MVT Agent Spotlight: Darcy

From Orlando to the Rockies, Anaheim to Aulani, Darcy continues to add destinations to her repertoire.

Some people stumble into the Disney bubble, brought in with a quick getaway or celebration, or even as a port-of-call excursion. Others can’t remember a time their families weren’t driving under the welcome arches each year. For Darcy, her relationship with the Happiest Place on Earth was shaped by years of memorable family trips, both as a child and as an adult.

Having visited both Disneyland and Walt Disney World growing up, Darcy was quite familiar with the properties by the time she and her husband chose to honeymoon at Wilderness Lodge just after its opening in 1994.

That familiarity only grew over time, especially when they welcomed their daughter into the mix.

“After seeing the magic through her eyes,” she said, “I was truly hooked on the Disney experience and time spent together in the parks and at the resorts.”

Those family trips became more frequent, and the then-stay-at-home-mom decided, if she wanted to keep up with Disney vacations, she’d have to get creative.

“That was a lightbulb moment for me,” Darcy said. She began looking at ways to finance more Disney getaways, and how to use her inherent knowledge of the properties to help others, too. In September of 2010, Darcy began her new career as an agent with Magical Vacations Travel, and never looked back.

She began not only planning trips and building a client base, but got to travel even more with the agency and her family.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to experience not only the Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line, but Aulani, as well as Adventures by Disney during my time with MVT,” she said, describing how blown away she was her Adventures by Disney trip to the Rocky Mountains in Montana and Alberta. She even won a family trip to Aulani through a Disney Travel Agent contest shortly after joining the agency.

“Talk about the experience of a lifetime!” she said.

Darcy has since grown her skill set to book not only Walt Disney World vacations, but all Disney properties, as well as Universal Orlando, Royal Caribbean, AmaWaterways, and Sandals and Beaches Resorts. Along with continual trainings, Darcy has been able to experience many of these destinations for herself, growing her expertise and ability to customize vacations for each individual client.

“I have always really loved the challenge of puzzling together the perfect plan for my clients, and helping with all of the details to make their trip as magical as possible,” she said.

She uses her continued travels and trainings to open new perspectives for not only herself, but her clients. Whether it be the hottest new rollercoaster at Universal Orlando, or the exceptional service aboard AmaWaterways, Darcy is always learning, and always looking ahead.

And while Darcy continues to expand her reach, this self-proclaimed “Disney Girl” will always look forward to returning to Orlando and soaking in more of what the parks and resorts have to offer.

“Having been fortunate to go to Disney World fairly often for both work and family trips, it really feels like home,” she said. Yacht Club has become a top choice in her household, thanks to the highly-praised Stormalong Bay, beautifully-themed rooms, Friendship Boats and easy access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Other favorites for Darcy and her family include resorts along the Skyliner, like Caribbean Beach, Art of Animation and Pop Century.

Still, what keeps Darcy coming back isn’t just intricate theming or park attractions… it’s the service.

“I think knowing what to expect and the high level of service is always appealing when planning my own family’s travel,” she said.” The mix of feeling at home when returning to resorts and parks, plus the constant new attractions, snacks, shows, festivals, etc. will always keep me coming back time and time again!”

Even though Darcy’s travels have earned her an abundence of Disney intel, her top tip for newcomers is to recognize that it IS a lot to take in the planning process all at once.

“It can seem really daunting when looking at the big picture,” she said, explaining how she works with her clients to reach each new benchmark. “I like to break it down into selecting your resort and tickets, and then move onto dining, followed by the planning of each park day. It seems to make things less overwhelming when you sort one piece at a time and I’m here to help every step of the way.”

Looking ahead, Darcy’s travel bucket list is even more robust.

She has plans to sail Royal Caribbean for the first time this spring, return to Disneyland with her daughter, and explore even more options abroad.

“Our 30th wedding anniversary is coming up next year and I’m busy studying possible European river cruise itineraries to celebrate the big occasion,” she said.

For Darcy, joining Magical Vacations Travel was not only a way to build on her passion for all-things Disney.

It opened new opportunities for her to learn, explore, and share her experiences with clients, family, friends and other agents.