The Trip That Made Me a Travel Advisor | Now an Accessible Travel Agent
- Katrina Placer
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
Finding My Calling as an Accessible Travel Agent
Why I Now Specialize in Luxury Mobility, MCS, and Food Allergy Travel (It Started With Me)
It all started with a simple question about a lunch.
Years ago, I was planning a Walt Disney World vacation and working with a AAA travel agent. I asked a specific question about the "Dine with an Imagineer" lunch experience they offered at the time. Instead of looking up the answer, the agent dug his heels in and insisted he knew more than me, refused to listen to what I actually needed, and dismissed my question entirely. He even went so far as to wave his Mickey Mouse Graduation Ears from the Disney College of Learning required for all travel agents selling Disney Destinations and giggle at me because he thought he clearly had to know more than me.
I was so frustrated by the lack of care that I did something bold: I canceled the entire vacation with him right then and there.
I went home, dug into the research, found the answer myself, and booked the trip through another agency. When my husband saw the sheer volume of notes, strategies, and deep-dive knowledge I had accumulated, he looked at me and said what would change my life forever: “You know more about Disney vacations than anyone should. You need to become a travel advisor.”
He was right. I loved the puzzle of planning. I loved getting the details right. So, I jumped in, and for the first three years, I built a wonderful business helping families chase their vacation dreams. Afterall, I have a Masters Degree in Regional Planning. Planning is what I went to school, while it was for cities, not travel, it completely translates.
But then, life changed the rules of the game.
Three years into my travel planning career, I underwent major ankle surgery. While the surgery was a success and I recovered, my body was different. The reality of chronic pain from fibromyalgia set in, and I quickly realized I simply couldn’t handle the grueling miles of walking required for a day at Walt Disney World or a walking tour through a historic European village.
I had a choice: let my world get smaller, or adapt.
I chose to adapt.
I started traveling with a mobility scooter.
Navigating the travel world on wheels opened my eyes to a whole new layer of logistical hurdles. But the universe wasn’t done testing my planning skills. Several years later, I was hit with a triple diagnosis: a cranberry sensitivity, a wheat allergy, and celiac disease on top of a diagnosis of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) all in a matter of months.
Suddenly, traveling wasn't just about finding wheelchair ramps; it completely rewrote how I dined, booked hotels and even chose vacation destinations. Every single vacation now required hours of pre-planning for every meal, vetting cross-contamination risks, and interviewing restaurants before I ever stepped foot out of my house. Making sure hotels can deep clean a room prior to my arrival to rid it of fragrance and chemical smells and even checking how much pollution a destination has a on a regular basis.
Going through these shifts was terrifying at first. But as a travel advisor, it sparked a profound epiphany.
I realized how many people with mobility scooters, chronic pain, MCS and severe dietary restrictions stay home because the world feels too overwhelming to navigate. They are scared of being stranded without an accessible room or getting sick from a hidden allergen on a cruise ship. They need an advocate who doesn't just read the pamphlets, but lives the reality.
They need an advocate who walks the walk.
That is why I narrowed my focus to become an accessible travel agent specializing in mobility and food allergy travel, but with a twist by emphasizing luxury at the same time.
When you book a trip with me, you aren't getting an agent who brushes off your questions like the one I encountered years ago. You are getting someone who understands the exact anxiety of checking a mobility scooter at the airport gate. You are getting an expert who knows how to cross-examine a hotel chef about gluten cross-contamination.
You are getting a Travel Advisor, not a Travel Agent. I don't just book a room or a spot on a tour. I became an agent because I knew more than the agent who wouldn't listen. I became a advisor because I lived the challenges you face.
You don't have to stay home, and you don't have to navigate the stress alone. Let me handle the details so you can just enjoy the journey.
Let Me Handle the Heavy Lifting
Planning a vacation when you have unique physical needs, severe food allergies, or environmental sensitivities shouldn’t feel like a second job. Balancing accessible routes, interviewing hotel staff about deep-cleaning protocols, and cross-examining chefs about celiac safety takes hours of stressful, meticulous research which shouldn't take over the fun.
As a travel advisor with a Master’s Degree in Regional Planning, and as someone who navigates the world with a mobility scooter, celiac disease, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity firsthand, I don't just read the destination pamphlets. I live your reality. I know the exact anxiety of checking a scooter at the airport gate, and I know how to audit a
luxury property to ensure your safety and comfort.
Don't let fear make your world smaller, and don't spend your vacation playing travel agent. Let me handle the logistical puzzle so you can step into a seamless, luxury experience designed completely around you.
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