Owner

Crystal Burriss

In 2009, Crystal started DWB Vacations with one goal: to help families like hers enjoy worry-free vacations and memories that last a lifetime. Since then, she has become an Accredited Cruise Counselor, a Certified Travel Associate through The Travel Institute, a Certified Sandals Specialist, and was a Global Travel Marketplace Ambassador. 

Under Crystal’s leadership, DWB Vacations has earned the distinction of being an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner through Disney’s EarMarked program. 

In addition to Disney, Crystal has also completed training for Universal Orlando, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Sea World Parks, AMResorts, Jamaica Tourist Board training, and many more. Crystal believes there is always more to learn so she is always participating in continuing education sessions and visiting new ships, resorts, and destinations so she can be better prepared to help the clients of DWB Vacations.

In 2016 Crystal sailed on the inaugural sailings of Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas, in 2017, Crystal attended the inaugural sailing and naming ceremony for the MSC Seaside, and in 2018 she was selected to sail on the inaugural sailing and naming ceremony of Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas. 

Travel Advisor

Amy Lawson

Amy has been in the travel industry for over 7 years now and has extensive knowledge in planning amazing, memorable vacations for all of her clients. Amy specializes in family vacations to Disney World, Disneyland, Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line, Universal Resorts, Sea World, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and many All-Inclusive Resorts like Sandals, Beaches, Royalton, and Iberostar, to name a few. Amy is very detail-oriented and work very hard for all of her clients. They become like family to her and she is very grateful to be able to help each one of them make memories with their family or friends. The biggest compliment Amy receives is their repeat business and referrals. Amy has a passion to help others and loves her job!

Travel Advisor

Ann Anderson

Cruises and theme parks are some of Ann’s favorite places to visit. She enjoys the fun of theme parks and the ease of a cruise (and the food, of course). After spending many years teaching children on the Autism Spectrum, Ann found the training to become a Certified Autism Travel Professional to be very interesting and helpful. The number of Certified Autism Centers is increasing which is a great help to families who love to travel with their children who are on the spectrum. She enjoys helping people travel, but she especially loves to help people travel with children who have autism. Ann hopes to travel to many different places and Ann hopes to help others enjoy travel as much as she does. She believes that you are never too old to travel.

Travel Advisor

Cathy Palazzo

In 2016, Cathy Palazzo decided to not only share her extensive travel knowledge with friends and family, but other families as well. The excitement of others having an amazing vacation is something she enjoys.

Besides sending families on their magical journeys to all Disney destinations, Cathy has also completed training for Universal Orlando, Sandals, Royal Caribbean, SeaWorld Parks, Jamaica Tourist Board, Atlantis, and many more. With so many unique locations to visit in the world, there is always something new and exciting to learn and experience.

Travel Advisor

Dawn Ward

Dawn is new to the travel industry but not new to planning vacations.  For the last 28 years, Dawn has planned vacations for her family as well as her extended family where they have visited many fabulous locations! Dawn has traveled to Europe, Canada, Alaska,  plus cruised to many warm tropical spots in the Caribbean.  Want to stay within the continental US?  Dawn has traveled to numerous destinations across the continental US, as well.

Traveling with her family and friends is definitely Dawn’s fondest memories and ones that she will cherish forever!  Dawn will help you create these treasured lifelong memories with a vacation to your perfect destination!

Travel Advisor

Elissa Colon

In 2016, Elissa Colón joined DWB Vacations as a travel advisor. In April of 2019, she took on the role of Client Relations Manager for the company as well. Since 2016 Elissa has planned hundreds of vacations for her clients. In this new role with DWB Vacations, Elissa works to meet the needs of all the clients and to ensure that their individual concerns are met. While originally from New York, she has lived in the south over a decade now with her two children and husband. Elissa has a unique family life in that she has a son who is medically fragile and a daughter who is a working actress, keeping the family separated at times to meet the needs of both children. This has forged Elissa’s purpose for being a travel advisor; to help families make memories in the moments they have together.

Travel Advisor

Gari-Leigh Wojciechowski

In 2017, Gari-Leigh started an internship with DWB Vacations. She joined the team full time in 2018 with her mind set to help families plan everything from quick getaways to once in a lifetime dream vacations stress free.

As a wife and mother of two kids she is used to the challenges and excitement of traveling with young kids and can help during the process with experience. As a well versed travel agent in all-inclusive resorts, cruises, and Disney World , Gari-Leigh can help make your vacation dreams come reality. Part of her mission is to make vacation planning and prepping fun and easy for her clients.

Gari-Leigh is always staying on top of the new and upcoming information in travel and constantly attending trainings and events to create important contacts that will help her clients. She was selected as a STAR (Select Travel Advisor Recognition) recipient to the 2019 CruiseWorld Conference. There, she engaged in customized programming, exclusive events and private, face-to-face supplier interactions.

Travel Advisor

Holli Marie Grissom

Holli is new to DWB Vacations, having just starting December 2019. Focusing currently on Walt Disney World travel, Holli loves to give families and couples lasting memories of the most Magical Place on Earth. Holli has traveled to WDW 9 times and has stayed in Value, Moderate, and Deluxe resorts. She has taken trips with her husband and two young girls as well as extended family trips and couple-only trips. Her biggest joy with Disney is the dining experiences. She has been to 4 EPCOT festivals and is exploring more Disney packages and excursions. Holli is excited to travel even more to learn everything she can to make your family’s vacation magical.

Travel Advisor

Julie Tapp

As a former history teacher and a mother to boys, Julie’s travel experiences have often revolved around history and sports. Therefore, she is knowledgeable with more than just Disney. With that being said, she is a Disney veteran and has been to Disney World, DisneyLand, and has been aboard the Disney Cruise Line family of ships numerous times each. She has also been on multiple trips overseas to the United Kingdom. In addition to her own knowledge base, Julie has completed both Universal and Disney parks training, and is eager to learn and earn more certifications!

Travel Advisor

Kristi Gibson

You may have heard the quote “people don’t take trips, trips take people” . That is exactly the case when it comes to Kristi. Her love for travel started very young, when she would go on vacations with her parents all the time. She started working as a travel consultant in 2012 and has booked many trips in that time. Kristi has been to Disney World over 50 times with her family, and she is also a graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge. Therefore, she is a specialist when it comes to the Disney family of resorts, cruise ships, and adventures. Additionally, Kristi has a Master of Adventure at Royal Caribbean University and has participated in onsite trainings at Disney, Universal, and Mexico. She has also trained with Celebrity Cruise Lines and is a certified Sandals and Hawaii specialist.

Travel Advisor

Kristy Vaughn

Kristy Vaughn joined the DWB team in 2019 after a 15 year career in a speciality retail setting that allowed her to work with and bond with many families. One of the things that would frequently come up during conversations with her clients would be family vacations. After many years of traveling to Disney World with her husband and 4 children, she loved to share with her clients the best practices and tips she had personally learned for creating a magical vacation. When the opportunity presented itself, Kristy decided to pursue a career as a Travel Agent. She knew she wanted to join DWB in particular because of her own exceptional experience of being a client of the agency. Becoming a Travel Agent has allowed her to professionally combine her love of traveling to Disney destinations and her love of working with families.

Her favorite thing about Disney is that there’s always something new and exciting to experience with her family while still being able to enjoy the iconic Disney attractions. Seeing the magic of visiting Disney World through her children’s eyes has made her love for Disney related travel grow. Her mission is to assist her clients in creating those special memories that they will never forgot with their families at Disney like she has been able to do with her family. She has experience in planning trips for adults only, families with children of various age ranges, and multi family trips.

Kristy is a graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge and has completed training for Universal Studios, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and Carnival Cruise Line. She recently earned a certificate in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University.

Travel Advisor

Krystina Savaria

In 2018, Krystina joined DWB Vacations to share her love of travel and planning with others, knowing it would help families like hers enjoy their vacations even more. She started with her main focus of Disney vacations & cruises, as those were her favorite childhood travel memories. Krystina has completed all of her Disney trainings, including an on-site Agent Educational Program in 2019. In addition to Disney destinations, she is also trained in Universal Orlando, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Sea World Parks, Jamaica Tourist Board training, Atlantis, Aruba, & is an AMResorts Master Agent. Continuing her education in all destinations and participating frequently in education sessions, is part of her goals to better serve her clients. In 2019, Krystina attended a Seminar on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas where she visited 4 Southern Caribbean islands, and participated in classroom settings.

Travel Advisor

Laura Robinson

Laura Robinson, a native of Raleigh, joined the DWB team in 2017. Her roots may be in Raleigh but she loves to travel. Laura is married with 3 beautiful daughters. They travel as much as they can and their favorite destination is Disney World.

Since joining DWB Vacations, Laura has completed the College of Disney Knowledge as well as extensive training for Universal Studios, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Sandals resorts, Sea World Parks, AMResorts and more. Her specialties are Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Resort, Universal Studios Orlando and Royal Caribbean Cruise line.

Laura Robinson, a native of Raleigh, joined the DWB team in 2017. Her roots may be in Raleigh but she loves to travel. Laura is married with 3 beautiful daughters. They travel as much as they can and their favorite destination is Disney World.

Since joining DWB Vacations, Laura has completed the College of Disney Knowledge as well as extensive training for Universal Studios, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Sandals resorts, Sea World Parks, AMResorts and more. Her specialties are Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Resort, Universal Studios Orlando and Royal Caribbean Cruise line.

She makes it a priority to get to know her client’s vacation needs and wishes to ensure an unforgettable vacation.Through her own extensive travel, she has the ability to add personal touches to all her client’s vacations. Whether they are having an epic family vacation, a multi-generational reunion, a romantic getaway, or a friends weekend away, Laura can skillfully plan a wonderful vacation for her clients.

Business Manager

Malia Fredricks

In 2010 Malia started selling travel and joined the DWB Vacations team in 2012.  She has a passion to help others make their dream vacations a reality.  Since then, she has become an Accredited Cruise Counselor and a Certified Sandals Specialist.

Malia has completed many destination trainings such as Disney, Universal Orlando, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Sea World Parks, AMResorts, Jamaica Tourist Board, Alaska, Hawaii and many more.  Malia believes that experience is one of the best ways to learn so she is always participating in continuing education by visiting new cruise ships, resorts and destinations.  

In 2016 Malia took on the Business Manager role for the growing agency.  She enjoys using her knowledge and experiences to train and mentor the agents of DWB Vacations.

Travel Advisor

Quinn Willard

Quinn joined DWB Vacations in 2017. Her love of travel and expertise brought her the opportunity to help others share the excitement and memories of their own vacations. Growing up, she performed numerous times with the Candle Light Processional at Epcot and she has participated in countless runDinsey races at Disney. Quinn’s other love it Hawaii. She has visited the islands numerous times. During her time with DWB Vacations Quinn has become a Disney Destination Specialist, a Universal Vacation Specialist, a Hawaii Destination Specialist, and has also completed training for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and numerous others. Quinn is always eager to learn and expand her knowledge of travel destinations. Over the years, Quinn has had the privilege of helping numerous families, couples, groups, and honeymooners create lasting memories with vacations to Hawaii, Las Vegas, New York, The Mediterranean, The Caribbean, The Bahamas, Alaska, Walt Disney World and Disneyland. She is passionate about each and every client and the lasting relationships that have developed year after year as they continue to experience other destinations through their partnership with her as their travel planner. Quinn approaches each client with attention to detail, step by step guidance, and personalized planning for each clients own unique needs.

Travel Advisor

Sarah Frei

Sarah began her adventures as a travel consultant in 2014. Living in the Detroit area she has a great appreciation of sunshine and warm weather! She has traveled to Disney World countless times and has enjoyed both Disneyland, Disney Cruise line, and Universal Orlando as well. Having a large family of her own, Sarah loves planning trips for other families who are looking to spend more quality time together. She strives to make the planning process simple for her client’s by handling all the fine details for them and any issues or concerns they may have. Allowing client’s to keep up with their busy lives and cherish their vacation time. Sarah specializes in all Disney Destinations, Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood, Cruises, all inclusives and more.

Travel Advisor

Shannan Wright

Shannan has traveled to several destinations in Europe including Scotland, England, Switzerland, Italy and France She has been to Thailand as well and considers that to be an amazing destination to experience. Shannan is also a cruise specialist with Royal Caribbean training and Disney training under her belt, having sailed several times on each cruise line.

Travel Advisor

Sheena Truss

Sheena has been planning travel for families for 6 years. She has a passion for helping families make traveling affordable and stress free. Family destinations are her specialty, but she also enjoys helping couples create the perfect getaway. Sheena is known by her travelers as someone who makes things personal. Sheena has traveled to the Walt Disney World resort over 20 times for both personal travel and training. She has visited Universal Orlando 5 times, as well as Busch Gardens. Sheena has traveled on Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines. She has completed training for Princess Cruise Lines, Universal and Walt Disney World. She continues to expand her expertise by taking classes with Globus Travel, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Disney Cruise, as well as webinars and live meetings with Princess Cruises, Carnicallval, Disney Travel, GoGo Vacations and more. She is currently working toward earning her title as Accredited Cruise Counsellor with CLIA

Travel Advisor

Wendy Stephens

Wendy has been selling travel since 2014. She has a love for helping people and helping others to have the perfect vacation. As a military wife, she knows the importance of making memories with loved ones. Her favorite part of being a travel agent is helping someone to experience the magic of the Disney parks for the first time. Wendy has been to Disney World countless times, as well as Universal Orlando, and is therefore knowledgeable when it comes to family-friendly resorts and parks. Wendy is a mother of three, so she knows how to work with odd-numbered families. She has also visited DisneyLand several times, and has experienced Disney Cruise Line.

In addition to having a wealth of first-hand knowledge, Wendy is a graduate of the Disney College of Knowledge and has completed the Universal Professionals Training. She is also an Anchorage Wild Expert, a certified Sandals Specialist, and a SNG (Special Needs Group) Accessible Travel Advocate, as well as being certified with National Geographic Journeys.