When you wish upon a star...

It's nearly 1 a.m. and I'm finally taking a deep breath. It has been a whirlwind day, full of house cleaning, cake baking, lasagna making, and celebrating the birthday of the best dad a girl could ask for.

It's also been a day full of my phone chiming incessantly. DING! (pause) DING! (pause) DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!

I don't even have my phone set up to notify me of many things. Goodness knows, if I received notifications every time something new popped up on Facebook, I'd be driven insane by the constant noise. So on most days, things are pretty quiet. Alerts only happen on three occasions:

1. Phone call. These don't happen too often, as everyone who knows me well enough to have my phone number also knows that I am not a phone person.

2. Text messages. For when those people text me instead. ;)

3. Disney email. I have a separate email account for work - which, in my case, is being a Dream Vacation Planner for Pixie and Pirate Destinations. As a PAPD agent, I'm an authorized Disney vacation planner...which, in everyday speak around my house, turns into "my mommy works for Disney," and I don't really argue with them. Even though our agency also works with Universal, Sandals, Beaches, and Royal Caribbean, Disney is my main focus and what I love the most. So whenever a new email pops into my work email account, my phone makes a special "ding" and I'm running to see what's new.

Today, I heard that special "ding" a LOT. And even though I had a lot of other things going on, that makes me very happy.

I love my job - after all, I mostly deal with people who are headed to the Happiest Place on Earth, so there's very little in the way of customer dissatisfaction! (Although Walt Disney World is my personal specialty, I should mention here that Disney has other great destinations as well - including Disneyland, lots of itineraries for Disney Cruise Lines, Aulani resort in Hawaii, and Adventures by Disney destinations all over the world!)

So I thought I'd take just a moment here to tell the world (or whoever happens by) about what I do, and how I can help save you time and money while planning your dream vacation.

Me and my family at Hollywood Studios in December 2014

In the very beginning, I can help you choose your destination, travel dates, resort or cruise ship, and options - Disney Dining Plan? Memory Maker? Travel insurance? I can answer questions about all of the above! Like my fellow PAPD agents, I completed lots of training before I started working with clients, and am a proud graduate of the College of Disney Knowledge. (Truly. I have a certificate and pins to prove it!) Of course, this doesn't mean that I have every single answer - but I do know a lot, and if I don't know the answer, I at least know how to find it for you!

Once you know where you're headed and I've found you the best rate on your room/cabin/destination/etc, I'll handle your deposit payment for you - and after that, making a payment on your vacation is as simple as shooting me a text or email. In the meantime, I'll be watching for new discounts that apply to your vacation. I get updates every day of the week, and if a new deal becomes available, I can edit your reservation at any time to apply it and save you money!

So your reservations are made and deposit paid...now what? Well, it's time to start on your itinerary! Let's say you're visiting Walt Disney World - which park will you visit on which day? What will you do while you're there? Where will you eat? What about FastPasses? I bet you've guessed already...I can help with all of that. I'm with you every step of the way to provide information and offer suggestions, and can even create your itinerary from the ground up if that's what you prefer.

Taking a selfie with Baloo at Animal Kingdom - he's REALLY tall!

At 180 days prior to check in, it's time to make your dining reservations - one of my favorite steps, because Disney just has so many amazing places to eat. Then it's time to make FastPass selections at 60 days prior to check-in, and I've got the goods on which rides have the longest wait times...and which ones have interactive queues in which the wait times just fly by.

I think you get the idea...I'm here to answer questions, make suggestions, and do any of the legwork that you want for me to do, from the very first stages in your planning process all the way through the day that you check out! That's right - even if you have a question or encounter a problem in the middle of your vacation, I'm just a phone call away and will do all that I can to help.

How much do my amazing services cost, you ask? (Please ask - I have a great answer.) My services are absolutely free to you. I'm not just that nice - I do get paid on commission from Disney and other companies - but that commission is never added to the price of your vacation. I'm here to try and help you save money, not cost you any extra!

Raise your hand if you're ready to go NOW! :)

Aside from my own services - and my goal is to do absolutely everything in my power to make sure that you have the PERFECT vacation - I have to brag a little on my agency too. PAPD expects a level of customer service and personalized attention from us agents that surpasses other travel agencies. Having the title of Authorized Disney Vacation Planner is a distinction from Disney as a result of our agency's ongoing focus and commitment to planning magical vacations for our clients. PAPD is regularly recognized for our efforts and growth - which means that happy customers are telling other people about us, and returning to us to help plan their vacations over and over again!

So there you have it - all about my company and what I do as an agent. (If you want to read a little more about my Disney background and favorites, you're welcome to visit my page on the PAPD website!) But why has my phone been going crazy today?

CLIENTS! Clients traveling now (one checks in today!), clients traveling soon, clients traveling later this year. Whether they're checking in with me or not, I'm constantly checking for resort and ride refurbishments during their travel dates, constantly checking to be sure that they don't miss their dining reservation/FastPass/balance due dates. There are the brand new clients to get all set up with reservations - I've booked two new reservations for super sweet clients so far this year, and can't wait to help them plan every detail! Then there are the potential clients who want information, and those who might have requested information in the past but don't know about the great new discount for spring travel that was recently released - so of course I had to let them know, and answer questions in return.

These have amounted to ding after ding after ding today, and I couldn't be happier. You see, January marks my first anniversary with PAPD. While my first year was full of learning and practice and spreading the word about my services, today was the first day that it's really kept me busy ALL day...and I love it. I love that my little business is growing, and especially that I'm able to help more and more people plan their perfect vacation.

My girls with Suzy and Perla at Magic Kingdom.
Need help finding your favorite characters?
Yep...I have recommendations!

So, are you ready to start planning a vacation packed with magic and memories? I would love to help! Just email me at kristin.c@pixieandpiratedestinations.com for a no obligation quote for your favorite destination!

And now, a confession, for those who have made it this far... I work at home, and also homeschool, which means that my kids are always around when I'm trying to work. At first, I relied on shushing and frantic hand gestures to shoo them away when I was on the phone with a client or Disney Cast Member, but God bless 'em, they don't take hints well. We needed an obvious sign, something that screamed, "Mommy is WORKING right now, GO AWAY." So whenever I'm doing anything Disney related - whether I'm on the phone or just at my computer pulling up quotes - I wear my Minnie Mouse ears. They see the ears and the poofy red bow and they know that now is not the time to tattle/ask for a snack/sing at the top of their lungs/you get the idea.

So there's a little bonus for you. Plan your Disney vacation with me, and you'll KNOW that every time I speak to you on the phone or send you an email, I'm wearing mouse ears while doing it. The magic is in the little things, people.  :)