Lora Woodford - Travel Genie
My Travel Specialties:
Solo Travelers, Single Parent Families, Disney First Timers, Foodies, LGBTQIA+ Families, Neurodivergent Travelers
My Favorite Suppliers:
Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney
My Favorite Destinations:
Walt Disney World
My Dream Destination:
Scotland; Northern Lights cruise
Favorite Travel Memory:
This story starts heavy, but I promise it's worth making it to the end! My family's first trip to Walt Disney World came less than a year after I lost my last living parent and my divorce was finalized. As I stared down a milestone birthday, any sort of "celebration" seemed exceedingly out of reach. On a whim, I booked a "once and done" trip to Walt Disney World. I entered that trip full of fear about my new life as a working single mother. I ended that confident that, not only would I survive this new life, but I could THRIVE in it. The Cast Members at WDW gifted me that confidence - each time they saw me and acknowledged me there alone with a little one, each time they helped entertain my child as I dealt with some mundane vacation task, and especially that time when a true angel of a human swooped in from no where to take my food tray, find me a table, and bring me a comped drink as I struggled in line at Hollywood Studio's ABC Commissary juggling a wallet, an oversized bag, and a sound asleep toddler in my arms . There was a place in this world that was built for me and my new 2-person family - and that place was Walt Disney World. That "one and done" trip has now become nearly 20 in less than 10 years, ranging from "me, myself, and I" weekend getaways, to mom/kid adventures, to group trips with the dance studio.
Disney Travel Advice:
Breathe. It's so simple, isn't it? But just so hard to do! I can promise you that as my family looks back on our past trips, we don't reminisce about the perfectly planned dining reservations, the lightning lane successes, or catching the first bus to Animal Kingdom to rope drop Flight of Passage. We do remember "discovering" (and must always return to) our "secret" passage over the rope bridge into Animal Kingdom. And the time we turned a corner out of Connections Eatery and ran straight into a chatty Star-Lord who wanted to hear about our day. And we remember the many, many games of checkers played during mid-day breaks on Tom Sawyer Island. A successful trip is not judged by your itinerary, but by the memories you formed.
My Favorite Travel Tip:
There is no limit to the number of uses you can find for a packed roll of Ziploc bags of varying sizes. Wet socks? Need to keep the phone dry in a rainstorm or on a water ride? Your kid ate one chicken finger and is now "full" (and will be "starving" in 20 minutes)? Ziploc in the backpack to the rescue!
Why should you book your vacation with me?
My number one motivation in helping families plan Disney-related travel is that they end their trip having formed new, lifelong memories at a place that I love. I leverage my deep Disney knowledge and experience to melt away any stress, worry, or apprehension my clients might be feeling about their travel. In alleviating some of that worry, my clients can redirect their time and attention back to living in the moment with their travel party. Time is a non-renewable resource, and I hope to give some back to those that choose to travel with me.