Travel agents dedicated to serving the Kansas City community and clients nationwide
Founder and Contributing agent
Marti Blaine
Marti is the owner of Pack Happy Travel.
Marti and her husband Ryan were blessed as children to have amazing travel experiences with their parents and siblings. That led to adventures as newlyweds. They packed up and moved East, exploring the US on a tight budget. Grownup jobs and family brought Marti and Ryan back to the Midwest., but they didn't lose their love of travel. Their exploration changed to worldwide, especially with the onset of family life.
Kids have brought a whole new adventure and there is nothing more amazing than seeing new places through their lenses. Travel teaches us so many things about the world in which we live. Marti's goal is to help you have lifelong travel experiences that fit your budget and adventure level. Where do you want to go? Let her listen to your desires and help you create an amazing getaway. Her ultimate goal is that wherever your destination, you Pack Happy and travel carefree.
Marti planned the PERFECT trip for my family's first trip to Disney. Everything was planned out and we knew what to expect so we didn't wander around feeling lost! I could never have done it without her help!
Maggie M.
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Contributing agent
Ashley Braeckel
Ashley is a Wife, Mom to two kids, a sassy Husky and 2 cats, with a passion for all things travel.
Her love of travel was sparked very early on by a cartoon & computer character shrouded in mystery, a large brim hat, red trench coat and was always ready to take you on an adventure around the world. As a child, Ashley would get so excited to follow along with the trivia, learn about different cities, countries, geography and fun facts about the world, each time she watched the character come to life on the screen. All while running from the detectives trying to track her down, asking "where in the world is.." . Little did Ashley know at the time that 20 some odd years later, would be the start of her dreams coming to life and Ashley would be the one standing in the same places that were frequented by her favorite childhood traveling antagonist.
Ashley started her Travel Advisor career part time in 2016, focusing on Disney vacations, as she grew up going to Disney throughout her childhood. Within a few months, she was on the road to becoming a Worldwide agent as she had an affinity for Europe, Asia, South Pacific and group travel, whether that be social groups or Destination Weddings. About 4 years ago, as the world of travel was quickly changing, Ashley pivoted to really learn Mexico and the Caribbean All Inclusive and non-All-Inclusive destinations. She has sent clients worldwide for a little over 8 years and couldn't imagine doing anything else. Ashley truly loves being a "travel detective" and helping her client's find the perfect destination and see the spark of a dream come true and hearing about her clients being able to stand and see the travel plans they build together come to life, making this more than just a profession for her. Ashley wants to ask you one question, where in the world...do you want to travel?
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Contributing Agent
Shannon Brotherton
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Contributing Agent
Lisa Circle
Lisa is not just a travel enthusiast; she's on a mission to share the joy of exploration with her clients. Her unique talent lies in forming close bonds with them, turning transactions into cherished friendships. With a knack for finding great deals, she helps families create priceless memories. Lisa specializes in luxury travel, offering opulent getaways like ocean voyages, river cruises, in country adventures and family retreats to Disney or Universal. She's fueled by her passion for history and dreams of visiting historical sites worldwide. Lisa, along with her husband Mark, prioritizes instilling a love for travel in their children through family adventures. Many memories have been made on ocean cruises to the Caribbean and is looking forward to her family’s first Mediterranean Cruise this summer. River Cruising has provided her an opportunity to experience many different countries while discovering where she can’t wait to return to explore further. Her own travel experiences range from snorkeling in St. John's to exploring Anne Frank's home in Amsterdam and Bran's Castle in Romania. She's eager to help you create unforgettable journeys, so reach out to Lisa and let the adventure begin!
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Contributing Agent
Denise Fast
Denise loves to travel! Those travels were relatively short trips as a child from south central Kansas to Beaver Lake, Arkansas, or a Royals game and Worlds of Fun in Kansas City with her family. As she got older and had kids, the trips were a little further away to places like Chicago or South Dakota or Breckenridge, Colorado. Now that her kids are young adults, Denise has had the privilege of taking her two daughters to an all-inclusive in Mexico, on several cruises in the Caribbean, and many trips to Universal Studios and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. But the trip of a lifetime for Denise and the girls was an 11-day trip to Alaska to Mount Denali and a cruise down the Alaskan coast.
Denise is here to make your adventures come true and can’t wait to get to know you and help make your vacation a reality. She is also a CPA so she’s well-versed with numbers and can’t wait to put some plans together for you and your next getaway. She’ll be there for you from start to finish so contact her today.
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Contributing Agent
Cindy Fletcher
Originally from small town Alabama, Cindy grew up dreaming of traveling the world. Now, she helps make those dreams come true for her clients! Cindy is passionate about helping others plan their vacations, and her desire is for each client to have a stress-free experience. Her attention to detail and vast travel experience help create once-in-a-lifetime experiences for her clients. One of Cindy’s favorite travel memories is taking her daughter to Disney for the very first time. After this experience, Cindy realized how important family experiences are and therefore loves to plan special vacations for families, honeymooners, or anyone looking for a memorable vacation.
Thank you Cindy for helping make our week so "magical." If you're going to Disney, talk to her first ... it was ahhhhmaaazzzing.
Gina F.
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Contributing Agent
Kristi Ford
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Contributing Agent
Molly Gentz
Molly finds nothing more magical than lifelong memories of a family vacation. She still remembers hers growing up and now she had the privilege of recreating those experiences for her own children and other families. Whether it's relaxing on a beach, eating dinner with Cinderella, or taking a journey with Harry Potter, she is here to help you plan a vacation you will remember for a lifetime. Each group, family, couple or individual has different visions for their trips, and Molly enjoys helping make those dreams come true. Her goal is for every guest to have a magical experience, beyond expectations, no matter where you go! She looks forward to working with her clients, who become her friends, and she can't wait to hear about your next vacation. Let's make it magical!!
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Contributing Agent
Leisha Gonzalez
Leisha loves to travel and is passionate about family vacations! Leisha and her husband Jarod have three boys ranging in age from twelve to two and they have spent many family vacations traveling to a variety of destinations. Leisha began her travel agent career specializing in Disney destinations because she fell in love with creating special memories with her family. She wants to help other families create similar magical memories. Leisha is very experienced in helping families plan trips with kids of all ages as she has traveled with both babies and middle schoolers! As the mom of two boys with food allergies, she is well-versed in planning vacations with families who have very specialized travel needs. Call Leisha today and let her help you book the vacation of a lifetime!
We’d like to give a huge shout out to Magical Memories by Leisha - Pack Happy Travel for planning our amazing Mediterranean adventure these past two weeks. As a Disney agent, Leisha’s services are totally free, and she is able to get great discounts and specials. She schedules everything from your hotel, car services, excursions, flights, and everything in between. Traveling internationally with Disney makes it so easy, safe, and convenient for parents traveling with kids. Hit her up if you want to see the world! - Chanda A. , Lubbock, TX
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Contributing Agent
Sara Harms
Sara is thrilled to help clients from across the United States fulfill their sense of adventure with thoughtfully planned itineraries. A few of her favorite types of trips to plan include:
•Multi-generational trips to Walt Disney World, or sailings with Disney Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean Cruise Line
•Adult mother-daughter European River Cruises with AmaWaterways
•“Friends ARE Family” group vacations combining active adventures like scuba and water sports with relaxing downtime on the beach or at the spa
•Adventures by Disney family tours perfect for inquisitive older kids and teens - Italy, England & France and Australia are big hits!
•Honeymoons and couple’s getaways to inviting and trusted all-inclusive luxury properties with a focus on design - both aesthetically, and in guest experience, making it effortless to celebrate each other
•Adults only cruises with eco-conscious partner Virgin Voyages featuring fabulous food and late nights in port so you can really experience a destination
She is guided in both her personal and professional life by the desire to be the reason someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, loved and supported. As you are thinking about your next vacation, she would be honored to help you plan it!
“…we can't thank you enough for all of your help making this magical experience happen for us! We talked about you a lot on the trip 🙂 I will recommend you to anyone I know traveling to Disney - you did such a great job of providing us the right amount of information to make the right choices for us and feel prepared, but not overwhelmed. You took the time to listen and get to know us to tailor your advice (or so it seemed!) - it felt like I was working with a friend 🙂 I appreciated your prompt responses and liked how you checked in on us during the trip once in a while too. Thank you, thank you, thank you! :)” - Mandy M.
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Contributing Agent
Lori Kenney
Meet Lori Kenney! Lori has her master’s degree in Elementary Education. She taught for 8 years prior to Lori and her husband having their two children. Lori became a stay home mom after her second child was born. While at home, Lori and her kids enjoyed tagging along with Lori’s husband on business trips. This is where she caught the travel bug! Lori loved seeing the different cultures and doing new things not in her own backyard. The pure joy that radiated from her family’s faces had her hooked! Lori’s husband is a CPA and is always focused on the finances. Meanwhile, Lori’s head is in the clouds dreaming of the next vacation to take. When the children reached school age, Lori began to substitute at the kid’s school to pay for their travel adventures. Vacations bring families together and allow you to create lifelong memories! Lori’s goal is to help you plan the vacation of your dreams your family will remember for a lifetime…and has been trained to stick to her budget!
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Contributing Agent
Leigh McCabe
As a Pack Happy Travel agent, Leigh's goal is to help each family create magical memories on vacation that will be cherished for years to come. Leigh loves visiting Disney Destinations (maybe too often according to some of her family members!) and also enjoys cruising and booking select all-inclusive resorts. Leigh prioritizes getting to know her client families to provide customized tips and itineraries to decrease stressors and increase FUN! If you want to know where to find the best Dole Whips, swimming pools, animatronics and hidden Mickeys, give Leigh a call!
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Contributing Agent
Kristen Martin
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Contributing Agent / Social Marketing Manager
Jeni Rainforth
Growing up, Jeni’s family spent the weekends traveling the country for sports tournaments. Weekend sports tournaments doubled as family vacations. These family vacations became a life-long passion for travel.
Jeni clearly remembers it was love at first sight the first time her parents took her to Disney. And her love doubled the first time she and her husband James took their three kids Jackson, Jadyn, and Jake to Disney. Their little eyes lit up with joy and wonder and she knew that traveling as a family would become an essential way to spend quality time together and make memories that last.
Although they have traveled extensively, both around our country and to other parts of the world, their favorite place to make memories and connect is still Disney and Universal theme parks. Even though her kids are nearly grown, their eyes still light up with joy at the magical world of Disney.
When Jeni isn’t traveling to the parks with her family, you can still find her there-up to four times a year! She makes a point to stay up to date on all things Disney and Universal so she can plan the ultimate trip for your family. You’ll be certain that every detail is carefully thought through and every minute accounted for, as if she had planned it for her own family. Her passion shines through in every part of the planning.
Jeni can’t wait to help you say yes to the trip and yes to memories that will last you a lifetime.
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Contributing Agent / Social Marketing Manager
Amy Sides
Amy grew up in Kansas City, but traded in her city lifestyle for country living once she married her husband, Jon. Before kids, travel was their favorite pastime, as it was a way to broaden their horizons and learn about new cultures, lifestyles and differing perspectives. Once they had their son and daughter, travel as a couple grew to include travel as a family. In the early days of traveling, Amy always used a travel agent for their expertise. It was a comfort to have someone assisting in the planning and taking care of all the details. After many years working with travel agents, Amy was encouraged to enter the travel industry. She specialized solely in Disney destinations for a while, but with the guidance of a great mentor, she increased her areas of expertise and expanded to the Caribbean Islands and beyond.
Today, she is able to use her travel experience to book everything from all-inclusive vacations to multi-destination cruises, adventure tours and much, much more! She has planned for families with children, couples, honeymooners and multi-generation families, and she knows how to personalize itineraries to ensure everyone has an amazing time. She will recommend great local activities from unique spas to great hiking spots, water sports, amazing viewpoints, plus the best restaurants and hidden gems.
Amy’s goal is to take the stress and worry out of travel, just like the travel agents who helped her all those years ago and leave clients to make unforgettable memories!
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Contributing Agent
Michele Taylor
Disney has been a part of Michele's life for over 50 years and it's fitting now that she's making other families' travel dreams come true. She has nostalgic memories visiting Disneyland as a child. That Disney love grew to Walt Disney World in the 70s and then Disney Cruises and Disney’s Aulani in Hawaii as a Disney Vacation Planner. Now she has the privilege of traveling all over the world with her husband, kids, and now grand babies sharing that "Disney Magic.” She's also an adventurer and loves road tripping across the US ,having logged 3 trips to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, experienced dude ranches, and off-the-beaten-path yurt glamping to name a few. She's hiked glaciers in New Zealand & Alaska, has sailed the Mediterranean and has visited about every island in the Caribbean. Michele specializes in Disney destinations and is very passionate about adventure travel. She loves the challenge of putting together that perfect, affordable vacation for families to create their own nostalgic memories.
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Contributing Agent
Megan Trigg
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CONTACT US
Ready to start planning your trip? Have questions about our travel services? Contact us by phone or email, or complete the form on this page and we will get back to you as soon as possible!
PHONE 816-807-6737
EMAIL [email protected]