Advisor Spotlight: Darcy Roy
This week we're spotlighting Darcy Roy, one of our advisors specializing in Disney destinations, cruises, and Universal trips for families with young children, based in New Hampshire. A hairstylist turned travel professional, Darcy learned early on that packing a Disney day morning to night can backfire, so she now builds breathing room into every itinerary she plans. Get to know the advisor behind the trip, and the lesson she's learned that makes every family vacation feel less like a checklist.
Things I Wish I Would Have Known: I Didn’t Have to Give Up Being a Theme Park Foodie
Rachel Badowski has always planned her Disney vacations around what she's going to eat, from EPCOT festival booths to menu items she's been eyeing for months. When she had bariatric surgery, she wondered if that part of her would have to change. What she found instead was a more intentional way to enjoy the parks: smaller bites throughout the day, a running list organized by park, and just as much excitement for the next new snack.
Advisor Spotlight: Aly Anderson
Aly Anderson grew up chasing summers—visiting an uncle stationed wherever the Army sent him, exploring Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and spending afternoons with her grandmother at Walt Disney World. This week, we're featuring Aly, one of our advisors specializing in military-family travel and families who've served, and talking with her about the career change that brought her from the classroom to Goofy Getaways. Three years in, she's just as likely to be planning a grandchild's first Disney trip as she is untangling a tricky Universal itinerary.
What I Wish I Knew Before Going to New Orleans For the First Time
Bourbon Street at night is loud, crowded, and full of surprises — mostly the $5 kind. New Orleans in the daylight is something else entirely, and Travel Advisor Aly Anderson is sharing everything she wishes she'd known before her first trip, from swamp tours with alligators up close to the best beignets in the French Quarter.
Advisor Spotlight: Noddea Skidmore
This week we're getting to know Noddea Skidmore, a Grand Rapids-based advisor marking five years with Goofy Getaways. She's one of our advisors specializing in LGBTQIA+ travelers, bestie getaways, couples, and festival-loving crews. In her Q&A, she shares the pandemic-era journaling workshop that first pointed her toward this career, the ticketing mistake she still remembers from her very first weeks on the job, and the $10 packing tool she now never travels without.
Royal Beach Club Nassau: Is the Ultimate Beach Day Worth the Splurge?
When Katie Lewis's family got off the ship in Nassau, they decided to splurge on a private beach cabana at Royal Caribbean's Royal Beach Club Paradise Island — and it changed the whole day. From food and drinks delivered right to their spot to a quiet corner of Paradise Beach with room for the whole group, she's sharing exactly why the splurge was worth it, and what to know before you book your own day pass.
What I Wish I Would Have Known Before Traveling With My Kids For the First Time
Before she had kids, travel was easy for Lauren Levesque — pick a destination, book it, go. Three kids and a lot of trial and error later, she's learned that the best family vacations are the ones planned around the family you actually have, right now. In this post, our advisor Lauren shares the lessons that took her years to learn, from sensory-friendly trip planning to giving herself permission to travel without her kids too.
Advisor Spotlight: Aaron Guest
This week on the blog, we're sitting down with Aaron Guest, one of our advisors specializing in serving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing travelers — he's an ASL interpreter and a former Disney and Universal Cast Member who also loves planning for multigenerational families, couples, and travelers who build a trip around great food and festivals. Aaron fell in love with Walt Disney World at eight years old, and two years into his time with Goofy Getaways, he says his favorite part of the job is still watching a family realize their trip was actually built around them. Read on for his favorite type of vacation to plan, his best piece of travel advice, and the Italy trip that changed how he plans every itinerary.
Splurges We Think Are Worth It: Club Level at Walt Disney World and Disneyland
Club Level doesn't make sense for every Disney trip. But when the fit is right, it changes how the whole vacation feels. Advisors Michele Randle and Allie Jennings break down what you're actually paying for — from the Mickey cinnamon rolls at breakfast to a quiet lounge to unwind in after a long park day — and help you decide if the splurge is worth it for your family.
What I Wish I Would Have Known Before my First RunDisney Race
Before her first RunDisney race weekend, Amy Fisher had no idea she'd be trading a lazy park morning for a 2am wake-up and a dark bus ride to the start line. Years and countless medals later, she's sharing the details she wishes someone had told her from the start, from picking the right resort to knowing exactly where the course photographers are stationed. Consider this your head start on mile one.
Advisor Spotlight - Lauren Levesque
Meet Lauren Levesque — a wife, mom of three, and Travel Advisor who understands firsthand that traveling as a family is never as simple as picking a pretty resort. Here's her story, and the advice she gives every traveler.
What I Wish Someone Told Me Before Taking My First International Trip: Paris Edition
Jess thought she was ready for her first trip to Paris — lists made, pastry spots researched, her suitcase packed and repacked twice. What she wasn't ready for was everything nobody tells you until you're standing in it, from checking your passport expiration date early to why a genuine "bonjour" changes how you're treated as a visitor. Jess shares the lessons she now passes on to every client planning a first trip abroad, including the wave of vertigo that sent her looking for a Parisian pharmacy.
Five Things You Need to Do Before Planning Your 2027 Vacation
2027 might sound far away, but if travel is on your radar for next year, now's the time to start thinking about what you want that trip to look like. Lauren walks through five things to figure out before you even pick a destination.
Cruise itineraries – how to figure out where you want to go
Picking your cruise line and ship might feel like step one, but the real starting point is your itinerary — where the ship actually goes. Once you know whether you want beach days, adventure-filled ports, or an itinerary that's basically a floating resort, everything else gets a lot easier to choose. Greg Pryor breaks down exactly what to think through before you book.
Splurges We Think Are Worth It - Universal Orlando edition
Universal Orlando makes it easy to add extras to your vacation — but which ones are actually worth the money? Our travel advisors break down the splurges we think are worth it for almost every guest.
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Visiting SeaWorld Orlando
SeaWorld Orlando surprised our advisor Caryn the first time she visited — it turned out to be far more than aquariums and dolphin shows, with coasters like Mako holding their own against anything else in Orlando. In this post, she shares ten things she wishes she'd known beforehand, from what the All-Day Dining Deal actually covers to how Aquatica and Discovery Cove can stretch one day into a full vacation. It's a great read for any family weighing thrill rides against a slower, more relaxing day together.
Advisor Feature - Jessica Hobart-Collis
Jess traded a semester of clinical social work training for two rounds as a Disney Cast Member, and she never quite left the parks behind. Three years into building her own brand, Jess Visits the Castle, she still lights up most over international itineraries, calling the planning "a really fun puzzle." This week, meet the advisor who plans embarkation days for a living and still missed her own luggage drop-off on her first Disney cruise.
WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE MY FIRST VIRGIN VOYAGES CRUISE
Before her first Virgin Voyages sailing, Noddea Skidmore had heard all the rumors: swingers cruise, non-stop partying, no place for a two-books-in-her-bag kind of gal. What she found instead was a ship full of people from every walk of life, a thermal spa she never wanted to leave, and a Scarlet Night party she'd dress for even from the sidelines. Read her real, first-timer take, four pro tips included, before you book your own Voyage.
Advisor Spotlight - Amy Fisher
Every Goofy Getaways trip is planned by a real person — and this week, meet Amy Fisher. She's been with the team since 2018, and she's sharing her path into travel planning, her RunDisney obsession, and the advice she gives every traveler who asks.
Disney World Splurges We Feel Are Worth It
Disney World can be expensive, so when it comes to the extras, you want to know which ones are actually worth it. Becca breaks down the splurges she thinks are worth the money — and the ones you can skip.