Travel Agent - October 15, 2007 - (Page 94)

BUSINESS OPER ATIONS AGENT PROFILE Putting Disney’s Magic to Work BY JENNIFER MERRITT How winning a contest can turn into a sales tool WHO HASN’T, AT ONE TIME IN THEIR LIVES, felt like Cinderella? Surely we’ve all had to deal with our own versions of evil stepmothers and stepsisters and, likewise, also had our moments when we felt like the belle (or prince) of the ball—moments so outrageously fantastic, it seems only a fairy godmother could make it happen. The latter was exactly how Jennifer Hill, a travel consultant with AAA in eastern Pennsyl- vania, felt when she found out that she’d won a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, part of the resort-wide Year of a Million Dreams 2007 sweepstakes, which recently was extended through 2008. Since January, the campaign has awarded guests daily prizes ranging from FastPasses to a trip to every Disney park around the world. Soon after, Disney announced a special travel agent promotion: With each Disney booking, agents would be entered into a contest to win a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite, along with roundtrip coach airfare, four days at one of Disney World’s deluxe resorts, $1,000 in spending money and “Magic Your Way” tickets with Park Hopper and water park options, in addition to a Disney dining plan for the duration of the trip. A Lucky Chance Hill was randomly selected from a drawing of more than 1,000 entries. Her fairy godmother took the form of a woman from Disney’s prize center. “She left me a voicemail saying I had won and I had to pull a co-worker aside to listen to it, because I didn’t believe it yet,” Hill, who is a Disney specialist, says. (A second winner was also awarded a vacation for four to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, which included a two-night stay at the Disneyland Hotel and a one-night stay at the Mickey Mouse Penthouse, as well as roundtrip coach airfare, four-day park hopper tickets, dining coupons and $1,000 in spending money.) “It was luck,” Hill says of winning the coveted prize. That may be true, but the trip turned out to be a valuable learning experience. Although she had previously visited Disney World, this stay showed Hill a side of the resort she had never seen before, enabling her to make better-informed recommendations to clients about the park’s amenities, hotels and CONTINUED ON PAGE 96 Jennifer Hill AAA EAST PENN Headquarters: 2072 Downyflake Lane, Allentown, PA 18103 Phone: 610-778-3326 E-mail: jhill@aaaeastpenn.com Web site: www.aaa.com 94 | TravelAgent October 15, 2007 http://www.aaa.com

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Travel Agent - October 15, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe Central & South America Special Supplement: Ski University Pacific/Asia Las Vegas Caribbean Romantic Getaway and Honeymoon Packages Jamaica’s New Minister of Tourism Talks About the Country’s Future Special Package Deals Cruises Hotels Ski Multi-Generational Travel Tours Cover Story: Luxe Life of the Stewart Clan Business Operations - Agent Profile Technology Transportation The Industry - Agenda Caribbean News PATA Travel Mart ITME Report Latest Cruise and Hotel News Travel Week In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - October 15, 2007

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