Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Cummins.
Hi Christine, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I have loved Disney my whole life and fell even more in love with all of the theme parks once I started going regularly during my undergrad at FSU. I started to read many theme park blogs, watch travel tip videos, and give advice to friends and family members who were taking trips to the parks. One day I was at a birthday party where I met a couple who was going to Disney World for their honeymoon and I ended up helping them plan each day of their trip! They were so grateful for my help in suggesting the best dining, walking them through the fast pass system (now Genie plus), and providing them with all of the tips and tricks I had learned. The girl suggested I become a travel agent, so I could help more people plan their trips, and I thought it was a great idea!
In the following months, I completed the Travel Agent certification training for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani, Disney Cruise Lines, Adventures by Disney, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Orlando. With all of my training complete, all that was left was to come up with the perfect name for my business! My friend suggested Disney by Christine, and I thought it was perfect! Now I promote my business through my Instagram @disney_by_christine and Facebook page with the same name. It’s been so fun coming up with fun informational content about theme park travel, and I can’t wait to grow my client base!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
While planning people’s vacations is incredibly fun, there are definitely challenges. My biggest hurdle was finding clients who were wanting to travel throughout the pandemic, and business definitely took a big hit. Luckily, my numbers are slowly coming back, and I have been able to take the time to learn new skills that I can apply to make planning trips even better.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The first thing I love to tell people about my work as a travel agent is that it is completely free to you!! Agents get paid by the company (such as Walt Disney World) and come at no cost to the client. While I am certified to plan many types of vacations that fall outside of the realm of theme park travel (Resorts, cruises, tours, international travel, etc.) I specialize in Disney and Universal theme park vacations. This includes trips to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney’s international parks, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, Adventures by Disney, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Studios Orlando. Planning these vacations makes the best use of my extensive knowledge about these travel destinations and are where I really get to shine!
When I first meet with a client, I gather the basic information I need about their trip to get started. This includes travel dates, budget, number of people in the party, and special goals or interests. From there, I provide a range of options within their budget and chat with the client to see what would be the best fit for them. After tickets and accommodations are booked and settled, I then handle dining reservations, and special tour bookings, adding extra experiences and creating personalized day-to-day infographics for their trip!
I am most proud of the work I put into going the extra mile and tailoring each vacation to the specific interests of the client; for example, if the travel group is a bunch of foodies, I create a vacation that centers around eating at the best restaurants on property and making snack guides for the group. Or if it’s a family going on a cruise, I like to plan an equal amount of family time activities as well as adult-only time. There are so many ways you can hone into the details of a vacation to provide a completely personalized experience for each client. This is what sets me apart from the crowd, and I always try to make the experience fun for everyone!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I was lucky enough to have an incredible childhood with an amazing family. It’s hard to hone in on one specific memory, but one that always sticks out to me were the crazy fun birthday parties I would have each year. I’ve always loved my birthday, and my parents would let me invite all my friends over to our house for a fun-themed party each August. One of my favorite parties was the elaborate neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt birthday my parents planned for me when I was turning 8 (or around that age). Running around the neighborhood solving clues with my friends was a blast and felt like such a precious childhood moment that I truly cherish. This is likely where I got my love for planning events and vacations!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.christinecummins.com
- Instagram: @disney_by_christine
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/disneybychristine
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCZBGUQp2-M0xu_lwU62uIbg
