Walt Disney Travel Company

Walt Disney Travel Company is the exclusive wholesale travel partner of Disney destinations, offering a magical, one-stop-shop for vacation packages. Nicole Knox (Robbins) served as Manager of Marketing and Product Development for the Walt Disney Travel Company. In this key role, Knox was a collaborative partner in guiding the Resort and wholesale travel audience through the rebranding and expansion of the Disneyland and Anaheim Resort, including go-to-market strategy for Disney's California Adventure, the Grand Californian Hotel and Downtown Disney.

In this role, Knox oversaw the negotiation, positioning and marketing of a comprehensive wholesale travel portfolio of destination, hotel and attraction partners as well as taking the lead on key National Accounts like AAA Vacations and AMEX Travel. Knox was appointed special project lead for the Disneyland Resort Expansion (2001), the West Coast launch of Disney Cruise Line (2022) and the Disneyland Resort 45th (1999) and 50th Anniversaries (2003). During her tenure withe the company, she was named a Travel Industry Rising Star (2000) and awarded the AAA Vacations Preferred Partner of the Year.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

PRODUCT LAUNCH

Oversight of 16 market product launch introducing media and travel professionals to the newly expanded Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney and the Grand Californian Hotel.

NATIONAL ACCOUNTS

Led the West Coast Team awarded the AAA Vacations Preferred Partner Marketing Award and was designated as a top performing American Express Travel Partner.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Appointed Special Project lead for Disneyland Resort expansion (2001), West Coast launch of Disney Cruise Line (2002) and the Disneyland Resort 50th Anniversary (2003).

SECTORS

Destination Marketing

Wholesale Travel

Hospitality & Entertainment

PRIMARY LEADERS

Cynthia Harris, President, Disneyland Resort
Claire Bilby, Senior Vice President, Sales & Distribution Marketing
Kenneth Svendsen, General Manager, Walt Disney Travel Company

ENGAGEMENT

Full time, 6 years

Manager of Marketing & Product Development

AREAS OF FOCUS

Wholesale Travel
Product Launch Strategy
Strategic Alliances
National Accounts & Partnership Marketing
Oversight of California Good Neighbor Hotel and Attractions Portfolio

SCOPE & WORK

Destination Marketing & Product Launches

Vision casting and storytelling were essential to my role with the Walt Disney Travel Company. Clearly communicating a vast offering of accommodations, theme parks, ticket options, dining, add-ons and exclusives was paramount to creating magical and memorable Guest experiences. Beyond our robust product portfolio, each season involved multi-layered product launch strategy. From new attractions, entertainment and exclusive experiences to introducing entirely new theme parks, hotels and entertainment districts, there's always more magic on the horizon from Disney, and our hallmark was creating excitement around these moments.

Travel Planning Resources

Each annual product lineup included 3 seasonal campaigns of travel planning resources. Walt Disney Travel Company released two annual catalogues plus a summer mini brochure. In addition, we created exclusive private label product lines and campaigns for key national accounts like AAA Vacations and American Express Travel. Our frontline sales team and travel agency partners were equipped with compelling multimedia, sales collateral, point of sale displays, branded swag and promotional offers in ways that create excitement and ensure success.

Positioning & Package Inclusions

Annual product negotiations and pricing strategy was an essential facet of each year's travel offering. We began by establishing differentiated packages supporting a broad spectrum of price points, inclusions, and exclusive entitlements.

Positioning these often complex and nuanced travel bundles in clear and compelling ways were key to our success and ensured that Guests didn't miss out on a single magical moment.

Travel Documents & Commemorative Gifts

When planning the magical trip of a lifetime, receiving your travel documents is a moment that should amplify excitement and punctuate that something special has been prepared especially for you. With exceptional attention to detail, the Walt Disney Travel Company ensured a magical experience from start to finish by incorporating storytelling, history, and insider tips into every travel document that we delivered. Additionally, we were proud to develop exclusive, commemorative merchandise that invited every traveler to "Be our Guest" in celebrating milestones both big and small during their visit to Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom.

Travel Industry & Media Education

The Walt Disney Travel Company held our relationship with Travel Industry media & professionals in the highest esteem. As such, we were intentional in our approach to equip them well, offering a helpful blend of insider product previews and unique behind-the-scenes experiences, details and tips to help them craft once-in-a-lifetime experiences that made every Guest feel as though they were the exclusive recipient of the "keys to the kingdom."

Seasonal Vacation Packages

Understanding the travel habits of our Guests was just one of the ways that we ensured every visitor knew we were paying attention to what they valued most! Seasonal travel packages were a great option to serve up magic in more unique ways to create uncommon memories. These bundles were a creative opportunity to showcase new attractions, accommodations and exclusive Guest Experiences while also introducing compelling offerings for our valued National Accounts and key partners.

Point of Sale Campaigns

Bringing the magic of Walt Disney's original park to VIBRANT LIFE in ways that supported our fabulous travel industry partners was an essential component of every marketing cycle. Our goal was to equip a Disney-savvy audience with insider information that generated excitement and engagement in each upcoming season by reinforcing the vision and core values of Walt Disney in creative, engaging ways that reminded every visitor that it "it was all started with a mouse."

Partnership Marketing

Unique with the portfolio of Walt Disney Travel Company offerings, Southern California not only showcase, but CELEBRATES, destination partnerships. With onsite resorts and a Good Neighbor Hotel Portfolio of 40+ properties, West Coast vacation packages invite you to IMMERSE yourself in the essential experiences that inspired Walt Disney himself! Included among the vast offering was a collection of 40+ vetted and officially designated Good Neighbor Hotels and partnership destinations including attractions and accommodations in Los Angeles and San Diego