For parents, especially those with small children, going on vacation can sometimes seem like a chore. A vacation is supposed to be time away from work and full of fun, however, the labor of parenting doesn’t stop just because you’re in an exciting and new place. Sometimes you even return from vacation feeling like you need a second vacation!
Jeron Traphagan knows this struggle firsthand. As a mom of three boys ages 7, 3 and 2 — and pregnant with her fourth child — she was stressed trying to manage her and her family’s expectations for her upcoming trip to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL. She had planned to buffer the fun at the Disney parks with lowkey days in between, likely at the hotel pool or in the room to ensure both parents and kids had an enjoyable vacation.
Fortunately, Jeron and her husband Zach, found themselves on one of the best vacations they’ve ever taken as a family, and Jeron says it’s largely due to the authorized Disney Vacation Planning Agency and travel agents at Kansas City-based Magic Mouse Travel.
“I’ve always thought about taking the boys to Disney,” says Jeron. “I probably didn’t have the best mindset going into Disney — I was preparing myself for a very chaotic, not restful, Zach-and-I needing-a-vacation-when-we-got-home [trip]. I was just preparing myself for that based on what everyone else was saying about Disney with kids but I will say I was totally proven wrong. It was one of the best weeks of our lives.”
Jeron worked with founder Maralee Striker and the team at Magic Mouse Travel, who helped them plan every facet of their trip. This was their entire family’s first trip to Disney and Jeron felt overwhelmed with conflicting information on all of the different parks, hotels, rides, packages and more. She was especially overwhelmed knowing two of her small children wouldn’t be able to ride all of the attractions and wanted to make sure everyone was entertained while waiting.
Maralee worked with Jeron to tailor their 6-day trip to their family, making sure there were things for all the kids to do and ensuring it was at the pace their family liked to travel.
“It was amazing,” says Jeron. “A lot of that, to be honest, I feel is because I didn’t have the weight on me with the planning. The [Magic Mouse Travel] agents already know what’s good there and what’s not a must-do experience so we didn’t have any disappointments as far as restaurants go or not getting on certain rides.”
The travel agency’s complimentary services included an initial interview followed by a questionnaire that asked about what characters, rides, shows and food the adults and kids liked. It asked if they liked to eat a big breakfast or have breakfast on the go, if the kids could stay up late — even asking what time they preferred to book their airline tickets.
The Magic Mouse Travel complimentary services also included booking all reservations including their hotel, park tickets, transportation, dining and airfare. Prior to travel, Jeron received a perfectly customized itinerary that detailed everything. Maralee also went over the itinerary and park maps with Jeron in a video chat before they left, highlighting all the rides they’d want to hit, the restaurants they’d be visiting and how to get around most efficiently.
The mental load of parenting can be a lot, but because Magic Mouse Travel planned all of these vacation aspects for Jeron, she could focus her efforts on packing and didn’t feel stressed about potentially forgetting something — Magic Mouse Travel also provided a packing list.
She even had enough energy to plan a special scavenger hunt for her boys to tell them that they were going to Disney. This was a magical moment that she wouldn’t have been able to give her kids if she’d been busy booking reservations and researching theme parks.
Jeron learned that most vacation destinations, including Disney World, already include pricing that covers compensating a travel facilitator regardless if you use one or not. This is how companies like Magic Mouse Travel can offer their services on a complimentary basis. Magic Mouse Travel, a subsidiary of Striker Travel Group, was established to help guests work through the mire of Disney vacation packages, and now offers travel services to worldwide destinations including cruises, all-inclusives, Europe and beyond. If you can dream it, they send you there.
Knowing that their travel planning services were included in the trip cost was the icing on the cake. “Even if it did cost extra, it was worth it for me,” says Jeron. “That’s how much it took off of my plate.”
In the end, the Traphagan’s vacation was so enjoyable that they didn’t even buffer in rest days and even stayed an extra day.
“We had thought we were going to do rest days in between the parks [because] we were going to be so exhausted,” Jeron says. “[But] we had so much fun we did a park every single day, which, looking back — it's just crazy.”
Thanks to the team at Magic Mouse Travel and the agent services of Maralee, Jeron’s family had a magical and memorable trip — one where even mom could feel like a kid again.
If you’re interested in booking your trip with Magic Mouse Travel to Disney and beyond, you can reach them info@magicmousetravel.com or by calling 913-708-DSNY. Mention “Lifestyle” to receive a gift card when booking a trip or cruise.
"It was one of the best weeks of our lives.”