Turning family vacations into lifelong stories

My wife and I decided that with our kids being 6 and 3, it would be the perfect time for our first Disney Trip. But I hadn't been since I was a kid, and my wife had never been, so we were completely clueless, and overwhelmed by everything. Thankfully, we found Good Story, and Amanda. She held our hand through the whole planning process, was extremely attentive, and proactive, even when I was too busy with work and unable to do so on my own. She helped us book a suite at the Polynesian Island Tower, took care of all the nitty gritty details, and provided us with a super detailed, and thoughtful guide on what to expect, and how to navigate everything at Disney World. Our trip was flawless, and our kids had the time of their lives, all thanks to Amanda!

We cannot recommend Ellen at Good Story Vacations enough for planning the most magical Disneyland vacation for our family. The personalized trip guide she created was our absolute bible, meticulously detailing everything from dining reservations to a brilliant park-by-park Lightning Lane strategy that saved us so much time. Her expertise truly shone on our first day when a huge rainstorm hit the park. While other families scrambled to leave, we were perfectly prepared because Ellen's detailed packing list had specifically told us to bring ponchos. We suited up, stayed dry, and had the best time imaginable, practically walking onto every single ride with no lines. That one piece of advice turned what could have been a disaster into the most memorable day of our trip, and it's all thanks to Ellen's incredible, thoughtful planning.

From the moment we began planning our Disney Alaska cruise, Ellen was nothing short of extraordinary. She wasn't just a trip advisor—she was our vacation fairy godmother, guiding us through every step with a smile (and probably a sprinkle of pixie dust). Ellen was incredibly attentive, always a step ahead of our questions and needs. Whether it was navigating the nuances of stateroom selections, dining reservations, or shore excursions, she responded with lightning speed and a level of detail that made us feel like VIPs. Her knowledge of Disney Cruise Line was encyclopedic, and her enthusiasm was contagious. What truly set Ellen apart was her genuine care and warmth. She didn't just help us plan a trip—she helped us craft memories. From thoughtful reminders to last-minute tips, she made sure every moment of our journey was seamless and magical. It felt like we had a Disney insider in our corner the entire time. Thanks to Ellen, our Alaska cruise was not just a vacation—it was an unforgettable adventure filled with wonder, joy, and a whole lot of Disney magic. We can't recommend her highly enough and will absolutely be turning to her for our next Disney escape!

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 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!!

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 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!

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.