Benefits of Being A Travel Professional

 

mickeypillow

Being a Travel Professional has definite outside benefits when one considers the fact I paid very little for what I thought would be a 3-day forum filled with classes. Three of us shared a room (minimal expense, maximum learning curve for guests) at Disney’s Coronado Springs Hotel within the over 40,000-acre Disney World complex.

The organizers of the event managed to get us on a FAM (familiarization) day of exploring. The “Mickey kid” came out in each of us as we toured Disney’s Riverside Resort, Contemporary Resort and Animal Kingdom Resort where zebras, giraffes and other wild animals call home. Not only did we clown it up in Mickey ears, but we saw hidden “Mickeys” all over the various properties. What an experience for Getting Paid to Cruise! I cannot wait to get on one of their ships now, too!MarkMurphy

CaptainTrainings out of the box were great! Chef Katrina brought new ideas to the BLOG platform while Captain Lou, author of  THINK GROUPS AND GROW RICH  hit on one of my favorite topics — GROUPS! This little farm girl from Missouri even got a snap with none other than Mark Murphey of Travel Pulse. All speaking and training opportunities were something to write home about.

Oh and did I mention we got FREE admission to the MAGIC KINGDOM for an evening of rides and fun?

After spending 2 nights home (with a fever I might add), the fever broke (hooray for last-minutmagickingdome appointments and drugs) so I took off for NY LaGuardia where I was to meet friend and biz partner Karen Wilson for a Les Brown seminar. Delighted to see that famous name on the Marriott marquee when we arrived, we giggled and laughed like schoolgirls as we chatted about our upcoming day of learning from Mr. Brown.  Getting Paid to Cruise is always fun to talk about in ANY seminar so excitement reigned…until the next morning.

When we arrived at 9:15 am to the appropriate room. LOCKED! Called Marriott personnel only to find it was CANCELLED the day before. SHOCKED! Apparently the cancellation went on the website after the LA shooting occurred but by then Karen and I enjoyed a nice quiet “catch up on life” dinner in New York!

Found a flight BchefACK to Florida that day, thanks to a great DELTA duo whose last names happen to be Raspberry and Cherry, self described as a couple of fruits who mix up a delicious recipe of success for finding the right flight for their clients. I like that! Raspberries and cherries are my newest favorite fruits!

Fell into bed exhausted on emotional highs and lows, processing the fact my own disappointment could not begin to touch the hearts of those in that Los Angeles airport that day. I chose to remember the emotional highs from the DISNEY/MICKEY fun instead.

Sing along with me “It’s a Small World After All” …. My favorite ride !!!

So, bloggers, I’m getting on the BLOG wagon! Expect to hear/see more from the crazy cruise (or is that crazed) dynamo. Have a great day!