, I took them to their first all-inclusive last July, and now I have set a horrible bar for like their expectations.
01:28:30.159 --> 01:28:31.520
It has to have a swim-up bar.
01:28:31.680 --> 01:28:33.119
It has to have a swim-up bar.
01:28:33.359 --> 01:28:35.520
Well, listen, their dollars and they swam over.
01:28:35.760 --> 01:28:38.720
Yeah, that and uh on our honeymoon.
01:28:38.800 --> 01:28:42.399
We went to an all-inclusive and I found a Jamaican jerk chicken stand.
01:28:42.560 --> 01:28:42.960
Oh, yeah.
01:28:43.359 --> 01:28:45.600
The Duncan jerk chicken stand, yes.
01:28:45.840 --> 01:28:47.119
With sandals in Ochorios.
01:28:47.359 --> 01:28:47.840
Oh, yeah.
01:28:48.159 --> 01:28:51.279
And man, once I found that, I found love.
01:28:51.359 --> 01:28:54.399
Between that and the swim-up bar, I was like, I don't think I ever want to leave.
01:28:54.960 --> 01:28:56.000
The people in Jamaica are so kind.
01:28:56.239 --> 01:28:59.439
And unlimited Bob Marley music for okay.
01:28:59.760 --> 01:29:00.800
That's another interesting topic.
01:29:00.880 --> 01:29:02.079
Sorry, I'm gonna run over real quick.
01:29:02.239 --> 01:29:03.680
No, you're gonna think about this.
01:29:03.760 --> 01:29:07.279
This is also an uphill battle about being a travel agent in New Orleans.
01:29:07.680 --> 01:29:11.119
We don't do all inclusives because we drive to Destin, right?
01:29:11.279 --> 01:29:18.800
But when you add up the cost of what you really spend on a Destin trip compared to what you would spend on an all-inclusive, I can promise you it's not that different.
01:29:18.880 --> 01:29:20.720
And if Matt, you might save money.
01:29:21.039 --> 01:29:30.560
Yeah, the other problem with the all-inclusives that I've experienced so far is again, the food, because I'm a foodie and I'm from New Orleans.
01:29:30.720 --> 01:29:34.000
It's not that I'm expecting, you know, some five-star meal every time.
01:29:34.079 --> 01:29:35.119
I don't mean that.
01:29:35.439 --> 01:29:39.920
But I found even at Sandals, like, so I'm easy, like the Jamaican jerk stand.
01:29:40.239 --> 01:29:41.680
I could have eaten there the whole time, right?
01:29:41.840 --> 01:29:46.560
But then we go to like one of the sit-down nice restaurants, and it was just it was terrible, right?
01:29:46.640 --> 01:29:48.079
It's like, man, what in the hell?
01:29:48.239 --> 01:29:50.079
Like, so yeah, I don't know.
01:29:50.399 --> 01:29:54.479
Use travel agent who knows it's important that food is important to you, and so she can focus on the other side.
01:29:54.640 --> 01:29:56.960
Well, I'm just gonna Google after this and I'm gonna find a travel agent.
01:29:57.760 --> 01:30:04.720
And then you're gonna find someone in in who knows where who appreciates mashed potatoes or whatever, and it's not good, no seasoning.
01:30:04.800 --> 01:30:07.199
And they're like, it was the best food I ever had, and it was Taco Bell.
01:30:07.279 --> 01:30:10.000
Yeah, like yeah, but I'm gonna bring my Tony Satchery's package.
01:30:10.159 --> 01:30:10.640
Yeah, there you go.
01:30:11.600 --> 01:30:14.079
Well, we wrap up everyone with a random question.
01:30:14.159 --> 01:30:15.520
Yeah, and this is rapid fire.
01:30:15.600 --> 01:30:17.279
Okay, so you gotta just spit this out.
01:30:17.359 --> 01:30:17.760
You ready?
01:30:17.920 --> 01:30:18.159
Okay.
01:30:18.479 --> 01:30:25.359
So if you could have dinner with any person, it could be historical figure, they could be just it doesn't matter.
01:30:25.600 --> 01:30:28.079
Any person that you could have dinner with, who would it be?
01:30:28.239 --> 01:30:28.800
Walt Disney.
01:30:28.960 --> 01:30:30.800
Walt Disney, and where would you take him?
01:30:31.279 --> 01:30:32.079
To Disney World.
01:30:32.159 --> 01:30:32.800
He didn't get to go.
01:30:32.880 --> 01:30:34.159
I would take him to the restaurant.
01:30:34.479 --> 01:30:34.640
Yeah.
01:30:34.720 --> 01:30:35.359
Oh gosh.
01:30:35.920 --> 01:30:36.479
I don't know.
01:30:36.560 --> 01:30:38.239
I don't think he'd want to do like Victoria and Albert.
01:30:38.319 --> 01:30:39.359
I'd take him to Viennapoly.
01:30:39.600 --> 01:30:40.000
There you go.
01:30:40.159 --> 01:30:41.119
I mean, let's just see.
01:30:41.359 --> 01:30:41.760
All right.
01:30:42.000 --> 01:30:43.279
Well, thank you so much.
01:30:43.359 --> 01:30:45.840
This has been fun and uh and enlightening.
01:30:45.920 --> 01:30:48.479
And I sort of feel like this is probably costing me money.
01:30:48.880 --> 01:30:50.159
Yeah, I I think so.
01:30:50.399 --> 01:30:51.359
This has been so fun.
01:30:51.600 --> 01:30:51.840
Awesome.
01:30:52.000 --> 01:30:52.640
Well, thank you so much.
01:30:52.800 --> 01:30:53.439
We'd love to have you back.
01:30:53.920 --> 01:30:54.079
Thank you.
01:30:54.159 --> 01:30:54.720
This is so much fun.
01:30:55.119 --> 01:30:55.359
Take care.
01:30:55.840 --> 01:30:56.720
Bye bye.