In order to express the vision and purpose behind Pixie & Pirate, you'll need to know the history of who I am as owner of this amazing brand.


My husband Shawn and I met as teenagers in high school. We went through hell and back it seemed at the time - sticking out our small town high school relationship through both of our graduations two years apart, college separation, and busy lives. Eventually we found ourselves married, living in the same county we both grew up in, and starting a family. Over the next seven years we would bring 3 "perfect" sons into the world. A lot happened from our teen years to our young adult years - but we managed to hold tight and grow up together.


We have roots. Deep roots. We are small(ish) town people, with a very long history. We are simple. Easy. We love life. We love each other. We love our families. We love raising kids in the same county, attending the same schools, that we did. We love Pixie & Pirate Destinations and what it stands for.


PAPD's values are deep rooted too. Simple. Customer service driven. Word of mouth powered. PAPD's beating heart is the people who stand behind the brand - who live and love this business and this industry and the urge to travel. We want to bring our clients that "small town" feeling of welcome and friendliness.


From day one I didn't want a complicated, convoluted company that was too big for itself. I wanted to grow something that stood for something. Being heavily focused on customer service and the idea that peoples' needs could be met by just being .... real. By being friendly, open, giving, caring, we are showing our clients that this is who we are. And over time is what they have come to expect. We have a reputation to uphold. And we are working towards continuing to be amazing.


My vision for our brand has always been to be a friend to those that want to travel. Being real and being available and being what everyone is looking for - a friend.


We are not a big, fancy travel agency. This is not who we are. Instead my focus has been on good people and good support systems.


The values that I have hammered away at and tried to drive into our team have helped to build a brand that is more than a technical website with lots of bells and whistles. What you see is what you get.


The original vision for PAPD has continued to be basically the same as it was on day one. While some aspects of our company and brand have changed, the basics have remained the same. Relationships are number one - between our team, and between our DVPs and their clients.


While I realize that this vision is not something that everyone will understand, it is something I am personally VERY proud of and I would not change any of it for anything. Our journey has been amazing and will continue to be amazing. We've achieved creating bonds within the PAPD family, with clients, and helped clients create bonds within their own families. What we do is important. And will continue to be very important for generations to come. We touch lives. And I'd like to think that one reason why these lives are touched as they are is because of the deep rooted values that PAPD has always stood for.


Thank you for reading. Thank you for being a part of this journey and for understanding the importance of our roots and values.

--Amanda Sykora, owner
Pixie & Pirate Destinations

The Walt Disney World® Resort offers a wide variety of resorts for you to choose from. But why should you stay at a Walt Disney World Resort? The answer is not very simple.

As experienced Walt Disney World travelers, all of our DVPs have stayed both on and off Walt Disney World Resort property for over 30 years. Staying at a Walt Disney World Resort and taking advantage of the extras available to only resort guests are well worth consideration. Staying off site adds a lot of extra time and hassle, and overall is usually not a money saver - which is a common misconception.

Every family is different. But when considering a Walt Disney World vacation remember that Disney Resort guests are offered some "magical" extras that are not available at off-site hotels and resorts.

• Disney's Magical Express. Once you arrive at the Orlando Airport how are you going to get to your resort? Hop aboard the Magical Express bus service! This free service is a wonderful savings because you do not need to rent a car or take a cab or worry with the hassle of driving around the local area and potentially getting lost.
  

• Free Walt Disney World transportation. Disney's buses run all day long to and from the parks and Downtown Disney. You can't go wrong with a service that keeps you from paying the daily parking fees at the parks and saving money on gas. And best of all, you do not need a voucher or a set time to ride the buses. And again, getting lost while driving around Disney is common and not so magical...

• EXTRA MAGIC HOURS! Only available to Disney Resort guests, these hours are designed so that you can stay at a selected park up to 3 hours later than the general public or enter the park 1 hour earlier in the morning. It's almost like being a VIP.

• Disney Dining Plan. What's so special about a Dining Plan? It's only available to Disney Resort guests that book a package with room and tickets. There are several Disney Dining Plans and each one has it's own benefits. In a nutshell, you get to pay for your meals in advance and save some money.
  

• Free purchase delivery. Let's say you're strolling through Epcot and enter the candy shop in Germany. There are hundreds of chocolate choices and you want to purchase $100 worth of specialty chocolates as souvenirs. It's 90 degrees outside. How are you going to get the chocolate back to your resort room without it melting? Have it delivered! Disney Resort guests can have their purchases delivered directly to their resort. Don't drag it around with you!

• Free parking throughout the theme parks. Maybe you decide you'd rather drive to the Magic Kingdom for the day instead of taking the free bus transportation. Perfect! As a Disney Resort guest you can park at the theme parks for free. If you were not given a parking pass at check-in, then stop by guest services at your resort and they will make sure you have the proper paperwork to receive free theme park parking.

These are only a few of many reasons why choosing a Disney Resort tends to be the best option for most Walt Disney World visitors. There's also one BIG reason that's hard to put into words. It's being within Disney and knowing when you leave the park after a magical day that you are not going back into the "real" world. You're living the magic throughout your entire vacation.

**Information updated based on the date of this blog post. Pixie and Pirate Destinations is not responsible for missing, incomplete or inaccurate information. Contact your Pixie and Pirate Destinations DVP for up to date details.