The Podcast is BACK!

There's nothing quite like stepping onto a Royal Caribbean ship for the first time — the music, the energy, the ocean stretching out in every direction. Cindy Presley, one of our advisors specializing in stress-free family cruise planning, is a Royal Caribbean PRO and is sharing exactly what she wishes she'd known before she boarded her first ever ship, from setting up the app early to knowing which reservations disappear fast. Consider it your insider guide to boarding confident, prepared, and ready to enjoy every minute.

Every so often, we like to take a step back from trip-planning tips and introduce you to one of the advisors behind Goofy Getaways. This time, meet Becca Slick — one of our Disney specialists, and an advocate for accessible travel who plans every trip with real, lived experience behind it.

I was recently given the opportunity to attend a Disneyland Good Neighbor Great Stay Program.  Side note:  Good neighbors, for those of you wondering, are hotels and resorts that are off Disney property, but that meet specific quality standards (set by Disney).  This means that certain criteria are met to ensure that you still have a quality experience, even though you aren’t staying on Disney property.  For the duration of the training I stayed at The Viv Hotel, Anaheim.  Even though this hotel is not on Disney property it was about a mile walk from Downtown Disney.  The hotel was clean, there were a few food options available, and my room was very spacious.  Since the hotel was in such close proximity I was able to see the fireworks from my room.

When I first heard about GTM, I was a little confused. A travel conference where you speed date? While it's obviously much more than that, that's what initially stood out to me. It seemed like an interesting concept, it was being held in Fort Lauderdale (and I'll never say no to a resort in South Florida), and it came highly recommended by several people who had attended in the past. So, I applied.