As a business, when I post on my Facebook page or in this Blog, I am doing so to pass along useful information and/or also to promote an offer. I don't post false information and I make sure my information is verifiable. If it clearly is a rumor or opinion, I will make sure that is know. If I post a tip as useful information, I don't get paid for it. It shows that I do indeed have useful/helpful information and am beneficial to hire for your travel needs. That's right you are hiring me, not the other way around. I am very upfront on how I get paid and do my best to not Nickel and Dime people on things that carry no value to you as my client. My Travel Agency is 100% based commission, I don't see you as a sales goal or dollar signs when you contact me. I see you as a person that wants assistance in travel and I will help you mesh out the details and book your travel for you. I will stand by you as advocate, wealth of information, and many of my clients become friends in process.
I have a unique perspective and insight when it comes to travel. Not only am I the owner of this travel agency , I also work as supervisor for legacy airline and get to see travel trends real time and what they are trending to in the future( more on that shortly). Mix that with my travel experience and get a pretty resourceful person. I do my best to manage expectations on real information, but like everything in life, I don't make the rules(sometimes shake my heads at the rules) or the terms and conditions for my suppliers or businesses I work with or book with. I do however work within the suppliers rules and terms/conditions they set forth. If they have something vague, I will respectfully challenge it for clarification and do what I can for you as a client based on what my Suppliers will allow. My last challenge was a with cruise line that posted contradictory policies and applied those policies differently to clients on the same cruise. I went pretty far up the food chain in that company to get the issue resolved and it took over the course of a week to make it happen.( yes this verifiable and if those clients wish to make it known they are more than welcome to). I am guy that normally doesn't like to toot his own horn and let my clients do that for me in the form of testimonials or recommending me to their friends. I am fortunate to work for several client over the course of many vacations because they know if I can't help them or if they are better off booking something on their own, I will honestly let them know.(yep, I don't make a penny on doing that).
As you may have seen, I posted about Spring Break 2021 and even more recently important information about the Park Reservation System at Disney and what has been trending at Universal Orlando based on facts. This is what is happening in real time thrown in with what is trending forward. Things are changing quickly, just like they did a year ago this week last March 2020, when the world shut down. Travel right now is not a set in stone and planned months ahead as it has been. MANY people are booking 2 to 3 Weeks out(some even days out) either because they have been vaccinated and feel ready to travel or are weighing their risk to see if they are willing to travel. This poses very unique challenges on many fronts but most importantly of WILL YOU LOSE MONEY if you are not able to travel or if something closes. What you see available today or 5 Minutes from now may not be available when you look again. More so the closer you get to peak travel periods, like Spring Break time. Right now for a lot of travel we are past full payment date for Spring Breaks and that means NO REFUNDS no matter how much you complain, yell, stomp your feet, act Karenish, or bully an employee or manager. Sorry, it's in the those terms and conditions that you agree to and many people don't read or understand. Travel insurance can help, but there are even more terms and conditions you have meet for that to happen.
So forward thinking based on FACTS and trends I see in real time through the airline industry and travel industry.
DisneyWorld and Universal Orlando(along with other places of entertainment and theme parks) for the foreseeable future WILL have Limited Capacities until the COVID Pandemic ends. Those capacities are either mandated by Local,State,or Federal Governments,also Disney or Universal can decide to limit capacity to a level less than what the Government mandates. Hence the Park Reservation system is active until at all of 2021 and 2022 at Disneyworld and take the guessing game out f you can get in. Universal on the other hand..... Just show as early as possible and hope for the best. Over at Disney with that level playing field, YOU MUST have a reservation to enter the parks based on the Ticket type(off site ticket only, on-site ticket package, or annual pass) to get in. As the pandemic continues, it is becoming more rare for a person to show up at the gate and be able to purchase their ticket then walk in to a park. This EXTREMELY factual for peak periods of travel. Do not cheat the system by trying to get in on a different ticket type, you will be disappointed with the end result.
As stated several time before on my facebook page, Just because you have a ticket, that does not guarantee you entry. Be sure to read the terms and conditions when you purchase your tickets or package. If you arrive and cannot get in because you don't have your park reservation, don't blame Disney or Universal( well maybe Universal because you are playing the odds since there is no reservation system). Don't blame your travel agent(unless they didn't impress upon you that you need reservations....I keep a paper trail).
Here are some pics of what March 2021 and April 2021 looks like currently for Disney as of March 9th 2021. Remember this can change quickly and as you can see if it is yellow, 1 or more park is not available for entry.
I hope you find my post informative and useful. I hope the information helps in showing the advantages of using a travel agency over booking on your own or at a travel "discount" website(remember you get what you pay for). I do offer information that can and will be politely blunt to manage expectations. I would hate for you show up some place and have the Mouse, Moose or Minion out front tell you the park is closed leading to you to lose a lot money and full of disappointment.
Thanks for being here and continuing to support Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations!
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