Disney

In September I went to the Travel Exchange #TIX15 in Orlando, FL.   Even though I was at the conference I did find time to explore a bit at Disney.
Key points:  When you are going to Disney definitely stay at one of their hotels.  One reason they include transportation from the hotel to the parks, you do not pay for parking and you are dropped at the entrance .  I rode them and they are quite efficient my favorite was the ferries.  Another reason the various parks open early or stay open later for their guests.  However if they have a special function such as Mikey's spookfest that is not covered in your pass and you really want to go.  Purchase that ticket early.  If it sells out there is nothing you can do!  I will be going back to Disney again and will explore it further for you.

The exchanged offered a number of different avenues for learning along with a supplier trade show.  As with all profession it is important to stay current with the latest travel trends, meet new suppliers and rekindle relationships with existing suppliers.   I was able to sit down and talk about what they offered that was new, tried and true and along with the travelers safety. 

Your safety is on our mind. Why because we do not want to send you to an area that is not safe.  So when I meet with a supplier from a new destination I ask them about your safety.  Of coarse, I do let them know that I do not believe everything I see in the news and that here in the USA safety is questionable also.  This opens up a dialog between us so that I can better answer your questions.  I asked this question with a young man from Thailand, especially after the bombing recently.  He stated that they do have radical groups in their country.  However they tend to stay more in the big cities and not the tourist areas or the main portion of the country.  When I was in Colombia they were quite open about their history.  They stated that they do have areas that they would recommend avoiding but the main tourist areas are safe and they want visitors. Having visited it I do totally agree the people are amazing and very welcoming.

What travelers tend to forget when they travel is that YOU need to be vigilant.  This is true whether you are in the USA or any country.  My experience was the second time I went to Hawaii I had my purse stolen.  Why because I did not want to carry it up Diamond Head.  Was this Hawaii fault NO it was mine.  I would not have left my purse in the car here in Wisconsin or Illinois but felt the need to do it while traveling.  ​

In coming issues I will tell you about some of the very interesting suppliers and destination that I discovered at #TiX2015.
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