When math teacher Brian Chandler first used Glass Slipper Concierge for personal Disney vacations, he never imagined he would later work for the company. Chandler took a sabbatical last school year working full-time to plan Disney trips. Arlingtonian caught up with Chandler to discuss his year
away from UAHS.
Q: When did you first get into Disney?
CHANDLER: I first went to Disney World when I was in middle school but did not go back again until 2007 when I traveled there with my wife and son Luke, who was 2 at the time.
Q: What was your first trip to Disney like?
CHANDLER: I still have some great memories from that first trip with my brother and sister when I was in middle school. My favorite was playing in the squirting fountains next to the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot. Epcot was my favorite park on that visit.
Q: What are some of your favorite memories at a Disney property?
CHANDLER: More recently, one of my favorite memories was when I was there with my son David when he was only 6 months old. He was wearing shoes with Tigger on them when we met Tigger in the UK Pavilion at Epcot. Tigger made a big deal over the shoes and David kept laughing at the Tigger character. He may not remember it, but the memories my wife and I have will last forever.
Q: What in your opinion is the most magical thing about Disney?
CHANDLER: The thing I love most about Disney is the amount of detail that goes into every aspect of the parks—details that the average visitor will never notice, they still take the time to put them there.
Q: Do you incorporate Disney into teaching in any way?
CHANDLER: I incorporate my love of Disney in my teaching. My favorite thing to do is to put “hidden Mickeys” on my assessments for students to find.
Q: What are your responsibilities at Glass Slipper Concierge?
CHANDLER: I am a travel adviser for Glass Slipper Concierge, which is an Earmarked Disney Travel Agency. I help people plan their Disney vacations down to all the details of dining reservations, Fast Passes and day-to-day itineraries.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at [Glass Slipper Concierge]?
CHANDLER: My favorite part of the job is when families tell me they had an amazing vacation and made lots of great family memories.
Q: Did your job change much going from part-time to full-time?
CHANDLER: My job didn’t change much but the amount of work changed. This past year I have been planning a lot more trips because I have had the time to.
Q: Why did you decide to take time off teaching and work with Glass Slipper Concierge full-time?
CHANDLER: I really just wanted to take a break from teaching to spend more time at home, and since I was already doing the Disney travel business on the side, it allowed me to do it more full-time.
Q: Was it a difficult decision to take time off from teaching?
CHANDLER: It was a somewhat difficult decision, but I knew I needed to take a break from teaching to re-evaluate and make sure I wanted to keep doing it.
Q: Will you still work with a Disney planning company during the school year?
CHANDLER: I will still do some work with Glass Slipper Concierge but will have to cut back on the number of trips I plan since I will be back to teaching [Algebra II and Honors Algebra II] and that will take up the majority of my time.