Meet Shannon Riordan of Spirit of Adventure Travel, LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Riordan.

Hi Shannon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have had an affinity for everything Disney from a very young age. My response to the Kindergarten project, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” was Minnie Mouse. I came close to fulfilling my childhood dreams by becoming a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations. My background is in business and entrepreneurship. I completed the Disney College Program internship while in my undergraduate program at Kansas State University. It taught me about Disney, professionalism, customer service, and what it means to make magic for guests. After the Disney College Program, I continued to take Disney vacations year after year. I’ve visited Walt Disney World® Resort over 36 times (not counting weekly visits while employed as a Walt Disney World Cast Member during my college internship), Disneyland® Resort 5 times, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i, voyaged 5 times on the Disney Cruise Line, and I have even been to Hong Kong Disneyland while studying abroad in China. Friends and family would always come to me for advice on where to stay, what to do, and where to eat for their vacations, and I thought, maybe there is a way to do this for a living! I started my business in May 2017, and it has grown over the years to the point that I left my corporate job in December 2022, and I now get to do this as my full-time career!

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There were some challenging years for travel! Before the pandemic, Walt Disney World had only closed 2 other times before, so when we received the announcement in March 2020 that it was closing, I knew we were in for a rough road ahead. Cruise Lines were shut down for longer than the Theme Parks, and it took people a while to feel comfortable traveling again, even as the world began reopening. Hopefully, a global pandemic is a once-in-a-lifetime event; we never have to go through that again. But I am humbled by how many of my clients were patient and just moved trips out to a future date or came back when they were ready to travel. Many agents closed their doors during those years, and I’m proud that I persevered. While planning Disney vacations for guests is a mostly magical experience, there are all the typical job struggles. Sometimes, you get a fussy client, Disney technology glitches on an important reservation day, or weather impacts an otherwise perfectly planned trip. I have a positive perspective and remember all the fantastic things about pursuing my passion as my career. I now have a team of 8 other travel agents that work for my agency. I love that I can help others follow their dreams of planning travel, too, but there have been some learning curves for me with this, too. Every individual is motivated by different things. Managing and supporting my agents and serving my client’s needs has been a struggle.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the owner and “Chief Magic Officer” of my travel agency. We specialize in Disney Destinations: Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Adventures by Disney and National Geographic, and Disneyland Paris. We have expanded to other family-fun destinations to serve our clients better, including Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Legoland, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and select all-inclusive resorts. What surprises people most about my business is that I don’t charge a fee for my services as long as I book the vacation package. Yes, it is accessible to you! It is the same price as if you’d book it yourself online, but you get an expert’s time-saving assistance! Often, I even save my clients money. In addition to making recommendations and booking the package, I also make dining reservations for clients when they open and help with other reservations such as activities, strollers, ECV mobility scooters, and transfers to and from the airport. I create a pre-travel itinerary customized to each family with my recommendations and tips for making the most of their vacation. I am proud of the fact that the majority of my business is referral-based. I used to work for a financial services firm, so I jokingly call myself your “Disney fiduciary,” but I do try to lead with integrity and suggest what is best for my clients. Although I’m a home-based agency in Overland Park, KS, I love that I can help clients from all over. I have served clients in 33 states and Canada.

What’s next?
One of my goals for the new year is to support my team more. I was in survival mode for so long, just planning trips, learning, managing my full-time job, and life at home as a wife and a mom. As I’ve had room to work more on my business, I want to help bring them along more. When I brought on my first agent, I said I wanted to do things differently than some other agencies. I want to maintain sight of that as we’ve grown. I am also continuing to learn new destinations and expand my offerings, which I never thought I’d do years ago because of my immense Disney passion. I have learned more about destinations that make sense to my business. For example, I became a certified Hawaii destination specialist earlier this year. I’ve booked Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, for years. Still, now I have additional resources to serve my clients if they want to visit other islands while they are there, take different tours or excursions, understand more of the culture, and things like that. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit some all-inclusive resorts in the last year, and — while I’m picky about which ones I’ll recommend to clients due to my Disney-level expectations — I enjoy booking those for my clients and hope to grow that part of my business as well. It is challenging to shift into other areas when I’ve been known for my Disney branding for so long.

Pricing:

• Free – as long as I book the vacation package!
• $25/person/day for planning services if I don’t book your vacation or it is a ticket-only booking

Contact Info:

• Website: spiritofadventuretravel.com
• Instagram: @spiritofatravel
• Facebook: facebook.com/spiritofatravel
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonunderwoodriordan/
• Twitter: @spiritofatravel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@spiritofatravel
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/spirit-of-adventure-travel-overland-park

Image Credits
Sydney Taylor, Eric Cole