Discover the magic and artistry of Disney's Epcot festivals as we share our favorite memories from each of the festivals. Later in the show, we are joined by Betty from Kingdom and Cruise Travel, a Disney travel expert who sprinkles her planning magic to ensure each Disney adventure is nothing short of extraordinary.
Epcot hosts a series of vibrant festivals throughout the year, each celebrating unique themes focused on art, food, and culture. We discuss the highlights of these festivals, including interactive experiences, culinary delights, and insightful entertainment that create unforgettable memories for all visitors.
• Overview of Epcot's annual festivals
• Details on the International Festival of the Arts
• Highlights of the Flower and Garden Festival
• Culinary experiences at the Food and Wine Festival
• Festive traditions at the International Festival of Holidays
To wrap up the show, Betty from Kingdom and Cruise Travel shares her secrets to crafting unforgettable Disney vacations. With her keen eye for detail and a treasure trove of tips, she helps families unlock special experiences and hidden gems within Disney’s vast offerings. Whether it’s snagging that coveted dining reservation or planning a seamless itinerary, Betty’s dedication ensures your Disney journey is filled with magic and lasting memories. Get ready to transform your next Disney adventure into a truly enchanting experience.
- Facebook Page for Betty
- Facebook Group with Betty from Kingdom and Cruise Travel
- Betty Plans Vacations TikTok
- Disney Festival breakdown by the Disney Food Blog
High quality, clean baby gear delivered right to your resort while on your Disney Vacation.
Use the code "dislove10" to save 10%!
Where In the Park game packs are fun & challenging for anyone who knows the parks and for newbies.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
For all the latest news about our episodes follow us on Instagram @dislovewithvanessaandkris or on YouTube.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Vanessa Ferguson (00:27):
Welcome to the Dis Love Podcast with Vanessa
and Kris.
I'm Vanessa Ferguson.
Kris Johns (00:30):
And I'm Kris Johns.
Vanessa Ferguson (00:31):
We would like to welcome you to show number
156.
And for any listeners joiningus for the first time, our show
features things we love atDisney and in each episode we
have a guest who creates Disneymagic for our listeners at home
or on their Disney vacations.
From vacation planners toproduct producers, our guests
can bring Disney magic into yourlife and we like to say thank
you to all of you for beingaround for us as we are back
(00:55):
after our short break and as areminder to our listeners,
because it's been a while, makesure to leave us a review on
apple podcasts or any otherplatform where you listen.
That helps new listeners findthe show and, of course, helps
the show grow.
We've had a lot of goodlistenership over our short
break, so we appreciate that andwe love to give shout outs to
people who've given us a reviewof any of the past episodes, and
(01:17):
we always appreciate you takingtime to do that Before we get
started.
Kris, you have a message for us.
Kris Johns (01:23):
I sure do, and it's from our friends Kevin and
Amanda at Wear in the Park.
If you think you know Disney orWorld, think again, because
Kevin and Amanda have puttogether an awesome product
which allows you to create anynormal trip once another Disney
trip into a brand new experience.
They have a product that allowsyou to create immersive
(01:44):
experience.
It's a scavenger hunt game pack, and what's cool about this is
that number one you're going toget your steps in, so why not
put those steps to good use tofinding the next clue?
And what's awesome is not onlydo they have parks in Orlando,
but coming soon, includingDahlia Wood and King's Dominion.
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(02:06):
order.
And what's even awesome, moreawesome.
Can anything be more awesome,vanessa?
Vanessa Ferguson (02:10):
I think there can be something.
Kris Johns (02:12):
Well, let's add one more awesome to that.
We're going to be meeting Kevinand Amanda when Vanessa and I
and our family go to Disney, andit's going to be wonderful
because we're going to see them.
Maybe they can do a littlescavenger challenge and we'll
put it to the test, because Idon't know Disney and it'd be
funny if maybe they had I don'tknow Disney, so you might get us
.
But again we're in the park,kevin and Amanda.
Vanessa Ferguson (02:34):
And we met Kevin in Orlando at House and
Mouse Expo, so we missed Amandaat their booth.
Kris Johns (02:39):
So we're excited for that.
Vanessa Ferguson (02:51):
And so check the link in the show notes.
This commercial is over On tothe show.
And now, today we are reallyexcited to be back with all of
you and we are going to betalking about some of the really
cool festivals that happenthroughout Walt Disney World.
And really throughout reallymeans one place, but we're going
to be talking about that alittle bit later.
We have talked about this inthe past, but I thought it's the
early in the year.
We're in the midst of the firstfestival, so we're going to
look at all of those.
They bring a whole level ofenchantment to the park and, of
(03:12):
course, those festivals arebased at our or rather I'd say
my favorite park.
Which park is that, Kris?
Kris Johns (03:19):
Magic.
Vanessa Ferguson (03:20):
Kingdom.
He was just saying that to makeme mad.
He knows my favorite park isEpcot Magic Kingdom.
He was just saying that to makeme mad.
Kris Johns (03:25):
He knows, my favorite park is Epcot Magic
Kingdom.
Vanessa Ferguson (03:28):
Well, and then later on today's show we will
be joined by Betty.
She has been on our show before.
It's been a little over a yearsince we had Betty on the show.
She is a Disney travel expertfrom Kingdom and Cruise Travel.
Not only does she plan yourtrip like she handles the
logistics, but she really makesit a memorable experience for
you and your family.
(03:49):
She helps really focus oncreating those lifelong memories
and looking at all those littledetails, and she will make sure
that your family has a greatexperience and that you're going
to be doing it the best way tofit your needs.
And one of the best things isher services are absolutely free
.
But before we get to our talkwith Betty and our chance to
(04:12):
revisit with her, we are goingto be talking about all of the
awesome festivals that takeplace at Epcot, and right now we
are, right at the beginning ofFebruary we are still in the
midst of Epcot InternationalFestival of the Arts.
We were actually there for thefirst year of the festival.
We experienced one of the firstdays and I'm sure Kris does not
remember this.
Kris Johns (04:32):
I do not.
Vanessa Ferguson (04:33):
We were there for my aunt's birthday one time
and in early January we had achance to check it out.
As the name shows, the festivalis all things artistic it's
visual arts, culinary arts andperforming arts.
It's in January and February,so if you do get a chance to go
earlier in the year, it kicksoff right around right after
(04:57):
Marathon Weekend, like we werethere around Marathon Weekend
and we caught the very beginningof the festival.
And it's super cool becausethey have all kinds of really
neat art installations.
When we were there we saw anartist who did I think he mostly
did the Fab Five, but we got towatch him create a Mickey
painting.
Live Our good friends Linda andSheldon.
(05:18):
She always posts some reallycool pictures of going to the
festival and one of the things Ilove that they always check out
is there's some super coolimmersive chalk art.
Like you stand in it and itlooks like you're in like a Mary
Poppins picture.
That's awesome, yeah.
So that's a super cool thing.
And one of the things that Ithink is even more awesome is
(05:38):
that you can be a part of thatart.
One of the things they have isa paint by number mural and at
least when we did it, you got aspot to paint the littlest
square.
It was.
I feel like it was maybe one byone, but it could have been
bigger, but throughout thefestival people are able to
contribute to this giant pieceof artwork.
So that's super cool.
(05:59):
And one thing that I think ourgood friend Mike would love is
they have Disney on Broadwayconcert series.
So if you know the Epcotfestivals, they always feature
different types of concerts andthe Festival of the Arts has
Broadway artists.
And if I looked at the list,I'm sure our friend Mike would
know most of the names.
Kris Johns (06:17):
Oh, he definitely would.
Vanessa Ferguson (06:19):
So the cool thing is that they have live
performances from Broadway starsthat sing songs from those
Disney productions.
So it's super cool.
I will say we did not get tosee any of the Broadway artists,
but we've had some of ourfriends, including Linda, post
some videos of some of thedifferent artists and that is
one thing that is really awesome.
(06:39):
They do have some coolthroughout festival.
They'll have food that is likeartistic and I know we got some
where it was like a palette andyou got to paint your your one
food.
They always usually have asuper cool figment pop popcorn
bucket, which is awesome,usually with colorful popcorn.
(07:00):
So it's just a fun way to kickoff the year, especially.
I mean I wouldn't say thatthere's really no slow time of
year at Disney anymore, but thisis a little bit of a slower
time of year and you canexperience some new things.
So that is the InternationalFestival of the Arts.
Then we move into guess what itstarts with.
We had International Festivalof the Arts.
(07:21):
What do you think the secondfestival starts with?
Kris Johns (07:23):
National Festival of the Arts Close.
You think the second festivalstarts with.
Vanessa Ferguson (07:24):
National Festival of the Arts.
Close, close, but it'sInternational Flower and Garden
Festival, Wow.
So I guess of course the WorldShowcase.
Kris Johns (07:33):
Let's just say they went to Mars.
Wouldn't it have to beintergalactic then after that?
Vanessa Ferguson (07:39):
I guess technically it is intergalactic
because you have mission spaceand you have some of the rides
in Future World.
But that is a good point.
So you have the Flower andGarden Festival and this one
starts in March, right aroundour anniversary, which is March.
Our anniversary is March 3rd.
That's not always the date ofthe festival, but it does start
(07:59):
around our anniversary and itruns right up until the 4th of
July, usually right before the4th of July, and it of course
celebrates.
There's so many beautifultopiaries.
I love to go and look at thetopiaries We've gotten.
We got great pictures at ourwedding and at our vow renewal
and when we did our four parkchallenge last year.
(08:21):
It's super cool to see thetopiaries, that of all the
different Disney characters, andthen, of course, they have
garden displays throughout thepark and one of the nice things
is there will be special eventsabout gardening and special
speakers and different thingslike that.
So it's super fun to be able tolearn a little.
(08:42):
Don't have a green thumb.
I mean I don't think I killthings very easily.
I mean we have some plants inour house that have been around
since before we got married, butI also wouldn't say that we
have a green thumb no no.
So it is neat, though, to seeall of the gardens and some of
the displays that they have fromdifferent companies, and they
(09:04):
have a lot of the outdoorkitchens, and they will feature
like fresh things, like there'llbe a Florida citrus one, and
there was one all about honeylast year, and when we went to
one of the after hours events itwas during flowering garden, so
you got a chance to get food atthe different sessions or
different booths.
(09:24):
So that's really nice, and oneof the things that is super cool
about this is you had theBroadway concert series in the
Festival of the Arts During thistime, you had the Garden Rocks
concert series, and all of theseare at the American Pavilion,
which is, of course, where wegot married, so it's always
special to go and hear thedifferent musicians.
(09:45):
We've heard quite a few duringFlower and Garden.
Kris Johns (09:47):
Yes, we have.
Vanessa Ferguson (09:49):
I'm trying to think who was the group that we
heard last year from the-.
Kris Johns (09:52):
Smash Mouth.
Vanessa Ferguson (09:53):
Yes, that's right, and I did see Richard
Marks.
I did see they are on theschedule for this year as well,
and of course it's fun to beable to go see those different
concerts when you're there, andto me I mean.
They have three shows in anight.
They're usually shorterconcerts All of these typically
are.
They're about 35, 40 minutes.
Kris Johns (10:15):
But if you went to all three, that's the equivalent
of going to a real concert?
Yes, and it's all included thatI feel like I'm doing an ad,
but it's all included in yourprice of admission and it seems
like there's really not a badscene in the house, and even you
know you're going to wait atDisney, no matter what.
Yes, so why not wait for greatmusic, and it was a great time.
Vanessa Ferguson (10:32):
Yeah, so the Garden Rocks concert series is
something you definitely want tocheck out.
And then, of course, I thinkjust walking around the World
Showcase and seeing all of thebeautiful topiaries is well
worth it, and that is really oneof my favorite times of year to
visit.
I might be biased becausethat's when we got married, but
we springtime, that's like it'sstill cold here.
Kris Johns (10:54):
And it's nice to go to Florida at that time it's
just your personal preference,yeah, and we like spring
training baseball too, sure, doso.
Vanessa Ferguson (11:00):
After that you move on to, so there's a little
bit of a break in July and theninto really the first little
part of August and then it goesinto the International Food and
Wine Festival and that, ofcourse, is one of the more
longer running ones, that onenot just in time, just like in
(11:20):
overall history.
It has been around for a while,really, if you go back and I've
read some of the differentDisney history books this
festival started at what was theDisney Marketplace and then it
eventually made its way over toEpcot.
But anyways, this festival runsfrom I guess it does
technically start in July and itgoes till the middle of
(11:41):
November, and there is so muchgreat food at this festival.
There are global marketplaceswith different cuisine and
drinks and it gives you a chanceto try all kinds of different
stuff.
I've made a meal out of all ofthe different kiosks before.
A little tip I would say if youhave a chance to go during this
(12:04):
time, I would avoid the weekends.
No offense to any of our localfriends, but when we've been
down there the locals really hitEpcot hard during the Food and
Wine Festival and it can getvery crowded and I've been there
with friends and I've beenthere with our family and I
would avoid the weekend if youcan.
(12:24):
That Saturday can get veryhectic Also some people.
I mean, if it's your thing,that's fine, but I've also been
there on the weekends duringfood and wine and people get
really into the drinking aroundthe world and especially if you
have kids or even if you're justa non drinker and you don't
really want to be around people.
Kris Johns (12:44):
Say no.
Vanessa Ferguson (12:45):
Yeah, you may want to avoid Saturdays during
this festival.
People have a good time, thoughI'm not saying don't have a
good time.
I'm not saying don't have a goodtime.
I'm just saying if that's notyour thing, you may want to
avoid Saturdays, and it justgets busy in general because
there's so much great food anddrinks to try.
They also have a lot of goodcooking demonstrations and they
(13:05):
have everything from likemixology events.
We went to a special event oneyear where there was a cooking
demonstration by a chef from oneof the TV shows.
I don't even remember, but itwas good, it was fun and they
did the cooking and overall it'sjust a super awesome event.
I love walking around andtrying all of the foods.
(13:28):
As I've mentioned, on manyoccasions have I made dinner out
of all of the different kiosks,so it's well worth it.
And surprise, surprise, Kris,what do they have during this
festival too?
Kris Johns (13:43):
They have a concert series.
Vanessa Ferguson (13:44):
Yes, they do.
It's called Eat to the BeatConcert Series and there's all
kinds of great musical actsduring this time I would say the
Flower and Garden and the Eatto the Beat Concert Series.
A lot of the artists kind ofmirror each other.
It's not the same exact artists, but they're very similar and
so you can go check out thoseconcerts as well, so you can
(14:06):
make a meal out of all thekiosks and then go listen to a
concert which is really great.
And again they bring in reallycool chefs and different things,
so you can really enjoy someother aspects, and I think this
just goes back into what Krismentions.
A lot is it's more than justrides, and for people who go
back, there's always a newexperience there.
(14:29):
Sure is than just rides, and forpeople who go back, there's
always a new experience theresure is now the last festival
that takes place at epcot andthat is the international
festival of the holidays, andthis one runs from the end of
november, so right aroundthanksgiving, through december,
the end of december, and this isholiday traditions from around
(14:49):
the world and one of the thingsthat I think is fun in the last
few times we've been there atthe holidays, we've been there
for an event or something likewe were there for our friend
Shane and Charlize Val renewal,so we didn't have as much time
just like at the parks.
But if you have some time tospend at the park, they have
holiday storytellers at each ofthe countries and it's super
(15:11):
cool because whatever version ofSanta or whatever other like
mystical kind of character theyhave, you can go around and
they'll tell the story of whatthose legends are in those
respective countries and they'rein their whole costume.
And I've gotten some coolpictures.
I'll have to dig some of thoseout as we're promoting this
(15:31):
episode.
And there is holiday kitchensaround the World Showcase.
There's not as many as thereare, of course, at Food and Wine
or I think even at Flower andGarden, but there's lots of
great seasonal dishes and theyshowcase ones from different
cultures, which is even moreawesome.
And another thing that's funthat you can do that's food
(15:52):
related is the cookie stroll,and they have where you can go
around and get stamps when youtry the different cookies and
there's a lot of cookies.
Usually people end up taking alot home, but I've tried some
some of that, because you buysome of the different cookies as
you go around the WorldShowcase.
I don't know that you couldfinish them all, but if you do
(16:15):
complete the stroll, you get aspecial treat at the end,
because you've already hadcookies.
You definitely need anothertreat, right, but that is
something fun to do cookiestroll and kids get a real kick
out of that.
Last but not least, but I thinkone of the best productions at
Disney is the CandlelightProcessional.
What would you say?
(16:35):
Would you agree with that?
So they have a celebritynarrator, a full orchestra, and
then they have a choir thattells a Kris story.
It really is a super movingexperience.
I've seen it several times Lasttime holds a special place in
my heart.
Who did we see at the?
Who was our narrator?
Kris Johns (16:56):
Oh, John Stamos.
Vanessa Ferguson (16:57):
Yes.
So one of the great things withthis and really with any of the
concert series, you can dodining packages.
We've done it for some showsand some we haven't.
When we saw John Stamos, we did.
We ran through the rain to getback there for our show, but it
was well worth it.
It's just a super coolproduction.
Our daughter loved it.
(17:17):
We love it.
I was very disappointed when wewent this year for our
staycation at the end ofDecember.
Jodi Benson was the narratorand we weren't going into the
parks.
I'm very bummed that I didn'tsee her, but, as you can tell,
they have really awesome peoplethat come in as those narrators.
So that is rounds out thefestivals at Epcot.
Kris Johns (17:41):
That's a lot of rounding.
Vanessa Ferguson (17:42):
Yes, so they have four major festivals.
There are also smaller thingsthat take place at Disney
Springs for, like I even saw,like our daughter is Indian,
they have Diwali things thatthey do at Disney Springs.
They have things for ChineseNew Year at some of the parks.
There's other things that takeplace, but these are kind of
those major festivals andobviously you have Kris things
(18:04):
taking place at other parks.
There's things that take placeduring the springtime at other
parks, but these are thosemainstay festivals that are
going to be exciting.
I think this is what makes itnice to go to Epcot and enjoy
some of those things.
In particular, with adults youcan enjoy it a little bit
differently than you do withkids.
I always like to check out theconcert schedules because they
(18:28):
will change every couple of days, so you want to make sure, if
you're there for a week andthere's two different concerts,
that you get to see the one thatyou like best or hop over.
I know there's been years wherewe've seen several during a
trip, so that's super cool.
And all of the different food.
I mean you know we all talkabout food a lot and being able
(18:50):
to try all the different foodmakes it well worth it.
And then, of course, there'salways something new to discover
when you go.
Now we are speaking ofdiscovering things new and going
on trips.
We're getting ready.
We're going to get up our callfrom our friend Betty at Kingdom
and Cruise Travel and she wouldshow you how to make from our
(19:10):
friend Betty at Kingdom andCruise Travel and she would show
you how to make the best out ofyour trip and how you could
enjoy those things at Epcot.
Kris Johns (19:14):
And I think, on that note, to make the best out of
your trip is to plan right, andI think most people don't do the
best job at planning.
Let an expert help you get themost out of your Disney trip.
Vanessa Ferguson (19:23):
For sure.
Kris Johns (19:30):
And before we get on to our call with Betty Chris,
you have a message from some ofour friends.
Yes, eric and Alexa at BabyQuip, if you have a baby and that
means even if you have a toddleror a young one who just doesn't
like to walk in the park letthem help you out.
They have top-of-the-line babyequipment, ranging from bass
nets to strollers.
We used one for Karis our lastseveral trips.
It makes life so much easier.
Not only is Karis a lot quickerto get around the park, there's
also space to store your stuff.
(19:52):
They offer a couple of awesomethings.
Number one they're Disney fans.
Number two, their service isawesome.
Every time we've had a drop-offor a pickup, it's been number
one, on time, which I like, andthey've been friendly, which I
like even better.
And so, with that, baby Quipcheck the show notes, eric and
Alexa, they'll take care of you.
Vanessa Ferguson (20:11):
And a nice thing that we discovered because
we are going to Disneyland.
We were able to make areservation with Baby Quip for
Disneyland, so that link that weprovide to you.
You can look at Eric and Alexain Orlando and then we have some
friends out in California thathave baby Quip out there as well
, and we are hopefully going tobe talking to her soon after our
(20:33):
trip to Disneyland.
So really looking forward tothat.
So let's go ahead and get ourcall up with Betty and you can
hear all about all the awesomeservices she can provide to you
to make your next Disney trip somuch fun.
We would like to welcome Bettyto the show.
Her business Kingdom and CruiseTravel is really a great way
for you to plan your next Disneyvacation, whether it be going
(20:55):
to Disney World, disneyland,disney Cruise Line and lots of
other destinations which she'llbe able to tell you about.
We had Betty on the show justover a year ago, so we're
excited to have her back on.
She has been a travel advisorfor over six years.
She lives in Southwest Virginiaand she's a former New Yorker,
and a lot of our differentguests are from that area as
(21:16):
well.
She has two grown children, andshe's a grandma to one little
girl and she loves planningfamily vacations, couples
vacations and then, of course,vacations for your group as well
.
So we'd like to welcome Bettyback to the show.
Betty Harrell (21:32):
Hi Vanessa and Chris, how are you?
Great, it's so nice to have youback.
Thank you, so nice to be back.
Vanessa Ferguson (21:41):
Thank you so much for having me again.
I had fun with you all lastyear.
Well, hopefully you can fill inour audience about all of the
new things happening with Disneytravel.
And, of course, to get started,we'd love to know a little bit
about what you love at the parks.
So we've been asking peoplewhat is your favorite show at
any Disney park?
Betty Harrell (21:59):
Well, as we all know, there are so many shows to
choose from.
I would say my favorite reallyfun family show is the Frozen
Singalong at Hollywood Studios.
I used to think that that showwas just for little children and
then one of my travel agentfriends and I were there one day
(22:22):
and she said come on, we haveto go see the show.
It's so funny and it's a realcrowd pleaser.
It's so fun for the wholefamily adults, children,
everybody.
Vanessa Ferguson (22:33):
Yes, that's for sure, it is definitely one.
That's fun when you have agroup of people with all wide
age ranges, because I know ourdaughter loves it and we love it
too.
All those little humorousthings that they have added is
definitely makes a great showfor everybody.
Betty Harrell (22:48):
I totally agree.
I'm so glad I didn't keepskipping that, and I always make
sure to add that to myitineraries for my guests,
because I think it's one thatpeople will tend to skip because
they're just like Elsa andAnna's out maybe by the time
they get there, but I reallythink it's something that you
(23:09):
should definitely not miss.
Vanessa Ferguson (23:11):
Now you've told us a little bit about what
you enjoy doing at the parks.
Now we'd love to hear aboutyour business and the services
you offer connected to Disney.
Betty Harrell (23:20):
Okay.
So, as we know, anybody canbook travel.
You can go on Expedia or Costcoand book your travel there, but
when you use a travel plannerlike myself, we curate your
memorable vacations.
So what I do for my clients isI give them white glove service
(23:40):
from beginning to end, from thetime we start with a proposal
till the time they arrive attheir resort and beyond.
I'm there for them the wholetime.
I help with the planning.
I advise them how to use allthe ever-changing what's the
word I'm looking for?
The ever-changing?
Vanessa Ferguson (24:00):
All the different, like tools and
technology that Disney has.
Betty Harrell (24:04):
Right, my Disney experience.
Then now, what are we onMultipass Lightning Lane?
It was Genie Plus last year.
So Disney is always, constantlyevolving and I have people come
to me that say I need a degreein Disney just to get into the
park.
So basically, I'm your guidethrough that whole process,
through that whole process.
Kris Johns (24:25):
Well, and, betty, I really think you really hit on a
main point there, because youknow, vanessa is my Disney
planner for our family andthere's just so many changes and
I can only imagine when I hearabout families that said you
know, disney's so expensive andthey kind of come back from
Florida with a little puss intheir face when you kind of
delve into it.
They didn't plan right andDisney is so complex.
It's more than just buying aticket.
Betty Harrell (25:09):
I think that's where you know the services that
you offer and your knowledgejust makes it invaluable,
because when you make aninvestment in a vacation like
Disney, get the most out of itby using all your heart, because
you know mom and dad have spenta good amount of money on this
vacation.
So with a travel planner, youare going to have some tools.
I always give my clients allthe baby changing locations in
Magic Kingdom so it, or allthroughout the four parks.
So if you need a moment to getthrough that meltdown, you can
run to one of the baby carecenters that you might not even
(25:31):
know existed, or how to mobileorder your food so that you're
not standing in line.
You're making good use of allyour time in the parks and those
are the values that, using atravel advisor like myself, that
I bring to the table.
Kris Johns (25:46):
Now you mentioned all the things that you offer.
What was your inspiration tostart doing this for families
interested in Disney?
Betty Harrell (25:51):
So I went to Disney World with my family in
1999 for our first trip and wejust thought we could fly into
the park, buy tickets and have agreat time and that really we
had a nice time and we have alot of fun memories.
But we also have a lot ofstories of Oops, oops, oops, we
(26:12):
did and we should have done this, we should have done that.
And so I've always had a lovefor travel and I was the little
girl who would write away forlike brochures from travel
companies, things like that, asa child.
So my love for travel is deeprooted and this just seemed like
a natural transition when Imoved from New York to Virginia
(26:33):
to start this business.
And I really I have a passionfor it and I love it and I just
love to be a part of people'shappy memories.
Vanessa Ferguson (26:40):
Now, we already touched on this some,
but I think you could definitelygive some more details, because
if I'm a new person planning atrip or maybe I'm somebody who
has planned one of those tripsthat you mentioned that didn't
go the best how do you thinkyour service can add some Disney
magic to your customers' livesand what are some of those
specific things that you doalong the way?
Betty Harrell (26:59):
So there are so many features to a Disney
vacation magical extras thatpeople don't know exist.
Everyone knows the basics, likeBippity Boppity Boutique or the
fireworks dessert party, butthey might not know that they
can go do archery or paintceramics or, if you're a couple
(27:22):
on vacation, go to a sangriamaking class.
So I help navigate all theseextra fun things that clients
can learn or learn about or dowhile they're on vacation.
It doesn't have to be all parksall day.
Vanessa Ferguson (27:40):
Now, if you could just let our audience know
what are some of thosedifferent things that you help
with along the planning processfor somebody who's just planning
a trip, or maybe who's somebodywho's planned a trip before but
doesn't realize all thesedifferent things that go into it
.
Betty Harrell (27:54):
Okay.
So one of the major things thatI do for my clients is book
their dining or their bippityboppity boutique or things along
those lines.
So when your dining windowopens at 60 days out, it opens
at 6 am in the morning.
So I get up at 6 am.
(28:14):
Well, I get up at 530 and I getready to make their dining
reservations for them.
And if it's bippityboppityoutique, they need a
reservation for that actuallyopens at midnight on 60 days
before their trip.
So I get up at midnight andbook their Bippity Boppity
Boutique so that they can gettheir little princesses and
(28:37):
princes all dolled up for theirdining reservations.
I track discounts for my clients.
So if you have booked a tripwith me in, say, january and
you're not traveling untilSeptember and Disney releases a
promotion, say for free diningor a room discount, I will check
your reservation to make surethat you're eligible for that
(29:00):
discount.
If it is, I will apply it, andthen you'll get a nice email
from me before you even get outof bed that says hey, I saved
you $1,000 on your Disneyvacation.
Clients with tips, tricks, uh,times for their reservations, a
day-by-day website itinerarythat they can take with them on
(29:30):
their smartphone, well, as youknow, on a laptop or something
like that, and that's curated byme for my clients.
So it's it's very personalizedthat they are their likes, their
, their wants, their needs andeverything that we've discussed
in all the months of ourplanning.
So I think that brings a lot ofvalue to just you know, going
(29:52):
online and booking yourself.
Vanessa Ferguson (29:55):
Now that is really awesome.
Now I know you we brieflymentioned at the beginning but
do you just do Disney Worldvacations or do you do any other
trips as well?
Betty Harrell (30:05):
Oh no, I book trips to all destinations.
So I have a full catalog ofsuppliers that I book
destinations with UniversalSeaWorld, european travel, all
inclusive travel, sandals andbeaches are two of my big
sellers.
And then you have your bigDisney vacations, like Disney
(30:25):
Cruise Line, adventures byDisney, which, if you are ever
interested in group travelAdventures by Disney, is the
perfect entryway for your family.
Say, if you want to bring themto Europe or a country like that
.
They're wonderfully curated,vip group vacations.
I can't speak highly enoughabout those vacations.
(30:47):
They're wonderful.
And then, of course, nalani inHawaii.
So, yes, I book many differenttypes of vacations.
Kris Johns (30:56):
That's awesome.
Now you mentioned about peoplebooking.
Where can folks go to find outhow to use your services?
Betty Harrell (31:01):
okay, well, you can find me on facebook at
kingdom and cruise betty harrellum, I also have a group page,
which is uh fun.
We play some games on there.
Sometimes I'll do trivia nightsand things like that, and you
can find that on facebook andit's from bucket list to booked
with betty.
I'm also on Instagram at Bettyplans vacations and on TikTok at
(31:27):
Betty plans vacation.
Vanessa Ferguson (31:29):
Now I will make sure to put all of the
links to your different socialsin the show notes, because I
know I've been in your group andseen some of the fun, great
tips that you've posted as well.
So thank you so much, betty,for joining us again.
Betty Harrell (31:42):
Thank you so much .
I had so much fun again.
I appreciate you guys having meon.
Kris Johns (31:47):
Thank you again to Betty for being with us today.
Do yourself a favor, call Betty, get your trip planned the
right way.
Vanessa Ferguson (31:54):
And now we are on to our two-minute trivia and
our wisdom from Walt quote andChris, you are up with trivia.
Kris Johns (32:00):
We talked a lot about food and wine.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:03):
Yes.
Kris Johns (32:04):
I like the food, not the wine.
This is a pretty good triviaquestion, True or false?
The festival is the longestrunning festival in the world.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:16):
I'm going to go with false.
Kris Johns (32:18):
I'll give you one more try.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:20):
I guess it's true then.
Kris Johns (32:21):
It is, according to the internet, being at close to
62 days.
It's one of the longestfestivals in the world.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:27):
Oh I thought you meant like long, like how
many years they have been going,not like the time per year.
Okay, that makes sense.
Okay, I'll get back.
Kris Johns (32:35):
I'm sorry.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:36):
That's okay, that does make sense, though Wow
, 62 days, that's a long time.
Kris Johns (32:40):
Sure is.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:41):
Wow, very interesting.
Kris Johns (32:43):
So you know what?
Let's this drinker in the worldget rid of that Drink every day
or eat every day of thefestival.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:50):
Yes, 62 days, that would be a long time.
Kris Johns (32:53):
That's a challenge.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:58):
I don't know if anybody would take us up on
that challenge for sure.
Now, of course, we were talkingabout all of these different
festivals and the different, alot of like the international
flair that goes into them.
So I thought this was a goodquote, because it talks about
heritage and kids and all thatsort of thing.
The way to get started is toquit talking and begin doing.
Our heritage and ideals arecode and standards.
(33:19):
The things we live by and teachour children are preserved and
diminished by how freely weexchange ideas and feelings.
So go out, check out all ofthese different festivals, get
some new ideas for yourself andreally have an amazing trip
that's planned by Betty.
Kris Johns (33:37):
Yes, Vanessa, great show.
Vanessa Ferguson (33:40):
So don't forget to check out all of our
other episodes on our Buzzsproutpage and, of course, follow us
on social media for even moreDisney magic.
Thank you so much for joiningus today.
I'm Vanessa and I'm Chris.
Kris Johns (34:01):
This podcast is not affiliated with the Walt Disney
Company or its holdings, and itis intended for entertainment
purposes only.
Welcome to the Dis Love Podcast with Vanessa
and Kris.
I'm Vanessa Ferguson.
Kris Johns (00:30):
And I'm Kris Johns.
Vanessa Ferguson (00:31):
We would like to welcome you to show number
156.
And for any listeners joiningus for the first time, our show
features things we love atDisney and in each episode we
have a guest who creates Disneymagic for our listeners at home
or on their Disney vacations.
From vacation planners toproduct producers, our guests
can bring Disney magic into yourlife and we like to say thank
you to all of you for beingaround for us as we are back
(00:55):
after our short break and as areminder to our listeners,
because it's been a while, makesure to leave us a review on
apple podcasts or any otherplatform where you listen.
That helps new listeners findthe show and, of course, helps
the show grow.
We've had a lot of goodlistenership over our short
break, so we appreciate that andwe love to give shout outs to
people who've given us a reviewof any of the past episodes, and
(01:17):
we always appreciate you takingtime to do that Before we get
started.
Kris, you have a message for us.
Kris Johns (01:23):
I sure do, and it's from our friends Kevin and
Amanda at Wear in the Park.
If you think you know Disney orWorld, think again, because
Kevin and Amanda have puttogether an awesome product
which allows you to create anynormal trip once another Disney
trip into a brand new experience.
They have a product that allowsyou to create immersive
(01:44):
experience.
It's a scavenger hunt game pack, and what's cool about this is
that number one you're going toget your steps in, so why not
put those steps to good use tofinding the next clue?
And what's awesome is not onlydo they have parks in Orlando,
but coming soon, includingDahlia Wood and King's Dominion.
Use the code DISLOVE10,d-i-s-l-o-v-e-1-0.
Dis, d-i-s-l-o-v-e-1-0.
Through the link in the shownotes to save 10% off your next
(02:06):
order.
And what's even awesome, moreawesome.
Can anything be more awesome,vanessa?
Vanessa Ferguson (02:10):
I think there can be something.
Kris Johns (02:12):
Well, let's add one more awesome to that.
We're going to be meeting Kevinand Amanda when Vanessa and I
and our family go to Disney, andit's going to be wonderful
because we're going to see them.
Maybe they can do a littlescavenger challenge and we'll
put it to the test, because Idon't know Disney and it'd be
funny if maybe they had I don'tknow Disney, so you might get us
.
But again we're in the park,kevin and Amanda.
Vanessa Ferguson (02:34):
And we met Kevin in Orlando at House and
Mouse Expo, so we missed Amandaat their booth.
Kris Johns (02:39):
So we're excited for that.
Vanessa Ferguson (02:51):
And so check the link in the show notes.
This commercial is over On tothe show.
And now, today we are reallyexcited to be back with all of
you and we are going to betalking about some of the really
cool festivals that happenthroughout Walt Disney World.
And really throughout reallymeans one place, but we're going
to be talking about that alittle bit later.
We have talked about this inthe past, but I thought it's the
early in the year.
We're in the midst of the firstfestival, so we're going to
look at all of those.
They bring a whole level ofenchantment to the park and, of
(03:12):
course, those festivals arebased at our or rather I'd say
my favorite park.
Which park is that, Kris?
Kris Johns (03:19):
Magic.
Vanessa Ferguson (03:20):
Kingdom.
He was just saying that to makeme mad.
He knows my favorite park isEpcot Magic Kingdom.
He was just saying that to makeme mad.
Kris Johns (03:25):
He knows, my favorite park is Epcot Magic
Kingdom.
Vanessa Ferguson (03:28):
Well, and then later on today's show we will
be joined by Betty.
She has been on our show before.
It's been a little over a yearsince we had Betty on the show.
She is a Disney travel expertfrom Kingdom and Cruise Travel.
Not only does she plan yourtrip like she handles the
logistics, but she really makesit a memorable experience for
you and your family.
(03:49):
She helps really focus oncreating those lifelong memories
and looking at all those littledetails, and she will make sure
that your family has a greatexperience and that you're going
to be doing it the best way tofit your needs.
And one of the best things isher services are absolutely free
.
But before we get to our talkwith Betty and our chance to
(04:12):
revisit with her, we are goingto be talking about all of the
awesome festivals that takeplace at Epcot, and right now we
are, right at the beginning ofFebruary we are still in the
midst of Epcot InternationalFestival of the Arts.
We were actually there for thefirst year of the festival.
We experienced one of the firstdays and I'm sure Kris does not
remember this.
Kris Johns (04:32):
I do not.
Vanessa Ferguson (04:33):
We were there for my aunt's birthday one time
and in early January we had achance to check it out.
As the name shows, the festivalis all things artistic it's
visual arts, culinary arts andperforming arts.
It's in January and February,so if you do get a chance to go
earlier in the year, it kicksoff right around right after
(04:57):
Marathon Weekend, like we werethere around Marathon Weekend
and we caught the very beginningof the festival.
And it's super cool becausethey have all kinds of really
neat art installations.
When we were there we saw anartist who did I think he mostly
did the Fab Five, but we got towatch him create a Mickey
painting.
Live Our good friends Linda andSheldon.
(05:18):
She always posts some reallycool pictures of going to the
festival and one of the things Ilove that they always check out
is there's some super coolimmersive chalk art.
Like you stand in it and itlooks like you're in like a Mary
Poppins picture.
That's awesome, yeah.
So that's a super cool thing.
And one of the things that Ithink is even more awesome is
(05:38):
that you can be a part of thatart.
One of the things they have isa paint by number mural and at
least when we did it, you got aspot to paint the littlest
square.
It was.
I feel like it was maybe one byone, but it could have been
bigger, but throughout thefestival people are able to
contribute to this giant pieceof artwork.
So that's super cool.
(05:59):
And one thing that I think ourgood friend Mike would love is
they have Disney on Broadwayconcert series.
So if you know the Epcotfestivals, they always feature
different types of concerts andthe Festival of the Arts has
Broadway artists.
And if I looked at the list,I'm sure our friend Mike would
know most of the names.
Kris Johns (06:17):
Oh, he definitely would.
Vanessa Ferguson (06:19):
So the cool thing is that they have live
performances from Broadway starsthat sing songs from those
Disney productions.
So it's super cool.
I will say we did not get tosee any of the Broadway artists,
but we've had some of ourfriends, including Linda, post
some videos of some of thedifferent artists and that is
one thing that is really awesome.
(06:39):
They do have some coolthroughout festival.
They'll have food that is likeartistic and I know we got some
where it was like a palette andyou got to paint your your one
food.
They always usually have asuper cool figment pop popcorn
bucket, which is awesome,usually with colorful popcorn.
(07:00):
So it's just a fun way to kickoff the year, especially.
I mean I wouldn't say thatthere's really no slow time of
year at Disney anymore, but thisis a little bit of a slower
time of year and you canexperience some new things.
So that is the InternationalFestival of the Arts.
Then we move into guess what itstarts with.
We had International Festivalof the Arts.
(07:21):
What do you think the secondfestival starts with?
Kris Johns (07:23):
National Festival of the Arts Close.
You think the second festivalstarts with.
Vanessa Ferguson (07:24):
National Festival of the Arts.
Close, close, but it'sInternational Flower and Garden
Festival, Wow.
So I guess of course the WorldShowcase.
Kris Johns (07:33):
Let's just say they went to Mars.
Wouldn't it have to beintergalactic then after that?
Vanessa Ferguson (07:39):
I guess technically it is intergalactic
because you have mission spaceand you have some of the rides
in Future World.
But that is a good point.
So you have the Flower andGarden Festival and this one
starts in March, right aroundour anniversary, which is March.
Our anniversary is March 3rd.
That's not always the date ofthe festival, but it does start
(07:59):
around our anniversary and itruns right up until the 4th of
July, usually right before the4th of July, and it of course
celebrates.
There's so many beautifultopiaries.
I love to go and look at thetopiaries We've gotten.
We got great pictures at ourwedding and at our vow renewal
and when we did our four parkchallenge last year.
(08:21):
It's super cool to see thetopiaries, that of all the
different Disney characters, andthen, of course, they have
garden displays throughout thepark and one of the nice things
is there will be special eventsabout gardening and special
speakers and different thingslike that.
So it's super fun to be able tolearn a little.
(08:42):
Don't have a green thumb.
I mean I don't think I killthings very easily.
I mean we have some plants inour house that have been around
since before we got married, butI also wouldn't say that we
have a green thumb no no.
So it is neat, though, to seeall of the gardens and some of
the displays that they have fromdifferent companies, and they
(09:04):
have a lot of the outdoorkitchens, and they will feature
like fresh things, like there'llbe a Florida citrus one, and
there was one all about honeylast year, and when we went to
one of the after hours events itwas during flowering garden, so
you got a chance to get food atthe different sessions or
different booths.
(09:24):
So that's really nice, and oneof the things that is super cool
about this is you had theBroadway concert series in the
Festival of the Arts During thistime, you had the Garden Rocks
concert series, and all of theseare at the American Pavilion,
which is, of course, where wegot married, so it's always
special to go and hear thedifferent musicians.
(09:45):
We've heard quite a few duringFlower and Garden.
Kris Johns (09:47):
Yes, we have.
Vanessa Ferguson (09:49):
I'm trying to think who was the group that we
heard last year from the-.
Kris Johns (09:52):
Smash Mouth.
Vanessa Ferguson (09:53):
Yes, that's right, and I did see Richard
Marks.
I did see they are on theschedule for this year as well,
and of course it's fun to beable to go see those different
concerts when you're there, andto me I mean.
They have three shows in anight.
They're usually shorterconcerts All of these typically
are.
They're about 35, 40 minutes.
Kris Johns (10:15):
But if you went to all three, that's the equivalent
of going to a real concert?
Yes, and it's all included thatI feel like I'm doing an ad,
but it's all included in yourprice of admission and it seems
like there's really not a badscene in the house, and even you
know you're going to wait atDisney, no matter what.
Yes, so why not wait for greatmusic, and it was a great time.
Vanessa Ferguson (10:32):
Yeah, so the Garden Rocks concert series is
something you definitely want tocheck out.
And then, of course, I thinkjust walking around the World
Showcase and seeing all of thebeautiful topiaries is well
worth it, and that is really oneof my favorite times of year to
visit.
I might be biased becausethat's when we got married, but
we springtime, that's like it'sstill cold here.
Kris Johns (10:54):
And it's nice to go to Florida at that time it's
just your personal preference,yeah, and we like spring
training baseball too, sure, doso.
Vanessa Ferguson (11:00):
After that you move on to, so there's a little
bit of a break in July and theninto really the first little
part of August and then it goesinto the International Food and
Wine Festival and that, ofcourse, is one of the more
longer running ones, that onenot just in time, just like in
(11:20):
overall history.
It has been around for a while,really, if you go back and I've
read some of the differentDisney history books this
festival started at what was theDisney Marketplace and then it
eventually made its way over toEpcot.
But anyways, this festival runsfrom I guess it does
technically start in July and itgoes till the middle of
(11:41):
November, and there is so muchgreat food at this festival.
There are global marketplaceswith different cuisine and
drinks and it gives you a chanceto try all kinds of different
stuff.
I've made a meal out of all ofthe different kiosks before.
A little tip I would say if youhave a chance to go during this
(12:04):
time, I would avoid the weekends.
No offense to any of our localfriends, but when we've been
down there the locals really hitEpcot hard during the Food and
Wine Festival and it can getvery crowded and I've been there
with friends and I've beenthere with our family and I
would avoid the weekend if youcan.
(12:24):
That Saturday can get veryhectic Also some people.
I mean, if it's your thing,that's fine, but I've also been
there on the weekends duringfood and wine and people get
really into the drinking aroundthe world and especially if you
have kids or even if you're justa non drinker and you don't
really want to be around people.
Kris Johns (12:44):
Say no.
Vanessa Ferguson (12:45):
Yeah, you may want to avoid Saturdays during
this festival.
People have a good time, thoughI'm not saying don't have a
good time.
I'm not saying don't have a goodtime.
I'm just saying if that's notyour thing, you may want to
avoid Saturdays, and it justgets busy in general because
there's so much great food anddrinks to try.
They also have a lot of goodcooking demonstrations and they
(13:05):
have everything from likemixology events.
We went to a special event oneyear where there was a cooking
demonstration by a chef from oneof the TV shows.
I don't even remember, but itwas good, it was fun and they
did the cooking and overall it'sjust a super awesome event.
I love walking around andtrying all of the foods.
(13:28):
As I've mentioned, on manyoccasions have I made dinner out
of all of the different kiosks,so it's well worth it.
And surprise, surprise, Kris,what do they have during this
festival too?
Kris Johns (13:43):
They have a concert series.
Vanessa Ferguson (13:44):
Yes, they do.
It's called Eat to the BeatConcert Series and there's all
kinds of great musical actsduring this time I would say the
Flower and Garden and the Eatto the Beat Concert Series.
A lot of the artists kind ofmirror each other.
It's not the same exact artists, but they're very similar and
so you can go check out thoseconcerts as well, so you can
(14:06):
make a meal out of all thekiosks and then go listen to a
concert which is really great.
And again they bring in reallycool chefs and different things,
so you can really enjoy someother aspects, and I think this
just goes back into what Krismentions.
A lot is it's more than justrides, and for people who go
back, there's always a newexperience there.
(14:29):
Sure is than just rides, and forpeople who go back, there's
always a new experience theresure is now the last festival
that takes place at epcot andthat is the international
festival of the holidays, andthis one runs from the end of
november, so right aroundthanksgiving, through december,
the end of december, and this isholiday traditions from around
(14:49):
the world and one of the thingsthat I think is fun in the last
few times we've been there atthe holidays, we've been there
for an event or something likewe were there for our friend
Shane and Charlize Val renewal,so we didn't have as much time
just like at the parks.
But if you have some time tospend at the park, they have
holiday storytellers at each ofthe countries and it's super
(15:11):
cool because whatever version ofSanta or whatever other like
mystical kind of character theyhave, you can go around and
they'll tell the story of whatthose legends are in those
respective countries and they'rein their whole costume.
And I've gotten some coolpictures.
I'll have to dig some of thoseout as we're promoting this
(15:31):
episode.
And there is holiday kitchensaround the World Showcase.
There's not as many as thereare, of course, at Food and Wine
or I think even at Flower andGarden, but there's lots of
great seasonal dishes and theyshowcase ones from different
cultures, which is even moreawesome.
And another thing that's funthat you can do that's food
(15:52):
related is the cookie stroll,and they have where you can go
around and get stamps when youtry the different cookies and
there's a lot of cookies.
Usually people end up taking alot home, but I've tried some
some of that, because you buysome of the different cookies as
you go around the WorldShowcase.
I don't know that you couldfinish them all, but if you do
(16:15):
complete the stroll, you get aspecial treat at the end,
because you've already hadcookies.
You definitely need anothertreat, right, but that is
something fun to do cookiestroll and kids get a real kick
out of that.
Last but not least, but I thinkone of the best productions at
Disney is the CandlelightProcessional.
What would you say?
(16:35):
Would you agree with that?
So they have a celebritynarrator, a full orchestra, and
then they have a choir thattells a Kris story.
It really is a super movingexperience.
I've seen it several times Lasttime holds a special place in
my heart.
Who did we see at the?
Who was our narrator?
Kris Johns (16:56):
Oh, John Stamos.
Vanessa Ferguson (16:57):
Yes.
So one of the great things withthis and really with any of the
concert series, you can dodining packages.
We've done it for some showsand some we haven't.
When we saw John Stamos, we did.
We ran through the rain to getback there for our show, but it
was well worth it.
It's just a super coolproduction.
Our daughter loved it.
(17:17):
We love it.
I was very disappointed when wewent this year for our
staycation at the end ofDecember.
Jodi Benson was the narratorand we weren't going into the
parks.
I'm very bummed that I didn'tsee her, but, as you can tell,
they have really awesome peoplethat come in as those narrators.
So that is rounds out thefestivals at Epcot.
Kris Johns (17:41):
That's a lot of rounding.
Vanessa Ferguson (17:42):
Yes, so they have four major festivals.
There are also smaller thingsthat take place at Disney
Springs for, like I even saw,like our daughter is Indian,
they have Diwali things thatthey do at Disney Springs.
They have things for ChineseNew Year at some of the parks.
There's other things that takeplace, but these are kind of
those major festivals andobviously you have Kris things
(18:04):
taking place at other parks.
There's things that take placeduring the springtime at other
parks, but these are thosemainstay festivals that are
going to be exciting.
I think this is what makes itnice to go to Epcot and enjoy
some of those things.
In particular, with adults youcan enjoy it a little bit
differently than you do withkids.
I always like to check out theconcert schedules because they
(18:28):
will change every couple of days, so you want to make sure, if
you're there for a week andthere's two different concerts,
that you get to see the one thatyou like best or hop over.
I know there's been years wherewe've seen several during a
trip, so that's super cool.
And all of the different food.
I mean you know we all talkabout food a lot and being able
(18:50):
to try all the different foodmakes it well worth it.
And then, of course, there'salways something new to discover
when you go.
Now we are speaking ofdiscovering things new and going
on trips.
We're getting ready.
We're going to get up our callfrom our friend Betty at Kingdom
and Cruise Travel and she wouldshow you how to make from our
(19:10):
friend Betty at Kingdom andCruise Travel and she would show
you how to make the best out ofyour trip and how you could
enjoy those things at Epcot.
Kris Johns (19:14):
And I think, on that note, to make the best out of
your trip is to plan right, andI think most people don't do the
best job at planning.
Let an expert help you get themost out of your Disney trip.
Vanessa Ferguson (19:23):
For sure.
Kris Johns (19:30):
And before we get on to our call with Betty Chris,
you have a message from some ofour friends.
Yes, eric and Alexa at BabyQuip, if you have a baby and that
means even if you have a toddleror a young one who just doesn't
like to walk in the park letthem help you out.
They have top-of-the-line babyequipment, ranging from bass
nets to strollers.
We used one for Karis our lastseveral trips.
It makes life so much easier.
Not only is Karis a lot quickerto get around the park, there's
also space to store your stuff.
(19:52):
They offer a couple of awesomethings.
Number one they're Disney fans.
Number two, their service isawesome.
Every time we've had a drop-offor a pickup, it's been number
one, on time, which I like, andthey've been friendly, which I
like even better.
And so, with that, baby Quipcheck the show notes, eric and
Alexa, they'll take care of you.
Vanessa Ferguson (20:11):
And a nice thing that we discovered because
we are going to Disneyland.
We were able to make areservation with Baby Quip for
Disneyland, so that link that weprovide to you.
You can look at Eric and Alexain Orlando and then we have some
friends out in California thathave baby Quip out there as well
, and we are hopefully going tobe talking to her soon after our
(20:33):
trip to Disneyland.
So really looking forward tothat.
So let's go ahead and get ourcall up with Betty and you can
hear all about all the awesomeservices she can provide to you
to make your next Disney trip somuch fun.
We would like to welcome Bettyto the show.
Her business Kingdom and CruiseTravel is really a great way
for you to plan your next Disneyvacation, whether it be going
(20:55):
to Disney World, disneyland,disney Cruise Line and lots of
other destinations which she'llbe able to tell you about.
We had Betty on the show justover a year ago, so we're
excited to have her back on.
She has been a travel advisorfor over six years.
She lives in Southwest Virginiaand she's a former New Yorker,
and a lot of our differentguests are from that area as
(21:16):
well.
She has two grown children, andshe's a grandma to one little
girl and she loves planningfamily vacations, couples
vacations and then, of course,vacations for your group as well
.
So we'd like to welcome Bettyback to the show.
Betty Harrell (21:32):
Hi Vanessa and Chris, how are you?
Great, it's so nice to have youback.
Thank you, so nice to be back.
Vanessa Ferguson (21:41):
Thank you so much for having me again.
I had fun with you all lastyear.
Well, hopefully you can fill inour audience about all of the
new things happening with Disneytravel.
And, of course, to get started,we'd love to know a little bit
about what you love at the parks.
So we've been asking peoplewhat is your favorite show at
any Disney park?
Betty Harrell (21:59):
Well, as we all know, there are so many shows to
choose from.
I would say my favorite reallyfun family show is the Frozen
Singalong at Hollywood Studios.
I used to think that that showwas just for little children and
then one of my travel agentfriends and I were there one day
(22:22):
and she said come on, we haveto go see the show.
It's so funny and it's a realcrowd pleaser.
It's so fun for the wholefamily adults, children,
everybody.
Vanessa Ferguson (22:33):
Yes, that's for sure, it is definitely one.
That's fun when you have agroup of people with all wide
age ranges, because I know ourdaughter loves it and we love it
too.
All those little humorousthings that they have added is
definitely makes a great showfor everybody.
Betty Harrell (22:48):
I totally agree.
I'm so glad I didn't keepskipping that, and I always make
sure to add that to myitineraries for my guests,
because I think it's one thatpeople will tend to skip because
they're just like Elsa andAnna's out maybe by the time
they get there, but I reallythink it's something that you
(23:09):
should definitely not miss.
Vanessa Ferguson (23:11):
Now you've told us a little bit about what
you enjoy doing at the parks.
Now we'd love to hear aboutyour business and the services
you offer connected to Disney.
Betty Harrell (23:20):
Okay.
So, as we know, anybody canbook travel.
You can go on Expedia or Costcoand book your travel there, but
when you use a travel plannerlike myself, we curate your
memorable vacations.
So what I do for my clients isI give them white glove service
(23:40):
from beginning to end, from thetime we start with a proposal
till the time they arrive attheir resort and beyond.
I'm there for them the wholetime.
I help with the planning.
I advise them how to use allthe ever-changing what's the
word I'm looking for?
The ever-changing?
Vanessa Ferguson (24:00):
All the different, like tools and
technology that Disney has.
Betty Harrell (24:04):
Right, my Disney experience.
Then now, what are we onMultipass Lightning Lane?
It was Genie Plus last year.
So Disney is always, constantlyevolving and I have people come
to me that say I need a degreein Disney just to get into the
park.
So basically, I'm your guidethrough that whole process,
through that whole process.
Kris Johns (24:25):
Well, and, betty, I really think you really hit on a
main point there, because youknow, vanessa is my Disney
planner for our family andthere's just so many changes and
I can only imagine when I hearabout families that said you
know, disney's so expensive andthey kind of come back from
Florida with a little puss intheir face when you kind of
delve into it.
They didn't plan right andDisney is so complex.
It's more than just buying aticket.
Betty Harrell (25:09):
I think that's where you know the services that
you offer and your knowledgejust makes it invaluable,
because when you make aninvestment in a vacation like
Disney, get the most out of itby using all your heart, because
you know mom and dad have spenta good amount of money on this
vacation.
So with a travel planner, youare going to have some tools.
I always give my clients allthe baby changing locations in
Magic Kingdom so it, or allthroughout the four parks.
So if you need a moment to getthrough that meltdown, you can
run to one of the baby carecenters that you might not even
(25:31):
know existed, or how to mobileorder your food so that you're
not standing in line.
You're making good use of allyour time in the parks and those
are the values that, using atravel advisor like myself, that
I bring to the table.
Kris Johns (25:46):
Now you mentioned all the things that you offer.
What was your inspiration tostart doing this for families
interested in Disney?
Betty Harrell (25:51):
So I went to Disney World with my family in
1999 for our first trip and wejust thought we could fly into
the park, buy tickets and have agreat time and that really we
had a nice time and we have alot of fun memories.
But we also have a lot ofstories of Oops, oops, oops, we
(26:12):
did and we should have done this, we should have done that.
And so I've always had a lovefor travel and I was the little
girl who would write away forlike brochures from travel
companies, things like that, asa child.
So my love for travel is deeprooted and this just seemed like
a natural transition when Imoved from New York to Virginia
(26:33):
to start this business.
And I really I have a passionfor it and I love it and I just
love to be a part of people'shappy memories.
Vanessa Ferguson (26:40):
Now, we already touched on this some,
but I think you could definitelygive some more details, because
if I'm a new person planning atrip or maybe I'm somebody who
has planned one of those tripsthat you mentioned that didn't
go the best how do you thinkyour service can add some Disney
magic to your customers' livesand what are some of those
specific things that you doalong the way?
Betty Harrell (26:59):
So there are so many features to a Disney
vacation magical extras thatpeople don't know exist.
Everyone knows the basics, likeBippity Boppity Boutique or the
fireworks dessert party, butthey might not know that they
can go do archery or paintceramics or, if you're a couple
(27:22):
on vacation, go to a sangriamaking class.
So I help navigate all theseextra fun things that clients
can learn or learn about or dowhile they're on vacation.
It doesn't have to be all parksall day.
Vanessa Ferguson (27:40):
Now, if you could just let our audience know
what are some of thosedifferent things that you help
with along the planning processfor somebody who's just planning
a trip, or maybe who's somebodywho's planned a trip before but
doesn't realize all thesedifferent things that go into it
.
Betty Harrell (27:54):
Okay.
So one of the major things thatI do for my clients is book
their dining or their bippityboppity boutique or things along
those lines.
So when your dining windowopens at 60 days out, it opens
at 6 am in the morning.
So I get up at 6 am.
(28:14):
Well, I get up at 530 and I getready to make their dining
reservations for them.
And if it's bippityboppityoutique, they need a
reservation for that actuallyopens at midnight on 60 days
before their trip.
So I get up at midnight andbook their Bippity Boppity
Boutique so that they can gettheir little princesses and
(28:37):
princes all dolled up for theirdining reservations.
I track discounts for my clients.
So if you have booked a tripwith me in, say, january and
you're not traveling untilSeptember and Disney releases a
promotion, say for free diningor a room discount, I will check
your reservation to make surethat you're eligible for that
(29:00):
discount.
If it is, I will apply it, andthen you'll get a nice email
from me before you even get outof bed that says hey, I saved
you $1,000 on your Disneyvacation.
Clients with tips, tricks, uh,times for their reservations, a
day-by-day website itinerarythat they can take with them on
(29:30):
their smartphone, well, as youknow, on a laptop or something
like that, and that's curated byme for my clients.
So it's it's very personalizedthat they are their likes, their
, their wants, their needs andeverything that we've discussed
in all the months of ourplanning.
So I think that brings a lot ofvalue to just you know, going
(29:52):
online and booking yourself.
Vanessa Ferguson (29:55):
Now that is really awesome.
Now I know you we brieflymentioned at the beginning but
do you just do Disney Worldvacations or do you do any other
trips as well?
Betty Harrell (30:05):
Oh no, I book trips to all destinations.
So I have a full catalog ofsuppliers that I book
destinations with UniversalSeaWorld, european travel, all
inclusive travel, sandals andbeaches are two of my big
sellers.
And then you have your bigDisney vacations, like Disney
(30:25):
Cruise Line, adventures byDisney, which, if you are ever
interested in group travelAdventures by Disney, is the
perfect entryway for your family.
Say, if you want to bring themto Europe or a country like that
.
They're wonderfully curated,vip group vacations.
I can't speak highly enoughabout those vacations.
(30:47):
They're wonderful.
And then, of course, nalani inHawaii.
So, yes, I book many differenttypes of vacations.
Kris Johns (30:56):
That's awesome.
Now you mentioned about peoplebooking.
Where can folks go to find outhow to use your services?
Betty Harrell (31:01):
okay, well, you can find me on facebook at
kingdom and cruise betty harrellum, I also have a group page,
which is uh fun.
We play some games on there.
Sometimes I'll do trivia nightsand things like that, and you
can find that on facebook andit's from bucket list to booked
with betty.
I'm also on Instagram at Bettyplans vacations and on TikTok at
(31:27):
Betty plans vacation.
Vanessa Ferguson (31:29):
Now I will make sure to put all of the
links to your different socialsin the show notes, because I
know I've been in your group andseen some of the fun, great
tips that you've posted as well.
So thank you so much, betty,for joining us again.
Betty Harrell (31:42):
Thank you so much .
I had so much fun again.
I appreciate you guys having meon.
Kris Johns (31:47):
Thank you again to Betty for being with us today.
Do yourself a favor, call Betty, get your trip planned the
right way.
Vanessa Ferguson (31:54):
And now we are on to our two-minute trivia and
our wisdom from Walt quote andChris, you are up with trivia.
Kris Johns (32:00):
We talked a lot about food and wine.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:03):
Yes.
Kris Johns (32:04):
I like the food, not the wine.
This is a pretty good triviaquestion, True or false?
The festival is the longestrunning festival in the world.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:16):
I'm going to go with false.
Kris Johns (32:18):
I'll give you one more try.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:20):
I guess it's true then.
Kris Johns (32:21):
It is, according to the internet, being at close to
62 days.
It's one of the longestfestivals in the world.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:27):
Oh I thought you meant like long, like how
many years they have been going,not like the time per year.
Okay, that makes sense.
Okay, I'll get back.
Kris Johns (32:35):
I'm sorry.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:36):
That's okay, that does make sense, though Wow
, 62 days, that's a long time.
Kris Johns (32:40):
Sure is.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:41):
Wow, very interesting.
Kris Johns (32:43):
So you know what?
Let's this drinker in the worldget rid of that Drink every day
or eat every day of thefestival.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:50):
Yes, 62 days, that would be a long time.
Kris Johns (32:53):
That's a challenge.
Vanessa Ferguson (32:58):
I don't know if anybody would take us up on
that challenge for sure.
Now, of course, we were talkingabout all of these different
festivals and the different, alot of like the international
flair that goes into them.
So I thought this was a goodquote, because it talks about
heritage and kids and all thatsort of thing.
The way to get started is toquit talking and begin doing.
Our heritage and ideals arecode and standards.
(33:19):
The things we live by and teachour children are preserved and
diminished by how freely weexchange ideas and feelings.
So go out, check out all ofthese different festivals, get
some new ideas for yourself andreally have an amazing trip
that's planned by Betty.
Kris Johns (33:37):
Yes, Vanessa, great show.
Vanessa Ferguson (33:40):
So don't forget to check out all of our
other episodes on our Buzzsproutpage and, of course, follow us
on social media for even moreDisney magic.
Thank you so much for joiningus today.
I'm Vanessa and I'm Chris.
Kris Johns (34:01):
This podcast is not affiliated with the Walt Disney
Company or its holdings, and itis intended for entertainment
purposes only.
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