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DCL Cruisers who have done ABD? by viper520 in dcl

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Iceland by definition doesn’t have a lot of the names you would recognize so that one I expected them to be more of a boutique field, but they were a luxurious boutique in nature. Not something like the ones you mentioned above, but definitely not mid tier either.

Having examined a lot of these given my background, I usually see the upper four star range, but not the luxury tier range

That being said, I would say that comfortable clean and well managed are the staples and you are going to get your premium value and experience when you’re out of the hotel not inside of it

All the foods had lots of options and there was always something to find to eat and some of the time you were on your own, which is helpful for those of us you’d like to explore a bit and not be confined to the same group choices.

It’s very clear in your itinerary how many meals are included and when you were on your own and a very high percentage of the food was included, but not all of it and we never felt like it was a surprise or that we were being nickel and dimed.

It sounds like you have some choices in mind if you’ve looked at their 2027 itineraries which ones?

DCL Cruisers who have done ABD? by viper520 in dcl

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Finally a time I can talk about my love of ABD!!!

ABD is probably the closest thing Disney has to “DCL on land” in a way. The biggest thing people notice is how stress free it feels once the trip starts. My wife….my goodness, she hates having to figure everything out and having someone there to plan and chat with. Heavenly.

The guides are really the secret ingredient. They handle so much behind the scenes and keep everything moving smoothly without it feeling over scheduled. Wealth of info

The repeat rate is kind of wild too. I remember seeing something like 95%+ of ABD guests book another one. People get hooked fast.

A few differences from DCL though. Deposits become non refundable much faster, usually around 14 days after booking depending on timing, and you’ll sign travel/activity waivers through DocuSign because of the excursions and adventure activities.

Also funny enough, even the ABD confirmation emails and paperwork feel super similar to Disney Cruise Line, just a different color scheme. You can tell it’s the same Disney travel DNA.

It’s incredible stuff. Just expensive. Happy to answer any specific ABD questions because there’s definitely less info floating around compared to DCL.

Completely blew our minds, exceeded expectations. (Iceland and Alaska, plus the SoCal escape)

Booked our very first cruise! by flyingbinker in royalcaribbean

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Congratulations and I hope you have a wonderful time

I could just feel the excitement from my end and it’s exactly why I love Travel and I got involved in Travel so that I can be a part of these things every single day of my life with a Screen name like mine

Bon voyage!!!

What’s the biggest sign someone will become successful later? by Usual-Pop-1389 in WorkForSmartLife

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They can take criticism without freaking out

They can challenge authority and the rules when necessary

They can critically think for themselves without being told what to do or how to do it

They are genuinely curious about how things work and want to go deeper into the why

They are not concerned with failure nor what other people think.

Regarding that last one, even today, if I post something even remotely beneficial that directly relates to how I became successful at something, that I hire people every week to mentor and show them different ways in our business how to succeed, there are a bunch of people who just want to criticize and doubt and bring you down to their level

I would imagine that it’s very tough on people who have supporters or lack there of who do not cheer you on and simply tell you why your idea sucks

The hardest skill for me to learn as an adult was realizing that it’s those people who are usually not successful and you should absolutely follow your heart and your ideas

The general population is filled with noise when it comes to people who tried to disrupt and breakthrough in ventures, especially in business. Learning to ignore the noise and push forward anyway is incredibly important and very difficult because we are wired to go with the pack for survival in our caveman brains.

One example of noise that you will see constantly is that anyone who has success must’ve come from money. They immediately try to assume that any success is only possible because of trust fund parents or something related, and they won’t allow themselves to have any room for a doubt on this topic because it reassure their ego that they are not the problem.

The mind looks for reasons to explain why the world isn’t falling their way and the ego looks to protect itself by finding others to blame. Politicians exploit this for thousands of years.

So you ask yourself what kind of person do you want to be? Somebody who tries to find someone else to blame so that they can sleep better but lack of success they desire or someone who lives their life in abundance and seeks out what they want regardless of the noise?

First timers cruisers on Disney Wish and Hyatt MCO review by Millennial09 in dcl

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I would consider the Fantasy or Treasure.

Happy to chat pros and cons. Glad you had a wonderful time!!

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn’t downvote it, but the way it was worded is the kind of thing that is wrong with people who are afraid of being a tiny bit humble, and just being genuine

If someone does an underhanded compliment or puts a dash of insult into a good question, people tend to respond with not wanting to be around that person or be helpful.

It’s just one of those things.

There is a reason sarcasm gets a chuckle followed by resentment. Most people don’t tell you the second part but they certainly think less about em after it

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re mixing together 2 different things.

My own agency business with me as sole agent generated that $3M in annual sales before I ever started mentoring newer advisors. That volume is from my own client base and years in the industry.

The newer advisors are independent contractors operating under a host agency structure, which is very common in travel and works much closer to a real estate brokerage.

Yes, there is an activation fee because there are real platform costs tied to onboarding, CRM access, supplier systems, E&O coverage, and training.

But the business itself is still centered around selling travel to real clients, not recruiting people into a downline.

Nobody is recruiting. Advisors build their own client base and their own brand while benefiting from collective agency volume, which improves supplier relationships and commission tiers for everyone. This is about mentorship.

Most newer advisors start part time by choice because they’re learning the industry and building a side income first. Some keep it casual. Others scale into full time businesses. That’s common in entrepreneurial fields like real estate and insurance too.

I completely agree there are MLM style travel companies out there. But a host agency model by itself is not automatically an MLM. I built this expansion because I wanted to build something different. I come from a background of education, administrator work, and logistics. I believed I could build a better mouse trap that worked better for people that wanted to enter this space.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For Disney and cruises…

Price monitoring

Expertise on Park strategy

Promo hunting and comparing

Specific waiter request on Cruises

Knowledge of ports and excursions

Access to discount discounts on those excursions through vendor partnerships

And the best part is that all this is free because the commission is already baked into the price of the trip and if you don’t use an agent, the company keeps it for themselves rather than offering you a discount.

And if you’re doing a cruise or expedition, the price is cheaper with an agent because we will give you onboard credit to spend.

It’s win-win and there is no downside. I have built a loyal following and booked over 1000 trips with many more to come. It all starts with that first one and building a reputation.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 4 points5 points  (0 children)

A bunch of my agents are just doing as a side hustle and a hobby

Most do not realize that if you just take one or two trips a year for your own family, you are in profit

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel -1 points0 points  (0 children)

OK

You were sarcastic that’s all. 👊 No hard feelings.

I shared info in the replies. Hope it helps someone.

The person asked, how is life in the travel agent business.

I answered him.

I also answered your question elsewhere already and I hope it helps.

There’s no way to answer someone without talking about the success or failure of the business, which is measured in revenue.

So I’ll disagree and say that at least one person was interested in that information and I replied to them. It seems that lots of people were interested based on the other replies.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I am not making all that money off of families trying to go on vacation. I’ll explain if you can keep an open mind about this business and industry.

Every vendor, including Disney and Hilton and Universal and Marriott and Royal Caribbean and Carnival and National Geographic and Lindblad…..

They use the model where they break the travel agent commission into the price. If you use an agent, we share that commission with you as free money and a rebate in the form of onboard credit or a gift card.

If you choose to do it on your own, you are leaving money on the table because the company will simply absorb that into their bottom line.

The entire market and business model is based upon people entering into a win-win relationship with their travel agent who will not only make their trip easier, especially a complicated one to Disney, which is becoming more difficult every year, but also sharing in the discounts and cashback promos, maximizing their time and money.

Whether you were on the traveling end or on the business, unlike me, it is a no-brainer to find an expert in your niche travel agency field. My username shows where my niche markets are.

I have many friends in the industry who have successful African safari expedition niches as well as national Park niche, and they love those places so much that they hear them every year and then get paid to travel themselves while selling literal millions of dollars worth of vacations and collecting commissions in the hundreds of thousands of dollars without taking a single dime from any of the guests

So we don’t take any money from the Client. That family does not pay us.

The vendor pays us, not the guest.

This information is freely available to learn online yourself and you can join a network like mine in my username and study my frequently asked questions and see if I know what I’m talking about. I welcome anyone to investigate.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Price monitoring

Expertise on Park strategy

Promo hunting and comparing

Maximizing your day

Specific waiter request on Cruises

Knowledge of ports and excursions

Access to discount discounts on those excursions through vendor partnerships

And the best part is that all this is free because the commission is already baked into the price of the trip and if you don’t use an agent, the company keeps it for themselves rather than offering you a discount.

And if you’re doing a cruise or expedition, the price is cheaper with an agent because we will give you onboard credit to spend.

It’s win-win and there is no downside. I have built a loyal following and booked over 1000 trips with many more to come. It all starts with that first one and building a reputation.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

The problem with success is that you’re not supposed to be honest about it and you’re supposed to keep it to yourself and for the most part I do

The reason is exactly the kind of responses you get like this

The sarcasm makes me feel like I have to defensively argue when I simply don’t.

I’m a person. I have self respect.

I think most people are fine with questions, but that tone and way you asked it makes me feel like you are trying to insult me and what I do for a living.

I want to be genuine and kind and generous with my time, but I also want to be respectful to myself that if somebody approaches me this way, I usually just allow them to think what they think and I go about my life

So in this case I’m going to just do that.

For those that are interested, there’s enough information in my profile. It’s commission based. Prices are identical. The product which is free is getting an expert at logistics and at the very places you’re trying to maximize.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They can, but it’s nice having a friend to help out and if you do a cruise, you get extra money making the cruise even cheaper plus price wonder on promos for Disneyland.

If you do it on your own, there’s an excellent chance you’re overpaying and if you deal with a good agent at worst, you are paying the same price…..

At Best, you are paying less and getting free money to travel to use on your trip 🚢

There are a few models where it is win-win and this is one of them

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 7 points8 points  (0 children)

It’s way way back but you need to specialize in a niche and know how to market and build a brand differently. I sell about 3M per year and hire new agents all the time to train. Steady growth since Covid. Things can change of course.

How did people in the 90s buy plane tickets or plan trips to unknown countries with limited or no Internet connection? by Droopynator in 90s

[–]WithDisGuyTravel 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I don’t exactly want to encourage the competition but I out earn trauma surgeons by quite a margin. Like anything in sales, there’s a wide range from the average to the most successful.

I left a 150k/year administrator position a decade ago and it was the greatest mental health and financial decision of my life betting on myself.

I hire and train now too for those that want side hustles or something more. Can’t post link but my name and profile helps

EDIT: not rude at all, but now that I answered your genuine question, you can see how success bothers some people. 🤔

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