Esencia Family Travel

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Esencia Family Travel

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Helping South Orange County families create core memories with their children through travel
CA SOT: 2063964-50

09/09/2026

My daughter keeps calling this “the five-star resort Dad is going to without us.” She’s not wrong. Some times you gotta do the tough things for work. 😂

I’m in the Dominican Republic for the first time, attending a conference with other top-performing advisors from my host agency. It’s a chance to learn from some of the best in the business, strengthen supplier relationships and experience a new resort in a destination I’ve previously only planned for clients.

I just arrived, but I can already see why so many travelers love the Dominican Republic. The water, the setting and the resort experience make a heck of a first impression.

Thanks to travelplannersintl and secretsplayaesmeralda for making a great first impression for AOTR.

09/04/2026

Aulani is one of those trips where you might think you can book the room and figure everything else out when you arrive, until you hop into an Aulani Facebook group and suddenly it all feels overwhelming.

The reality is somewhere in the middle.

You can leave plenty of the trip unscheduled, but a few popular experiences open much earlier than many families expect.

Here’s what the current booking windows look like. When you book with me, you get a reminder as each of these windows opens.

Unlike Disneyland or Walt Disney World, the dates aren’t all calculated from the first day of your stay. They’re based on the date of each individual experience. For a week-long stay, that can mean having several different booking dates to track.

• 180 days: KA WA‘A Lū‘au and Laniwai Spa

• 90 days: Cabanas and Casabellas. The most popular cabana locations are among the hardest reservations to get on this list.

• 45 days: Reservation-required activities at Aunty’s Beach House, select activities such as making your own Mickey ears, and dining reservations, including character dining

That does not mean every minute needs a reservation. It means deciding which two or three experiences matter most to your family, knowing when its best to book them during your trip, and putting those dates on the calendar.

Then the rest of the trip can still feel like Hawaii.

08/24/2026

It won't fix helping the kids get some sleep during the 12 hour flight or with getting better food, but European family travel is about to get a little easier.

The EU has approved a major update to its air-passenger protections, with the new rules expected to start sometime in 2027.

For families, the biggest improvement is simple: airlines will have to seat a child under 14 next to an accompanying adult without charging a seat-selection fee.

A few other helpful changes:

• Airlines will have 30 days to approve a compensation claim or explain why it was denied.

• If an airline cannot reroute you within three hours after a cancellation, you’ll be able to arrange your own flight, train or bus and request reimbursement of up to 400% of the original ticket price.

• Missing the outbound portion of a round-trip ticket will no longer allow the airline to cancel your return flight or charge you to use it.

• Travelers will have a standard nine-month window to file compensation claims instead of dealing with a different deadline in each country.

None of this will prevent delays or cancellations, but it should remove some of the uncertainty that makes disrupted travel with children especially stressful. The free family-seating requirement alone should provide some additional peace of mind when planning a trip to Europe.

The exact start date still depends on publication in the EU’s Official Journal. The rules will begin applying 12 months and 20 days after publication. Maybe someday we'll have this in the US. Dreamers can dream.

08/19/2026

Whenever I tell my kids they need to become more adventurous eaters, I tell them, “Otherwise, we’ll never take you to Thailand.”

Jenny and I went 15 years ago, when we were carefree and kid-free. It was magical. We could get lost where the streets have no name and enjoy the best Thai food, Coke in a bag, and some street meat that we never could identify.

I’d love to take the kids back, but I’d approach it a little differently now. This new Thailand itinerary is exactly where I’d look.

Adventures by Disney gives you the quality and family-friendliness of Disney, but with the world as your park to explore. You get the adventure of experiencing a completely new destination without having to figure out every detail on your own.

They launched this itinerary for 2027 and 2028 dates, and I'd love to help you get matched up with the right trip for your family and provide you some exclusive agency incentives, as well.

07/12/2026

Don't be stupid. Buy travel insurance for your next trip before life gives you a reason to.

Less than a week before my family’s biggest trip in years, I was in the ER, needed an emergency procedure, and had a stent placed.

I was not medically cleared to travel until the day before departure. I made the trip with the stent still in place, then needed another surgery after returning.

Had I not been cleared, I could have lost thousands in nonrefundable trip costs. Had this happened just a few days later, during the cruise without coverage, emergency treatment and getting home could have cost far more.

Thankfully, I had purchased travel insurance before any of this happened.

That timing matters. You cannot wait until symptoms appear or a diagnosis is made and then expect a new policy to cover it. Some policies also have strict deadlines related to pre-existing conditions.

For a major trip, travel insurance is not something to leave until the last minute.

Reach out and I can point you toward reputable third-party providers whose licensed representatives can answer policy-specific questions.

06/09/2026

Over $2,476 saved on a 6-night Aulani stay.

A local family already had the room type they wanted booked for an amazing Aulani vacation this fall. Then the new offers came out last week.

I checked it right away, reviewed their existing reservation, and put a hold on the same room type at a new price. We were able to reprice their stay into the new promotion saving a ton.

By the next day, that same room type was gone, which is common especially with the Villas.

Sometimes the value of a travel advisor is not just choosing the right resort and room, but it is watching what happens after the booking is made. My service doesn't stop until you're home and happy.

New offers can move quickly. The best room types can disappear fast. And when there is an opportunity to save money without sacrificing the vacation experience, timing matters.

In this case, they kept the perfect room for their family and saved $2,476.

That is a pretty great way to start a Hawaii vacation.

Thinking about Aulani or Hawaii for your family? Let’s book it right.

06/07/2026

Summer starts early here. ☀️

One of the quiet advantages of living in South Orange County?

Our schools often get out earlier than many districts across the country.

That first week of summer can be a surprisingly strong travel window because local families are ready to go while much of the country is still finishing school.

That timing can open up some great opportunities for trips like those I'm sending people out on this week:

Japan
Walt Disney World Resort
Universal Studios Florida
Mediterranean cruises
Royal Caribbean
Europe family trips

It is still a busy travel week, but for local families, it can be one of the best “move before the crowd” moments of the year.

The key is planning early enough to take advantage of the timing instead of scrambling once everyone else realizes summer is here.

Earlier school release + early summer pricing = prime travel timing.

This is one of those little calendar advantages that can make a big difference when planning a family vacation.

06/04/2026

Save up to 30% on select stays of 5 nights or longer this fall. Subject to availability and restrictions.

The fall/winter offers finally launched for Aulani. This means stays from late October all the way up to the holidays now have a very limited quantity of rooms available to book at fantastic prices. Villas, which are perfect for families, are the always first to go. So, don't wait. This is one of the best times to get out to Aulani and enjoy all the resort and O'ahu as a whole have to offer.

Let me know if you'd like to take advantage of this offer to experience one of Disney's most unique experiences.

05/29/2026

What a great week of new experiences and learning at Disneyland this week. We had an amazing special guest show up at the end of the program, too. How cool. I can’t wait to share the new knowledge with my customers.

05/27/2026

I’m spending time at Disneyland Resort this week for Disney’s Agent Education Program.

This is one of the best parts of being a travel advisor because I get to hear directly from Disney’s team about what is coming, what families should know, and how the parks are being positioned for the year ahead.

That kind of firsthand education matters. It helps me give better guidance on:

• When to visit
• Where to stay
• How to approach special events
• What experiences are worth prioritizing
• How to make the trip feel easier for parents and more magical for kids

Whether you’re thinking about a Walt Disney World vacation or a Disneyland staycation, I’d love to help your family plan it well.

Reach out anytime and I’m happy to talk through what might make the most sense for your family.

Address

3572 Ivy Way
Ladera Ranch, CA
92694

Telephone

+19493292723

Website

http://www.makecorememories.com/

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