Cindy Minor, owner of Small World Big Fun, has been in the travel business as a Disney specialist for about 10 years now, but she had been planning Disney trips for family and friends for at least 10 years prior to actually getting paid for it. After seven years as a part-time independent agent for another company, she took a leap of faith and started Small World Big Fun.
Cindy’s best advice for those who are planning a trip to Disney: start early! Have some kind of plan, but don’t be so rigid that you don’t leave time for the magic that happens in unexpected times and unexpected places. Also, she notes, “Some of the best memories that I have of my child at a young age are from the trips we took with her when she was 2 and 3 years old. Those trips are some of my most precious memories. The memories are for you as much as for your kids, so don’t think it’s all about your children!”
When she isn’t running the business or parenting her teen-aged daughter, Cindy does Jazzercise to maintain her sanity. She says, “It’s BIG FUN, but it’s not pretty to watch.”
You can reach Cindy at 501-831-5211 or cindy@smallworldbigfun.com.
Vivian Blair (aka “The Viv”) loves to travel and can be packed and ready to go to Disney -- or anywhere else, for that matter --in about 15 minutes.
A former middle school English teacher, the Viv was inspired to become a travel agent when she ran into a crying lady in the gift shop at Disney’s Boardwalk resort in June of 2007. “It was awful. This pitiful woman had come to the gift shop, looking for a moment of peace and some advice. She was sobbing on the poor cast member because her kids had only ridden three rides in two days, and her husband was griping about how much money they had spent, and no one was having any fun.” Vivian knew she could solve those problems!
However, Vivian’s travel skills are NOT confined to Disney properties: you want to go snow skiing, she’s your girl! She also knows the ins and outs of cruising Norwegian and Royal Caribbean, and she LOVES to plan romantic honeymoons and anniversary trips, as well as family trips to resorts in Mexico and the Caribbean.
Vivian lives in Little Rock with her husband, children, and three dogs. She runs to maintain her sanity, and in her spare time, she volunteers at church and her children’s school.
For help with your romantic or family vacation or to cruise Alaska or the Caribbean, call Vivian at 501-352-8255 or email her at vivian@smallworldbigfun.com
Shannon Seibert loves planning Disney trips because she truly believes it is "magical.” She loves to tell parents that Disney is a place where you can go and play with your children all day long, and you also get to tell you children yes more than no: "Yes, you can ride Splash Mountain for the third time! Yes, you can give Mickey a hug! Yes, you can have an ice cream cone for dinner!"
Shannon has been planning Disney trips since 1999. “My goal in my Disney planning services is to create a trip where my clients simply show up and have fun. I give them tips as to which parks on certain days have lower crowds, advise them on which resort fits their needs best, plan and make dining reservations at the fun and yummy restaurants, plus much more advice and tips. It really is BIG FUN to help people get the most out of the Disney magic!”
My all-time favorite memory at Disney World is one that wasn't planned. It was simply the magic of that environment, the opportunities in the small things to create wonderful memories. We were all sitting on the sand at the Beach Club resort, watching The Shaggy Dog on the outdoor movie screen, making s’mores with our faces covered in chocolate & marshmallows. After the movie, we saw the fireworks from Illuminations in Epcot. It was pure MAGIC!
The most recent magical Disney experience has been on the new ship, the Disney Dream. My children talk about that trip more than any other trip we have done. It truly was a DREAM come true!
You can contact Shannon at 615-549-2820 or by email at shannon@smallworldbigfun.com
Jennifer Lowery worked at The Disney Store in Little Rock for 6 years while she was in school. She is a past winner of the Disney spirit Award – only 1% of the entire Disney company gets this honor. She earned a degree in Occupational Therapy, but she prefers to play tennis and plan Disney trips. She even got engaged at Disney!
Jennifer’s love of Disney began when she was 8 years old. She watched an episode of Captain Kangaroo where she saw a girl in a parade, and she wanted to be in a parade. She wrote to Disney and asked to be in one of their parades. When she went to Disney World later that year, she was the Grand Marshall of the Magic Kingdom parade!
Jennifer has been married for 12 years and has three children. She loves Disney pin trading, and her favorite ride is Splash Mountain. She loves to hang out at the resorts: she may spend 8 days at Disney but only 4 in the parks.
For her clients, she is a whiz at finding the most elusive dining reservations! When she and her family visit Walt Disney World, they usually drive to Orlando, so she has lots of tips for families who like to drive. She is also great at helping families with the anticipation before the trip—she is the Queen of the countdown poster – does one for every trip.
Give Jennifer a call at 501-240-5363 or contact her by email at JLowery@smallworldbigfun.com
Laura McDowell has been a Small World Big Fun agent for a little over one year. Originally from West Memphis, AR, Laura has lived in Jonesboro since 1994, except for the three years she lived in Puerto Rico while her husband was in optometry school.
In 2011, Laura ran the Disney 5K, while her husband ran the Disney Marathon. They had such a good time that Laura was inspired to train for the Disney Half-Marathon for 2012!
Laura has spent lots of time at Disneyland, so she knows it well. Her favorite character is Mickey, and her favorite ride is Soarin’. Her best Disney experience was during a recent Disney trip. Her 4-year-old son was finally big enough to ride Test Track, and he was so excited. A cast member overheard him, and she took them immediately to the front of the line. Laura loves the moments of magic like this that happen at Disney!
Laura works hard to find the best deal for each client and excels at individualizing each trip to meet that client’s needs. In her spare time, she plays with her two sons.
To reach Laura, call her at 870-882-2975 or email her at LMcDowell@smallworldbigfun.com
Lauren Miller - "I first visited Disneyworld at 6 years old. I remember seeing Disney as the most magical place on Earth. I still see it that way." Lauren Miller, originally from Northeast Arkansas, has made Central Arkansas her home. She loves planning vacations for clients and their children: "I truly believe you have not seen Disney until you've seen it through the eyes of your children. It's absolutely magical." If you visit Lauren's home during the holidays, you will see her "Disney tree" complete with Mickey tree topper! "I love Mickey and of course, all of the princesses but the favorite characters in our home are Chip and Dale!"
Lauren is involved with the Junior League of Little Rock, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Arkansas, Central Arkansas Phi Mu Alumnae Chapter, and Immanuel Baptist Church. She enjoys spending time with her family and 2 Labrador retrievers, antiquing, entertaining, and cooking.
She and her husband Michael have one four-old daughter. Contact Lauren at 501-690-5110 or by email at Lauren@smallworldbigfun.com to have her plan your next Disney vacation.
Amy Palmer is originally from the St Louis area but has made Little Rock her home for the past 12 years. She married her college sweetheart and they have three rambunctious but fun kids. When she is not chauffeuring her daughter to after-school activities or chasing her sons, she enjoys reading, playing tennis and researching and planning her family's next Disney adventure. Some of her favorite family vacations have been to San Diego, the beaches on the Florida Gulf Coast, and of course, Walt Disney World! Pirates of the Caribbean is her favorite Disney attraction.
“Two years ago, I rode Pirates of the Caribbean with my 2-year-old son. When the ride finished and the boat was unloading, my young son wiped his brow and exclaimed, "Whew, I made it!" I love that this attraction has survived the test of time and is still providing adventure and entertainment to the 2-year-old pirates of today!”
During that same trip, she experienced her most magical Disney moment. “We were at Disneyland on Thanksgiving day. It was a spur of the moment decision to tack on a day at Disneyland to the end of a San Diego trip. We had had a wonderful day and had managed to plow our way all the way through to the fireworks. As the fireworks wrapped up, my 5-year-old daughter looked into the sky and gasped, "It's snowing!" Sure enough, snow was falling from the sky in the middle of California! It was so unexpected and absolutely beautiful...a magical moment I'll never forget.”
To create your family’s magical vacation, call Amy at 501-804-5010 or AmyPalmer@smallworldbigfun.com.
Melissa Bratton is one of the newest Small World Big Fun agents, but she brings a lot of Disney experience to the table! Melissa’s love for Disney World started with her first trip at age 10. She has been helping her family and friends plan trips for years, so becoming an agent with Small World Big Fun has been a perfect fit! Melissa’s passion is helping clients choose the best place to stay, the best places to eat and the best things to do on their trip -- all while finding the best value for their money!
In 2002, Melissa's husband Lance asked her where she wanted to go for their last trip together before their first baby was born - a daughter - who was due later that year. Her answer? Disney World. One of her most special memories came from that trip. Melissa says, "Lance and I were enjoying our day in the Magic Kingdom and decided to take a spin on the Astro Oribiter in Tomorrowland. The cast member said for us to get in the same rocket. We asked if he was sure we would fit. (After all, I am 5'8" and was 6 months pregnant and my husband is just over 6'.) He assured us we would fit just fine. We climbed into our rocket and off we went! For the record, two tall adults (especially when one is 6 months pregnant) do NOT fit comfortably in one rocket. I don't think we have ever laughed as hard as we did while squishing each other on that ride! Every time we see the Astro Orbiter, we both laugh remembering that day!!"
Melissa's other magical memory on this trip took place while watching the parade at Magic Kingdom. "There was an adorable 2-3 year old little girl next to us. As Cinderella passed by in the parade, she looked down, waved and blew a kiss to the little girl. I will never forget the look of sheer bliss on that little girl's face. I looked over at her mother and we both had tears in our eyes. All I could think about was how I couldn't wait to bring our baby girl to Disney so she could experience that same magic."
Melissa is looking forward to helping more families plan for wonderful vacations to Disney. You can reach Melissa at 501-786-0971 or Melissa@smallworldbigfun.com.
Small World Big Fun welcomed Amy Barrett and her husband Burt to the team in March of 2012. As a "stay-at-home mom," Amy knows exactly what it takes to plan a great Disney vacation for her clients! Between running 3 girls to soccer, softball, karate, volleyball, t-ball, ballet, piano, AND basketball, Amy still has the energy to plan special Disney experiences for her clients.
Amy says, "Our family loves to get away to Disney World." We love every part of the planning and organizing: picking out where to stay, where to eat, what to wear – just talking about it is exciting! Planning trips brings back so many memories. I will never forget when my 3 year old saw Mickey Mouse for the first time. She was so excited she ran right to the front of the line because she just could not wait!
I will also never forget my 6 year old's reaction when she met her favorite, Princess Jasmine, for the first time. We had just been to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and she was dressed as Princess Jasmine, all "bling-ed" out and sprinked with pixie dust from head to toe. When the real Princess Jasmine came to our table, she asked my daughter, "Were you in my closet this morning?" My daughter was in such awe she couldn't speak. All she could do was laugh and gaze at beautiful Jasmine, her favorite princess. "It was precious!"
When Amy is not running the mom cab or planning Disney vacations, she operates a home monogramming business, Angel Accents by Amy Barrett, which specializes in personalized shirts, baby items, and other sweet things for kids. Check out her cute Disney t-shirts on the Small World Big Fun Facebook page!
Contact Amy at 870-930-0055 or by email at abarrett@smallworldbigfun.com to have her plan your next Disney vacation.