After covering this business for nearly 17 years, I've seen my share of theme parks. Indeed, I've probably been to Walt Disney World alone nearly 20 times for various openings and industry conferences. My kids have been there roughly 15 times, so they are Disney veterans (they would say "experts").

So when I hear of someone who has never been to Disney, I always wonder what their reaction will be when they visit for the first time. That's why it was so interesting to me earlier this year when we traveled with another family from our hometown to Disney World for a crash course in theme parks (namely four parks in four days). There were eight of us in total (four parents, four kids). The other family's two kids are in their teens, as are mine, so this was a very different kind of Disney visit for both of us.

To be honest, I was never worried about the kids. I knew mine would show their two friends a good time, since they long ago figured out the rides and attractions they like. In fact, it was the adults that I was more worried about.

My friend Neal seemed to be convinced he wouldn't have a good time. In fact, he asked if I could reserve golf tee times three out of the four days we were down in Florida. I did that, but Neal called a few days before we left to tell me he had a bad back, so he couldn't golf. He seemed resigned to visiting the theme parks, though he vowed to return early each day for time at the pool and exercise.

Well, guess what! Our kids certainly enjoyed Disney World, but I suspect Neal and his wife Carol had an equally good time. Neal seemed a bit amazed by the whole experience – "I never knew what marketing really was until I came down here," he told me. He also marveled at the vaunted Disney efficiency as well as the cleanliness of the parks.

In the end, I'm not sure he bought into the whole Disney ethos, but he seemed eager to experience each individual theme park visit -- perhaps as much as his kids. The clincher for me was when we were in Epcot and our kids decided to go back to the room so they could change and go to Blizzard Beach for swim. Neal and I decided to stay in Epcot. We did a few more attractions and then had a pleasant Middle Eastern lunch at an outdoor café in the Morocco section of the park.

That said, Neal and his family agreed they liked Disney's Animal Kingdom the best, which was of interest to me, since I'd been at the opening of that park back in 1998. At the time, I felt the park needed a few more attractions to improve the overall experience. With the new Expedition Everest roller coaster and such shows as "Finding Nemo," Animal Kingdom now seems to hit its stride.

Indeed, a long line at Expedition Everest didn't even bother Neal, who enjoyed the whole lead-in to the heavily themed attraction. In the end, he went on nearly every Disney "thrill" ride along with me and our kids (although he opted for the "mild" experience on Mission Space at Epcot). His wife Carol even braved the Aerosmith Rock n' Roller Coaster at Disney MGM Studios, though she looked a little green at the end of the ride.

At night I think our friends were surprised by the quality of the dining experience. We had dinners at Todd English's bluezoo at the Dolphin Resort and Wolfgang Puck in Downtown Disney. Our accommodations at Disney's Coronado Springs Resorts were some of the best I've ever had for families at Disney World – two two-bedroom suites with giant living rooms, dining rooms and a full kitchen (not that we used it).

Neal was very happy with the fitness center, which had a full complement of exercise equipment, as well as the large pool complex at the resort. At night, our kids were able to return by themselves to the theme parks that were open late. We had no qualms about their safety (and we relished a bit more adult time, to be honest). Now that was a bit of a change from my family's previous visits!

Okay, so why relate this personal story about my family's winter break? The answer is because you never know what your potential customers have or haven't experienced in a vacation. In this case, here was a fairly affluent family (Neal is a lawyer) that had never even thought about going to Disney before. They just needed someone to be their guide to the parks – and that's a role you as travel agents can and do play!

There's a vast amount of business out there in nearly every community in America. With the web, we tend to think everyone knows everything there is to know about the vacation options out there. But that simply isn't true. Very often your clients will be surprised about the things you know about and the vacations you can book for them.