On The Road Travel

We are so excited to welcome a new member of the On The Road Travel team! As a self-proclaimed Dis-nerd, Tara Churney has loved all things Disney since before she can remember. Tara grew up in Southern California, which gave her the opportunity to spend summers, family time, and even her high school graduation night at Disneyland. Once Tara got older, she discovered the magic of Walt Disney World and all of the wonder the different parks had to offer. Tara even spent a day in the life of a Disney Princess by walking down the aisle with her Prince Charming at Walt Disney World in 2015. Tara and her husband, Trevor, now visit the Disney parks on a regular basis and keep up to date with the latest Disney news. Tara loves to share with her clients her favorite places to eat, her best Disney travel secrets, and any off the beaten path Disney experiences that her clients might enjoy. She brings over 30 years of Disney experience to create the most magical experience for her clients.   Wh...

Hints of spring have begun to pop up and what better way to embrace this new season than to add to our team! Please join us in the comments below as we welcome Lisa Myers to our On the Road Travel team as a Travel Agent Specializing in Disney Destinations! Lisa is an Iowa native and went to Iowa State University where she met her husband/Prince Charming, Larry. They now live in Kansas City and have two daughters. Lisa and Larry love to travel as often as they can, but their favorite family vacations are always centered around a Disney Destination. Even when at home, a lot of their time is spent researching and planning for their next trip to Disney! Lisa’s love for Disney started at a young age when she went to see The Little Mermaid at the movie theater. Then, as a teenager she saved her money from her summer job to help “fund” her first trip to Walt Disney World the following spring break (if you want a fun story, ask her about their flight and what happened when she arrived at...

This week’s Meet Me Monday is all about Emily Haack! Emily has been a Disney fan for as long as she can remember. Her first Disney related memory was her dad taking her to see Beauty and the Beast in the theaters, sneaking in popcorn, and singing along with the songs she already knew by heart (hello cassette tape soundtracks!). Her love for Disney grew as her parents took her whole family on trips multiple times throughout childhood. The journey to being an agent began when her parents surprised her whole family--this time adults--with a trip to Disney World in 2015. She took the reigns in learning everything she could about making the trip a success (guided by Suzanne in the background), and it was pure magic. She vividly remembers the moment the magic finally fully embraced her husband; it was movie perfect under the canopy of the fireworks. She had so much fun planning the trip for her family that she had to continue that fun by becoming an agent. Emily and her husband get the...

It's Monday once again, so that means it's time to learn about one of our agents! This week the spotlight is on Chris Smith, one of the newest members of our team! Chris lives in Houston, Texas with his wife, Dr. Bethany D. Smith and three children, Madelyn, Addyson, and Tanner. A planner, food lover, and traveler at heart, Chris loves checking out new destinations with his family and making sure all restaurants and key attractions are covered. With that said, the magical experiences at Disney destinations continue to draw the Smith family back! Chris graduated from Texas A&M University in 1999. In addition to working at On The Road Travel, he is an analyst for a petrochemical company. When Chris isn’t singing his favorite Disney tunes in his office, he spends his free time coaching Tanner’s baseball team, watching Madelyn and Addyson play soccer and participate in cheerleading, following Texas A&M sports, hanging out by the backyard pool, and listening to inte...

It's a new year, and we're thrilled to announce that the On The Road Travel Team is growing once again! Please help us in welcoming Jen and Bill Rahn to our team! Jen is a high school English teacher and soccer coach with degrees from Metropolitan State University of Denver, Regis University, and Grand Canyon University. Bill is the manager of a nearby Dairy Queen. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa. They live in Aurora, CO with their 5 year old son Eli. Well, his full name is Elias. He was, in fact, named after Walter Elias Disney! Growing up in Northern California, Jen took her first trip to Disneyland when she was only one year old. As she grew up, she took trips there once a year with her parents or her grandparents when they lived in Southern California. Even when she moved to Arkansas with her dad, they visited Disneyland on the move out there and then again on the move back to California. Bill is a native of Iowa and did not visit Disneyland unt...

Meet our Social Media Coordinator, Ali Henkle! Ali is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Performing Arts Management, as well as a minor in Marketing. In addition to working with On The Road Travel, she works as the Marketing Manager at the Des Moines Symphony and Academy. Ali has been lucky enough to visit Disney World every year since she was one, and many of her favorite childhood memories are from the family vacations spent there. She's a Disney Vacation Club Member and, at the moment, she's also an Annual Passholder. She has visited Disneyland and California adventure once, and has had the opportunity to go on a few cruises, Disney and otherwise, as well as travel through some of Europe with her family.  One of her favorite Disney memories is spending New Years Eve 2003 at Epcot with her family and some family friends. They had a blast running around and keeping in contact with their parents via walkie talkie, and it rained so hard t...

It’s week two of Meet Me Monday, and today is all about Dawn Zorilo! Dawn lives in New York with her husband, Bryan, and son, Joseph. She has loved Mickey Mouse and Disney movies since she was a child. Dawn was 11 when she first visited Disney World with her parents and brother, and that trip ignited a love for Disney that hasn’t stopped growing. Some of Dawn’s Disney favorites include: Resort: Wilderness Lodge Park: Epcot Ride: Tower of Terror Animated movie: The Lion King Live movie: Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Character: the original black & white Mickey Mouse Reading about all things Disney and learning how to organize trips became a passion of hers. Many years and several Disney trips (including a honeymoon) later, Dawn was lucky enough to be introduced to Chris Cook-Leitz through her aunt. She got to know Chris over the years from booking trips and talking Disney with her, so Dawn was ecstatic when Chris invited her to join the team at On The...

Welcome to the new On The Road Travel Blog! We are a small business that specializes in Disney travel. My name is Chris Cook-Leitz, and I'm the owner of On the Road Travel. I just wanted to take the time to welcome you to this blog and introduce myself. I started working for Norma, one of the founders of On The Road Travel, in October 2008 after working for Land Grant Universities in three states. My first trip to Disney World was in elementary school and I threw a fit because I didn't want to go into the Tiki Room because I was convinced the birds would poop on me. (My parents remind me of this often). Below is a picture of my family and I at Machu Picchu last December on an Adventures by Disney Trip. Rick and I have been married for 23 years and have two sons, Trevor (14), and Ethan (6). Since joining the team, I've been thrilled to expand our agency and develop a focus in Disney Travel. Through this blog, you will have the opportunity to learn more about the On The...