There are Disney fanatics, then there is Cheryl Waag.
Waag is a vacation consultant for Acendas Travel, specializing in Disney properties. In early December, she completed her 100th visit to a Disney destination or experience with a trip to Walt Disney World.
Waag became a travel advisor in the mid-1980s, but her first touch with a Disney Destination came in 1977 at Walt Disney World when only the Magic Kingdom was open. Since then, she has also been to Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and has sailed Disney Cruise Lines numerous times.
“I still love the Disney experience as much today as I did in 1977,” Waag says. “Of course, they are so creative and progressive in serving their customers. They are cutting edge in providing a great experience for the traveller. There’s always something new.”
Waag struggles to pick a “favorite” aspect of her Disney trips, but calls The Hall of Presidents in the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train as among the best. And lest she grow despondent between Disney excursions, she has decorated her office as a shrine to Walt Disney’s legacy. She is virtually out of space for any other items that she has at home or in storage.
Sharing the Magic of Disney
Her passion for all things Disney extend to her work at Acendas Travel according to Co-President Gary Davis. “I have been in this business since the early 1980s, and I have never encountered anyone who has more knowledge and passion for Disney than Cheryl Waag,” Davis says. “She makes a special experience even more special. Our clients rave about her.”
Waag says her attitude in working with clients is to have them experience the same excitement she does every time she steps foot on a property. “I love to hear from my customers and learn of their stories,” Waag says. “They trust me to help them develop an experience that will provide a lifetime of memories. I think my experiences allow me to provide those little extras that you can’t get by going online or doing it yourself.”
Are there another 100 trips in the offing for Waag?
“You never know,” she says. “I do know I’ll never grow tired of going to Disney.”
That is clearly evident when her eyes light up and voice races when she begins talking about what is coming in the future. In October 2012, Disney acquired Waag’s “third” passion (joining the Kansas City Royals and Disney) — Lucas Film and the Star Wars franchise. She “excitedly” awaits announcements regarding the opening date and upcoming attractions in the new — and largest ever — 14 acre expansion.
It wouldn’t surprise us if she was the first to know.