By Dathan Kazsuk
Sometimes the best travel advice starts over a couple of iced lattes.
That was more or less the plan when I sat down with Megan Martin of 1923 Travel in Wake Forest. I wanted to learn how she turned a lifelong love of Disney into a travel business and what she’s seeing from travelers right now.
But I also had somewhat selfish motives.
I’m a Disney person. I’m definitely a cruise person. My wife, Jen, introduced me to cruising on our honeymoon to Bermuda, and we’ve been hooked ever since. So if I’m sitting across from someone who travels for a living, I’m going to sneak in a few questions that might help me plan my next trip, too.
Fortunately, you’ll be hearing more from Martin. She’ll join Midtown online every other month for Worth the Trip, sharing advice and firsthand experiences on Disney, cruises, all-inclusive resorts, family travel, and destinations worth considering before you book.
But first, let’s meet our newest contributor.
Martin’s relationship with Disney started long before it became part of her career.
“I started going to Disney when I was 5, and we ended up going about twice a year,” she says. “So I became very familiar with it.”
As an adult, she became the person friends and family called when planning their own trips. Eventually, she realized there might be a career in all that advice.
“I probably should get paid for this,” she says with a laugh.
Martin became a travel advisor about eight years ago, initially working with another agency. She also brought considerable business experience with her, having worked her way from dental assisting into corporate management, at times overseeing hundreds of employees across multiple offices.
Eventually, she decided she was ready to build something of her own.
“One random day, I woke up and told my husband, ‘I’m going to start a travel agency,’” she says. “And he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ We never looked back.”
1923 Travel officially launched June 1, 2023.
Disney may have been the starting point, but today Martin also plans cruises, all-inclusive vacations and custom European itineraries.
“You kind of branch out,” she says. “You get to do things that you never thought were possible. You get to see the world.”
Ask Martin what travelers are booking right now, and she doesn’t hesitate.
“Cruising and all-inclusives have just taken over,” she says.
She’s also seeing more parents interested in showing their children something beyond the traditional theme-park or beach vacation.
That includes Alaska, which has become particularly popular with her clients. Martin says 1923 Travel has around 120 Alaska cruise bookings this summer.
“People want something different now,” she says. “I feel like more of it is, ‘I want to show my kids things that I’ve never seen before.’”
An Alaska cruise can combine the ease of cruising with wildlife, trains, dog sledding, gold-mining experiences and landscapes kids aren’t likely to encounter on a typical Caribbean trip.
Yes, Martin still loves Disney.
But, as she puts it, “Disney is not the world.”
Although I could probably make a respectable argument for EPCOT.
For families wondering where to start, Royal Caribbean leads bookings at Martin’s agency.
She likes it as an all-around option because of the sheer amount available onboard—from kids clubs and waterslides to live entertainment, comedy and activities for adults.
“They just seem to be overall a crowd pleaser,” she says.
Disney Cruise Line is another favorite, particularly for families with younger children.
During a recent Disney cruise, Martin says her 7-year-old couldn’t eat breakfast fast enough each morning because he wanted to get back to the kids club.
For parents, that’s important.
Martin believes there’s a difference between a vacation and a family trip, and a good kids program can occasionally give Mom and Dad some actual vacation time.
For travelers watching their budget, Martin also recommends considering MSC Cruises, which she says often offers strong value for the price. Celebrity Cruises is another favorite among her clients.
Her advice is not to choose a cruise based solely on the cheapest fare.
Think about the age and size of the ship, how long you’ll be sailing and what you actually want from the vacation. A short weekend cruise can have a very different atmosphere from a seven-night sailing built around destinations and excursions.
Disney vacations are where Martin’s experience really starts to show.
“Disney is not self-explanatory at all,” she says.
There are resorts, dining reservations, park tickets, transportation systems, apps and attraction strategies. For someone who hasn’t visited recently, planning Disney can almost become a job of its own.
One of Martin’s strongest recommendations is to seriously consider staying at a Disney resort rather than automatically booking an Airbnb or hotel outside the property.
It’s one of the decisions she says clients most often regret.
Travelers may assume staying elsewhere will save money, but they can underestimate the time involved in driving back and forth and the conveniences they give up by staying outside the resort.
“I will always get an email back at the end of that trip saying, ‘I understand now why you wanted me to stay on property,’” she says.
Her second piece of advice may be even more important: Stop trying to make Disney perfect.
Martin asks clients to choose the three things they most want to accomplish. She’ll do everything possible to make those happen.
After that, be flexible.
“The happiest our clients are is when we say, ‘Go with the flow. Be able to adapt and change,’” she says.
A ride may go down. A reservation may not be available. Your kids may suddenly decide the resort pool sounds better than another three hours in Magic Kingdom.
Sometimes that’s the vacation.
Martin is also a fan of Park Hopper tickets for travelers who value flexibility. A morning at Magic Kingdom can become an afternoon at the pool followed by dinner and another evening at EPCOT.
It’s an added expense, but one she says clients who skip it sometimes wish they had made.
The internet has made booking travel incredibly easy.
It has also given travelers thousands of opinions on how to take that trip.
Martin believes that’s where a good travel advisor still matters.
Her team can assist with hotels, transportation, Disney dining reservations, rentals, and trip planning, while also teaching clients how to navigate the systems they’ll need once they’re on vacation.
But perhaps more importantly for her new Midtown column, Martin isn’t particularly interested in telling readers everything is wonderful.
“I like giving people the honest truth,” she says. “I’m just not going to sugarcoat it. I’ll tell you why I don’t like something.”
That’s part of what interested me in having her contribute.
Martin travels frequently, sometimes with her family and sometimes alone while researching destinations and experiences for clients. One of her upcoming trips is her first stay at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas—a resort she intentionally booked because she keeps hearing completely different opinions about it.
Some people love Atlantis.
Some say don’t bother.
Martin wants to find out for herself.
And that’s exactly what Worth the Trip will be about.
Sometimes it’ll be Disney. Sometimes a cruise, an all-inclusive resort or a family getaway. Other times, it could be someplace we haven’t even thought about yet.
She’ll go, experience it and come back with the question that really matters:
Is it actually worth the trip?
