Mickey’s Dream Vacations

I write this hoping that people will be more informed than I was starting out as a Travel Agent with this agency. I will say the training is decent and for the most part, agents are willing to help each other out and bounce ideas off each other. However, my positives stop there. I honestly just want to move on, but seeing as the people who run it continue to give false information and try to muddy my name (and others who have left) across the industry I have no choice but to speak up. And yes, I’m unhappy because this agency has turned into a bully and I have every right to defend myself against the false accusations that have been made against myself and others.

If you are someone who wishes to build your business and perhaps leave to start your own agency or receive a higher commission with a smooth transition someday, I want to explain my experience. It’s normal when switching agencies to have some overlap. There is no non-compete clause with this agency, but in my experience the owner has continued accusing us of “deceit.” This happened to several of us, and without warning we were locked out of our accounts, contracts canceled, and sent cease and desist letters claiming we were using their marketing materials for another business. I worked for them. I never used their branding or name for a trip that wasn’t booked through them, but instead of having a professional conversation about it, they just made assumptions and put the agents trying to leave on blast in both the agency group and on their personal page.

The claims that I used their graphics and marketing materials to advertise my other agency is completely false. I have proof that I only booked two trips that were word-of-mouth (and close friends or relatives) with my new agency while with MDV, which is entirely legal and NOT considered bad practice (again, there is no non-compete clause). Any inquiries I got from social media were booked with MDV (and they have proof since they kept the commissions). I have no idea where the owner got the idea that I advertised as one business and booked as another or was “deceitful.” She came up with that on her own. She just got mad because I was leaving and hadn’t told her yet, was grabbing at straws to create a villain and a victim, and started flat out lying to manipulate the situation and everyone involved (which ended up being way more people than it needed to be because she dragged everyone into it). Instead of, you know, just asking me about it. She started blasting her version of the situation very publicly and to this day has never had a conversation with me about it.

I will also add that both agencies are part of Travel Leaders Network which is where I got most of my materials and MDV does not exclusively lay claim to their marketing. And we did not violate MDV’s contract. We looked it over multiple times with multiple lawyers so they couldn’t retaliate like they have been, but their accusations are based on inaccurate information. I say it a third time, there is no non-compete clause and we did not use their marketing to book trips outside their agency. It doesn’t matter how many people you convince to believe your version of the story, it still doesn’t make it true and the law and paper trail will reflect that.

We were also (publicly) accused of “trademark” infringement which is also a far-fetched claim. After May of 2021 I stopped using the very little of their branding I was using. I didn’t register my agency until July. When I first started working with MDV, the owner and I had an entire conversation over the phone about how much I could brand myself over using MDV’s and she was completely fine with it, so that’s what I did. Even my website was just my own branding.

I would also like to point out the “trademark” that is being claimed was infringed upon doesn’t even exist. The trademark they are making the claim about was canceled on November 26, 2018. It isn’t current and it’s just a plain type serif font of the agency name. Even if I did use their branding at the time, there is literally no trademark to infringe. So the owner chose to file a frivolous lawsuit (which actually is a crime).

Meanwhile, I got extremely ill which was a major reason I wanted to start my own business so I could work at my own pace without all of the competition. At the time, we did not know I would become completely debilitated for several months. It’s honestly been one of the hardest, scariest times of my life and we have had to make a lot of tough decisions in terms of work and how to move forward. I am still, 7 months later, dealing with this illness. I tried explaining this to the owner, who again, never responded to me but instead took to Facebook and actually mocked me for confiding in her that I was sick. I have screenshots of this. She had no right to air my medical information to the entire agency and attempt to smear my name with her false accusations by using my illness as a weapon against me. It was like she was trying to convince the entire agency I was lying or using the illness that has completely uprooted my life as an excuse. This all happened while I had to have a last-minute surgery and was trying to recover. I had every intention of explaining to her my course of action when it was time to renew my contract (I also explained this in my email to her when I offered to clear the air in the beginning) which in my mind seemed the appropriate time to do it. This is MY business and MY timeline and MY illness, I don’t need to tell anyone anything until I’m ready. There was no written requirement to do so in the contract other than giving 7 days notice before terminating my contract. I had made sure to do everything the proper way. I did not have bad intentions. She just got upset, took it personally, and had to make herself the victim when she really didn’t need to. And then decided she needed to do whatever she needed to silence those of us who had a bad experience with her. There has been no “understanding” in response, it’s just been retaliation.

Months later, I had a potential client message me about a wedding in Bali. My supplier I was dealing with was backed up and I explained this to her. I then messaged her with qualifying questions about wedding details. I never heard a response from her until a month later when she told me she never heard from me and went to a different agent. This agent happened to be from MDV and actually trash talked me to this client. They told them all of the claims the owner had made against me and made the client assume I was some terrible person. Think what you want of me, go ahead and take my client as that is their decision, but speaking ill of another agent to a potential client and airing dirty laundry to them is wildly unprofessional. Months later, this agency is still trying to sabotage and bully me, because why? Because I wanted to leave for personal reasons and the owner couldn’t just have an understanding and professional conversation about it. I have zero regrets for leaving such vindictive behavior. I’ve had enough issues with my health that all of this unnecessary drama has just been a thorn in my side. Imagine working for someone who chooses to publicly bully a terminally ill IC for their own personal gain and try to sabotage any extra income they may work for to help pay their increasing medical bills. It’s disgusting.

I decided to write a review because I wish I had known about the overall attitude of the owner and agency when I started. After us agents left reviews (and that’s literally all we have done), she told the rest of the agency to flood the page with positive reviews to drown us out. She also tried to include it in her lawsuit. We have just as much right to review our experiences as anyone who has had a positive one. Trying to silence people who are unhappy with you, when you are the one who chose not to handle the issue privately is ridiculous. But I know none of this will resonate because they have their own circle that feeds itself what they want to hear. Stepping back and actually evaluating the reality of the situation for what it is, that’s not something I see them doing. Especially since this all could’ve been solved quickly with just an email or phone call (which again, I offered in the beginning but was ignored). The owner keeps responding to bad reviews saying we could’ve talked to her and she would’ve been “understanding” but we did try and she didn’t want to handle it that way. Instead there’s a fight that never even needed to exist. All that needed to happen was a conversation.

I am not the villain this agency has made me out to be. I’m not a bad person. I had no ill intentions. I just needed to take control of my own business while we were trying to figure out if I needed to quit my day job for my health. And there were some things I didn’t like about this agency and I just wanted to leave. None of those things are crimes like the owner is trying to claim they are. But again, she NEVER asked or responded to messages before making assumptions and canceling contracts. She just got upset some of us didn’t like what she was doing and has gone way too far and crossed way too many lines to try and end up on top. The people that run this agency do not care whose business or reputation they try to destroy to make themselves look good and former agents look bad.

All that to say, if you want to build your business and eventually take flight on your own, I would not recommend this agency. It’s too messy of a transition. We literally did exactly what THEY had in writing in their contract and still received threats of lawsuits, sent cease and desist letters, and were publicly shamed with false accusations made toward us. It is unprofessional and a lot of unnecessary drama that we have had to deal with while I’ve also been severely ill. It’s just not worth it.

Growing up I always thought about being a travel agent but then with the world of technology I thought this job was being phased out....boy was I wrong! A couple of years ago not completely happy with my job I wanted more. I was obsessed with Disney and traveling there; plus I'm a wish fairy for Make A Wish and loved helping my wish kids navigate through the park gave me a rush. One of my mentors at Make A Wish became a travel agent with MDV and I saw her post about it which inspired me to look into it. I contacted Meg and started my classes to begin the process. I was and I'm still constantly encouraged by Meg, my team leader and other coworkers. We have group chats, classes and more information then our brains can absorb sometimes; but anytime that we need help or encouragement this company (leadership down) is there for you! I'm so happy that this is where I decided to join and be a part of!

I have been with Mickey's Dream Vacations for 3 years now. This agency provides so much support for us agents. Whenever we have a question, Meg, the owner, or one of the more experienced agents is always right there to answer or provide support. We are always cheering each other on to reach both our individual and team goals. It is a very fun & supportive environment! I'm very happy to be here!

I have been with Mickey's Dream Vacations for a few years now and to say joining this team has been life changing would be an understatement. The owner and team are so much more then co-workers, they are life long friends I now have and have gone above and beyond to make this work environment fun, exciting, and trustworthy. They have nothing but the best intentions for you to strive and succeed in this industry - the work you put into it will be the outcome you will get. I couldn't have asked for a better TEAM to be a player on.

I started working for Mickey's Dream Vacations in 2019. I've loved being apart of this company. All of us agents help each other, cheer each other on and are truly an agency of friends. They company is structured for everyone to have the opportunity to succeed with training and advice from their supervisors, teammates and everyone in the company. I've been very lucky to be a part of Mickey's Dream Vacations where everyone's goal is to make travel stress free for our clients and work together to do so.

I started with Mickey's Dream Vacations in 2019. I had several years of experience with a store front travel agency, so travel was not new to me. I decided that I wanted to return to travel since I was continually helping people out with their travel, with no rewards. I saw a few agencies advertise online and on Facebook that they were hiring. After looking at the different agencies, I decided that I wanted to apply with Mickey's Dream Vacations, as it seemed to be a good fit. And I was not wrong. This agency has been wonderful. It has been a far cry from the store front agency I worked for previously.
The women in this agency all cheer each other on, help each other with questions or problems, and even assist each other with clients while on our own vacations. I am not in the top tier of the agents, as I work part time, but not once have I ever been made to feel that I am not an integral part of this agency. I've asked questions of the owner, trainer, and team leaders without being made to feel like I was an idiot. The other ladies in the agency also answer questions without any judgement.
MDV feels like a family. We are sisters, with one goal in mind...assisting our customers with the best customer service around. That's not easy to find in a large group of women, but we make it work at Mickey's Dream Vacations. I would not hesitate to recommend this agency to anyone interested in starting or restarting a travel career. The training is better than what I received when I first started out, all of the women (from top to bottom) care about each other. We even pray for, console, send out good vibes, cheer each other on, and more for whatever any of us are dealing with or succeeding at. So, if you want to work travel with a great group of women at a great agency, then Mickey's Dream Vacations is for you.

I’ve been with this agency since late 2019, and even though I haven’t booked a lot of trips, I still feel valued and appreciated by my team members. Everyone is very supportive of each other in achieving the same goal, and that’s to make sales. We are all given the same tools and resources to help us succeed, but you do have to put in the work to get results. If you’re looking to become a travel agent and want to work with a great team, I highly recommend Mickey’s Dream Vacations!

I have been with Mickey's Dream Vacations since 2020. I finished my training in March 2020. I was so nervous about how things would play out during and after COVID but I didn't need to worry. There was constant communication and learning opportunities so that we would be prepared when the world opened up again. I never felt alone or unheard. There has always been someone to reach out to for help or a question. The level of experience within the agency is so helpful and the opportunities for learning and networking are offered so often and at different times to accommodate everyone's different life schedules. I feel like I am a part of a big family. It is a family run agency and that gives a different and comforting feel. You get to know your fellow agents and they go through your life's challenges with you and continually lift you up and carry you through them! I know that I made a good choice when I went to Mickey's Dream Vacations and would not change it for anything!!

I have been with Mickeys Dream Vacations almost 2years now! It’s a great agency to work for, for many reasons…
-Leadership: The owner of the company is not your typical owner. She is in the trenches with all of us and always willing to help. The TRUE difference in Meg is that she cares. You’re not just a sales number to her!
-Resources: This agency has ALL the tools and more that you need to be successful. While I’m not going to lie, the training program is intense, but it TRULY prepares you to be successful.
-Group support:
The group dynamic and philosophy is we are all in this together! Everyone is cheering each other on and helping spread knowledge and expertise to others.
I can’t say enough about this agency. I am honored to be part of this team and to be given this opportunity!

I have been working for Mickey’s Dream Vacations for almost 10 years. Before joining the team, I had booked a couple trips with the agency and had wonderful experiences. The owner and team leaders offer a great support system. Whether an agent has been with MDV since the beginning or just a few months, every agent brings something to the table and is appreciated for it. I have watched our agency grow over the years, and have always felt valued. I have never felt uncomfortable asking questions, in fact it is stressed that we ask away because we are all here to help each other. In this field, the training never ends as travel is constantly changing. As a travel agent, we need to stay up to date with the most accurate information for our clients. MDV offers their agents endless training opportunities and a strong support system with the tools to succeed. I could not ask for a better group to work with.