KeyCon 2018
We're very excited to announce that we'll be opening
registration for KeyCon 2018 on Tuesday, May 1!!
Below you'll find the details of our our 5th Anniversary
KeyCon, which will take place September 12-15, 2018 at
Walt Disney World.
We're well underway planning our biggest event yet, which
will include presentations from suppliers and KTTW
experts. New this year, we're planning Breakout Sessions,
including a very exciting series we're calling "Ask a
Mentor" that will delve deeper into topics like time
management, marketing on a tight budget, all-inclusive
resorts, and much more.
While we're still planning on the details, we can share with
you the basic timeline:
Wednesday, September 12
Registration
Optional Hotel Site Inspections (to include Copper Creek, newly refurbished Pop Century
rooms, Good Neighbor Hotels and more)
Opening Reception
Thursday, September 13
Registration & Group Breakfast
General Session I
Group Lunch
Breakout Sessions
Friday, September 14
General Session II & Group Breakfast
Group Lunch
Breakout Sessions
Saturday, September 15
Team Building Activities in the parks
Closing Reception
Group rates are available at Yacht & Beach Club and Port Orleans Riverside, and group pricing
on tickets can be added to your room. The block is good from September 11-15 plus three days
before and after depending on availability. Please remember that all KeyCon attendees must
stay at least one night in the group block in order to attend.
Stay tuned for more updates as they become available!
Walt Disney World
Updates
Walt Disney World Gateway Hotels
Available to Book Online
Walt Disney World® GATEWAY HOTELS - a collection
of quality hotels that offer choice proximity to Walt
Disney World Theme Parks! Walt Disney
World GATEWAY HOTELS will be available to book
online through the Disney Travel Agents website as
part of a Walt Disney Travel Company package beginning today.
This collection of hotels offers accommodations for groups of all sizes and budgets, and includes
the following properties:
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort
Wyndham Bonnet Creek Resort
Each package includes:
Accommodations at a select Walt Disney World GATEWAY HOTEL.
Magic Your Way® Base Ticket with choice of ticket length from 2 to 10 days. For each day
of the ticket, your Clients can enjoy admission to Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney's
Hollywood Studios® or Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park (one Theme Park per day).
Keepsake Luggage Tag (one per person).
And best of all, when you book your Client on a Walt Disney Travel Company package at a Walt
Disney World GATEWAY HOTEL, they will be eligible to receive Magical Extras: discounts and
special perks for activities, entertainment, dining and shopping.
Same as always, Guests of these hotels can utilize a 30-day booking window
for FastPass+ selections.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Benefits
and Booking Update
For 2018, Walt Disney World® has extended some benefits that are currently available to Disney
Resort hotel Guests, Walt Disney World® Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Disney Springs Resort
Area Hotel Guests. Each Guest, with a valid theme park admission, staying at the Four Seasons
Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World will be extended these benefits.
Through Dec. 31, 2018, Guests at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World, with a
valid theme park ticket, will be able to link their hotel reservation on My Disney Experience. These
Guests can utilize a 60-day booking window for FastPass+ selections, as well as take advantage
of the Extra Magic Hours benefit each day that one of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks
opens early or extends later for Guests to enjoy select attractions.
Additionally, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World is now available to book online
through the Disney Travel Agents website as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company package.
Add Premium Airfare Options to Walt Disney Travel Company-
Florida Packages
Are your Clients interested in first class and other premium airfare options for their next Walt
Disney World® Resort vacation? You can now add these premium fare options to your Clients'
Walt Disney Travel Company package (based on availability; phone reservations only). These
fares can be booked for individual legs of the itinerary or the full round trip.
Participating airlines and fare options include:
American Airlines - First Class
Air Canada - Flex and Comfort
Alaska Airlines - First Class
Delta Air Lines - Comfort Plus and First Class
JetBlue - Blue Plus and Blue Flex
Sun Country Airlines - First Class
United Airlines - First Class and Economy Flex
Digital Key
Digital Key is now live in the My Disney Experience app for Guests staying at Disney's
Wilderness Lodge, Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Boulder
Ridge Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
With Digital Key, your Clients can use the My Disney Experience app to quickly unlock their hotel
room, as well as the hotel entrance gate and doors to common areas like pools, fitness centers,
elevators and lounges. Plus, Guests who have completed online check-in may be able to bypass
the front desk and use Digital Key to go directly to their room upon arrival.
Upcoming Training
Opportunities
TravelEx
We've scheduled two Travelex Insurance Webinars for
Wednesday, May 2 at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please see
your KTTW email for links to join.
Expedia TAAP
Key to the World Travel® will be having Expedia TAAP webinars on Wednesday, May 9 at 10
am and 7 pm. Please check your email for details.
Sandals & Beaches
The 2018 Workshlop is an in-person fast-paced class that will cover all that's new and exciting for
2018 including their brand new Sandals Royal Barbados (premiering next level design & luxury),
the launch of the new Aisle to Isle Wedding program, their groundbreaking new Certified Autism
Centers program at Beaches Resorts...and much, much more. This class fulfills the educational
requirement to become a Certified Sandals Specialist as well as your maintenance requirement to
retain your status. To find a workshop in your area, click HERE.
Marriott
The Hotel Excellence! online training is designed to help you, the professional travel consultant,
navigate the ever-changing travel industry landscape, so you can help your clients choose hotels
that best suit their needs and style. Travel agents need to recertify each year by ensuring that a)
HE! Core training is completed and b) each current year's Continuing Education training is
completed to maintain Fam-Tastic® benefits.
You can access more information about the Hotel Excellence! Program by
visiting www.marriott.com/travelagents.
HERE is a PDF that can help you navigate the Marriott Hotel Excellence Dashboard.
Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic has it all, and this course is going to educate you on all the DR has to offer
your clients! Click HERE for free online training for the Dominican Republic!
Hawaii
The Hawaii Destination Specialist Program is a tiered, self-guided educational program that
delivers in-depth knowledge and insights into the Hawaiian Islands as well as effective sales tips
to transform you into a booking pro. Best of all, the program is free and online so you can take it
anytime, at your own pace. Click HERE to sign up and get started.
AMResorts Brand Evolution
As the travel industry evolves, so do AMResorts' six unique brands. AMResorts is hosting a
webinar on Tuesday, May 8 from 1-2 pm EST. First, learn about what it means to Live Big and
Breathe Deep at Breathless Resorts & Spas. Then, you'll discover the new Sunscape Star
Cancun and updates to Sunscape Resorts & Spas brand offerings. Sign up HERE.
Spring Fling - UOR
Training Reminder
For everyone attending Spring Fling at Universal
Orlando this year - please remember you MUST
complete the annual UOR training
on www.universaltravelagents.com in order to attend.
They will be checking to make sure, and will cancel
your reservation if you don't complete it before Spring Fling.
If you are not attending Spring Fling, it is a good idea for you to complete this training as well!
Client System Accuracy -
Trip End Date
It's very important to make sure you're inputting an
accurate Trip End Date into the client system. The
post-trip survey sent to every client is triggered by the
Trip End Date you enter, and because many people
aren't checking to make sure that date is correct,
clients are receiving the surveys before they travel.
The client system defaults to the current day's date in
both the "start" and "end" field, so please make sure you're double and triple checking that you
changed it to the correct date that your client's trip ends!
Commission Research
Procedure
What should you do if your client has traveled and you
don't see the commission marked as received in the
client system?
1. Have Patience - the first thing to do is consider
the type of reservation. Cruises, Tickets Only and most Disney Reservations pay us the
commission relatively quickly, usually within 2-3 weeks of checkout. However, some
suppliers take much longer. Hotel Only can take up to 90 days after the guest checks out.
Bookings through VAX pay us via check, and have to be manually processed using the
report that comes with the check. This can take time!
2. Initiate a Commission Research Request - if too much time has passed (30 days for a
Disney reservation, 60-90 for others) then you will need to contact the supplier to request a
commission search. If they tell you it was paid, we need to know a check number or ACH
number and date in order to look for it. Usually when the supplier gives you a "paid" date,
what that really is is the date they sent it to their accounting department for payment, not the
date we received it. If they sent a check, that adds a lot of additional time. Checks have to
be received by the office and deposited, and then 2-3 times a month the accompanying
reports sent to Kendra to be logged into the system.
Kendra spends a lot of time in the two weeks before payroll checking for missed payments and
making sure everything for the previous month has been logged in and marked for payment.
Please don't contact her in the two weeks before payroll asking about a specific payment from the
current payroll month - she's still working on it!
If you have any questions about commission payments or how specific suppliers pay, please
contact Kendra directly at kendra@keytotheworldtravel.com.
Universal Orlando Resort
Reference Guide
The Universal Orlando Sales team has set up an
amazing resource for all things UOR! The interactive
reference guide they've developed uses Dropbox, and
they keep it accurate and up-to-date with the most
recent tools and information (including some great tips
on using VAX).
1. Set up a Dropbox account using the PDF guide (see
attachment) using your KTTW email
2. Once you've set that up, email Al Johnston at
Universal (al.johnston@universalorlando.com) to let him
know you set it up and provide him with your Dropbox
email address (please note this MIUST be your KTTW
email). He'll then email you an invite
3. Refer to THIS PDF of instructions to complete set up.
One note - Al says in the instructions PDF that it doesn't work well with Chrome and suggests
using a different browser, however it seems to work fine in Chrome! But, if you have trouble try
switching to Safari, Firefox or IE.
Client Support Ticket
This has been shared many times, but there still
seems to be some confusion on who to contact. If you
have any technical difficulties or any issues at all with
the Key to the World Client System, please submit the
following form, filled out in its entirety:
CLIENT SYSTEM SUPPORT TICKET
The support ticket is the only method you should be
using to report client system issues - please do not email/call/message Jeff or anyone else
directly. We can't look into the issue unless we have all of the information on the Support Ticket, so
please fill it out completely and with as much detail as possible.
Remember to bookmark this link for future reference.
Incredible Summer
Booking Contest
It's time to gear up for an Incredible Summer and get
your clients excited for an amazing summer
vacation! For our next sales contest, you can earn
one entry for every eligible booking you make for
summer travel, June 1-September 1, 2018. The
winner will be chosen via a random drawing on June 1 and will receive a trip for 4 to Walt Disney
World to check out Toy Story Land!
So get out there and get your clients excited to visit Buzz, Woody and the rest of the gang at Toy
Story Land in Florida or at Pixar Fest in California. Or, send them on an incredible adventure on
Disney Cruise Line or Adventures by Disney. Make this your very own Incredible Summer!
Contest Booking Dates: April 1-May 31
Eligible Bookings: All trips with a check-in date between June 1, 2018 and September 1, 2018
for any WDW package or Room Only of 3 or more nights, any DLR package or Room Only of 3 or
more nights, any Disney Cruise Line reservation, any Adventures by Disney trip, and any Tickets
Only order of 4 or more days for WDW or DLR. Remember, the trip must travel this summer,
between June 1 and September 1.
Prize: 3-Night/4-Day stay at Walt Disney World Resort in 2018 at a moderate resort, includes 4-
day Park Hopper tickets and the Disney Dining Plan for 4 people
Marketing Livestream Giveaway
Winner
Congratulations to Gabby Hoover, the winner of the
Livestreaming 101 Marketing Workshop contest!!
April Social Media Contest
Keep sharing those posts - the prize for April is a notebook,
luggage tag, and small tray directly from Disneyland Paris!
Remember, you need to share directly from the KTTW
Facebook page for it to count! Each share gets an entry - good
luck!!
Adventures By Disney -
Southern California and
Disneyland Tour
Who wants some VIP access to Disney history, Disneyland
Resort, Walt Disney Studios, and even a peak inside
Imagineering?
KTTW has the opportunity to have a private departure of the new
Adventures by Disney Disneyland Resort & Southern California
Short Escape next year (May 16-19, 2019).
You can take a look at the itinerary HERE!
We will be emailing everyone with more details; it will be open to KTTW agents and their friends,
family and clients only. We'll have room for a maximum of 40 guests. We have a special price
that's a bit lower than the public rate for that time of year, $2,269 per adult or $2,159 per child,
plus you'll earn commission.
Watch your email for the details on how to book! I highly, highly recommend this tour.
Facebook Roundup
There was A LOT of great information shared on Facebook in the
past few weeks - here are some things you may have missed!
Thank you!!
Multiple agents posted about what an amazing team we have. With so many people having issues
with the Free Dining release, it was wonderful to see so many of our agents reaching out to help
one another - way to go!!
Disney Copyright
Heather Straight
Please DO NOT access or download anything from the Disney Copyright site. Copyrighted
material is intended for agency use only and there are very strict rules about where and when that
material can be used.
Key to the World Travel® Disclaimer
Jeff Williams
I've redone our Insurance disclaimer form in an effort to strengthen our terms of service and to
protect us and our agents better in the event of a claim that we have done something wrong.
Please take a moment to go read the new terms, and see the new form that all of tour clients will
be receiving.
http://www.123formbuilder.com/form-607461/Insurance-Disclaimer-Form
Also, while you're there, bookmark the form address so that you can send it to a client if they have
trouble with, or didn't receive the auto-triggered one from the client system.
Make Sure You Are Entering Your Information in the Client
System
Heather Straight
Another day, another batch of DCL documents for reservations that aren't in the client system. By
the time documents reach us, final payment has already been made and DCL has already paid
the commission - which means if you didn't bother entering the reservation into the system, you
also won't be bothered by not getting paid. That ship, as they say, has sailed.
Also, please know that we can also see when a trip was entered into the client system, so if you
enter it after the commission has been recevied we will know.
Key to the World Travel® Approved Logos
HERE are the files for the two logos we'd like you to use for all of your KTTW needs. These were
also mailed out to everyone. Please do not emaill Jeff or the office to get copies of these logos.
Please remember, however, all graphics/marketing materials must be submitted to Jeff for
approval before use.
New Suppliers
Heather Straight
We encourage you to research and find new suppliers that we can work with for all elements of our
guests' vacations, but there is a specific procedure that needs to be followed for setting up KTTW
with a new supplier:
1) Kendra Leonard is the only person authorized to set us up with a new supplier; all requests
must go through her. Do not try to set up a new supplier yourself.
2) Kendra needs adequate time to set up new supplier accounts; in some cases, the paperwork
can take a few weeks, so please contact her well in advance. DO NOT, under any
circumstances, email her on the day your client wants to book asking her to set up an account.
3) Provide Kendra with as much information as possible - name of the supplier, contact
information, any emails you've exchanged with the supplier contact
4) Once she has set us up, Kendra will add the supplier to the client system. DO NOT do this
yourself. We're slowly trying to fix the messy supplier list that has resulted from people adding
suppliers that are already there (a million versions of the Walt Disney Travel Co, for example) or
adding them in haste and not listing them correctly. Only Kendra should be adding new suppliers.
Please stick to this procedure so that all new registrations can go smoothly!
Free Dining Commission Glitch
Heather Straight
Make sure you're checking any Free Dining modifications or reservations you made before they
fixed the commission glitch, so you can put the correct amount into the client system! If they have
not been corrected, you can call into DRC and have the Cast Member update the commission.
Dining and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservation Tip
Tiffany Harmon
Good morning and Happy Monday! Just a little tip, in case you didn't know. You can also use the
Earmarked phone number (877-569-3276) to call in to make dining or BBB reservations. Option
1, then option 3. The wait for calling directly to make BBB reservations this morning was over 2
hours, but by calling the Earmarked line and choosing the dining option, I was through to a Cast
Member in 10 minutes.
Booking.com
Heather Straight
As far as Kendra and I can tell, booking.com has discontinued their TA platform and now only have
an Affiliate program (where you put a booking tool on your website that customers use to book
themselves; obviously we don't do that). However pinSight does have booking.com rates, so check
there if you need it.
Sharing Documents
Many agents shared documents that they use to help stay organized or to provide information to
their clients. Please keep in mind that what works for you, may not work for everyone, so utilze
this information and customize it for yourself - especailly the client documents. Here are some of
them:
Shauna Damboise - European Client Intake Form
Christi Fanklin - WDW Transportation Tips - Including Minnie Van Service
Nicole Newgas - Universal Orlando Resort Intake Form
Nicole Newgas - Universal Orlando Booked Client Form
Nicole Newgas - Universal Orlando Checklist
Deon Tait - Vacation Countdown Calendar
Sarah Little - Future Vacation Gift Vouchers
Rachel Keohane - FP+ List
Inspiration
Nicole Kammeraad
Hey Family! I just have to pass on a little inspiration for your Tuesday!
So, back in the fall I had a lady contact me that they heard about me AFTER they booked a huge
family Disney Cruise with a local travel agency. They worked years to pay off a building in our
downtown, and they decided to take their kids and grandkids on a DCL cruise as a celebration.
Well, they booked with local agency, literally the lady booked, gave them the confirmation and said
"good luck". Offered NO help in booking their excursions, etc. She heard about me through the
grapevine and reached out to me. It was outside of the transfer window. I didn't care. I knew how
hard they worked for this vacation - and I was NOT going to let someone else ruin this trip. So, I
took it all on and worked my buns off for nothing. I wouldn't let her pay me because I knew how
much she already 'paid' the other agent. On the day I met her to go over her final travel
documents, she gifted me the most beautiful diamond earrings. She assured me that she will
NEVER book through anyone else.
Fast forward only 2 weeks, and I already have an appointment set up with her because she and
her husband want to go to Aulani! I now have a client for life (and they LOVE to travel). I could've
said "no", but that would've been really dumb of me!
To the newer agents: I had a lot of non-commissionable tickets when I started... they've been some
of my clients that refer me the most! Don't always live in the present, the future may hold so much
more!
Articles Worth Reading
There are a lot of travel blogs and articles out there that
can really help you and your business. These are just
a few of them.
Annual Disney Dining Promotions Keep Agents Up After Hours
Travel agents with customers booking Disney resort vacations are currently engaged in an annual
rite, getting up early in the morning to capture Free Dining discounts that could save their clients
hundreds, and in some cases, a thousand dollars or more. Read more HERE.
Why Everyone Should Use a Travel Agent in 2018
As business for 2018 begins to build, we asked travel agents why they think travelers should
never travel without an advisor behind them heading into the New Year. HERE is what they said.
Seven Things to Consider When Booking Cruise Shore
Excursions
Selling a cruise is no longer just selling a cabin. Instead it's about selling the entire experience,
including the shore excursions at each port of all. Cruise Specialists, the cruise travel agency
owned by Travel Leaders Group, is offering insights on current trends within shore excursions,
including the growing popularity of tours focused on cultural immersion, preservation and
philanthropy, along with top tips for maximizing time ashore. It recently conducted a survey of more
than 1,300 travel agents revealing that "what to do ashore" is the number one question among
consumers who are planning a cruise vacation. Click HERE for more.
Profile of American Family Traveler Survey Reveals High
Value Market
Family Travel Association (FTA), the leading coalition of the family travel industry, and Longwoods
International, a leader in tourism market research, have released a new profile of family travel in
the United States. The study confirms that the family travel market is a vital and valuable segment
of the travel industry, representing 35 percent of all domestic travel. Read more HERE.
What Countries Do Luxury Travelers Want to Visit in 2018?
If you had a Crystal Ball to determine the travel desires of your luxury customers, what would you
discover? Click HERE to find out!
The Most Fascinating Attraction at Disney World You Aren't
Allowed to Visit
Before launching a new restaruant, a team of food geniuses labors in a hidden food laboratory on a
Walt Disney World back lot - we managed to sneak inside. Read more HERE.
TSA Launches Stricter Carry-On Screenings Nationwide
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) this month rolled out enhanced screening
procedures for carry-on baggage nationwide, after testing the stronger security measures at select
airports. Read more HERE.
KeyNotes: Key to the World
Travel® Blog
Do you love to write? Have a great idea for a blog post?
Do you want to get your name out there, and attact more
clients? The Key to the World Travel® blog can help!
You can find the Blog Submission Process information by logging into the Agent Area and
following the direct link to the Blog Submission Process or by going to HERE! To submit an idea for
a blog post, please utilize this form, and be sure to read all of the instructions before submitting. If
you have any questions, feel free to email Cheryl!
Getting to Know You Series -
Melissa Sundbye
The Key to the World Travel® Mentor and Management teams
are all here to answer your questions, and help you succeed.
Since we all work far apart, and only get to meet up in person
at KeyCon, we are adding this fun new feature where we will
highlight one Mentor or Manager so that you can get to know us
a little bit better!
What made you fall in love with Disney?
Disney has always been a favorite vacation spot for my family.
My dad took me every other year since I was two years old.
The magic is real when you walk into the gates of the Magic
Kingdom. Disney's service and hospitality blows all other destinations out of the water. I love that it
is always growing and changing. Visiting the Disney parks makes me feel like a kid again and
my family can forget everything else that is happening at home while we are there.
Favorite Disney Destination and Why
My first love is Walt Disney World. It is home and I love all of the theme parks for their own unique
vibes. Disney Cruise Line is my second favorite. The service and experience on their ships is
second to none.
Favorite Disney attraction, restaurant, and/or experience
Hands down my favoirte attraction is Flight of Passage. My favorite restaurant is 1900 Park Fare.
Anastasia is my spirit animal and the food is excellent.
Favorite Disney Character
Captain Jack Sparrow
#1 Marketing or Sales Tip
"Live the Disney life"- Jeff Williams. Wear Disney or KTTW shirts and speak Disney. Branding
yourself as the Disney travel professional will help you grow your business.
Roll Tide!
Key to the World Travel® has an amazing opportunity to market a special room block directly to
your University of Alabama Football Fan Clients!!!
We have set up a room block for discounted rooms and theme park tickets for the University of
Alabama Season Opener on Sept 1 in Orlando!!! Please EMAIL Erin Jensen and let her know that
you are interested, and she will send you the details, so you can start to sell this awesome
opportunity to your clients!
Please note: Tickets to the game are NOT included and would need to be purchased by the client
on their own.
If there are ever any topics you would like covered in
KeyConnection, please email
cheryl@keytotheworldtravel.com!!
STAY CONNECTED:
