Meet Our Team of Bloggers

Mandi Middleton
Vanda Bean
Vanda is a Mom of two boys who always make sure a trip to Disney World is in the works! She lives her dream every day working from home AND homeschooling! With over seven years of experience, she has become an expert on planning the perfect Disney trip and making wishes and dreams a beautiful reality. When she’s not planning trips for others or visiting Disney herself, she graciously shares her knowledge and experience here on Walt Express with our readers to help you plan your very own magical Disney vacation!


Paten Williams
Bio coming soon!
Carrie Ponce
Carrie Ponce is a wife and stepmom to one a daughter who is now 18. She’s been married for 13 years, but her husband initially thought she was crazy due to her extreme love for all things Disney. But he quickly grew to love Disney just as much if not more than her. She works as a full-time customer representative for a small family owned metal shop, but her true passion is being a Disney travel agent. Her love for Disney started when her parents took her to Walt Disney World for the first time at 6 months old. When she is not at Disney she’s thinking about Disney or planning another trip! She truly enjoys helping others and loves the excitement of being a part of helping others plan a magical vacation.


Crystal Brytowski
Meet Crystal from Connecticut who is married to her Mickey and has three wonderful kids. She works as a substitute teacher but her true passion is her “Disney work”. She always wanted to visit Disney World as a child, but never got the chance. Once she and her husband had a family of their own, they visited once and it became her passion! Disney World is her family’s favorite vacation spot and she can’t wait to take in everything it has to offer! She is sure to try something new on each visit!
Scott Coleson
Scott is the husband of Walt Express Travel Planner Lauren Coleson. Together, they work with families to make sure they get the most out of every second of their Disney vacation. He is a recent convert to the Disney life and can be found reading up on the latest news and watching Disney videos everyday (you’ve gotta make it through the day somehow, right?) In addition to being a contributor with Walt Express and working behind the scenes with Lauren, Scott serves in ministry as a pastor.


Amber Hague
Amber is a wife and a mommy of 3. She has loved Disney since she was young and it only grew BIGGER when she took her first adventure to Disneyland. When not at a Disney Destination or planning her next trip she can be found spreading her knowledge about Disney or helping others plan their magical vacation.
Brooke Hemphill
Brooke is a wife, mom of two, and lover of all things Disney! When she’s not working full time as a Chamber of Commerce executive, she can be found volunteering at church, leading bible studies, or serving one of her favorite service organizations. Brooke has a passion for helping others and is especially grateful to help families plan the most magical Disney vacations. She and her family visit Walt Disney World multiple times a year, equipping her with Disney knowledge and experience to bring back to her clients. Being a Walt Express travel agent has been one of her greatest joys in life. She also loves to write about her experiences to help others have a magical time.


Allison Barbour
Allison lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children. She began traveling to Disney World as a child and has always loved being part of planning the adventure! She loves to talk about Disney to anyone who will listen and wants to help others in the planning process.
Vince Pintimalli
Vince is a husband, golfer and foodie who lives in New Jersey where he and his wife work for a Logistical company. They like to escape the cold and the grey of Jersey and head for the sun and magic of Orlando during the winter months. While traveling to Disney World, you can find him checking out one of many golf courses in the area in the morning, meeting his wife, family and friends in the park during the afternoon and enjoying and critiquing the food and drinks around the Walt Disney World Resort in the evenings. Vince’s passion for Disney started at a young age when he would travel to Disney World with his family. He found his dream job as a Disney vacation planner a few years back, and loves helping families plan a memorable Walt Disney World vacation.


April Fletcher
April is a wife, homeschooling mommy to the youngest of her three children and will be a first time Oma in May! Although she has been living in Virginia for the last 24 years, she grew up in Southern California and enjoyed annual trips to Disneyland with her family. In March of 2010 she and her hubby begrudgingly took their three children aged 4, 11 and 13 for a “once in a lifetime” obligatory trip to the most magical place on earth, Walt Disney World. Well, not only did the kids have a great time, but she and her hubby fell in love with all things Disney! Since then she has planned over 24 trips for them, sent her eldest daughter and son in law to Walt Disney World for their honeymoon and most recently started participating in RunDisney races. She thinks one of the best things about Disney vacations is there is always something new to experience and every trip is different in some way. She feels being a Disney Travel Planner with Walt Express Travel is the best way to share her love of Disney with others! So, when she’s not planning one of her trips to a Disney Destination, she’s helping her friends and family plan theirs.
Lucas Johnson
Lucas is a husband and father to a 3 year and soon to be a set of twin girls. He is a professional engineer and a Disney Travel Agent. He’s been going to Disney for over 20 years and loves the intricacies of what makes Disney properties so unique. One of his favorite past times is deep diving into how to get the most out of your trip.


Kristen Stiles
Kristen is a wife, mom of two AND Disney-obsessed. She first visited Walt Disney World when she was 6 years old and it sparked the Disney fire that quickly turned into a Disney passion. When she had a family of her own, she brought her family to Disney World and was able to pass on her love of Disney to her two kiddos and her husband. Now, the family visits Disney World at least once a year! It’s truly a family passion. She loves helping others plan their Disney trips and can, quite literally, talk about Disney all day long.
Our Contributors
Recent Blog Posts
Disney On Ice: Dream Big And Why You Need To GO NOW!
Visiting Walt Disney World may feel a little uncomfortable for some people right now. That is okay. Maybe there are some folks who would like to go but are unable because of travel restrictions. The Magic of Disney is something I've really missed. Because of this, my...
Guide To Epcot’s International Flower And Garden Festival For 2021
It's getting to be that time of year again! No, we are not talking about sleigh bells and Santa! We are talking about Spring and Summer time at Disney World. Spring and Summer at Disney World are simply AMAZING! Want to know why? Check out our guide to Epcot's...
Weekly Roundup: Disney Eats, Vacation Club, Epcot and A Touch of Disney
With each new week of news and fun from Disney it reminds us that 2021 is shaping up to be a great year. Change can be hard sometimes, but that is okay, it is needed and we are here for it. Read on for all of last weeks Disney highs or lows, depending on how you look...
Four Things I Will NEVER Do At Disney World Again
Normally when you tell a friend or a family member that you are taking a vacation to Disney World some of the first things that they say are "Oh my goodness you HAVE to..." and their list of favorite things. They may have really helpful advice. However, they may tell...
Weekly Roundup: Military Tickets, 2022 Disney World Packages and Disney Cruise Line
The news continues from Disney and we cannot be anymore excited. Last week Disney introduced discounts, tickets and some Marvel and Star Wars info. I mean how can you go wrong with any of that? Am I right? Or am I right? With each new change Disney is bringing the...
Tiffins Restaurant At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park Surprised Us
We added our first signature dining experience to our list. We have to say that Tiffins Restaurant At Disney's Animal Kingdom Park Surprised Us! If you have been here on the blog for a while, you have likely read some of our other dining reviews. By now, you have...