2024 WDW Agent Education Program

APRIL 9th to 11th, 2024

What a dream come true! 🏰My agency offered me another Walt Disney World Agent Education Program Trip and I have got to say, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had at WDW. The wonderful people, the top-notch training, the special experiences, the fantastic weather, the delicious food…I can go on & on. First, THANK YOU to my agency, Destinations to Travel for choosing me to participate in this incredible opportunity.

You might be wondering what is an AEP Program? Well, it’s an immersive training & education program for Disney Travel Agents. It involves many hours of training, resort tours, and some very unique experiences that make it all the more special. The goal…knowledge and increasing sales! Walt Disney World is constantly changing, evolving and growing thus so should any travel planner’s knowledge, expertise and experience. It’s one of the many reasons that I visit Disney World multiple times per year.

Alright, let’s begin my adventure with a pro tip about packing: packing cubes are outstanding and something I recommend for any traveler. It makes organizing your daily outfits so convenient especially for those busy early mornings for rope drop. This is something I do for my solo work trips and my family trips (all 5 of us).

Pre-Day, April 8th: I decided to arrive a day early and spent 1 night at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort. It turned out to be a fabulous decision. I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon poolside at Doubloon Lagoon sipping Hurricanes. Magnificent! The grounds here are beyond beautiful…I feel immediately transported to New Orleans. One of the things that stands out about French Quarter is how quiet and charming this resort truly is. It’s small and even the furthest room from the lobby/transportation is only a 5-minute walk. The rooms are lovely and inviting…”Hidden Mickey” Mardi Gras beads and a cute postcard were waiting for me in my room. *Rooms are currently being refurbished and will be completed by end of the year. Check out the pics from September’s Enchanted Rose Report.

After my day exploring the resort and soaking up the sun, I took the water taxi to Disney Springs. The only downside for me was I was meeting my friend at the new Summerhouse on the Lake and that was a very LONG walk from the dock (near Saratoga Springs). The bus would have been a lot more convenient, but I really wanted to take the boat. For my ride back to the hotel, I opted for the bus.

Summerhouse on the Lake Review: I ordered the Buena Vista Cobb Salad. It was amazing. Huge portion, fresh ingredients, and flavorful dressing. I would definitely get it again. We ordered the Truffle Fries as an appetizer…again, it was big portion! Delicious, salty goodness. I also ordered the featured Froze …it was okay, a little difficult to drink as it was super thick. Good but I wouldn’t get it again. If you like cookies, you’ll love this restaurant! Perfectly sized & oh-so-yummy. FYI: you can pop in here and just get some cookies to go. My evening in Disney Springs also included stops at Raglan Road and Boathouse for some late-night drinks.

DAY 1, April 9th: Arrival at Grand Floridian Resort. Check In. Welcome Session. EPCOT Experience!

I opted to take a Lyft from Port Orleans French Quarter to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. This AEP experience provided each agent with a complimentary 3 Day Park Hopper Ticket and 2 Night Stay at Grand Floridian (shared with my fellow D2T agent friend). Our room wasn’t quite ready, so I dropped off my luggage with Bell Services and hopped on the monorail to Magic Kingdom.

The weather was amazing, and crowds were “low-ish” all morning. I made sure to get 2 of my favorite snacks: Cheshire Cat Tail and Tropical Serenade. I bought Disney Genie+ and was able to ride Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Little Mermaid, PeopleMover and Peter Pan in just a few hours. I met up with my travel agent pal again for an appetizer & drink at Tony’s at 1:30…get the Tony’s Garlic Bread For The Table!!
Then, we headed back to Grand Floridian to get settled in our rooms before our AEP welcome session. This meet-up was short & sweet: introductions, schedule, training highlights and a chance for us to retrieve our very cool lanyards, colored pencils, pens & notebooks.

The NEW rooms at Grand Floridian Resort are gorgeous…on top of that, they are extremely spacious! I loved the color palette which made the room feel whimsical and dreamy. Mary Poppins theming is subtle but so sweet. I am in love with everything about this room: the heavenly bed, the chic dresser, the pretty rug, the ornate lit-up mirror…if you get a chance, stay here! It’s definitely Disney at its finest. We loved every second of our stay.

Around 7 pm, we were whisked away via charter bus to EPCOT. We entered the park via the Intl. Gateway entrance and proceeded to the American Rotunda in the American Pavilion. We enjoyed a regal, delicious catered buffet dinner with dishes from around the World Showcase. To say we felt like VIPs was an understatement. Complimentary drinks, beer & wine were also provided. It was such a grand welcome! Afterwards, we were escorted to a private viewing area on the Italy Pavilion for an extravagant dessert party while we watched the new Luminous: The Symphony of Us. I still dream about all the delicious desserts especially the raspberry profiteroles. We left EPCOT next to the American Pavilion which was pretty cool to see “behind the scenes”. Plus, our bus was waiting to take us “home”…how cool is that?! A few of us headed to the Enchanted Rose for a nightcap; I chose the Lavender Fog…phenomenal. I’ve got to say it was an enchanting way to end a truly magical day.

Day 2, April 10th: Breakfast, Training, Lunch and Resort Tours.

We woke up early for a 7:30 am hosted buffet breakfast at Citricos. Nothing beats starting your Disney day with Mickey Waffles, eggs, bacon, potatoes, POG juice and coffee. 10 stars! Following breakfast, we had a 4-hour training session: informative, insightful, helpful and fun. I walked away with my notebook filled with NEW ideas, information, tips and strategies for my success as a Disney Travel Professional. Most of all, this AEP has made me an even better Travel Planner for all my guests.

After our session, we enjoyed yet another catered buffet lunch. The usual suspects: chicken, salmon, salads, sides, Mickey/Minnie cupcakes, madeleines, and more! This was our final goodbye and to put the pixie dust on our experience, we were surprised with a private meet & greet with Princess Tiana & Prince Naveen. Oh, my heart!

We were given an “open house” timeframe to view some resort rooms at the Contemporary Resort and the Polynesian Village Resort. Since, I had recently seen or stayed in these rooms, I chose to explore Grand Floridian Resort a bit more. I spent my afternoon poolside soaking up the Florida sunshine. Tip: There are 2 feature pools at Grand Floridian: Courtyard Pool- a smaller, quieter zero-entry pool (no waterslide) and pool bar. Beach Pool- the larger pool with a waterslide, splash area and bar/grill.

My friend and I decided to hop on the monorail and head to Polynesian Resort for some adult drinks and appetizers at Tambu Lounge & Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto to end our night. I love that I can order Ohana’s appetizers at Tambu! We sat at the bar at both locations. We put our name on the Wait List for Trader Sam’s then went upstairs to Tambu. We waited about an hour and then stayed at Trader Sam’s for about an hour. My go-to drink is the Zombie! My friend headed to extended evening hours at Magic Kingdom while I went back to Grand Floridian to get a good’s night sleep.

Day 3, April 11th: Check Out. Off to my 1 Night Post-Stay at Caribbean Beach Resort.

I said my good-byes to Grand Floridian around 8:30 am and took a Lyft to Caribbean Beach Resort. Pretty exciting that I also happened to be staying during their 35th Anniversary. I really love the gift shop here: Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean merch! This resort also has great dining options (hidden gem: Sebastian’s Bistro) and an amazing Spanish Citadel-themed pool with waterslide. Since my room wasn’t ready yet, again I dropped off my luggage with Bell Services and hopped on the bus to Animal Kingdom Park! I arrived about 9:30 am and stayed until about 1:30 pm.

Crowds were low again, but I also purchased Disney Genie+…I rode Dinosaur, Expedition Everest, and Avatar: Flight of Passage. We ended our day by grabbing lunch at Satuli Canteen: always one of my favorite meals. I enjoyed the Ocean Moon Bowl and the Metkayina Mousse. We left the park in the nick of time as a quick but big storm rolled into the area for about 2 hours. I was back at Caribbean Beach to wait out the storm & enjoy a beer at Cabana Banana bar & grill until my room was ready.

I stayed in a Water View/5th Sleeper Room very close to Riviera Resort (3 min walk and maybe 5 min to the Riviera Skyliner). I love putting in room requests for myself and my guests…it really ups your chances for a great room & location. My room was on the second floor/corner in the Martinique bldg. It was actually close to the Old Port Royale…5 min. walk. The room felt bright and relaxing giving off tropical island vibes. This particular room has 2 Queen beds, a Single pull-down bed and sleeps 5 guests. Moderate resorts are a wonderful choice for families of 5, couples, families with older kids/teens. Bathrooms have 2 sinks which is great…compared to Value that only have 1 sink. I also love the sliding doors that divide the sleeping area from the vanity/bathroom area.

I did a quick outfit change and headed to Hollywood Studios!! Skyliner for the WIN! Did I say how much I love staying at a Skyliner resort?! I walked into the park at 4:30 pm. I rode the following attractions thanks to Disney Genie+: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Slinky Dog Dash, Millenium Falcon, Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania. We wanted a little something to eat and scored a last-minute reservation for Hollywood Brown Derby. We ordered the charcuterie, and I got a bloody mary…but I’ll be honest both were disappointing. I wouldn’t order either again. Subpar for the high cost. I ended up getting one of my fave Disney snacks a little later: Mickey Pretzel. I also tried the new Frozen in Fear (lemon with wild grape slush, I made mine “spirited” with Grey Goose). I’d definitely get it again.

My pals & I ended our night with amazing seats at Fantasmic! I arrived at the theater a good 45 minutes early. I love that you can get snacky snacks and drinks to enjoy during the show. The show was fantastic…as always!! It’s a MUST DO! Here’s another fun tip: schedule a late-night reservation at Oga’s Cantina! Ours was for 9:30 pm. We avoided the crazy mass exodus after Fantasmic and instead made our way to Galaxy’s Edge. Cheers to drinks that were out of this galaxy good. I also love that we walked out of a practically empty park. Awesome. With another convenient ride on the Skyliner, I was back in my hotel room by 10:45 pm. Good Night Disney.

Day 4, April 12th: Check Out. 1 Night Stay at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. EPCOT Day:

I left via Lyft to Disney’s Beach Club Resort about 9 am. I dropped off my bags but stopped by the front desk to inquire about an upgrade. Happily, I was pixie dusted a gorgeous Water View room close to EPCOT! Seriously, BEST Cast Members ever at Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. I walked into the Intl. Gateway entrance of EPCOT at 9:45 am… with a quick stop to purchase my EPCOT Intl. Flower & Garden Scavenger Hunt Map (Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration). $9.99 plus tax. Cute prize: Mini Cornhole.

I spent the day riding all my favorite attractions (some twice!), enjoying my favorite festival, admiring all the character topiaries, searching for Spike the bee, and eating & drinking around the World! If you like Orange Bird or Spike the Bee, then this festival is for YOU. Be sure to check out my review on this festival…coming out next month.

With Disney Genie+, I was able to plan and stack my entire day: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Soarin, Frozen, Remy’s Ratatouille, 3 Caballeros, Moana: Journey of Water…I LOVE this Park!

Day 5, April 13th: Late Check Out. Disney Resort Day. Evening Flight Home to Ocean City, MD.

Awww, last Disney day. I was up early to finish packing & on the Skyliner by 9:30 am for my Primo Piatto breakfast at Riviera Resort. BEST quick service food ever. Get the melt-in-your-mouth Blueberry pancakes and thank me later. I was back at Beach Club by noon to grab my bags & drop them off with Bell Services. Yippee, late check out. I packed a “pool bag” so I could spend the whole day at Storm-a-long Bay Pool. It was a perfect last day. Cocktails & Lunch from Hurricane Hanna’s, Florida Sunshine, Best Pool at Disney and everlasting MAGIC. Til next time…