Theme Park & Family Vacation Specialist | Disney

DisneyWorld Career on Vacation Symposium

Living in California has given me the opportunity to visit Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood many times with my children over the years. Through those experiences, I have learned how important planning, hotel location, transportation, and park strategy can be in creating a smoother and more enjoyable family vacation experience.At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, we have stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa as well as several nearby hotels within walking distance of the parks. Staying close to Disneyland allowed us to maximize park time, return to the hotel for breaks when the kids were younger, and better understand the advantages of different hotel locations and transportation options around the resort area.We have also visited Universal Studios Hollywood several times and stayed at nearby hotels such as the Sheraton and Hilton within walking distance of the park. Those trips gave us firsthand experience with the convenience of staying close to the parks while exploring both Universal Studios and the Los Angeles area.Our family has also traveled multiple times to Orlando, Florida to experience Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort. In October 2024, my wife and I attended a Careers on Vacation conference and stayed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in one of their cabins. During that stay, we experienced many of the unique transportation options throughout Disney World, including horseback riding, boat transportation to Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s shuttle system connecting the different parks and resorts.When visiting Universal Orlando, we stayed at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, which provided convenient shuttle access to the parks. During that trip, we visited the new Epic Universe park, which was an incredible experience. As a family, we explored the attractions together, including one of the park’s extremely fast roller coasters that my wife and daughter loved so much they rode it multiple times, while I realized intense roller coasters may not be for me anymore.Because I have visited these parks repeatedly as both a parent and traveler, I understand the challenges families face when planning amusement park vacations, including choosing the right hotel, balancing park schedules, transportation logistics, ride strategies, and pacing for children and adults. I enjoy helping families create more realistic and enjoyable Disney and Universal vacations based on firsthand experience rather than online research alone.Whether travelers are planning Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando, or multi park family vacations, I enjoy helping families navigate the details so they can focus more on enjoying time together and creating lasting memories.