Testimonials

Ellen is an amazing advisor. She’s so enthusiastic, competent, committed and happy to help. She organized a birthday celebration for our 9 year old and completely overwhelmed her with Disney regalia when we arrived in our stateroom.

Ellen was spectacular to work with. I get anxious planning trips and she made everything so easy. It was our first ever cruise as a family and we are now Disney cruise converts and cannot wait for our next one! Having someone as responsive, honest, and fun as Ellen helping us plan made all the difference!

We just returned from an amazing Disney Cruise that Ellen helped us book and the experience was spectacular. From start to finish, Ellen was super communicative, answering all of our questions with patience and knowledge. Because Ellen has been on several cruises herself, what really stood out was the level of expertise and advice she was able to provide - from the character meet-and-greets to the special dining experiences. She also gave us insider tips and reminded us when we need to check-in or book excursions. Thanks to Ellen, our Disney Cruise vacation was smooth from start to finish. It was such a stress-free experience, and my family had an unforgettable time onboard. I would absolutely recommend them to anyone looking to book a Disney cruise!

My husband and I decided to plan a surprise trip to Disneyworld for our son for his Golden Birthday - 7 years on the 7th! Amanda was so thoughtful and detailed in her guidance from Day 1 - we felt like she owned this project as if we were a part of her family. She was quick to respond to every question, always happy to jump on a call to discuss anything live. She created and shared documents with us that were made just for our trip. They were so well-organized and kept us from feeling overwhelmed, clearly lining up the 'next thing' to focus on and plan. She always reminded us of 'due dates' - dining reservations, Lightning Lane booking windows, and final payments. Beyond the logistics, it's important to call out Amanda's love and excitement for Disney! It's 100% authentic - you can tell she loves the magic of it all and wants each of her clients to experience it too. We would get more excited about the trip every time we spoke with her! She patiently and warmly guided us through every stage of planning and made our trip so much more magical - the best it could be! We can't wait to work with Amanda again in the future.

Amanda truly help make our trip magical! She gave us great recommendations based on the ages in our family and her guide gave us the confidence to relax on our vacation! I am very happy that we worked with Good Story Vacations and will be sure to return to them for our next family adventure!

Amanda knows everything about Disney World and then some. She has helped my family plan 3 vacations to Disney World and 1 vacation to Disneyland. I was incredibly overwhelmed looking at all the options and plans, and she was able to break it down for me so I could make the best decisions for my family. She knows the ins and outs of all the parks and properties, and knows how to get the best bang for your buck. She answered every question and communicated with Disney on our behalf-- she saved me so much time and energy. Her positive attitude and quick responsiveness made her so easy to work with. I truly don't know why you wouldn't utilize her services!

We couldn't have done it without Amanda! Planning our trip from Málaga to Lisbon to Miami, then tackling Universal and Disney was overwhelming—our itinerary was 15 pages long! Mainly because it was packed with small details picked from Amanda’s brain and different options, giving us a solid plan with lots of flexibility. In just 8 days, we did all 4 Disney parks, 2 Universal parks, and Miami Beach/Ocean Drive—a whirlwind adventure where we managed to do everything we wanted, all thanks to Amanda’s expert planning. When technical issues arose, she got on the phone with Disney and made sure we got every Lightning Lane we wanted. She even helped sort out issues with my foreign credit cards, saving us a ton of stress. Her dining and snack recommendations were spot-on—we ate so well on this trip! Thanks to her tips, we secured the reservations we really wanted (Oga’s Cantina was amazing!). She also helped us choose a Royal Guest Room at Port Orleans – Riverside, which was perfect for us—quiet and relaxing after each action-packed day. She even arranged a stroller rental for Luke (our 5-year-old), which was an absolute lifesaver. Amanda kept us up to date with every change, from Virtual Queue updates to fun little details—like making sure we picked up our complimentary “First Visit!” buttons at the front desk. It was an unforgettable trip, filled with incredible memories, and I can't thank her enough! If you're planning a Disney vacation, do yourself a favour—book with Amanda!

We had a fantastic trip and it was in no small part due to the tips, advice and answers from Amanda. I was blown away by her knowledge about every specific question I threw her way! And all of her suggestions check out - from how to organize our days, to where to eat, and the list goes on and on. Working with Amanda really took a lot of pressure off me (as the family trip planner!) and made me feel confident I wasn’t missing out on anything.

YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO WORK WITH AMANDA!!! I cannot recommend her enough. She was fantastic and went above and beyond to help us have a great trip. I wrote her last minute and she helped us plan in only a few weeks. I gave very specific requirements and she was able to accommodate every one of them. Not to mention, I asked so many questions and she answered them quickly and completely. Before Amanda, I was overwhelmed with all the information about planning a trip to Disney. After working with her, I felt ready and excited. Everything she told me, down to the little details, was correct and helpful. It was the easiest, smoothest and most laid back vacation I have ever had - because she helped me do all the hard work. What are you waiting for? Ask Amanda to help you and don't look back!

We had an amazing time at Disneyland, California Adventure, and Universal Studios as a family. Amanda made the process of booking and planning stress-free and got us the best deals. I had her as a go-to for all my questions so we would be able to make the most of our time. Her tips for which park to start our day at, the best spots to grab a meal or a snack, and where to look for "easter eggs" in the park were so helpful. Highly recommend taking advantage of her wisdom!

We provided our daughter with the time of her life on this trip, in no small part thanks to Amanda! We planned for nine months and surprised her less than one month before the trip. Amanda is patient, prompt, and precise, and even tolerated texts with photos and questions while we were at the parks. The lightning lanes and express passes were 100% worth every penny, as was the Memory Maker/Magic Band+ (and the rain boots we bought the day before we left!). Amanda guided us perfectly while also providing us with freedom to choose what worked for us and encouraged us to make it truly OUR vacation. Our daughter found out she was cast as Ariel in her school musical three days before we left, so it was really special to stay in the Little Mermaid room at the Art of Animation resort. She also got to tell Ariel herself the exciting news! Her favorite park was hands down Hollywood Studios, and between the three parks we visited we were able to ride over 35 rides in three days - partially thanks to cold temps and lighter crowds, but largely because of Amanda and Good Story - we had a plan, we executed it, we had a blast. I will recommend Amanda to everyone! We are so happy and sooooo exhausted.

Todd is an amazing person to work with as we have used him for multiple vacations. The most recent was WDW at the Grand Floridian Resort. He got us the specific room we wanted and made note of it for future trips. He took payments on a schedule that worked for us. He reminded us of our fast pass bookings, dining reservations, and helped with all aspects of the trip. I had years of planning our trips and was worried about letting someone else do it, well I am here to tell you to not worry about it anymore. Thank you Todd for making our trip magical. We look forward to the cruise you helped us with in 2025!

Amanda is an amazing planner. A hurricane was coming during our trip. We decided right before leaving we wanted to extend our trip because we knew we were going to lose park days. She helped us make sure we had a place to stay and worked it out for us to stay in our same room the whole time. She also calmed our nerves about being there during a storm. We will use her for future trips and recommend to our friends and family. It was the trip we dreamed of and more.

Although we had planned and gone on Disneyland trips as a family before, this was the first time we had a trip planned for our family from start to finish, and it was well worth it. Instead of the constant work of looking for hotels, park dining reservations, figuring out the park reservations versus the park tickets, we just had one point person who took care of every detail for us. She emailed us reminders of what we needed to do when, and if a process was confusing, I could call her and she walked me through it with expertise. We had a shuttle waiting for us at the airport, and from that point forward our trip was worry free. We had fun perks like lanyards and pins, early entry to parks with our on site hotel, and it felt like the easiest and most fun trip to Disneyland ever. Thanks Ellen!!

I am so grateful we had Ellen as an advisor for our Disneyland trip. This was our first Disney vacation as a family and she made such a difference in ensuring we planned and budgeted for the magical trip we wanted. Up front I appreciated that she took the time to get to know what we were wanting and presented us with some different price options and packages available. Ellen never made me feel pressured to spend more than we wanted but also understood our desires well so she could advise on what to prioritize to have the best experience. Ellen made it easy to pick just the right dates and hotel for our trip. She got us set up with everything we needed and then checked in to make sure we were all set. She gave us tips on dining reservations, early park entrances that came with our hotel, how to maximize the day without running out of steam, etc… As our trip approached she made sure we were all set, even checking in when we got to the resort to make sure everything was as magical as we hoped. Getting to tell our son, hey you aren’t going to school today, we are going to Disneyland, was a dream come true. Our family had a wonderful time, my husband who hasn’t been in decades fell in love with Disney all over again as he wandered through the Galaxy’s Edge. We Soared Around the World at California Adventure; Ellen having giving us great advice on how to balance both parks in one trip. We came home happy, with light sabers and a lifetime of memories. After this magical experience I wouldn’t even think about planning a Disney trip without Ellen as my advisor.

Amanda took all the guesswork out of the planning process, and helped make our vacation a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience! Amanda was very accommodating, responsive, and enthusiastic—she always responded to our (many, many) questions quickly and was frequently available for phone calls. One of the best parts of working with Amanda was her ability to be thorough without being overwhelming. We didn’t have to worry about the nitty gritty details of booking reservations, remembering which dates dining reservations were available to book, or keeping track of confirmation emails: in addition to reminders, Amanda put everything together in a customized trip guide that even included her recommendations for vegetarian dining options! Her lightning lane strategy guide was also a lifesaver. I would highly recommend Amanda to anybody thinking about planning a Disney or Universal vacation :) I will definitely be reaching out for our (hopefully soon!) next Disney adventure.

Amanda absolutely demystified the planning and preparation for our first WDW vacation. It seemed so overwhelming at the beginning but she kept me informed and on task as our family approached our first vacation as a family of five. We had the best time ever and would recommend Good Story Vacations to everyone!

We swam, we rode the Skyliner and the monorail, we took a boat and buses, we walked over 23 miles in three days, we mastered the virtual queue and DAS, we saw two spectacular firework shows, we went on every single ride we wanted to - including my old lady nostalgic favorites. I cannot imagine coming down here and just winging it. This trip was so great because of Amanda and the excellent work she does with Good Story Vacations. Thanks to Amanda for her expertise and patience over the last 8 months. I will recommend her highly to anyone who ever considers a Disney vacation for their family. A million thanks!

We just got back from our Disney trip and we can’t recommend Good Story Vacations highly enough! Disney can seem overwhelming initially and Amanda made our trip manageable and tailored personally to our tastes from the beginning! She is enthusiastic, knowledgeable and thorough and really helped us have fun in the planning instead of getting bogged down in specifics! We were able to experience the world of Star Wars and the have a makeover in Cinderella’s Castle. We went to the Very Merry Christmas Party and rode our favorite rides with no lines at midnight. We woke up to Zebra and Giraffes eating outside our hotel room. Our family came home with hundreds of Good Stories thanks to Amanda and her team! Thank you Good Story Vacations!

As a first time Disney goers we didn’t know where to start the planning process! We were introduced to Amanda and immediately knew she was just what we needed. Amanda’s ability to customize our Disney trip to our family’s needs was amazing. Amanda took our requests, feedback, and endless questions and turned it into a trip of a lifetime. Thank you Amanda for your patience, organization and love of Disney!!

Amanda was amazing!!! Made it easy and perfect. Immediately (and I mean same-day, every single time) got us answers to questions, and ensured that our trip happened without a hitch. Beyond giving us several options to choose from every step of the way, her own personal knowledge of Disney as a frequent visitor was priceless. She knew exactly how we should navigate the park with our 4 year old. We were perfectly prepared. The greatest peace of mind she gave us was calling the IT department to make sure our reservation was all linked up with our apps and that every member of our family was set up properly, so we never had to worry that we had done something wrong or missed a step along the way. We won’t do it any other way in the future. Best way to book the dream Disney vacation.

Once upon a time, a wife wanted to surprise her husband for his 50th birthday by taking him to Disney World for the first time. It would be no simple feat but not to fear...Amanda and Good Story Vacations was there to help. If you are planning a trip to Disney and either don't have the time/capacity to figure it out or are completely overwhelmed by how it all works, get in touch with Amanda Zimmerman. Amanda helped me put together an epic surprise trip for my husband including the boring stuff like staying in my budget, the top secret stuff like helping with a surprise visit from my father-in-law, to all the in-betweens like how to use genie+, lighting passes, and memory makers, food/restaurant reservations and recs, booking special experiences like building a light saber, and insider tips like the best place to stand for fireworks. She was instrumental in making our trip as magical as it could be and I couldn't be more grateful. In the end, they celebrated, they smiled, they ate mouse shaped foods, they drank adult beverages where found, they laughed, they squealed with delight, they took 20,000 steps a day...and it was magical. Thanks Good Story Vacations!

The Disney Magic starts with Amanda. From start to finish and every Mickey bar in between, Amanda will be there to make your Disney vacation everything you want it to be. Thank you Amanda for making our trip so seamless! Can't wait to book with you again.

Amanda is simply the best! First, you can tell how much she truly loves Disney and knows all things Disney! We have a 3, 6 and 8 year old and we went to Disney for the very 1st time. All we knew is we wanted to do the Very Mickey Christmas party and the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for my 3 year old. I had no idea where to start or when but Amanda did! She is very detail orientated and always quick to respond to my messages. I was able to get an appt at the very sought after Boutique thanks to her helpful tips. It was the best day ever for my daughter and I. We loved going over her “strategies” for each park the night before when we were in Disney. It truly helped us be able to do the most in 1 day. She also gave custom recommendations based on our kids ages. I can’t say enough about how magical she made our trip and how easy she made things. We highly recommend Good Story Vacations!!

Where to begin to praise Amanda and Good Story Vacations? We were referred to her by friends and we'll never be able to thank them enough. Nor will we be to thanks Amanda enough, because for two years running, she's set up two of the best trips our family of four have taken. Thanks to her, our vacations to Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom were so much better than we could have set up ourselves. Her expertise and insight are top notch. She made sure we had all the information we needed to plan the best itineraries in the parks, and walked us through our many options with patience and empathy. And on top of that, when some family emergencies came up that might have caused us to have to reschedule one of these trips, she was right there to calm us down, provide us options and make sure we knew that whatever happened it would be ok. (And it was.) Amanda is absolutely terrific. If you're planning a trip like this, she should be your first call.

My husband and I decided (somewhat last-minute) to visit Orlando with our 3 children. We had limited time, wanted to visit both Disney and Universal parks, and weren't sure how to maximize the days, organize the Genie+/lightning lane system, where to stay, etc. Amanda from Good Story Vacations stepped in and within hours provided us with a curated, well-researched itinerary. She knew what type of property (Disney vs. Universal) we should stay at to maximize the benefits, walked us through every step of the booking process and was available anytime we needed her. She is detail-oriented, efficient, kind and always goes above and beyond. Her individualized Disney and Universal pamphlet was worth its weight in gold and set us up for success. I am sending everyone I know to her and can't recommend her enough! If you are considering hitting the parks, get in touch with Amanda ASAP - you'll be so glad you did!

I went to Disney World for Christmas 2022 with my family, including my young nephews and nieces. I reached out to Amanda because I hadn’t been to Disney since I was a kid and felt pretty overwhelmed about how to navigate the parks. Amanda was so responsive, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable about all things Disney, including the latest happenings. She gave me so many wonderful tips and tricks, including strategies and suggested plans for each day and each park. All of that information really helped me get a grasp of things, know what to be mindful of, and maximize our days. In the end, there’s so much to do at all times, so I embraced being present in the moment. My whole family had a blast, and Amanda’s guidance really helped all of us make it truly magical. I highly recommend including Amanda in your trip planning.