Off to Neverland Travel® Celebrates 5 Years!
Today is an exciting day for Off to Neverland Travel® as we celebrate 5 years of making your travel dreams come true!
While Off to Neverland Travel® is turning five, our story actually began in 1998 when our owner, Chet McDoniel, was on his 2nd trip to Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. It was on this trip that Chet fell in love with Disney and thus began the journey towards the birth of Off to Neverland Travel®.
Chet tells his story best:
“To set the stage, let me tell you that I couldn’t wait to see SpectroMagic Parade. It was the one thing I was most excited about. On our day at the Magic Kingdom® Park, we arrived to watch the parade too late to get a decent spot to view it, and did not know about any other seating options, so I watched it from a distance, while at the time my hopes were crushed. Being in a wheelchair, I couldn’t even see the parade due to all the people around me.
On the last day of our trip, we were at MGM (now, Disney’s Hollywood Studios™) and as we were leaving, I noticed that there was an hour before the SpectroMagic Parade. We decided (upon my request) to make another attempt at viewing the parade. I was fearful when we arrived because when we had seen it a couple of days earlier, we tried to get seats about an hour early, and here we were attempting the same at about 20 mins before the parade. When we arrived, Main Street, U.S.A.® Area was PACKED. Here I am in a manual wheelchair with someone pushing me through holes that people couldn’t even walk through. I would never make it. My hopes dashed again, I was ready to leave…
We pushed and shoved through the crowd as my parents had decided that if we couldn’t see the parade, we might as well ride a high-profile attraction while we were here. Then a Cast Member walked right up to us on the street as we were trying to hurry to get out of the parade’s way. It hadn’t started, but Jimminy Cricket had made several announcements. She knelt down, eye-to-eye level with me and in the middle of the chaos, said with a great big smile, “I saved a special place just for you sweetheart.” She turned and walked over to handicapped seating area not 10 ft away, where, there was just enough room to park my chair. My front wheels were practically hanging off the curb. I turned to say thanks and she winked and left. I watched the parade in all of its splendor. My dreams came true, and my vacation was made perfect.”
That kind of vacation magic is what we are all about at Off to Neverland Travel®. Disney provides a level of service and entertainment that no other destination can provide, and Off to Neverland Travel® is here to serve you and your vacation needs with ‘white gloves’. Our service goes far beyond the average, helping you create lasting vacation memories. From dining arrangements and tours to tips and general questions, and everything in between, our Magic Makers® are committed to making your vacation all it can be.
While Disney is our specialty, we are a full-service travel agency, and we can help you with your vacation plans to any destination.
We are strong believers that wonderful, lasting memories are made when families and friends go on vacation, and that is why Off to Neverland Travel® has been here for five years serving you, and will continue to be here in the years to come. Whatever your vacation dreams may be, they are only “a wish away” here at Off to Neverland Travel®.
