Hi, I’m Kristi!
Travel has always been part of my life, but traveling changed a lot once I became a mom.
My husband is a commercial airline pilot, which means I often travel as the only adult with our 2 kids. Over time, I’ve had to figure out the parts of family travel that do not always show up in pretty vacation photos: airport days, transportation plans, stroller decisions, hotel rooms, packing systems, and all the little logistics that can make a trip feel easier or harder.
Fairytale Travel Guide is where I share what I’ve learned from real trips with my kids, along with my background in travel, hospitality, airports, and Disney, to help family travel feel more manageable.
Looking for more details about what you’ll receive? You can learn more about the Fairytale Travel Guide newsletter here.
MY JOURNEY
How Travel Became Part of My Life Long Before I Became a Mom
Travel has been part of my life for a long time.
I earned my degree in Travel and Tourism, worked in hotels and airports, and spent several years as a Concierge Cast Member at Walt Disney World helping families navigate the parks, plan their trips, and make the most of their vacations.
Long before I became a mom, I traveled throughout the Americas, Europe, and Africa, volunteered in small mountain villages in Peru, and took every opportunity I could to explore somewhere new. Travel was not something I saved for once in a while. It was simply part of how I lived.
Looking back now, those experiences taught me a lot about travel beyond the destination itself. They taught me how to problem-solve, adapt when plans change, pay attention to details, and find the moments that make the stressful parts worth it.
I did not realize it at the time, but all of that would eventually shape how I travel with my own kids today.
Fast Forward to Today
How Fairytale Travel Guide Came to Be
Life looks a little different now than it did during my early years working in hotels, airports, and Disney parks.
My husband and I actually met while working together at an FBO, the part of the airport that serves private aviation. I worked with pilots and passengers while he worked out on the ramp fueling and moving aircraft while building flight hours as a flight instructor.
Eventually, he became a commercial airline pilot, and I became a stay-at-home mom. We bought a house, had 2 kids, and then got married, yes, in that order. Before long, we found ourselves in a rhythm where he traveled constantly for work, and I was the one traveling with the kids.
Some of our trips are to fly on his flights or meet him during longer overnights in new cities. But many are just me and 2 kids navigating airports, hotel rooms, security lines, transportation plans, and new places on our own.
Somewhere along the way, I realized that my background in tourism, hospitality, Disney operations, and aviation gave me a different way of looking at family travel. I was constantly thinking through the small details: what I could carry, where the stroller would go, how we would get from the airport to the hotel, what would make bedtime easier, and what I needed to know before we arrived.
Eventually, I realized something simple:
If this makes travel easier for our family, maybe it could help someone else too.
That idea slowly became Fairytale Travel Guide.
I’M ON A MISSION
Helping Parents Navigate the Logistics of Traveling With Kids
Today, Fairytale Travel Guide exists to help parents navigate the parts of family travel that people do not always talk about.
Things like airport logistics, hotel stays, transportation plans, stroller decisions, packing systems, Disney days, car seats, travel documents, and the mental load that comes with getting everyone from one place to the next.
I know firsthand how much those details matter, especially when you are the only adult managing them. But the advice here is not only for parents traveling alone with kids. It is for any family trying to make travel feel more doable, realistic, and manageable.
That is why Fairytale Travel Guide focuses so heavily on the practical side of family travel.
The airport systems that make travel days smoother. The hotel reviews that explain what staying somewhere actually feels like with kids. The Disney logistics people do not always realize they need to think through until they are already there. The planning tools, transportation details, and real-life lessons I’ve learned from figuring it out myself.
My goal is to make the moving parts of family travel feel clearer, lighter, and more manageable so you can actually enjoy the trip you worked so hard to plan.
What You’ll Find Here
At Fairytale Travel Guide, you’ll find practical help for the parts of family travel people do not always talk about:
Airport systems and flight logistics that make travel days feel smoother
Disney tips built around real-life family logistics
Hotel reviews focused on what staying somewhere actually feels like with kids
Transportation advice, stroller strategies, packing tips, and planning tools
Honest lessons from traveling with my kids through airports, road trips, hotels, Disney parks, cruises, and international trips
Everything here is meant to help family travel feel more manageable, more realistic, and more doable.
Helpful Resources
Looking for practical tools to make family travel easier?
Browse my favorite travel resources, planning tools, gear recommendations, and guides built to help parents navigate travel with less stress.
New here? Start With These Favorites
Traveling With Kids: How to Make the Logistics Feel More Manageable
Traveling with kids comes with a lot of moving parts, but it does not have to feel as complicated as it looks from the outside. Start here for practical family travel tips on choosing a manageable trip, packing, transportation, hotel sleep, documents, bathrooms, safety, and the logistics that make travel feel easier.
Flying With Kids: Real Tips That Make Airport Travel Easier
Airport days with kids are easier when you know what to think through before you get there. This guide covers packing, car seats, documents, TSA, bathroom breaks, airport play areas, lap infants, overnight flights, and the little systems that make flying with kids feel more manageable.
Disney World With Toddlers: 17 Real Tips That Make the Trip Easier
Disney World with toddlers is easier when you plan for the real logistics of the day. This guide covers resorts, transportation, strollers, meals, breaks, ride seating, playgrounds, and the little choices that can make a Disney trip with young kids feel more manageable.
Need help thinking through family travel logistics?
A supportive community for parents planning trips with kids, from airports and Disney days to strollers, hotels, packing, transportation, and all the little details that can make travel feel like a lot.
Some families travel with 2 parents. Some travel with grandparents or friends. Some of us are often the only adult managing everything. However your trips look, you’re welcome here.
This free community is here to help family travel feel more realistic, more manageable, and a little less overwhelming.
You do not have to figure it all out alone.
Let’s Get Social!
Share Fairytale Travel Guide Resources
If you’re a creator, blogger, or community leader with an audience of parents planning trips with kids, you can apply to become a Fairytale Travel Guide affiliate.